Razzler1973

What's wrong with commercials on the BTS? Better than looking at graffiti or the dirt on the London Underground. Strange, but very "farang" thing to moan about.

A common misconception, the London Underground doesn't really have any graffiti at all and it's pretty clean actually

I don't mind the adverts, they can make enough money from that maybe they won't put the fares up

I am in the MIddle East and yes, plenty of Arabs do escape the summer here, which are horrible

Plus, it was Ramadan during June so even more boring as well as summer so good time to get away, can usually get good deals to Asia

This is maybe something farang don't use in Thailand but if you venture back to the UK, especially in London, everyone is carrying these things around

I know of a case in Phuket that happened more than 15 years ago.

A foreigner's wife used to sell lemons (manao) opposite the main market She sat on the pavement with some sacking cloth spread out with the lemons arranged on it.

She asked her foreign husband to get another sack of lemons from their pick-up, which he did.

Next day, immigration got him due to an anonymous complaint and he was deported.

 

It does happen. See my earlier post about risk and reward with regard to his activity.

Frankly, I couldn't care less what he does, but, in this political climate, my conclusion is that he's being very stupid.

I always think there is always A LOT more to these stories than the headline

It's not really gonna be related to selling Lemons it's someone else in the market using influence to punish them on anything with the whole visa/work thing being an easy one in this case

 

 

 
It was Seaman Staines, controlled by Master Bates as I recall............
 
 

And don't forget there was Able Seaman Sample!

Roger The Cabin Boy.....

 

Sadly, all those characters names are just urban myth

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/pugwash.asp
 

northeast or northwest nicer?   i dont like totally secluded & like good nightlife... (again basing on my experience of goa & sri lanka where secluded can be very secluded)

 

 

edit* maybe i rent a bike...  ive just seen so many bad accidents it puts me off

I think it's only really the road from Ban Khai to Haad Rin that can be awkward (even then not so if you're careful) ... the other roads linking all the other beaches are perfectly fine. Even the road up to Thong Nai Pan is almost 100% paved these days. Just a small bumpy bit for a km or two (this was couple of years back, may have changed)

I wouldn't call this a 'scam' rather someone tried it on

However, it's irrelevant if 1500 is 'a good price' or not, the guy agreed 1200. It also doesn't matter how much it costs in Heathrow

I always re-iterate the price, if they say 500 I say 500 back again at least once, maybe twice and get an ok

What's next ? Farang spotted doing the laundry to help his girlfriend ? Then big debate ensued to know what kind of visa is needed to do household chores ...

Pfft, farang doing his own laundry, don't be silly

Hey Suits Fans! Did you know that today is the BIRTHDAY of BOTH Megan Markle and Abigail Spencer!!?? That's right! Megan was born in Los Angeles and Abby was born in Gulf Breeze ? Florida. They are both 33 years young. (Aug 4, 1981)

Rachel (Megan) is getting a lot more face time this season to show off her prodigious acting skills, while Abigail shines on Rectify, after quietly leaving the cast of Suits.

Speaking of Suits Harvey and Donna are apparently friends from way back and even used to live together (not as a couple). How about that!

It's really a shame for an actor like Dean Norris, who had a great run on Breaking Bad, to go from one of the best series of all time, to certainly one of the worst series of all time. Hope if doesn't ruin his ability to get better roles.

IMO, it is not a great show, but not at terrible one either. However, if Dean Norris was not on it, I'm not sure that I would still be watching. He is the most interesting character.

I've known a few TV actors in Hollywood, and they mostly consider themselves fortunate to hit the holy grail of a long running successful series. If they never repeat that again, they do consider that possible even probable. Some go on to do continued successful series, some not. You only need to hit the big one once (Jerry Seinfeld almost a billionaire at net worth $800M, and never did anything worth watching before or after then, [even Michael Richards {Kramer} ended up worth $45M from Seinfeld]). And, even a lesser role in a middling series that lasts a few years can set up royalties from syndication that can take care of them for life.

But, I digress. I like the way the Dome started out, fizzled toward the end of first season, was shocked and awed that it got renewed for a 2nd season, and am fully expecting it to be zapped out of existence before any third.

*BTW, for anyone who doesn't know the site celebritynetworthdotcom, you should check out the net worth of various TV and film actors, you may be in for a shock.

Seinfeld was a guest star on "Louis" (S04E02). Played a rather unpleasant character very well. I wonder, if he did that as a favor or did Louis C.K. have to pay him?

They are very good friends

I think actors need to be paid 'scale' as something to do with screen actors guild (Jonah Hill got paid very little for Wolf of Wall St as he really wanted the part) but I doubt Seinfeld got millioniare money, he and Louie have been friends for a long time

Have recently (sadly) watched the last episodes of Californication and Rake.

With the final series of Sons of Anarchy and Justified this year, was

thinking about my favourite newish series.

So gangsters, what are your new faves?

Final series of Boardwalk Empire this Autumn as well :/

Orange is the New Black is great

I also really like The Good Wife, good legal drama, doesn't play for laughs but doesn't get bogged down in boring legal talk. Very good

Pratunam for me. Even without the 'buy 3 pieces for discount' thing it's still very cheap

The Chinese call foreigners 'Gweilo' which translates to 'Foreign Devil', so I guess 'farang' ain't all that bad.

I think that's just in Hong Kong (Cantonese), I think in China they may use something else?

