BruceMangosteen

16 minutes ago, champers said:

A special mention for the toast which was exceptionally crispy. How do they do that? I will be back.

Generally that means the butter/lard was spread on the bread before toasting.Cheers and God Bless You. OO.

15 hours ago, Jingthing said:

 

5 percent service charge is added. 

What a joke. Never seen 5 percent but allowing this nonsense to flourish will make the end of the world. They have ruined Las Vegas with "resort charge"s. God Bless you and OO.

I've been through there several times including last year.

You are still better off getting an eVisa to Cambodia. Once clear Thai side the Cambodian side is rife with scams etc.. With an eVisa you can approach and retain, for 300 Baht, a uniformed person who will get it stamped for you, express style. Otherwise, can be a long hot wait in line. 

I've stayed only at the Tropicana. I did look at the "Grand" something, the room was crap. I've heard good things about "Star". I know you said a few hours but just in case..

Exiting Cambodia is once again a crap shoot. If no line, which is difficult to predict, no worries. If a long line the once again corruption or VIP for cash enters into the matter. Those of us who can afford it just pay. On the Thai side, entering Thailand, it can be a nightmare if a bus or some sort of group has arrived. No VIP on the Thai side last time I was there, you just had to wait. Hot. 

As for Poipet itself, I didn't find any sportsbooks or craps tables. Only roulette, black jack, and of course baccarat. There may be some other circus type of games. Slots of course but not my thing.

Prostitution isn't rampant but available using bell boys.(Khmer women, a few Vietnamese, no "boys") 

Food is terrible everywhere, at least it was. I didn't get sick and it did fill me up which is a good thing I guess, but you won't enjoy your meals.

There are bus groups available from Bangkok, daily I think. Search it, it's there mate. God Bless You and OO.

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Your understanding is totally wrong. 

Please explain it to us rather than just saying the member is "wrong". Thank you and God Bless You. OO.

4 hours ago, SidJames said:

Classroom or I-rovers.

Classroom has just been renovated with the gogo completely gone & a nice air conned lounge bar fitted out instead.

What happened to the girls and what about all the permanent barfines I paid? Thanks and God Bless You. OO.

19 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I think it's already been established that the requirement for a syphilis blood test for work permits came from Burmese migrant labour issues in the late 2000s. Your "real" doctor was misinformed.

No, because...as far as I recall and know, the Burmese who do bother getting permission to work, don't get the same type of "Work Permit" the foreigner i.e. from England or France do. It doesn't really matter at this point mate. I'll go with what a licensed practicing M.D. told me, you go by what you read on TV. God Bless You and OO. 

43 minutes ago, muzmurray said:

 

"maybe" - you said you were quoting facts !!

 

Yet another bar stool story teller !!

You two need better day jobs. Fact...The British "teacher" infected a female, according to a lab technician and a Doctor in a real hospital. As a result of this, the local "Labor" department instituted the blood test requirement for syphilis.  It isn't even difficult to cure BTW and has almost been eradicated in the USA and many other places. "those damn Brit drunks". God Bless You and OO.

5 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I think Bruce is just having fun. God bless him.

Good afternoon. Yes, I do participate because it's fun for me. But I also relay information when I can. This "blood test" is yet another joke on the foreigner thinking he/she can come to Thailand and earn a respectable living. The Thai's are never going to allow that. God Bless You and those in Manchester England. OO.

6 hours ago, muzmurray said:

 

Your "facts" have changed in the turn of a page, one minute it is a teacher infecting uni students, the next it is British passing it to bar girls - maybe you should dig out your dictionary and look up the words "fact" and "lie".

And maybe they are infecting both groups, or dare I say it? the girls are also in both groups? I quite frankly don't get your hysteria. This isn't my "rumor" or story, it was told to me by medical professionals in a hospital in Thailand. God Bless You and those in Manchester England. OO.

7 hours ago, thequietman said:

Really Bruce, one foreign guy gives a STD to some students and the government introduces a new law within the labor department? I highly doubt it. The massive number of foreign workers from border regions namely the Burmese was most likely the reason. 

I think you are confusing a "law" with perhaps a "rule" in certain provinces. It is very believable that the network of labor department heads decided to implement this blood test nonsense based upon a single or few British hooligans spreading syphilis from their homeland without regard for Thai women and their health. In fact, had you just been on Soi Buikow in Pattaya as I was, you would require it for all British entering the Kingdom at the airport and land borders. God Bless You and OO.

4 hours ago, muzmurray said:

 

2 things, you never see the person in the lab, because they are in the lab, not where you go. Secondly, you are talking, or they told you and you are relating - absolute crap !

You go to a room. There is a person there wearing a lab coat. He/she draws the blood from the customer. In this instance, I spoke with this person and he said the "damn British and their syphilis" claiming it was a serious issue in Pattaya. I then asked the Doctor who signed off on the forms and he also said "many British passing to bar lady". Just the facts. God Bless you and OO.

8 hours ago, Guru Satu said:

Lots of good info here, everyone. It is much appreciated. 

 

But just to be clear: it isn't necessary/common for teachers to be urine tested for THC? Just wondering whether or not I should avoid indulging while back home. 

