korkenzieher

So for those of us who don't know or understand about VPNs can anyone provide a good site or sites online where a mere mortal can bone up on the subject? 'VPNs for Dummys??'

As ever with things like this 'Google is your friend' - even if you don't trust the f**kers! Lots of sites have quite good documents about what a VPN is / does, and why it might be better or worse than using a proxy.

I've never experienced a problem using one, but I use a private rackspace server and don't use default ports. Hint: if a certain piece of commercial software uses a particular port, then if you don't use that software, but your OpenVPN uses its port ID, then what are you using?...

Agree with Cuban. I rent rackspace at a couple of locations, and run them as dedicated VPN endpoints. Cheaper than using a VPN service provider, you get dedicated IP addresses, use any choice of port ID, and OpenVPN is the software behind most of the commercial offerings and comes free. Absolutely rock solid and fool-proof, as far as I can tell.

We have a problem with my dads account - since he died last August, we have started getting email spamming from him. Quite clever, I suppose on one level - but of course the problem is that we don't know how to access the account to change the password, or delete it!

Personally, I agree with many that the price of a lot of consumables / food & drink items in Thailand now is uncompetitive to say the least. Even where things are cheaper, then it is more like a 10-20% difference, than pennies on the pound. Rents are much cheaper, and for me, that is the biggest saving. I can and do live cheaper in Europe than I do in Thailand (in Hua Hin, where I am based). Being an outright owner of property in Europe makes one hell of a difference to the cost of living there!

However...

Shopping I Thailand can be an art form in itself. Take Tescos (against whom I have no gripes as such). If I buy Heinz Tomato Ketchup, spelled like that, I pay about 150bt a bottle. If I buy it with Thai script on the front, and 'Heinz' on the back, then it is 32bt.

Similarly cheese, and any other imported products - astronomically expensive.

So the lesson is pretty clear - eating 'comfort' foods will cost you dear. Learn to eat local products and if you *must* eat (for eg.) bacon, then learn to make your own!

Sure you can find more crime in certain parts of London, Sydney and New York. But here is a clue - They Are Not Tourist Destinations! If anything the opposite is true. If you are trying excuse the situation by attempting to compare Phuket's crime statistics favourably with some of the most crime blighted spots on the planet, then you really _are_ living in Fantasy Land.

Compare like with like. Which other tourist destinations have similar patterns of crime. Once upon a time, South Beach Miami might have done; no longer. Agra perhaps? It is a tough job to find anywhere that consistently gets so much bad press _as a tourist destination_ as Phuket.

Are you all happy to use proxyservers for internet banking?

I ask because I read elsewhere that for security reasons it isn't advisable.

I have the same problem as the OP, actually.

I have used Thai based open proxies for accessing financially sensitive sites before, and am not too comfortable with the idea. I actually use a hospital in Udon Thani for routing over but it isn't an ideal solution. Coming the other way, I have a VPN with a physical machine located in London but it is currently much harder to make myself appear in Thailand when I am not, than it is to make myself appear in London, when I am not.

The rationale is simple, and many people may have been affected by it. It isn't anything to do with Thai Government paranoia, but with the increasing use of Geolocation software which means that ordinary banking and card transactions - even internet purchases - carried out away from the jurisdiction that the other party expects the card to be in, are increasingly flagged as suspicious for no better reason than you are not at home. This happens to me particularly whenever VISA is involved, but also recently with a US based company when I bought training materials. I used my USD / US Bank based, UK home addressed card to buy something online from a serviced apartment wifi connection location in Germany. In a way, I'm not surprised something like that gets their antennae up, but it is legit and flagging stuff like that every time would make cards unusable.

So if anyone *does* know of a secure service in Thailand, then feel free to PM me.

There is a lot more online these days than even a year ago, and I am personally getting to the point that I think books are something of a hinderance. If you need pointing at some sites just ask - I don't know if detailing sites which might conflict with advertisers would enrage the mods, so I won't do it on spec; There is also a number of books now downloadable or online. Certainly in books, Becker is the ideal starting point, but the grammar in it is relatively weakly done. Switching between books though, for relatively minor issues confuses some (me...) because I find I am failing to understand something due to changes iin transliteration, and so start going directly to the Thai script instead.

