kg1947

... as a foreigner living in Isaan - Central World Khon Kaen is a blessing for the following reasons:

1)International food selection 4th floor plus mediocre food court with average level prices.

2)English newspaper : Bangkok Post & The Nation.

3)Movies : regular & 3D !! ( on 5th level)

4)Supermarket in the basement (most International food, fruit, bakery products, takeouts, etc.. )

5)Parking : it's a heaven !! ( 4 levels that I can see - Sat. & Sun. might be crowded )

6)Accessible direct from Highway ( from Korat/Chumpae/Udon Thani and via Ring-road from Kalasin )

by public songthaew from Bus Station : no.3 Yellow stop in front WITHOUT having to cross the road

no.2 Yellow stop on the side/ drop-off and you must cross a busy road, not convenient !

HOWEVER when returning from Central to Bus Station you MUST take no.2 Yellow because their p/up

stop is the MOST convenient especially when you're loaded with shopping bags . Cost baht 9.- p/p

but be generous and give the driver baht 10.- you won't be poorer for it and the driver will be

happy !! ps: Internet ( True Coffee) is available but no printer. Enjoy !!

.......the way my internet connection is behaving where I am living , change will come in the NEXT century !!

and just as they will upgrade the lines to 10 MB - censorship & keystroke logger will bring it down to a crawl again.

TIT ...

1.It's funny, the only business that will see any relief will be those can suffer the downturn the best.

The little guys will be SOL sure.

Its too easy to find a a pretty beach elsewhere in the world.

2.Indian, Chinese tourists have to be some of the cheapest people out there. Russians?

The Japanese finished with Thailand due to violence and scams years ago.

The expat can't really help, they have little to do with high end package tourism.

3.The economies of the west will only get worse in the years and decades ahead.

4.Thailand made a conscious effort not to educate its population like Malaysia - so there you have it.

5.I suggest everyone go back to the farm. that's where the money will be - agriculture.

6.The people that work in the industry that are not paid well to be polite and kind are anything but.

The love affair with Thailand is over and all the mess only exacerbated it.

Thailand's tourism is overbuilt and overpriced. Thailand's natural resources are a disaster.

.....1) Big business that are DIVERSIFIED will NOT suffer - even with empty hotel rooms /restaurants

because other income streams will keep producing income. The workers are always hurting.

Thailand is "sanook" and good time here is NOT the same as in other countries !

.....2) If Thailand want to "attract" higher value tourism, these are NOT the target groups.

Higher value tourist "demand" the best regardless of cost, can Thailand maintain the HIGH

STANDARD required ? ( when the workers are not happy with their pay, garbage tossed around,

scams & double standards pissed them off - will they return ? )

We the expats either grin & bear it or move away - and with Thai wife & children - WHERE TO ?

...3) Just look at USA & EU - it IS happening now and accelerating !!

When the US$ ceased to be the World's Reserve Currency and Germany re-adopts DM (Deutsche Mark)

then watch out.

...4) the " MUSHROOM " must be kept in the dark and fed manure to keep them ignorant & docile, otherwise

just imagine if those workers suddenly "demand" THB 500.- p/day min. wage !! where will the

factories find their next low wage workers ?

...5) Big Business is buying up land and get ready for large scale farming. Meanwhile small farmers

are having difficulty getting "fair price" for their products. Middle man take a larger profit than

what farmer can get for their sweat & hard work. So is it any wonder you see the recent uprising.

Any "smart" politician with understanding of basic math must do the calculation !!

You want majority - you satisfy the majority's demand. At least T(hai)R(ak)T(hai) understand this

math-101 and make use of it.

...6) see point 2) above. that's why Pattaya, Patong, Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy will see a slight downturn

BUT will NEVER go out of business !! :) get me another beer teelak !!

Thank you "bangkokburning" for your excellent summary.

