photojourn

I need to put together a quick article for the London Daily Telegraph.

Anyone like to share their views and opinions on what the current situation in Thailand will do the for short, medium and long-term tourism market?

Now that we've officially hit peak season, your feedback on how you found the high or shoulder season would be appreciated too.

Comments on how these protests might affect the retiree market will also be appreciated.

Those responding can choose to have their businesses mentioned in the article or not.

Responses by PM also welcome or by email. My email address is on my profile.

Thanks

John

I need to put together a quick article for the London Daily Telegraph.

Anyone like to share their views and opinions on what the current situation in Thailand will do the for short, medium and long-term tourism market?

Now that we've officially hit peak season, your feedback on how you found the high or shoulder season would be appreciated too.

Comments on how these protests might affect the retiree market will also be appreciated.

Those responding can choose to have their businesses mentioned in the article or not.

Responses by PM also welcome or by email. My email address is on my profile.

Thanks

John

I need to put together a quick article for the London Daily Telegraph.

Anyone like to share their views and opinions on what the current situation in Thailand will do the for short, medium and long-term tourism market?

Now that we've officially hit peak season, your feedback on how you found the high or shoulder season would be appreciated too.

Comments on how these protests might affect the retiree market will also be appreciated.

Those responding can choose to have their businesses mentioned in the article or not.

Responses by PM also welcome or by email. My email address is on my profile.

Thanks

John

Another coup is not the answer and will achieve nothing good for Thailand.

The solution is for the military to support the majority of the people and help the Government, restore order.

If not then the merry-go-round will continue. The difference being that next time it might be red shirts, or blue, shirts or polka dotted shirts holding the country to ransom.

I've just come back from Chiang Mai airport and it is a sea of red shirts and BIB at the entrance to the airport. Cars and other vehicles entering the airport are being closely scrutinised by the pro-government supporters. I saw more than a handful of protesters armed with sticks, clubs, poles and pieces of wood.

Anyone heading to the airport be aware that they will have to pass through two lines of pro-government supporters. The traffic is fairly heavy as well.

Apply morning and get back next afternoon.

Thanks very much. I'll post a report once back.

Has anyone had any experience at the time it takes for Vientiane to issue a non-immigrant B visa?

I'm heading up next week and there are two holidays in the week and trying to work out flights back to BKK.

Thanks very much.

Does anyone know the cost of VIP and/or 1st and 2nd class buses from Udon Thani or Nong Khai to Bangkok?

What is the traveling time and which is the better originating point with more frequent services - Udon or Nong Khai?

Thanks

Does anyone know the cost of VIP and/or 1st and 2nd class buses from Udon Thani or Nong Khai to Bangkok?

What is the traveling time and which is the better originating point with more frequent services - Udon or Nong Khai?

Thanks

I'd suggest capitalizing the first word of your sentences if you want to be taken seriously as a professional writer in the English language.

good luck!

You might want to try that yourself too!

Good luck!

Thanks you for making such an intelligent and valuable contribution to this thread. Your insight is amazing. Pity you missed the point that I was referring to. The equally valuable suggestion I was referring to said CAPITALIZE the first WORD of each each sentence.

I'd suggest capitalizing the first word of your sentences if you want to be taken seriously as a professional writer in the English language.

good luck!

<deleted>? Capitalizing the first word of a sentence adds to credibility? Much more important than grammar, word usage, or well researched material?

Capitalization of the first word of the first sentence is a style issue that some publications adopt. It's not what they want to see in a submitted piece.

Lesson #1 for being in a foreign country. NEVER let anyone you don't know embrace you or touch you like that. So much for maintaining a high level of personal security and awareness.

There seems to be a new investment/wealth management kid on the block specialising in "Managed Currency and Precious Metals Trading Systems" and offering exceptional returns. They are currently prospecting for staff on a number of places on the internet.

The company claims to be based in Chiang Mai and have an office in Bangkok as well.

