jeffer

I can't think of any forum like Thai Visa that prohibits posting of links to other forums. Thais can be xenophobic at times so perhaps forum management are only reflecting this trait on a Thai centric forum.  

When you say you use Vista are you using the mail program that comes with it? If so can you access your e-mail via IE? If you can do so and check if someone has sent you an e-mail with a large attachment or anything else that is causing Vista to block downloading your mail e.g. spam. Delete the 7 e-mails in there at the moment if they're not important and see if this clears things up.

Other than memory and the hard disk there aren't many things you can easily upgrade on most laptops, unlike a desktop.

Are you sure your laptop has a video card? Normally a budget priced Dell would only have integrated graphics, if so you're stuck with what you have.

Since mid-April, foreign cardholders withdrawing funds from local ATMs have been charged 150 baht per transaction.

Dr Twatchai said the fee largely came from new transaction charges imposed by international service providers MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Worldwide to cover interchange network costs.

Local banks, which had previously absorbed the expenses, are now looking to pass on their own operating expenses to customers, arguing that the fees charged in Thailand are in line with expenses charged for cross-border ATM transactions in other countries.

But a MasterCard spokesman denied that the 150-baht ATM access fee imposed by many Thai banks stemmed from any recent fee change or initiative by the company. The spokesman said MasterCard last notified member banks in October 2007 about a 0.2-percentage-point increase in fees effective from  under cross-border agreements. Since then, no other fee increases have been made related to ATM charges.

-- Bangkok Post 2009-05-04

So the local banks have absorbed the expenses but due to an increase of 0.2% back in January 2008 we now have a 150 baht fee? I get the feeling someone isn't being entirely honest and with a choice between a spokesman for MasterCard and someone called <deleted> chai I know who I would believe.

I don't know how much Thai banks make on exchange fees from processing ATM withdrawals but presumably it can't be too bad as with all the extra business Kasikorn is getting they'd soon impose the 150 baht fee if they were losing money. I was in a shopping centre the other day, a block of 3 ATMs with four foreigners at the Kasikorn ATM while no one was waiting at the other two, obviously many people are aware of Kasikorn not charging the fee.

You have to read some bank statements carefully to see what you are having added on. With my overseas statement, if you withdraw 10,000 baht you have to read the small print because while your home currency amount withdrawn is obvious, the Thai baht amount is shown in a smaller font as 000010150.0000. The 150 baht fee isn't shown as a separate fee, just lumped in with the actual cash you withdrew. The fee from my home bank is shown as a separate charge on top of this.

Reimar, it could be HagenvonTronje has a permanent disorder...

Look down the page a bit and there's another discussion about credit cards...

If you see some of the public hospital conditions and how long it takes getting anything done under the 30 baht health scheme, then if you cared about someone you would have them treated at a private hospital to get it sorted quickly, funds permitting.

A lot of the time if you have red eyes e.g. conjunctivitis it will be caused by an infection which usually clears up in a week or two with some prescribed eye drops but there's no way anyone here knows exactly what your girlfriend has, if an operation is required or not. If it is then does she need to stay overnight, is she planning on staying in the most expensive private room in the hospital etc. Maybe she is getting Lasik eye surgery (two visits...) who knows. Get her doctor to write in English what she has wrong with her and then do some research on the internet so you get a better idea on what the treatment involves. Every surgeon I've ever met in Thailand spoke English and will be able to write down in English the name of whatever requires operating on. Drops don't cost 25k, Lasik probably costs something like that for one eye. 

Sure you haven't limited your uploads... to say 20 kB/s...

It's been happening since at least the first week of March. I'll guess that anyone not concerned about it hasn't encountered it as when you do it really seems to confirm you've arrived in a third world country. Makes you wonder what first time visitors must think. Manilla is nothing as Shah says. The only major airport in SEA I've found worse for aggressive taxi touts recently is Jakarta.

