harryn

If you go to Cambodia I believe you have to pay an airport tax on both arrival and departure. KL would be a much better bet.

If Bangkok had opened their gates earlier this might have been prevented. But they did not want to take any risk and keep their feet dry. Now i can get out of control.

I said the same a while back too much water is coming you cant stop it you have to let it in. I have seen the water.. its still here rising a bit all the time. If one of your precious dams burst it will all come in.

We have felt it here, and i hope you wont get more then us at the depth we have it now its still do able.

It's quite clear that what you lack in knowledge you make up for in volume.

You have no idea what you are talking about. The Chao Phraya river drains the central flood plain, not the canals of Bangkok.

The amount of water that can be channeled through Bangkok's floodgates and canals is infinitesimal when compared to the volume of water that flows through the Chao Phraya river.

In other words, opening the flood gates and inundating Bangkok will have a negligible effect on the total volume of water that needs to drain into the Gulf of Thailand.

Allowing the capital of Thailand to flood will have little effect on the overall flood situation but will do great harm to the nation as a whole.

Your repeated calls for Bangkok to flood and share your pain are childish and irresponsible.

I am going to take a flyer here and I am probably making some incorrect assumptions as I don't live in Bangkok. I am sure I will be corrected where they are wrong but please be gentle with me.

From what I have read in the various posts is that the canals in Bangkok are primary to take stormwater and prevent roads from flooding. They also have floodgates at one end to alleviate external flooding problems (outer Bangkok that is). Some of the canals flow directly into the Chao Phraya river but others are pumped back into the river. Those that are pumped will obviously have a finite volume before they overflow into the roads. I assume that when pumping the water into the Chao Phraya river, they can only do it while the river is at a lower level )low tide) and it can manage the extra water. If it is done t a time when the Chao Phraya river is high it will just cause the river to overflow into other areas so pumping will need to stop. There appears to be a problem that some floodgates once opened cannot be closed due to the force of the water which means the canals will flood. From reading in the forums over the last week it appears that the volume of water is far too great to use any of the installed preventative systems to prevent a flood but they may be able to alleviate it or at least reduce the period of flooding. Good luck to all of you in the threatened and already flooded areas and I hope contingency plans are being made as to how to feed everybody and see to their health in the coming months.

Brits should not say too much did we not have a king called Canute

Yes we did but I believe he was demonstrating to everyone, who thought he was infallible, that he was human and couldn't prevent the tide from coming in, which of course no one can

As of 19:-20.hrs (Thailand time) according to R.T. they quoted as yet unconfirmed reports that Gadaffi had died as a results of the wounds received to his legs.

Hilary Clinton a couple of days back stated that she would happily see Gadaffi dead rather than alive. Understandable. Gadaffi was probably privy to many murky secrets from the U.S and a large number of European countries with whom he suddenly became bosom buddies with a few years back.

Bet Tony Bliairs ring piece isn't so tight now. Dead men tell no tales do they?

Personally I don't mourn Gadaffi's death but indeed it was very convenient was it not?

Similar situation to Bin Laden but not buried at sea.

Let's do a few sums. Apparently there is around 6000 billion cu. mtrs of water approaching. Never mind who made this calc but lets just take it as fact for now. Assuming it is moving at 5 KMH and is spread over a front of approximately 50 km by around 100 KM long (and we assume it is the Engilish billion, not the American one ) then what depth could the water be excluding any surge factors ?

so:- per hour the equivalent of 5000 x 100000 x 50000 = 25 billion sq. mtrs of water movement. So if 6000 billion cu. mtrs is approaching then we are either going to be under 240 mtrs of water or perhaps their figures are wrong ? - or my maths.

It is not your maths that is wrong, it is your assumption that speed is involved. They are talking about a volume of water which is , as far as a simple rectangle shape is involved, is length x width x height which = Volume. So Height = Volume/ width x length So we have 6000,000,000/50,000 x 100,000 which equals 1.2 metres in height. Hope that helpsclear it up.Unfortunately, as you point out, that does not take into account surges and man made blockages..

