paquito

I have a cyst that needs to be removed. No biggy. I had it done at the Thai Air Force Hospital in Udon Thani 2 years ago, but it has recently come back. I have insurance but with a high deductible, so I prefer a government or military hospital (Navy in Sattahip?) where I can have this done at reasonable cost. I expect that the surgery will take less than 1/2 hour under local anesthetic, and that I'll be an out-patient.

Any recommendation for a government hospital or dermatologist in Pattaya or the Navy Hospital in Sattahip would be appreciated - with location if possible. I speak enough Thai, so language is not an issue for me. Thanks.

My netbook battery died a sudden death after 14 months (Model HP Mini 1001TU, btw I'm very happy with it).

I was at Tuk-Com in Pattaya and all I got offered was a 'new' one at THB 3000THB (looked rather like a copy) and a used one at THB 1500. I couldn't find a shop where they would simply replace the 3 cells, although I was at Tuk Com at 8pm and half the shops were closed already. I plan to buy a new Netbook this summer once some models with the new Atom 470 processor are available, so the battery fix just needs to last half a year. Considering that a new Netbook cost 15 to 25 K Baht, I don't fancy spending 1500 plus.

I'm sure I could have the cells changed in Pantip, but I have no other reason to make the 1-day trip to Bangkok, so that's not really an option.

Any advice on battery repair shops in Pattaya?

Any recommendation on reliable Thai online shops?

The hp Thai website doesn't quota a price and there is no button to add it to the shopping cart. I'll call them tomorrow, though.

http://partsurfer.hp.com/Search.aspx?SearchText=504610-001

Cheers for your help!

Public Debt and Budget Deficits play an important part in the depreciation of western currencies against the Baht.

Have a close look at this chart that shows one reason why the Baht and other emerging market currencies are doing well against developed countries' currencies. I'm sorry to say that I don't see this trend changing anytime soon.

Public Debt and Budget Deficits in Developed and Emerging Economies

Most economists consider max 3% budget deficit and max 60% public debt to GDP sustainable. That's the first 3 squares in the top row. You'll find the US, UK, Japan and several EURO-countries in the ugly bottom right part of the chart.

To complete the picture one would also need to look at private dept levels (high in US, UK, Spain; low in Japan), future growth potential, demographics (Population is young in India and aging rapidly in Japan and Europe). public debt funded domestically (like in Japan vs. by foreign investors like in the US), and if the countries can issue their bonds in domestic currency (e.g. US, UK. Euro) or do they run up high debt in foreign currencies (most developing and emerging countries).

Marc Faber (and others) said recently that there are only 2 ways out of high public debt:

1. Print money and create inflation (works only if the debt is in domestic currency)

2. Default on your debt (1998 Russia, 2001 Argentina; in 1997 Thailand and other Asian countries were bailed out by the IMF, Dubai was recently bailed out by Abu Dabi, Greece will be bailed out by the Euro-Zone eventually - but who could possibly bail out the US, the UK, or the PIIGS if they should default at the same time because they can't find fresh money to pay the interest on their old bonds and sell new ones to finance their budget deficit?)

There is of course the remote possibility that politicians start acting economically responsible, balance state budgets and start reducing debt levels through higher tax revenue due to high GDP growth like in the 1960ies. Start praying for a miracle!

We surely live in interesting times...

Source (Article in German language)

A high ranking police chief once stated that the only difference between a criminal and a policeman was a badge.

Ancient Chinese proverb: 'Criminals and Police are first cousins.'

Seems I'm a little bit late. Nevertheless here's my experience with Canon Thailand:

A few month back my camera (IXus 960) just froze after taking a picture, lens wouldn't retract mo reaction when pressing the on/off button, even after removing and reinserting the battery.

Took it to Canon repair shop in MBK, Bangkok. They told me it's the chip. Warranty was expired and they quoted THB 5000. Not an option, considering that a new model is about 10 to 12000.

Took it to 'DSC', small shop next to the right hand side escalator of Pantip Plaza, 4th floor. The girl there looked at it, said they would need to change the chip (same as Canon had said). They would do it for THB 2000 by evening next day. I asked if they could do it by noon (less than 24h), did not haggle. Agreement was that I'd only pay if the camera would work again. Went there next day, camera worked fine and still is doing so now, 3 months later. So I can recommend that shop, although you might want to bargain a bit - I could not, getting it back the naxt day was more important, I had to leave town.

Just to let you know what happened to my Japanese friend:

After I had sorted through your good advice, I suggested to her that she should go to the with JackGolf to Poipet on the last day of her 15 day-stamp, which was Thursday, Dec 3rd. She agrees, but calls her teacher, as she would miss class on that day. He tells her she couldn't possibly do that. She should overstay a couple of days and go on Saturday. She, being a good Japanese girl, follows the teacher's advice .

So, Saturday comes. She's in a taxi early enough, but somehow doesn't find the bus. Too many 7/11s on Sukhumvit, and she had forgotten that she should go to the one on the corner of Soi 12 .

