AlongtheChaoPraya

However, over the last few years I think without doubt it would have to be Leo that is the beer of choice followed by Heineken. Will be interesting to see if Carlsberg regains its status now that it is back; we still don't have a proper distributer for it up here in Phitsanulok yet.

Thanks, Chrisinth. There's lots of articles out their on Thai beer. Here's one that's pretty interesting: http://www.knowphuke...2-thai-beer.htm .

After reading some of these, I think I'm going to give Leo a try.

Beer?

Yes, please.

Leo.

Does anybody know what is the most-sold beer here in Thailand for Farangs? Out here, it seems like it's Chang.

When I'm in town, I see lots of Heinekin. Just curious...

Great photo, Infamous Village Blogger, thanks.

Come on guys fess up,

We are all here because we enjoy sex with much younger women persons (edited for gay guys).

No other reason, just a lot of old guys trying to hide what they are really here for.

Not really. I was pushed into BKK during the floods, but I have a nice apartment with a kitchen and a good view for 10,000 baht, plus electricity. I have friends that live nearby in basic, but new, buildings that pay around 4,000 baht per month. I can walk down to the soi and buy Kao Swai for 10 baht, then get some pork, green onions, garlic, etc for not much money, either. Lot of trees around and smiling people. Cost 15 baht to take a moto-ci down to the big market.

I had to use the medical system here a few times this last year, and it is excellent. The cost of my medical insuance with BUPA has been paid back several times over - and the medical care here is excellent. If I ever end up just relying on my social security when I get older, it would be rough, but I could probably make it here in Thailand, living pretty comfortably. I think I will get a massage today for 150 Baht. Wonder how much they cost in the US and UK these days?

Last year, there was no way the airline was going to let me board the plane with a tourist visa without an on-going or return ticket in-hand. Luckily, the airline representative had warned me of this "new rule" when I called for seat assignments.

So, I just went online and booked a ticket out of BKK (unrestricted, fully-refundable), printed it out, and cancelled it as soon as I arrived in Thailand. I very quickly received a full refund from the credit card co.; didn't lose a satang.

What a stupid topic.

Did not even bother to read it.

When will any nation learn the lessons of road carnage?

Is there no other source of news in Thailand?

<snip>

Yesterday, coming back from Hua Hin, the mini-van driver threw us all to the left or right when he changed lanes - it was always a sudden action. Then, when the fast-driving traffic started to congest and he had to slow down a little, he would hit the brakes and everybody would look up and gasp thinking something unexpected had happened.

He also tail-gated, honked his horn, and anybody in his way in “his” coveted, fast, right lane was asking for it (like in the UK??)

At the first red light as we were approaching the Vic Monument, many people jumped out. Even the Thais were complaining and laughing in disbelief at this airhead.

We did make it back in just over two hours. But nobody was in a hurry, and nobody wanted to raise the risk level – especially on a holiday weekend – to save a few minutes.

Something could be done about this. A crash is a serious matter, and can ruin your day.

It took me awhile to realise that, when I'm normally having problems with the SCB site, it was late at night. Instead of trying over and over, I now just wait awhile, or wait until the morning.

I recently went home for a little while and, being in a hurry, I got a 2-entry tourist visa instead of non-B. The person at the Consulate said I had to have a return ticket to get the visa. So, I purchased a fully-refundable one-way out of Thailand.

Then, later, the airline representative said that I had to have a return ticket to get on the plane. Perturbed, I did it again (bought a second one-way). And sure enough, I got flagged checking in at the airport, and the manager had to look into it (took awhile) and came back to verify my return flight (which I had).

They said that I would not have been able to board that aircraft without it.

Later, I spoke with the manager again because I thought maybe this was an airline rule, not a Thai immigration rule. But, they said it was a Thai rule.

The good news is that when the airline refunded my tickets both times, even though the charges on the credit card statement showed the currency to be baht, I had no loss - the refunds were both 100%, and processed very quickly.

Thanks for that, tommet. Interesting stuff. Looking forward to some pool-side couches with a couple of drinks, friends and binoculars.

Here is a good description I found at http://www.weather.gov.hk/gts/astron2011/lunar_eclipse_e.htm (go there for the images referred to below which are very helpful to fully understand the text).

Lunar Eclipse

The earth throws a long shadow behind the side facing the sun. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon enters the earth's shadow. This shadow has two parts: the total shadow called the umbra and the partial shadow termed the penumbra.  (See Fig. 1)

If the moon becomes completely immersed into the umbra, a total eclipse occurs; and if only a portion of it falls into the umbra, a partial eclipse occurs.

