falkenbach

consider to buy e-visa to Cambodia by yourself, as with e-visa you got stamp in your passport of the same size as thais visa exemption, while usual visa on-arrival will take the whole page.

Recently found in internet BoS rips:

http://www.channel4.com/ballsofsteel

willing to share ;-)

also looking for suggestions about good tv shows and adult cartoons like Simpsons or Family Guy

from what I experienced:

Kasikorn - account w/o resident permit, web access, web cc on demand

TMB - account with resident permit

other probably same - you can open account with forreing passport and resident permit

its an interesting situation and I wondering why nobody mentioned virtual money - for example, e-gold.com, as the solution. i think it may be wise to split money and keep half at the locker and half at the virtual account (e-gold is 100% anonymous). certain risks exist for both locker and virtual money solutions, but in case if someone using both, I believe its more reliable.

and for long stay with limited money cambodia for sure is a better option - basically because its cheaper and you have much less attractions to spend money ;-)

Pattaya Tower is a must

viewpoints at Buddha Hill is a must

Ko Larn is a must

^ as both funny and inexpensive

and everything at the sides of Thepprasit road - shooting range, bungee jump, karts (not cheap, but I guess good value for the price)

Aydhaya bank officially advertised at Pattay.com magazine that you need only passport to open account, but when I try em, they ask me for resident permit.

So I just decide to try Kasikorn instead and yes, they opened account for me, and only passport was needed.

Then I print out application form from kasikornbank.com and applied for online banking access (you should have some money at bank account to apply for this service, sometimg like 200 or 300 USD, check the site for details).

As promised by ToS, application was processed in 24 hours and then I applied for web shopping card by online banking service. Got it instantly, its a virtual visa debit card, online system allow to put daily limit for transfers (something like up to 100.000 baht), tried it twice - one time with getting PayPal approval, another time with getting membership at FilipinaHeart.com - both times everything worked perfectly, the only downside is the time limit for using online banking - dont remember exactly, something like you can use online banking only during daytime hours - from 8AM till 10PM or something. Actually it may be better this way, as I guess they have human operators watching for fraud prevention.

What else... plastic debit visa card with my name on it was issued in two weeks, not valid for online purchasing, but OK for shopping. ATM card which I get immediately after opening account can do the same ;-)

Kasikorn rules!!! ;-)

Looks like its not really appealing to compare Thailand with "other countries" and WS with "red-light districts". WS is a small area, 10 minutes of walk, overall district size is equal to the 5 big condominiums, if not less. Keeping in mind amount of profit, and status (world famous destination at international city can be hardly compared with average bar as some "usual" town) WS is a gold mine, and it make sense to expect higher level of protection and security.

Thailand provide to the guests the image of the amazing country where peoples really like you (thousand smiles). So the one who came here usually expect to see difference, but looks like its not always this way... A lot of peoples around really friendly and kind, but single act of violence, when you became target because you are foreinger, can destroy all the positive relations.

Also positive or just neutral local peoples expected just stop the fighters in all such cases and call police to help and sort out the things. Why peoples at WS cant be neutral or positive? Too much money to reject, too much jealousy to not hate foreigners? Then violence will eventually come from silent confirmation from society and, therefore, police. Yes, sex tourists can hardly expect that anyone will really like em, but if someone want have a fun from being cut with a broken bottle, why buy tickets and fly to here, if you can get same at home?!?! Difference expected, but not found ;-) For me it was a dream to find a place where peoples can handle conflicts in other ways than crushing each other's skulls. And looks like this dream not come true here... sad... it seemed to be so possible to achieve ;-) If its same as everywhere, well, everybody can judge for yourself, but probably it not worth to invest into property and live here ;-) All "Thailand expatriation" concept may be questioned...

Also keep in mind that foreing peoples already considered socially as lowest-class from the point of view of the local culture. OK, I can take the fact that for local peoples around I am not better than homeless person who earn funds for living by checking stuff inside the garbage cans. But if violence added to that, things became too hard to accept ;-) All foreing peoples here have some level of freedom to choose, so "if you pick up a side, pick the right one" ;-)

Thanks everybody for your comments, helped a lot to create a picture and make useful conclusions ;-)

Picture of the paradise, where the one from outside may be accepted, even loved a bit (and disrespected meanwhile) broken to pieces... Efforts made to stay here bring the experience, but not existence ;-)

Good buy, Thailand, no bad feelings, no regrets, I will keep illusionary picture of your paradise in my heart! Will try implement it in different reality ;-)

At 21-22 of Jan I went to the airport to meet my friends to help em with arrival. Flight arrived around midnight, so around 3AM we was at our destination, Jomtien Beach Condo, and I decided to take a walk from there to my place at Jomtien Longstay Hotel (Jomtien Complex Area, around 20 min by walk from Jomtien Beach Condo).

I was walking by the ocean-side of the beach road and nearby Jomtien Palm Beach resort I heard cracking sound, as somebody throw the bottle at me from the opposite side of the road (missed, so bottle hit the ground). I stopped and noticed two young Thai male persons, they were looking agressive and mad, and they tried to threaten me repeating something like "money, money", so I told em I will go to police, but it didnt stop em. So I decided to ask em what I did wrong to em and apologize for any possible caused inconvinience (still dont understand what caused their agression towards me). As I approach, they attacked me - one guy punch me in the head and another one did the same. I was shocked by the situation and didnt tried to protect myself, just take it with no attempts to fight back. And I were keep asking em why they doing this and why they mad at me.

