palander

Mario2008 and Lite Beer Number One !

Where can I find a link for a visa extension application form inside Thailand ?

What to do with a nonrefundable air ticket, if I can't use it ?

Are there no cheap flights from Bangkok (or KL) to Christchurch anymore, for example by Jetstar and the like ?

My point to this post was simply a warning against people offering non-medical services or persons not qualified to practice any form of psychology, counseling, psychiatry,etc. searching for prey. In my years of experience I have found people tend to prey on those who are hurting for financial gain and as most people are aware when we are sick or in pain we are vulnerable and willing to spend all we have with the first person who offers hope.

Are you for real ? Why don't you step off your high donkey ?

Since there is a new busstation in Chiang Rai, what happened to the old busstation ? Or is it still alive and kickin' ?

Any Thai national will need to show about 20,000 bht on entry to Malaysia if unaccompanied.My Thai wife has been to Malaysia many times as my girlfriend and latterly my wife.She has flown into KL always needed a return ticket and 20,000bht however most of the time she has gone Hat Yai to Padang Besar and crossed the border there she has only needed to show the money.On the other hand any time she has crossed the border with me with her there has been no problem,weve only said shes my girlfriend and filled in immigration card and its easy.If you know the right taxi drivers at Pedang Besar your girlfriend or anyone else for that matter can cross the border without a passport.If you can meet the asking price for a wee backhander.

Just curious : any idea what the asking price is for crossing the border without a passport ?

Here is the first of some stories.

The man on the pictures was a security guard at the small village in the back. (the village what used to be a cemetary)

At the other picture you can see the gate that weights more than 250 kilo's.

The man reported that the gate was broken already 2 months. The management didn't take care at all.

In the night time I received a call from this man. He was under the gate. The gate fell down on him. The head

of the security was just only facing him without doing anything. He said "I have no car to bring him to the hospital"

His pick up was parked at the tarng dong office group (what is for sale right now). So, I brought him to the hospital

and the final result was

+ broken hip on 3 places

+ broken leg on 2 places

+ broken jeaw on 1 place

+ inside bleedings

Imagine this 60 year old man.

I told the story to the management and they didn't do anything. They offered his family 2000 thb.

his normal salary was 4500 for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We asked the management about his bills for the hospital. They just don't care. They gave him 2000 thb already.

They also didn't pay any social security or insurance for him. So, he was left on himself.

We paid his bills and we still supporting his family 4500thb a month. This was the only income for this family.

The man was never sick, always on time for almost 2 years there.

If you understand my point now, and you also feel sorry for this I can give you his number so he can confirm this

story and feel free to give him some money as well. He is really a good guy.

Do I need to tell more? If you want I can.

You're a good guy too, Eurothai !

I beleive that the OP is confusing Thai and Malaysian immigration rules. My understand is that:

1) Thais do not require a visa for stay in Malaysia of less than one month

2) There is no requirement for a minimum amount of cash (Thailand has a rule - rarely enforced - that anyone entering Thailand on a tourist visa needs 20,000 baht)

3) Malaysia has no requirement for an onward air ticket

Firstly : I did not state that Thais required a visa to stay in Malaysia, and I am not confusing Thai immigration rules with Malaysian immigration rules.

Secondly : from personal experience I can confirm that a Thai female friend, who wanted to fly with AirAsia needed to buy a return ticket and also was asked to show 20.000 Baht in cash or a creditcard, before leaving Thailand. This was asked by AirAsia staff.

Do Thai women and men, but especially women, need to show an amount of 20.000 Baht as a proof of income when crossing the border by train from Hat Yai to Butterworth or from Sungai Golok into Malaysia ? Or is this "income check" random ? (Thai women flying by AirAsia need to buy a returnticket and are asked to show 20.000 Baht or creditcard.)

Anyone know more about the situation travelling into Malaysia by Thai women by train ?

A.I.S. don't have a 3G network so you don't have anything to worry about.

Maybe you should ring up AIS and confirm that. To save you the trouble, I was speaking to them 2 weeks ago and they were offering 3G - the problem is that in BKK its coverage was only in the Siam (BTS) area - so no use to me.

Are they selling sim cards or for data only ?

Just curious...

Not sure if I am answering your question, but : one needs a special simcard for the AIS 3G network, which also can be used to make phone calls.

As said you are exposed to the signals always when you are in the coverage area of any network. i.e. when walking around in Bangkok you are in the coverage area of several networks. Each operator has their base stations (BTS) located all around thailand, i would guess few thousand per operator nowdays (telecom towers in road side and rooftop sites in towns, also indoor coverage inside buildings like shopping malls, hotels etc) to provide coverage for your mobile. So based on this you should have constant headache and reactions all the time, regardless where you are, in case you are reacting to mobile signals !

Below shows the basic layout of the network, from mobile to BTS over air (RF signals) and from BTS onwards it done in fiber optic cable, also some thru point to point microwave transmission links.

