old wanderer

10,000 buckaroos or equivalent unless you declare you have more:

Exchange Control

Foreign visitors may freely bring in foreign banknotes or other types of foreign money. Upon leaving Thailand, a foreign tourist may freely take out foreign means of payment which he brought in with him. However, there is a limit on foreign notes or coins to a maximum equivalent of 10,000 US Dollars unless the visitor has declared a higher amount upon arrival. Forms to declare the amount of foreign currency brought in are available at the immigration counters of border check points.

http://www.cockatoo.com/english/thailand/t...and_finance.htm

The website given , shown again below, is clearly out of date and completely wrong in several aspects so please do NOT rely on it

http://www.cockatoo.com/english/thailand/t...and_finance.htm

Topfield:

I believe your source if very out of date by about 6 years or more. At present there is no limit on the amount of foreign currency that can be brought into Thailand....

There is a limit on the amount you can take out of Thailand at present.

Go to the American Express office in Bangkok. I believe there are several of them.

CNS should just ignore him, and stop worrying. Everyone knows he will be back at some juncture and likely to win again.

My wife is very anti-Thaskin, BUT here mother who is just a simple rice farmer in Issan say when we asked her....You you vote for Thaskin again? "Sure" she says, "He gave me 200 baht last time to vote for him".

The city people can see the problems, the rural people are totally ignorant of what is going on.

Boy....what a bunch of crap to read through......

1. Having a degree shows some discipline in achiving a goal and having been exposed to some form of discipline, (scientific, education, social...etc.). I like degrees.

2. Being able to teach is a completely different set of criteria.

I am an instructor for Boeing Aircraft. For the past 10 years I have traveled the world teaching all sorts of students.

At times I have tried to get knowledgeable people to share their expertize. In many cases I had to translate so the class could understand what they were being told...Not the language but the ideas or concepts that were being presented by a degreed, knowledgeable person that was an expert in a certain field, but lacked the experience to transfer the knowledge to the students.

Teaching and how to teach is something some people have and others regardless of the education or training will never be very successful at. Others you can teach how to teach and grasp the ideas, some people are just naturals.

When a person attends a TEFL/TESL class the ideas are presented on how to accomplish the task, it does not guarantee the student can perform the tasks. You are not tested on your abilities, only a multiple question exam.

I could set any person posting on this board in my class on how to fly or maintain the Boeing 777, but until you get hands on training, and gather experience, you will fail. Practice is essential.

In todays schools in Thailand I see the results of these English classes, and 98% are failures due to the lack of subject matter knowledge by the instructor, or the ability of the instructor to communicate the subject to the student.

While the vast majority of you disparage the idea of a degree, who in life that wants to archive a mid to high level of success does not attend a college? Certainly there are exceptions of those talented people that drop out (i.e. Bill Gates) , they are the exception rather than the norm.

I put myself through a top private university street racing and taking exams at the state university for students in order to pay my tuiton. I collected a drawer full of licenses and certificates, so I feel somewhat qualified to criticize the attitudes that many have taken about teaching here in Thailand.

As for Thailand ....well you get what you pay for. (usually).

Can a foreign person married to a Thai open a joint account then using the address of the wife?

Since I am not yet a full time resident of Thailand, and need to do banking in country, hence the question.

I will be arriving in April to open an account. My wife has several Bangkok Bank accounts currently.

Here is what you are faced with (from my experince) If you try to just apply for a tourist visa for her, they will ask what attachments will make her want to come back....here you will need to show property, job, and a bunch of money in the bank for some months. Makes no difference if you are married or not.

So what you are really looking at is applying for a resident visa....it will take about 6 months and she will be given a green card. Not difficult just read all the forms and do exactly as they ask.

It is about 1/2 the time if you apply for a fiance K1 visa...don't know why but it just is. I have helped several people bring Thai over to the USA on the fiancee visa.