I don't care about farang really. Even amongst fellow westerners I may refer to a westerner as a farang when describing something

I can understand in some situations, people may say 'farang, farang ...' and offer you a drink. They may not know you and we'd perhaps say 'here, mate, do you want some of this' but that's not really how they speak

You get kids staring at you sometimes but I get that here in the Middle East! There are more things to worry about than being called farang. I think if it was meant with any ill intent we'd probably pick up on those incidents

Two more places I should have mentioned in my original post:

Kin Lom Chom Saphan, 11/6 Samsan soi 3, Phra Nakhorn 02 628 8382

One of my favorites; an outdoor terrace on the banks of the Chao Phraya with a beautiful view of the Rama-8 bridge and river traffic passing by...quite casual but excellent food at reasonable prices...about B500/person. There is often a band playing and there is always a festive atmosphere as many Thai families come here for special celebrations. Weekend nights are always full.

Definitely call in advance to book a riverside table...worth it!!

It's in a tough to find location but most taxi's will know it. Bring the phone number just in case and they will give directions

There is a very similar though somewhat pricier riverside restaurant called "Baan Klang Nam" which also has excellent food. The atmosphere is a bit more formal.

288 Soi 14, Phra Ram 3, Tanon Tok 02 292 0175 Call for reservations and directions

Some of those terrace places around Samsen can catch a bit of a whiff of sewage every now and then though

This a one-off or a 'new policy'?

Balancing on a thin rope 55-stories above Bangkok traffic, Lewis, 27, took just over an hour and five minutes to walk 169 meters from the offices at Central World building to the Centara Grand Hotel [read more...]

Slow walker

I realise people are doing things on the side and on the islands it seems the crackdowns are a bit weak, perhaps cause local businesses 'need' the staff

If they are enforced 100% then they just won't be able to work. Just wondering if there was a way they could employ people in these type of jobs whilst still retaining control

You'd think the government would be into that as it means collecting regular money for visas, etc

I imagine the one around KSR must see a hell of a lot of business so probably a good, safe bet

Yes one very bizarre thing about renting in Bangkok are the "super anomylies" that exist here..

You can look at condos for 100,000THB per month in a Soi and then one building will be 40,000THB per month for virtually the same thing as the other buildings....takes time to find them but when you do they are awesome..

Before our current place we lived in a 300sqm place in Soi 23 (next door to the building where my friend paid 85,000 for a 200sqm place...right next to SKU University) that was my favorite place I ever lived in over 10 years of being in Thailand. It was (and is) a bizarre anomaly.

Why did you move, did it go up in price or something?

I don't know why people always mention how much 'hard work' it is to get a girlfriend etc etc ... erm, that's kind of life, isn't it? You meet someone that thinks or expects a few years or more out of you then they want to run the rule over you and you over them. That's courtship all around the world

In Thailand, and every other big city in the world, you can always arrange or seek non-P4P hook ups if you really put the effort in but in Thailand the P4P is even easier and more accessible

Having spent a lot of time in Asia the white anglo-saxon male that looks fairly decent can always get some interest from the local population in the right circles but whatever it is you're looking for I find you can generally find it if you look hard enough

Buying property on Samui and Tao are 2 different things. As far as I know you can't buy land on Tao but you can on Samui. I don't think there is any Chanote title land on Tao whereas there is loads on Samui

At present there are around 64 dive schools on Tao. Thinking that just having 2 operators will make things better is ridiculous. Having less companies but legal isn't the solution but I can't see the Thai Junta thinking things through in a sensible, business like fashion which is what is needed.

64 Dive Schools. No wonder there are no fish around. Best make Tao a snorkling only area. The fish would come back and so would the tourists.

This was amazing to me too, 64 dive schools on Ko Tao!!

I am not sure how the visas work for Thailand, is it like the UK that you apply and get one or is it directly tied to your job?

Here in Middle East your visa is directly sponsored by your company and reliant on your having a job with that company. Job gone and so are you within 28 days and that's regardless of if you lived here for 6 months or 26 years

We tend to renew every 3 years but perhaps there could be an annually renewed visa? Government knows where everyone is, has opportunity on annual basis to turn down renewals and ship people off. People pay taxes. Businesses are covered but no long term committment that they can stay

That's pretty much how it is here and people consider it 'home' here (when it's not really, zero rights, etc)

Had a quick google and found this:

http://www.thailande.free.fr/en/postage.php

Address of post office in Charoen Krung Road is there, 'Central Post Office'

Google also brings up the Lonely Planet forums (I expect that lot do it all the time) and it's suggested:

<YOUR NAME>
c/o Poste Restante
General Post Office
1156 Charoen Krung Rd. (New Road)
Bangkok 10500 THAILAND

Now that rings a bell so I'd go with that. No risk ... I mean, that is the address of the post office

If you can get a phone number maybe try to call or ask in the post office in Samui for BKK address but that looks like it, to me

That Resurrection was great. Based on a French series but not identical (apparently the Yanks are doing a remake of that too) but really enjoyed it. 8 episode series

Orange is the New Black was also excellent

That's interesting. I saw the French original and found it surprisingly good (not because it's French, they do great films, but because I am not that much into dead people walking around). So, I thought I spare me the remake. But might have a look now.

Saw the first season of "Orange is the New Black", found it highly entertaining, but could not watch the second season yet. Currently, there are simply too many good shows around.

I don't mind a bit of supernatural type stuff, done well. Had heard of the French show and heard this was 'based on' but it seems pretty close in concept, if not in script. Now they're doing a more direct remake (I think with Carlton Cuse from Lost) so will probably check that out too when it finally arrives, even if two sort of similar shows are on :/

OitNB is definitely worth adding to your list though, only 13 episode series so not exhausting

KL is good for going out and drinking. Massive variety of places, lots of local girls and guys out drinking too. Not that expensive but decent looking bars

What do you expect ? There is nothing different or even insteresting in Bkk. Your only chance to find more food is Pattaya.

Oh dear, couldn't be more wrong really