whitfield

April Fool!!

I have every confidence in the Thai Family Courts. For those who doubt that Oswald's son could go to SA or Oz please remember Toby Charnaud, who was murdered in very similar circumstances back in 2006. His son is now being brought up in UK by Toby's sister if I recall correctly.

The Thai Family courts are very fair and I have personal experience. The child's interests are always paramount regardless of nationality.

I just hope they find him soon.

As far as I am aware Oswald's brother has lodged an application to adopt the child.

I experienced a very similar experience as Oswald. The poison would have killed me but for the fast reaction of the neighbours.

Like Oswald I just won a custody case. It seems that causes too much loss of face. Whilst I have every faith in the Thai family courts to do the right thing regarding his son I wouldn't hope for too much from the criminal courts.

At least in this case there is a confession. Let's hope that it ends well. I would advise as many oh his friends to attend the hearings. Judges don't like to know that the world is watching them.

I have just heard that his ex wife, mother of his son, and her army boyfriend have been arrested and confessed to the murder.

Thanks to the BIB for speedy work and let's hope that the somewhat erratic judges give them everything they deserve with no parole.

RIP Oswald and I hope the pitches up there aren't too green on top!

Try Somsak Chopaka at Siam Firm in Soi 47/1. He speaks excellent English and although not the cheapest is very reasonable.

George, just a quick note to thank you for an excellent party. Most impressed by the speed at which Shooters got the place ready in time. But a very special thanks as well to the lovely hostesses who ensured that the Chang flowed long enough to give me a superb headache this morning.

Thanks Richard

If you really haven't done anything wrong and you have all your papers in order just refuse to pay. Say that you dispute the charge and use your mobile phone to take a video and record the scene. Demand to see evidence of your offence etc. They will eventually let you go (or shoot you!).

I no longer pay the "Farang" charge. They know when they are having it on and an argumentative farang is just a nuisance.

Interestingly on our by pass they occasionally have a speed camera and about a kilo up, just after a major intersection they pull cars over. Everyone turns left or right and they never chase them.

I'll be there + 1. I hope they do some work on Shooters soon. It is still a shell!

It would be quite nice if the Police would make an effort to prevent shopkeepers and traders from putting chairs and tables in the street to prevent people from parking in front of their premises.

Even if there isn't a chair they often just deliberately take 2 spaces by parking their motorcycle to prevent a car getting in. Wishful thinking possibly but designated m/c parking spaces and designated car spaces would make a huge difference.

I've been living and doing business in Thailand since 2000.

All i know is that from 2001-2006 it was great and from 2006-2011 its been <deleted>.

So today is surely a good day for foreigners why is everyone moaning?

Retired (s)expats that get their money in Dollar, Pound and Euro from abroad might be happy that the marked-analysts are predicting a decline and higher exchange-rates for the currencies mentioned.

Democracy all over the world now means that if you want to win you must promise to give loads of other people's money to your supporters. Anyone promising fiscal rectitude, an impartial judiciary and protection of property rights hasn't got a hope.

Thailand has just voted itself a massive handout. The result will of course be more inflation and a declining baht.

But the sheer size of the victory should hopefully mean that the result is respected and unless old square face makes a speedy return I don't foresee an early return to the streets for the yellow shirts. In a few years those celebrating today maybe ruing the cost but that's why we have "conservative/republican" parties. Someone has to clear up the mess.

I am looking for a decent truck with a driver to collect 30 golf bags and 30 suit cases from Suvarnabhumi to take to Hua Hin in January. THis job is too big for the average Thai covered pick up and probably needs a small 6 wheeler. Does anyone know who to contact for this? Any help much appreciated. Thanks

The Ashes from Australia live will be shown on Astro. I believe it is a Malaysian feed. This is available in Thailand and it is a Pay Per View of about 1000 Baht for the series. I believe that if you have the standard satellite dish (UBC or the large 4ft diameter one) then you will be able to receive it. Not sure yet what decoder you need and how much. I will endeavour to find out this afternoon from Big Kiang in Hua Hin who supplied me with everything so far.

I suspect it is just an additional payment ontop of your UBC. I shall fill you in when I have all the info. I suspect that one will have to pay for a basic package as well before you can have the PPV.

Thanks for that I would be interested in more details. However I can't imagine that you can pick up Astra from a True Visions dish. I doubt it is pointed in the right direction.

I used to have one of those large dishes that recieved the South African link but have since moved and have lost that dish. I would think you need a new dish pointing towards the Astra satellite.

