billd766

I live in Khampaeng Phet province and the rain started a few days ago and we get a bit of rain most afternoons and a good heavy thunderstorm every couple of days.

My fishpond is about 45 x 13 x 2 metres deep and was full to the brim at the end of October and dry as a bone by mid February.

Don't worry too much as the rain is coming to a place near you soon.

IMO that was Thaksin's real crime, making the poor realize they can have an impact on which corrupt elite mafia network rules over them.

Thaksin's *real crime*, the start of where all the countries current problems can be accurately pointed back to, was his sale of AIS to Temasek and his modifications of the law to ensure he obtained maximum profits. An achievement he subsequently boasted about.

It wasn't the "elite" being jealous and/or weary about his support. This is a myth perpetuated by red shirt supporters and PR groups as an attempt to legitimise his actions. Why is it a myth? Because the very people the Thaksin PR side claim were jealous/weary of his support actually voted for him during the 2005 elections, securing his final election victory before the sale of AIS was complete (and even public knowledge at the time). These elections occurred after the implementation of his "populist policies" which were supposed to have driven the very powerful "elite" people who voted for him away.

If the sale of AIS was completed before he became PM, or it was handled in a more transparent and fair manor, there would of been no PAD protests, no coup and none of the red-shirt instigated chaos we've seen over the years since.

There is a tacit understanding among the wealthy of Bangkok though that they play the business game along of the lines of keeping foreigners out. They keep the governments in line about this issue, do their business and largely pay their due taxes. By this I am talking the very large conglomerates. They pay their dues in return for protection from the big wide world market. Thaksin had an enormous problem, he had a technology company that needed a ton of new money to upgrade itself, and he didn't want to keep it. What to do? Sell to whom? CP already had a phone company, the richest in Thailand weren't interested, so sell to whom? The only option was overseas.

Now you can wonder about the details, but the financial industry was slated for some kind of reform within 10 years of the IMF deal in 1997, and it never came, but Thaksin did issue a new license to L&H bank, and after seeing what he did with AIS, I think this really put the cat among the pigeons. Just look at how CP was with him, but rapidly slinked off into the shadows. He scared the bejeesus out of them by appearing to start to dismantle the very protections that had made them all billionaires, just in the same way that the IMF deals and the reform of the telecoms opened him up to competition.

Basically he took his company as far as he wanted and flogged it, but the blue rinsed Tatler brigade of Bangkok were very much caught out by this and realised that if he kept going, the farang companies were going to be on their doorstep pretty quickly and the days of monopoly profit on ATM transfers and continually manipulating rice markets and the such were going to be long gone. So they canned him forthwith, but unfortunately, never landed the knock out punch, so expect some pretty big payback when he finally gets back in here.

Nobody seemed to take much notice when the Bencharongkul family sold DTAC to Norway (retaining 9% in a nominee holding company) in a similar way that Thaksin sold AIS. It could have been investigated under the foreign nominee holdings act but wasn't, didn't comply with foreign dominance regs and as far as I'm aware, still doesn't.

Boonchai Bencharongkul is above Shiniwatra in the Forbes 2011 list.

Did Boonchai Bencharongkul change the laws on the amount of foreign holdings just before he sold the company?

I must admit I never thought about the 1.5 litre bottles of frozen water.

It would be a good idea when I do a monthly bulk shop as I travel 56 km each way.

Thanks for the tip.

First significant rain for 6 months late yesterday and into early hours, Bill you will understand this I was out on the bike this morning when I came across a hosepipe across the protected by bamboo on both sides, not hitting it at 90 degrees was a mistake and ended up back at home with cuts and bruises all down the left side, lucky only had a 200 yds to get home. Tomorrow will a confined to barracks day, an excuse to get the Sang Som out me thinks.

There are a couple of thoughts on stuff like this.

Always hit at 90 degrees if possible and if you have the time and can slow down that's great, If not goes as fast as you can and try to jump it

If neither option works then you need rubbing alcohol on the outside for bruises and medicinal rum on the internal wounds.

Please don't get it the wrong way around as many people will be chasing you to lick the rum off your body (try to choose the young goodlooking girls) and rubbing alcohol tastes awful.

In Kuwait I did drink ethanol which is 99% plus pure alcohol but I did cut it but using a 20% to 80% ethanol and Cocoa Cola mix. Tasted OK and no hangover in the morning either.

I believe Fredob uses rubbing alcohol on the horses over in KPP but I have known him to drink it after it was scraped off the horse.

Would that be OK with black peppercorns as a cure when making homemade bacon?

400 bht is a pretty good tip for those guys. I think it's actually their job to put the bike on and off the train.

How else can you get the bike into the baggage van?

