samtam

Never ends

Same old same old

It all makes things look comical in Thailand.

Can you imagine a crowd running aggressively toward an American President in the states?

They would be shot down like dogs and the dead would be laughed at for having been so so stupid.

Obviously a PM is not repected as a head of state in Thailand.

If a crowd were to rush at another famous person in Thailand, there would be a few hundred dead in a minute or two.

That is a fact.

So--if the PM is never respected in a nation, democratic rule itself is not respected in this place.

Thus the 19 coups but who is counting.

They have their own rules. They do follow them.

Notice rule one. 1) Rich people do not get arrested EVER!

Thus--lots of threats but in the end--Thaksan was not arrested. People who do the coups are not arrested. Both sides are angry but the rich on both sides walk free and play these games for power. All the time people from the west talk about the law as if that matters here. It does not. Rule 2) Super Rich in Thailand do not obey ANY laws if they choose not to.

There is something both sides do agree about though,

Rule 3) No one in Thailand gives any thought or care to what non-Thai people think about what is going on.

You see--Thailand has its own rules and is playing its own game.

Stay safe all

Remember--even if you are in Thailand for 20 years, unless you are Thai---you are nothing to them when it comes to this topic.

Right, and I agree, except for one teeny tiny fact - the Prime Minister is not the Head of State.

Pol Gen Pracha, standing in for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra

"standing in for..." seems to be the way this government is run.

with all these answers what amazes me is the fact that you were driving down the road and a dog ran under your car, how in the hell is that your fault . You are not responsible for dogs to learn the road rules and if one runs under your car you are not responsible for what happens to it, she should have had it locked in her yard if it is her dog. Accidents happen and animals do not have right of way(according to the road rules that is) so it cannot be your fault. This is absolute crap, she has no legs to stand on as it was a soi dog, you are not responsible for what runs inder your car, I ran over a kitten ages ago when it it ran across the road right in front of me on the bike, I had no where to go and did swerve as much as I could but had a car up my bum so I wasnt going to brake, shit happens, tell her the same thing then ask for compensation for your dead cats your saw it kill, simple.

...neither does the dog.

Hitherto there has been no grassroots movement on either red or yellow sides. They were (still are?) the paid lackeys of the two main rivals in the power struggle. But there are now divisions within these divisions, and there is possibly a beginning of a grassroots movement on both sides, who can see through their previous role as the pawns of their sponsors. But without the money to fuel these protests, ordinary Thais would be unlikely to participate. For one thing it's not in their nature, (or culture) - they would prefer an easy life, rather than fighting - but they have no experience of what the alternatives are to a feudal system. That system was relatively benign previously, but the scales are beginning to fall from eyes, and brainwashed minds are beginning to be opened by social media. Knowledge is power, and that genie is out of the bottle, and wont go back in.

My recent 90 day report, due on 26 November, was sent by mail to Chaengwattana IMM on 5 November, (to allow the 15 day period, plus postage), and received by IMM on 6 November. The receipt was returned to me on 23 November and dated 20 November, so although the processing time is quite long, the report date is quite adjacent to the required deadline (of 26 November). Given the many people massed at Chaengwattana last week for the court rulings, it is a relief to have this mail-in facility.

The police are in the ptp's pocket, what else can you expect. They let the red shorts run riot last time and here they are coming down on these protesters even when the pm said they werent to do so. It would seem that big brother is paying the right people to do his bidding again, this will just keep happening, its Thailand what can you expect

My office staff told me 3 days ago that police cleared the road for a few buses with red skirts.

Perhaps if we started calling these groups red shorts, or yellow skirts we could view their antics as children in a schoolyard. Does anyone really know what they want, or is it simply to follow the masters' biddings, and to collect 200 when they pass "Go"?

I did my regular weekly shop at Central Food Hall in Ploenchit this morning. Traffic getting to and from was light. The shop was very quiet, the shelves are well-stocked. This rumour-mongering about "stockpiling" does not seem to bear truth, even if my experience is a very limited one. I think it would be helpful if people can report their experiences, (vis-à-vis anything that may be as a consequence of the protests). The media are certainly not doing it effectively, so it would be helpful for individuals to tell of their own experiences. I'm not saying things may change, as the situation develops, but let's keep it real, and do a service to those of us who live in Bangkok, and simply wish to go about our daily lives in the normal way.