...the airport heist December 2008 has lasting damage that will go on for decades. Westerners do NOT forget. Way too many people and

airlines ate their loss and were shocked to find that no yellow shirt group leaders were arrested or prosecuted.

The airlines are still trying to recoup their losses with that stunt.

Airlines have quietly and assuredly shifted their hub and spoke routes to KL and safer airports.

Thais fail to grasp this.......

.....During 9/11 ALL flights ex Pacific/Atlantic were diverted to Canada and most bussed to bordertown destination.

all BKK Int. COULD have been diverted to C-Mai/C-Rai for the North and Udon Thani/ Khon Kaen /Korat for further

processing to Central regions and Phuket/ HadYai for South destinations. Why was it NOT done ?

All basic processing procedures could be programmed into a laptop , more difficult with Immigration data access -

but it is DO-ABLE !! Aviation fuel, International standard food & beverage could pose a problem in Isaan

( can't serve Somtam & Kaoniaw - can they ? on International routes but with a little planning it's do-able !

Chocolate cake all the time can be boring, so Vanilla ice cream might be a nice diversion plus the chance of

making intelligent conversation in a foreign language ! what say you ... no ploblem huh ?

So if falang man is looking for "diversion" where are the Caucasian girls/ladies hanging around ?

The mind and the spirit need Vanilla once in awhile

Nishitha shah Net Worth $280 million Age 29

Marital Status Single

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If Thaksin finance the whole Red uprising he will be BROKE by now !! $400Mill. is NOT enough to spread around,

besides his money is STILL FROZEN isn't it ? So - this is now bigger and beyond Khun T. agreed with some posters.

Assume ALL politicians are corrupt & self serving, ............ so Khun T.'s biggest mistake ??

He opened the eyes of the poor masses that there's an alternative out there than just getting B.100.- to B.500.- or more

every election year ! Is his plan flawed ? the concept is GOOD, the execution is flawed because there's not enough check and balances - so corruption is nibbling at those funds.

BUT the masses has " awakened " and " aware " that there's an alternative

out there !! Besides he " pays attention " to their needs and often visit the villages in POOR areas.

That's why you see " LOYALTY " from the poor . They are not stupid and know where the Baht/Satang will come from.

Isaan people might be simple but they have a LOT more COMMON SENSE than those hi-so/elite you see in BKK and more

friendly too ! I live here after retirement from a Western Democratic Country - eh ?

The word: " SHIFT " applies here , its happening slowly but surely.

It will take awhile but it will come , just as JULY 14 will show up after the month May & June. So learn from history !

My heart is heavy - looking at those dead & injured bodies. But that's the cost of "awakening" and change of status quo.

BTW the richest in the world : you'll never their name published in Forbes in a million year !! (Check those anonymous &

numbered TRUST if you have access)

AND for Khun NIS , may I borrow $ 1 Mill. and I'll issue a FedRes Prom.Note or Treasury Note,

whichever you prefer ......... WHAT ??? .... you don't have faith in those notes ?

Let's see : how about 1 Mill AMERO or 1 Mill SDR , just have to find the proper logo first and get more ink for my laser printer.

Don't trust them either ? Well then - we are in trouble - aren't we ? How about RENMINBI ?

All my gold might be Tungsten filled, so that's not good either ! Well that's life I guess, that's why the poor in Isaan must fight

even if it cost them their life to get out of (lifelong)servitude and enjoy a better life for themselves as well as their offspring.

May the year 2012 bring a REAL change and didn't the BIBLE say that : The poor will inherit ........ whatever ?

May God / Buddha bless you all whatever colour you are , just open your eyes, mind, awareness, etc.

The OP speaks much sense: make a will, provide telephone numbers and contact details, leave written instructions, all easily dooable but just requires a little effort now - BTW, this applies to everyone and not just to us old farts, after all, we old guys don't ride motor bikes as much the younger guys do! Here endeth the lesson.