More info how it works: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_network#Network_structure

Info regarding wireless devices and health: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_elec...ices_and_health

Most helpful. In the past when I didn't use the AIS network I didn't have any complaints, and I am not able to judge the strength of the signals when being connected to the AIS network, but I guess you would repeat yourself by saying that also when being connected to the AIS 3G network for 10 hours at time this could not possibly be harmful ?

Hi

And there's my very own grandfather, who died a happy man, aged 84, healthy as a newborn. He was working as a telecommunications engineer, which at the time (for well over 30 years!) included repairing broadcasting antennas for Germany's larger radio stations. The station of course won't go off the air to have it's antenna painted or a few bolts replaced, so my grandfather rather regularly had KILOwatts of RF going right through him, as by working on the actual antenna he became a part of the radiating element. Didn't do him any harm.

My grandfather is 96 years old, smokes 50 cigarettes a day and is still going very very strong !

But there is no 3G network so what's the problem?

Maybe only in my imagination ?

My 2ct....

It does make a difference whether you are online for 10 hours at a time or not online. As long as you are online, your radio (3G modem) is sending. If it's offline, it's probably off and not sending at all, or if it were a phone it would just occasionally ping the network.

Second, it's possible you get a headache from it. Do you get sick very easily? If yes maybe you are just a hypochondriac. If no, maybe there's something to it. If you are concerned I'd recommend to get a router with USB connector, connect your 3G to that, move it far away from where you are sitting, e.g. the roof, or a different room with a concrete wall between, and connect to the router via ethernet cable (turn off WiFi). And see if it makes any difference.

Also worthwhile information, though conflicting with the information I got from MJo in the way that it seems to matter if my 3G modem is connected or not.

Technically when ever you are in the coverage area where you can make a call with your phone you are "exposed" to the signal. Which are basicly normal RF signals not "radiation" as such. So if you have been ok so far, there is no way suddenly "3G" signals would get you sick.

I use the AIS 3G network for internet. Does that mean that I am exposed to the signal whenever I make a connection, which in my case can be 10 hours at a time, which is a little bit more than making a phone call occasionally.

Maybe this could be an explanation for the physical complaints ?

Err no, like i said the network is there all the time regardless if you are connected or not. Just like wifi coverage in starbucks, it's there even if no one is using it. Think of it like your car radio, the signal is always there and you can listen to it anytime you want.

And again, it is impossible that you get headaches from RF signals like 3G. Possible to get them just looking your monitor 10 hours in one go though...

Thanks for clearing things up.

I also did do a Google search and found the following, but maybe not related to my situation ?

A new study by the Dutch government shows that 3G radiowaves can cause more health problems than current 2G networks. The study shows that radiation from third generation base stations causes headaches and nausea while current mobile signals have little affect.

"If the test group was exposed to third generation base station signals there was a significant impact ... They felt tingling sensations, got headaches and felt nauseous," a spokeswoman for the Dutch Economics Ministry said.

The study also concluded both 3G signals and current mobile signals boosted cognitive functions such as memory and response.

The government will carry further test to see the long term health effects and biological issues and will also discuss the study with the European Commission.

Mobile handsets emit stronger radiation when they are in use but base stations can affect anyone within its transmission range.

The tests involved exposing unexpected test subjects to anticipated dose of radiation for 3G base stations when they are rollout.

http://www.3gnewsroom.com/3g_news/sep_03/news_3795.shtml

Well, unless you walk around 24/7 with a phone strapped to your head and always on....

I use the AIS 3G network for internet. Does that mean that I am exposed to the signal whenever I make a connection, which in my case can be 10 hours at a time, which is a little bit more than making a phone call occasionally.

Maybe this could be an explanation for the physical complaints ?

Technically when ever you are in the coverage area where you can make a call with your phone you are "exposed" to the signal. Which are basicly normal RF signals not "radiation" as such. So if you have been ok so far, there is no way suddenly "3G" signals would get you sick.

I use the AIS 3G network for internet. Does that mean that I am exposed to the signal whenever I make a connection, which in my case can be 10 hours at a time, which is a little bit more than making a phone call occasionally.

Maybe this could be an explanation for the physical complaints ?

When am I, technically spoken, exposed to the radiation of AIS 3G network ? Is this mainly when I use this network myself, of are non users, for instance in rooms next to mine, also exposed to this radiation, but in a lesser degree ?

I am asking this because I do experience some physical complaints, like headache and dizziness, since I did start to use the AIS 3G network. But imagination could play it's part, although I did not think of any "side effects" until I did start to experience these physical complaints.

Can someone clear this up, a bit ?

Mine's been miserable too, in Chiang Kien. But can't just cancel as we just set up a month ago!

Yes, you can !

