TallGuyJohninBKK

2 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

 

As for this being a white collar crime, this guy's website sold everything from narcotics, to weapons, to child porn, etc.  Arguably, you can say he's worse than a drug trafficker and/or arms dealer and/or pornographer.  Still white collar?  

 

I'd still imagine, whatever incarceration he faced in the U.S. wouldn't be nearly as bad as the alternative here in Thailand.

I'm not making any moral judgments about what he did and the impacts of his business, one way or the other. Just saying, he ran a website trafficking in illegal stuff. He didn't commit any violent crimes himself, didn't murder anyone himself, etc etc.  I don't think that would equate to the feds treating him as a violent criminal offender.

I really don't think, had they had the chance to convict him, that the feds would have dropped him into some max security prison with guys on death row and mass murderers.

As for the towel thing, that's kind of odd too... I don't seem to recall seeing a lot of hanging-length capable towels being typically present in Thai detention cells.

8 hours ago, steven100 said:

I am just saying that democracy is nothing more than bullshit word.  How many countries are in good shape because of democracy  ????   zero  

Thailand is better to be controlled or mayhem develops.

I'm sure you'd be big on getting the trains to run on time also....

3 hours ago, Thai Ron said:

Yes but my speculation is far more plausible than that suggesting the guy was murdered because he could expose some imaginary Thai "bigshot".

I wasn't suggesting and didn't suggest that..the part about the Thai bigshot.

But, the notion that a Canadian guy with money presumably squirreled away around the world would suddenly kill himself in a Thai detention cell -- he hadn't even made it to a regular Thai jail or prison yet -- rather than face extradition to the U.S. would seem more than a bit peculiar.

For starters, aren't the police and their detention folks supposed to REMOVE from prisoners anything that they might be able to use to harm themselves?  Isn't that a pretty standard part of the detention process??  Well, apparently not here.

And then, anyone who thinks white collar crime incarceration in the U.S. is likely to be worse than any kind of incarceration in Thailand has no clue of the realities of the world. The guy allegedly ran an illegal website, he didn't per se kill anyone, AFAWK. White collar crime incarceration in the federal prisons system in the U.S. isn't so bad, depending on the location one is assigned to. Just ask Bernie Madoff or Martha Stewart.

If it were me in his shoes, I'd be begging the Thai police to put me on the first plane back to the U.S. instead of staying in jail in Thailand.

30 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

You need a work-permit do to Volunteer work, here.  Yes - seriously.  In theory, it could deny a Thai a paid-position.

Just to reinforce this point to the OP...

Having legal permission to stay in the country is a separate matter from having legal permission to work.

It's a work permit that gives you legal permission to work, not a visa.  If you're here on a visa-exempt entry or an extension of that, that's NOT giving you any kind of legal status to work. It's only giving you permission to be in the country.

The fact that you might not yet have received any salary really doesn't matter to the Thai authorities, since they consider even volunteer work to be work. Just be aware, the longer you do any kind of teaching activity without having a valid work permit, the more you're putting yourself at risk.

BTW, AFAIR, the Thai Consulate in L.A. also does same-day turnarounds for tourist visas, provided you apply in the morning.

33 minutes ago, Thai Ron said:

At just 26, he was facing the prospect of life in prison being gang-raped by jailhouse meatheads.

He chose an alternative

You're just speculating because you've nothing better to do on a Tuesday morning.

1 hour ago, rkidlad said:

Yeap. I imagine this guy had lots of dirt on some very high up people and he would have sung like a canary to get a good deal in the States. I don't believe this guy hanged himself for a second.

Apparently, they keep forgetting to take away people's socks and such when they're put in detention. Crazy how people keep killing themselves or otherwise dying in high-profile cases shortly after being arrested here.

And I suppose the detention area either a] didn't have CCTV cameras, or b] they just happened to have malfunctioned that day or were offline for servicing. Perhaps they can consult with the DSI on how to remedy these kinds of problems, since they have some expertise in this area.

Was this the last that was heard of him, and his prior legal troubles???

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Deal-sought-for-accused-driver-30183000.html?fb_comment_id=10150922387979293_22144456

Quote

 

He said Chonlawit was 17 when the incident occurred, and could not have had a driving licence.

Pol Lt-Colonel Natthapol Kominchart, the deputy superintendent of Express Way Traffic Control Police Centre 1, said he believed the two did not intend to escape. Police would accuse Chonlawit of neglectful driving causing people to be severely injured and fleeing the scene. The suspect may face jail of up to three years and/or a fine up to Bt6,000.

 

I'm guessing that didn't happen...except perhaps for the tiny fine amount.  Life is really cheap here.

The woman here is a victim, and the scumbag deserves to be prosecuted.

But, still, did she really think this was a good guy to get involved with and have a baby by????

