syd barrett

Easy to get a Thai Visa Credit Card:

Open a savings account with SCB

Then deposit 200,000-300,000 Baht in it.

Make an appointment to see a SCB manager/asst manager/ senior.

Tell them you need a Visa Credit Card and that you will deposit 100,000 Thai Baht as surety in a fixed term account.

That's it.

Problems you will encounter:

Counter staff telling you NO. Ignore, make appointment with Manager.

Manager says NO. Ignore and tell them you have friends who have done it. Give them a way out, so they don't lose face. Tell them to check with their 'head Office'.

If still no joy. Phone or speak to Head Office.

Good luck.

My step dad took his watch to be repaired at the shop next to Au Bon Pain in Royal Garden. They charged him three times as muchas quoted to retrieve the watch - and it still doesn't work! Not a helpful bunch, especially in view of fact I'd spent 14 000 b on glasses in same shop. TIT.

I would like to hear of any more negatives before I take my watch in tomorrow.......

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions.

I know those watch repair shops on Soi Bukhow, plus I know the place in Royal Garden. But as the watch cost 900 quid new, I will feel safer and more confident taking it to Royal Garden, as Mobi said for more expensive watches better to be safe. I am sure the other places are all good for cheaper watches.

I will report back as developments happen.

Please can anyone recommend a watch repair place in Pattaya. It is a decent watch so I don't want a cowboy job. I don't mind paying a bit extra for a good job. Anywhere in Pattaya is O.K. for me. Thanks.

Breakfast is 110 Baht at Apex on 2nd Road BUT if you walk a bit further along to the next corner towards South Pattaya Road on the same side, there is another place offering a 110 Baht breakfast that is 100% better. I have forgotten the name of the place, will post the name later.

If I get sitting next to an obese person in economy class, I ask them to move because they are squashing my shoulder and arm. If they are un-cooperative I make a point of vomitting all over them later in the flight. I find this works wonders.

Thailand will be one of the few countries in the world that will not fall into recession. Will probably come close this quarter but remain positive. Therefore holding THB at the present time is an ok strategy for me. If the Baht was going to go into freefall (like the Korean Won) it would have already done so with the mass exodus of foreign funds over the last few months. It has remained relatively in-step with most regional currencies.

Next year will see a surge of capital back into emerging markets including Thailand. Unfortunately, with the political issues still out there Thailand will not be at the top of the list. However, expect the Baht to remain in the 36-33 range v USD for next year.

www.thailandjunkie.blogspot.com

I think that that is a poor prediction Mr thailand junkie. The Thai Baht will fall and it will fall fast. It has broken the magic 35 in last few days and I fully expect it to be 40-45 sometime sooner or later in the next 6 months.

Anyone holding TH baht now should exchange them into a mix of currency. Swiss franc, US$, EURO, GOLD and YEN. Not GBP that is set for parity with US$ by March 2009.

The FTSE is low, in five years it will be around 10,000 so UK equities must be a good bet, long term.

Just a couple of questions about Wi-Fi radio waves:

Why does a parabolic dish improve gain?

Why not just extend the antenna with a very long wire?

Is an outdoor antenna extension better than an indoor?

Why do some (weak) signals come and go in the space of a few minutes?

Thanks for the feedback.

I bought an EDIMAX High gain model and it has a small external attenna and patch lead. I have received eight Wi-Fi signals (four unsecured) so lots of free internet for my desktop. It is strange that my laptop does not detect any Wi-Fi, maybe because it is internal.

Now I am working on the gain boosters Twais gave a link to. I shall buy a large parabolic metal dish and zoom in on Wi-Fi signals. All for free!!

Ryanair is false economy. Even if you manage to keep to weight limits for baggage, pay using and electron? card? and avoid buying onboard bottles of water for 4.99 you will lose in the long term.

If just one flight is cancelled while you are overseas, transportation costs and hotel bills and telephone calls etc will ensure that you are out of pocket.

I have never heard a good word for them.

I made the mistake of flying domestically within the U.K. with British Midland instead of BA in order to save 20 quid. In the end I would have willing payed 20 extra to go BA, BM: they are another cowboy outfit.

To me it does not make any sense. I can understand that Thailand is the card-crime capital of the world but IF your card is copied and they get the PIN # then the only person who loses money is the customer period.

The banks of this world will not refund cash taken from ATM's ever.

That is why everyone should check their statements daily online.

The poster who said if you cover your hand when using ATM's is wrong. There are many ways to obtain someones PIN. A Nigerian Post Office scam in England seized the cards of thousands of Manchester United fans and swooped on millions of pounds because 18% of fans had changed their PIN to 1999

I want to fit a wi-fi dongler from my PC, how much do they cost, and is there different styles? I would like a powerful one so I can pick up the free wi-fi from the next door coffee shop. Plus do they have to be installed with software and is it difficult to do. Thanks for any advice/help.

I never have a problem receiving my TOT telephone bill or printed bank statements. But greetings cards never arrive and envelopes with contents. Magazines rarely arrive, they are probably dumped because of weight.

