fiddlehead

To Guest House, thanks for that. I think many of us here needed to see reassurance that goodness still does happen in this world.

To the OP, I hope you never get stuck somewhere and your ATM card doesn't work. I'm sure karma will reach back and the first 10 people you ask will assume you're a bum.

I have been in a situation where my brother forgot to mail in my credit card payment while i was traveling and i only had one.

They stopped my card and i called and called and finally got it straightened out but was told it would take 24 hours to get the card working again (this was about 10 years ago).

Luckily i was with friends who took care of me or i may have had to do what the Czech guy had to do.

Nowadays I carry more than one card just in case. But maybe first time travelers don't worry about things that have never happened before.

Reading through most of the posts on this thread, i find many very interesting thoughts.

I agree that most of us learned a different system than is taught today.

However, Google is going to certainly change the way today's kids learn.

So, schools should be teaching logic, creative thinking, and problem solving among things to give the students a desire to learn.

As to the bad grammar, spelling, bad abbreviations, I'm afraid to say, i think it's going to get worse before it gets better because of the internet.

Now, a little story: A friend of my Thai wife's was visiting and told me I was lucky to be a farang as i could easily make more money.

I said, but I have my own business (I sell clothes online) and she could do the same. (I've made my mistakes and learned through Google and trial and error and some friends who have helped me along the way)

After some discussion, she mentioned that she even had a degree from a Thai university. I said, "oh, well then, draw me a map of Asia and show me where China is in relation to Thailand". She said she could not as they don't learn that.

I said, ok, tell me who Napolean was and as i thought, she had never heard of him.

I then asked what her major was and she said accounting. So, I said: "Oh, then what is 13 times 3. She said: "I wouldn't know that without a calculator"

Then I asked her where the Beatles come from and sure enough ( I had been warned about this one) she said Bangkok.

I didn't need to ask anything else. Then and there I decided that my kid was never going to go to Thai school.

He is now in (expensive) Montessori school and I am teaching him the computer at home.

Have them on my house in Phuket

Don't have them on our house in Issan.

never had any problems at either house. (knock on wood)

I would sooner bite out my own veins, than have a relationship with someone who wasn't even close on an emotional, educational level, and had such disparate moral values.

My favorite line when I meet foreigners who say they have a thai wife is to answer back; "Oh, you've got a thai wife? You know when I was a boy I had a cocker spaniel."

Wow, that got my attention (the eating veins part)

Trying to compare my Thai wife to my ex wife back in America is like apples and oranges.

That one (ex) had a trade (made dentures in a lab). She spent much more money than she ever made on clothes, drugs, booze, phone bills, and her new (red) sportscar. And I do mean MUCH more.

Which means i got to pay the difference.

She could hold a conversation ok. Although it often related to her druggie friends which i had a hard time understanding where they all got the money to do what they did.

She cooked pretty good although it was food that she liked, not necessarily what i liked. I did the dishes and helped clean the house of course.

The biggest problem was the bills and what she stuck me with (including unpaid IRS bills) when she left.

Here, my wife grew up poor and makes me stop at the side of the road when she sees some plant that she knows will improve the food that I like. (she cooks different food for me than she eats as of course she is happy with Som Tam and we have 2 pappaya trees in our yard)

I am not allowed to do dishes or help clean the house although i do get a nice smile if i spill something and grab the broom myself to clean up my mess.

We talk about Thai politics as well as her friends and their problems. We talk about and ask each other about our work quite often.

I met her in a massage place and she still gives me massages when i have a rough day.

She doesn't do drugs, smoke, although she likes her beer or two most nights.

She doesn't want to learn to drive our car, says it's too scary to drive and she's the slowest motorbike driver on the road.

There's more comparisons but i won't bore you. I just pity you that you would prefer one of those western women who want it all but don't want to help get it, yet want you to take care of them. Enjoy your veins when you do find missus Right!

Good question.

And i'm sure most of here are guilty of just throwing them in the garbage as we don't know of any options.

I wonder if you could go ask at the big incinerator on the southeast end of Phuket town near Sapin Hin?

Of course, we don't want them incinerated but maybe they have a recycling bin for them there???

I'll be watching this thread and hopefully someon will have a better answer.

ps. i have a friend who is one of the most humble and respectful Thai people i know. I helped him move last year and noticed he had about 100 used up AA batteries in his old place. I think he just left them there when he moved out because he knew they were bad for the environment but didn't know what to do with them.

Any Greenpeace members here that might know???

If he thought it was going to be so peaceful, why take his family out of the country first?

He is working overtime to keep the BS coming. (or his speechwriters)

He certainly didn't sound very profound in the interviews i saw the past few days.

I'm noticing it happening more and more also.

