BugJackBaron

I hate the place. Why shop at a place where they are flogging counterfeit goods as the real deal.

Better of at markets where you know they are fake and there's no pretense about it.

Fair enough.

But I almost never buy name-brands unless there is no choice(Levis monopoly)

Why buy name brands at all when noname can be just as good in some cases and

considerably cheaper

Well, it's the only department store I've ever been able to ask

"How Much" for a pair of shorts

"600 Baht"

"Sorry I want 300 Baht" (start to walk away)

"OK,OK"

Come on, how many department stores let you BARGAIN in them?

And the knapsack and shirts I bought a couple of years

ago(alas the prices have gone up for shirts) are still in good shape

(unlike the street bought shirts)

Finally the ice cream shop(forget the name) has real traditional Thai coffee

for 40 baht

It is also an interesting store with its 1950s design and feel and whith things like pool, hapkido

lessons, and a Thai food court(great place to practice thai reading skills as little english)

at the top. Curiously it seems like it was never fully finished judging by the back wall...

they appear to be building one in hua hin at the moment , no idea when it will open , but it will be a welcome addition.

the food section at tescos here is dismal and their stocking policy leaves much to be desired.

Tesco I tried for the first time last week. Yes it leaves much to be desired but I find the selection at friendship to be better in some cases or the one by the dolphin rotary in pattaya...

There is also that one up North ave in Pattaya with a 24 hour diner that seems always busy like

the same one in Banghkok(Nana).

The bakery in Villa stocks too much Deli France crap...(is there a decent deli in Pattaya?)

but they do have a superior choice of imported($$!) yogurt.

I like the turkey sandwhich in the villa diner...maybe the only place i've seen in Pattaya to

get a turkey sandwhich. Bottom line, each of the supermarkets has something to offer - this is competition at its best!

Four days ago we bought a 2 kg sealed pack of "Tesco 100% Jasmine White Rice".

Today we opened it and found it to be infested with tiny ants. I appreciate that the ants can be "washed out" of it but how the hel_l did they get there?

Maybe it should be re-packaged as 96% Jasmine rice and 4% ants!

       Cover them in chocolate and voila - French dessert!

I dream of Jeannie was a TV show, Cuban.

But the list is quite amazing, Footloose is being remade?

I generally refuse to watch remakes...

They are generally terrible or at least pointless(like Planet of the Apes)

And agreed that the orginal is often so good there is simply no need

to remake it.

It is poverty of ideas and pure greed that makes them do this.

But it is also the ignorance of the young generation and lack of exposure

to some of the classics . Sadly the lack of art-house theatres just contributes to this.

Atkins??? So bad breath, BO and constipation (and a whole host of other health problems) is okay?!? I'd prefer a slightly chubby healthy girl!

Well, I lost 4 kg after reducing rice and bread..that to me is the essence of

Atkins..and no probs with constipation..Doctors seem to be continually surprised

at how well Atkins and Paleodiet really work..

Reducing your cals through reducing carbs is not atkins as long as you're not cutting out carbs. This can be a good way to reduce calories. But remember it's about the quality and not necessarily the quantity of the calories that counts!

You lost me...it is imposible in fact to cut ALL carbs..as even meat contains mini-amounts..

I try more to do paleo anyway but it shares a distrust with Atkins for any carbohydrate

but allows natural ones such as in fruits. As little grains as possible..I use this

as a guideline not a religious tenant..

www.paleodiet.com for more info

Unfortunately as with many things here in the glorious "Land 'O Thais" there is a great disparity between qualifications and teaching styles of private teachers. The prices are also vary quite a bit as well. I think in the 250-350 baht an hour range for a good teacher would be a good price.

Sometimes even well known schools will have less than stellar teachers. I wouldn't discount a school or its teaching method based on a single teacher's performance. I don't believe there is any real qualification a thai must attain to teach thai to foreigners; just as there are oh-so many unqualified foreign english teachers plying their trade in this country. It is obviously a two way street in language teaching here.

See if you can get a 'free' lesson to try out ANY school or private teacher. If they are unwilling to do that and insist on pre-payment up front for bulk hours, I would give them a pass. You are unlikely to EVER get your money back on unused hours even if after the first 15 minutes you realize it was a mistake.

In learning this language; it really is a buyer beware market. Of course that being said; if you stick with some better known schools, use referrals of friends who you know attended a school or used a private teacher, I think you will come out okay. I would suggest the following;

*Talk to other students currently attending the school or using the private teacher *BEFORE paying for anything.

*Try to get honest feedback instead of sock-puppet responses from foreign thai wannabes.

*Try to get a free lesson.

*See the curriculum.