There used to be an office in the building next to the US Embasy toward Sukimvit, that was some kind of immigration office. They were a lot more helpful when I went in there but that was 10 years ago.

Just go to the consulate office and talk with them.

Choke dee

Could the baying crowd of angry Thai's not of smashed a window and got in/saved the girl? Seems a little wierd so many outside but not able to open the bus/van up

Unable is more likely unwilling, It just sounds better for the news story. Im sure a handfull of folks were standing around pointing whispering Taxi Mafia and waiting for the cops who as usual were taking their time.

I much prefer Cambodian style on these matters. When they can catch a thief they beat them to death in the street knowing that if they make it to jail they will pay their way out.

This scumbag is probably laughing it up in jail telling how he raped the girl to other low lifes and then having a circle jerk about it all. Like I said, letting rats chew his nuts off would be a good start, I could add more details but will not in order to keep the thread open.

You think it is acceptable for someone who is accused of theft to be beaten to death in the street, without any recourse to a fair trial?

ABSOLUTLY!!!!

We (the human species) is not on verge of extenction....eradicating some bad genes if good for all of society....

When I lived in Bogata, there was a number you could call if during the night a burgler had entered your house. For about $100 they would complete eradicate any indication of what had transpired, and remove all the trash.

You may want to moralize about right and wrong, but I tried the right way once, and arrested a burgler, 3 weeks later I had an assination attempt by the very same thief and 3 of his friends...The Mr. Nice Guy ended that day.

If you want to insure the fidelity of your wife in Issan, you need to relize her and her family are one and the same.

You can read some of my earlier post about my wife, and our relationship. As I had said earlier, she comes from a small ethinic group of Suay...last night she was talking to her mother in the village. After the conversation (in Suay so I would not listen in), she hung up the phone and gave me a big kiss, saying thank you, I love you so much, and your wisdom is number 1.

What had happened was 6 months ago my father-in-law had died. Her mother having a typical Thai village house sitting 3 meter in the air, wanted to close in the bottom of the house. I had interviened, and as we were going to have to supply the money for the re-modeling, I insisted it be done "my way".

Well we bought the best tile, tall windows, a huge carved front door, insulated the walls, and painted the whole top/bottom of the house 1st with a primer, then with the paint, and re-did the roof with tile instead of the corigated tin that was standard in the village. An Amrican style bathroom, with warm shower, and an indoor kitchen. Saw that the floors, window trim and interior wall were color cordinated.

Now her mother is VERY PROUD, as everybody call is the Falang house, money come from the USA. Nobody every imagined having a such a high style house in a small village. Her aunt is very jelous and has gone to Bangkok to try and borrow some money from some relitives to re-do her house. This makes her mother very proud because her sister-in-law always was #1 in the village before. Nowshe is #1.

The workmen that come from Surin or anther village help the myth when is the norm, "how much is cost??" They reply,,,,"Everything #1 quality, very expensive, do not need, but very pretty".

I had suspected this would be the outcome of investing about 500,000 baht in remodeling this home. I had remembered a story my wife told me 8 years ago about a niece that lives in another village. She had come home from Germany after being married to a Falang for 5 years. In talking with her mother, (who he had built million baht home for) told her that she was going to divorce her husband and marry his friend that had a lot more money. Her mother took a stick and hit her daughter threating to sell to some Arabs if she did something like this.

A bit different reaction that some typical Thais might have??? I hope all Suay people have this ethic, and I know my investment will pay off with the support from her mother. So far in 10 years of marriage, I have never seen any danger signs of my marriage being in danger.

So for the OP, do as my name suggest, get out of the bars and wander in the country side. (Buy a motorcycle, get lost , ask directions. You will proably be asked to join for some food, Thai people love to eat)

I know when I go home I will have many people ask me if I know a falang looking for a wife. They all point to my wife and her mother and say, "see what happens when you marry a Falang".

I met my wife in a resturant as I was trying to order food and the waitress could not understand my Thai. She was at another table with 2 lao girls that worked for her. She offered to translate....and the rest is history.

