toret

My friends wife managed to have her luggage checked through one stop, I believe she was flying Bangkok - Phnom Penh - Kuala Lumpur (don't ask why) on the same day. I tried on two international flights (on following days, Macau - Bangkok - Phnom Penh), and no can do. So you can always ask when you check in, but be prepared for "No can do".

And one more thing, if you flying two international routes, you MUST pass through thai immigration before you can pick up your luggage.

Send some money to yourself using Western Union or Moneygram. Then when you arrive you open acc and tell your bank to wire the money. I have opened several accs on tourist visas or visa exemptions, this is either a new rule or it is not enforced by all banks.

Personally I have good experience with the yellow bank, Bank of Ayudhya. Bangkok Bank i have less fortunate experience with. Some of my transfer actually vanished after being deposited. But mind you this was in 1997, right before the Thaitanic, of which i am worried will have a rerun pretty soon.

If you are transferring a substantial amount of money, open several accs and send smaller transfers of the same amount. Then you will know what bank gives you the better rate.

And one more thing, in my case, a SWIFT from Norway to Thailand takes 3-4 days, an express transfer takes at least 10 because the banking systems are not compatible so my money got stuck in the thai branch of Bank of America. In this case I believe I was using Thai Farmers Bank, now called by its thai name, Kasikorn Bank.

Some of you make me wanna puke. A terrible accident happens, and all you can do is berate thais and Thailand.

<deleted> off!

Animals like tigers should be left alone and not harrassed by tourists such as Ruth. Operators of facilities such as this should be prosecuted and the practice banned. Unfortunately, there is too much money involved and a lot of influential people, and even monks use wild animals to raise money.

This practice is no different from taking tourists to Long-Neck Karen villages. Sad! Really Sad!

I totally agree. But sadly this is part of the legacy of that australian w*nker who made a big TV-show out of disturbing animals in their natural habitat and in the end got what he had coming.

I have no plan to travel to Thailand. But since it is free, I will apply for it anyway just to decorate my passport. I live in South Kensington near the Thai embassy, so there won't be any hassle for me.

The best things in live are free.

Funny. Maybe you should update your profile, since it says Pattaya.

Thanks a lot GrantBKK, finally a bit of useful information. And thanks for the link, I might actually look into this program.

How does the "Free communication services to Thai bureaucrat organizations" work? Are we talking toll-free phone numbers or what?

Here is an update for the OP. If you are considering getting one of these cards - I would have to question how you came up with the funds in the first place to do so. Surely, it is 'old money'

Sure they are old. Millions of years old. They come from a product commonly referred to as "Oil". After all, I am a norwegian

And yes, as one of you put it, I would like an update. Although there is now a major thread on the subject, I would not mind some input from those of you with an opinion based on facts.

Thaksin has faded and it is becoming clearer he is not coming back.

I agree. Thaksin is yesterdays man. Or at least I hope so.

I also had a beautiful daydream just now: I was walking down a street in a big city somewhere, when I suddenly stumbled over a beggar, dressed in an expensive but dirty suit, sitting there rattling his tin cup of change. And guess who the beggar was...

Som nam na...

I'd like to know if this is as good as they say, or if it's just BS.

Are there any guarantees it will not be cancelled and the money lost?

Is it worth the price?

Etc.

Time to move to the Philippines perhaps.

I will think about it when breaking the last six commandments is no longer the national sport there.

But i suppose pig might fly !

Pigs will have been airborne for decades before any local of Samui lowers anything by as much as a satang.

I think we all know what will happen: The income will decline, so prices must go up to maintain status quo. Sheer logic.

Isn't it funny how the western far right Bush-junkies suddenly stand up and talk for the poor farmers and cheap loans and government-backed medical service when it comes to talking about the Thaksin years?

So, which one is actually your name?

Don't have thai script here, but can you guess how my name is written in latin font?

Hi again Heng!

Where is the hospital with the good YAG-operator, and how much does a session cost for a small tattoo? I had my name tattooed right below my lovely relief-like peace sign back in '96. Even though I told the guy about 20 times he still got it slightly off. And Thai being the very tonal language it is, it has led to several interesting interpretations

Some say it sounds like a burmese name, some says it means looking at something, others don't get it, while more than one has told me it's awful similar to a thai word meaning I'm already dead...

