ekkamai

What's new? This is the way it has been for years. We have been coughing up with 800K each for 5-6 years by now. I wonder when they will raise it...

I was at Pakse Airport 2 weeks ago during a torrential rainstorm waiting for my Lao Airlines flight out to BKK via Suvannaket. The ATR aircraft could take off from Pakse during the heavy rain but none could land. At the transit stop at Suvannaket, three Lao Airlines flights to Pakse were delayed as they could not land at Pakse due to rain low cloud and poor visibilty. My guess is that this doomed flight took a risk or a freak storm event happened during approach.

According to a Thai language news report, the Cambodian pilot decided to take the risk to go ahead and land anyway, despite these conditions and concerns from the cabin crew. Perhaps going back to Savannakhet or even choosing Ubon Ratchathani as an alternate should have been considered (assuming better visibility and weather conditions there) but well, it's too little too late now. Let's see what the outcome of the accident investigation yields so we'll know more. Anyway, a very tragic accident and whatever the exact cause(s) was/were, there are a couple of past crashes from various airlines that sound similar to this one, based on the initial information at hand.

Once airborne the pilot has to land somewhere. Weather conditions in the entire area within reach of this aircraft might have been unacceptable. Should it have taken of in the first place?

How can you permit publishing this list, knowing that relatives might not yet have been informed?

Sad fact: When all this is over, most of the sandbags will end up in the klongs. Brilliant!

What was the copper wire there for in the first place? Ligtening protection?

High Speed Trains in Thailand would be flying pigs.

Well, you have to admit that the BTS is (almost) flawless.

There has to be a limit to madness. This guy went far beyond, but in a democratic society his application will be considered along with all the others. Where is the reason in that?

LOL. Sorry, but I never made it to the end of the story. "Mr. Paul Illic Lasbussen" would be a mispronounced - and spelt -Paul Erik Rasmussen.

What exactly are all those mons doing in Pantip plaza? Every time I go, I notice that there is a surprising number there. Please explain - someone.

Buying bling bling and other stuff that distracts from the tenets of Buddhism. Also, buying it with wads of cash they personally are carrying (monk can't touch money which is why you travel with an anagarika (paa kaow - white clothes) who is a layman that can conduct transactions. Back to what I said before: forest monks are the real deal.

The ones in Pantip don't even bother to disguise.

What exactly are all those mons doing in Pantip plaza? Every time I go, I notice that there is a surprising number there. Please explain - someone.

It's all about the plastic bags and straws iisn't it?

I even get given a straw for big bottles of water in 7Eleven!

But yeah, the concept of recycling and how bad plastic bags are for the environment hasn't quite caught on yet. It's annoying.

May I?

2 cans of coke, 2 cans of beer, 1 bottle of mouthwash: 5 straws!

I was going to say again at Villa Market,Siam Paragon I've many a time been given a straw for each of the 500ml cans of Krombacher Beer purchased!

I wouldn't mind but I'm a big,strapping lad and look nothing like an Essex girl out for the night in Magaluf,Mallorca!

The supermarket in Siam Paragon is not a VILLA !

1. As for onward travel plans: Qatar Airways in BKK recently refused to issue a O/W ticket Montreal- BKK even though the person travelling was equipped with a 3 month tourist visa.

2. The visa was issued by the Thai consulate in Montreal. Fee: 70 CAD and come back to pick it up in 2-3 days.

Cough up with another 70 CAD and you get the visa straight away. The receipt was for 70 CAD only, but it took a mere 5 mins to get it. A bit fishy!

We're up in Fang and the smoke is awful. Hillbillies are walking

around starting random fires where ever they like. Not only air pollution

but the effect it has on wildlife especially birds in this the breeding

season. All ground nesting birds that where unlucky enough to lay eggs

in the wrong place lose their family. It kills all insects which in turn

means birds have trouble finding food.

Until the authorities can be bothered to get involved, nothing will get done.

The word conservation means very little here.

Well said. I wish someone (higher up) would listen to you!