They are out there just go and find them. But 1st find out about the culture, the traditions, and family. Then decide if you want to be a part of it.

You cannot turn these people into your culture, they will always be Thai. It is up to you to adopt the ways they have and help show them a better way, without compromising their own beliefs.

It is the mixture of culture and beauty that attracts so many of us to be here with them. Do not try and change it too much. Better to accept some things, and have peace and harmony...

Exsmple: I had a home I wanted to buy, but somebody had died in it. My wife really insisted she would not sleep ther because of "Ghosts"....accept it you are not going to convince them they are wrong. I did not buy the home.

Maybe I can help here.

The pressure tank acts like an accumulator....as your pump turns on from the resevoir tank, it starts to build pressure, the diaphram in the pressure tank expands back and allows a quanity of water to accumulate in the tank until the pressure is great enough in the system for the pressure switch on your pump to shut off. (I used 30 psi on/ 42 psi off).

The head of air in the tank keeps water pressure in your house until you depleat the water in the tank and the pressure drops and the switch on the pump turns it on to recharge it again.

I had a tank at my ranch that was about 2/3 meter in diameter and almost 1.7 meters tall. I had a diesel generator for electricity, and could run my water in the house for some time before depleating this pressure tank, or needing to start the generator to run my well pump.

I had a large well pump, located about 100 meters from the house. I did not use a resevoir tank as my pressure tank acted as a resevoir and constant pressure supply.

Hope this helps....

.

Well Old Wanderer, the Thai Elite scheme certainly found their market in you. Too bad [for them] there aren't more around like you to actually purchase the card. You certainly aren't the only one living in Thailand with disposable income, just one of the few foolish enough to spend it on this dead dog. :D

I guess it is just a matter of perspective. What is foolish in life?? This past year I was really chastised by other people that are 20-25 years younger than myself because I continued to race motorcycles....but I did it for my personal enjoyment.....sort of like the line out of Connan the barbarian...."What? You want to live forever?"

A lot of people that have responded focused on "investment". I am not looking to make any more money, I am comfortable where I am. I am now looking forward to spending what I have accumulated, in manners that bring me happiness.

My best planning would have me being buried broke and without a thing left in the world....pretty hard to manage the timing, as fortunately/unfortunately a lot of my family live to be 100+. My only love is my wife, and she will be well taken care of.

Anybody ever read Atlas Shrugged by Ann Ryand? Well I am the quintessential John Gualt. Fed up with my government taking from the best and brightest, controlling and stifling their most creative years with incessant regulations and demands for ever increasing taxation , while forever expanding the entitlements and privileges of those that have contributed the least to society. I quit. I have contributed enough to an ungrateful society. Much better to have friends, to share good wine, good stories, a bit of music and some memories with.

Will I purchase an Elite Card? Well I will study the matter after the March 15 meeting.

This may all be a hypothetical discussion of something that may well not exist in the near future.

Dear old wanderer,

Please excuse my desire to make this cheap joke on your expense:

"I can not be very simpathetic, as here in the USA I see what a shamble we have be allowing 12 million stupid, uneducated and zenophobic Mexicans invade this country, waving there flag...."

How uneducated are they if they know enough about Zeno to fear him...

A paradox?

Vodyanoi

Linguistic trickster

No. I am quite certain that among those 12 million, there surely must be more than two who are doctors!

And besides, everyone knows that if Zeno had his way, those Mexicans would never reach the U.S. border because first they would have to travel half-way, and then half-way of the remaining distance, and then half-way of that . . . Xenophophobia? Hardly, it's just plain old scary!

It is not the educated doctor that pays some coyote to smugle him across the border. We do issue visa's here in the USA and one that allow people to work legally here.

However the failure of the USA to enforce our laws and make a decision on who we desire to invite to our country has led to a situation where all the job I used to do as a child going to school are now off limits and occupied by illegals. This impact society as a whole, as if you are allowed to be selective as to which laws you obey and which you will ignore, eventually you have anarchy.