During totality, the moon is not completely invisible.  This is due to the fact that some sunlight are refracted by the earth's thin atmosphere into the umbra and illuminate the moon, making it coppery-red in colour.  Its brightness varies for different total eclipses depending on the geometry of the moon's path through the umbra and also on the earth's atmospheric conditions. 

Sometimes the moon only enters the penumbra without touching the umbra. This is a penumbral lunar eclipse. During a penumbral lunar eclipse, only the apparent brightness of the moon will become dimmer but the limb of the moon will not be obscured by the earth's shadow.

Figure 1

Different Stages in Lunar Eclipse

There are 7 stages during the occurrence of an eclipse: 
 

1. "Moon enters penumbra" - the first contact of the moon and the earth's penumbra

2. "Moon enters umbra" - when the moon enters the earth's umbra, this is the start of partial lunar eclipse

3. "Total eclipse begins" - when the moon touches the umbra internally, at this time, the moon is totally immersed in the umbra and total eclipse starts

4. "Middle of eclipse" - occurs when the centre of the moon is closest to the centre of the earth's umbra

5. "Total eclipse ends" - when the moon touches the umbra internally again, this signifies the end of total eclipse

6. "Moon leaves umbra" - the time when the moon touches the umbra externally, this is the end of partial lunar eclipse

7. "Moon leaves penumbra" - when the moons leaves the penumbra

During a partial eclipse, the "total eclipse begins" and "total eclipse ends" would not occur.  In a penumbral eclipse, there would only be "moon enters penumbra",  "middle of eclipse" and "moon leaves penumbra".

Figure 2         The different stages during a lunar eclipse

"Get medical insurance." Sounds like good advice, but I've run into difficulties finding it here in Thailand since I am over 65 years old. I guess the insurance companies think we old folks are a bad risk, even for accidents.

Anyone know any options for us old farts here in Thailand? Going home is not much of an option at this point, and there insurance is prohibitively expensive. I've been subscribing to the "wisdom of insecurity" instead.

Prohibitively expensive? So a basic accident and health insurance for around 20.000B is too expensive? How much would it cost you in a hospital should you have an accident here (without insurance)? But as you say, you can always pray that nothing happens.

Hey friendphil - I get your point. The 20,000B premium is accurate, but my BUPA policy just went up from 20,000B to 27,000B because of the age bracket. However, just after paying the premimum this summer, I had an incident and spent two nights in Samitivez with an MRI and a CT SCan and lots of good care. My 'investment' proved to pay off big time just for this one hospital stay. Besides just the money savings, it was nice to be able just to check in without worrying about comparing prices and considering if the extra treatment was neccessary or viable - I just went with the doctors' recommendations. So, I agree, the idea of having it while it is still available is an easy choice.

I am also faced with this same problem; the fact that this policy will not even be available after age 65. I would also like to know if there are other options, especially for major-medical. The only thing I have to go on so far is that the basic costs at the "non-5-star" hospitals (like Samitivez) are a bargain compared to the West even without insurance (understatement).

Well, IMA_FARANG, I just have to say how nice it is to receive an explanation from you so clearly-written; leaving no chance of ambiguity. It really is appreciated and is a good example of how informative this site can be sometimes and how nice it is that we have a method to asks questions and receive timely responses.

I could see how if you were new here and waited to the last day to think about visa extensions and second-entry activations, etc., it would be so easy to overlook the expiration date of the visa itself - regardless of how many entries you paid for when the original entry was obtained.

In my case, my first exentension expires on 14.11.2011.

My orignal double-entry tourist visa was issued on 11.08.2011.

The "must-be-utilised-before" date is 10.02.2012 (so they gave me six months; not 90 days). (That was nice of them, wasn't it?).

So, if I re-enter the Kingdom in the middle of November, I have plenty of cushion. (I could have gotten a triple entry.)

I wonder why the lady in Immigration told me I could not activate my second entry at the border (??). Oh well, it is all clear now.

I guess some people should realise that the date I apply for my SECOND extension has no relavence to the "must-be-utilised-before" date. That is to say, the visa could be completely void, but I still would receive my second extension because I would already be in the country legally (just have to pay the 1900 baht again).

Also, thanks for your advice: "Make absolutely sure you schedule your border run for at least 1 day before the 'must be used before' date". Well-done.

Thanks for the quick replies. I'm glad to hear I will be able to do it in a quick day-trip, rather than a more extensive journey.

<<please recommend another english language news Chanel I can watch online>>

My favourite is livestation.com. If you go to

http://www.livestation.com/channels/10-bbc-world-news-english ,

the BBC World Service will start playing live almost instantly, even with a slow Intenet connection. This is a free service, but they have premium accounts and also software to download.