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my solution: get a competent English speaking THAI LAWYER, make a valid WILL,

he will assist my partner with ALL required paperwork , do translation to any language required,

get past bureaucratic hoops, get EMBASSY approval & deal with your LIFE INSURANCE matters.

cost ? 10% of net funds recovered from insurance PLUS THB 50,000.- for formalities.

The bigger your insur. payout the MORE he will get.

So your partner ( Thai female/male) can be assured that as long as he/she is named as beneficiary

in the life insurance policy, the funds will come to them. Hope this helps.

I dont know about the right weapons but if 100,000 pickups mobilise anywhere there will be massive fuel shortages, me thinks i better fuel up the day before.

........... March 12/13/14 : book yourself into a resort by the beach or up in the mountain, stockup on liquid necessities,

make sure there's plenty of ice, snacks - who cares about gasoline ! Back to normal (hopefully !! ) after March 15.

Cheers !!

Around MAY 2004 ...

Vancouver, BC. Canada.

Love the country, people,highway driving, fresh air outside cities..........

but the prices hurt my wallet, ruin my pension's purchasing level,

the damp-cold in the fall/winter/spring and sometime in the summer too !

Above all : I miss MISS VICKY potato chip ( w/seasalt is best ) !!!

any store in Bangkok sell this item ?

hi steveb :

have done the regular pharma products for "prostate shrinking" and found the side effects unacceptable.

the worst: loss of libido ! just too scary ! -- so tried many "herbal supps" and found one that's doing the job.

google: "Prostate Magic" manuf.: Golden Dog inc. Carson City, Nevada and talk to Plato Rosinke.

( if this info is not allowed - mod. pls delete ) then you can PM me.

I am using 2 caps AM bef. bfst and 2 caps PM bef. sleepng. also learn about prostate massage/milking from

Martin Stonehaven ( from U.K. ) - this combination has helped me alot. Check also your "blood sugar" and

if its high and you have to urinate more than 2 times nightly - better take care of this also.

PM me for capsules I am taking for lowering blood sugar & dietary regiments. Good luck.

ps: whatever you decide : NO SURGERY , you'll be incontinent (using diapers) for the rest of your life !

plus : for sure IMPOTENT !

hi fishhooks

My annual extension for retirement expires next week but I popped into KK Immigration to extend a month early in mid Dec. No probs at all, very nice young lady dealt with it in the blink of an eye and I picked up my stamped up passport less than 10 mins after I'd wai'd "hello" to her. Much, much more preferable to Nong Khai.

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"sheepshank" - my (RET.) extension PLUS multiple re-entry (Canadian passport) - between 12-15 minutes at the front

total paid: 1900 plus 3800 = 5700 !! that's mid Nov.2009 and a stop by the office before Christmas !!

so : with a full set of required documentation : ....... what's the problem - eh ?????

also : did NOT show up in cut-offs , flip-flops and sleeveless top !! Get the drift ?

kg1947

Let's face it...

01. Still a very tight group of people run the show, like some 0.8X per cent of the populous which own every thing

02. Thailand is now a G20 member and no more 'golden triangle' or 'tiger' - state & desperately tries to westernize; i.e. 'jay-walking' laws

03. There's much concern about Farang mingling into the power circles - protectionism - see Russian & Western housing/building companies

04. Wouldn't you be kind of jealous or 'not amused' to see places and the stuff going on in like Pattaya as a Thai citizen - brothels etc.

