craigt3365

It just dropped the "U".

But really is a simple form to fill in and print so does not take more than a few minutes each year for most people. Expect those with dozens of account/stocks/control of other accounts and such would be spending a lot longer however. I always plan to send at same time do tax so not to forget it.

The one thing I like about TurboTax is it pulls all the info over from the previous year. 1099s, overseas bank accounts, etc. I get about 60 1099s. Just have to update the amounts and off ya go! I do it all online, so I can complete everything pretty much anywhere I happen to be.

Thanks for the heads up! I use TurboTax and it generates the form automatically. But without it, I would have not known!

Just finished it. Good luck!!!!

Great stuff! But not Thailand related. So....let's move this over to the Jokes Forum.

I got the funny photos from the Thai Internet from my Thai laptop here in our Thai apartment.

Ok now it's Thai related.

555555

Good one!

Good ones also, Naam!

Here's mine. While traveling in Africa....no, I didn't stay at that hotel!

Earthed/grounded or not, a direct lightning strike is probably going to fry everything that's plugged it, no?

Very good chance. Direct lightning strikes are very unpredictable as to the outcome.

I have a very well grounded house including the structure. I had a direct strike a few years ago. Something I will never forget. You could see the electricity jump out of the electrical plugs and many lights blew up, just like the movies. The electric meter actually blew up and caught fire similar to a Roman Candle. Many other electrical items were taken out or failed a couple weeks later. About 30,000 baht in damages and repairs. Fortunately my computer survived. However an external CD drive did not. I can only attribute it to, the computer was plugged into an UPS which helped to absorb the surge, where the external drive wasn't.

The grounding apparently help prevent fire. A Thai house close by (which wasn't grounded) caught fire and burned to the ground.

I now have a policy of unplug and turn off everything (including phone plugs and lights) whenever there is thunder or lightning close by. Remember turning off electronic devices does not necessarily turn it off. They must be unplugged!

We have had several direct strikes since. Resulting in absolutely no damage because of this policy.

Unreal. Seems you are very lucky to have survived this with only minimal loss!!! Wow...

Master Safety Enterprise here in Pattaya offered to do some for me. I also think ESC here has them also. They ain't cheap.

A few posts with some "interesting" pictures were deleted.

Moved to the Pub...

On derogatory remark and a few associated replies were removed from view. Sorry to the members who had posted replies.

Please stay on topic and not be derogatory towards Thailand. :jap:

OK, calm down guys.... :jap:

A house in our village lost everything in the last big storm. I think that's the one, Rimmer, where you headed home fast to disconnect everything!

He lost everything. TV, Computer, micro, refrig, etc. Direct hit on his house....

That one yesterday was pretty big also. Unplugged everything...

Google blue wave waterspots, Gary is the hobie cat dealer here. Last I knew he had a new 16 in stock. Also a used fx one is available.

Are those the guys down here by The View restaurant, in NaJomtien?

One derogatory remark removed from view and warning given.

One off topic and ridiculous post removed from view.

Great stuff! But not Thailand related. So....let's move this over to the Jokes Forum.

Let's try this in the accommodation finding forum. OK?

Why don't we try this in the Pattaya forum? Let's see if you get some good responses there, ok?

Topic Moved.

Traveling around Europe is really easy...and can be fun if done by yourself. You have much more freedom to stop and see what you want and to setup your own itinerary. I think finding a tour that matches what you want to do will be tough.

I would perhaps get a guide book for France and Italy. Or Paris and Rome. Inside will be lots of recommendations for hotels and things to see. You can easily be your own tour guide. We did this in Paris 2 years ago and Rome 3 years ago. Great fun.

You can also check with sites like lonelyplanet.com (oriented towards backpackers and younger people), frommers.com or fodors.com. Even tripadvisor.com has good stuff on it.

Have a blast!

Great, America bashing. That's new.

First America doesn't proclaim prosperity for everyone. We just promise you an opportunity. Nothing else.

More Russians than Americans on Thailand?

Doubtful, but remember the map?

Americans go to the cariibean to enjoy the tropics, Mexico for a cheap vacation.

Retirees go to Panama, or Brazil, and sex tourist to the Phillippines to get that Asian thing scratched.

However, people in rural areas and urban slums in America THINK they have it bad.

Try a slum in Lagos or Karachi. Believe me America is doing ok, as is Thailand.

My personal barometer. Malaria deaths?

Actually, Malaria deaths as a percentage of population would rank Thailand as a 3rd world country, way behind Pakistan (or even India).