They probably wouldn't let you do it yourself and humping a 160 kg bike up about 1 metre on my own would probably have done me a power of no good.

On the other hand the bike arrived without a scratch so the 400 baht could be construed as an "insurance" policy.

What would happen if the deputy premier and finance minister, loses his position in the next cabinet reshuffle due in May or June and the new finance minister wants to do things a different way?

It is like watching musical chairs seeing the PTP changing jobs every 3 of 4 months, all of them trying to stamp their mark and hang onto their jobs,

Whatever happened to "the best person for the job" thing announced by the Prime Minister.

I suppose in a way what they are doing is a good thing as none of them are there long enough to make any serious changes or to make any serious money.

I see Abhisit stayed in NS at the chinese new year and was heard to say " what a lovelly place NS is it is truly the Heavenly City!" "I was going to KPP but my aides tell me they infested with nutters up there, riding around the province like a bunch of loonies on horses, sam laws or anything they can get their hands on, the brewery is ok but the rest of the place is going to get a fence round it to keep the cuckoos in! I think this is a good manifesto point and I intend to make my base here is NS, Ghosh this place is so beautiful, pass the Sang Som Bill."

I am trying to boost the price of Sang Som buy buying as much as I can for hoarding but for some strange reason the tops seem to come off the bottles and the contents seem to jump into a glass and then evaporate when the glass close to me.

I just can't understand it but I do sleep well at nights.

Perhaps it is because I live in the hills where there is little pollution other than that generated by masaman or panang curries and Sang Som.

You seem to live in a more refined area of the Province.

The Sang Som mystery is rum one eh! I think you need sit in a dimly lit room and watch happens froma safe distance of course. I can only offer 2 possibility's one is that it might be that bunch of loonies who think they out with the "HUNT" out of their heads more like, they might be creeping about and having a few tipples whilst your blinking or resting, listen for horses and is there a new aroma on the wind perhaps?

The other is you've got Goblins down the end of the garden, very common in KPP.

We eat horses and tourists (after we have fleeced them of course) up here.

Usually curried or barbequed and washed down with a pint or 2 of Mothers ruin more commonly known as Sang Som.

We leave the Lao Khao to you lower country people.

I bought my Honda Phantom in Nakhon Si Thammarat about 3 years ago and while I was quite happy to ride it from BKK to my house some 400 km northeast I had no idea how to get up to BKK so I booked an overnight sleeper from NST to BKK on a Monday afternoon.

Oddly enough trains from NST to BKK go south before looping around to join the southern line from BKK to Malaysia etc.

So Monday I get to the station to find problem number 1.

The Phantom was to wide to go into the trainand after a discussion with the SRT guys I get the Honda into a pickup (at the cost of 1 or 200 baht ) and drive to Thung Song station (another 1,000 baht) where the bike is off loaded and onthe platform ready for the off.

A BKK train pulls in and the bike is loaded into the baggage van (at the cost of 3 or 400 baht ) and everything is OK, I kept the key and the steering lock was off.

The baggage vans in Thailand are nearly a metre off the ground hence the labour charge.

This was around 3pm but my a/c sleeper is no problem as the train isn't going to leave for a while.

Problem number 2.

Another train comes in and the station staff tell me that is my train to BKK. What about that train and my bike.

No Problem it will be waiting when you get there.

Oh sh1t, did I sign up for this?

Later the train with my bike leaves and we leave after that with me waving goodbye to my bike of 3 days.

It was a slow journey but we got into BKK about 5.30 am on time.

A word of caution, the Thai train toilets are like the ones in the UK in the 50s and 60s in that the empty straight onto the track and they are squatters.

I never liked them and going for a dump is not the best plan but needs must when the devil drives.

Anyway I get off the train and an SRT guy comes up and asks me if I am looking for my bike.

I follow him and there it is, unmarked and waiting for me (at the cost of 3 or 400 baht ).

How to get out of the station, just ride slowly along the platform and out onto the road.

I was quite happy with the trip on the train, dinner was a beer or 2 and some food I bought in Thung Song and breakfast was American (Thai style).

Would I do it again.

Not really as I now have more biking experience in Thailand and a good GPS otherwise I probably would.

One item I did see in William Hague's speech was this

When you reflect that this entire service was provided to British passport holders, every day of the year, week in and week out, at a cost per person of £1.50 a year over the life of a 10-year passport and without burdening the taxpayer.

I wonder where he got the figure of £15 for a 10-year passport from?

Well done. Try a molasses and black pepper or honey and mustard cure for loin or back bacon. Really good.

I live out in the sticks in central Thailand.

Where can I get molasses from?

