TheGhostWithin

If you like, go to Suk Soi 13 - there is a side street on your right as you go down, the first on the right.

You will see a bar called Lollitas, with lots of girls sitting outside. Walk past them and through what looks like a car park. In there, is a hotel called the Crowne hotel.

I was in a situation like yours in November, and walked in there. They charged me 600 baht for 4 hours, you may be able to swing a similar deal with them

Hamish

I have friends that cannot even leave their houses in the south after dark, simply because they would be shot or worse. Females cannot leave their homes unaccompanied, for fear of kidnapping or rape. This is rarely reported. Nor are the photos published (except on a few obscure and little known websites) of the executions by Muslims against Buddhists as they drive to and from work in an attempt to provide a future for the province.

The Nation does not report these stories - why? Do they not understand that Islam as a whole, no matter how passive is an aggressive mindset? The entire philosophy of the religion is to convert or end the lives of those who are unwilling.

Islam is also bad for growth and tourism, most Farang will not step foot into a predominantly Muslim country unless for money, or they are inexperienced tourists (e.g. Malaysia, the destination for most first-timers to Asia).

I had a knife held to my throat my a radical Muslim in Kuala Khubu Bahru in 2004 in the middle of a market whilst the locals sat and watched the situation proceed - I was lucky to escape, and this was enough for me to realise just how much "passive Islam" the KL Government was willing to tolerate.

It disheartens me to constantly read Nation publications, showing Muslims in the South as victims, when they are too just as often the offenders, and on a much more brutal and calculated manner than their Buddhist cousins.

It is my fear, that if these savages continue to be tolerated, Yala, Pattani, Narathiawat will become just as radical as the eastern states of Malaysia, where women now often wear full viels - the very concept we in the west are fighting to ban.

Wake up Thailand, whilst Muslims begin flooding your southern Islands and work their way to your beloved Bangkok, you sit and ponder. One day you will wake up and realise you cannot fight them off because they have colonised your entire country.

Observe Chinas recent issues with Muslim terrorists in the west, and how they dealt with them – things went quiet quickly, didn’t they? There is a reason for it – their Government is not PC and answers to no one. Chinas government is a purely results orientated organisation. I do not agree with most things China, but felt their wiped the dirt off the floor well in this case.

Learn from the mistakes of the Philippines and their dealings with the enemy of modern civilisation and evolution, or go down the same path and end up fighting against an enemy so numerous you will never win.

The Baht is officially floated, however unofficially pegged by the BOT who control it by purchasing US dollars. Ifyou visit fxhistory.com you can look at historical values between USD/THB. Now take a look at USD rates vs other countries - only the pegged currencies and the baht are virtually unchanged (a few baht does not make it floating).

For example, look at the variations between NZD, AUD, EUR - these are true floating currencies. These are markets which rise and fall based on export sucesses and import consumption demand. The Thai baht is built on quite something else - ensuring that you cant get as many baht per USD as you can for the yen, or the kip...

I have traded currencies for 7 years and made a lot of money from it - if you want to have nice holidays but cant obtain baht where you live, simply buy USD and you will be just as well off when you arrive and convert in Thailand - this works for the same reason, that it is virtually pegged to the dollar.

All these two banks are stating, is that they are expecting BOT to acknowledge this year that the USD dollar has weakened on an international scale, and that they are going to allow some movement in the exchange rates to reflect this fact. The NZ Dollar overall is very weak, yet we are on market highs with USD.

This is a facade, and more likely just an attempt by BOT to streamline the export industry by cutting off the fat of the market and make those that survive more efficient to compete with Vietnam rice production exports, which is now outpacing Thailand. BOT realises that if they cannot compete with Vietnam rice export prices, the only thing Thailand will be able to export are bar girls and Pad Thai after Sanuk yuu tee Soi Sii.. Ka pom.

Now I understand how some people get such high number of posts. Aren't things getting a bit off track? I am heading back to Udon in September. Excited to see all my old friends, and say whatsup to Mr Tong again. I hear now that most of the locals go to brother club.