I was thinking along similar lines as to how someone who appears to have invested astutely in the past could have failed to do due diligence and invest into a country where real estate laws relative to foreigners, change, and where it appears he is only in Thailand to visit an absentee Thai wife who is busy investing his money into local real estate. I do wish the old guy luck, but my advice is to start getting paranoid a little bit. I have met far too many men who sound exactly like he is sounding who end up back in the US a lot poorer. Make sure you diversify your investments and keep your options open. And by the way, don't keep your hopes too high in obtaining any full refund anywhere for anything in Thailand.

You cannot assume that all will be well in the future, but yes there are normal safeguards to protect your investments in most any country. Sometimes the unexpected does happen (Look at Zimbabwe and the white farmers.....lost everything, and they were citizens for generations before).

I do not have an absentee wife, as she is with me in the USA. Her dreams have come true for her, and she is content.

The refund part, well like I mentioned, if you are granted a Elite Visa, I do not think they will revoke them, without refund, but most proably will just close the program down since it seems to be not making a profit, but the Visa will remain with those that have purchased them.

If not it is not the end of the world for me.

As for thaan it is a far more formal choice of second person pronoun (you) used when speaking to a person of significantly higher status, if you believe in such things, high ranking government officials, and also used to address a monk as in thaan achaan

Pardon my poor Thai spelling....Yes I do refer to my wife in her village or when among friends as "Thaan Puk"....which I understands means someone of MUCH higer status then yourself. So my jest would be like refering to her a Princess Puk....which I accompany with a high Wai...

She hates it....but when we visit her village she is like visiting royalty. People come from far away to listen to her stories of life and travel. When I met her she was a work-a-holic that had only completed 4 years of school, left home at 15 to work as a maid for some Chineese people in BKK. When she was 21 she returned and borrowed 100,000 baht (at 10%/mo interest) from a "rich" uncle and went back to BKK and bought sewing machines and rented a large building and opened a sewing factory...She repaid the loan in 8 months.

She is a smart woman, who through the cards that fate delt her was never able to rise to her level of achivement in life. Now she quibbles about how the color of gold on a necklace does not match the gold color on the earrings.

Hence.....Thaan Puk.

My quan taah

My wife comes from an ethnic Suay village near Sukoraphum (Near Surin and about 2 hours west of Sisaket).

As we drive to her village there are many villages in the areal that are full of Khmer signs, nothing in Thai. My Father-in-law spoke Suay, Thai, Lao, and Khmer. My wife never learned Khmer, but used to tell me that when she would speak Suay at schook, they would fine her 1 baht...She became fluent in Lao when she owned a sewing company in BKK. Most of the girls that worked for her were Lao. They nearest Khmer village is only 2Km away from her Suay village....

One of the favorite musics in Issan in Moolum...over 50% of the songs are in Lao..

When we go home, it is sort of nice to here how easy these people move from language to language...for sure when they want to tune me out they just speak Suay, and I've not gotten past th greetings in this language yet.

A friend of mine that has been here for years on a retirement visa, simply writes a check each month on his USA account and deposits it to his Thai account.

Yes it takes 6 weeks for the funds to clear, but so what....it is a regualr montly deposit, and the cost is minimal. It produces a nice record of regular payments each month....

Now if you are a person that exist hand to mouth....it may not work for you, but for most it will be OK.

Over 10 years ago when I proposed to my wife, she went home and talked with her parents. They had a BIG village meeting about her comming to the USA with me. I then got this letter of "conditions" that I had to agree to, if I wanted to marry her.

Right at the top was: Promise not to sell her.

There were 2 other local village girls that were recruited by a Thai woman to go to Europe and work at maids for 1 year. Both of the girls were very innocent and nieve. The Lady paid the parrents to "hire" the 2 girls for a year (about $1200 ea. (US $). They were both forced into the sex trade. They will never be the same. One has died of AIDS, and the other is a piece of trash woking in BKK.