Honey; Maple syrup ... all suitable I would believe.

Honey is no problem, maple surple I can probably get at BigC or Makro but I suppose all the molasses goes into rum so I will just get it that way.

Well it is a bit of action to see an actual apparently working set of programs,

and that the test versions have been used on the age group students in the real world.

Of course they have said nothing about this till now. And say nothing much about the actual apps design or functionality.

I am not quite sure what you mean by the real world test.

It may have been tested at "selected" schools in BKK but what about the real world schools out in the provinces where access to computers is probably limited to the local internet shop where they play online games for about 10 or 20 baht an hour.

I don't think my 7 year old son will have a big problem as he is computer bright as he uses my old laptop and in his class (which we pay extra for) has only 23 pupils which makes supervision and teaching easier than a class or 45 or 50.

I would like to get a copy of the programs so that I can put it on "his" laptop at home.

What I would like to know is pension payment made on your birthday or the 4 weeks later. ?

As I sais it's becomes payable on your birthday, and it's paid every four weeks in arrears.

So if your birthday was today you would get paid four weeks pension on 1st May. They do say that the first payment may be a little early or late, they've only had 65 years to get it right.

I don't mind paying tax, it's all in a good cause.

Actually it will be transferred to a nominated UK bank account on the Friday of every 4th working week i.e the next 4th working week for April will be week 16 so the pension will be paid into a UK bank account on 20th April.

The next payment in May will be the Friday of week 20 or 18th of May and so on.

In November you will get 2 payments as week 44 is 2nd November and week 48 is 30th November and week 52 is 28 December but that may be paid earlier due to CHristmas.

If you pension is paid direct to a Thai bank it is normally in on the Tuesday following but sometimes the Monday, unless there is a Thai bank holiday.

Well done. Try a molasses and black pepper or honey and mustard cure for loin or back bacon. Really good.

I live out in the sticks in central Thailand.

Where can I get molasses from?

Well in my experience, 67 years of life, 50 years of working including living and working in 38 countries around the world, helping to build mobile phone networks in more than 20 of them, plus 4 careers including 25 years in the military I am certainly a lot wiser than I was at 20, 30 40, 50 and even 60 years old.

I figured out a long time ago that if you didn't get wiser and smarter then you really didn't get anywhere in life so I built on my experiences over the years and changed myself where necessary, stopped thinking that I knew everything that matters in the world and kept quiet unless I knew someone had a problem when I quietly offered to help if it was needed.

I stopped judging people and commenting on them years ago as I found it pointless and self defeating with a good chance of losing friends and making enemies.

Now I am retired whilst I still judge people I rarely comment on them, whether locally in Thailand, on TVForum or other forums unless I get really wound up by crass comments, generalisations and outright plonkers which is when I have my say and get on with life.

Good post, Bill. I agree entirely. Who am I to say how someone else should lead their life? If it makes THEM happy for as long as it lasts then that is all that counts. I've had two marriages that both ended, and I wouldn't trade the time I spent with either woman for anything. But, they actually did me a favour by leaving. I have no intention of ever getting into a serious relationship again, but I'll live an honest enjoyable life for as long as I can. By the way, I'm 72. If someone actually asks for my opinion I will try to answer as best as I know how, but I won't be held responsible if the other person can't live with it. Some people ask, but they don't really want an honest answer. What they DO want is positive confirmation on what they've ALREADY decided to do.

Thanks Ian

It was me that ended the first marriage and I had known my wife less than a year before we married and that lasted 21 years.

I knew my Thai wife for 7 years before we married 12 years ago so the amout of time I knew them is not that much different.

If my Thai wife really wanted to divorce me I wouldn't be vindictive but give up gracefully.

I would be sad if that ever happens but nowhere near as sad as the thought of losing our son would be.

I could perhaps make another start with another woman but it wouldn't be the same but I am sure I would never want to start another family again.

Our son was born late in our lives, me at 60 and my wife at 39 but then again when I was born my Dad was 55 and my Mum was 40 so it wasn't anything new or unsurprising to me.

^ I always use a facemask when commuting around the city too, it doesn't fit with my fullface which is another reason I use the faceless helmet. Should I ever forget the facemask I can literally chew on the BKK pollution when used to being covered up.

I always use either sunglasses or those cheap clear glasses that you get in shopping centers and marketstalls for 100b. Great for the evening bugs and rain.

Sometimes during the day or early evening I have heard a large bug impact on the visor and feel glad that it was down and the bug didn't get me in the eye or up my nose.

There ought to be a law against them.

You could also have a look at the slightly pricier "Ozzy" model from the same manufacturer. I've heard a lot of good things about it from a lot of riders around Thailand...