Of course you are right, it must be too much wine on my part. I am having to drink as much as possible in order to build a raft out of the empties.

Glad to be of help and good luck with your raft.

Let's do a few sums. Apparently there is around 6000 billion cu. mtrs of water approaching. Never mind who made this calc but lets just take it as fact for now. Assuming it is moving at 5 KMH and is spread over a front of approximately 50 km by around 100 KM long (and we assume it is the Engilish billion, not the American one ) then what depth could the water be excluding any surge factors ?

so:- per hour the equivalent of 5000 x 100000 x 50000 = 25 billion sq. mtrs of water movement. So if 6000 billion cu. mtrs is approaching then we are either going to be under 240 mtrs of water or perhaps their figures are wrong ? - or my maths.

It is not your maths that is wrong, it is your assumption that speed is involved. They are talking about a volume of water which is , as far as a simple rectangle shape is involved, is length x width x height which = Volume. So Height = Volume/ width x length So we have 6000,000,000/50,000 x 100,000 which equals 1.2 metres in height. Hope that helpsclear it up.Unfortunately, as you point out, that does not take into account surges and man made blockages..

I have read that the canals are there for localised rainfall and that the levels have gone down the last few days so as long as it doesn't rain it is a good idea to fill the canals then shut the gates. Seems practical except if you look at the latest weather radar for Bangkok there is a large amount of rain 30 mins away. http://www2.tmd.go.th/radar/svp120Loop.php.

What's wrong with pointing out this governments inadequacies!!!! I don't see that it makes us sick - if you ARE a red supporter then I have to question "who's not OK in the head".:jap:. If you ARE NOT a red supporter then what are you carping on about????.

You do not have to be a red supporter to disagree with a lot of the nonsense some come out with on here. Some of us do not support anyside and as such are not blinded and consumed by hatred of anything red.. Sitting on the fence some of us can see things a lot clearer,

What oftentimes goes forgotten is that the majority of people who berate this government and all it's prior manifestations broadly support the aims of the underpriveleged and those who might identify themselves as Red Shirts. They're the salt of the earth for the most part and many many do not get well served by government. Where we differ is down to who can affect change that can sustainably lift these people up and future generations too. It is the Thaksin cabal we rail against and I can forgive even some of the more recent arrivals here that don't get that. As their perspective fills out I expect they will.

Well said. I believe that most epole who lived here during the reign (and that is what it was) of Thaksin feels this way and as Farangs we have no other way of expressing our grief. Many came before him doing the same but Thaksin raised the bar and may still raise it further.

I am trained to rescue people and deliver first aid. I would like so much to help. Sadly, my visa dont give me the right to work. Sad but even with tears in her eyes, i can not do something else than watching those people.

Yes I remember all the Farangs who were helping after the Tsunami were told that they had to apply for work permits or stop helping. This was despite the fact that people were dying and the Farangs were volunteering and didn't receive any money for their work. I was just speechless at the time but nothing has changed since then..

i truly wish people like you would get over themselves and add something creative to the debate.

I seek real information not smug finger pointing and half-assed work permit jokes

I see you are a senior member and as such would have realised that we are all entitled to our points of view, whether you agree or not. I was not finger pointing but letting the person who was a paramedic know that he/she was correct in their thoughts. I am deeply saddened by what is and will be happening to the people of Thailand. I hope that clears up my intentions.

I am trained to rescue people and deliver first aid. I would like so much to help. Sadly, my visa dont give me the right to work. Sad but even with tears in her eyes, i can not do something else than watching those people.

Yes I remember all the Farangs who were helping after the Tsunami were told that they had to apply for work permits or stop helping. This was despite the fact that people were dying and the Farangs were volunteering and didn't receive any money for their work. I was just speechless at the time but nothing has changed since then..

hi guys. at the moment its a shit fight [ pardon the french }between qantas and the unions in australia. if its not he ground staff its the engineers on strike .qantas is trying to make big changes the way it dose business. and the ceo .is a irish guy called james joyce .who used to work for ryan air in europe .now if you know about ryan air. then i need say no more .and the unions hate this joyce . they call him bog irish . i am irish and i know what it means . .and the fact that he is on 5000000 aussie a year plus shares is not helping things. more info if you want it . james

Know what you mean SF!

