doggie888888

Thanks for the warning re:kids.

Shall avoid it like the plague.

On the flipside, I use Caltex on Sukhumvit (near Tesco Lotus). They are very polite and always clean your windscreen, ask if you want air in your tyres etc. On one occasion my car wouldn't start due to a flat battery - so the attendant runs to his car, brings out a set of jump leads and sends me on my merry way with smile (and no charge). A refreshing change from Shell.

I second that. The staff are perpetually friendly, smiling, helpful, courteous. I don't know why but they are never busy.

     Almost twenty years ago there was a spate of child abductions from rural areas in Thailand. These children were younger than the one abducted in this story, usually toddlers. The story going round at the time was that the kidnappings were being done by Malaysian gangs. These gangs would apparently kidnap, to order, children for wealthy Chinese Malays whose women did not want to risk 'spoiling their figures' by having children by natural childbirth. The gangs would particularly seek out fairer skinned children.

    The Thai authorities did on one occasion arrest a Malaysian gang at the Southern border who had valium drugged kidnapped children hidden in their car boot.

Source ?????

  they are simply not capable of learning from the repeated mistakes.  The Thai ethos appears to be if you don't success the first-time in scamming people simply re-vamp it.  <deleted>!

They have learned two things: how to scam people. That a fool and his money are quickly parted.

Please understand that whilst you may view the membership as an asset or even an investment, I view it as an expense. And for me, it only needed to last til I turned 50, which I have this year, so it was money well spent for the convenience and ease of visa requirements for the past 10 years. Any extra years from now is just a bonus for me.

Now if you can't afford to expend 1 mill (bahts, not dollars our euros) , it's like saying you'd like to buy an expensive mattress, which I assume you can afford, but then it did not meet your requirements after 3 year, will you cry over it? It's no big deal really, just inconvenient. if you think you were a fool for that frivolity which you could afford that bought you 3 years of comfort, so be it.

I bought it when it was 1 mill, primarily for the no hassle visa as I was below 50yo and was an affordable expense for me. Other than the constant speculation about the scheme, it had pretty worked out well for me. The renewal after 5 years was so easy and presented to me at the airport too. I hate to deal with Thai officialdom and if I can afford to avoid it for as much as I can, then so be it. I turn 50 this year so can qualify for the retirement visa now, so it has given me the last 10 years of easy travel in and out of Thailand and residence here as I pleased. No visa run, no queue, no annual mucking around, no bull shxx from immigration as thai elite handled any issues for me even transfer visa to new passport.

Now, if you wish to call me idiot, fool etc, so be it...I am just glad I can afford the service. It was never an investment.

I suspect many want to see it fail simply because its success might mean a more stringent financial criteria for future long term Stayers, but that is pure speculation on my part...as it is also

speculation by the haters on what we members can or cannot afford, and our motives for joining.

Oh yes, I am a California member too. Am I upset? Got good value out of it for 5 years, was good while it lasted.

a fool and his money are soon parted, say the ones who look on. I can't take my stash with me to heaven, so it's all for spending for now even on frivolous, doubtful, temporary luxuries which I am thankful I can afford.

and it is a measure of the government wanting to do the right thing for the members, despite all the uncertainties and in spite of the haters here who already gleefully thought the scheme was dead and buried some 3 years ago.

In whatever format, I wish the scheme every success in achieving their stated aims.

One hopes it affects the jet ski scammers that they go bust.

It is wrong to judge someone based only on where they live. Almost as wrong as judging someone based on the color of their skin, accent, or choice of drink. How about judging everyone based on how they act and their character?

you are so right. However, there are some who protest at being"judged" even though they are the serial judges of cheap Indians, rude Russians and uncouth Chinese.

It is wrong to judge someone based only on where they live. Almost as wrong as judging someone based on the color of their skin, accent, or choice of drink. How about judging everyone based on how they act and their character?

you are so right. However, there are who protest at being"judged" even though they are the serial judges of

So knowing full well that a busy night market will open there, city hall decides to block off the roundabout and divert city bound cars from the north to the vicinity of the market where the u turn is...together with the many buses already there taking people to the show called "the big eye". Talk about concentrating traffic in one busy traffic lights and u turn.

I once met an expat female yoga insructor who had worked in both Phuket and Chiang Mai.  She said the expats in Phuket "had more money than brains" and the ones in Chiang Mai had "more brains that money".

 

Personally, I'm glad to be part of the brainy crowd.

...and what of expats in Pattaya? There is only one option left: neither money nor brains?

I bet the guy will think twice when someone asks for a bit of extra sauce. Hasnt he heard the customer is always right?

In Pattaya, the customer is often wrong, in the way or just plain inconsiderate for expecting service. Haven't you felt like you were intruding when a shop assistant is busy preening and you approach for help, only to be given attitude?