Many teachers smoke at lunch or even in between classes. Remember mate, for the most part, it's a "backpacker" type filling the role of "teacher". This until of course it was discovered that "Filipino's speak good English". God Bless You and OO.

17 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

And the idea that a British male who infected his students led to the test being introduced is abject nonsense.

This was told to me by the hospital, both the person in the blood lab and the Doctor himself when I asked about it after my negative result was in. It's not my story, it's just the facts. God Bless You and OO. ps: Syphilis is often present without symptoms. 

46 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Some companies may require a urine test, but it is most definitely not a general work permit requirement, unlike the blood test for syphilis.

Never ever heard of a blood test as part of an employment application in Thailand. The blood tests for teachers was instituted because some British male brought syphilis over and apparently infected some students. I think this was at the University level, not under age, thank God. God Bless You and OO>

30 minutes ago, tonray said:

I have had 3 work permit med certs done here and each time a blood test was done. I also have a long visa successfully applied for, again with a blood test. And if you claim to have been teaching here as long as you have and have never encountered a black teacher....I don't know where you have been hiding.

No reason to get hysterical. I merely advised the member that blood tests, while perhaps required for Work Permits, aren't the norm for other long term VISA's. I recall it's tied into the Work Permit application? As for "black" teachers, well I'm glad you have not experienced or witnessed Thai discrimination against both western White skinned teachers as well as anyone with black skin. God Bless You tonray, and keep your head up mate. OO.

1 hour ago, tonray said:

Explain please ....

Having known many a person who got and continues to get long term VISA's, the "drug test" has only been mentioned by a few teachers. As you surely know, this test isn't an official one and many a clinic will provide the certificate for a mere 100-200 Baht without any test actually being done. The members inquiry said "long term VISA" and I was merely answering him/her. God Bless You tonray and your world in Thailand without discrimination must be quite joyful. OO.

On 5/20/2017 at 7:34 AM, brewsterbudgen said:

What medical tests are "long-term visa applicants" subject to??

None. God Bless You and OO.

1 minute ago, Airbagwill said:

What is the phone number to report abuse of this then?

Abuse of what? Their power? Sorry, "wrong number". Schools can make excuses for themselves but suffice to say they don't really care about you, never did. God Bless You and OO.

10 hours ago, ozmeldo said:

10 hours ago, ozmeldo said:

 

Having said that, I think it perfectly valid that Immigration wants something to back up your paperwork. Maybe the degree/s look sketchy? 

 

 

They have a letter from the school. It's not their role to verify degrees and qualifications. Neither the school or immigration are actually qualified to determine this anyhow. It's again about face, loss of face, and perceived power. God Bless You and OO. 

5 hours ago, Scott said:

It has become fairly common for immigration to want the degree authenticated.   In some provinces, they request that the school send the degree and transcript directly to immigration.   Some will accept the degree and transcript with some sort of official proof that it is real.  

 

For people from the US, the National Clearinghouse has generally been accepted as proof of the authenticity of the degree.  

The immigration officers aren't stupid. They have to know that degrees from some countries are more easily obtained and/or authenticated. This is why my last experience only resulted in an immediate exemption from this requirement as well as that of an Eastern European. I think it's more of an idea than a practice. Immigration has more important things to do than get involved in the qualifications of teachers. A good well connected school/director can get this quashed with a simple letter of phone call. God Bless You and OO.

19 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Exactly nobody has said that. 

We, those who support President Trump, have in fact been told we support actions of Timothy McVeigh. Talk about reaching new lows? 

Difficult to follow this discussion, but suffice to say a broken man, former Director Comey, isn't going to take down a duly elected President. I in fact noticed during his last public testimony he had lost his acuity and was on his way out. His defense of his rambling about Secretary Clinton's emails was more sad than disgusting. A man was losing his marbles. May he recover soon and continue his career in the private sector. God Bless Him on the way. OO.

4 hours ago, ThaiBob said:

 I think Bruce Mangosteen is wrong. Both the RG and Foodland will benefit from this location, only wish they had larger produce, bakery and meat departments. 

As is the case with most 7/11's, you won't find produce, bakery, and meat departments. Once you folks grasp that it's just an impulse store you will get the big picture, that of profits and losses. While I don't know the rent agreement in place, suffice to say Foodland decision makers aren't as stupid as many farangs who "buy" beer bars and GoGo's only for the purpose of being able to say they are the "owner" and to think they are in control of bargirls. God Bless You and OO.

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

 

I would have bought those two items if they had them, but alas, they didn't.

 

We ask again...what were the two items? God Bless You and OO.

2 hours ago, Naam said:

. a hole big as a fist in my liver which was wrongly diagnosed as liver cancer. the suggested surgery would have killed me.

Where was this diagnosis made? Thanks and may God Bless You again mate. OO.

39 minutes ago, champers said:

 

Just as an aside, they have Spanish Omlette on the menu and I beleive someone on here (JT?) was looking for this in Pattaya. Has green peppers and potato inside, but I don't know if it is authentic. 

They have a decent Spanish Omelette at Patini's on Soi Bouikiow, if you can endure the stench getting there. Nice AC setting but with a bit too much noise. God Bless You and OO.