If I ever found somebody procuring girls in my wife's village again I think I would just put them under the ground (alive if possible).

old wanderer if you have been sufficiently astute in business to have accumulated the assets

you have referred to then I simply cant understand why your wisdom doesn't carry through

to seeing what a farce this scheme is ?? it does not compute with me

if you have read so many threads regarding this scheme I'm speechless that as of today

you are still willing to burn one million baht knowing it could fold at any time

Well since my post amused so many of you... I will explain my thinking on this...

One of the considerations on cancellation of the 1700 elite visa was the cost. If they were not thinking that they would refund the money, then why would they worry about this cost?

Secondly, as many of you found out, (that have been here a while) those that came here and had to place 400,000 baht in an acount for a retirement visa, then the rules were changed to require 800,000 baht, they grandfathered those people who had the previous amount, and did not require them to come up to the new standard. If you have an Elite Visa, do you think one day they will say as you come through immigration...."Sorry sir, go home and apply for another type of visa"...I think not, unless you were contacted and notified that this type of visa would not be acceppted after a certain date, and here is a refund for what you paid for this visa....

You are not dealing with a bunch of punter, hangling over a 300 baht a night room and if you can bring more than one lady at a time to spend the night....here if you have this type of visa, you proably have some "friends" in Thailand that are connected somewhere in the government.

When I started my buisness at the age of 23, I was an idealist....pure, honest, and believed that truth, and justice would always prevail. What a happy life that was, being a pollyanna. Righ up to the point 10 years later it all went up in a disaterous imbroglio. I went from boy millionare with fast cars, planes, and yachts good whiskey, and too many women (in the 60's that thoght sex was the best recreation), to sleeping on the floor of a house owned my 3 flight attendants, and wasn't getting laid by any of them...I then became more pragmatic about how things really work in life.

So if you really believe that the small group that has purchased an elite visa will be treated with the same cavilier attitude shown to the 30 day visa runners....well nice to have those rose colored glasses.

Do I beleive some of the perks that come with the card could change,,,,yep, but the basic visa I believe will remain, and to me at least having a 5 yr multi-entry visa, with the other cnditions that go with it, are worth it too me.

Why?? Look at your retiement visa....800,000 baht in the bank....that money is not usable, unless you want to leave LOS, and cancel your retirement here. 90 day reporting, yearly re-qualification. The 200k differnce in cost of a Elite Visa is a minor amount to pay for the benifits.

It migh not work for you and your life style, but it does for this old wanderer.

old wanderer if you have been sufficiently astute in business to have accumulated the assets

you have referred to then I simply cant understand why your wisdom doesn't carry through

to seeing what a farce this scheme is ?? it does not compute with me

if you have read so many threads regarding this scheme I'm speechless that as of today

you are still willing to burn one million baht knowing it could fold at any time

Well since my post amused so many of you... I will explain my thinking on this...

One of the considerations on canclelation of the 1700 elite visa was the cost. If they were not thinking that they would refund the money, then why would they worry about this cost?

Secondly, as many of you found out, (that have been here a while) those that came here and had to place 400,000 baht in an acount for a retirement visa, then the rules were change to require 800,000 baht, they grandfathered those people who had the previous amount, and did not require them to come up to the new standard. If you have an Elite Visa, do yuo think one day they will say as you come through immigration...."Sorry sir, go home and apply for another type of visa"...I think not, unless you were contacted and notified that this type of visa would not be acceppted after a certain date, and here is a refund for what you paid for this visa....

You are not dealing with a bunch of punter, hangling over a 300 baht a night room and if you can bring more than one lady at a time to spend the night....here if you have this type of visa, you proably have some "friends" in Thailand that are connected somewhere in the government.

