damaja

any places showing the games in english AND HDTV.. heck, i'd take just HDTV and Thai commentators...

Ditto... is there anywhere in Bangkok confirmed as having World Cup games both on HDTV (from Truevisions HD) *AND* have also sorted English commentary (via VPN feed or Astro sat etc..)?

THAT would be the place I wanna go!  

Check out Sportsmen

I went to go to the Sportsman (behind the Dubliner - between Sukh 22 & 24) for the USA-England game and couldn't get in - it was packed out 30mins before kick-off!

Do they *definitely* have both HD TV and English commentary?

I'll go an hour earlier if they definitely do

any places showing the games in english AND HDTV.. heck, i'd take just HDTV and Thai commentators...

Ditto... is there anywhere in Bangkok confirmed as having World Cup games both on HDTV (from Truevisions HD) *AND* have also sorted English commentary (via VPN feed or Astro sat etc..)?

THAT would be the place I wanna go!

After a pretty chaotic (and at times, stressful) week of World Cup footy, it's time to seek refuge in the comfortable stability, cohesion and high-spirits of footy with us at Sathorn this Sunday - 4pm as usual!

Predictable outcomes, lots of goals, lots of attacking football, very little defensive play, no weird Jabba-the-hut plastic balls, no crazy/foolish/can't-be-arsed managers, no fees, no fits, no red cards, no suspensions, hopefully no injuries, better not be any diving, and absolutely definitely NO F*CKIN BUZZIN KAZOO TRUMPET VOODOO-ZUELLAS!

What more could you want?

Sunday, 4pm - 6pm - usual place.

Holler on here if ur coming or not!

no pressure...!

Last chance to enter a World Cup fantasy team into our league...

At the moment, there's 10 teams been entered into our league.

Our league starts from the 2nd Round, and all teams (even for those that started a team at beginning of 1st round) will start from 0 points.

so you can create/adjust a team up until the cut-off which is 6.15pm here (2.5 hours from now)!

See the link and code above

reminder to all that I've set up a league on the official FIFA World Cup Fantasy site.

Scoring doesn't start till 15th for the one I've set up, so still plenty of time to score in it.

3 free footy sessions for the winner and dead last has to play in goal for 1 hour! :clap:

If you've not yet got a team set up, I recommend having a go - it sets a new level of interest in all the 'other' team games!

Register at the site, here: http://www.fifa.com/fantasy/index.html

or: http://en.mcdonalds....a.com/M/home.mc

pick a team with the points you get (140)

Take note that you are able to substitute players from your starting 11 after every day of games, but any players you take off are 'dead' for that round - 1 'round' is a rotation of games for all groups.

when you've got your team together, click on "Create and join new leagues" on the right side of your team's home page and then enter the code for our league - 'Bangkok Footy Giants':

564521-134598

Then enjoy!

In with a stinking hangover....

Perfect! Cheers matt, we'll have someone to kick the ball at then

Yeah, I'd expect there'll be plenty today - esp. as it's World Cup etc. - but not everyone bothers to confirm

Been reading that Martin Tyler is signed up with ESPN to do commentary for World Cup games for them.

Yet when I listened to ESPN radio last night (while watching Thai TV3), it was 2 other commentators - 1 American, the other Irish I think.

Anyone any idea if/when/how we can listen to the commentary by the no.1 footy commentator legend himself - Martin Tyler?

dam_n! 5-Live has stopped mid way through 2nd half!

Might have known it was too good to be true.

Wonder how it got through the geo-blocking during the first half?

Ok, cheers Bob.

Anyone else for next Tuesday - 7pm-8pm?

And for this Sunday... who's in?

I went down to cancel the booking and they were cool about it, so no charge or credit lost.

I also asked again about whether we can make a booking more than a week in advance (to try and get a Wednesday/Thursday slot) and they basically said all the early evening slots on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are rolling bookings and are fully booked every week for the time 6.30pm till 10pm. The slot we had for tonight (Tuesday) for 7pm-8pm, is the only one available.