My Thai wife was wondering if this was the same man who wrote a book verbally degrading the King of Thailand ( Prior to entering the country)? She said someone was being held there for this and she thought this may in be fact the same guy? Is this possibly why they detained him? I mean I know verbally assaulting someone as high up on the ladder as the King results in a death penalty ( or so I hear )

Any ideas?

Are you demented?

de⋅ment⋅ed

   /dɪˈmɛntɪd/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [di-men-tid] Show IPA

–adjective

1. crazy; insane; mad.

2. affected with dementia.

Origin:

1635–45; dement + -ed 2

Related forms:

de⋅ment⋅ed⋅ly, adverb

de⋅ment⋅ed⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:

1. lunatic, crazed, deranged, unbalanced.

Are you mentally handicapped?

Please note that I was ASKING if this was possibly the case... NOT STATING FACT!!!!!

Please learn to put a filter on your words before insulting someone. She had heard something pertaining to a gentleman from the UK who was being held for verbal slang from one of her relatives. We were ONLY asking if this was possible.... Hence "My Thai wife was wondering if this was the same man who wrote a book verbally degrading the King of Thailand" ... or did you not actually read my very first sentence?

Anyway.....

Anyone with any actual input, Id appreciate proper comments ( not uneducated remarks ).

Thanks

Your Thai wife is confused.

That's all mostly basic stuff you can find in an Acer or HP Compaq desktop for less than 20k as you surmise, look for an Intel E5xxx processor.

The differences will be they probably won't have a Seagate drive but with the bad publicity Seagate had recently then maybe not a bad thing  Even cheap desktops usually have a 250GB drive as minimum.

XP Pro, about 5k but if you can live with XP Home then you can save 2k. Some Acer models might come with Vista included.

Dual monitor support? Cheaper Acer/HP models will have inbuilt graphics so maybe not. Should have a expansion slot to add a card with dual support. For 3k you can get something like an ATI HIS 4670 or what ever the current version is. If you aren't ever going to play games then you can go cheaper e.g. 4650.

I would like to comment on this 150 baht ATM charge.

So when i take money from a ATM its usually about 100,000 worth so a 150 baht charge , whilst annoying in principle , is nothing at all. But if you are amounst those who go to the ATM 25 times a week and take out 200 baht (just like the thousands who queue in the UK at ATM's for 10 minutes to withdraw a tenner and then do the same thing the next day) then i think you are overcomplicating your lives and costing yourselves unneccessarily.

To summarise ... my solution to getting round this 150 baht insignificant charge is ... carry loads of cash , withdraw rarely and in big amounts .

Problem solved ... No??

Which bank are you with and what type of account do you have?

Where are these ATMs that allow you to withdraw 100,000 baht in a single transaction and only charge you 150 baht located?

thanks

If nothing else this thread has shown clearly just how many members of Thai Visa have way too much time on their hands. 

and sriracha john... get a life

If you ever decline to use the verification system or get the password wrong then you may find the only answer is to ring your credit card company and have your account reset so you can use it online again with Air Asia. 

Was just out near Dreamworld. No tanks to be seen but a cavalcade of 17 cars whizzed passed headed towards Bangkok with all the usual police escort so presumably someone royal.

Here we go again.

Don't worry, everything will be okay, an updated list of police transferred to inactive posts is being drawn up right now.

Have the government decided water cannon won't work in Thailand due to some immunity gained over generations of participating in songkran?

This forum has really gone down hill. Thirty four posts and no one has asked that all important question... will the bars be open???  

I have started a thread just for traffic updates/news updates. Please keep the political out of it. Any political posts in that thread will be deleted. However, please feel free to post observations on traffic and/or demonstration news.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Traffic-Demo...es-t256001.html

Finally...  

Rest of the moderating team must still be out protesting...

Reimar must be busy typing his latest Windows 7 update topic... but once he's done I'm sure he will join the conversation to explain why any discussion regarding the circumventing of blocking of websites is against forum rules. 