So can you guess my name?

When Thaksin was in charge, you were able to say whatever you want.

That is a lie.

Most Farangs believe in democracy... PPP won...(Thaksin won) the elections... one man one vote... sounds fair to me...

I am one of those farangs. And I was disgusted by how Thaksin used classic singaporean methods of strangling any oposition, such as suing anyone who criticized him for defamation, using formalities to shut down radio stations etc.

Using ones democratically given majority to put a chokehold on any criticism is not democracy, it is democratically elected dictatorship. I am not a great fan of brownpissing but what he did is the same thing as was done by a quite infamous leader of a certain big central europen country in the 1930s.

Not to mention that Thaksin Chinnawat is a megalomanic, a mass murderer and corruption convicted criminal. He should be sought extradited for crimes against humanity, from any country he set foot in, or convicted in absentia and then sentenced to either life or death.

Heng - are you suggesting the present system of keeping the craven feudal families at bay is "USSR-esque"??

No, he is suggesting exactly what he writes, that the society could become post-USSR-esque. Nowhere does he suggest that the country is USSR-esque. Or did I miss something maybe?

Yes I guess you did miss something then. Thailand has been been for many years full of oligarchs - perhaps you see the country in some other way?

Thailand IS RUSSIA POST-USSR - and it has been for many years before, during and after the USSR. Spare me the left-wing bogey-man <deleted>. Do your homework on Thailand's Sakdina system - the country is run buy 1,000++ rich families with tentacles into the military, police, bureaucracy and business mafias - often inter-married in chinese-guanxi style. Look at all the Benz's pulling into the Government Offices every morning and puking out some fat 45,000 baht per month civil servant and ask yourself - tham ally - how did he/she/big hair manage buying that car that is ten times their average salary? Funny how some obvious things go so un-noticed..

Left-wing bogey-man <deleted>? I think you must have missed something here. Unless it´s your intention to argue against yourself.

I love the Indian food in Penang too. Not fighting about either of them, just think I am not alone when waking up on the morning of a trip to either, that ones smile is just a bit wider if on ones way to laos.

Have not been to Vientiane since 4-5 years. Is it still a quiet little town with Beer Lao at 25 baht a bottle?

If they do.

Will Thailand close the embassy/consulates in GB?

At least I know where to go if I am ever convicted of some major shit. UK, land of the freed on bail

But seriously, what is their status in the UK? Asylum seekers that go back to the places they claimed were dangerous to them, usually lose their asylum status...

The Indian Food is really excellent in Penang - best I've had in SE Asia.

Hear, hear!

A couple of the veggie diners in Little India are especially great with fare from southern India, rather than the grease-orgies in many indian places that cater to tourists in SE Asia.

But I can´t see what you all are fighting about, I like both Penang and Vientiane. Although they are as different as two cities in Asia can be, and Penang is absolutely a bit heavier on both mony and patience.

Heng - are you suggesting the present system of keeping the craven feudal families at bay is "USSR-esque"??

No, he is suggesting exactly what he writes, that the society could become post-USSR-esque. Nowhere does he suggest that the country is USSR-esque. Or did I miss something maybe?

Not sure what you mean by "discos" though, you mean like in historical documentaries like Saturday Night Fever?

Sorry about that, please forgive me as I am an old man. I ment "clubs" of course. And not as in ancient discussion- or bookclubs

UH Hah like the Russian Mafia in Pattaya, and the Bandidos MC on Koh Samui, they could start there. Good luck !!!

There is a Bandidos chapter on Samui???

Potjaman Shinawatra, or "The Mistress", as she is often known,

Why is she called that? Are they just pretending to be married?

I am in Brazil at the moment, and due to, eh, lousy planning, I forgot to check the vaccine requirements for the country, which has plenty of Yellow Fever around. And arriving in Salvador instead of Sao Paolo, nobody checked or injected me on arrival either.

So I went to the local village immunisation office and got my free shot today. But they didn´t have any international paper, the lady there just wrote Febre Amarela, the date, a serial number(?) and signature below the entry stamp in my passport.

Anybody got a clue if this will be a problem when I come to LOS in a couple of months?

*I think I have Yellow Fever, I miss Thailand sooo much*