Amongst the names it owns are: PatongBeachClub.com; ThailandGuestHouse.org; ThailandMassageParlor.org; DuneBuggyThailand.com; ThailandBrideAndModel.com; ThailandWorldTrade.com; ThailandExportCompany.com; ThailandResortClub.com; ThailandBeachClub.com; EmpowerTheSolution.com; EmpowerTheFuture.com; plus the two named in the subject title.

The spiel from the company goes like this: "Take a good long hard look at all we have to offer in simple money-making investment opportunities as well as sophisticated high-level off-shore: Forex, Equity Funds, Treasury Funds to dynamic Real-Estate yielding solid, effective gain and Return on Investment...

"We work with Investors here in SE Asia and all over the world, you work with us (network) we get bigger legit deals (1+1=3) synergy. I have 2 great legit offerings, OBA and for over $100k accts, our MTS (Singapore) offerings. Both very good and marketable to allow you and I to build a nice book of business. We need to show others how they can yield high-returns and profit a savvy ROI on the 2 best brokers firms off-shore.

We have investors from the Cayman Islands to my dear sweat Mom in Texas (no lie)... we are legit and you and us, plus our clients do make money to hedge against global recession in this bushed economy..."

"No matter what the level of Investment you are looking for, we have the right vehicle for you...

For Cutting Edge Currency Trading Management, we have the #1 Trusted High-Performance multitude of Stealth Offerings!

For the Elite Partner Participation of $100K up, is offered exceptional returns... 5% per month up ..."

Now I'm no investment genius but five per cent per month in the current economic climate seems pretty good to me

Has anyone ever heard of this company? Has anyone, particularly people in Chiang Mai, ever heard of David Xen Clare?

The pitch goes something like this: "IT Services Motion Picture Investors Forex Gain Swiss Accts plus more ... Take your pick or bounce around never get bored or uncomfortable - Be Happy!

"www.WorldInvestors.org Professional Call Center Services - Asia 2009 Will be a record year in projected sales earnings be here or wish you had . . ."

I think you all get the idea.

So, anyone have anything to do with this business or know anything about them please?

Thanks

If TAT has anything to do with it the ASEAN delegates will be staying at The Park Hotel. Seems to be the only place that TAT use.

Very obvious when a TAT travel writer/travel agent junket is in town. It's the only time I ever see 20, 30, or 40 of the bicycle driven rickshaws/cyclos or whatever the Thai word is for them lined up out the front. Followed the next night off course by the tuk-tuk cavalcade with the motorcycle police outriders.

The newly opened Le Meridien would have to be in there with a show for the ASEAN business too I suspect.

New four-star rooms. I'm sure not many of its 398 rooms have been used as yet.

Two interesting items in The Nation:

First:

PAD rejects call for peace

The People's Alliance for Democracy has rejected a call for peace talks on the grounds that the current approach to forge reconciliation is inappropriate, its co-leader Pipop Thongchai said Tuesday.

"Negotiations are not a way of the turmoil because righteousness is irreconcilable to political evils," Pipop said.

He said the PAD will not participate in the academic conference organised by King Prajadhipok's Institute to jump start the talks on reconciliation.

If the PAD sees that negotiations can overcome the turmoil, then it would have been talking to rogue politicians a long time ago, he said.

The PAD remains firm on its dual objectives - opposing the rewrite of the 2007 Constitution and forcing the collapse of the government in order to bring about "new politics', he said.

He urged the academics to review their call for reconciliation by arguing that the political rifts will not end if the government were to allow to get away for inflicting violence and bloodshed on protesters.

PAD rejects call for peace

and second:

PAD calls on Army to deploy soldiers to protect protesters

The People's Alliance for Democracy Friday called on the Army deploy military police to protect its PAD supporters from attacks by its opponents.

Chamlong Srimuang, a PAD co-leader, said the PAD only wants three or four military police to be deployed at each road checkpoint of the PAD to help keep security for the demonstrators.

He said the PAD was willing to pay for the special allowance of the soldiers and take care of their foods.