Of course I would be interested in any satellite or cable links that will show the cricket, but what I was really asking about was internet streaming, through something like MyP2P mentioned by SuperNova. There are plenty of such sites around, most of them requiring a subscription, so I wanted to find one that someone had tried and could recommend.

But I am open to any and all ideas on this.

I didn't get down there today but the reason I suspect it is possibly available on the UBC dish is that my local bar has Astro and he says he gets it from the UBC decoder not his Dreambox (which all cricket lovers needed for the SA supersports).

As I said I will let you know ASAP.

I'm having it whatever it costs.

The Ashes from Australia live will be shown on Astro. I believe it is a Malaysian feed. This is available in Thailand and it is a Pay Per View of about 1000 Baht for the series. I believe that if you have the standard satellite dish (UBC or the large 4ft diameter one) then you will be able to receive it. Not sure yet what decoder you need and how much. I will endeavour to find out this afternoon from Big Kiang in Hua Hin who supplied me with everything so far.

I suspect it is just an additional payment ontop of your UBC. I shall fill you in when I have all the info. I suspect that one will have to pay for a basic package as well before you can have the PPV.

I've been through this and have achieved a very satisfactory outcome. My son was only 9 months old when Isaan girl admitted that she had told another man that he was the Dad and upped and left. (We had only been together a couple of months, and then only because of the kid).

I tracked her down, engaged a lawyer and went through the Family courts in Khorat. The Thai magistrates, without actually saying it, made it clear that they were on my side and that all I had to do was hang in there. After about a year of wrangling I was awarded 10 days a month custody, initially with a neutral nanny.

When he reached 4 years old the question of where he shoiuld be educated was discussed and I took the posiiton that if I was to pay then he should be in my custody in school time. All agreed and so he now effectively lives with me. (Thai schools have very short holidays).

I am not going to make light of the process. It was sheer hel_l as she did everything she could to obstruct, but as I said the court made it clear that they understood where his best interests lay, so I was encouraged to keep up the battle.

Just play completely by the book and you will get there eventually. And believe me your sons will be pleased you did.

Good luck and Bon Courage as the French would say.

As a father of two sons, and facing a pending divorce I find this story to heart warming. My children's American passports are in a safe controlled by the Mother in law. I work for the family company, and if I try to inforce my rights, I am sure my visa would be stricken.

After a long 10 years of marriage, and the last 5 years spent sleeping in seperate bedrooms, the wife let me know she had a boyfriend, and was "his wife" and I was no longer her husband.

This all revealed to me, after I spent 100K USD towards the purchase of a 250K USD home. She also has another 70K worth of assets (town houses/property) (not to mention the 80K boob job she got 2-3 weeks prior to the revelation of the boy friend)

If any one knew how I could get my kids back, legally, I would also be willing to pay handsomley...

Rith now the divorce date is projected on October 14th to be held at the local Amphur.

I really do not care about the money, I just want my sons.

The wife is not poor, just poor ways. So I can not offer money to her or her family, they would only laugh and act offended.

Cheers to this guy

What it really comes down to is this: If they weren't there it wouldn't have happened.

Good night.

Anyone who thinks the protesters were unarmed can easily test their conspiracy theory - go down to Rama IV and ask some of the residents if they were unarmed.

@Deeral: Allow me to propose a definition of 'terrorist' for you to ponder: Anyone who launches grenades, shoots at the residents and burns down the buildings in our neighbourhood is a terrorist. We couldn't give a rats arse about their political views.

Honestly there are some boneheads around here.

Please enlighten us with some examples with where PURELY PEACEFUL mobs were able to effect change in their countries. If you can find a couple western examples... that would be great. Now try it in Asia. There were peaceful protests in Malaysia and Myanmar in recent years resulting in a rather sophisticated and largely bloodless crackdown (Malaysia), and a massacre (Myanmar). This isn't the west, so quit measuring the tactics and rationale protesters use with your own. And look back a ways into your own history and think about how change was ever effected in your government through demonstrations. Until the army came to Bangkok, there wasn't loss of life. If the government had enforced rule of law from the beginning, the protests wouldn't have happened.

The Red Shirts relatively peaceful protest won them a new election. Had they accepted they would probably have won the landslide victory they wanted. They rejected the fruits of peaceful protest because they had another agenda. Of course peaceful protest can be successful, but the cause must be perceived by the majority as being just. The recent insurrection was never supported by a majority of Thais. Ten times as many people in the UK turned out to try and overturn the ban on Foxhunting a cause they felt strongly about.

If the Red Shirts had managed to mobilise even 100,000 they might have looked like a credible force for change but...........