*Look at the text books they will use.

The good thai language teachers and schools are out there; you just have to winnow the chaff to get to the wheat.

Good luck

I have had only a couple of lessons in Thai both the free cheap-charlie intro lesson

sometimes offered.

One was in Chaing Rai and was simply fantastic...She was an older teacher who used

just about every method in the book(I was an English teacher myself)

and really worked you. If I was living in Chiang Lai instead of just passing through

I would have gladly paid for her course.

The other was in Pattaya with a young teacher and frankly it was amateurish though in fairness it

was a class with one other student. I have seen this kind of teaching in Korea too.

Teaching is NOT the easiest job in the world.

Don't waste your money on overpriced, potentially dangerous injections. Go the natural way with tried and true supplements, some of which are ancient Indian Ayurvedic remedies themselves, in use for thousands of years.

The main one for boosting testosterone naturally is Tribulus Terrestris, which is of Indian/Sri Lankan origin, and can be found at Indian health foods stores or (more conveniently) over the 'Net. I take it every day along with some other stuff and I feel great. If I workout, I can put muscle on like I did in my twenties. You won't feel like you're 19 again, but it's a definite improvement.

Refer to this recent topic for more info.

Stay away from doctors and needles in foreign countries, if at all possible...

Great, I'll try anything...Where can it be found in Thailnad. I haven't seen any Indian health food stores in Pattaya..otherwise I'll trust Dr Olivier...

Atkins??? So bad breath, BO and constipation (and a whole host of other health problems) is okay?!? I'd prefer a slightly chubby healthy girl!

Well, I lost 4 kg after reducing rice and bread..that to me is the essence of

Atkins..and no probs with constipation..Doctors seem to be continually surprised

at how well Atkins and Paleodiet really work..

As a Kubrick fan...

"Open the pod-bay doors HAL" -2001

"I'm sorry Dave, I cant' do that"

"I was cured all right" - Alex(Malcolm Mcdowell in Clockwork Orange)

You can't fight in here, this is a war room" - Dr Strangelove

Not Kubrick but great...

"what are your children like?" Woman

"They are like kids, exactly like kids" - David Bowie in The Man Who fell to Earth

"What's new pussycat?" ok...that's Sinatra..

If they are handsome, polite and muscular they must be Canadian!!

Are there are Canadians here, eh? -

Nah, you should beware of both foreigners and locals at the same time. I think the former just stings more because your stupidity becomes more evident (while the latter, you can still blame and whinge about the country and cultural differences... although yes, stupidity is likely the culprit there as well).

One "scam" thast gets me is those Thais who do those annoying "surveys" but really

they just want to take you to some 3rd rate hotel

chain where you can win a "prize" if you sign up for membership in their travel club.

Seems to be in Bangkok and Pattaya....Maybe not really a scam but pretty close..

Hey anyone if you noticed 5 middle east guys at RCA around 4 AM !!!!!

This guys jumped me saying Western is evil bullshit!!!

They took my wallet along with my bank cards and cash

I tried to fight then but there where 5 of them and I was alone.

If anyone witnesses this come forward!!!

Many of fuc_king western ***** watched as this shit went down.

I did not start this shit OR did I ask for it in anyway.

No Thai people where involved what so ever.

Who knows where the fuc_k Bags went???

I'm ok now.

I was with my mates until they took the taxi the other way.

Also I pretty wasted but I still can stand straight and behave my self.

I was pisses off but it happened to fast for really any one to kind of help.

And I can see the point it not being anyone's business.

I'm in one peace with no big marks.

So I don't feel angry anymore. I'm in good spirits and hope my language didn't offend anyone.

I still think Thailand is a pretty safe country to venture around and live.

I don't know what to think of these Arabs anymore.

I find it strange that they took my wallet but they didn't take my phone.

If I see them again it will be there bad karma.

Peace.

Thanks for the update

Time for Thai-Boxing lesssons?

Seiously, I am giving serious consideration to carrying a weapon;

pepper spray, that extensible baton sold on the street ,

or any other legal weapon out there(taser?)

Mostly I just wont stay out past 2 am...

I know several farang that work in Amata Nakorn, transfered by there companies, they too keep there salary from there home country +++.

The Japanese are the same, just in this area due to all the Japanese businesses here there is allot more of them then the farang.

Would anyone else take a transfer to another country if the company came to you and said "We need you to goto Thailand, but since the cost of living there is lower, were going to axe half your salary and not pay you living out allowance, but your going to be expected to do the same job."? i don't think it has anything to do with "face" just why take the transfer if your going to make less money?

I am still trying to figure out how it is racist to target the people in your area with money as your clientèle? I know many business people around here and if farang had the money and there were more of them they would be making burgers and fries instead of sushi and yakisoba.

