Lee4Life

We've seen the same thing, they went "back home" and then told another family member who came and visited us to pick up their belongings because they were not coming back. We can't think of any real reason why, we had good relationships and no complaints either direction.

This is one of the areas where the "Mai Pen Rai" actually comes in handy...otherwise you (and I) are just going to stress ourselves into a heart attack about it. The only thing that I could see helping is maybe a contract stating they are obligated to spend a certain amount of time with you after the training.

My daughter lives in the states and she bought a special pouch to keep her chipped cards in after reading reports that thieves with special devices can steal the information off your card while it's still in your purse or pocket. The pouch is made of a material that blocks the devices from reading the cards chip. Anyone else heard of this?

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

Just another opportunity for a US hater to spout off. International waters means just that.

And international airspace means just that. The Chinese had as much right as anyone to be there albeit a bit too close

Naaww....what's a few feet here or there?

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

Just another opportunity for a US hater to spout off. International waters means just that.

Okay let me see how folks vote (at least the Americans who are familiar with these chains).

Which would you prefer:

1) Subway

2) Quiznos

3) Blimpie

4) Schlotzsky's

*Note: I know there's many more chains but these were some of the popular ones around when I was last living in the USA.

BTW, my choice is #4.....

Not familiar with 3 and 4 Number 1 hands down best of the remaining 2.

Me too...I'm an American and I think #3 & 4 are names you made up

I like visiting the American restaurant and coffee chain stores here, but have a really hard time understanding why the prices at these and other foreign chain stores in Thailand rival the prices offered by the same chains back home. As far as I know they aren't importing their cooking stocks from there, at least not much of it, and the labor and operating costs here are no comparison, and I very much doubt they are paying the staff here back home type wages....so I have little sympathy for them if they are having trouble competing.

Nobody initially noticed the fire or is burning everything just normal in Thailand that nobody thought twice.

Just that normal, I used to follow roads to the big black plumes of smoke billowing up....usually ended up being someone burning tires, garbage or fields.

Joe is correct, the border closes at ten, but I was dropping off someone there at 9pm one night last year and there were a couple of foreigners trying to find a ride into town because Thai immigration wouldn't let them across, they said the Lao visa on arrival was closed. I'm not sure whether or not they always close at 9....maybe someone else knows?

Buying name brand Knock offs TIT?

nope...would be good to read some of the posts before posting. Has been happening to my shoes for eight years and I have never bought shoes here except flip flops. I just buy a new pair when I go back home every year or so. (and not knock-offs)

don't know about here, but dump trucks back home have lock bars that can be swung down to guard the bed from coming down on someone, people are still killed as many don't take the time to swing the bars down.

Headline should be "of taking care of abandoned children" not "to"

If true this is a crying shame.

Villages don't have a chance against big biz.

not so sure...didn't they lose the suit against the school girl?

So they are burglars but no robbers, and how can you OPEN something by the use of an electric welding machine?

Their translation is likely off. A Plasma Cutter looks very similar to a welding machine and is used by shops that weld but is actually a very quick and efficient cutting device.

Everybody moaning. And on the price of alcohol thread. If it is so bad, and it is, why stay there?

The price of goods at the shopping malls usually isn't a huge factor in where a person chooses to live, but is a huge factor in where a person chooses to buy!

The Chinese are trying to screw the Thais??? Well i never, and the Thai Govt have just realized this??

Most people could have told them that 2 years ago before wasting that time.

So---most people could have told America years ago==now that are now over 1.27 trillion dollars in debt to China--most people could have told the UK years not to get in debt with China---before they lost their steel industry.

I guess what they needed years ago was a smart farang like you smutcakes from 1 of those countries to tell them.....what they have now realised & your countries didn't...................................

Maybe they are not so stupid as the Farangs............

It must be hard to be so humble...and so intelligent. What is with the italics anyway? Are you quoting someone?

For mountains and scenery, the Northeast corner, Chang Rai, Loei, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai.

If you want beaches and coastline, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Pranburi, Chumphon

As far as NongKhai goes, where do you mean in particular? I live in NongKhai city, and aside from the Saturday night market along the Mekong River boardwalk, and it being a gateway to Laos, I'm not seeing much around here but treeless rice fields. I would love to be missing something and have some new places to go :-)

Cheer up sign language lady, they'll fix it up.

People losing their life and you have this to say. What is wrong with you?

Nice fish in the sewer of S.E. Asia

The Mekong is known as one of the cleanest rivers in the world for it's size. There are very few cities of any size and little industrial pollution. The brown color is caused by suspended silt particles, not pollution.

Is this a joke, the Mekong is actually the most polluted waterway in the world, I wouldn't touch what they call Fresh Water Basa aka Cat Fish.

And where did you get your information please?

Nice fish in the sewer of S.E. Asia

The Mekong is known as one of the cleanest rivers in the world for it's size. There are very few cities of any size and little industrial pollution. The brown color is caused by suspended silt particles, not pollution.

The UK police no longer refer to "accidents", but Road Traffic Collisions. "Accidents" infers no fault and no way to avoid, whereas in fact carelessness or recklessness are a feature of almost 100% of collisions, and someone should always be held to account.

As a Tow Truck driver I used to respond to car vs. elk or deer calls all of the time, There is absolutely no way a person driving at highway speeds could avoid an animal of that size bounding out of the trees alongside the highway.

I also responded to more than one call where a tree alongside the roadway fell on the vehicle as it passed by, one of which resulted in a fatality.

Another call I responded to was to tow away a pickup truck driven by a park ranger which had been struck by a large rock that fell from an overhang hundreds of feet above the vehicle.

I could go on and on.

I will concede that most collisions are caused by human error or recklessness, but not "almost 100%" of them. I would also question why the word "collision" would automatically infer fault. A collision is just that, it is one object striking another.

Most people use the word "accident" to refer to an event that occurred which was unplanned, regardless of fault.

Thirteen posts and not a single "the US should mind it's own business because bla, bla, bla.." comment yet??? Come one guys, out with it!

It's Songkran, they haven't woken up yet.

your wife's belief is idiotic the same as everyone who believes in make believe creators..............its probably no help to you though

Idiotic, well done.. Why does it bother u so much.. Hmm

I'm guessing he created himself. Wish I was around to see that trick.

Come on everyone knows if a dog plays up - hit it on the nose-have you ever heard of the phrase ' a dogs bark is worse than his bite' - mans best friend!

Wake up loosers

It's losers, not loosers. If you are going to insult people at least spell it right.

I agree with everyone who wants rid of these feral dogs.

However, protect yourself from dogs by carrying a stout stick. The dogs will see the stick and you will probably never need to use it: they will steer clear!

You haven't been walking in my neighborhood have you? Pulling out a stick only makes the dogs more angry and aggressive, and once the other neighborhood dogs hear the commotion caused by you fighting off their friends with a stick they come running also. The grave marker will say..." but he had a stick"

It's pretty hard to blame him. two days ago I and the wife were riding our bicycles past a neighbor's house and his dog ran out and bit me, I was so fortunate that it bit me in my foot and I had good shoes on. There really needs to be some protection mechanisms for people here...at least more than there is for dogs.