Things will have changed now, my friend Chris who used to run the Richmond Steak house has now returned to the UK - and I had heard that Mr. Tongs had gone quiet because locals didnt want to pay the high(er) prices. I also hear that tourist numbers are down which is good for the few that do go - it is definately a gem in terms of accommodation and entertainment if you hitch up with the right people. There are not too many bad girls or guys in Udon, unlike the night scene in other places. Shopping is also good, with the complex near to top mansion, and if you walk towards the complex from top mansion, and continue walking straight past fuzzy kens and mojos (which also does great food, but is more inline with BKK pricing), you will see a small soi beside the massage shop which has a few fruit stalls - go inside and you will find a fresh produce market. The night market, well you already probably know where that is but it is beside Mr. Tongs and in my opinion is one of the better markets I have come across outside of BKK in terms of range and quality of foods.

I went to the Yellow bird once and found it was fun, but very Thai so don;t go there alone because people will look at you strange.. its better to go with a few of the locals you meet

Expats in Udon (despite their reputations) are very friendly and approachable. Most of the permanent residents there are very honest - just be weary of some who pass through.

I can recommend my friends restaurant called Bossa Bar, though I do not know the exact address - very very good food and a live band. It is down a small soi and a great place if you have someone special to take. The owners name is Tae, and he is a personal friend of mine.

I do not drink in Day Night, because I find it a bit rowdy, but can recommend Tui Bar (first bar on your left) as you go into Nutty Park, as a good place to drink. Monkey Bar is a good palce to eat, it is about mid way down and good for a snack with beers. Not pricey and good food.

I was there a few months ago with my lovely (real, not part time) girlfriend. There is a place alongside the river, between the bridge leading over the river and the LiThai hotel which gives great massages (on the street, blind people) - but that is not what you are looking for

I did see a couple of clubs alongside the river in a similar area, though this seemed to be more of the young peoples dance/club scene.

I would have to say in terms of farang entertainment, it did seem a bit dull. A bit of a shock, because girls in Phitsanulok are quite good looking. But then again, it is not what I was visiting for - more so to spend some time with my lady.

Best of luck!

Usually those who commit terrorist acts brag about it. They want the notoriety. It's one of the reasons the acts are committed. The silence is strange, unless there has been an admission and the police are withholding the information.

When understanding the mindset of terrorism, and the fundamental motivations behind it you must consider several things. There are different types of terrorists and within those groups, there are subgroups. Individual groups often (but not always) have a repeated MO (Modus Operandi) which is their "signature" as such.

Take into account the Muslim resistance in the south, of which the Government still has no real idea who is pulling the strings - their signature MO is that of lack of confirmation of responsibility. What this does, is generates fear because we as humans naturally fear what we do not understand, and what we cannot see. If you do not know who is doing the bombing, it is less likely you will know where and when the next bomb will be. Security will find it harder to screen potential attackers and the likelihood of a successful attack thus increases. Thai people, who for the most part are peaceful and avoid conflict, naturally avoid the malls. Farang, who for the most part come to Thailand for shopping, and many to be honest for a little something else, are also likely to stay away. When you don’t know where the next bomb is going to be placed or when it will go off it has a lot more effect than if it is relatively known.

With the red shirt issues through April etc, most of the activity cantered in one area, and most Thais (and Farangs with half a brain.. I saw a few that felt it was their fight too, so have less than half) avoided that area to avoid conflict.

This is a strike designed to keep Thais at home - its voting season. This is an attack to stop Thais buying - Thailand is coming out of recession largely prolonged by the Red Demonstrations. A weak economy, with low turnout, gives the indications of a weak and underperforming government.

I sometimes wonder how much of the total consumption comes from the nomadic tourism population. I drink a lot when I visit, simply because I work very hard at home and dont have time to drink here in New Zealand. Thailand is a place I spend time with my friends, but also a place I let loose (responsibly) and forget about the stresses of home. I guess one good way to estimate this, would be to account purchases by the retailers in the main tourism areas vs non tourist areas.

I know expats don't live there, but it would be a reasonable guesstimate - maybe Thais are getting a hard wrap for what is probably a good chunk our own problem as Farangs (that do drink).

There are two fees charged when a person accessing a foreign bank account in Thailand via ATM (with exceptions to a few banks who do not charge the initial fee, I believe).

1. The bank which owns the ATM card (you don’t own your own card, it is bank property - read the small print on the rear) charges a fee, this varies depending on the country and bank you use.

2. BOT have in place a 150 baht fee, which is charged by the Thai bank on your account for any sums withdrawn, regardless of if it is 1000 baht or 10,000 baht.