Wade

Ok here is how to cut through all the crap...

RACIST OWNER: Are you Japanese? Sorry only Japanese

PURE WESTERNER: Ohio Go zayamaz, Konichiwa...I iz Japanese. My name is Oh No.

RACIST OWNER: Hmmm...

PURE WESTERNER: (pulls out "genuine" ko-san road Japanese IDentity card)

RACIST OWNER: (Looks confused) So sorryyy...

ya ya well...

Yeah one girl I work with is on a diet, I told her that maybe you should eat rice as all the asian girls eat it and they always thin, she said her doctor said that rice actually makes you fat because it has some bullsh1t in it.

Personally I think rice doesnt make you fat as my fiancee eats bags full of the stuff and weight about as heavy as my bicep

Rice is a pure carbohydrate...it converts to glucose which we use as

energy. If we don't use it as energy it is stored as fat. That is a simplified

explanation of why her doctor is correct.

She is not fat probably(there are always exceptions) because she

is young and therefore has a high metabolism.

For Westerners it is the same thing only with bread instead of rice.

Wait until she is 25-40...

I have seen this both in Thailand and Korea(also a rice based culture)

they all look cute when young but hange rapidly after 25 or so..

I recommend all girlfriends to go Atkins or paleodiet after 20

Dr Oliver's clinic offers...

WHO and WHERE the EFF is Dr. Oliver?

On third road ...there is a thread about him here with directions..do a search

i used to eat street food all the time , but lately i rarely touch the stuff , if i eat thai food it will be in a restaurant , khaw gaeng shop or ahaan tham sang tin table type of place. i rarely eat from the carts these days.

the quality of street food has taken a huge tumble in the past few years .

as prices have gone up so the quality of the ingredients has gone down. the massive use of hormones and antibiotics and dyes in meats and the use of illegal chemicals and insecticides in the production of fruit and veg. now has me buying and eating organic wherever possible.

the cheaper the food , the more chemically enhanced and coloured it is , and the street food is the cheapest of the lot.

most street food is poorly and unhygenically prepared compared with a few years ago.

if you see where the carts come from each day and where and how the days food is pre-prepared then you might alter your eating habits too.

if the mae khaa is over 40 years old then you might get a hygienic and properly prepared dish , if they are any younger than that , well , i would walk on.

street food in thailand used to be wonderful , now its almost dangerous , at least in bangkok.

things might be a little more traditional out in the sticks.

I've only been coming here on vacation twice a year since 2004 and even I noticed a decrease in

quality this year in street food. Come on Thais.! The fish remains good however( common Thais often eat it)...but what happened to the chicken!? Sadly this may be a universal thing until people rise up and put greed

out of business. In Korea good street food stopped about ten years ago...

I've heard one theory that blames chinese import of bad chicken that is actually cheaper than local

products!

If you are worried about healthy food don't eat out anywhere.

Cook at home and then you know exactly what you are getting.

On the other hand, if you lead a normally healthy life, maintaining a reasonable amount of exercise and eating a moderately ballanced diet, statistically, you should live out your normal lifespan and die without enduring too much suffering.

Concentrate on that very hard and be suitably grateful

Worrying about trans-fats, carcinogens, global-warming, the resurgence of the Cold War, a repeat 9/11 (or 11/9 as we Brits like to put it), obesity in the young and any other hype the media throws at us to make us watch their dreadful programmes or read their awful newspapers is likely to lead you to Madness and death!!

Don't do it............don't fall into the trap of believing statisticians. 'coz they have to make a living too, and so they big up their role to make them seem important!!

Yours

A statstician. (posh name = informaticist)

Wow some actual logic here....Yes transfats are Probably bad as they are unnatural(or rare in nature)

so we cannot be adapted to them. On the other hand no studies have ever shown a link

between transfats and bad diseases.

A lot of new products advertise "transfat free" now so why take the risk(even though it may be small)

Hello,

so if you eat beef noodles, will the blood be still pork blood? very curious, as gua tioaw nuea nam tok, is one of my favourite lunch dish.

thanks

Timo

I'd like to know too.. I'm not surprised about the raw pork thing as some animals

are just to dangerous to eat raw.

On the other hand raw beef a.ka. steak tartar I have eaten in Korea and France

and never heard any worries....soem raw food enthusiasts say raw turkey is safe too..

Two days after taking the injection(and some vitamins he gave me)

I have noticed an improvement in digestion and energy levels...and

my scrotum hasn't shrunk either

It takes longer than 2 days, but it will happen if you've been given an injection. When the body has an outside source of testosterone it gives up its own production.