Ryanair is hated by the unions (and a lot of their passengers), especially here in Ireland. They show the militant heavily unionised national carrier Aer Lingus up for what they are. Work shy, overstaffed, and underworked prima donnas. They are a parallel to Quantas and have been saved repeatedly at huge cost by the Irish tax payer in the past. We recently lost 1,000 high tech maintenance jobs offered by Ryanair to Germany because Aer Lingus suddenly discovered that they did in fact need the empty hanger that Ryanair needed, over which they had a lease.

Ryanair will eventually own Aer Lingus as they are losing money hand over fist while Ryanair are one of the most profitable airlines in the world. So hope Joyce, the CEO of Quantas and x Ryanair, sorts out the militant Aussie unions and protects the airline for the good of all the staff and their jobs.

!I despise Ryanair and particularly Michael O'Leary's way of doing "business". He was amusing at first but now he gives me a headache just by looking at him. The man is mad...no longer funny).

Totally agree about your commentsof despising Michael O'Leary. Remember when all planes were grounded due to the volcano issues in Iceland when O'Leary initialy refused to reimburse people for cancelled flights even though he was legally obliged too. also remember him trying to charge to use toilet in the plane, total lack of understanding of what supplying a service to customers is. Blackmail is more his game. Good Luck Quantus and Rolls Royce in sorting the issues.

Bakseedaa, on 7 minutes ago, said:

Cayenne, on Today, 12:49 , said:

Funny, I always thought that PR management was the PTP's forte but given the absence of a true leader you'll always end up like this during a crisis. I can imagine the Thai FM and Commerce Ministers having their hands full in the months to come explaining to Japanese investors what went wrong.

Its VERY easy to explain, Although this new government knew well in advance about the looming potental of a huge flood this year, there was something much more important to them... that was finding a way to bring back their Golden Idol, Mr Thaksin... They care about 2 things... bringing the Daddy Mafia home and lining their pockets with tax payers moneys... Water, what water...? And really, which person in government gives a Dam.......

Way to go Bakseedaa. In 3 lines you have described the reason for this and the many disasters still to come in the future. We could hope that this changes what has been happening through recent Thai history but keep the boats handy for next year.

As has been said above radar does not predict weather but computers are used to predict it based on past and present information loaded into the software. However I thought all important decisions made in terms of the future was made by the astrologers here in Thailand. Perhaps they did foresee it and left the country until the dry season starts!

I renwed my British passport recently and used the procedure you outlined. You didn't mention the bank debit form that you have to download and fill out as well if paying by credit card. I sent 2 photos and got one back so only 1 needed. In terms of your visa you don't say what type it is but I would assume that you will have to pay the overstay part from when it expires to when you receive your new visa. It states four weeks but I got mine back in two weeks. I now have to get my retirement visa put into the new passport which I am told is free.

Good luck.

Some friends of mine who are lecturers at the local uiversity are accompanying some students for a trip to China. In the past the university handled all the visa applications through the chinese embassy in Bangkok. They have now been told that they have to make the application personally and that they will have to travel from Phuket to Bangkok to do it. Does this mean that all future applications for visas have to be made personally and if so does that put all Visa application companies out of business with the Chinese Embassy (I find this hard to imagine). Any info from recent visitors to the local Chinese Embassy would be gratefully received. I note that the application form allows representation by persons other than the applicant but as we all know things change.

Lately I have seen several comments suggesting that the 5 day visa for the city of Shenzhen can no longer be obtained at the border with Hong Kong. I am intending going in April and all my plans have been made on obtaining the visa at the border. I have checked the web site and it still states that visa's can be obtained with the warning that the situation can change at any time. Have any members obtained a visa there in the last few months and if so were there any issues? Any info will prove useful. If there is any doubt it means a trip to Bangkok to get a normal visa there. I live in Phuket.