I think the numbers, as reported in India, are grossly under reported:

http://www.internalmedicinenews.com/news/infectious-diseases/single-article/india-s-malaria-deaths-grossly-underestimated/c97e582e2e.html

Quotes are out of whack - sorry.

JimBeam:

Well, then allow me to rephrase my statement. You want to see poverty? Then go to AMERICA (a country) and spend some time driving the back roads of West Virginia, Arkansas and Tennesse.

Maybe not Mumbai, ooops, I mean India, but severe poverty nonetheless in a country that loudly proclaims prosperity for all its citizens.

Poor places for sure. I took my wife to Harlem a few years ago. She was scared to death...and so was I! Pretty bad.

It's one reason I cringe when I see Americans donating so much to "3rd world" countries. We have enough poverty in our own country....

Nice, draw your conclusions then design a survey that supports it. May I suggest adding a few other questions? GDP per person, literacy rate, live expectancy, vague things like freedom of speech and minimal corruption?

That's how it looks to me. The squalor that people live in here is hidden but can be found easy enough if you want to find it. Most people from western countries seem to only see the not so filthy living standards of the poor people of this country. Just as bad as the Indian slums & shanty towns of the world.

Tunnel vision perhaps or just the refusal to see anything that dosent fit into thier cosy life

If you've truly been to India, then you would know that statement is false. India has some of the worst slums in the world...and are far worse than anything here. And yes, I've been in the Klong Toey slums. Slummin' it as they say. But it was daylight out!

I tried to visit the favelas in Brazil, but couldn't get there as no taxi driver would take us close enough to walk! I did visit the slums in India...beyond belief.

VERY true. I work in Uganda, and i'll often come across Indians who have migrated to Uganda to escape the squalor of India.Imagine going to Africa to escape your life!

I have often said that Thai's have nothing to complain about.

Odd though, I often read here, on TV how they think Thailand is a third-workd country.

I guess some people havent traveled much.

Uganda has some pretty bad spots, but nothing like India. I spent 2 weeks traveling around Uganda via public bus and I loved it. The people were polite, spoke English, were friendly. I liked it better than Kenya or Tanzania. But all are still a huge notch below Thailand.

Nice, draw your conclusions then design a survey that supports it. May I suggest adding a few other questions? GDP per person, literacy rate, live expectancy, vague things like freedom of speech and minimal corruption?

That's how it looks to me. The squalor that people live in here is hidden but can be found easy enough if you want to find it. Most people from western countries seem to only see the not so filthy living standards of the poor people of this country. Just as bad as the Indian slums & shanty towns of the world.

Tunnel vision perhaps or just the refusal to see anything that dosent fit into thier cosy life

If you've truly been to India, then you would know that statement is false. India has some of the worst slums in the world...and are far worse than anything here. And yes, I've been in the Klong Toey slums. Slummin' it as they say. But it was daylight out!

I tried to visit the favelas in Brazil, but couldn't get there as no taxi driver would take us close enough to walk! I did visit the slums in India...beyond belief.

I stand out of genuine respect and admiration for someone who has done much to earn that respect. But even if I felt otherwise I would respect the local customs and still stand. If a time comes where this is challenged then in my opinion it should be Thai people challenging it - not foreigners.

Sophon

EXACTLY. Go figure a foreigner would come here and start yapping "Brain washing" and "Fight the powers to be".

Some of why I am here is the culture, beliefs and the respect. Not all progress is good, in fact a great portion has had a negative impact on the world. We just 'CHOOSE" to accept as good.

+1 This is about respect, not brainwashing. A great tradition.

Actually, I thought this thread would be a ZERO, as in no replies.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only person here in the glorious "Land 'O Thais" who finds this problematic.

Now if I could just come up with a way to stop errant queue jumping at 7/11 and Thais tryin' to get on a lift or the Sky Train BEFORE people get off, I'd be in tall cotton, or maybe here, tall rice.

It's a dream here...try China...seriously. Or India, Vietnam, Nepal, Kenya, etc, etc, etc....sometimes we don't know how lucky we have it here!

As for driving, same thing. They do a pretty good job here...I can think of many, many places that are much worse.

My wife suggests (and there is not much that she doesn't know!)....that this walking whilst looking down is 'built in' as in the past there was more danger on the pavement..holes etc..than ahead. Things haven't improved a lot even now have they.

Funny you should mention that. My wife does exactly the same thing. And it has worked well during our many trips....especially in Buenos Aires where dog poop is all over the sidewalks. I wasn't so lucky....