Well I'm not sure about the point of your post as

surely if you are taking injections it means that your

body is no longer producing testosterone at youthful levels...

Dude, I'm trying to help you with some useful information...that's the point of my post.

I went to great lengths to explain that if you need extra testosterone due to lagging personal production levels, Andriol is the way to do it without interfering with your own production. It's the minimalist's approach. The safest approach.

I'm still surprised that doctors in Thailand are going straight to the injections to solve the problem when Andriol is so readily available over the counter. The only reason I can come up with is that they make regular money from patients visiting for their injections every 3 weeks or so.

To answer someone's query back in this thread, testosterone levels can be checked at many clinics around Pattaya and the hospitals. I just had a test done yesterday for 720 baht at a clinic on Pratumnak Road (Dr Sawaddipong Clinic). I'm not sure how this price compares with other clinics around town as I didn't shop around. I have to wait one week for my results.

This clinic happened to have the cheapest liver and blood lipid test prices I've seen in town including the Pattaya Memorial Hospital.

PS. You indicated in your opening post that the injections are "not cheap". How much do you pay?

Hey Dude I wasn't sure of what your point was but thanks for clarifying.

I know about your concern that the body will no longer produce testosterone.

My doctor in Korea told me this is no problem as long as you schedule

regular breaks in the injections..like a week or so(depends on dosage and delivery).

Dr Oliver's clinic offers a simple injection of 500 Baht which lasts from 3 days to 2 weeks

I think(depnds on person he said) or a long lasting one that is supposed

to last 3 months called Nibido(sp?) . It is 10,000Baht!

I took the 500Baht

Actually I have tried Nibido last year in Korea and found it only gave 1 day or two of

energy so I do appreciate your input and may yet try Andriol...If it is the rub on stuff

(also tried in the past) that I think it is then even so you have to give

a day or two rest between applications.

Actually, there are a number of "anti-aging " medical clinics in Bkk (including one affiliated with Bumrungrad) and it's a fair bet they prescribe it. At a not inconsiderable cost, of course.

Not unless they have changed their policy. I asked about that

in Bumrungrad last year and was told "sorry illegal" - they do vitamin

therapy only. A waste of money if you ask me...as many good

doctors will do the same cheaper..

That's the only place I inquired....actually one pharmacy

in Bangkok(near Nana) told me he would sell it but the price quoted was really high

and I would rather trust a proper doctor...

Too bad for many milk is a no go..we lose our ability to really digest it

well after childhood. Goat's milk may be a little easier to disgest but I

haven't seen it sold outside Bangkok.

One doctor I spoke to thinks milk shoudn't even be sold.

Why? Doctors I talk to recommend at least a large glass of (skimmed/light) milk per day. I'm 46 and have never had any problems digesting milk, drinking at least half a liter of the stuff daily...

Ob topic: Don't see what's all the fuss about grape nuts though, quite happy with my standard muesli cereal.

Well some people can handle it better than others....some people can

smoke all their lives with no problems too - that doesn't mean smoking is

good for health. Asians in partricular are poor at digesting milk it is said.

I know at least one study that links milk to heart disease and

it is strange that we are the only animal that consumes milk of another

animal and past childhood. I clearly feel bad after drinking milk

but fermented dairy like cheese or yougurt affects me less strongly.

As to the cereal well I believe in paleodiet...eat as little processed stuff

as possible - eat naturally...avoid carbohydrates as much as possible..

So I avoid cereals and stick to eggs, fish, occasional rare beef(good quality

too expensive), some veggies like brocoli, watermelon..........

and to wash it all down..Singa beer

All of this is fine and well.. I took it in Korea for years....

no side effects...hard to say if my health was better for

it....

But isn't this thread academic? It is almost impossible to get

HGH(especially the injectable weekly dose that is cheap in Korea)

in Thailand.

I have no idea why.

Definitely an acquired taste...that I never acquired. Tried it a few times in the States and could never understand what the attraction of it was...I'll give it a pass.

i could never understand what the attraction of cereals in general is.

Too bad for many milk is a no go..we lose our ability to really digest it

well after childhood. Goat's milk may be a little easier to disgest but I

haven't seen it sold outside Bangkok.

One doctor I spoke to thinks milk shoudn't even be sold.

Two days after taking the injection(and some vitamins he gave me)

I have noticed an improvement in digestion and energy levels...and

my scrotum hasn't shrunk either

It takes longer than 2 days, but it will happen if you've been given an injection. When the body has an outside source of testosterone it gives up its own production.

Well I'm not sure about the point of your post as

surely if you are taking injections it means that your

body is no longer producing testosterone at youthful levels...