schmutzie

Starbucks..?

http://www.starbucks.co.th/en-US/_Our+Stores/_Community+Stores/Chiangmai.htm

I don't really understand the intentions of the OP.

First of you question whether Thailand is becoming a dumping ground for foreign criminals.

I would say it has always been attractive for foreign criminals to stay abroad rather than at home (!!) and with no numbers to back it up, I'm pretty sure that over the last 40 odd years many have decided

to "retire" here. And probably even given up their old ways and living a good life. Similar to a lot of other cheap, sunny places with fairly complicated extradition policies, frankly.

Then you proceed to describe completely different scenarios of general behaviour of foreigners, who may or may not be criminals which you refer to as scumbags. I think the bars you observe actually encourage the behaviour you so dislike, and I would recommend you just change your scene. Would you also step into a lap dance bar in the US and get mortally horrified at the low behaviour of the gentlemen frequenting such an establishment? Come on.

Most people here I meet are in love with Thailand (and love even more to comment and moan about the sometimes absurd and alien customs of the place - which is why they love it, I guess, in some unconscious way).

I will share that upon engaging in what I thought was some random chattiness with a bloke outside a bar recently, I was disgusted when he declared Thai people to be "little black monkeys that'll stab you in the back". That after supposedly 25 years of coming to the place and a Thai ex-wife and kids. A very nasty piece of work.

Leave people like that alone and find the good ones. Plenty around.

I'm sorry, but I'm serious when I ask:

Why is it so hard to catch the perps?

Because the police are worthless...either lazy (i.e. no money in it for them), cooperating with the perps, or just plain incompetent. Really sad...

All countries have difficullty catching terrorists. Not sure why so many of you are singling out Thai police as being incompetent. USA have spent the last decade trying to capture Bin Laden and he's still on the run. And how much do think has been spent on that. If the USA can't capture one man after spending tens of billions of $s, is it surprising that most terrorists are hard to catch?

A bit different trying to catch a criminal in a country like Pakistan/Afganistan vs. Thailand/USA. How about that car bomb attempt in Times Square recently? Took them 1 day to catch the perp. Please read how they did it. Amazing. Really smart and talented guys. Here, they just don't have the motivation to do so. No money in it for them...or at least no political pressure.

And the US has not spent tens of billions just trying to capture bin Laden...they are also trying to save the world!!! :jap:

Do you remember when they tried to catch that red shirt leader (Arisman) in that hotel? Police went there with a large team, but another police team (alerted to the raid by the police themselves) got their first and helped him out. Hard to fight justice when you have to actually "fight justice" itself! They don't call them "tomatoes" for nothing....

So if the standard thinking is that the police are corrupt/implicated at some level/politically motivated/controlled, why are there no harsh questions being asked? If this was happening in the UK I would expect the Police Commissioner to have some very tough questions to answer.

What are the standards that Thai institutions are accountable to? I'm trying to be deliberately naive here. If I was Thai and paying my taxes I would really want to know why or what the police are or are not doing to uphold the law. This is in large part a job of the press.

The idea of posting security around 130 odd hot spots in a 400 meter radius is absurd. I don't think an M79 grenade is any less deadly if fired from 405 meters away. But that's not the point. The point is that there is so much "meat" already out there for any journalist to sink his teeth into.

You're a Commercial diver?

Why don't you do the obvious and become a dive instructor?

RAZZ

Good idea, but he said driver, not diver.

Maybe they won't notice...

yes sorry, they are 1 room apartments for students.

Who is going to own the land? You? Are you Thai? If not then are you planning on having a Thai company own the land? If so, then to be legal you will only be allowed to own 49% of the company.

I think the OP already mentioned, indeed desired, the formation of a company.

To the OP:

Can you not form a company with someone else (than what I assume is you partner) who doesn't have outstanding credit card debt?!!

Have an informal chat with a bank about requirements.

Look up the local business association/society for your country in Thailand. Maybe someone can give you a little friendly face to face advice.

What kind of return are you expecting on investment? Have you compared to other options?

Why is the owner selling?

Have you had the building surveyed?

I obviously have no personal experience doing this. You seem excited, but just be careful you don't drag your retirement fund down the drain.

If you have convinced yourself that it's a good investment, then I think that's the first step towards convincing a bank also.

Yes, you should be fine.

