robanywhere

"Would you like some nuts, sir?"

"Not from you I don't..."

reminds me of the Ace Ventura line...

Attendant (Lisping): Peanuts? Ace Ventura: [looks down] Yes, I have one right here. It's bulky, but I consider it carry-on.

seeing that it was in pattaya, i'm surprised that ladyboys were not also prominent competitors, along with the gays...

According to the BBC, a statement issued by the Israeli defence ministry noted that Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak was in Bangkok on Sunday. He was in Singapore yesterday.

According to CNN, Thai authorities found C-4 during a search of the house.

If you connect the dots, it seems that these three or four guys were planning something bigger, but didn't get their act together, or missed the boat entirely....

Well ok, let's say it was going to be a major attack then. What is the benfit for Iran to conduct MAJOR terrorist attacks when doing so would only lead to a war that they don't want.

Threatening to destroy Israel, block the Straits of Hormuz and trying to murder innocent civilians - they certainly are not acting like they do not want a war.

Oh I see. So Iran actually does want a war. It all makes sense now. All Iran has to do is carry out a few more attacks and they will get their dream of being invaded. Its so logical I can't understand why I didn't see it before.

Afterall the invasions of Afganistan and Iraq worked out pretty well for those countries didn't they? Maybe Iran want to get in on some of that invasion action for itself.

if iran has some old shoddy infrastructure they want replaced, why not have the US blow them up, and then spend $billions to rebuild them with new bridges, roads, airports, etc. it makes perfect economic sense....

all over thailand, tuk-tuks are about double a metered taxi and 4 to 5 times more than a songtheow. it all boils down to convenience (songtheows are don't always go all the way you want to go without extra charge or changing trucks) and availability. negotiation is the norm, even for the thais getting in the tuk-tuks.

the other thing is that tuk-tuks are a novelty for some tourists, and they enjoy the loud hot bumping polluted ride around town, escorted by a driver wanting to take them to his cousin's discount gem shop... lol

i stopped taking tuk-tuks about 3 or 4 years ago.... no regrets there.

Bangkok will (must) adapt, as have all the great cities under siege by the sea.... New Orleans, Venice (Italy), and areas of the Netherlands

It just depends on what solution will be chosen....

Great historical port cities have always been established at the mouths of rivers due to river transport commerce, and are usually victims of flooding and delta-switching (or avulsion) , natural processes that are difficult to avoid.

For example, New Orleans (and US Corp of Engineers) has been fighting avulsion with massive levees for years... now you actually look UP at the Mississippi when you are in New Orleans....

The Netherlands of course is famous for reclaiming below sea level land... and keeping it dry.

water and supplies situation is the same wherever i go... Silom, Khao San, Sukhimvit, Rattanatibet/Tiwanon,. Even in Pattaya, water and instant foods gone.I have tried 7-11s, Family Marts, and Tescos.

The only exceptions have been some big Tescos have 2.5 gal water jugs from Malaysia (3 per customer), and lots of water and some drinks at the Suvarnabhumi 7-11s and Family Marts (B and 4th floors). Some 7-11s with no water on the shelf will have a sign in thai that says one water per customer (must ask and they will bring from the back).

My wife is a Pepsi Max addict, and very few cans can be found.

In general,

(1) supplies are being diverted to rescue/ operations,

(2) some manufacturing plants (e.g., water packaging) are located in flooded areas, reducing capacity,

(3) distribution centers have been flooded and temporary ones set up,

(4) supply chains and distribution routes have been disrupted, and

(5) almost two months of hoarding is taking its toll.

the water is gradually making its way to Din Daeng area, but not there yet. At any rate, from the airport you take the elevated expressway until the offramp to Ploenchit/Sukhimvit, so should be ok for a day or two more.

as i understand, foreigners are required to carry their passport or a copy certified by their embassy.

in reality, a good quality photocopy and other photo ID (e.g., thai license, etc). will usually suffice.

my Thai friend takes her Goldens to Naiharn most mornings, never a problem, but afternoons are too hot so i don't think she goes then. (probably the person the other poster mentioned).

with so many soi dogs at the beach, i can't imagine anyone would object to a well behaved supervised dog at any time.

just be aware that the beach soi dogs are territorial and can be aggressive (i've had problems at thai beaches with my little 8 kg dog, sometimes having to carry her), so you might be prepared if a fight happens.

Being from the US, these types of laws are actually passed and then later shot down as unconstitutional all the time.

Ummm, notwithstanding the "USA Patriot Act" of 2001, renewed for another four years last May (another lost opportunity to do something right).

... a law to restrict your freedoms so The State can protect your freedoms from The Enemy...

... i guess it depends on who's controlling who's interpreting the Constitution....

In the end its just one hell of a lot of water and Bangkok is in the way

nature will always win... and you can't change the law of gravity...

even technologically sophisticated and relatively wealthy countries can't control nature... just look at the Mississippi flooding earlier this year and the Aussie floods...

the Phuket regime of "transport cooperatives"

haha, this good, a PC moniker for "mafia"...

and what do they call the jet ski extortionists... a "personal watercraft liability syndicate"...?

wire transfer from the US by internet to SCB is usually within the day... I transfer in USD and is converted here.

i've bought colored sets of key tags at Office Depot, several variations to choose from.

@RichardBarrow: Safari World is NOT closed today. Only Safari Park is flooded. Marine Park is open as normal

most ppl have marine world looking out their back doors...

i wonder how many critters will escape from this park?

i bought the ThinkNet map and digital disk four years ago, available at most bookstores.

the batteries are usually easy to take out and then bring down to the IT center and buy a replacement... cheaper than a new unit.

i had one die before the warranty ended, and called the number on the UPS, and the guy came to my house and fixed it for free.

PM is addressing the nation and not one channel has an English marque, subtitle or anything that would help foreigners to understand WTBlank she is talking about...I must be a ghost...Boo!

TAN network, TrueVisions channel 78, carried it live with an English voiceover.

upstairs

no water around mochit / chatuchak as of this evening (near my work), but i hear that taxis are tougher to get... because some refuse to go to the area, and also there fewer taxis on the road (some leaving town, or just parking their cars to keep them safe).

like the previous poster said, best to take BTS to get closer to the airport and hop on the airport link or take a taxi from closer to downtown.

Was on the bus this morning from Ngamwongwan to St Johns (next to central ladprao) no issues at all, roads clear and moving fast, no Khlongs on Vibahavdi Rangsit.

Khlong Prapa is not affecting the area at all.

Just come in at DMK and catch a bus or taxi down Vibhavadi Rangsit.

i guess you never noticed Klong Prem Prachakorn, which runs parallel to Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road (200m on its west side) from Don Muaeng to Chautuchak.

I've crossed it twice a day going to work for five years now and it hasn't moved...

it's worth a try to see if you can order. i was told that they don't stock them.i had a macbook pro that needed a new DVD drive, and the apple store at fortune city (bkk) had to order a replacement drive from Singapore, one week delivery time.

keep in mind that new macs in thailand only come with the english-thai combined keyboard (which i why i have always bought in the US, where there is no price differential either).

so you might see if the dealer can swap the keyboard from your dead mac if possible.

oh, one more thing... ladprao may not be the best area to be in either.

there is always some flooding from rains around SCB Park Plaza, and the JJ area is fairly low and prone to high water. and two N-S running klongs are perfect conduits for the onslaught from the north, and might overflow (Klong Prapa and the klong along Viphavadi Rd).