And not just on Thai Visa. ON other forums i go on.

It seems to be the way the world is changing somewhat.

People are angry and unfortunately, are taking it out on their peers.

I don't like the direction things are heading both in Thai politics and on Thai Visa. The friendliness has gone out of it all.

I am starting to believe that no one WANTS to get along anymore. Sorry situation for sure.

ps. I was on a forum the other day where a guy was asking if anyone could help him hack someone's WIFI. Lots of answers and many rude ones.

After 15 replies, i was the first one to say: Why don't you ask him? Maybe trade some garden vegetables or offer him tickets to where you work or something in exchange.

I met two guys last year up at the windmill near Nai Harn.

They were here on vacation from their lives in the Yucatan Peninsula.

They were retired Americans living as expats there.

They were saying how everything seemed about the same for expats living here to them except perhaps the girls were prettier here.

I'd go and check it out for myself if i was seriously thinking about it.

Personally, i think the Thai people are friendlier although i've only really travelled in northern Mexico and 4 countries in South America. (and Thai food is better)

From my experience (one house built for my Mother in law in Issan) I found that the colors that i liked (farang) are not anywhere close to what my Thai in-laws liked.

So, what i did was, i picked the colors for the kitchen, bathroom, and my bedroom and picked mostly earth tones. I think it came out great.

I let them pick the colors for the living room, hallway, 2 other bedrooms and outside area. They pretty much picked pink and bright colors to show it off. Difference seems to be that i want my colors to blend in with the environment, and they want them to show off their (my) wealth.

So, who are you trying to please in your color scheme? western or Thai?

As for grout, i'd pick a neutral color and not white or black.

Good luck.

Went to Villa in Chalong yesterday.

It's certainly all very lovely, with seemingly well trained staff.

Unfortunately, just about everything is out of my price range, as i'm just on a teacher's salary.

I might be able to have a monthly treat in there, but it certainly wont be a shopping trolley full of goodies every week.

It's funny. After being here for 5 years, i walked around Villa thinking, 'you never know you miss this stuff until someone shows you what you're missing'

If you're impecunious, it's probably better to stay out of Villa.

You won't know what you're missing then!

My thoughts exactly.

I expect to pay a lot for imported items. But, when i see an apple that is sold at all the local markets for 10 baht (you know, the ones with the pink styrofoam netting on them) and in the new Villa store, the same apple is 25 baht, well, that told me everything i needed to know. (staff were friendly though)

I felt that the Songkran partying was much more subdued this year compared to the past 4 or 5.

I didn't have full buckets of ice water thrown at me at all this year and many times, people would only pour a few drops or cupful on me.

Maybe it was the rain this morning and around noon that kept things quieter than usual but i had the feeling that some Thai people felt ashamed at what was going on in Bangkok and tried to make amends for it. Traffic wasn't nearly as bad, lines weren't as long, maybe it was just less people celebrating.

Howdy

You are right there are such systems available. But the Thai budget is not.

That is unless you have TEA money up the kazoo, I personaly have offered these systems since the situation in Tak Bai.

But no go. Think before you post nonessential information "there are many very powerful nonlethal forms of crowd dispersion" in this forum since you know nothing about them or where to get them or why the Thai Government does not have them to use.

You only need to ask one question "Why dont they use them" 99% of the time you ask that question about ANY government the answer has something to do with MONEY

Huh? Water cannons are on every fire truck in the city that i've seen. Who needs extra money to fire up some water trucks during Songkran?

I know he has been sent back to England.

I think someone from here took him to Bangkok where someone from England was going along to help him fly back to his home country.

I heard that he was getting a little better every day but still in no condition to travel by himself.

It's all 2nd hand information.

Hopefully we'll get an update from his family someday soon.

I did not want to offend anybody married to an Isaan Girl (!), but the blindness a a few farang towards Mr. Thaksin is amazing. Does snybody really believes that the Thaksin Clan cares of poor people? He pampers them as they are the cheapest votes to buy. That it is all about and big money went into his pockets.

People who sell their vote should loose their right to vote.. If they put so little value on it they obviously don't understand how important it is.. They are as selfish as Thaksin and have no thought to the greater good of the country..

Sometimes they have no choice.

My wife was taken off the record books in her hometown in Issan.

When we tried to find out why, we were told it was because she didn't fill out a form asking if she was going to vote for Taksin or not last time he ran.

She didn't know anything about this and we had to pay (the guy who took her off the books) 500 baht to get her put back on.

Amazing Thailand.

I would like to watch this thread also and see if anyone can explain the difference in the diesel choices.

Some say #5 diesel, Some are supposedly bio-diesel (is that good for your engine?) (are there other choices that i haven't mentioned???)