Should be noted, by the way, that at 6pm - 8pm on week days Sathorn Rd. is totally jammed, so getting there by car is pretty difficult.

There's *some* slots open on Monday or Friday, but I'm personally not up for a Monday as it's too soon after playing Sunday, and though I'd be up for Fridays I very much doubt it would be a popular enough time for enough to play.

If/when we start playing more regularly at one of the other places (Arena10 or Arsenal football school), we could reconsider according to their booking schedule(s).

So, at the moment we only really have two options for weekday games:

1) we could play after 10pm

2) we book again for next Tuesday, same slot - 7pm-8pm

?

Sorry Josh and Bob, no more takers so we'll have to give it a miss this week.

Ok, well, I only got 1 other esponse other than ones here (from Jai, saying he couldn't)

so, that's 3 - 5 takers for this evening:

- damaja

- groovetank (maybe +1)

- neutronium

[- angus (doubtful maybe)]

if no more takers/confirmers by 6.30pm we'll have to cancel I'm afraid

where's all the guys that couldn't make it sunday?!

Oops!

I nearly forgot to post up that I managed to get a booking slot for today (Tueday 8th June) from 7pm - 8pm.

I asked on Sunday after we'd finished about booking Wednesday or Thursday, but it was already fully booked both evenings from 6pm through till 10pm.

So, who's on for it this evening then?

Oh and many happy returns to Groovetank (big J), who turns <cough> 29 today!

:drunk::drunk::

One more year before the 'slippery slope' mate - make the most of it!

Yep, yep, yep! That time is here again - roll call!

court at Sathorn Sponsor Park booked again 4pm - 6pm tomorrow (Sunday 6th June).

So, I've got u confirmed SICA, and the rest? Same as last week?

Expected for 4pm Sunday 6th June:

- Damaja

- JonnyF

- Groovetank (with b'day hangover?)

- Tamo

- vid1

- Bkksteviejai

- Roser87

- BBBB

- Thehabs

- SICA

Maybe, but not confirmed:

- Jai Shankar

- Angustan

- FlaxChris

- Richard_smith237

- EmanuelSWE

- Neutronium

- VickSajnani

Can't make it (till) or haven't been/seen/heard from for a while:

- KCM (17th June)

- Beechy [Mike] (injured?)

- Beejoir [Chris] (injured ?)

- Sure [Kris] (?)

- MegaRanter [Meks]

- Luang [Dave] (? -injured)

- Chrisdino [Chris Y.?]

- ChrisMoss [Chris M.]

- Wossnext [steve] (?)

- MSingh [Wes] (?) -

Cheers & hope to see many of you tomorrow,

-Adam.

I'd be up for it!

Any day.

The trouble with some foreigners is that they think its okay to haggle over the price of just about anything as they are told haggling is a part of Thai culture.

Haggling over a sausage, that's a great idea. Do you think its okay to offer them one baht, or should I offer two baht?

Perhaps I will go to Big C and haggle for a plasma TV, offer them 20 baht.

Funny! And couldn't agree more!

And also, has anyone ever seen Thai people haggle over the price of street snacks? I never have.

Come to think of it, I've never seen Thai people haggle over the price of food at a noodle stall either. Nor at coffee stalls....

Funnily enough, I actually can understand and even accept (infuriating though it can be) when the motorbike taxis and tuk-tuks charge more when the traffic is bad. That seems to me to be more sensible and in line with demand/supply elasticity principles than situations like this.

But yes, when you know the benchmark and range of elasticity already, but are asked to pay an "outrageous" premium (disregarding a situation of low demand, excessive supply, or low 'production' cost), it merely indicates either the ignorance of the seller or the assumption by the seller of the utter stupidity of the customer.

Slap in the face, anyone?

"Not to mention that behavior like that can get you into serious trouble in Thailand"

again, you patronise me. As though I've no idea about the differences in culture in this part of the world!?

An appropriate, mature response to being ripped off is what?

To be happy about being ripped off?

To *pretend* to be happy about being ripped off?

To walk away as though you weren't ripped off?