"But if the Army does not help us, it'll be fine. We'll be able to take care of ourselves," Chamlong said.

PAD calls on Army to deploy soldiers to protect protesters

Sort of a mixed message here. 1. We're not prepared to talk and don't want peace until we get what we want, ie, new politics with an elitist based parliament and 2, please protect us in case the majority of people finally get fed up with us disrupting traffic, disrupting business and tourism and start to take things into their own hands. If you don't protect us then we'll protect ourselves using whatever means we can.

Ummmm, perhaps they're more concerned that the paid-for protesters won't be so enthusiastic if there should be a confrontation. Cheaper to pay the army than have to raise the payments to those it is busing in each day.

The PAD just can't seem to get passed the point of trying to have troops deployed on the streets, which would no doubt just infuriate the opposing sides. First MPs at the roadblocks and then what? tanks? humvees? machine gun nests? claymores?

>> And photojourn:

Good work with the E-mail mate, it would be interesting to what response (If any) you get asides from the original reply. If he reads this thread then he will likely listen to the audio link on you-tube of one event that was recorded. I don't expect any more problems because they seem to have got their act together and hopefully that go's for all 30 baht patients at that hospital.<<

Thanks globalj,

Always happy to help in these type of situations. The thanks though should go to OneThailand who posted the email details.

Certainly Khun Sranyoo knows of this thread and I gather from the reply has read it. Likewise I presume the YouTube link has been viewed as well. We now wait to see what happens next and yes, hopefully it helps all the other Bt30 patients as well.

I doubt if Khun Sranyoo will be the one who wants to loose face over this incident - but that will be the case if someone else isn't made accountable for the treatment you received.

Time will tell.

Glad all is now well.

There is a Thai cable TV service that provides FOX News and Bloomberg. Sorry, I can't remember it's name but it is fairly cheap. I got a flyer on my motorbike a few weeks ago about it while shopping at the night market at Worarot Market. It also has ABC (Australia).

A good place to go and look for motorbikes is the Saturday market on the Hang Dong Road. Way, way past Hang Dong though. You need to go early. What they don't sell there on a Saturday they bring back to the Rimping market on a Sunday but add about Bt1500 - 2,000 to the price (Thai logic).

Yesterday I saw a shop on the road that runs from the train station to the Arcade bus depot with a lot of bikes for sale. It's the same road as the Indian consulate.

Hope that helps.

OneThailand posted an email address for the owners of the hospital in question on the first page of this thread.

Yesterday morning I sent a very blunt email to Sranyoo Chanate with a linkback to this thread along with a number of very direct questions as well as my own comments about loss of face and bad karma.

This morning (1.53am) the following response was received from Khun Sranyoo:

"Thank you very much for this article. I am now investigating this incident and will put it up on the web to clarify the matter.

Yours,

Sranyoo Chanate"

I guess we all wait and see what happens.

To the OP, please advise me by PM if there are any further problems.

>>Juthaporn Rerngronasa, deputy governor for marketing communications, said tourism had been hurt by the global economic meltdown<<

Nothing to do with the yellow shirted terrorists at Government House.

Nothing to do with thousands of people marching through the business and tourist precincts.

Nothing to do with people being killed at Parliament House.

Nothing to do with an unstable government.

Nothing to do with 50,000 international passengers not being able to get flights home when the yellow shirted terrorists closed airports.

Another insightful appraisal by TAT.

It's the world's fault. Nothing to do with us. Come and save the mother country from the effects of the evil foreigners.

>"Bustling Thai Tourism, Burgeoning Thai Economy"<

Nobody seems to be reporting must bustling anywhere and as LaoPo points out, with a recession just around the corner and one million Thais expected to loose their jobs the "Burgeoning Thai Economy" is... where?

I wonder if this is part of TATs plan to alter all of the Wikipedia entries on Thailand as well?

Does this also mean they've given up on attracting big spending Chinese tourists?

Thought it was probably an opportune time to post a reminder that there will be a full dress rehearsal of the funeral for Princess Galyani this weekend.