I have the same visa and as I understand it you will get 90 days on arrival in September and could even go on a border run just before the October expiry date and get another 90 days, effectively getting a 15 month permission to stay out of your 1 year visa. That's what I'm planning to do anyway!

A coup?

Can't see it.

Stable government in place with one of the most honest politicans available as PM. An Army and government working together to find solutions for problems. Don't look now but for only the second time in Thailand's history a government is likely to govern out its term and hold an election. Considering the only other full term was the very recent Thaksin TRT party and considering the last coup was to remove the thieving piece of .... for the interests of Thailand, then the probabilities are that Thailand is stabilising under the governance of sensible and sincere leaders in its Army and Government.

A coup in the current climate? I think some people need to adjust or give up their meds.

"Stable" maybe. But at what cost?

Is it not even a tad sad that we're in a country where possible assassinations of politicians (or others) is discussed as a commonly accepted possibility?

There's a very steep hill to climb ahead.

It's a morph of Obama's Yes We Can which came from the Spanish Si Se Puede (leftist movement).

Double-Ah. I'm getting old. Yes, I do remember thinking they'd gotten the slogan itself from the Obama campaign. But I guess the difference is that with Obama, the keyword attached was "Change" with a proper program attached to the slogan.

Is there actually an ideology behind the message then, other than a nationalistic one? Even if we take Nike "Just Do It" as a reference, that's a corporate campaign intended to "rally" people towards a sports brand. So it's just saying "Be Thai"?

Basically, I see it as a very negative campaign, because it asks for something (not really defined as there is no cause) towards a non-existing goal. Well, other than it'll help you feel Thai or something.

Sorry, I'm skirting the issue for obvious reasons. It's a very chicken and egg issue and the response seems totally misguided and actually slightly dangerous.

I've done two SWIFT transfers to my Kasikorn account from abroad (different accounts in different countries). No problems. No delays. The slow part is the UK bank!

No SMS though, although I get those on deposits done in Thailand.

Also, I don't see a lot of details on my online banking account, but that seems to be standard banking procedure both here and abroad.

You should know they'll slap on a small fee, something like 500THB their end.

actualy it has been cut short , the old adage was " Together we win , divided we fall " in the sixties , prime minister of Canada 'Pierre Elliot Trudeau used it as a rallying call to unite all Canadians , but it was coined many years before that , I believe by non other than that great man Winston Churchill during WW11 .

Ah, that's interesting. The Canadian angle is, because I assume it was trying to address the French-Anglo split, so addressing an internal problem.

What I'm getting at is that it is a vague campaign addressing an even more vague issue. So how can I contribute? How do I know what it is I must do?

What is the proposed outcome?

To me, the campaign seems to implore people to go on with their daily lives and be happy and not throw any spanners in the works as it is basically

against the community spirit to do so. At its worst, it's asking people to go shopping as an act of social solidarity....?!?!?

I'm sorry, but I'm serious when I ask:

Why is it so hard to catch the perps?

Because the police are worthless...either lazy (i.e. no money in it for them), cooperating with the perps, or just plain incompetent. Really sad...

Well, you can say that. And I was going to rant about how you always see dozens of police officers stampeding all over the crime scene.

But I choose to believe that there are actually serious and very competent people in the Thai police.

That, to me, opens the question of why there is not an intense pressure from the public and the press to have these cases resolved.

If police capacity/experience is a problem, then why not request foreign assistance? If only on technical issues.

Can anyone explain to me the concept behind this campaign?

What is it we supposedly "can"?

As it stands it's a useless slogan, because it doesn't contain any goals. Why is it in English? What's the crisis/problem? When does "Together we can" become "Together we could"?

I do understand the obvious:

Together we can forget that all this shit went down in April/May and move on.

Together we can go out and spend some money and keep businesses afloat.

Together we can support [some inferred values that I'm obviously not getting] and have happy lives.

In case you're wondering, it's a genuine question. I didn't think about it before, but the openness of it has suddenly left me puzzled.

I'm sorry, but I'm serious when I ask:

Why is it so hard to catch the perps?

Well, I've heard it's Big C that are getting it. But then read that PTT were in the running too now. I don't know now.

I think it doesn't make any sense for Tesco Lotus as they already have large stores both in Lat Phrao and Ratchada in Bangkok. Big C doesn't AFAIK have a big shop in Ratchada

and the one in Lat Phrao is quite far down the road from Carrefour. Don't know about other locations.