05. You can get teachers and other low level 'employees' from countries like the Philippines or Morocco for a 1/3 of what 'white people' get

06. There seems to be a movement to regain control of certain areas & get rid of people which just bump around in 'their' country

07. Everyone in the region sees the ASEAN Union as the emerging force which makes 'western investment' rather unnecessary / avoidable

08. We see enough coverage in the media of Farang's bad behavior, i.e. the Australian Mom stealing sitting matts & swinger cartels

09. Aggression is best focused against 'outsiders' to divert the internal struggles, i.e. yellow vs. red shirts (which is a farce)

10. We can just hope that it will not end in repossession-ism / deportation B$

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to : peacefulwarrior & johnswift1956 ........

pls add: 11. Make it EASIER for legit retirees to get their retirement visa and lower the minimum income required to

THB 50,000.- MAX. or in the bank THB 600,000.- MAX. Married retirees already get their break with

THB 40,000.- max./mo. A 'criminal" can deposit THB 1 Million or THB 10 Million and apply for OA ret. Visa

at the moment, so selection must be done with care. (just look at major tourist centers-lots of them).

add: 12. Get rid of all those LOITERING foreign nationals (see: soi-3 Sukhumvit, etc.,etc. ) but then you must deal with

"protectors" and you know who they are - don't you ? Plus : Thailand doesn't need another tailor shop !!

And how about those 'friends of the WG's - Working Girls" or shall I be blunt: PIMPS !! of all colours/races !!

Lower overhead means lower consumer prices, basic assumption, so maybe we can afford those Blondes and

Brunettes at a more reasonable rate ??? Isn't that what MONGERING is all about ?

cheers to all expats & mongerer (?) is that correct English ?

I tip those who do their job well without causing me aggravation or extra money. Here that is hard to find, that's why I do it.

Well said!

Example:

If I get in a taxi and he takes me where I want to go, drives safely and is polite he gets a tip.

My old post office forwards mail to me - although they do not need to by post office policy - they get a gift basket at New Years. I used to give a bottle of Scotch to the manager but have changed to a healthy gift basket for the whole office.

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Tipping tradition in Thailand ?

NO !! so I do it for my own selfish reason:

Garbage man clear my mountain of garden refuse without making a comment - all the time & keep the front of my house

tidy by hauling anything: tip at Christmas/NewYear for sure plus at Songkran ! They have an unpleasant job & they spare

me - having to rent a pickup to clear excessive garbage.

Security guard - prevent the theft of my Cocker Spaniel while he was in heat and somebody come around in a pickup with

a female in heat .... that's why his tip is justified ! Not to mention when I / we go out he'll patrol my house more often

even checked the doors/windows. That's NOT his job as per contract - but that's SERVICE !! Tip justified.

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Just my personal opinion here , at least I can afford the THB 100-200 and it will not send me to the poorhouse and

the garbageman/ security guard can afford some extra's at the dining table that night, just simple gesture.

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Since you're asking for other problems to be listed for the record, what are the other things you've heard?

I've used them twice, and have not had any problems. All very straightforward and professional.

I believe the reports on the local KK forum are all positive.

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I've known the KKN Imm. boss since 2005, when she was the boss in Korat office.

Done my OA conversion to RETIREMENT without problem or extra cost, extension -

no problem ! ....with all documents required - on hand ....

NEVER had any problem, providing you have all the papers NEEDED !!

In the 9 yrs I've stayed here ONLY 2 (two) less pleasant encounters with Imm. and

that's 1 in Suan Phlu and 1 in Korat after this lady boss left for the North region.

She has since worked in the North & Nongkhai offices before being posted to KKN.

My wife was informed AHEAD of the office opening by telephone .. so that's SERVICE !!

NEGATIVE poster better DIG DEEPER to find out WHY it was an unpleasant encounter.

It's just so OUT OF the ORDINARY. If they have some documents lacking then that's

another story .... eh ? And don't show bad attitude & bad attire - she's a LADY BOSS.

I will be dropping a Christmas gift soon, so all of you who have had one or more

pleasant encounter/s with this office - you know what to do .... eh ?

Cheers & have a happy holiday season to y'all ........ kg.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2009 and HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010 - May God & Buddha bless y'all.

From what I've seen, just because the resort or villa is more expensive, it doesn't correlate to a much higher salary then at a lower end place, so the service is typically inline with their income. Yes the staff can be nice and smile a lot, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they are going to be working hard 100% of the time nor doing what they are supposed to be doing. It's hard to keep good staff anywhere in phuket, so even if the staff is slacking a bit, they will probably not get sacked unless there is fraud or theft involved.

