freddy

This is quite possibly the final straw for me. I have lived here for 20 years, have a wonderful wife who I have been with for 17 years and a 14 year old daughter. The last time the visa rules were re-written we actually benefitted as the business I paid to set up gave my wife more than enough income to pay her taxes with and for me to get my 1 year extension, it now seems that this will not be good enough and our staying together will, once again, be at the whim of one of Thailands finest (sic), I have had enough and will now look for ways to leave Thailand taking my family with me. Once they are settled in the UK my wife will be able to work anywhere she wishes form the moment she arrives in the country and within a few years will be able to apply for UK citizenship. Of course, Thailand will be the net loser as usual but I would rather live in a country which, despite its awful weather and lack of eye candy, treats its citizens with respect and courtesy, with equal opportunities for all, a free health care system, airports that don't get taken over by hired thugs etc. etc. You get the point.

Adieu Thailand (land of the free.................ha ha)

I feel no sympathy at all for Thai Airways. The fact that they survive at all is a mystery to me. The "freebie" flights they give away to every Tom, Dick and Harry Puu Yai surely makes them the laughing stock of the airline industry. It is run like a cosy little club for the elites, all part of the plutocracy.

Agree on all of the above and actually stopped going there a few years ago when I noticed that despite the pricing being the same for locals and foreigners, the portion sizes were certainly not!!! Obviously an attempt to leave the farang hungry so they have to spend more!!! TIT

Akbar in Soi 3, great value and consistently good food. Just up from the junction with Sukhumvit on LHS

A cutter blade at a sharp angle (25-45 degrees) will work. Use this all the time in my picture frame workshop, just be careful with the angle.

Good opportunity for her to learn that she doesn't have to agree or take side with her peers. Encourage her, tell her that her friends should respect her position and that she is free to think what she wants.

I agree! thank you. She spent her primary years at an International school so has a somewhat different mindset to that of her peers (yellow shirts) who have it seems been "brainwashed" by this age, sadly. She is strong mentally and has studied martial arts for four years so can't be physically bullied or pushed around and I have told her to take the middle path on this one.

bring an Easyjet or AirAsia service to Samui --- 99 THB One Way ! , will boast Tourism !

The 2 biggest tourism-killers on koh samui is still Bangkok airways monopoly situation and the crazy Taxi-maffia.

My oppinion

Hear! hear!

At last logic and common sense prevails!! Who said they didn't have it in them!!!?

Everybody.

Mine was a rhetorical question!!!

Friends, bilingual school mostly Chinese Thai kids

My 14 year old luk krung daughter is being pushed to take sides at school in the red/yellow debate. She is adament that she wishes to remain neutral. Is anyone elses children encountering the same behaviour?

Since the recent "takeover" of the main International Airports I seem to have noticed a marked improvement in the attitude of Thais towards foreigners, is it my imagination or has anyone else noticed this?

At last logic and common sense prevails!! Who said they didn't have it in them!!!?

I was qouted 11,000 Baht for the Dusit Resorts "GALA" new year evening. My visiting family were going to check in there on the 31st but decided against it as the cost was going to be exhorbitabt to both stay there and for the "GALA" and will now check in on the 1st Jan. Greed gone mad.

Having had a few items go missing on their way to my Pattaya address I decided in future to have everything sent to my Bangkok address, no problems since then and nothing has gone missing (over 50 items over 15 years).

Travelling by train throughout Thailand is a wonderful way to go. My advice would be 2nd class A/C lower berth. Also try not to end up at either end of the carriage as the noise from the doors opening and closing will keep you awake. The seat numbers to avoid are nos> 1,2,3 and 4 and 37,38,39 and 40 (there being 40 seats/berths per carriage)

I often read about dual citizens worrying about the supposed Thai law which requires Thai citizens to "CHOOSE" between their various countries when they reach the age of 18. It would appear that the Thai Foreign Ministry does not uphold this law to the letter probably because they realise that if they were to force dual citizens to choose then Thailand would probably come out on the losing side 90% of the time!!!!!

500-1,000 baht for a haircut seems to be an outrageous amount here in Thailand. For the last 12 years I have been going to BKK to get my hair cut as I too have found most of the salons in Pattaya to be poor, I go to Sukhumvit Soi 23, 150 Baht wash and cut, the price has never changed in all that time, I also give 50 Baht 'tip'. In and out within 45 mins.

I am taking this piece of news with a proverbial pinch of salt!!!

My art gallery/picture frame shop can normally rely on between 30-40 customers per month but this month, so far, we have had only 6, this shows that no country will avoid being affected by the recent debacle in the financial markets and Thailand's domestic market will bear the brunt as much as anyone elses.

Does anyone have any information on any products one could use to eliminate termites which seem to be eating thier way through a gypsum ceiling. Some kind of powder or smoke bomb? Is there anything available here in LOS.

NORWAY

A friend of mine, a few years ago, was caught throwing his cig. on a pavement along Sukhumvit, when the 'officer' stopped him and told him to pick it up he did so and then put it down a storm drain, the 'officer' then gleefully informed him that the fine for fouling the pavement was 2,000 Baht but the fine for putting his rubbish down a storm drain was 10,000 Baht! as he was 'fouling the water ways of Thailand'!!!!

He ended up paying 100 Baht, probably because he speaks faultless Thai !!!

BEWARE OF STORM DRAINS!!!

When the world turns right, Thailand turns left.

Forgive them for they know not what they do

In a word................RETARDS !

For those people who don't live in the 'designated zones' but who have noisy karaoke bars, discos etc. nearby, presently keeping them awake half the night, this new law SHOULD bring them relief.