The one thing that grates on me are the grill covers over the gutters. I don't know what gets poured in there but sometimes when one steps over it, the fragrance that wafts out can make a grown man cry.

Gee, the people are huddling under the shade provided by the soon- to be -chopped- off trees.

Good on Mr and Mrs Booty for acting. When confronted with such a situation, many would just look the other way so as not to be labelled busybody, or a prude who thinks the worse of "innocent" situations.

This is really weird. The newest French restaurant in Pattaya called la ferme has a chicken dish which is basically hainanese chicken rice. For 250baht or so. they had some fancy name and description, of course... but it's still chicken rice. I was very disappointed because I did not expect this. That said, it was quite a nice chicken rice albeit expensive.

The detailed software upgrade message that I got over the air did mention that the upgrade relates to jelly bean, so I am not imagining it. However...having difficulties upgrading.

Tried over the air, but it falied with a message that I should try with KIES or go to Samsung shop. Tried via KIES: the moment I connected the S2, it said there was a "firmware" upgrade, which I assume is same same? Anyway that failed too "unknown error". Quick research: due the the many apps, config etc etc etc, there may be incompatibility, so they suggest a factory reset prior to the upgrade. I am not keen on that for the moment, so I'll just wait for now.

I wonder if anyone else has received the update notice and successfully upgraded?

Pmugghc, I bought mine from power buy in Pattaya. I am with ais pre paid, not sure how they decide the roll out schedule.

I had more time now, so I tried... it failed and suggested that I reconnect via kies our else go to a Samsung shop. Sigh, now I gotta go turn on the bloody notebook. So near yet so far........

Yes, I bought mine in Pattaya. I still have not done it yet but plan to do the software upgrade later today, thereafter will post here.

 

Can you dial *#1234# and tell me what your CSC code is?  There are two variants for Thailand, maybe yours is for True (THL)?

@doggie88888, what SGS2 version do you have? What build nr? You can see it in Settings, About.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

iml 74k.dclp 5

Yes, I bought mine in Pattaya. I still have not done it yet but plan to do the software upgrade later today, thereafter will post here.

http://www.sammobile.com/2013/01/23/samsung-rolls-out-android-4-1-2-jelly-bean-update-to-the-galaxy-s-ii/

 

Says in this link the jelly bean download is pending for Thailand. So I guess that is the answer. Thanks all who bothered to reply esp Kotsak.

Update: I got a message just now that jelly bean is available now. I am in Pattaya. Going out soon, so will try to update tomorrow via kies

Almost 20 years back I was at a hotel pool in Pattaya and had -- as a Yank --  spent some time with a Swedish guy. One morning I accompanied him to a table where there were some retired Brits. The Swedish gent and I sat down and we all chatted for a while.

 

The next morning I was out by the pool without the Swedish gent and I causally started to say hello and sit down by the British gents from the day before when one of them said "We didn't ask for you to sit here. We don't want you to sit here. We don't want your company." At which I excused myself and said that it won't happen again ... and that was a lesson learned.

The reply should have been: bugger off... I am a hotel guest and I will sit where I like.

Just to annoy them.

 

 

 Doesn't make them smart though, does it.

 

 A bit harsh,

They were not informed/aware regarding the hazards associated with entering confined spaces. All confined space entries should be atmospherically tested before entering & then ongoing monitoring during the task.

H2S poisoning happens all over the world & it's unfortunate that these gents employers exposed them to this environment.

 

I am not one for over-doing Health & Safety but there were some basic shortcomings here.

 

RIP

 

The main shortcoming is in the Thai education system.

 

Don't blame the victims.

Perhaps it is my memory, but I can't recall being taught at school in my home country, precautions on entering gas filled compartments/areas.

 

Please explain how the Thai education system is to blame for this.

 

Remember, common sense is not included in any curriculum in this world.....................

 

I beg to differ.

 

Thai education system is very authoritarian and don’t teach students

to evaluate different situations on their own. Not sure it would have helped these

specific individuals, but it could have helped.

 

And yes, “common sense” is actually influenced of what you

learn, and how you learn, at school (in addition to what you learn and experience

outside school).

Main point though, posters here that label the victims “idiots”

are really out of bounds.

 

Common sense is not common.  People live and grow in different parts of the world.  What you may think is common sense may not even be known by persons on the other side of the world.  

too true. Witness the Americans wringing their hands over guns when the majority of the rest of the would think it's common sense that fewer guns mean less gun violence.

Back on topic, I think nobody in government would dare raise the possibility the employer might be responsible? Even if the employees were"brain dead" does not mean the employer and its command chain can end up with a decision that allows lowly workers into the pit without minimum safety being addressed.