Does this call to strike have any legs? What is anyone in the workforce hearing?

how can we learn where these zones might be?

got it: clicked the link. thanks..

sorry, which link?

All OK for me too here in Bangkok, True

EZTV using True is still blocked

Mid November?! So that's potentially a week without access to some of these sites? Anyone got a recommendation for a cheap VPN in that case?

OpenVPN

Thanks, but it can't connect either! (Along with EZTV and some others)

In Bangkok we use a company called coit dot co dot th, but whether they operate in CM, I don't know. We have the mattresses vacuumed every six months. It's done when we're away, but the maid says the gunk that comes out is amazing. All, (as in all of us in the world), of our chairs and beds has a bug life we'd rather not know about, but most of it is quite harmless.

It is unfortunately the problem of apartment (and condo) living the world over, perhaps more acute here because most people don't have fitted carpets, (which are not suited to the weather), and because sound-proofing is non-existent in most buildings. We have had it in the main bedroom of the apartment, from that above us. We spoke to the management office and asked them to speak to the upstairs neighbour politely, adding that we knew it wasn't a deliberate act, but because of the lack of sound-proofing etc. Worked for a bit, but then it has continued, until the tenants moved out. It has been quiet since, but another tenant is due to move in, so the noise will resume. We had it too in our apartment in Hong Kong, and in London. Sadly it's a downside of this type of living space.

How can OTOP products reflect architecture? Does she even know what they are? The conversation seems the more bizarre given Gehry's style of architecture and the interior design of the room and the faux Louis XIV furniture, in which they are conducting this fascinating discussion.

It is done it is irreversible, Puea Thai no longer have the opportunity to climb down to pacify the reds. Point of no return now. See how long before it gets promulgated. Either Thaksin will be home (briefly) for Christmas, or Yingluck will be campaigning for a snap election, or both. This was so blatant by stealth I expect something equally radical in response. There's still a long way to go in a few short weeks before Thaksin can ask for his money back, I bet the govt already have the cheque drafted.

It's ALL about that money.

Why don't they just let him come back? Really, he's not interested in coming back, as he can run everything remotely. All he wants is his face and his THB46b. It's all about the THB46b.

I took a taxi from Sukhumvit going west yesterday afternoon. After I'd got in and he was pulling away I noticed he had his window open, and he was eating Issan sausage. He said he hoped I didn't mind, (it was a bit late to stop), but that he was hungry. He proceeded to eat all the way to Sathorn, whilst talking non stop on the phone to his g/f. Naturally the taxi stank. It was a joy (ride). Anyhoo, I did not pass out, nor did I complain to him, but remembered that you have to have your wits about you to avoid this sort of assault (to the senses). At least he knew where I wanted to go, without having to be prompted by me like his GPS.

Is valium or Xanax still an issue when transitting through 1) Dubai or 2) Doha.

I'm only talking of small quantities (2 tablets for travel) 5-10 in hold luggage for jet lag after arrival?

Thanx everyone,just back from Kasikorn,very helpful,new address and new passport reported.Just waiting to transfer 800k from England.If my application is successful is it ok to move the money into a higher interest paying account straight away or is it advisable to wait?I have a current account paying about 0.75% now.

Your 0.75% pa pays you THB6000 pa, or THB500 per month. As long as your interest is below the level that attracts withholding tax (THB20K ? pa) you are OK, otherwise 15% withholding tax. But although paltry, more (interest income) is better than less.

Is there such a thing as a "booster" (maybe the wrong terminology), so that my router in my home office can be boosted in the bedroom (s) next door. In UK there was a device that I could plug into the wall socket and it relayed the signal from the main router to another room many (100) metres away.

"BritTV is no longer providing TV Online" according to their website.

You appear to have acted correctly by requesting the transfer in AUD. That your Aussie bank has ignored that is their responsibility and they should rectify in full. I wouldn't let it rest. You are perfectly entitled to receive funds in the currency you specify.

I transfer funds (including AUD) between my branches of HSBC and it is sent in the currency I specify. The last transaction was payment for an auction item in Berlin, that was remitted from my HKD account in EUR. It would be unthinkable for them to send it in any currency other than the one I specified.

My better half seems to have allergies that flare up every few weeks, resulting in repetitive sneezing (about 20 times per day in bouts of four). Is there some sort of allergy test that can be run to eliminate causes? He also suffers from skin allergies that may be asthma related. I fear it's just the pollutants in the air. We do use aircon, but they are cleaned every 3 months.