BOT has no control over fee number 1, but absolute control over fee number 2.

Rucharee, I know good Thai people, and I know bad Thai people. Your opinions from what I have seen here, are discriminatory against foreigners as a whole, and very much pro Thai. If we treated you the way you obviously treat Farang around you, I am quite sure you would be playing the discrimination and racism cards in our home countries. I am sure you are a nice person, so please see the brighter side of life and appreciate us for wanting to contribute positively to your country, when many others have turned their backs on you. Though I do not expect you to respond to posts directed at you after one of your "outbursts" (you never do), I hope you do read this and take it in a positive light.

One would hope BOT will also consider ALL fees, non-discriminatory. The foreign transaction fee is unfair, and is discriminatory and discourages tourists spending more than they may otherwise have planned (I avoid taking out extra funds from the cash I carry, because of these fees.. I’m a Cheap Charlie).

Hi there HHGZ,

Thanks for responding. The Agent, appears to be an agent which lives outside of the building as they advertise multiple apartments in various buildings. I perhaps should have mentioned this is a short stay (8 days) rather than a long term arrangement - as much as I would like to settle for a change of scenery, right now I am just on vacation whilst I remain at home with the future in mind.

Further to this, I now realise I am blind - the company also seems to go by "Red 5 apartments". Have you heard of this group before? I just want to be sure that I am actually dealing with a legitimate organisation here.

Have been dealing with a lady named Sunisa and took a bit of a jump and paid the deposit for the room in October.

Kindest of regards

Hi all,

Although I am a long time TV user, I this time am looking for your opinions. Came across Bangkokbestcondo.com advertising in the classifieds, and wanted to know if anyone had used their services before? They seem great, but as they say when things seem great you should approach with caution.

I am considering a room in the Grand Park View building.

Does anyone have any tips, opinions or possibly experiences with them? Even experience with the building itself would be highly useful to me.

I am looking to make a decision today, so would appreciate all of your help. I am not currently located in Bangkok so not in a position to look at the apartment (the agent has indicated that it will likely be sold out before I arrive during the period I visit).

I would appreciate any advice or experiences any of you are willing to provide

"The extra funds are to go partly to increase the number of tourist police officers in Pattaya. According to an unnamed government source it is only deemed fair that the foreigners, most of whom don't pay tax in Thailand, help pay for the increasing costs caused by their shameless behavior"

Interested to know about this "shameless behavior"...

In New Zealand (as in many other countries I would imagine) you cannot make statements like this, even if you are government. Farang is a slang for someone of European Descent as we all know. The government is now demonstrating that it too, can be racist. Perhaps this is a reaction to Vietnams rising rice exports - an attempt at revenue gathering. But, as demand decreases and supply increases, revenue falls from taxes. This will provide short term gain, however in the long term will just encourage tourists to party elsewhere in the world.

I also noted, that Lonely Planet did not include Thailand in their "10 cheapest places to visit" list. They actually made special mention of Thailand, saying that it was no longer a cheap place to go if I recall. You would think that the government would source and research the causes of these kinds of reports to help their declining tourist industry - but no, too easy. Perhaps they feel they can weng their way through the crisis?

Abhisit telling monks to basically stay at home and denying them to express their opinion is just another example of Thailand's already shattered human rights record.

Muslim Imams dirty their hands in politics and Bishops sit in the House of Lords.

I do think that it is unfair to compare Monks with Imams & Bishops.

Islam and Christianity are the basis of many laws in which "Islamised" and "Christianised" countries operate under, e.g. though shalt not kill. Also, the Church in particular has long been both the sheild, but also the sword of the west for a long time. Both religions are as similar as they are foreign to each other.

There are fw similarities between Buddhism & the two above mentioned religions. Thailand does not have a history of monks "fighting", either morally or physically for regime change (though I am quite possibly wrong, please do educate me if I am).

IMO, the Buddhism really does have a chance to shine, by becoming a mediator in the current situation and perhaps even a moderator in government. For now, the Monarchy has done a great job to stabilise things, which is a reason I admire his Lordship the King.

The Monks in Burma marched because they are faced with an opressive, anti-democratic regime. There is relative freedom in Thailand, where most (with exceptions acknowledged) can live their lives without political interferrence. I would find it hard to respect Monks marching on March 12, for any side.

