Elfin

Street view-some good restaurants in this Vientiane street

Looking back from The River Hotel, Vientiane

Temple on the River

Mighty Mekong River

Thai Embassy Vientiane

French influenced architecture

Some pics I took in 2012 in Vientiane while doing a visa run:

The Thai Embassy and one happy camper with a 12 month WP

When I was a smoker, I used to use 21mg nicotine patches on all lights over 2 hours-they got me through even on Sydney to Europe flights, with having a few drinkies, it was never a problem.

What is with all this "driving" of motorbikes-they are ridden!

Also isn't having 3 on a motorbike illegal? Lots of charges against the RIDER of the Honda click needed.

For me China is a place that I go to work in and make lots of money, it's not a place that I think about staying in any longer than I have to. If China moves to Chiang Mai the relaxed charm of the place will be destroyed. Quote from Saroq

I am in the same boat, sentenced by my Thai wife to 2 more years of hard labour in Beijing earning good money. Our home is on the outskirts of Chiang Mai so in the burbs without too many Chinese tourists. If it gets bad, we will move up to the peace and quiet of my wife's little village in the hills.....

MOODY!!!!!

Thanks for the link. Unfortunately I can't get Youtube here in China, but will be back home in Chiang Mai for a couple of days next month, so will try to catch up with my motorsport on Youtube then!

IF the junta is serious about cleaning up the taxi mafia a good start would be to prosecute the men who enable the taxi mafia. They know who they are and they know they have made massive amounts of money for their pockets while damaging the tourist numbers to Phuket...not to mention terrorizing both locals and tourists who dare to question them.

Throw the bunch of them in jail. Allow a songtaew system in place at fares comparable to other Thai cities.

Have a/c point to point taxi service available at the same METER rates as Bangkok. Have the military PROTECT the baht buses and the metered taxis from any remaining mafia types.

Turn Phuket into a PLEASANT place where one doesn't have to fear for his safety to get from point a to point b or be charged an exhoribitant fee most of which goes to some Mr. Big who sits in his house and counts the money.

It's really not rocket science...and perhaps the junta who certainly likes to claim the prior govts were corrupt

and did nothing have an excellent chance to show with actions that they are different.

Pomchop, I have to ask.

I have never been to Phuket, but have read many posts on TV about what is bad about living there.

So why then do people, especially farangs, want to live there? What are the attractions of Phuket?

I notice at a lot of Chinese airports, there are no bars such as in Kunming Airport, Yantai, Jinan, Wuhan etc. Also flying Chiang Mai to Kunming on China Eastern, there is no alcohol served on board.

I know that Capital International Beijing airport has some nice bars and lounges where you can buy grog, but they are very expensive.

Maybe the Chinese are on to something-never seen any trouble on a flight in China.

Ubon Joe, you said " If you have 3 or more border crossings already the are only giving 7 days.:

Do you mean consecutive border crossings, or 3 border crossings in 6 months or 12 months?

I had been doing a border crossing in-out then getting a 2 month extension based on marriage, then another border crossing followed by another 2 month extension based on marriage etc.

To quote an old Benny Hill skit.

Interviewer: Is it true that you live life with a big L?

Benny Hill: Yes, and sometimes I have problems with a big P.

Run Forest, run!!

Again, I ask the question.

What does ONCE mean? Once every month, 3 months, 6 months, year, ilfetime????

My interpretation is that if you come in by land, you will get one 15/30 day entry stamp, and if you want to stay longer, you must go to a consulate/embassy in another country and get a visa, and then be allowed back in.

But the question that hasn't been answered is what does ONCE mean?

Is it once every 3 months, 6 months a year??? Or is it once in the life of your passport, or indeed your lifetime?

I assume the same rule will apply to air entry after August 12?

What about if you come in via the sea??

And what effect (if any) will of this and all of the predictions (if they come true) have on the ASEAN festival beginning next year?

I wish every PM was as good looking as Yingluck. Perhaps the females of the forum might say that Abassit is a custard gusset???

I hope to be doing a little side tour (train tour!) from Beijing into North Korea in October, so I'll check it out, and report back to TV as to whether it is true or not.

I well remember him in the FBI.

"MAD" Magazine once did a spoof, and his name was Lew Oilyskin.

He heard someone behind him say "Mafia"!

He turned around, and an Italian lawyer was telling his client: "My fee isa $1000"

RIP Efrem and what a ripe old age to reach too!

I know I might get shot down, and I know the Thai labour laws, but is there a listing of farang tradies, such as electricians, plumbers and builders in Chiang Mai?

When we were living together in China in 2011, there was a Thai soapie on one of the digital channels where all the women had big boobs, and they were shown to extreme with low cut tops, unbuttoned blouses or tight t-shirts. I can't remember the name of it, but I watched it every night!!

This is the main reason I suggested that they need to pay a high salary to a financial whiz kid foreigner who knows the airline industry:

" It also suffered a big loss last year and is shouldering long-term debt from aircraft leasing."

These 2 problems need some creative solutions, and sure THAI also needs someone who can get some competitive pricing back into sales, and I agree that the freebies for the pollies and hangers on need to be eliminated immediately.

Golden Tonsils once said that perhaps you need someone with a terminal illness to make the tough decisions, because they are not afraid of any retributions!