icemaniac

I think Thailand Post's new slogan, "Go Postal" says it all. After all, that's what they call it in the US when a mailman goes mad and kills his co-workers, which I could see happening after he has trudged a package up four flights of stairs in a BKK building only to find that the resident has moved to Chon Buri.

What, are the three stooges running the postal service here. Mobile phones are MOBILE, but you can't carry an address with you.

Fortunately, this inane notion faces an uphill battle in Parliament where I hope sane minds will prevail.

100,000 BT fine.. ...sure gonna scare the pants off the developers of these multi million baht developments

I can't believe they write new laws with riduculously low fines still. I thought the reason for the preposterous fines was that the laws had been on the books for so many years when Thailand was poor poor poor. But now I see that the mentality is still there. This is the type of instance where they could really sock it to 'em because they are dealing with rich developers. Not the average somchai.

Great Idea. Young Packer is into this. Maybe some money redirected back home.

In Oz, a lot of the gambling money is distributed back into the community. 1.5% is given back into NSW thru clubs poker machine tax. Amounts of $1m from a single club are common & will go back into the community. I have used some of this money in community work; competitive to get but is given mainly to the locals. The model works well for organisations that struggle to compete with national community organisations.

The 1.5% is broken in half, with .75% going to sporting and the other to community groups.

Then there is the Casino funds, not sure of the amounts coming from here, but have seen grants of several hundred thousand going to groups.

All I can say is that it is there; the need is to accept and take the cut. The big thing after that is how it is then distributed.

The difference is that in Thailand all of these funds would go into the hands of corrupt schmucks that have an inside track to the government and they'll use it to buy new mercedes for themselves and their spoiled children. You can never entrust bureaucrat and political Thais to do the right thing with such funds. They steal it everytime from the mouths of the poor somchais of the world.

"Thailand to Legalize Gambling" is a misnomer. The legal process has to run its course with a law change. Do any of you people understand the legislative process?

A bill has to be introduced, debated and amended in committee, voted on by committee, debated and amended in the House floor, voted on in the house floor, sent to the senate, debated in and amended in committee, voted on in committee, debated and amended on the senate floor, voted on the senate floor. If it's been amended in the Senate it needs to go back to the House floor for a concurrence vote.

Not a done deal by a long shot, especially considering the makeup of the Senate. And in the House, PPP does not enjoy an absolute majority.

In Thai schools you CANNOT even broach the subject of statistics using these very common and practical methods.

Why not? I am interested in why you say this. Is numerology that ingrained in this society? I find it hard to believe that stastics are not taught in universities here.

I just tested my supposed 2mb line and got a whopping 38kbs download speed and 50 kbs upload! And this is what I'm paying Bt1240 a month for?

Didn't know if this would be the correct forum to post but here goes. I have a vacation planned in Thailand (Bangkok and its surrounding areas) for 3 weeks in May. I'm in my early 30's, single, no kids, no previous marriages, and looking to meet a Thai girl (not for prostitution purposes) potentially when I'm there. I've always been attracted to Asian girls (this coming from an American caucasion) and have really admired those who are from Thailand. Not that I want to jump into a marriage...but I'd like to meet a native Thai girl who is interested in a long term monogomous relationship that could potentially lead to marriage. My question is this: are there any reputable internet dating sites that can jump start a relationship for me and not rip me off? I'm not looking for the classic "mail order" bride either. Just a web resource, like Match.com, that can connect Americans with Thai people for an actual relationship. So that when I arrive in May, I could have at least some friendships established. There seems to be a million google results that come up when i do a search for internet dating with Thai girls and most are questionable. Any help would be appreciated.

If youre into vapid conversation and someone whose sense of humor is in line with three stooges slapstick hour then go after a Thai girl because that's what you'll get... endless boredom. Don't expect any intellectual capacity because they are all incapable of this even the ones that are well educated and even the ones who have been educated outside of Thailand. Little logic and an obsession with beauty and appearance is what you'll get in a Thai girl. If you're into Asians, move to California and find one that's been born and raised there so you can be compatible.

Very cheap - about 200 baht a pair - and there is the best eye care available in Thailand. The only thing that is troublesome is driving on a bike near the beaches when it's dry as the sand can get in your eyes, oh and also in Bangkok too

thanks for the advice.

I've got an year old prescription from the UK which still works. Perhaps it would be a good idea to get my eyes tested anyway. Is that 200 for a disposable pair or ones you've gotta clean every day?

Don't let the (local providers)* touch your eyes. They have no clue. I tried to get a prescription for contacts here and they screwed 'em up. And everytime I 've tried to buy glasses here, they've gotten it wrong and I've had to go back time and again. My Thai doctor didn't even know that you can get weighted contacts for an astygmatism. LAME. I had to get a new prescription in the U.S. instead. So much for the great healthcare and supposedly inexpensive system in this country. Don't do it unless you want to waste your time going back again and again.

* edit by moderator

YA RIGHT. Hope your witness friend has the guts to say what really happened in a court of law, but I doubt this will turn out justly.

