Utley

Stupid questions on Thai Visa.

If someone took your rice bowl away from you, how would you act? I am not justifying the young lady's actions, only explaining them.

"He said the IMF mission welcomed the authorities’ commitment to fiscal discipline, including their objectives of keeping the public debt ratio under 50 per cent of GDP and balancing the central government budget by 2017."

Fiscal discipline????

Actually, Public Debt at 50% or less of GDP is fiscally very good. Compared to the US at circa 74% and Japan at circa 214%, and NZ at circa 45% (2010 figures). No matter how we may view Thai politics and economics, it is a strong emerging economy with fairly sound fundamental ratios.

"Total (U.S) government spending continues to be around 42 percent of GDP." according to the 2013 Index of Economic Freeedom: http://www.heritage.org/index/country/unitedstates From where did you get your number of 74%?

Do Thai rice farmers have to grow the rice themselves that they sell to the Thai Government or can they purchase rice from their Laotian and Cambodian neighbors? If not - how would anyone know?

Let me see if I have this straight. The Thai Government buys rice from farmers above open market rates, then contracts warehouses in which to store the rice while it degrades over time, then eventually sells the rice for less than which they purchased it. How in the world could anyone think that this program could possibly lose money?

I believe what TOT is talking about is their 3G WAN Internet service (I think it's called TOT-Net). As it is a WAN, it has a limited capacity of participants - in this case 30 subscribers. The TOT clerk was trying to tell you that the WAN in your area is fully subscribed.

That full crap doesn't wash with me Ive heard of recent subscribers and people having Internet installed around the town,they told us last week they could do it no problem and now all of a sudden they can't.This service is not 3G it's proper Internet,if I wanted 3G I'd be happy enough using my phone.When your dealing with people who know as little about things as what you do and they are supposed to be the experts it's not easy.

Around town they are close enough to receive cable. If you are 6 kilometers or so out of town, you are beyond their cable reach (really DSL - not cable). If so, your only option is TOT-Net which is a WAN with limited capacity. What the clerk told you last week is irrelevant; if she misinformed you she will never admit to it.

How Big Cable Keeps Internet TV at Bay: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-06-13/how-big-cable-keeps-internet-tv-at-bay?google_editors_picks=true

FYI - I don't believe that Thailand is the source of the "blocking" but rather the U.S. owned tv channels themselves as they don't collect any revenue for their shows if allowed to air in Thailand. They are trying to get True Vision cable and the like to pay just as U.S. cable companies have to do.

The ice cream cakes they sell at Lotus Tesco are excellent!

I believe what TOT is talking about is their 3G WAN Internet service (I think it's called TOT-Net). As it is a WAN, it has a limited capacity of participants - in this case 30 subscribers. The TOT clerk was trying to tell you that the WAN in your area is fully subscribed.

Sounds to me like Wing 46 is claiming "squatter's rights"!

IMHO the Taliban Militants do nothing in the name of religion but rather to intimidate and force the locals to be docile. What I do not understand is why the locals accept this sort of thing. Are their own lives really more important than the lives of the ones being butchered? Whatever happened to the concept of standing up to the bullies and protecting one's own family and that of their neighbors? John Wayne - we need you now!

Many highly respected journalists on the ground in Afghanistan & others have stated that the Taliban were originally welcomed as they stopped the exploitation & general mayhem by the variously regional ethnic & tribal warlords after the pull out by the Soviets. However the Taliban then proceeded down the path of radical interpretation of the Koran and Sharia Law that turned the general population against them. The Taliban also oppressed non-Pashtun ethnic minorities. As stated above, those who oppose the Taliban in the villages & towns are ill equipped to take them on. It's probable that after the NATO pull out the Afghan army and police, who have been equipped and trained by NATO, will degenerate into tribal and ethnic factions and all will revert to the same scenario after the Soviets retreated and the return of the Taliban leadership from Pakistan.

Senior NATO commanders, have admitted that they have failed in their COIN strategic goals, but often hushed up/replaced at the direction of politicians.

I agree with what you say - to an extent. What I would like to point out is that "religion" has been used for centuries to control the populace. The militant leaders, IMHO, do not actually believe in the BS that they are preaching but they do believe in using it to achieve their own goals - which has nothing to do with the Koran. I emphasize that this is my opinion but history does support my point of view.

IMHO the Taliban Militants do nothing in the name of religion but rather to intimidate and force the locals to be docile. What I do not understand is why the locals accept this sort of thing. Are their own lives really more important than the lives of the ones being butchered? Whatever happened to the concept of standing up to the bullies and protecting one's own family and that of their neighbors? John Wayne - we need you now!

Cos one side has guns and ma and pa have sticks and perhaps the belief that these murderers are actually doing the right thing, via a books words.

Maybe yes, maybe no. I do agree that stupidity and ignorance play an important part in this horrible scenario, but love of family is not just a Western concept but universal. And while the militants may have more modern equipment, both sides do have firearms. AK-47's are pretty much everywhere.

IMHO the Taliban Militants do nothing in the name of religion but rather to intimidate and force the locals to be docile. What I do not understand is why the locals accept this sort of thing. Are their own lives really more important than the lives of the ones being butchered? Whatever happened to the concept of standing up to the bullies and protecting one's own family and that of their neighbors? John Wayne - we need you now!

Ipstar satellite sucks big time unless you have no other alternatives; and in my opinion using your mobile phone card is not a viable alternative. I suffered with TOT Ipstar for about 5 years until last year when TOT introduced WI-Net. I now have a 10 MByte download connection for a little less than 1000 bhat per month. It goes down occasionally but generally I am very happy with it. TOT specifically introduced this service for rural areas not covered by the major providers.

Go to your local TOT office. They can either set you up with a wireless 3G WAN if available or worse case scenario an Ipstar satellite connection.

An unemployed hairdresser in a country that has less than 2% unemployment......hmmm. From where exactly does her money for food and rent come from is she isn't working?

This is a joke.............right?

I am under the impression that the potting soil you can readily buy locally has not been sterilized and therefore may contain fungi that will attack your plants. Try purchasing some of the local stuff and place the bags in the direct sun for a few weeks turning over every few days. The sun's heat should sterilize the soil and may help with your problems.

And so it begins - just as Thailand is about to enter the bond market to finance their new flood water management program and to finance the construction of high speed rail links; oh and not to forget new ports so Thailand can become an international shipping hub.

Over the next couple of years, people who purchased autos under the government rebate program will begin defaulting on their loans - won't even be able to make the 4 years of payments necessary to apply for the government rebate money (if there is any left). I hope the banks are well capitalized as they are the ones who will take the hit.

The U.S. had a sub-prime home mortgage fiasco lending to people who didn't have the where-with-all to repay. Thailand is doing the exact same thing but on a smaller scale with autos.

The baht isn't done falling boys; hang on and enjoy the ride!

Acording to the 2013 Index of Economic Fredom by The Heritage Foundation and the WSJ: http://www.heritage.org/index/country/thailand

"[Thailand] Government spending equals 23.3 percent of gross domestic output. The budget balance remains in deficit, and public debt is over 40 percent of GDP."

Also see the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's report on Thailand: http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html# It says about the same thing.

Tried Google Earth to figure out which one is Lod Canal. Got no answer.

Can someone point me to Lod Canal on a map?