Its times like this we ask..

What would Sifu Do ??

Probably don a blue shirt and a mask over his face - I recall those guys being very good at hand to hand combat in Pattaya too. Interesting how Sifu is also from there. Was the Yellow "SWAT" Hummer at the scene of the last lot of rabble in Pattaya?

Oh, so the Baht is a currency that the Thai government can devalue at will? How would they do that? Will there be any other consequences, apart from making it cheaper for tourists?

You seem to have thought it out, so I am curious to learn from you.

TomBkk, absolutely - the RBT (Reserve Bank of Thailand) hedge against the USD (just like China, and various other export dependant Asian economies). Market conditions still have an effect on the USD/THB rate, however it is typically within 32-34 per USD range.

Here in NZ, we have a currency fluctionation from anywhere between 21-26 baht per NZD. Other countries (such as UK) have it even worse.

To devalue the baht, all they need to do is devalue it against the USD by buying USD and selling Baht on the global market Or, they could print more money (though I suspect they already do that, my notes are always strangely brand new when I withdraw from a SCB ATM, even in Udon Thani).

People think tourism is so important in Thailand, because that is there only experience there. It is 6% of GNP. Rice is 40%. The baht began its climb right after trade agreements with Japan. My hunch is the value of the baht is a thermostat for how much rice goes to Japan, so as to not flood or dominate. It's just a theory, but it was, 'okay you can trade rice and other products, but the baht has to go up'.

<< Feel free to tear that theory apart, or confirm it; but you can NOT think that tourism has the 'muscle' to affect the value, or the value of expats pension monies and whether they now do not quailfy fo visas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Thailand states the following information:

GDP by sector agriculture (11.4%), industry (44.5%), services (44.1%) (2008 est.)

Tourism does not even make mention (perhaps due to Wikipedias lack complete information) however Rice (under Agricalture) is less than 11.4% of GDP. Industry is 44.5%. I know for a fact we have a lot of tinned food made/packaged in Thailand here in NZ. We also have a lot of electronics coming in with Thai power connnections.

Out of curiousity, is Nana, Patpong and Soi Cowboy coming under the "services" section of this?

Also, does the stampede generated from pulling out a substantial amount of money in any of the above establishments classify as being able to claim for riot insurance?

But seriously folks, does anyone have any facts? I am heading over in a month to see my beautiful's family with her, and would like to know where I stand with things. She perhaps is less lucky, still being a Thai citizen

Thanks for the confirmation Ballpoint.

Just spoke to the wife - she heard the 'bang'.

Just glad it was a bit later, she/we both often walking down that stretch of road.

As well as plenty of farang tourists on most evenings.

Really glad no one got hurt (this time).

Zank

Perhaps this was a way for the decision makers to send a firm message accross that we should be shopping ay Gaysorn, and not the Patpong markets, and also that we should be going to Bed Supper Club and not Ping Pong shows? The high baht, rapidly increasing hotel prices, endless TAT releases indicating the targetting of more wealthy tourists, and endless crack downs has not worked, so maybe someone decided to try something new Just a joke, please don't take it serious - Im sitting on the fence for this one

So why is the Baht gaining strength on the international money markets? If anything it should be dropping like a stone!

It is rising because the Reserve Bank of Thailand has all but pegged the baht to the US Dollar (has been at 33-34 baht for some time), and at the moment the US Dollar is going up, so the baht will go up with it. They do the same thing that China does in using it to gain unfair advantage over their trading partners to preserve their economy in the case of recession.

As long as you all do as many of you do, and huddle together as Farang with not a Thai in site, except for maybe the bar owner, and everything will be ok

Advanced appoligies for those who infact do not scrum together on a nightly basis on Suk... No insults intended by any means

Foreign intel must have gathered something that the Thai authorities or newspapers aren't saying

Does this mean travel insurance to thailand will be up?

I know most travel insurances here in New Zealand have a clause, that travel insurance does not cover terrorities which the govt. has issued travel warnings for. You can still get insurance if there is only a travel advisory on the date of the purchase of the insurance I beleive.

remember, this is also a time for local gangs to get even with their counterparts, in fact it's the biggest threat of all. It can happen anywhere.

