lightstar

Hi, does anyone know the name of the small silver fish that you often see for sale in bags, or lose in big sacks, in most Asian markets and supermarkets?

I think they are usually used in soups and sauces, probably nam-plah (not sure)?

They are usually died, and about an inch long.

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

I will look into it a bit more before going ahead, but it's nice to know that you are satisfied with the results.

Just found this little guy on my doormat...

He kinda looks like a snake, but is too stumpy. Can anyone ID it?

Roof run off and stright down rain!(And then resulting standing water... for a few hours, till it drains away).

The main problem area is actually under the shade of a big tree too which is in shadow all day. If I lay down turf will this be a problem or can grass cope well with shade? I'd hate to lay it and then find that it turns to mud too...

(Sorry, I know nothing about lawns!)

I might just pave it. Bit bleugh, but better than mud!

I have the same problem.  

Every year at the same period, when we have quite heavy rains, here in Bangkok, the mortality rate of my guppies is hitting the roof... Not much that can be done: either the rain is quite acid, or something else is polluting the water...I just replace them, trying to keep a 3/1 female/male ratio. And they reproduce...

As for the babies, I leave them with the adults and "leave it to mother nature"!..  But I am feeding them every day, it certainly reduces the risk of canibalism...! 

I never thought about the pollution in the rainwater! I was actually thinking that it could be the soil in the bottom of the pots (has a bit of clay like consitency...) thought that could have been doing it and was considering changing it out.

Will just have to get some more... thanks for the advice!

With all the rain we've been having my garden has taken a hammering. I've now got big patches of mud, combined with a large patch of green slime... Really, it's like the lawn has turned into goo... Gross.

I don't know if the grass will come good once the weather changes, or if I should attempt to put some grass seed down.

Can you even buy grass seed here in thailand?

I've seen lots of turf, but no seed...then again, it's not something I've specifically looked for.

should I put fertilizer, or am I going to have to lay some new grass?

Any thoughts on what I can do to turn my lawn around? Or will it come good on it's own?

Cheers.

I have a few pots with water plants in them and to keep down the mossies I decided to buy some small guppies from the local fish place. Got about 20 in all, thought that would be enough to put a few in each pot.

It hasn't been successful though. With the dissapearance of most, and the death of others, I'm not left with many!

Two have had babies - which is very cute! They are so tiny! Though I'm not sure if I should separate them out from the adults... will they get eaten?

Still if anyone can tell me how to prevent the dying, and why they might be dissapearing I'd be very interested.

My suspicion is birds... but, I've not seen a single bird around my garden, nor anywhere near the pots, so I don't know if that is actually the case.

Thoughts?

Tee2008: "..I would love to be able to name my company but the rules on this forum say that only sponsors ( those who have paid to advertise ) can actually advertise. I cannot even, under the rules, give you our website. You can confirm this with the mods..."

I did and they said it was OK to name it...

Tee2008: "To 7x7 & Lightstar - I have no objection to giving the name of the company I work for as we are transparent..."

OK, as I said, you've been given the opportunity to name it by the mods... We're all waiting...

Tee2008: "I will happily name the company I work for..."

Umm... Still waiting...

In my experience, not of dealing with visa agent's but in similar situations, those who charge a fixed fee are usually more expensive than those who charge a fee based upon an assessment of their clients circumstances and the work that will be required.

The forum rules prohibit all but forum sponsors from posting direct links to their commercial websites; however, I have no objection to Tee2008 posting the name of her/his company; provided s/he also says which regulatory bodies that company is a member of and/or registered with.

I agree 7by7, and thanks for allowing Tee2008 to post up the name of the company.

However, it's gone strangely quiet around here...

Transparency... indeed.

If you do an internet search...

What should I search for...

"A company based in Bangkok that publishes it's fixed fees for migration services"?

erm.....

I'm sure in this instance the mods won't mind if you post up the name of your company.

Mods any objection?

...my companies costs are already published online

Who are you, what is your company, and what is the website...?

Just cause you state that you're transparent, doesn't make it so... LOL LOL LOL again

I'm thinking the troll might be one of these 'rogue visa agents in Pattaya'... Let's see if I'm right.

As someone who knows both 'Bridge' and 'Mr Thai Visa' personally, I can attest that the service and advice they provide is 100% professional, and priced extremly well given the amount of work these guys both do for their clients.

Neither of them advise people to not to do the visa themselves... In fact, as Bridge keeps stating, he advises you to do your due diligence, and if the service he offers appeals to you, use him. If not, use someone else or do it yourself. And did you not read Mr. Thai Visa's post some comments ago, Tee2008?