Quote

Daily News reported it is the same man who drove his Mini Cooper into three people at the scene of an accident in 2012 and who hit a pedestrian and motorcyclist in his Porsche just last month.

Quote

 

Her brother Shane said that his sister was owed 150,000 baht that the man had refused to repay and he was also making her pay maintenance fees at the property where he lived, he said.

 

He alleged that his sister had been attacked by him many times before but this was the worst.

 

2 hours ago, pgrahmm said:

Random update......

 

Package sent from Australia (versus shipped UK to US then US to here).....

Shipper declared value of $250.AUS.....

Sent DHL (another shipper was first mentioned)

Package delivered with ฿6890 due.....Or about twice what I thought it would be....

DHL... DHL.... DHL.....

4 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

There used to be battery recycling bins in Fortune Town and Panthip but I haven't used those in a few years.

 

There were reports above that at least some of those got removed in the "trash can purge" related to the domestic trash can bombings...

I haven't been to FT or Panthip lately to check in person.

At least, the recycling bin I mentioned above at the DTAC service center at Siam Paragon is confirmed in current time, and at least with DTAC, there's a reasonable likelihood that things left there will in fact get recycled -- or at least, a better likelihood that perhaps some other destinations.

If anyone else has any CURRENT, CONFIRMED locations, please do post them here.

I'm trying to remember the last time I ever read any news report where a pub in trouble actually HAD a license to operate.

No matter what they get raided for, every time, it seems the answer ends up being "...and no license to operate."

And yet, all these places presumably have been operating for years, and no one in authority bothered to check or confirm they had a license?

It's not like these places are invisible and unknown to anyone who lives and works there, like the local admin officials.

6 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

However, for better or worse, they have brought the issues of poverty and lack of opportunities for political participation to the fore. And given the disparities of wealth and power in Thailand, that is a good thing.

 

Until Thailand manages to allow those voices, concentrated in the north and north east, to have a legitimate opportunity to participate, the troubles will continue.

 

Perhaps the red shirts organization would have a bit more credibility if they weren't led, and owe their unquestioning allegiance to, a fugitive from the law and a corruption sentence who used to be, and perhaps still is, one of the richest men (formerly) in Thailand. One who illegally used his former position of power to substantially increase his personal wealth and of those in his inner circle -- all the while his followers continued to be scrapping for table scraps.

1 hour ago, pgrahmm said:

Rim Ping markets in CM have both sizes....95/170B....

Exactly the same at Tops in BKK...

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

I support any effort to clean up the country and dispose of waste appropriately. I do my bit. I am sure that many Thais do also.

I was on the phone last night at home, talking with AIS customer service about whether AIS had any kind of formal phone/battery recycling program for its customers.

The woman CSR on the phone seemed annoyed that I was asking her this question, and if even though she clearly didn't know of any such AIS program, could she at least check further on my behalf and let me know if perhaps some program did exist.

And at one point, I think I asked her, "Well, what do Thai people do when you have an old phone or battery to dispose of?" And her answer to me was, "I think we just throw them in the trash."

1 minute ago, chickenslegs said:

In a country where many people just stand up and walk away from the pile of rubbish they just created on the beach, toss their empty drinks containers out of the car window, burn all sorts of plastic in their front yard, and often block the storm drains with their garbage, it seems a bit ambitious to expect them to drive a few km to dispose of their batteries and light bulbs.

The info I shared above wasn't so much for Thai natives, but instead, the quite a few members here who have opened multiple threads over the past couple years asking the same question -- where to take old phones and batteries for recycling. Since many of us, if not the Thais, are aware that it's environmentally hazardous to be putting lithium ion batteries and the metals in electronics into landfills.

Of all the TVF threads I read on the subject last night, most were just the questions being asked, and very few if any viable recycling locations being offered. And some of those that were don't exist anymore, apparently in part due to the security fears about domestic terrorism bombers dropping stuff into trash bins and such in malls and elsewhere.

Found some answers for mobile phones and batteries here:

I did some research checking last night online, and then followed up today with some scouting in BKK, with the following result:

Siam Paragon:

--The best location I found was the DTAC service center in Siam Paragon on the cell phone floor, where they have a visible, actual recycling box in the rear right side corner of the store that's labeled for accepting mobile phones, batteries and accessories. Just drop them right in.

--The staff at the Samsung shop nearby DTAC in Paragon, when asked, said they will accept any brand of mobile phone or battery for recycling. According to the guy I spoke with there, they collect them and then send them back to their Samsung HQ in BKK for recycling. Just to be clear, the guy I talked with said they would accept non-Samsung products.

--The IStudio shop staff nearby on the same floor said they had no kind of general recycling activity, but the guy I talked to did seem to kind of suggest that they might have some kind of recycling program for Apple products only. But I was speaking English, he was speaking Thai, and so it wasn't entirely clear.