Next day she goes to Ekamai and catches the regular blue bus to Aranyaprathet. Lucky for her she met a dozen Philippinas who know the border proceedings well, so no problems to be in and out of Cambodia in reasonable time without any incident.

By then she was 3 days over her visa but I guess the Thai immigration officers took pity on a young Japanese lady - she never got charged the 3x500 THB fine . She's now back in Japan, so the case is closed.

I just wonder why I bothered to trouble all you guys for help if she did her own thing anyway and lucked out with everything.... Girls! I can't see any other explanation for it .

The border at Aran/Poipet is very busy and can be a hassle for a new traveller. She will also need to obtain a visa for Cambodia. Would recommend she considers using the services of a visa run company who will take care of everything (including visa) for her. Many companies advertise in the classifieds section of the Bangkok Post, or you can search the forum for more information. Cost around 2,000 baht all in.

Thanks again, Thaiphoon. Yes, that's what I had in mind for her - I'm searching for such companies right now. Please post or pm me, if you know one or two of the more reputable ones. Would save me reading a lot of conflicting reports... Companies departing from Sukhumvit rd or BTS/MRT stations preferred.

Thanks for the replies so far, although I found this in the pinned thread which talks about a possible extension of 7-15 days:

jayenram writes in 2006:

30 day entry stamp : At the discretion of the immigration officer this may be extended for up to 7-15 days at an immigration office after which time the holder must leave the Kingdom.

The post is 3 years old - anyone knows if it's outdated? What's the current policy of the immigration office?

That information is not correct. As advised, 7 days maximum at discretion of immigration officer.

Thanks for the clarification thaiphoon. Looks like she'll have to bite the bullet and go for a border run or risk the overstay. I'll advice her to hop on the bus for Poipet.

Thanks for the replies so far, although I found this in the pinned thread which talks about a possible extension of 7-15 days:

jayenram writes in 2006:

30 day entry stamp : At the discretion of the immigration officer this may be extended for up to 7-15 days at an immigration office after which time the holder must leave the Kingdom.

My Japanese friend arrived 3 weeks ago for her 2nd trip to Thailand in 6 years on a 2 month single entry visa. She went to Burma at Tachilek and didn't know that she'd only get 15 days when she came back to Thailand. Her flight out is on Dec 6. Her 15 days are up tomorrow, Nov 26, so it's 10 days to go to her flight. She's doing a course in BKK right now, so a quick visa run is not really an option.

Is there any problem getting a 10-day extension?

How much is it?

Which paperwork is required? (I assume airplane ticket, passport, 1 copy thereof, 1 photo)

How long does the process usually take?

Is this the correct place: Rasa Tower 2555 Phahonyothin Road16th Floor?

I'd be grateful for quick replies and any additional information , she needs to get it tomorrow, and it needs to work out on the first attempt.

Guys, guys... I just related what happened. My friend had stayed at this place several years for his usual 3 week vacation. Doesn't look like an inside job at all to him or me. I don't know where you are staying, but when I sometimes ask to see a room before checking they simply hand me a key or two and let me go upstairs by myself. Not only in Thailand the receptionists are kikiat - or simply understaffed at the moment. For these little safes you don't need much of a crowbar, do you? Yes, the farang must be rather daring, desperate and bl@@dy stupid too. He was very lucky this time. I have no doubt that he won't get away with it more than a couple of times. Eventually, he'll end his days in BKK Hilton, I'm sure.

The small hotel where my friend stays was robbed yesterday afternoon. Small place, 5 rooms, three were occupied at the time but none of the guest were there at the moment.

This is how it happend:

Farang guy walks in and asks for a room but he wants to look at it first. Receptionist gives him the keys to the two empty rooms. He goes upstairs alone, brakes in all three occupied rooms and opens the safes, probably with a crowbar, ripping out the number locks. He only takes the cash. My friend lost 900 Euros, but his passport, flight ticket, credit card and even his laptop which was on the table are still there. Same in the other 2 rooms. The guy just took cash, nothing else.

Best part: the owner's wife had switched off the surveillance camera system to save on her electricity bill ! So when the BiB showed up and the receptionist couldn't describe the farang burglar, they didn't even file a report on the incident.

Nothing to be done about it. My friend wrote the cash off and is kinda happy that he still has all his other stuff. Could have been worse.

So hotel owners beware. The scumbag is still on the loose. He'll try it again but I'm sure the BiB will get him fast once he tries that stunt in a place where they not only have a surveillance system but actually have it working

Great evening indeed, but I'm glad we didn't relocate after the soi bar. Cleaning lady kicked me out of my room an hour ago, who knows how long I'd have slept if she hadn't. Good to meet you all!

There is a good chance that I'll be in BKK next weekend. If so, I'll show up.

Update: Today I picked up my 60-day tourist visa at the consulate in Vientiane, Laos. Free of charge, just the usual long lines yesterday when applying for it. Took about 2 hours, around 10am there where about 300 people. Today at 2pm I was the only one.