It has to be said that Abhisit has played a blinder. Starting the dispute as an alleged puppet of those shadowy figures behind the scenes he showed initially great patience. But when RPGs were fired at a crowd of Bangkokians demonstrating against the Reds and demanding to be allowed to work he authorised an attempt to break up the demo.

THis resulted in 23 deaths and so negotiations were called and on National TV he offered the Reds what they wanted, an early election. THis must have horrified the puppeteers, but Abhisit made a judgment that it would be rejected. It was and from then on he had the moral high ground. Had he listened to the Hard Liners his cause would have been lost.

By ending the demo (insurrection) with (comparatively) little loss of life he has at one time thwarted the Red (Thaksin) ambitions and increased his own standing immeasurably not only amongst ordinary Thais but against those who thought that he was their puppet. His position is now unassailable.

A truly brilliant display of diplomacy that should ensure he wins an outright majority when the election comes around.

All in all the loser was Thaksin and the winner is Thailand.

Arisman under arrest

BANGKOK, 19 May 2010 (NNT) — United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) core figure, Arisman Pongruangrong was arrested by authorities at 17.00 hrs at Pleon Chit BTS skytrain station.

Arisman is now being taken to the Naresuan military camp in Phetchaburi province for detention after his failed attempt to escape from the main rally stage on Ratchaprasong Intersection this morning.

The five core leaders of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), who surrendered themselves to police today included Puea Thai Party MP Jatuporn Prompan, Yosawarit Chuklom, Wiphuthalaeng Phatthanaphumthai, Nattawut Saikua and Korkaew Pikulthong.

They are all detained at the Naresuan military camp as well.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255305190055

Waiting for a train? Maybe he didn't know that BTS is close today.

Why do they have to bring them here to Cha Am? We like peace and quiet down here!

Richard Lloyd Parry, Times Correspondent on CNN

"Sure the red shirt guards have some guns, but nothing to compare with the firepower of the Army"

Sad, pathetic reporting

I saw that and tried to post a correction but it didn't get through the Times mods. It seems that they prefer posts that give an uncritical view of the Red protest. Innocents against the Machine is the preferred line. If only they knew.

For what its worth and its here say

the red protestors (mums/dads/kids) have had their ID cards taken by the "officials" in the camps. In return they were paid some money, food, water etc. and the promise of more after the reds win.

Assume the red protestors cannot leave as they cant get their ID cards back.

The reds were expecting a million people to turn out and they are approx 5000 at present

this represents 0.5%

of this its possible that approx 300 motor cycle taxi drivers / taxi drivers / disturbed idealistic youths are causing billions of baht in damages.

go figure!!!

Any Thai can go and get a new ID card from any Police Station anywhere in Thailand if he says he lost it. Better come up with a new theory.

I live on Cha Am/Hua Hin boundary close to the Dusit Thani where the conference will take place. The security is just to make sure Red Shirts, Yellow Shirts, Green Shirts, Blue Shirts or whatever don't even think about it.

Your holiday will be fine but take you passport with you when you leave the hotel. Have a nice time in our lovely city.

the three women detained Ying and Noi and forced them to provide sexual services on an average of four customers per day

Seems they got off somewhat lightly if the above is what happened.

You're right about that. My ex got 8 years for stealing my ATM card.

I made a system with copper tube, in an isolated box.

Connected with a pump and an isolated tank. The tank contains 750 liters. When temperature in the collector is 7 degrees celsius or more higher then temperature in the tank the pump starts to run and fill, or if the tank is full starts to circulate. One hour strong sunshine is enough to fill the tank when empty, with water from about 60 degrees Celsius.

The whole installation costed about 100.000 Baht, but works more then 7 years without problems now.

Arjen.

Arjen this sounds much more like the system I require. Any chance of a drawing showing the plumbing and maybe a picture of the copper tube system. I think you mean insulated box and tank.

Where did you buy the pump and controls?

Thanks

Thanks. Great service as ever.

I have a Non Imm O Multiple entry Visa due to expire on 09 July. I was just checking to see exactly what date I have to leave the country, as my last trip abroad was in March, so I knew I would have to do something before my next planned trip on 17 July.

I was surprised to see that they only gave me 30 days on my last entry until 12 April. I should surely have been given the usual 90 days.

What to do? I have to go to Immi Office in Hua Hin this afternoon to report the error but I really don't want to leave Thailand until 17 July if I don't have to. I am married to a Thai.

Can I get a 90 day extension from today when I am there or will they slap my wrists and tell me to leave at the end of the real 90 days on 12 June.

Any advice would be gratefully received.