CentralWorld:

--The staff at the main AIS corporate service center there said they would accept any brand phones and batteries for recycling, and seemed to be saying they had some kind of collection bin or basket back out of the public store area.

--While at CW, I also checked with the DTAC, True and Jaymart shops there, and got answers of NO from all of them.

I did some research checking last night online, and then followed up today with some scouting in BKK, with the following result:

Siam Paragon:

--The best location I found was the DTAC service center in Siam Paragon on the cell phone floor, where they have a visible, actual recycling box in the rear right side corner of the store that's labeled for accepting mobile phones, batteries and accessories. Just drop them right in.

--The staff at the Samsung shop nearby DTAC in Paragon, when asked, said they will accept any brand of mobile phone or battery for recycling. According to the guy I spoke with there, they collect them and then send them back to their Samsung HQ in BKK for recycling. Just to be clear, the guy I talked with said they would accept non-Samsung products.

--The IStudio shop staff nearby on the same floor said they had no kind of general recycling activity, but the guy I talked to did seem to kind of suggest that they might have some kind of recycling program for Apple products only. But I was speaking English, he was speaking Thai, and so it wasn't entirely clear.

CentralWorld:

--The staff at the main AIS corporate service center there said they would accept any brand phones and batteries for recycling, and seemed to be saying they had some kind of collection bin or basket back out of the public store area.

--While at CW, I also checked with the DTAC, True and Jaymart shops there, and got answers of NO from all of them.

I noticed today, the Tops Market at Suk Soi 19 has both the large and small size bottles of Huay Fong now.

1 hour ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

If a Thai doctor told me the sky was blue I would still look outside to check.

If the typical Thai doctor told me the sky was blue, I'd run to get my umbrella...

I don't think it's possible that the deaths and carnage on the Thai roadways could be any worse than I already think it is -- because, I think it's just about as humanly bad as it could possibly get.

Nothing surprises me here any more. I keep waiting for a 3-way collision between a truck, a tuk tuk and a speed boat on one of the expressways one of these days...  

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Mine had a son who I witnessed being born, so I think she's not.

It was all faked, just like the U.S. astronauts landing on the moon.... You're so gullible!!!

1 hour ago, SooKee said:

@TallGuyJohninBKK. Thanks. I'll sort out the best way to cover the service until Thanksgiving. No chance to look at the web yet but the Router Pro is a service right, not a physical router? That's how I read it but I'm not sure where the Stealth bit comes in. Doubtless it'll become clearer when I get chance to bring the site up.
 

Their terminology is always confusing to me also... But re your questions...

Yes, their Router Pro deal is just an add-on service option to their base VPN service plans. I believe, as I said above, it gives you the right to use one account simultaneously on two different non-mobile devices, like a router and a PC. It may also have some added capability in terms of running their VPN service via a router. I'm fuzzy on that point.

It does NOT have anything to do with buying a router or them providing you a router. Although, Astrill does sell routers with their own VPN software preloaded onto them, and sometimes gives them away for free as part of their Thanksgiving specials, when you subscribe to some plan.  But, they're only low-grade, N only routes made I believe by TP Link.

Stealth VPN is another add-on service option that just is a technology they'll make available via their software that supposedly makes it more difficult for snoopy countries to detect and block people from using VPNs. It's meant for places like China...though who knows... could well end up being pertinent for Thailand as well....

You need to read the discussion between myself and SooKee above...

Basically, with the situation you described for yourself, you can continue to use the Fire TV Stick and access the U.S. version of Amazon Prime Video using your U.S. Amazon account, assuming you have Prime status or subscribe to the U.S version of Prime Video with your U.S. Amazon account. And you'll need to use a U.S. VPN or DNS re-direct service on your wifi router, same as you've done in the past.

But the international/Thai version of Prime Video is an entirely different thing. Different price, and totally incompatible with the various Fire TV devices. Amazon doesn't sell or support Fire TV devices in Thailand and most of the other international countries, so the international version of Prime Video doesn't work on the Fire TV devices. Or in other words, there's no Fire TV app for the international version of Prime Video.

BTW, AFAIK, if you have a valid U.S. Amazon account with Prime status or Prime Video subscription, supposedly you can access SOME content of that via the Fire TV stick or box even when you're outside the U.S.

I've seen that before on my Fire TV devices when connecting from a non-U.S. IP address. The Fire TV home page comes up and it has a row of video content titled something like "Titles or Videos You can watch when abroad." But AFAIK, it's mostly limited to just Amazon's own original content where they presumably hold the worldwide rights.

3 minutes ago, Chotechai said:

Yes. Very disappointing that my Fire TV Stick won't play. 

Won't play what?

If you have a Fire TV Stick, did you buy it from Amazon in a country where they officially sell and support Fire TV Sticks?

And, do you have an Amazon account registered in a country where Amazon officially sells and supports Fire TV devices?