Guidance is on the UK/VAC site either do the application yourself or employ professional help.

"Do the application yourself..." OR, "...employ professional help".

Up to you.

Given that a certain percentage of people do do the visa themselves, it stands to reason that those who don't are the ones who are not able to do all the paperwork and gather all the documenation evidence that is required. And some have previous refusals having tried to do it themselves and failed...

... Perhaps suggesting that in their cases their applications are not the 'straight-forward' kind...?

Meaning more paperwork, more time, more effort.

You may have a bee in your bonnet about the price they charge... Personally, I don't like the amount of money that SEO guys charge... My resulting behaviour is that I no longer used them, and I have learnt how to SEO my websites myself. I don't get on my barstool and start whining about it...

It's a lot more work, it's a lot of time and effort... and at times it simply doesn't work because I'm not as good as him. That's probably because he spent years and years of study on his subject...

Just like Bridge and Mr.Thai Visa - who went through uni, got qualifications in law, probably had to do more study, and then have to pay for legal insurance and registration and all that other stuff that probably runs into thousands of dollars. As a result of all that training their knowledge of the legal requirements is second to none... Why should they then turn around and offer their services for nowt? They are not a charity!

The question is... do you want to fill in your visa application based on bar-stool advice?

Just like my SEO guy they can charge for their services... and I, as the consumer, am free to go with them or somewhere else....

I could get my SEO done by a 19 yr old kid charging $2 an hour from the Phillipines. It's called choice.

Personally I think both are totally transparent, AND they both offer a great deal of free advice, given that they are NOT A FREE INFORMATION SERVICE!

Tee 2008, do you find free advice given by doctors on the net...? Would you find a pilot on a forum telling you how to fly the plane yourself so that you didn't have to pay for the ticket?

Bridge, Thai Visa Express, save your time and energy by not even biting back at this jerk and instead just post up responses (as you do) to people who have genuine enquires... transparent... LOL LOL LOL

Fishooks, Old Croc is right, you used a VERY misleading title for you topic. And it seems to me that you are already involved too much...

Australia isn't deporting this lady at all... not even maybe... Her stay in oz was dependent upon her relationship with this guy. The guy has decided it isn't working out and therefore, she is no longer entitled to stay there. Not knowing anything about the couple how can anyone "moe 666" cast judgement on the situation. Get off your barstool Moe!

I believe the term in 'Som Nom Nah'... or is it 'Mai Pen Rai'...

:jap:

I rescued the cutest little cat and bought her home... Full of beans and bright as a button, she chases EVERYTHING in sight... including the free roaming chickens in my complex.

How, oh how, do I stop my furry friend from pissing off my Thai neighbors by catching and killing all of their beloved chickens/roosters/chicks? I know I'm asking the impossible, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Nope, I've found all dentist to be expensive on Samui if you are foreign. They have a two-tier pricing structure. Ask to see the list in thai, and you will see - cheaper for Thais and 3 xs the cost of Chiang mai.

Was also told at several dentists here that I needed at least 4 fillings 9because my teeth were showing a tiny spot of black - the start of decay they said). just went up to Chiang Mai and saw who I consider to be the best dentist up there (there are many good ones) and she said... no need to fill, just brush regularly and will need filling only when it has actually decayed.

most denstists here on samui are money making scammers in my opinion.

Maybe still cheaper than 'home' wherever that is for you, but much more expensive than other places in Thailand.

"the freaky freaky party"

Am sure everyone in Lamai must have heard the techno blaring out ALL night!!! Didn't stop till 7 am, when my Thai neighbors decided to retaliate with their own music... which blared out for a half an hour after the techno had stopped... cant' blame them but that meant I got double the dose of crap music at VERY LOUD VOLUME!!!

Please, someone tell me this is not gonna be a regular party...?

Yes we have nice new tarmac.... an improvement to the infrastructure that was LONG overdue! But...

and there always is a bit inst there...

While I don't know about other areas in Samui, but now the drains in Lamai are starting to collapse completely! Big gaping holes on the roads where the drains once were... it looks like they havne't been able to hold up the weight of the traffic, and I'd say most, if not all, have begun to collapse. while a couple have gone completely.

due to that, yes the roads are even more dangerous than before!

In South Korea we are 'foreigners'. In the backpacking scene we are 'westerners'. But no different to the expats using 'gaijin' in Japan, or 'gwailo' in Hong Kong...

I'd be really interested in looking at the World Health Organization figures for 2009. Does anyone know where I can get them? Just curious really.