If you look at their main site, you will see that they offer loads of news sites and even iPhone and iPad apps. What you can actually view, however, depepends on your ip address (location in the world). For example, I couldn't watch BBC on the iPad from here in Thailand, but I had no problem watching euronews, France 24, al Jazeera, ITN UK, NASA TV, Iranian and Russian TV (all in English) on the iPad.

I guess if you had a VPN app and account (either on the desktop, iPad, or both), you could change your ip address and watch all kinds of things from anywhere in the world, including the BBC.

For a one-minute BBC news summary, go to

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/ .

Unfortunately, they recently started putting adverts before the "one-minute" update.

As a back-up, there is

http://www.zahipedia.info/2010/08/24/watch-bbc-news-live/ .

Ignore the date at the top of the screen and scroll down about half-way to see the BBC World live screen loading. This site has less quality and requires a better Internet connection than LiveStation.Com. On a slow connection, it has a tendencey to stop and start. Also on zahipedia.info, there are some other links on the right (like CNN, History Channel and Sky Sports) which may or may not work.

I have a double-entry Tourist visa (60+30/60+30), and today receieved my first 30-day extension at the new (huge) Immigration facility in BKK. When I was leaving, the girl reminded me of the exact date my 30-day extension would be up. I mentioned I was going to go to Cambodia.

She then informed me that to activate the second 60-day entry I cannot simply do a quick border run. She said that I would have to go to the embassy in Phnom Penh. If that is the case, I wouldn't want to do an over-land trip; I'd rather fly to Penang or somewhere. Anybody have any experience on this (border run vs. embassy or consulate vs. flying) to activate the second 60-day entry?

A couple of observations: I went in just before 10 a.m. and my number was called (and I got my business done) before the lunchbreak shut-down.

When I walked out, the queue just to get into the place to get a number was very long. That means these people had to stand there all through the one-hour lunchbreak, and then wait most of the afternoon probably. So, going in late in the morning doesn't look like it would be a good idea if you want to minimise the hassel.

Also, the fact that my 60-day stamp had expired over the weekend (and I was 'late' to come in and request my 30-day extension) was not an issue (no over-stay fee). So, it looks like they have a "Monday-Okay" rule, if your stay expires over the weekend, and you go in on the Monday following the weekend. However, you don't gain anything by going in at the last moment, so it would of course be better to go earlier than later.

Thaksin might have abused his position somewhat and "lined his own nest" ...

BUT AT LEAST HE HELPED THE "LITTLE" THAI PEOPLE !!!

The hard-working Thai people in the villages LOVE him !!

Uhh, didn't you learn early on that many of the most infamous leaders (dictators) in the world have attempted to gain loyalty with the rural class by issuing government hand-outs and other give-aways? You know, to get the kind of person who already hates that yellow-shirty-looking guy who has a car, money and orders Jonnie Walker Black Label instead of cheap Thai whiskey. This loyalty grab seems to work no matter how many billions were transferred to offshore banks before they absconded.

Thanks very much for the help. Now I know that for the future it is better not to get them too early before entering again.

Thanks L.B. Rephrasing the 2nd question: If I had not utilised the visa until 01 Dec (this month), it would have expired on 08 Dec, but I would have received one 90-day stay, and that's it? It would not have let me stay for a year since I waited so long to utilise it?

Here's a question I think someone could help me with: My non-immigrant type-B was:

* Issued on 09 Dec '09.

* Had to be utilised before 08 Dec '10.

* First entry was 22 Dec '09 (last year).

* My last 90-day stamp expires 12 Dec '10 (this Sunday).

The exit-Thailand date was not an issue as I was going West for Christmas until I just found out I have to stay awhile longer here on emergency. So, I have cancelled my flight.

Is it possible to get longer than two weeks if I do a border run (over-land) this weekend? I believe that it is, but that I should have left the country with a few-day cushion. Or do I have to take a plane this weekend to get longer than two weeks?

This might be a misunderstanding, but I am being told by a visa service that I use here that the key date is the 09 Dec 2009 date (not my first entry date, or any other date). In other words, I cannot get an extension because we are now over one year since the visa was issued.

I would like to know if this is true, but when I asked hypothetically if I had waited a whole year to make my first entry (i.e., up until December of this year), the visa is still a year visa (good for stay in Thailand up until Dec 2011). This received an astounding 'no'. So, if you wait a few months to utilise your visa, it would only be good for stay in the Kingdom for the remaining part of the 12-month period?

Any help would be appreciated. Cheers.