It might be a better opportunity for anyone wanting photos than on the actual days of the ceremony.

Full details can be read here Thai royal cremation set for six days in November

You have anymore details on this viz, times, locations etc

Thanks

The police will close 16 roads in the Rattanakosin Island area on November 2 for a full dress rehearsal of the procession for the royal cremation of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana.

Pol Maj-General Panu Kerdlarppol, deputy city commissioner responsible for traffic, said yesterday that roads including Rajdamnoen Nai Road, Prachan Road, Lak Muang Road and Tai Wang Road would be closed for 24 hours starting at midnight.

The public will be permitted to observe the rehearsal from the pavement.

City police also blocked the route for yesterday's rehearsal by cavalry and cars, which processed from Wiset Chaisri Gate to Na Pralan Road, Mahachai Road and Wat Rajabopit.

The Nation

Thought it was probably an opportune time to post a reminder that there will be a full dress rehearsal of the funeral for Princess Galyani this weekend.

It might be a better opportunity for anyone wanting photos than on the actual days of the ceremony.

Full details can be read here Thai royal cremation set for six days in November

Sounds about right for the PAD - an organization of arrogant elitists who think they are above the law and only capable of bullying the elderly and those who cant protect themselves. The same "brave" and "heroic" group is the first to cry foul when they run into a group bigger and more powerful than them.

Absolutely appalling that elderly people were treated in this manner.

If the PAD have a right to express its views by protesting then so do other groups in the community. It's just a reflection of the arrogance of the PAD.

I was up there two weeks ago. You can cross over any day and come back. Pay is USD as advised - either change it here or at the money changer before the border crossing. The GreenBus Company from Arcade has a bus that goes direct to Mai Sai every morning. Stops at the Mai Sai bus depot and from there you get a saotey to the border for Bt15. Gets you to the border about 2.30pm. 45 minutes inside Tachilek and then come back over.

Catch a Saotey back to the bus depot in Mai Sai grab a local bus back to Chiang Rai (BT39) and from there you can get a 5.45pm GreenBus Company bus back to Chiang Mai.

Easy. Up and back in about 12 hours total time.

The video being distributed by the PAD in Bangkok of the October 7, 2008 clash with Thai riot police can be downloaded for free from here. Simply click the free user button.

This is a 49-minute video and the downloads require the Split & Contact application or similar to join the two files:

Bloody Bangkok 2008.avi001 and Bloody Bangkok 2008.avi002

An overview of the current situation as of October 20 including comments and photos by/of the various parties can be found here: Thailand political crisis worsens - further bloodshed forecast

There's not much new material in this, but what it does do is bring various pieces together in one article.

With loads of pumpkin flesh one obvious answer is pumpkin soup. This is a recipe I've used in a number of restaurants I've owned.

One pumpkin about 1.5 kg

One medium sized carrot

One large apple

One large onion

About 1/8th teaspoon of fresh chopped ginger

About 1/16th teaspoon of chopped chili

Skin and cut the pumpkin up into medium sized wedges, peal and cut the carrot up into 1/8ths (cut in half horizontally and then half lengthways twice), Cut the onion into 1/4s, peal and de-core the apple. Finely dice the ginger and chili.

Boil the pumpkin, carrot, apple and onion in a medium sized saucepan until firmly cooked. Not mushy.

Cook the ginger and chili in a fine cotton back or a net suspended in the water.

Allow the cooked ingredients to cool and then add to a blender. Blend on slow speed adding a little of the water (a few tablespoons only) from the cooking pot to the blender to aid in the blending process.

Combine the different blender batches in a large bowl.

Heat and serve as required topped with your choice of sour cream, chopped chives, freshly ground pepper.

This makes a thick style soup. The carrot is added to provide extra colour to the pumpkin and the apple and onion remove the soapy taste that pure pumpkin can sometimes have. Go easy on the chili and ginger as if the soup is allowed to stand for any time the flavour from these will intensify. They should be a feature of the soup and not overpower the main dishes falvour.

Enjoy.