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GOOD point "steelepulse" - just because it's 5 star doesn't mean that the staff get (much) higher pay !

Besides having worked in the tourism industry, high net worth individuals are NOT always the best tipper,

sometime they are the WORST tipper, reasoning: I pay all this money, now I want the service !

And the attitude : you better do what I want ... boy !! gets my middle finger and not my service.

I have gotten better tips from old ladies on fixed income - compared to "elites" traveling first/bus. class

and boasting about their privileges in airline/airport lounges and exclusive spots they have visited.

SO : I will tell them on the 1st day - I look after the BILL , here's a partial tip for everyone involved in

direct contact with me. This is what I WANT looked after for my ENTIRE stay .... and when I am happy

and my family is happy ... I will not forget you all upon checkout. Wonders do happen with Thai staff

- try it and it will be good for both sides. So lousy service = no more tips, end of discussion.

And just because they are service staff, it's HOW you approach & treat them that counts ( & tips).

a million thanks DOES NOT pay their daily bills or put BAHT in their pockets, they still have to live.

kg1947.

PawyiLee, you are lucky. Nongkhai also wants this embassy letter verified at Chaeng Wattana. That is an additional 800 baht plus lawyerfee or travel expenses.

If there is a God in Heaven, may He/She bless the new Khon Kaen Office and its nice (lady) Director.

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Hi "jazzbo" -

there's indeed God/Buddha in heaven to look after us the foreigners in Khon Kaen city & province

plus Chaiyaphum province. Her name & rank/title is : ( Pol) Major Rapeephat Yoseph - Inspector of Immigration.

Her grandpa is DR. Yoseph ( Thai Citizen ofcourse ) but I don't know further details.

Office ph= 043 465242. located on the grounds of Police school ( 200 m past intersection with SriNakarin hospital

& turnoff to Khon Kaen university ) - that's the Highway from KKN northbound to Udon Thani.

If somebody have a map & better description, please post.

Be POLITE to her and your stay in this province will be blessed with good memories on trips to her office for

90 days report & extension of any type of visas. Be a pain in the butt and you wish you have shipped out back to

your old country or another S.E.Asian country. Christmas is coming soon - don't forget to drop in to say hello

and show your/yer spouse's face, and whatever you used to do back home at Christmas time.

May you have a nice memories visiting Khon Kaen Immigration branch.

kg1947.

Newin must be nervous...

Thanks dude007 .........

what if he has prepared a memoir full of facts & names ... will he still be "horizontalised" ??

by any means like falling down the balcony/stairs, another massive & fatal stroke, etc. ??

or maybe choked on kanomjin or poisoned by plaraa in his somtum ... ??

Canadian government & justice system have been VERY FAIR with him, if you follow all

events since his arrest at Whistler, BC. Don't badmouth the Canucks.... !!

( ..... to those whose posting is not based on reality ). Keep your eyes & ears open for the

next act to unfold in front of your eyes.

Looking for contact details of the management(preference email since telephone I have it already but still difficult to contact them since they don;t reply to my emails:)

Thanks

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the latest bus.card I have (spring 2009) shows: SAMED VILLA Resort ....

..... ph: 038-644094 & 644161 fax: 038 - 644 093

hope this helps, say hi to Josef (OTTIGER) the owner/manager. Koen GO / KhonKaen.

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When I got home to Canada at the end of March I was continually being asked about the dreadful problems in Thailand. I said "What problems? I didn't have any problems." That is because I was not involved with the airport fiasco and I stayed away from any and all political rallies. That doesn't mean there weren't terrible reports sent all over the world which DID affect the tourism industry in a VERY negative manner. The fiasco at the airport probably did more damage to the Thai tourism industry than even the down turn in the economy. Foreign governments were issuing travel warnings to all travel agencies throughout the world recommending not visiting Thailand. It will take a while for people to forget.