I've been living in Thailand for a long time, and as a single girl, I'm definitely feeling more edgy about being here than I ever have before.

I've heard, like we all have, so many crimes both both reported and not, against foreigners and within the Thai community, over the years...

But I feel recently as thought they have been ramping up a bit. They are getting more violent. Robberies are increasing where I live, and some of the stories involve the person having a gun pointed at their head. The motorcycle bag snatch is increasing, and I've heard a lot more brutal stories recently than I ever had before - murders, shootings, robberies ending in violence. I now sleep with an inside light on, as well as my porch lights.

Has it always been this way...? I don't think so.

Although I can't say that in my time here I have ever been physically assaulted, or injured in any way. (Although I have been robbed.) But I like living here, if I didn't I would have left. However, more recently I have been thinking about a contingency plan... Where will I go next... I feel as though it's getting more dangerous and it may be time to move on. The constant visa hassle is no help... though I'll save that rant for the visa forum.

I have always thought if I keep my head down, do my thing, I will be OK. I don't drink and go to bars, or stay out late at night. I don't do business in Thailand. Better not to. An old friend of mine had a gun pulled on him when he became too successful. Some jealous locals decided to run him out of town. He left Thailand shortly after and has never been back. He was a lovely guy, gentle and polite. He in no way asked for it.

So yeah, when I hear about all these gun crimes, I get scared. I personally feel as though Thailand is getting more and more dangerous, and this will only increase as the economy worsens and the Thais start to feel the pinch... and of course, when the event that we can't talk about here happens... which I don't think is gonna be too far down the road. What about the power vacuum left behind then.

Trying to compare Thailand with other countries, though, especially those in the west is like trying to compare apples with oranges. You can't just take the Bronx and compare it with Pattaya, it doesn't work like that. This is not our country, and never will be. We are not Thai. We will be the first in the firing line. Period. You just need to be in an accident or try and report something to the police to know that. If you read the papers from back home it looks like you could easily get stabbed by some crazy psycho on your way to Sainsburys... But, here, it's more about what doesn't get reported and it's much more about whats beneath the friendly smiles that we need to be worried about and I'm sad to say, but I honestly think that my stay here in Thailand will not be for much longer. That's just the way I see things going.

Dr_Pat_Pong I hear you.

Thanks Mario2008. Great news that I can get it in Brisbane.

Do you know what sort of documentation or proof you need to be able to show that you are visiting family or friends?

Dunno, but this one must be from the same litter...

OP said he got the dog in Bangkok...?!

Whats that saying about dogs being like their owners! LOL Hope that's not the case!!!

Is that dog chewing on it's own leg...?

Hi all,

OK, a bit of background first...

I'm British (passport) but have Aussie PR. I'm heading back to Oz in a couple of weeks time, and while I'm out of Thailand I want to apply for a 1 year multiple entry tourist visa (I think this is officially called the Non-Im 'O').

I have two options. One is to apply in Oz. The other would be to send my passport off to the UK and get it from there. My questions then are:

Does anyone have any experience of obtaining this visa in Oz? Can you even GET one of these visas in Oz???

I've read various posts, but all of them are old now, and so am not sure if they still relate. Some say Brisbane is the best, some say Perth, another says Adelaide are issuing, others say they are not... (what a mindfield!!!) On calling the Thai embassy in Sydney today though - it appears that they won't issue it to anyone under the age of 50! I haven't called any of the others yet, as they are now closed for the day... So I was just wondering if anyone has any up-to-date advice or info given the latest visa changes.

My other option is to apply for the visa by post, in Hull.

I've heard there is a quick turnaround time, and this is an easy and usually successful process. Can anyone confirm they are still issuing and it is as straight-forward as it appears.

Thanks so much, in advance, for any info. I appreciate you guys taking the time out to answer these questions!

Hi all,

I am a UK citizen who has been living in Thailand for more than 12 months. I'm actually applying for my Australian Permanent residency which I hope will be completed in the next few months.

As part of my application (to prove to the Aussies that I've been good and not been in trouble while living here in the LOS) I need a 'Thai Police Clearance Certificate'.

I can't find much info on the web about it -- most relates to Thai nationals who need police clearance checks. So I was wondering if anyone has any experience or knows of the process involved. Where to go, how much, how long it takes, etc.

Thanks

Can anyone from verify that this was a genuine story, reported in a Thai newspaper from around September 2007?

http://whatismatt.com/crazed-rapist-attack...es-in-thailand/

If anyone can remember it, or knows of what happened to the character in the story, I'd appreciate more info on it!