I have had an Ozzy now for nearly 2 years and I find it comfortable and with an inner tinted piece good in bright sunshine.

The main problem I have with it (and it is the same with ALL open face helmets) is that later in the day the bugs come out and I end up eating a few and in the rain it is like being under a high pressure shower.

If I use a face mask, 10 baht or so from tool shops etc most of the bugs and dirt are kept away but they are no real help in the rain.

Also the Ozzy comes in an XXL size and is a comfortable fit.

I bought mine in Chiang Mai at this place

http://www.helmet2home.com/?lang=th

They have a wide choice as you will see and will send the helmet to your house and they sell replacement parts.

This will supposedly be announced in the Queen's Speech as the way the current UK government wants to go in the future.

However as far as I remember it has to be proposed as a bill in Parliament and discussed and voted on there.

IF it passes that hurdle it is then sent to the House of Lords for discussion and voted on there.

IF it passes both of those hurdles it then goes back to the House of Commons and then a law is enacted and I presume the Queen has to sign it off.

It can be modified or rejected in either house before final assent so it will take some time to happen yet.

It seems that nobody can be trusted to manage a budget in this country, perhaps time to look at every state run organisation and start jailing firing people who are lining their pockets, the greed and frank dishonesty in Thailand is quite shocking

The main problem with that is that there is no respect for the law at all.

To fix that problem you need an honest police force to uphold the law, honest prosecutors to bring cases to trial, honest judiciary to judge on the cases, honest prison officials to run the jails, a willingness on the part of all the forgoing and having NO fear or favour of anybody, big or small who is breaking the law and an honest government to keep OUT OF any of the foregoing.

If any part doesn't work then nothing will change and only the politician have the power to do anything about it.

It will never happen in my lifetime, I am 67, a remote chance in my wife's lifetime, she is 46 with a good possibility in my son's lifetime as he is only 7.

The best place to start is with Education and teach children right from wrong, good from bad, honesty from thievery.

Yea I would have to take the cash I don't thing I will be around the next 30 years, I think my wife will kill me before then...

If you did win and didn't tell her it might be OK but about 30 seconds after she found out.................Oh oh

Instructions:

Go to Start > Control Panel > Select Change Display Language

Click on Change Keyboards

Select Default Language

Select English (United Kingdom) - United Kingdom

You should have Installed Services below;

EN - English United Kingdom

Keyboard

*United Kingdom

Now, Click on the keyboard option, and click add.

Scroll to your default language and select United Kingdom Extended(you may have to select *show more* , now make sure that it appears above the original so it should appear as;

EN - English United Kingdom

Keyboard

*United Kingdom Extended

*United Kingdom

Click Ok to exit, this should solve your issue, also make sure that you have set your location and formats to English United Kingdom(This can be accessed from the region and language, follow step 1.

If you select English UK as the default keyboard the @ will be in the " key and the other way around.

To get them in the correct place you need to select the EN US keyboard.

I updated my laptop on Friday and have the same problem.

You can have many languages and keyboards but only one will be the default and you can swap between them by selecting the langauge icon at the bottom right of the screen.

Mine has EN US, EN UK and TH for Thai but EN UK is the default which I ought to change really.

I seem to remember many posters on here deriding the thought that politicians have any input into military appointments. Yet here we have the same cronyism arrangements being made that are allegedly only carried out by Thaksins politicians, never the democrats of course.

Arguably when this happens in the military case the end results can be quite devastating. Until the "Class of" cronyism is stamped out or at least curbed to avoid promotion regardless of merit the dangers of a coup (aka reset button by the ignorant) are ever present.

With respect instead of the "Class of" cronyism term you used it may have been better to say ALL Cronyism should be stamped out in ALL the authorities in Thailand.

Military, Police, Politics, Government, Civil Service et al.

Then perhaps Thailand can move forward.

Hung, drawn, quartered

Veeeeery, veeeeery slowly

And to think I used to vote Conservative for years back in the last century.

Where is Screaming Lord Sutch and the Official Monster Raving Loony Party when I need them?

http://en.wikipedia....ming_Lord_Sutch

You should continue (if you still have a vote). They are continuing a glorious tradition of protecting the extremely wealthy at the expense of the poorest in society.

Not that the Labour party is any better ...

Voting for none of the bastards would (hopefully) deliver the short, salutary shock that is needed. Unfortunately its unlikely to happen.

If you will pardon the expression I wouldn't p*** on any politician if they were on fire though I would willingly pay for the gas to keep the fire going.

To me politicians are like flies. There are thousands of them and though they must have a purpose in life it is beyond the comprehension of most people.

Of course it would be better if they were like lemmings with a big cliff nearby.