I kind of usually do go for the last one, but on this occasion, I thought the insult to me was especially obvious, so I returned a small part of that in a small gesture!

I guess I would interpret a mature response as saying 'Sorry, that's too expensive for me.' or simply saying nothing and moving on. Sorry if I don't find you bird flipping appropriate. And again, I'm not patronising you. I understand you have experience in this corner of the globe as a resident. Don't think that I'm being condescending when I'm merely pointing out the obvious.

Ok, I would normally agree, but I believe you had to be there to appreciate the context and the OTT audacity (not to mention stupidity - when there are literally dozens of other vendors nearby selling the exact same products) of the vendor, which I took as an affront. Probably (in fact almost definitely) in a different context, I would have simply laughed at them and moved on to buy at the next vendor.

By the way, regarding this whole "you should expect prices to be 'flexible' in Thailand/Asia" topic, I would argue it's simply a sign of an immature economy; as it was common practice in many other now major capitalist economies around the World, centuries ago. But here, the paradox is that parts of the economy are modernised and follow free market principles, while others are not. Why, is a much broader and complex question. Recent events, I believe, would be linked to it. But then, we are just talking about "a sausage" aren't we?

"Not to mention that behavior like that can get you into serious trouble in Thailand"

again, you patronise me. As though I've no idea about the differences in culture in this part of the world!?

An appropriate, mature response to being ripped off is what?

To be happy about being ripped off?

To *pretend* to be happy about being ripped off?

To walk away as though you weren't ripped off?

I kind of usually do go for the last one, but on this occasion, I thought the insult to me was especially obvious, so I returned a small part of that in a small gesture!

but as for haggling over a sausage how freakin ridiculous is that!!!! Look how ridiculous it sounds!!

"Haggling over a sausage"

Ha yeah! Why that's almost as riduculous as flipping someone the bird over a 60 baht sausage that no one's forcing you to buy.

Errr, correction, it was a 15 baht sausage, being sold for 60 baht.

I'm not bothered at all about it if i can see that it's an expensive price for what's being sold, in advance.

But the way it was actually done, is as insulting to me as someone saying to your face "you are stupid! And ignorant. So watch while I screw you! ha, ha, ha."

I did smile as I flipped a finger by the way! Isn't that the way it's best done?

@dttk0009 - see the first line of my post ( "Having spent 8 years in Cambodia, I'm no newbie to Asia"),

so I'm "obviously" *NOT* "unaware of the fact that haggling is a part of Thai culture, especially in marketplaces" if I've lived in S.E. Asia for nearly 10 years!! Do you haggle for *everything* you ever buy while here?

And while I have never personally enjoyed haggling for prices in any part of the world where I've been that it's prevalent, I do understand and accept the practice. However, one of the basic premises is usually, don't bother trying to fool the buyer too much if it's clear they already know the going price and your product very well! Otherwise you'll likely lose the sale completely. Having seen the guy in front of me *not* even haggle in order to pay an already above average price of 30 baht, how much sense does it make for the vendor to then even try to double that? I have eyes and ears and I'm stood right there! It's a total insult to any person (whatever nationality, culture etc) to act as though I should be stupid enough to just go with being charged double what the guy next to me, just that second, paid.

That's all on top of the point by Randee, that yes, it's pretty ridiculous being told you should expect haggling over a sausage

I have, of course, many times successfully bought sausages (or other various street snacks) in Thailand, not to mention noodle and rice dishes... yet I have NEVER, EVER, in nearly 10 years, felt it necessary or commonplace to haggle over such items.

So please don't patronise me by telling me I should as though I don't know any better.

Having spent 8 years in Cambodia, I'm no newbie to Asia, and have had many very pleasant trips to Thailand - as a tourist and client (on work trips). I've now lived in Bangkok for 11 months and I must confess, I am seeing more and more every week I live here of a quite different complexion to Thailand than all the years I'd visited before. The duplicity I find 'popping up' on a regular basis is really starting to erode the love and respect I'd always had for Thais the many years before.