Has anyone applied for a tourist visa since March 5? Feedback would be welcome!

I'll be applying for a tourist visa in Vientiane after March 18.

Four weeks ago I bought a HP Mini 1001TU in Malaysia (saw it a few days ago in Pantip at 15000B, slightly cheaper than in Kota Kinabalu). I'm quite happy with it, apart from the smallish HD 60GB, but an external HD will solve that problem. I could not install my canon photo software, screen resolution is too low with 600 pixels vertical. All other programs work fine, the Atom 270 processor is just good enough to run movies on VLC player or edit photos with ACDsee. I'm quite happy with the little thing, I really appreciate to only have to schlep 1kg of hardware as opposed to my old 2kg notebook. Until 2005 I had a HP notebook and had a warranty issue. HP service at Rama IV rd opposite Lumphini Park solved that in no time, so I can also recommend an HP product from that perspective.

80% chance that I'll be in BKK that day. If so, I'll be there.

I did that in the other direction in 2003, so my story is a bit dated. And I still had to fly from Zhongdian, northern Yunnan, to Lhasa. It's definitely not cheaper than the Biman flight (KTM-Dhaka-BKK), but it's a great trip. Check out my story on my website:frankinasia

Go to "English Version", then to "Travel Tales" and find the stoies "Roundtrip in Asia" Part 1 to 3, published early 2004.

Or use these direct links to download the pdf-files: Up the Mekong, Yunnan, Tibet, Nepal, Everest Trek

I got my Chinese Visa in BKK in Mrach '08. This was BEFORE the Chinese Visa Changes. The process was like this:

The Chinese Embassy is at 57 Rachadapisake Road. This is the extension of Sukhumvit Soi Asoke (Soi 21) and the Embassy is just north of Fortune IT Mall. To get there take the Subway and use the north-western exit at Phra Ram station. Walk 5 minutes north, past the Fortune Mall, the Tesco Lotus supermarket and a new high rise which is under construction. The visa section is in on the 2nd floor of the next building, a medium high rise, just before you'd come to the embassy proper. Open for visa application 9-11:30am, pick-up 3-4pm.

The place was very busy, more than 100 people applying, a lot of them agents with a stack of dozens of passports. Still, it was a breeze. First, get a form and take a number. Although I had arrived rather late at 10:45 and my number was called only at 11:50, after the stated closing time of 11:30, I could still hand in my form. With the trip to Mongolia, I needed a half-year double entry visa and again I opted for the 1 day express fee and was surprised that I was told to pick it up the same afternoon at 3pm! Which meant I saved the extra trip because I could hang around the mall next door for a few hours. At pick-up one has to line up at the cashier's window, pay the fee and get the passport at the next window. Even though there were about 30 people lining up, it took less than 10 minutes.

Prices in Thai Baht for Chinese visa (this is the complete list as it is posted at the embassy):

Country /Service Type/ Single Entry/ Double Entry/ Half year multiple/ One year multiple

Thai/ 1 day/ 2200/ 3200/ 4200/ 5700

2-3 days/ 1800/ 2800/ 3800/ 5300

4 days/ 1000/ 2000/ 3000/ 4500

USA/ 1 day/ 5600/ 5600/ 5600/ 5600

2-3 days/ 5200/ 5200/ 5200/ 5200

4 days/ 4400/ 4400/ 4400/ 4400

other countries/1 day/ 2300/ 2850/ 3400/ 4500

2-3 days/ 1900/ 2450/ 3000/ 4100

4 days/ 1100/ 1650/ 2200/ 3300

US citizens: There is an additional sign saying "The price for all visas is 4400 Baht. Express fee will not be charged." I don't know if that means that all visas for US citizens can be picked up the same day, or if it means that only the 4-day service is available.

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK HOW THE PROCESS/COSTS/REQUIREMENTS HAVE CHANGED SINCE MARCH 2008!

A good place to look is the Lonely Planet Forum

I just checked the going rate here in Nanjing, China: 5 to 6 Yuan per DVD. That's US$ 0.72 to 0,86. Selection of western Movies is better in SE-Asia, though.

Thanks guys. Good link lopburi3! Will buy in BKK at Pantip Plaza - here at the pattaya at Deuk Com the asking price is 16,900 THB while the cheapest offer at geetang.com is 12,500 THB.

My old IXUS 7 finally needs to be replaced after 3 years and more than 10000 photos.

I'm thinking of the new Canon IXUS 960 IS - any links to reviews would be appreciated.

I know that Pantip Plaza is a good place to buy one but I don't know if the price in Bangkok would be that much lower than in Pattaya to make the trip worth while.

Can anyone recommend a good camera shop in Pattaya and maybe a couple of websites to compare prices? Thanks.

I'd like to know too. I know there was a 3 million condo investment visa, but I thought that was cancelled. 3 m in the bank would suit me even better, so please let me know how it works.

Thanks. I could have thought of checking the tot.co.th site.