For anyone who wants free wi-fi in Singapore, not just at the airport but in thousands of locations across the island you can register ahead of time from your home country over the internet. You receive an SMS with your password on your local mobile number at no cost to you in seconds. There are 3 companies you can register with but for those outside of Singapore this one is the simplest. You need to have your passport details handy.

How does it really work?

Most of locals would already have WiFi.

Those with international roaming, to receive an SMS, it must go through that system and the WiFi providers are not to pay for sending you a message. You will pay.

If only 10 million people a year (out of 40 mil passengers) register for WiFi while at Changi, even if the SMS charge is 1 cent, makes up a nice money. Why are all those personal details needed? Could be they data mine them and sell the results to someone.

7 years ago, when I had a private mobile and wanted roaming for Singapore, the operator in Australia advised I should switch off the SMS capability as each SMS would cost me 1$.

That's probably where they get their money for "free WiFi".

If not, why don't they allow you to use a free terminal and get your password via email to yahoo, msn or google? Or any other email address you might have? Or get it before even going to Singapore via email?

think_too_mut, If there is ever a contest for most tight fisted poster on Thai Visa then I'll be nominating you. You are able to obtain free wi-fi from the Singapore authorities and you expect them to cover the cost of sending an SMS with your password because you nominate a number that uses roaming??? I don't use roaming so please, tell me exactly how much this SMS cost you.

I obviously wasn't clear enough before so I will try again. If for example you are in Bangkok and you go to the link I provided, fill in your details with your Thai mobile number and you will receive an SMS in seconds with your password. I don't know what type of mobile account you have but if someone sends me an SMS I don't pay one baht. Apart from maybe the USA I don't know if there are very many places that charge you for an incoming SMS. If you want an e-mail then I will put a link at the end of this post for one of the other ISPs that will send you one when you sign up. They may still send an SMS, can't remember since it's been a while since I subscribed.

As to why all the personal details are needed, simple, we're talking Singapore not Thailand. You want a SIM in Singapore? You go for example to Seven Eleven and ask to purchase a SIM and before you hand over your $15 they will ask to see your passport. No passport, no SIM as without proper ID they can't register your SIM as required by Singapore law. A couple of Thais I know would have problems living in Singapore because they also have a maximum of 12 mobile numbers registered per person. Want free wi-fi in Singapore? Same deal, no ID no free wi-fi. It's their rules however I think most people believe there is less chance in Singapore of your details being used for the wrong reason than in many other places. In return you get access 24/7 for at least the next year at speeds better than many paid connections in Thailand, and at thousands of hotspots including pretty much the entire CBD. Sounds good to me especially when they make it available to anyone visiting Singapore, not just local taxpayers.

http://qmax.com.sg/

Another good way to get rid of old files forever is with Eraser. It's free and does a great job. Unless Peace Blondie is overly concerned that the FBI or the LM police are going to check out his hard drive then 3 or 7 passes is more than enough.

http://www.heidi.ie/node/6

I can manage Leo, Chang, even Archa but Cheers is awful.

Ive just returned from Singapore

What a delightful airport Chengi is compared with BKK.

Singapore:

......................Free Wi-fi

The WiFi is not free. Free are those flat screen terminals that let you have a 15 minutes Internet session before you have to login again.

To enjoy "Free WiFi" you have to register and they send you SMS message with your password to your mobile. That's where they make money: that message is sent through international roaming and they charge you for it. Not a big money for individuals but nice hefty sum for the provider of the "Free WiFi".

For anyone who wants free wi-fi in Singapore, not just at the airport but in thousands of locations across the island you can register ahead of time from your home country over the internet. You receive an SMS with your password on your local mobile number at no cost to you in seconds. There are 3 companies you can register with but for those outside of Singapore this one is the simplest. You need to have your passport details handy.

http://login.icellwireless.net/regterms.html

CrossBones, the lady pointing in the air was probably pointing at the overhead signs with the gate numbers listed...

As for fast food places, there's Burger King, Coffee World and many others all grouped together in mini foodcourt style at both ends of the terminal, not far from the security check. Most people seem to find them okay as they're usually very busy.