This is why I always book my tickets directly with the airlines.

That's being a bit paranoid isn't it?

Evidently not. I do the same. There is obviously no recourse once you've been scammed by these unscrupulous agents.

Same here. I'm somewhat surprised that there are those who would not, even without taking the risk of scamming into account. Local flights is one thing, but long haul with international carriers - there's so many booking agencies to choose from so prices are usually quite tight, and use of the credit card over the net pretty much ensures that there will be no problems. If internet usage of credit cards worries you (it doesn't me), then find the details of the flight and skype the company to make the booking. To be honest, companies like Opodo and Ebookers (sorry if that is perceived as advertising - it isn't meant to be) have hauled my nether regions out of the fire more frequently than I care to think about. Same goes for the hotel booking agencies.

You've all missed the point...

Tourist arrivals have been decreasing steadily and Thailand can't (or won't) do anything constructive about it.

So instead announce a plan that you will concentrate not on numbers but on quality visitors and presto the problem of declining numbers ceases to be a problem but instead becomes reflective of your new strategy and if anyone cites the decreasing numbers you've already devised a face-saving way of getting out of it. And if someone challenges TAT as to whether they've succeeded with their new plan to attract quality visitors they will probably find it far easier to manipulate (or outright invent) statistics on tourist spending habits than the arrival figures.

Overall, it is a classic Thai approach to a problem they can't (or won't) fix. Everybody will save face and look good and nothing will improve except their image which is all that matters, anyway.

I think you have it in one here!

No doubt this is the same Juthaporn that claimed only 3 weeks ago in a national newspaper that numbers this year would be circa 14m, and increasing to 16m+ next year, in spite of the fact that Swampy's figures for arrivals are through the floor.

The simple fact is, that the 'quality' part of the sector - ie, resort bound package tourists - are not coming because of the impression given by the Airport take-over last year, and the ensuing insurance implications for all (in the UK = ABTA) registered holiday resellers & travel agencies. Nothing is going to change that in the short term - even some inspired and badly needed policy changes here by central government and the immigration department aren't going to change that.

it was not a robbery, so the first suspects are the closest family/neighbours or business associates (if he had any).

It seems self evident to me that it was a robbery!

A long term resident of thailand is found with some foreign currency - emphasis foreign, not Thai.

So his Thai currency was taken, and the thief (if he is one and the same as the murderer) was smart enough to anticipate a conversation that would go something like 'Please, Kon tamruat, Somchai today, him change Singapore donlah, kah!'

There are some particularly witless urban legends concerning canola which are spread by the ignorant, the gullible and the easily-deceived in email hoaxes.

Which is why it is important to read authoritative sources, if you can cope with the jargon.

Erucic acid is a neuro-toxin, and prior to the discovery of low-temperature processing of animal protein remains in cattle feed, was felt by many to be the likely cause of BSE in the UK and downer-cow syndrome in the US - rape pulp is routinely fed to cattle. It doesn't need to be sprayed as a crop, because the erucic acid acts as an effective insecticide in the living crop. Newer cultivars may be less resistant - no info on that. It may lead to lower trace pesticide yield, but that is a trade-off for the trace nickel and remaining acid.

On the other hand, it is at 21% relatively low in linoleic acid, which is a plus point.

No urban myths needed. Just basic research. People simply need to spend more time looking into what their diet actually does for them, instead of reading garbage (pro and anti) promulgated by one lobby (industrial) or another. Informed choice!

My own favourite, palm oil, generally comes in for criticism because of the perceived expansion of acreage at the expense of rain forest in Malaysian and Indonesian plantations for use as a biofuel (I would prefer red (dura) palm if I could get it - Azeite de Dende in Brazil). Palm plantations are more biomass / area than rainforest, though without doubt bio-diversity takes a hit.

Just a little reading will inform you...

Totally endorse this. What you should read:

Why it is called 'Canola', and the implications of that.

What the FDA really said about poly-unsaturated oils and the guidance about not heating them (which always gets ignored).