Two Thai peoples come out from EuroStar restourant and I asked em for help. They start conversation with attackers, I guess convincing em to stop the fight.

One guy turned to normal, apologize for his friend and told me that his friend attacked me because he was drunk. His friend, however, was clearly in control - he answer something pollite to the men from EuroStar (join hands and bow his head to em when answered), but he still tried to attack me and threaten me (I guess if somebody is out of control from alchohol, it will be hardly possible to tell phrases in English language like "do you want take it to home, huh?!", which I guess means that he wanted give me enough pain and suffer so I can take it to home).

Attackers leave the place by their motobike (not only they owned motobike, they also was dressed good - especially the agressive one - brand jeans and fashion shirt with long sleeves), the motobike number was 649, and I decide go to police because one of the guys was definitely too aggresive and posses a potential danger for the peoples around.

I walk to the Jomtien Police Station (100 or so meters from the place of the crime), police officer were buying food from the stall outside, so I walked in and wait him for a several minutes. When he came back I told him that I was attacked by two guys and he told me that I should not go to police, just fight in return ("why you come to me? why you not #demonstration of punch and kicks#"). Is it really true that in such cases the victim should rely on self-defense? If so, what considered as self-defense by Thai laws? Actually I dont want to fight, primarily because I dont want to be involved in any crime activity, and I believe that fighting each other is not a legal way to handle conflicts (in this case actually it was 99% moral damage, fortunately attackers was weak and failed to make any real physical damage to me, which in turn make me wonder even more about the nature of their agression - how two young guys, probably around 18, can be "smart" enough to attack 32yo male in good physical shape nearby police office at really secured and guarded area?! how they can feel so safe doing that crazy kind of thing?!).

Indeed, its first time of violent crime experience for me in 6 monthes in Thailand. Peoples here so calm and kind that I dont want to make anything which may cause any direct or in-direct harm to em. I highly respect peoples of Thailand for smart and peaceful way they live and treat other peoples. Still I can hardly believe that all the mentioned things really happened. Especially keeping in mind location - everybody knows that video recording is done all the way along the Jomtien Beach, also it was really close to police office - so close that all events may be visually spotted from the police office location easily.

Now the question is, where I can get help with the situation? I dont want just leave it behind, but I can hardly afford lawyer service (I am Russian expat, earn money for living by doing telecommuting work, so dont have much). Can you give me an estimate how much it may be to hire a lawyer and apply for justice? Is it worth trying or this case is really too small to handle? I want to avoid same thing happen in the future with me or somebody else (just imagine if next time attackers will use knifes and there will be nobody else around except victim? after all, I was lucky that their bottle missed me, otherwise I guess I will be spending this morning at hospital, instead of typing LOL) ;-)

Any advice appreciated...

And I wondering if this event is unique, or there is Thai peoples who hate foreigners and some other peoples who dont really care as long as they are not hurt personally? (too much of blind hate was exposed, I have seen such things in Russia, when somebody in control and want hurt other peoples just for a joy)

p.s. I have funny feeling - I feel like I was attacked because my nouse is long and my skin is white. Not because white peoples are usually reach and not because some foreing person(s) hurt this boys somehow in the past, just because I am not a same kind of human in their eyes. Somewere (I believe at one of the issues of The Walking Street Journal, one of The Mosquito articles) I have read that white peoples here have lowest social status by default. Never take it seriously, but now I have a feeling that nothing like this will never ever happen if I were Thai person. Skin color comes first, personal qualities comes second... Do I have same status as a dog or a cat? And kids can throw bottles to me? Of course eventually they will be stopped by adults, because violence is not acceptable behaviour, but not because cat or dog was hurt, as nobody really care about street cats or dogs. Hope I just pissed off and paranoid at moment, as if its even partially true then I guess it will be better for me to leave...

yeah, and another one to consider:

edgethailand.com

I now in the process of searching a good IT provider, thanks for information about Maxnet, btw can you give their web site address?

Last week I visited TukCom and also Hutch office (located at the left from TukCom if you are facing it from Soi Buakhaw)

Hutch sell CDMA2000 1X access, and I believe the speed is limited by 153Kbps

TukCom offer Solomon USB modems at 3 and 5 floors, the guys at 3 floor provide connection via Edge provider (seems like the name of technology as well) and guys at 5 floor provide connection via AIS provider

all three of em - Hutch, Edge and AIS provide unlimited access to 999 per month

Looks like Hutch offered less expensive hardware but speed is also slower (not sure about Sierra aircard, I compared USB modems)

Edge and AIS with Solomon's modem promise the speed "up to" 460Kbps

kinda hard to tell as if there is any options, as flyers are in Thai language and sellspersons ain't really helpful - when I asked what is the difference between usb modems from huawei and solomon one guy told me that difference in accepted protocols and other guy told me that difference in distance of signal transmission ;-)

so after all looks like Maxnet may be a best option, of course if they provide same coverage (mentioned providers suppose to provide service everywhere in Thailand)