How did Immigration actually catch them ? Did they arrive with a notice around their necks reading " I am a Fugitive " ? Teach them to carry more cash next time and it would never have happened

Whose side are you on? Do you really want criminals to ecsape?

I use an atm alot to draw for my daily expences . But I have two accounts I keep the bulk of my money in the account that does not have an atm card and transfer it at the bank. Your atm card could have been scaned about anywhere I have also read where there are devices now that can read the card while its still in your wallet so whats safe anymore who knows ....

I do the same, and have done for years. 2 accounts, one for the bulk and the other for daily expences. Net banking for transfers between the two. So far I've had no problems, and I hope to stay that way.

I went to the Thai Main ticket office in Silom road to buy a ticket for someone else from Montreal to Bangkok. Mission impossible. I never understood why. I then got (a much cheaper) ticket one stop via Qatar on the internet. Thai offered no service at all and the lady behind the counter had an attitude problem that does not exactly make me want to go back. I have been a loyal Thai customer for years and years, but am getting fed up with their prices and poor service.

I have been avoiding both Phuket and Pattaya/Jomtien for more than 10 years. There are so many other places in LOS. One good thing about Phuket and Pattaya is, that most of the "bad guys" seem to go there, which means that the rest of the country can breathe more freely. So far.

I thought it was reported he had a "mid eastern" apperance.

Looks like Mr Incredible!

Thats what all Danish poeple look like these days

Elin Nordegren doesn't look like that.

She is Swedish!

5 years ago a shooting took place on Koh Samet on New Year's eveening. A young Swedish man was hit in the leg. His only offence was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was an opera singer, his GF was a nurse. He ended up loosing his leg. He is the brother of my sister's husband. I don't think anyone was ever charged for this crime.

What is this all about?

How come ppl get away with this kind of meaningless violence? And it just goes on and on and....

pacovl46, on 2012-12-17 15:15:17, said:

Well, one can always get a single entry and then go to the immigration in BKK for example and get a multiple entry permit there.

There is no such thing as a multiple entry permit. If you are thinking of a multi re-entry permit that does not provide any more time to a 90 day entry - it only allows travel and return during that 90 days.

Rubbish. Your re-entry permit allows you to come and go as you like within the visa you have. If you stay longer than 90 days on a retirement visa (issued in Thailand) you just have to report.

A Multi Re Entry Permit allows you to come and go during your current permission to stay.

Retirement Visas are not issued in Thailand.

Correct. But they are extended in Thailand. The ones issued abroad forces you to leave every 90 days. The extention does not.

pacovl46, on 2012-12-17 15:15:17, said:

Well, one can always get a single entry and then go to the immigration in BKK for example and get a multiple entry permit there.

There is no such thing as a multiple entry permit. If you are thinking of a multi re-entry permit that does not provide any more time to a 90 day entry - it only allows travel and return during that 90 days.

Rubbish. Your re-entry permit allows you to come and go as you like within the visa you have. If you stay longer than 90 days on a retirement visa (issued in Thailand) you just have to report.

Thanks one and all for your input. It would seem that there is a 2 step process and when I go back for my 90 days check it will be resolved then. As I said in a private post, the officer concerned was particularly unhelpful ...maybe she was having a bad day although it was early in the morning. My concerns could have been alleviated had she communicated that it would be a 2 step process.

Most of those Immigration officers - male or female - seem to suffer from PMS around 365 days/year :-(

Whenever I renew my one year visa, I make a fresh credit card size color copy of the first page of my passport and on the other side the current visa and re-entry permit. I carry it at all times. It is useful in banks, hotels etc.

My husband got stopped by the police on Sukhumvit around Soi 29 about a month back. They searched his bag, but never asked for ID. We never figured out what they were after, but his speaking a little Thai with them most likely made them give up.

Whenever we leave BKK, we take our PPs. You never know....

City planning and infrastructure are words totally alien to the administration here. An example: In Ekkamai Soi 12 they are right now constructing 300+ condos near the Ekkamai - Thonglor 10 intersection. Brilliant !

Which campus of Bangkok University are these pics from?