We all know that unless Nicotine is taken in very large doses, it is harmless (other than being addictive). Nicotine gum and the patches are great examples. In fact, it can increase brain function, hinder dementia and Parkinson's, stimulate the ADHD brain into action, etc. The point is they have only found benefits of long-term use of gum use. So why not put it into a harmless vapor? Since so many of us want to quit smoking cigarettes - the equivalent of sticking your mouth on an exhaust pipe to breathe in harmful tar and chemicals - and do not really like the gum or the patches - the electronic cigarettes are becoming more popular and cheaper world-wide. The reputable suppliers in the West are selling out as fast as they can stock the stuff. Many of us have families that will suffer if we never are able to give up the fags. So, it is time to stand up to the governments who want to ban e-cigs and fear of the loss of tax revenue on regular tobacco products at the great expense of premature illness and death of countless smokers. It is time to stop letting threads die, preventing information from being shared and putting off what will sooner or later be an obvious healthy alternative to this terrible habit we got ourselves mixed up in. Where can we find it??? What vendors are legit???

this might be a little evil of me, but am I alone in wishing Thaksin would make a triumphal return really really quickly, like tomorrow?

...just to see how long he would last.

Sorry to hear about your son in law... The number of tourists has dropped off signifcantly with the mostly peaceful Red demonstrations... now there has been significant fighting and damage I am guessing it will drop off more. If the Reds go into a sporatic attack mode it will most certainly drive tourism down even further. The government wants stability, but I fear killing Thaksin would only serve to bolster the resolve of the radical element within the Red's. So far the foreign governments have just closed embassies temporarily... what happens when they put Thailand on the "Do not travel" list? If this escalates Thailand is in for some very hard times. Curfews are nothing compared to what could lie ahead.

Very well said, bluecheesefan. And thanks for the comments about my son-in-law. They sent him back out onto the streets with all that armour and backback right away - no time to rest and recover.

this might be a little evil of me, but am I alone in wishing Thaksin would make a triumphal return really really quickly, like tomorrow?

...just to see how long he would last.

I too would totally would like to see Khun Thaksin make a triumphant return very quickly - red carpet treatment, the screaming pro-reds swinging their flags and pictures, tears coming down their cheeks.

Just to experience in person this one man with his vendetta - who never gave up - who had incited his followers with his passionate radio and satellite addresses in the beginning to mobilise his faithful followers and convince them to accelerate this charade which has been driving Bangkok and Thailand into the ground and polarising the country in such a way that they may not recover from for years to come.

This guy that had the power to make the serious and moderate red leaders walk away from the ever-so-close road map.

Whose power gave the hard-core reds the money and feelings of unlimited potential to desatabilise the country - and in which the ultimate cost would approach the unthinkable.

A man who new all to well that, in a country not ready for Western-style democracy, how his people and many (most?) Thais in the rural areas are easily swayed by toiken entitlements and by hard cash.

Yes, I hope he makes a grand entrance getting off the plane - and then - bam - he never makes it to the end of the tarmac. One man like Thaksin has been more that enough in the roller-coasting - but long and rich - history of Thailand. We can move on - but Thaksin is in the way and he has too much blood on his hands and has taken too much from his people for his own personal fortune and power-hungry greed with no regard to cost, lives or consequences.

If any of you pro-Red falangs want to tear apart anything I say - with your know-it-all, and oh-so mature overview and understanding of the situation, my son-in-law (military) just had a bomb blow up too close to him and he was rushed to the emergency room. It took hours to find out if he was going to be okay. This pressure and tension finds me unwilling to tolerate any more. I can just pray the next few days don’t turn into sporadic attacks and non-sense and make it even more difficult for all of us.

Agreed. In addition they've proven pretty much beyond doubt that they're a genuine people's movement, and not Thaksin's stooges.

Of course they could throw all of that away in the next two days.

"Naive" is really not the word for a statement like this. 'Sad' is more like it. So, when do you think it is all going to end? What will be the NEXT demand?

Abhisit needs to resign immediately and let Thailand heal.

resign, because a couple 10'000 home- joblesses and grannies say so? So you mean the rest of aprox 65 Million peaple have to follow their rules?

If you think in terms of sheer numbers of people fed-up, just think if 1/2 of 1% of the 65 million, including the mothers of the young boys on the front lines, got together and went to the sites and threw them out!

If anybody interested, Abhisit on BBC's HARDtalk at 15.30 BKK time.

Abhisit needs to resign immediately and let Thailand heal.

you are right!

You are wrong!

You really do know very little about Thailand do you.

Give up, you are making yourself look rather stupid in my opinion

Hey, UnLevelHead, totally inappropriate remarks for this forum - whatever your 'opinion' is...