Most of us understand that tourist facilities expansion was happening too quickly in Thailand and eventually the bubble would burst. Well, it has burst and it will take a while to recover. I just feel sorry for all those that were affected at the lower end of the pay scale. For many it was the only good paying job they had.

Thank you IanForbes for your opinion.

Have been visiting here for a long time and after retirement decide to settle in Isaan, away from the madhouse of "popular destinations"

When the Baht still bought a lot ( that's a LONG ....TIME ago) as a tourist I am happy and most people are reasonably honest & happy.

NOW - when I go to Samui : there are few decent beachfront bungalows in the Bht 1000-1500 range, food still reasonable at food centers but

outrageously expensive in the highend restaurants, and I don't go around spread my (retirement) Baht in other places except within

walking distance . Refuse to pay astronomic taxi rates ! (meter never used ofcourse !) and songtaew sparse/crowded/overcharging.

NO decent round the island BUS and this is year 2009 !

NOW - when I visit Koh Samet , I have to sit on a beach that just absorb the filthy outflow of sewer water from beachside establishment,

take your test tube and check the bacteria count near those outflows. Check the beach at lowtide and see the small worms wiggling

around (in the morning). Oh ... the rates have also gone skyward, wonder what happened to those "entry fees" paid by farangs.

Do you see the road condition ? Is that a road or a buffalo resting hole when raining. Every establishment try to go UPSCALE (in price)

but forgot that a certain level of service & comfort/cleanliness must accompany that advancement .

NOW - I don't even put my feet in the waters of Pattaya Beach (along Beach Rd.) - see first how filthy the water (still) is.

20 years ago it was filthy, I get rashes just wading in the water. Nothing has changed, nothing ever will.

Jomtien as an alternative was OK for a while and now most everybody (establishments) going UPSCALE (in price - ofcourse ! )

SO : where will I go next ? Maybe Satun/Trang area or Chumphon, not Koh Lanta and not Koh Chang !

Despite all these irritations, Thailand is still my choice and here will I stay.

Vietnam is a tightly controlled state, try as a foreigner to take a girl in your room without going through your hotel's (unofficial concierge)

and see what happens. You don't want to deal with their police. There's no real sanuk attitude there and most establishments going upscale.

Laos is a backward place, Myanmar a NO choice, Cambodia - for some OK - but Thailand Expat hardcore will not find the same sanuk there.

Malaysia is a Muslim country - definitely NO sanuk bar/bargirl scene. Their IMM. dept is more accomodating for long term stay visas when

you are qualified. I would recommend Johor Baru as a good place in Malaysia. Singapore is doing its best to make itself "tourist friendly"

and if you have the disposable income ( SIN$ 5,000.- p/mo or more ) - then go there. Things are being "relaxed" in certain areas).

That's about Baht 120,000.- p/mo !! So that's a HIGH PRICED destination. Indonesia: BALI is acceptable and reasonably friendly -

after the "temple visit" / "watching cultural performances" / "shopping for local products". Remember this is a small part with HINDU/Balinese

culture in the midst of a Muslim majority population. MANADO might be your next choice with majority Christian population & Western

oriented education/outlook. Jakarta as a city is definitely NO comparison to BKK/SIN in everything and make sure you avoid the rainy season.

Beaches in Bali ? NOT to be compared with Samet/Samui/Phuket and safety at night might be questionable.

Philippines is not bad if you stay away from Manila - Cebu, Palawan & surrounding islands is still a good choice despite safety concerns.

That's my opinion on the state of Thailand & S.E.Asia/Asean tourism as viewed from a long term perspective (1980-2009).

kg1947 in (peaceful & affordable) Isaan !!

website www bedrockguesthousebargrill com .

We are 2 minutes walk from the pier, plenty of car parking space and u still get to samet for day trips when samet is full.