The effects of Linoleic acid on the immune system, and its percentages in edible oils; its use in transplant surgery and complications therein. Note, this is not the same as Gamma-Linoleic acid, or Conjugated Linoleic acid.

The effect of poly-unsaturate consumption on the cell walls of mammals.

No need to step outside of Wikipedia if learned journals are too technical. It is all there.

I use palm oil for cooking, and only palm oil. I would prefer Dura palm over Tenera, but that is harder to get here.

Read up on Palm oil while you're at it.

I also use olive oil, and cold pressed nut oils for salads, flavour etc.

And after that, go take a look into Nutrasweet!

We will find out, in any case if you attend your course you will not have any problems at all, especially if you can open your Walen book that is all in Thai and can read it to them. It is a proof in itself that you are attending your lessons as very few foreigners can read Thai.

Walen School - Full support

www.thaiwalen.com

Very few Walen students too from what I hear, but i am sure you will claim otherwise.

Having attended Walen reasonably diligently, I can tell you what you 'hear' is wrong.

If Walen has a failing, it is that it concentrates too much on reading, and not enough on conversation.

They have been systematically closing all loopholes that allow foreigners to live here other than on a non-imm visa with WP, retirement visa, marriage visa or PR. So this is not a surprise. They are no doubt capable of using google to find all the ads offering ED visas for those who enroll in Thai language schools. The government view seems, rightly or wrongly, that long term residents below retirement age must be working without WPs and evading tax, so they don't want them here. Western countries would also not allow mature students to stay on ED visas for many years without getting degrees or diplomas from recognized institutions other than language schools. Perhaps they will limit ED visas for study at Thai language schools to, say, two years. Two years' full time study should be enough to achieve fluency in spoken and written Thai and enable serious students to go on to do a degree in Thai.

And then after learning Thai to a passable extent you are expected to leave?

So what is then, the earthly point of learning the language in the first place!

The whole point, surely, of the ED visa is to give people a legitimate longer term visa option. While study doesn't necessarily have to be language based, I think it is fair to test progress (in whatever subject area - even hairdressing) before renewal. I for one, having paid good money for the lessons (and processing - the cost of the visa in my passport is an additional cost), had full intent to get value for that money by attending lessons. But learning Thai only has any real value if you are ALLOWED TO STAY ON AND USE IT!

A bit bizarre isn't it? They say he has failed to pay a tax bill here, so they'll deport him to Hungary to pay a different one.

It seems clear that this isn't an extradition, but a deportation, and as a consequence, he gets to face charges in Hungary! Of course, if he has committed offences which can lead to his deportation then that is a bit silly but there must be more to it than that, otherwise every government in the world could repatriate anybody, anytime merely as part of a fishing expedition.

But anybody else smell fish?

Well, count me among the sceptics. Coming hard on the heels of the announcement that revenue authorities were going to start checking the authenticity of certain ex-pat's status then it has the 'smells fishy until proved otherwise' label on it.

I have no reason to fear this kind of information gathering, or even the implied fishing expedition, but I don't trust it either. The growth in number, scope, intrusivity of UK Govt databases is truly staggering. Perhaps other nations do this in a more clandestine fashion - who can say - but I won't be registering at an embassy and have never felt the need to do so in the past. Having been out of the UK since 1992, I find it somewhat galling that I need a piece of paper (aka a passport) from London to let me cross from Thailand to Malaysia and back. Remember, in the UK a passport is a travel document, not strictly a statement of nationality, and as such it guarantees nothing about my intentions on crossing any given border. Sure, it gives me access to consular and embassy services but that implies intent to return and suggests that the whole concept of domicile of choice is in any case meaningless.

There's a need some basic geography lessons.

How does an earthquake 50km off Padang Sumatra propagate a wave that could come anywhere near the coast of Thailand?

The last Indonesian earthquake was on that side of Sumatra and still swept around the corner. Yes it can happen as it displaces water that has to go somewhere. Last time it made it to Indian Thailand Malaysia ( upper in Langkawi), and even got to Africa.

Its a displacement of water that turns into a big wave when it gets to the shallows near land.

I was on the beach for the last one - where we you??

Whos to say the wave can only be produced in one direction??