I've just spoken to 3 people at TOT - (who have turned passing the buck into an art form) - the last guy got me to do a speed test while he was on the phone - (1789 down - 392 up), and he said that that was normal for the goldcyber 2 mb plan.

I patiently tried to explain that it might be 'normal' from where he is but it's just plain crap from where I am - he then said that a lot of people have this plan and I have to share packets with those people - I again told him that it was fine until 3 days ago but it's rubbish now - basically I got nowhere, it would have been a relief to me to have found out that there is a problem somewhere - at least that way I'd know it was going to be fixed, but they seem to be in total denial - (the last thing this guy advised me to do was to use the 'net during the middle of the night!).

I have an online business and this is getting beyond a joke - does anyone have any ideas re: some practical action ? - any hotline's to someone who's not as thick as two short planks ?

Any advice wuld be appreciated as I'm just beating my head against a brick wall here,

Phil.

Do yourself a favour and cancel your 1 year (?) contract immediately, it will cost you probably around 4000 Baht for installation costs. Then sign up for a contract with TT & T, and take the Premier package. I have been with TOT for 1 year and reading your topic does remind me of the same kind of frustration you describe.

There's a video shop on Sriphum road, maybe about 100 meters away (my best guess) from the Sriphum road//Moonmeuang road corner, which has a bit more to offer than the average video shop.

It's unhelpfully just called The Video Shop and has the best collection of rentals I've found in the city so far. Music, Classics (although most of those don't have any subtitles) and a wide choice of current stuff. They keep some TV series but don't seem to update them that often. The number is 053-221 052 if you need directions. They also sell some recent titles for 60 baht (or rent for 50!).

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There's a video shop on Sriphum road, maybe about 100 meters away (my best guess) from the Sriphum road//Moonmeuang road corner, which has a bit more to offer than the average video shop.

When I first got Wetv 4 yrs ago (3 yrs ago?) it was a real coup not to be forking out all the dough UBC asks for its miserable selection. There were several Euro lang channels along with several Eng lang channels featuring news and shows on a variety of topics, not to mention cable movie channels. There were like 8 channels I liked. Then they dropped 1. Then another. Then they claimed they couldn't renegotiate their cable movie contract n that disappeared or came back with way weaker choices for movies. They just got really sad if you'd known them when they offered a good pkg for like 350B. In any case I've moved a couple times in 2 yrs and haven't bothered re-upping. It's cheaper than UBC but they both suck if you aks me. Waay better selection (news) live via the web, downloading shows as torrents, or picking up some dvd's for a few baht in the Night Bazaar or Mae Sai. Sorry WeTv, you used to be so good and mean so much to me!

Just curious : what kind of internet package do you have, provided by which company ? In the past I did have a TOT goldcyber package, but it was nearly impossible to see news live via the web.

Let me say up front that this post offers nothing in the way of increasing knowledge about the current state of affairs regarding VIP bus service between CM and Vientaine - I am simply indulging in reminiscing about a not so long ago bus trip between Udon and CM.

I can laugh about that trip now, but at the time about all I was doing was sweating and swearing a lot, as it was the worse bus ride of my life. Had to return to CM rather unexpectedly and didn't have time to make any arrangements - no the cops weren't on my trail... so, ended up taking taxis and buses. Waited hours in Udon for the bus which turned out to have windows you couldn't open and a broken air con system - this was in April leading up to Song Kran and the dam_n thing was a sweat box on wheels. The guy in the seat in front of me was one of these annoying types bouncing around in the seat and flinging his hands over his head almost in my face and tapping on the seat back with his fingers - the seats of course were so close together that my knees were jacked up quite a bit so every time he jumped around I knew about it. Not being the most loving person in the world my annoyance with all that simply got worse when he began using a large bandana to constantly wipe the sweat from his face and neck. When I finally noticed that his favorite sweat rag was in the form of a US flag my irritation sort of fixated on the miscreant and to take my mind off my miserable situation I began to consider appropriate methods by which his life could be brought to an end with as much pain and suffering as possible...

The bus of course finally broke down - but not as you would think in the middle of no where, but actually at a bus arcade in a small town. We were told to unhorse the poor dead thing, and wouldn't you know the passenger exit door was broken and we had to crawl over the driver's seat. We were to be given tickets on another bus and while standing in line with my favorite human in the whole world once again in front of me wiping himself down constantly, I finally asked him if his high regard of the good ol' US of A was the reason he seemed to love his rag so much... haha Believe it or not we got to be good friends and he made sure I got my ticket and got a good seat on the outgoing bus. I assure you that the news paper accounts of the apparent suicide of a poor man found hanging in a bus arcade loo suspended from a sweaty striped bandana was as big a surprise to me as to anyone...

I rode my son's motorcycle round trip from CM to Nong Hoi once and while 14 to 15 hours in the saddle tends to give me a pain in the posterior, I would rather do that than ride there on another bus.

Great story, m02. Incidentally I am in Vientiane, but came by plane.