Outward post, I have never had a problem, but I always use the Post Office and never send greetings cards in bright coloured envelopes. The most annoying thing to go missing is my frequent-flyer card, which is shaped like a credit card. So even though I am gold I can never get lounge access without it. Anyone have any idea how I can solve that problem?

Im looking for a room in a newish hotel or apartment block close to Soi Buakow/LK Metro area, from the 6th December for 1 month and hoping to pay 15k but will pay more if need be.

Ive emailed several places already but everywhere seems to be full, if anyone might know of somewhere please let me know.

Alternatively whats the likelyhood of finding somewhere decent when i arrive if ive got a couple of days to look around????

Do not panic, you will easily get a place in Pattaya around December 6th. 100%.

There are some great rooms on Soi Buakow for 400 baht per night (12,000) per month. Don't worry. And I mean DECENT.

interesting replies guys, it seems that for some in Pattaya, being heavily tattooed can be a career path. But let's put flesh on the bones and try to visualise what is a heavily tattooed person:

what you call this man heavily tattooed?

if not, what would you call him?

Thai girl would call him: "Handsome man, good heart, where you go"!

I spent the whole day in Pattaya today, starting at soi 6 then 7, 8, Post Office etc. etc. and I have never seen Pattaya so quiet and dead considering that it is November 17th.

Now I don't care really, it is just a fact. But I reckon 2009/2010 will be really different: ie worse (more-dead). Many people have already booked their 4 weeks of fun in Pattaya for Christmas and New Year 2008, but unemployment/credit-crunch/Thai Baht will all play a part. Then perhaps after the global recession it will pick up again.

Personally, I find them offensive--if I can see them. I avoid people with tattoos; I don't know why, but I do.

I tattooed "W" on eatch Butt cheek!!

Was that for the benefit of your boyfriend?

-'popmybubble' : I love the Laura Palmer avatar!

Some years ago, in the U.K. I was drunk and lost consciousness and some so called 'mates' tattooed my shaven head and face with a blue ink spiders web design.

As a consequence I found it difficult to find employment in the U.K. so I moved to Pattaya, where I am a well known tattooed 'celebrity' on the sois of 6,7, and 8 and often pose for photographs in return for a small Chang beer or a simple Thai rice dish.

I am sure that like a lot of Thai Visa members I am bothered about the Thai Baht v GBP rate. The reason it is low is because of the near refusal for the Thai Baht to slip past the US$=35 mark. If it were to slip down to 40 we would all be happy..Yes? When will this happen? Then we would be back at 60=1GBP

Pretty much everyone already knows about the Lek. Pretty poor quality in my view but can't complain at that price.

For a straight good value English breakfast though, hard to beat ' Crazy Daves ' at 65 baht for bacon , eggs ( any way ) English sausage, tomato, beans, fried bread, toast and coffee or tea.

I hope that you are joking Bangyai!

There have been numerous threads about the food quality at 'Crazy Dave's'.

My personal experience of their breakfast, is of an unctuous mass of suppurating congealed eggs and rubbery bacon, complimented with a visceral sausage and sub-standard adamantine baked beans. To conclude; I would avoid this mephitic mass at all costs, it gives me gastritis just thinking about it.

I agree with the OP that Walking Street has become home to a whole host of unsavoury characters, however I can't believe long-stay ex-pats go there on a regular basis. I hate going there, I only visit Walking Street when friends (tourists) are over here on holiday.

Any long-stay ex-pats who go there on a regular basis are simpletons or C-struck morons who don't know where the really good places are in Pattaya.

Then why don't you take your friends(tourists) to those really good places instead of getting them involved with the c-struck morons on walking street.

No way! The good places are not for visiting tourists, who speak no Thai. Walking Street is a tourist-trap, lambs to the slaughter. Ho Ho Ho.

I agree with the OP that Walking Street has become home to a whole host of unsavoury characters, however I can't believe long-stay ex-pats go there on a regular basis. I hate going there, I only visit Walking Street when friends (tourists) are over here on holiday.

Any long-stay ex-pats who go there on a regular basis are simpletons or C-struck morons who don't know where the really good places are in Pattaya.

OK, just got back from TukCom.

When you go up the escalators, and get off on the 3rd floor (the one above the Power Buy, and two above the cell phone floor), turn right, then right again. The shop is the 2nd one on the left (MC Famous Computer Company).

Easy to see, they have a whack of plastic boxes on the floor filled with connectors, cables, widgets and gadgets. I saw a number of stereo adapters, and I think they'll have what you want (between 20-35 baht each, depending on type & size).

Great work Kerryd, I will go tomorrow and get the adapter plug. Cheers!

Thanks Cuban, I will try tukcom tomorrow.

My stereo headphones have a 3.5mm plug, however I want to plug them into a 6.3 mm jack. Does anyone know of a store within the Pattaya area which sells the adapter plug 6.3-3.5 mm? Thanks in advance.

I have received abusive and threatening personal messages from a board member who has over 4,000 posts and has been a member for just over two years. I can see that these can be blocked, but surely I should first forward the written message (which is peppered with profanities and violence) to a moderator or moderators, so that they can take some wise action. ie. suspending, banning or warning the member? Advice would be appreciated in this sensitive matter.