When I started my buisness at the age of 23, I was an idealist....pure, honest, and believed that truth, and justice would always prevail. What a happy life that was, being a pollyanna. Righ up to the point 10 years later it all went up in a disaterous imbroglio. I went from boy millionare with fast cars, planes, and yachts good whiskey, and too many women (in the 60's that thoght sex was the best recreation), to sleeping on the floor of a house owned my 3 flight attendants, and wasn't getting laid by any of them...I then became more pragmatic about how things really work in life.

So if you really believe that the small group that has purchased an elite visa will be treated with the same cavilier attitude shown to the 30 day visa runners....well nice to have those rose colored glasses.

Do I beleive some of the perks that come with the card could change,,,,yep, but the basic visa I believe will remain, and to me at least having a 5 yr multi-entry visa, with the other cnditions that go with it, are worth it too me.

Why?? Look at your retiement visa....800,000 baht in the bank....that money is not usable, unless you want to leave LOS, and cancel your retirement here. 90 day reporting, yearly re-qualification. The 200k differnce in cost of a Elite Visa is a minor amount to pay for the benifits.

It migh not work for you and your life style, but it does for this old wanderer.

The Chinese couple then went further offshore with the Danish boy following.

People familiar to jetski will know that you can play with them and spray water around. You can navigate them similar to a bumper car, but not drive into each other. Still, regarding the unconfirmed information that was what happened when the Danish boy went to fast and lost control hitting the Chinese couple’s jetski. Whether the Chinese man was hit by the jetski or drowned is for the autopsy to decide.

Maritime law here also comes into play. For hundreds of years these laws have been pretty stable.

A vessle overtaking another vessle must keep clear. The overtaken (leading) vessle has the right-of-way.

In this case the Danish boy was the overtaking vessle and had no right-of-way, therefore all this speculation about the Chineese might have done something wrong, has no legal foundation.

As far as thoughs that say the money was a falang thing, think again my brother-in-law had to pay a taxi 80,000 baht he hit with no insurance. If not he would have been held in jail until he came up with the money. He is Thai.

I have spent the past 1.5 hours reviewing threads on the elitre card.

I will take a wait and see attitude, but if it does go forward, I will purchase one.

The way the wife has been purchasing property in Thailand the last few years, the certainty I will retire here, we have acculated close to 20 million baht worth of investments, makes me want to be secure in my visa.

I do like the limo service when I arrive and the VIP line at immigration. (I will have to check if they will take me to my home in Hua Hin or another home 2 hours N of BKK)??

The fee is an amount I can afford, and if not would have to either stick almost the same amount into a usless bank account, (for an O-A visa) or go through the yearly hasle of showing monthly income...just would like to not have the hassel. Will I stay in country more than 90 days at a time?? Yep when I'm 90 maybe, but like they say you can extend the 90 days free of cost.

From all the articles I have read, it seems if they do cancel the elite program they will refund your money, then I can just apply for another visa. (O for wife visit, or O-A for retirement).

I relize some on this board are here because most things are cheap, but for me I am moving because I am sick of the invasion of my country from Mexico, and the taxes. (My home at Lake Tahoe, the government wants $36,000 this year for property taxes, what the hel_l do you do when you are 93, and just want to sit and enjoy the view, and have no income. It is just a matter of time until they throw you out in the snow, sell the house, and distrubute your money to a bunch of lazy, ignorant wortless people that never got off thier ass to do anything in life). I want my lifestyle to be represenitive of what I have achived in my life, now that I can start to slow down and enjoy some of it.

I am also fortunate that I found my quan tah, and have no parinoia about her steeling everything.

When I 1st startd meeting some Thai friends of my wife, I always used Khun....now that we are friends I use Pee in place of Khun.....

Except when I refer to my wife (sometimes) which I use Tawn...which always cracks them up.

what really adds to the confusion is that if the officer sees the days on tourist exempt visa and tourist visa as both counting towards the 90 days, why did he give me another 30 days??

