snap

hmm, just checked the pantip site again, surprise, it opened up all- very impressive, indeed.

On my previous visit I saw the upper half of two pix, that was it- not so impressive.

I agree, pix like this give the thais a point.

Most statements go deep, expressing their concerns about nature and culture, some have been aggressive and stupid

-farangs couldn't do better.

Through this statements I can learn that even well educated BKK-Thais find it obviously difficult to imagine that a picture is only a part of reality.Everything they see is bad and it comes from farang!

Do they really beleave, that the 8'- 15.000 visitors !!! like to sit and dance in excrements and broken bottles ?

The landlords and organizers are Thai, at least 95%, they do care more in the latest model of a high heel 4 wheel truck,

than in environment.(no money for cleaning up)

Accomodation is available for 6.000 maby(correct me), not sure, but I never heard of public lavatories???

Thinking about closing the party?

The gov. would have to come with billions of baht, or with a battle ship.

What is the Lonly Planet writing about the FMP's ?

Probably there  something could be done from the farang side.

Any more suggestions please, check out the pantip-site, some statements are in englsh.

thanx

Thanks for your helpful criticism dr_pat_pong, let me know when you 'll come to one of our beautiful islands, and I pay you a beer.

To get back to the topic:

Sure there is some people coming to the FMP's that I wouldn't allow to enter the country but this is subject to the immigration.

I'm not defendind those, I'm not defending the rubbish, but I'm defending the party!

The expat community over there is well aware about the negative reputation of the FMP's, but it's not in their hand,

as this is not their country, and they are not the ones to make the rules.

If the party would be stopped, it will hit the locals and some big investors from BKK ,and we will have a couple of thousand thais more looking for work.

Most of the bungalows can't be rent out to holiday makers, they are only suitable for party freaks, cause slum alike,

built for masses not relaxation.

btw: my perspective is the one of a local thai, not from a   BKK thai

now dr_pat_pong, now I'm going to have a beer, wont be back before tomorrow, at least some time to think...

....have a nice way home

These pix will lead the thinking of thais in the wrong way. There are no thais on the pix, but it's a uge number of thais , from upper to lower class, coming down every month to party.

Also,they don't show how much money the thais are making there.MILLIONS- if not, there would be no party!!!

Farang don't make the rules here as nowhere in los, we're in the east, but part of the wild west.

The party is happening since more than 12 years, there is nothing alien any more, yes after each event there is more and more rubbish left, but it's cleaned away, and be honest, did you ever have the feeling that thais have a problem throwing rubbish on the street or in the nature?

Don't get me wrong, neither I'm a party freak, nor do I like to see rubbish than in the bin, but the FMP is the only thing feeding Haad Rin.

???

George, are these new requirements for foreigners running companies for those that own over 49% of their bizz?

point e) "paid at least 5 million baht tax over the past 3 years"  , oops that makes short 140K tax a month ?

Where can I find the full details, never mind if it's only in thai available?  

Here on rainy Samui we can get the proof of residency paper within 30 minutes from the immigration.

Strange that it should take so long in BKK.

Mojaco, once they refused renewal of my Thai driving licence about 1 month before expiration I didn't try it again, but being late was never a problem.

If you have time go at the day your license expires, take the old license, passport, 2 passport pics for license with you, and , yes, the proof of residency address from the immgration, 500,-B and 2 passport pics for that.

::

Nonperson, as your work is not related to Thailand, it doesn't make sence to me to open a company here.

Don't let them waste your money.

Guess you are a tax payer in the US, and more than half of a year you're living in Thailand?

Try to find out if it's not possible for you also, to pay your tax in Thailand. Most probably it's even less than in the US,

and it would definately make you legal in Thailand!

I met a german guy, he is having a computer company in germany, but living more than half a year in Thailand and it's working fine for him. He pay's less tax!  

Misha, you should not worry to much, even if you're a hard core all day long smoker, it shall not remain longer than 4 weeks in your system, most probably only 2weeks.

On the other side, it's not that you 'll have to undergo a urin test by entering Thailand, just be careful with such wellknown places like Grace.

Butterfly,years ago I was sooo pleased to read in some travel books about our island, that you can have great fun, while going dancing in the Regea Pub you can enjoy smoke also.

Can you imagine how it is now?

The times you can burn a spliff on the beach are gone(especially Chaweng), if you

want to take that freedom for you, please have 50 k B in your pocket also, that's the amount one will need to pay off the cops, even for 1 spliff only! Otherwise it goes the legal way.

Better be careful with tips like that. :ghostface:

some remarks on that great run report,starting in Hat Yai.

Minibusses to Penang are available from 250,-B , take a "Song Thaeuw" or Tuk Tuk for not more than 20,-B to New Chawang or Chaowang Tour, last time I even had a bus with a high roof!

At the border I was never asked for more than 10,-B by the driver, and didn't care about it.

In Penang the driver to 99% stops at the Swiss Hotel, in Lebhu Chulia, which is the travellers aerea with budget accomodation(not to find at Bathu Ferrengi Beach, same it will be hard to find at Ko Samui's famous  Chaweng Beach).

Usually I just walk 5 minutes to the end of Lebhu Chulia, walk a wee bit to the right along Oriental Hotel(69,-MR), cross the big road with the help of a tiny traffic island, look right again and see Town House Hotel for 60,-MR. It has probably no stars, but not to much cockroaches also.

The Thai embassy is quite at the outskirts of Georgetown, so the taxi will charge 10,-RM one way, and keep in mind, Malysia is 1 hour in advance, the embassy closes when its 11 am in Thailand!!

There is a great number of agencys/book centers that provide a visa service, I personally can recommend the N.J.Books Centre next Swiss Hotel [email protected] .The 1 year non-immigrant B multiple entry they charge 150,-RM. For an express servivce,you got to be there 10am latest and at 4pm you have your visa on the same day for an extra 70,-RM on top.Cause I always by the bus ticket back to Hat Yai with them for 20,-RM, I get my passport and sit in the bus , while saving another night in Penang.

Since 5 years I didn't experience any problems in getting the 1 year non-imm. B multiple in Penang, even when I went to the embassy(110,-RM) myself.

The most important is that you have all the necessary papers with you, the office that does the tax stuff for me provides me with that.

That visa fees increase after 17 years-yes, but not 100% .

This is just a slap in the face for the farangs working here,

and for our tourists that stay longer than a month.

But Herbie will most probably not suffer from that, beginning

of the year I got myself a 1 year non-immigrant B multiple entry in Penang, at the Thai embassy direct it was 110,- RM,

at N.J.Books Centre, next to Swiss Hotel in Lebhu Chulia,

they charge for the same 140,- RM, and for the express service (passport  back the same day at 4 pm) they charged me 70,- RM on top. That was ok for me , cause I saved a night in Town House Hotel for 60,- RM.

1 RM was worth 12 B around that time.

Visa fees also differ from countries, in germany that visa costs

more than double as in Penang!

The work-perm-fees didn't hit me as bad as George,with

my accountng office it went up from 700,- to 1.450,-B