I buy mine (usually) at the Lemon Green in Rawai and get good mileage out of it but have turned down bio-diesel already at other stations because i heard it is bad for your engine.

I know it's important to keep a clean air filter and i change mine every year to 1 1/2 years. (obviously many people don't) But it does also help keep the environment clean as well as better for your engine and fuel efficiency. (and it's not expensive to do it)

Yes, i agree. and when they take out the old plug, a good mechanic will see if it is running rich or not enough air which usually means: Change the air filter.

But then, what do i know? But that's a good place to start. If your bike shop hasn't done this yet, i'd find a new one.

Gotta wonder what your complaints would be if you went back to your home country?

Sometimes i have a hard time understanding why people move half-way around the world, to a totally different culture, and then complain becuase the western food is not the same.

Try the Thai food sometime, it's pretty good.

I once had a flat tire many kilometers from my home on a Sunday. I ended up getting a room and learning a lot about Nai Harn (at the time i had been living in Karon/Kata but afterwards moved over here) I guess what i'm saying is often times, and open mind pays off.

Cheer up, one thing about life: things will change.

If you get the Garmin 60CSX, the X on the end is the new technology that sees through trees and doesn't lose signal around skyscrapers. (I never lose signal anymore unless i go in a concrete building)

It is portable, has mapping capabilities (extra) but not cheap. (I paid around $225 on ebay)

I would recommend ebay if it's possible to get it shipped here. I had it sent as a used item and didn't pay any duty/customs on it.

I see etrex models on there for as low as $60 but i don't think that's what you are looking for.

Just my 2 cents.

If you need help, my (Thai) neighbor is very handy and looking for work.

Of course you would have to rent a router and probably buy at least one router bit, but i could help him do the first one and i'm sure he'd pick it up quickly. Just sayin.

I'd check if ADSL is available where you want to set up your home in UdonThani.

I have found that my internet connection is fast enough to make calls via skype out or voipdiscount.com between midnight and 7 AM here. (and good hours for you to be calling USA)

When it's not fast enough, my cell phone here (with AIS) is very clear and fairly inexpensive. (i believe it is around 6 or 7 baht/minute.)

I just dial 0011 and then the area code and number and it goes right thru, no problem.

Good luck.

Have you considered making your own? Since you sound like you need many.

I go to a woodworking shop near here in Nai Harn and get them to cut me whatever sizes i need in just about any thickness of plywood. (they stock many and lots)

Then I would think you could buy laminate in whatever color scheme you want, at Home Pro and cut strips for the edges, glue it on with contact cement, use a router (rent or buy) to trim it flush and then glue your top on and trim those edges flush. Pretty easy once you have the router and the piece of plywood cut to size. If you don't want to do it, i'm sure you could find a Thai carpenter that you could teach.

Just a thought. I used to do it for a living and many people saw me and were surprised as to how easy it really is.

That way you get the exact size, and color or pattern that you want.

I think it's not a bad thing to show bodies.

In the western world, it is politically incorrect as they say. I always wondered why. It's almost as if people don't want to acknowledge that it is a dead person.

Look at video games. When something gets killed, the body disappears. Soldier's coming home from war in caskets are not allowed to be shown in pictures in the media.

It's all as if they didn't really die.

At least Thailand is honest about death and probably shows it to remind others of what could happen to them. Sort of like the pics on the cigarette packs.

Yeah, thanks Steelpulse.

The Flamers are out on every subject anymore.

I've written some posts where i fully expected to get harrassed, but it didn't happen.

This is one i never expected it.................but i understand how forum's work. I think some folks think "whoever flames the most wins"

Don't know how many of you were effected (or affected??? not sure which is proper here)

A Thai man wrapped himself and his car around a telephone pole the other night cutting (or burning thru) all the lines.

We were without power for 5 hours and internet finally came back on a little while ago.

I learned something: I am addicted to the internet. It is like a drug.

Without it, i got a lot done. Created user logins for everyone in the house, organized my bookmarks and files, created song lists and worked on music, started a video of my kid, as well as non internet things: organized my gear, cleaned my truck, tuned my motorbike, etc etc etc.

Had a jungle walk planned for tomorrow but might just have to cancel now.

I am going to attempt to not go online at least one day a week just to clear up things (including my mind)

And i guess i pretty much missed April fools day although there are a few hours left, but i think the surprise factor is gone. Oh well.

Anyone else go off cause of this accident and have comments?

The really aggressive drivers are usually men.

The scared, don't know how to back up and if they do, it is in very slow motion, pull out too slow, hesitant at the traffic circle (inside) drivers are usually women. (when they don't have the dark shaded glass film so that you can tell)

My 2 cents on the worst drivers.