The common factor is the word "tourist" - whether it's a (tourist) visa-on-arrival or a tourist visa stamped into your passport by a Thai embassy or consulate. That's my experience from applying for a 2-month tourist visa & wanting another one within 6 months -- the lady at the consulate said that she could only issue a 1-month visa as the second one (meaning: I might as well do it on a visa-on-arrival, which is free).

So: it seems as though any sort of visa below a non-immigrant is considered a tourist visa and thus counts towards 90 days within 180...

Uncool.

I really do agree tourist means tourinst.....90 days in 180 days means what it says.....

I can not be very simpathetic, as here in the USA I see what a shamble we have be allowing 12 million stupid, uneducated and zenophobic Mexicans invade this country, waving there flag....

Finally the USA is DEMANDING pasports for everyone entering the country. (At airports now, next year everywhere).

I will be moving to Thailand soon and am elegible for either a O or O-A visa. If they require income, I will supply it, if they require money in the bank, I will put it there.

Consider what Thailand would be like if they just ignored all imigration laws and opened the borders....

Just because you were able to use a poorly defined law in Thailand to live and work there for years past does not convey any rights to continue to do so.

Anytime you think you are treated "unfairly" just compare your plight to the white citizens of Zimbabwe.

Now that was unfair....

I used to have one of those tennis racket things that zaps mozzies and other flying pests. The crackling sound it makes as it fries their little bodies though was too much for a sensitive soul like mine...

Those tennis racket things make mosquito season fun. I have one in most rooms and have been popping them like crazy the last few days. One friend uses his racket to eliminate all the mosquitoes in his house and then opens up the door in the evening to let more in so he can continue his extermination game with the racket.

Great investment!!!

Here in the USA, I bought a ranch some years ago. When my home was finished I went to set out on this great balcony overlooking my valley, only to be chased back inside in a short time by the attack of the mosquitos.

I bought this very large "zapper" and plugged it in with it's blue light glowing. For the 1st 5 minutes heard almost nothing and thought I had wasted my money. Then it started and about 15 minutes later is sounded like a sound track from Star Wars...I was adverised to draw mosquitos from within 2 acres, and that it did... Great extermination tool.....

Did not bother my spirit at all, because the blood that flowed in my veins stayed there, not it the bloted belly of some mosquito.

This is absolutly kicking my butt....I have a baht 4,000,000 payment to make in mid April, and I am stuck in USA dollars here at home.

Just last night I was explaining to my Thai wife, how a single 1 baht difference in exchanging dollars for baht meant almost $3000 differerence in what we were paying....

Yes I will complete my puchase, but when we signed the agreement the baht was at 38. ###### who would have thunk????

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen accompanied Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr, the Council for National Security (CNS) secretary in his behalf as board chairman of the Airports of Thailand, to inspect runways and taxi-ways at the new airport.

Boy do I hate it when you get this kind of spin......The people mentioned above would not know a "good" runway or taxi-way if it bit them in the ass.

I am in the airline buisness....(operations and mainenance) and just a few miles from where I live is LAX. They removed the most southern runway and are re-doing it for the Airbus A 380 due to size and weight.

They remove the earth to almost 3 meters below the surface and start the runway base from here. In the touchdown zones the concrete is over 1.5 meters thick....

The Thais can do what-ever cosmetic stuff they desire, but the problem remains with the foundation to the runway and taxi-ways, and it will take a solid 6 months of excavation to really fix the problem.

Of course TIT, and nobody will ever loose face for the money they pocketed and the junk that was allowed to be built.

Suvarnabhumi has some special problems as the land that was selected was almost swamp, so finding a base to support aircraft weighing 750,000 lbs as they roll over the taxi-ways and runways with only 3 points of contact puts a tremedous force on the tarmac below....They had the money to do it right, and I really wish the military would use a "scorched earth" policy towards those involved in the airport construction. (i.e. Complete confiscation and forfeiture of all family assests of those involve that allowed this type of construction to take place).

JMHO (of course)