Damian

My bet is on the girl. If she's indeed pregnant from another guy she'll probably be coerced to testify against the dead canadian, putting all blame on him which will keep her & the cop out of prison. The police volunteer fund might even step in with a few donations for the future baby.

Stuff of movies I know so would be interesting to see the final outcome.

No, unless I read this incorrectly? This is a falang woman, not bloody likely to lie against her murdered falang husband, even if she did cheat. This isnt some isaan hooker that can be pressured by her countries gangster police.

Damian

Agreed. Whoever said Thailand is safe to travel to anymore. The amount of murders (including by cops) of foreigners in recent years is astounding. It was a shock a few years back when two australian backpackers were murdered in the jungle near Mae Hong Son, but the stuff that's going on these days is rather astounding. I know of two people beaten senseless into comas (one of who eventually died from his wounds) by gangsters running these illegal bars set up on the sidewalks of Sukumvit Road in BKK.

In the above story, my guess is the drunken cop copped a feel and the hubby got angry and gave him a punch.

I am not here to discuss with you guys, i just give my humble piece of advice.

Fortunatelly, I never failed a forecast in the past years and I am adamant to follow this way. For me nothing will change if you will buy gold or euros now. I will be sorry for you in few years,unless you want to buy now and sell in 1-2 months...but I think you are not looking for a short-term speculation.....

There is nothing HUMBLE about your inane advice. Quite the contrary. You're an armchair trader whose trying to dispense foolhearty advice to people who have no business following your advice. They'll lose their shirts by following the shallow recommendations you've posted on this site. Beware of this guy everyone.

Are you for real? This practice is MAINSTREAM in the U.S.? Give me a break. The practice shows that most Thais have trouble bonding with their chilfdren and don't care to raise them themselves. And it has nothing to do with poverty either. I live in a moban with wealthy thais and the majority of them have their uneducated maids and nannies raising the kids. They want nothing to do with them. Life is cheap in Thailand. get used to that idea those who are planning on living here.

But there clearly is a cultural norm of leaving children with grand parents (we could debate the pros and cons of that for a few pages I'm sure)

You see this a lot in the Hispanic culture in the US. It is to the point where it is part of the culture, and it is just expected, much like Thailand....

But guess what? As the US economy goes to pot, you also see this becoming more mainstream in the US culture as well. It is a sign of the times.

They are rejecting people because of the clothes they wear? Where in the law does it state that if you where shorts and a dirty t-shirt that you can't stay? SHOW ME SHOW ME SHOW ME.

That's the problem. The rules are made up as the worker bees at immigration go along and on a whim. And your recourse should they ignore the law? NOTHING.

((Remove flame))

This morning I talked with a friend of mine who lives in Bangkok. He said I got off easy with the extension I applied for and got. He's pretty much in the same situation I am and he applied for his first extension a 3 months ago but it took him 2 months to finally get approved for it. He said immigration had to extend his stay by 30days because his 90day visa was going to run out. He applied 1 month before his visa was finished but immigration told him it would take 2 months to be approved and gave him a 30 day extension which he had to pay for. He said if his application didn't get approved, immigration would have only given him 7days extra on his visa to leave the country. He also said immigration went to his home and talked with him and his wife. He got approved but I thought I would warn people it might not be as easy as it seems maybe I just got lucky.

I also want to make a point, on one of my trips to the immigration office (outside Bangkok) there were a few other foreigners there doing visa stuff. I have to say all but one looked neat and dressed ok. The rest were in shorts and tank tops, they looked like they never shower, clothes were dirty and looked like they didn't care or respect the immigration at all. I really hate seeing this because I feel it gives us normal farangs a bad name and makes it harder for us to get visas and do immigration things. I don't know why they can't spend a few mins putting jean and a nicer shirt on. That's all it takes you don't need a suit but just look neat. I feel some people think it's too easy to get a visas and it's a joke little do they know it effects everyone who is needs visa work done. The immigration officer who helped my wife and I said we look like a match and we both look respectful. She said many many foreigners look really bad and a lot don't get there extensions or visas. She said many mixed couple really don't match at all which makes them wonder if there marriage is true. So make sure you and your wife look neat and tidy when applying for extensions. It really healps. Maybe this is another reason why they gave me my extension so fast. Sorry if I'm complaining too much. Thought I would just voice my opinion on this. It's something I really hate!!!!!!

Well you are a patient one because that sounds like bunch of inane random manure to me.

The rules change daily and at the whims of people in charge. There is no guidance on the immigration's website.

As for me I've had it with this gestapo crap they put people through. I've told my wife (who doesn't want to leave Thailand) that once we get her a U.S. Greencard she won't have to be under the government's thumb every 90 days to check in. In fact she's good for 10 years. I have plenty of money and plenty of income to live comfortably here or in the U.S. and I truly resent the amount of ridiculous hoops honest, hard working family men have to go through to live in this cesspool.

Siam has lost its luster for me. I don't know why i ever left the first world for the THIRD. Of course my wife wants to stay and doesn't understand so there will be one more single mom in Thailand thanks to this government.