Rgds Mark

Hi Mark & Ao ,

Good to know when arriving late at the bus stn. frm Ekkamai ( this pier - right ? )

Hope to drop by sometime. Cheers, kg1947 (Canadian) in Khon Kaen.

Importing goods from farang countries is way to expensive. Ok, good plan if you want to combine to a container, but what about chilling/freezing. NO guarantees.

Import tax on snacks and stuff like that is altogether about 400%. Check the official customs website and you will find out that hardly anyone is interested to risk his neck.Kroketten en frikandellen are available in Chiang Mai, handmade by Dutch guys. So why worry about importing yourselves.

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Thank you all members for your info's. Will check local source as mentioned.

Cost of transp. & tax really limit our choices here.

So, I'll wait until I visit AMS again and eat to my heart's content.

Maybe Air Asia X will have a KUL-AMS/BRU/DUS ..... soon - how about that Tony Fernandez ???

KUL-LON will be a reality soon, lucky Brits !

kg1947

I am in Australia, fiancee is in Khon Kaen.

She has tried a couple of internet cafes at Tukcom but the quality of the internet connection to use MSN Messenger is poor when we try to use video calling.

TOT shop is crowded with schoolkids and connection is slow.

Can anyone advise where to go for high speed connection?

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Try TRUE Coffee Shop next to Pizza Hut , opposite Night Market (Food Street) known as Talaad Tolung,

LightBlue p/up no. 8,9,10, Blue p/up no. 17, Orange p/up no. 21

Rates: Bht.50.- p/hr , Bht.150/4-hrs , SELDOM any kids - too expensive !! So it's QUIET.

Coffee: Bht.100.- members Bht.70.- store manager speak good English.

Hope this help.

kg1947

Okay, this topic holds all the discussion about Dutch ( The Netherlands ) food. Good luck!!

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Hi (Dutch)members.....

anybody know where to find "zoute haring" in Thailand ??? fresh, not rollmop.

the one you can eat with sliced onion, using a toothpick. appreciate your help. Thanks.

kg1947

Went to Korat Immigration Office this morning to get an extension of my Non-Immigrant Visa. Had a choice of marriage or retirement so went loaded up with paperwork. Chose the retirement option and left in less than 30 min with my visa extension.

I needed to provide : Income letter from British Embassy, copy of passport,1 photo, copy of marriage certificate, copy of house registration , copy of departure card from passport and wife's ID card. Showed originals too including supporting documentation for Embassy Letter. Was surprised to be asked for a bank book showing recent transactions but luckily had a Nationwide statement showing withdrawals in Thailand, which was sufficient.

Had overstayed my visa by a day but got no grief and the guy that dealt with it was friendly and efficient.

From some of the comments I've seen Korat has a good reputation and the service I received confirms that.

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Living in Khon Kaen, I have used Korat office for several years since they opened near bus station and then moved to

TOT Building at Wat Ban Mai. ALWAYS polite, efficient, no hassle with the financial part ( fees schedule followed 100% ).

To me : they are the best !

Saved me a lot of grief ( and a lot of time/money) compared to Nong Khai or even Suan Phlu.

So Christmas is coming and since I am due for my RENEWAL ( Retirement - plus Multi re-entry ) that's 1900 plus 3800

total 5700 Baht.

Folks, as is the custom in the WEST, I am happy to drop a bottle for the festive season !!

If any of you are not happy, try to think the reason WHY ? Maybe your shirt/pant is dirty & stinked like you just

wake up in the garbage dump. Or your attitude offend the Thai manners. Arrogance, loud mouth & bad attitude

will NOT be tolerated, they are not there to cater to your shitty attitude, so be polite.

Don't like Korat ? Please go to Nong Khai or Suan Phlu where you can pop a vein or two.

VERY Happy with Korat / kg1947.

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With NEW herring (zoute haring) I will definitely

come down to Holland Village later.

Food Loft is SUPER expensive - just a warning !