fiddlehead

All you economists (hopefuls anyway) giving textbook reasons why the dollar should keep going up.

I had some economics courses back in college days, but have been not so good picking stocks (mostly because of my greed)
(have you ever heard the rule: "Bulls make money, Bears make money, Pigs get slaughtered"

But, I think the reason the baht is going down is because of the political situation here, which changes the money coming in.
Less companies want to do business with a dictator running things.
Less tourists want to come here (except the Chinese, who don't spend much anyway)

And the continuing equal rights abuses don't help either.

So, then we have agriculture (Thailand's biggest moneymaker).
A weaker baht will help the farmers so, why not, have it go up? (if it is controlled)

Anyway, that's my thoughts on this.

To answer the OP. Buy the dollars now.
As you can see, consensus seems to be that the dollar will continue to rise.

Of course, we could all be wrong.

I hate air asia but sometimes they are just so cheap, I give them another chance.
last time, (2 weeks ago) they were advertising 690 baht from Phuket to Bangkok.
Since they never will accept my american credit card, I go to my travel agent (who charges me about 150 baht), and had them book it.
Lo and behold, about 15 minutes after booking, she calls me up and says she didn't get a confirmation email like your usually does.
She called them up and they said: no more flights at that price.
So, it's NOK air, Lion air, and the other cheapies for me again.

The worst part is Air Asia always seems to come up with new ways to screw me over.

tony needs to know this is one reason people don't like him.

Whoops: SUNRISE ^

Rawai Pier at Sunset

Shop near the Myanmar border. Mai Sot, Thailand side.

Yeah, Modena just moved up the street about a km.

(Towards Vichit road traffic light)

Same side of the street as the old one too.

I like Modena and Piccolo.

But the best pizza I've had (closest to NY pizza) is Pizza 2000 over by Chalong pier.

Problem is, I don't feel like driving over there to get it.

Also Rosovivo is OK although more expensive than the others.

Everyone has their own preference when it comes to pizza though.

Pizza 2000?

When Agli Amico (Sp) is open, it eats Pizza 2000's lunch as they are only a few metres away from each other.

AA is full and P2000 is empty. The only business they get is when AA is closed.

But, you're right. Everyone has their own preference.

Like I said, Pizza 2000 is the closest to NY pizza (and the kind I prefer)

The Italian places hardly put anything on top of the dough.

Maybe one spoonful of sauce, maybe a little (very little) cheese, and if you get a topping, there are 4 or 5 pieces of that topping ONLY.

It's no wonder Americans are fat.

You get a pizza in NY and a slice or two fills you up.

Here at the Italian places, it takes a whole large pie or two!

Yeah, my opinion, I know.

Since it took 3 months to get a yacht off of Kata beach, I have a feeling this may be a future (wrecked ship) dive site.

How many containers full of frozen seafood?
Yeah, I bet it smells foul!

No sorry.
Found what I have and it's not the same.
I have the 12 volt cigarette to the big, round, 4 pin Garmin plug on the other end.
I always thought that was the only use for that plug on the 60CSX

Then I have the cord with the other end that looks like the picture above, for the Etrex.
But it is a square, magnetic hookup.

Sorry.
Good luck finding one.
Ebay just might be your best bet.
But will they ship to Thailand?

I do have one of these.

But can't find it.
Looked a bit last night, I'll try again later today.

Yeah, Modena just moved up the street about a km.
(Towards Vichit road traffic light)
Same side of the street as the old one too.
I like Modena and Piccolo.
But the best pizza I've had (closest to NY pizza) is Pizza 2000 over by Chalong pier.
Problem is, I don't feel like driving over there to get it.

Also Rosovivo is OK although more expensive than the others.

Everyone has their own preference when it comes to pizza though.

Wow, after reading through this thread, I must consider myself very lucky.
I have at least 4 non-relatives friends who would gladly put me up for a week or so.
I have 6 siblings who all would I'm sure (OK, maybe one only for a few days)

And I have an apt that I could go back to and stay.

I feel bad for those of you who don't.

Possibly it's because of your personality.
Can you answer this question in the affirmative:? If your friends came to visit you here in Thailand, would you put them up for free, and feed them too???

I know I would. (and have)
Even for a cousin's daughter whom I had never even met before.
It was fun and we learned so much about each other and found that we have a lot in common.
We even met up in Cambodia again last year for a 5 day trip.

I'll assume you mean to carry your things in a backpack and carry the Lonely Planet guides so that you can stay with all the other young people who travel the world on the cheap.
Well, it doesn't get cheaper than rainy (low) season in most all of the countries you mentioned.
So, why not?

Well, I don't know if it's going to be as simple as the above poster's say.
I just went in for mine.
The line was long.
I think best to go around 8:45. (7:30 is for Thais)
There's one girl there at the first desk who is swamped as the rest sit around and wait for her to give numbers.

She gave me a number 68 and they were already past that around 85 so, I had to figure that out by myself and just go up to the proper line and ask.