What can you say? For years speculators have been building like no tomorrow with a complete lack of care for infrastructures, waste control and actually asking visitors what services they require. It is just greed, greed, and more greed and in a bhuddist country. Well at least one law is going to be understood in Patong and that is the one of supply and demand. They now have supply but no demand and continue on the supply route. There can only be one outcome and it is arriving fast. Good luck

Have to agree with Onnut. I tried poison and other traps but the only thing that worked was the mats. You need to check them frequently or you get a very bad smell. The occasional rat does get away but I have caught 7 to date. It may be worthwhile tring to find where they get in. I wired up my outlets from the rain pipes as that is where they were climbing up into the roof. Good luck

Agree with Lopuri3. As long as there is space in a passport it can be used for stamps. Also air travel is advised as you get the 30 days entry and Malaysia requires no visa. He may be able to obtain an emergency passport from the irish embassy in Bangkok but if he has the space it will not be required. Good luck

You still get the visa on arrival as nothing has changed.

your figure of 9.6 btu seems way too low as it amounts to less than that of a 40watt bulb. The smallest airccon unit I have seen in thailand is 9,000btu/hr which equates to 2.637 Kw. Assuming a 220 volt supply it will have a full current load of 12 amps which is ok for a 13amp socket. However the starting amperage of the unit wll be higher but this is just for a small period but may knock off a mcb if the setting is too low. From your description of your room and with the unit running only at night you should have no issues with doing what you suggest. Hope that helps.

I think it depends on where you are, who you are with and what contract you have. Having said that I don't think we ever have a fair deal in terms of reliability and download speeds. We pay as much as it our homelands and get nothing like the services there, During the last four weeks mine has been ok but my friend down the road has had nothing but interruptions. We both have the same contract with the same company. Go figure it.

The British Embassy in Bangkok no longer handle applications for the renewal of passport applications, you need to apply directly to Hong Kong. There have been a number of topics on this subject, please note that from Thailand you only send a copy of your passports bio page to Hong Kong, not the original passport.

http://ukinthailand....nals/passports/

I know that if you have permission to stay in Thailand an Immigration office will transfer it from your old passport to your new one though I'm not sure if this is the case with visa's.

I didn't know that you only have to send a copy of passports bio page. Many thanks for that info as will simplify the visa issue here in Thailand.

Cheers.

I have the same problem and went to the British embassy to find out the best way forward. I discovered that all British passports, not renewed in the UK, are now renewed via the British Embassy in Hong Kong. All the British Embassy in Bangkok do is forward the Passport on and return it to you assuming you have enclosed a prepayed envelope. It is much faster to send your passport directly to Hong Kong, the address of which is on the web site (I think). A deal has been done with Fed Ex where you pay around 980 baht for them to send and return your passport to Hong Kong. A time period of 4 weeks is quoted for reissue of passports and 6 weeks for new passports. As you have to send your old passport I suggest you retain photocopies of the relevant pages including your visa while your passport is being processed. When you receive your new passport you should go to immigration and get your visa transferred to your new passport (this is free of charge). You are then meant to cut the corner off your old passport so that it is invalidated. Don't ask me why the British government are doing this but you can be sure it is not to help us. If you have an emergency while your passport is being processed you can obtain an emergency one on the day by going to the British embassy in Bangkok. Good luck.

Vitamins are ok. Most vitamins are available over here with a few exceptions. If you are not sure or want to play safe, get a letter from your doctor so you can show if needed

I certainly would not say that it is easy to find most vitamins in Phuket. I cannot find many of the vitamins and amino acids that I want. Yes, I can find basic multivitanims, C, D, E, etc, but none of the special vitamins I need for a particular disease I am fighting.

Doctors generally know squat about vitamins. That is not something that medical schools tend to teach a lot of. They are into pills of another sort...

What particular vitamins do you need for your disease? I live in Phuket and have friends in the industry so may be able to help you. Let me know