Purely as a generalisation, because what happens is that one side of the sea floor drops with respect to the other, across a fault. Literally a step down. That means the ocean on the upper step is that amount higher up, and water flows down to to the side that has stepped down. That is why India was affected last time, but not Australia. The Tsunami itself happens as the increased water movement slows as it hits the shallows and water backs up, causing the wave to rear up. The reason this doesn't happen with some faults (eg San Andreas) is because they move sideways rather than stepwise. The Pacific circle around southern Indonesia, and Japan is all stepwise faulting due to convergence of tectonic plates.

I also am a Geologist.

RSM, IC Lond.

I am now getting blocking on my AIS GPRS modem connection to a couple of sites which worked yesterday - one of which is Betdaq. The banner page is not going away when I refresh. I still have access over my other connection which is Planet Internet. At the bottom of the police banner page is a reference to Loxinfo. What do Loxinfo have to do with AIS mobile internet package?

I am wondering what the ramifications are if an Expat wanted to brew his own beer and make his own wine in the Chiang Rai area - none for sale of course.

Can Expats do this in Thailand without risk of trouble with the "authorities"? And if so, are ingredients and supplies available in the Chiang Rai area??

Any discussion on this would be welcomed.

Petruchio

Without pretending to have expert knowledge, which I do not, if it is for your own consumption (and near acquaintances) and not for commercial purposes then I don't think you'll have any trouble. As soon as it becomes a business, you will. If you wish to turn it into a business, better to go legal from day one. Given that you are not duplicating a Thai product, you probably won't finnd the licencing too onerous.

You mean something like this ?

Was suggested on the forum a week or so ago on a topic related to UBC replacements.

Hi.

Yes, something like that. But that particular one once again only via credit card or PayPal (which also requires a card). I need one with local agent that accept cash payments.

@dave_boo

I don't bank with Kasikorn and anyway am looking for a cash payment solution only.

Kind regards.....

Thanh

Thanh, are you still looking or did you get a solution?

It may be possible that I know someone who can help you if this is still an issue. I think it could be handled by Western Union, though that might make it more expensive for you.

I noticed one post mentioned a 'clearing' system for degrees in the US. Is there anthing similar in the UK. My degree certs are all in packing cases in storage in Hull, and yet I might (big might - lots of dithering) be taking up a post starting 12 Aug. Would I generally be expected to show a physical certificate? Does anyone have experience of getting confirmations from Universities in the UK. I've looked on the websites of both my former Uni's (not yet gone to the effort of speaking to anyone) and not found anything that looked relevant.

Closing schools now may look like a panic measure, but the principle is sound. In the Spanish flu outbreak 1918, Ohio closed its schools much earlier than most states and its death rates and transmission rates were negligible compared to most other states. There is graphic I saw online (can't find it yet, but I'll post a link if I do), showing, I think, Maine and Ohio death rates and the difference it made is remarkable.

Of course, what made the difference then is that at that time, most families would be living in much more isolated farming type communities; so schools and churches would be the major mixing pots. An earlier poster mentioned that in Bangkok certainly, most of the parents will be working in offices or factories so transmission will just happen there instead and it might turn out to be a futile gesture.

For the past couple of days, whenever I open my browser I have been getting these annoying MaxNet Movie Buffet pop-ups appearing in the upper left hand side of my screen.

Am I the only one getting this or are there other MaxNet users having the same problem?

I'm not on Maxnet, but I am finding that google is hijacked, as well as hotmail. Every time I want to go to google, apopup gets blocked and then the Thai site comes up. I press 'Google.com in English', it points to a link google.com/ncr, which then redirects to maxnet/moviebuffet. I think this started today the 29th, though I wasn't doing much yesterday thae 28th, so it could be earlier. My supplier is planet Internet, but I don't think it is anything to do with them. I switched off the popup blocker to see what was going on. It appears to be browser independant. Am currently running a full virus scan, but it looks more like someone is playing games.

Thanks,

Got that. It is looking like the Kosit then. Main issue for me, is that I don't want to get up there and struggleover Songkhran, so booking in advance would set my mind at rest somewhat.

mfG.

edit: - duplicate.