The test was easy, (reaction)

The movie was funny. (it kept stopping and then after 45 minutes, the girl just came in and stopped it)

Took me 3 1/2 hours to renew a 5 year.
(After I had the correct paperwork that I stood in line to find out I needed 2 copies of everything. )

I thought the people would be more friendly and cooperative than immigration: They weren't.

Good luck.

It's a wonder there are not more.
Last night, I drove home around 10PM from the airport.
Counted 6 motorbikes with no lights.
Although it was raining on and off and the roads were very wet, I was passed by numerous SUV's going over 100 km/hr.

How they can avoid all of those crazy, kids on motorbikes with no lights, I don't know.

Even saw 2 cops on motorbike running a redlight.
Go figure.

The baht just took a hit.
That should help.

I agree tourism (except for Chinese) is down..
But remember: It's June. Traditionally the slowest month of the year in Phuket.

Not saying there aren't problems.
Sun beds, and taxi/tuk tuk fares being the biggest IMO.

Corruption has always been here.
That didn't seem to mean to much to the hordes in years past, I doubt it is now.

My 2 cents anyway.

Of course, with inflation, your needs (or wants) will become more expensive.
I would try to also have enough to buy a car (or at least motorbike) as the tuk tuk as your sole means of transport may end up costing you more than the food you eat!

$3,000 a month will work for now.

Might not in a few years.

I'd try to have some additional savings in case you find a place you really like, and can buy yourself a condo or similar.

Rents will rise, food will go up. Drink prices go up quite often.

Each culture has their own breakfast.
Thai's like fried chicken.
European's like cheese and bread.

Jamaicans eat fish.

Chinese: porridge with 100 year old eggs!

So, the English and American breakfast are quite similar except for the beans and pudding instead of the hash browns (potatoes)
No big deal.

Just have them all pulled out. You will never have to suffer this dilemma again.

Good way to lose weight also.

I have a nephew who is bipolar and has gone off his meds 2 times in the past 8 years or so, that I know of.
He got in a lot of trouble when off.
He is a completely different person.
RIP to the man who died.
Sorry to hear the mother tried, but failed to stop him, but, I guess when you are 31, the law let's you decide if you are able or not.

Thanks a lot both of you.
I'll check them out.
Hopefully one of those is him as he was a pretty cool guy with good advice and always kept my old printers working.

The guy who had the shop next to the small 7/11 between Home Pro and the Chalong circle, is no longer there.
In it's place is a dirt lot.
Does anyone know where he moved to.
He was always quite helpful and not only refilled cartridges but fixed and cleaned printers too.

I hope he's still around somewhere.

I did get a cartridge finally at Julaporn.

But want to know where he is to get my printer cleaned when necessary and maybe refilled next time
Thanks in advance.

Put a gem shop in there.
I counted 45 buses at the new one on that stretch behind Dibuk hospital.
Seems that's what the Chinese like to do.

5 billion seems like a lot of money for dwindling tourist numbers who mainly come here for the beaches.
But, to each their own.

Try this, get a GPS of your hotel before you leave on your phone and use it if you get lost. It is easy to lose your way in a forest so you need to consider that before setting off for the day

a GPS itself is not going to show you the where the trail is.

It will show some dirt roads (no dirt roads near this trail though)

You would need an app like "My tracks" that show topo and you can trackback with it.

But, yes, I agree that anyone attempting that trail should consider using an app such as "my tracks" on their smartphone and turn it on and know how to use it.

Yes, the trail is badly neglected as far as maintenance, and new side trails being trampled in each time there's a blowdown.

Doesn't help either that the gibbon rehabilitaion folks release some of their apes up there and have their own trails to go and give them some food and check on them.

It's confusing.

ps. I would venture to guess that the guy calling them turkeys hasn't hiked that trail lately.

How are you going to get the Thai teachers to teach things like world history, geography, English language, etc. if they don't know themselves?

I don't see it changing drastically in one generation until they raise the bar (on these subjects) at the university level for the teachers.

I picked up a cheap one in Bangkok 2 weeks ago.
You keep it plugged into the cigarette lighter socket and it goes on and off when the key is on or off.
It loops after about an hour (that depends on how big of a micro-SD card you use in it)

The better quality ones (more expensive) take a better picture which means basically you can make out the license plate on a car further away.

For installation, it had a suction cup thingy that goes on the windshield.
I put mine behind the rear-view mirror so it is out of the way.
But the wire hangs down.

I took out the card and checked it on my big screen yesterday.
Pretty good quality for only 1,000 baht that I paid for everything.
I believe the same model is around 1700 baht here in Phuket. ( I priced them at one of those car guys in the Big-C parking lot)

I could hear a conversation we had in the car but it wasn't very loud or clear, with the engine noise in the background.

I'm happy with what I got.
IF it keeps working.
(for 1000 baht, I have doubts of course)

They did show me one there for twice as much money, that had much better quality picture.
But then you need a bigger SD card also for the same amount of time.

Hope that helps in your decisions.