You mean just like under the "war on drugs" program when the police killed their competitors? I do not think so. This is just about a group of super rich and elitist trying to teach the poor a lesson. They have nothing but insulted the rural poor and every protest that they organize is wiped under the carpet because it is about Thaksin.

Thaksin might be a factor but in the North and North East is absolutely not the main factor anymore. It is about the fact that a large group of citizens are robbed of their votes and about the fact that they are called stupid.

If violence breaks out, it is simply because Anupong and friends feel threatened by the masses. I have not seen one violent demonstration by the opposition, something the yellow shirted people cannot claim. The protest gone wrong during songkran last year in Pattaya had everything to do with a large group of black and blue shirts send in by suthep and Newin who beat the hel_l out of the red shirt protestors.

Nobody seem to understand that you better leave things alone. The courts do not have any validity, this particular high court (administrative) was put in place by the junta.

I'm referring to the so called third hands and criminals who want to get even with someone. It has nothing to do with the red shirts demo.

Both the Yellow, and (mostly) the Red Shirts, have both demonstrated traits in which gangs have - both have caused disorder in the attempt to gain financial or political clout, and both have resisted the establishment in power. If this kind of activity went on a few km's west in Burma, or North in China.. well we all know what happens there.

I do wish they would move their protests and activity to another part of the year, perhaps during wet season on top of Phu Kradueng or somewhere like that.. that way people that love to visit Thailand each year and see its natural wonders and visit our friends around the country are not stopped at the airport by gangsters in Yellow shirts, or stopped at Victory monument by the Red Shirt gang.. it would make things much easier.

Australian banks can be challenging to set up an account with. There are companies online that do this however I have never tried - I have family in Australia and so setting an account was easier for me.

I am a resident of New Zealand and know that setting up an account here, even for a foreigner is fairly easy. Interest rates are far superior to that which is being offered in TH at the moment, with rates up to 4.75% p.a - rates are likely to raise over the next 12 months so you may even get a little more for your return. Rates and ratings can be viewed on the website http://www.interest.co.nz/call.asp.

I use a company called NZForex to transfer funds to my KBank account, their rates are better than the banks and their transfer fees are a lot lower.

The interest.co.nz website also has Australian deposit rates, which are a bit higher. If you do want higher interest rates though, you could try Poland, Greece and South Africa though I do not have any experience in these. For the kind of returns they offer, my money is probably safer in stocks judging by the current market position worldwide - avoid China.

Edited because I changed my mind about what I had to say.

The limits of democracy within Thailand exist when the government realises that it will need to open itself up economically (as China is slowly realising, and will more so with its economy now under pressure) and that the support if only Thai interests is not fair or acceptable.

In most western countries, a foreigner can own land in countries to which they are not citizens in. In Thailand (as with many under-developed Asian countries) you cannot. Sadly, the limits of democracy are reached when the people whom govern the direction of democracy are willing to fight for the development of that country. When Thais realise that opening up is the only way forward, only then will the country grow. That is IMO the limit of democracy in Thailand presently, and why the government cannot move without in fighting from one side our another.

But a statement from your bank showing $20000 in your account 3 months before arrival

And zero in your account upon departure.

Same old TAT song and dance: "quality tourists, not quantity, blah, blah, blah..."

The good news is that Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines and even Lao will gain from this.

In fact, if you travel to those countries and ask the locals what they think about Thailand, the reply is simple: NUTS!

Last November, I wearily took my first trip to the Phils on a 1 week stint at the end of my 3 week trip in Thailand, after having come to LOS for the past 5 years, learning the language to a basical level and even learning to start to write. Sad to say, things in the Phils are about 2/3 the price of things in TH, I didnt get scammed once (I get people trying to scam me almost every time I go out of the hotel in TH), I didnt have anyone trying to reach between my legs to see what was there on my way to the 7/11, and hotel quality was much, much higher. Oh, I forgot to mention, there is more to see and do there than Wat after Wat. The oly thing that will keep me coming back (on very short trips) are the few friends I've made, and that will only be short trips to Isaan. Best of luck to the chaps at the tourism department of Thailand, who have managed to show the have about as much business nous as the Koreans down the road who open in a white area and dont have any english writing in their shopping at all.

I love the traditional culture, but the present day culture which expresses the view that foreigners are just walking wallets to service the needs of those that don't want to work normal jobs like the rest of the world do really puts one off after some time.