I live in Silom and had a walk down my soi to see how things were going at the "Together We Can" 'Walking Street Fair'. I have had plenty of sympathy for the small business and working Thais that would have suffered loss or damage these last 2 months, so I went down there thinking I hope they're getting something from this...

WOW! I couldn't believe my eyes! The whole of Silom Rd. was ABSOLUTELY PACKED! Not just with thousands and thousands of people, but with hundreds of stalls. Four banks of stalls - one on each kerb and a double-sided one in the centre verge - ran all the way from Rama 4 to at least Narathiwas Rd! In between these tightly packed lines of stalls, on the actual road, there was barely room to swing your elbows, while being carried along by a stream of people squeezed in between. I was astonished at several things, none of which made me particularly happy:

- There was plenty of effort put into putting up the stalls but I could see absolutely no consideration given to the safety/risk factors of having hardly any access or egress in between them.

- Thousands of people, yet no police or medical services to be seen

- Hundreds and hundreds of sellers, yet, I cannot possibly imagine more than half would have been possibly been ones that would have been from areas especially affected/damaged such as Siam square - which was what the whole thing was 'sold' as being in 'aid' of. So I can only suppose a large number were there knowing it would be a great opportunity to cash in on the 'national unity' charity sentiment the event was marketed as.

- Yes the vast majority of people there were Thais - one would guess well intentioned and looking to help out their adversely affected countrymen - but the majority of the vendors didn't look very adversely affected (unlike the ones I saw at the temporary stalls at Siam Square on Friday). They certainly would have had a MAJOR boost from the numbers there today! But the Thais I saw there looking to be customers to the 'needy' vendors, mostly looked like not very well-off average urban Thai people themselves, so probably of the ones 'giving' their custom didn't have a lot to spare themselves.

- I came to the end of the soi I live on (piphat) - after being buffeted and bumped and having my feet trod on by the stupidly packed-in crowd for the 150m or so I'd walked from Soi Convent - to find the *whole* of the street was blocked off by a tent! Barely 60cm was left unblocked - between a building wall and a telephone pole - for a constant stream of people to *try* to squeeze through! To make it even more ridiculous, there wasn't even hardly anyone in/using the bloody tent!!!???

And, the crowning glory: - Before I'd got stuck in the 'lemming' pack, I'd stood in line to get a sausage/meat snack, the kind of sausage on a stick thing i'd normally expect to pay between 15-20 baht for. I'd heard a Thai guy in front of me being charged "samsip" baht, then (accepting, begrudgingly, but still accepting, the 'slight' hike up from the usual price) I asked for the same (pointing) and asked in gesture and mouthed English "how much?"; to which the vendor replied "sixty baht" in English, while holding up six fingers. Then she firmly repeated it again, "sixty baht!", while I'd kind of looked at her a bit confused... err!? My patience already thin, I replied "hoksip baht!? Mai samsip?" whereupon she giggled in that now increasingly annoying way and then started nodding agreement to the latter figure, avoiding my eyes, as she put the snack in a bag. I then raised just one finger at her and laughed back! "f*@k - off!"

I ask you!?

I check the mirror every day at least once, just in case I've somehow missed some kind of subtle mark or tattoo on my head that might read "stupid" or "mug"!

I know it's not everyone, it can't possibly be, i still have some threads of faith left... but I must confess, I become more and more jaded about the "pretence" I come across so increasingly and which I find so unpalatable here. I must also admit, I only have a couple of Thai friends as yet. But, the really sad thing is, I find myself questioning even their sincerity more and more as i wonder if they really just humour me most of the time - glad to have a few 'trophy' farang friends on their list. Though they speak excellent English (so the language barrier is negligible), they avoid or deflect any kind of contentious or awkward questions I ask of them.

Awfully cynical and bitter as all that sounds, i really hope to be proven wrong - significantly and soon! I'm not one that can accept artifice and duplicty too easily, and need some hardcore, laid-bare honesty and sincerity to offset it and temper my frustration... where do i find that in Bangkok then?