As for the Thai branches I wonder who owns the land/properties and what happens to the many auxiliary businesses that are tangled with the Carrefour complexes, eg. Home Pro?

What about the sub-retailers within Carrefour itself?

I like Carrefour but not all their shops seem of equal standard. The best thing is that they seem to have a good range between cheap and expensive, so you have a choice depending on

budget, and you can at least find a few organic or falang-style foods if you get a bit home sick. Not to say you can't get that elsewhere, but usually at a significant mark-up.

Why should an insurance company be more responsible towards a "war veteran" than other people?

Without the details of the actual incident it's hard to tell if they were wrong or not in their assessment.

But anyone thinking travel insurance will just give you a magic carpet and come riding' like the cavalry better take a reality pill or two.

Tell me about it. Had been monitoring closely until up about a week ago, when everything was on the up.

Now, checking back today, the two currencies I hold have gone down. In one case by almost 5%.

I'll loose 6000THB on one transfer. And that's just if it holds where it is now. It's depressing.

Peanuts to some. Money to a lot of others.

I'm kicking myself for not doing these transfers 2 weeks back which I could have.

I think I'm gonna go have a nice strong drink somewhere.

Education discounts as mentioned by others is only discount available. Maybe you can get some discounts on other non-Apple peripherals if buying from the same shop.

You can also reclaim the 7% VAT at the airport. Of course, if customs pick up at the other end, you're not getting anything out of that.

Lastly, assuming you're paying with funds in another currency than THB, you could wait and keep fingers crossed that rates will improve.

I would advice you to get the 3 year Applecare package.

Sorry to be potentially retarded here, but: Why Perth?

I just looked at the Thai embassy in Singapore and it seems possible to apply to for a new 1 year visa from there (I hold a 2 year pass to Singapore also).

The only thing I don't get, is that for the "Long Stay" visa, it states as the first requirement that I'm above 50 years of age (I'm not).

Anyone successfully gotten a new visa like this out of Singapore?

Up to now Perth and Hull UK are the only Consulates issuing Multi Entry Non Imm O Visas for the reason of visiting friends.

As Perth appears to be closing soon the choice is down to one.

The so called longstay Visa is for retirement purposes for which you need to be over 50 to qualify.

Thanks, I was hoping that wasn't the case, but it makes sense now.

Sorry to be potentially retarded here, but: Why Perth?

I just looked at the Thai embassy in Singapore and it seems possible to apply to for a new 1 year visa from there (I hold a 2 year pass to Singapore also).

The only thing I don't get, is that for the "Long Stay" visa, it states as the first requirement that I'm above 50 years of age (I'm not).

Anyone successfully gotten a new visa like this out of Singapore?

ALL Asbestos is so very DANGEROUS

I am an Australian guy married to a Thai national.

I am President of the Asbestos Diseases Society of South Australia.

At present we have over 300 clients on our register who have Asbestos related diseases.

Do you realize that asbestos related diseases can take 20-30 years or more before they show in your body?

If you contract Mesolthelioma from asbestos then you will DIE within a few months after diagnosis.

Each week we attend funeral services or our clients that have dried in great pain.

Please check my societies web site www.adssa-inc.com.au

Write to me at [email protected]

My Government grants this society many thousands of dollars a year to give people an awareness of asbestos

PLEASE. Do NOT USE Asbestos. Do not touch Asbestos

P L E A S E !

But what good is that to us here in Thailand where the construction and building industry embraces the stuff?

Just to add to this:

After treatment with anti-inflammation and a stronger steroid, the lump has now decreased significantly. I'm now applying a topical anti-inflammation.

I think it'll eventually decrease enough and hopefully go away.

I spoke to a fellow Golden Retriever owner at the vet, and he advised me to always massage the point of injection afterwards to try and ward of this occurring. Not sure if that's legit, but I'll try and remember that.

My 1 year multi-entry visa type "O" visa expires end of September. Can do a last visa run just before and get 3 months to take me to end of year.

Also have a flight lined up out of the country to the UK just before. But keen to maybe avoid going back as I essentially would just be shaking a few hands and then return as plans are now.

And don't have a place to stay there, so it'll be costly as will the return flight. So, my question:

What's the best place/way to get a new 1 year multi-entry type "O" visa without returning to the UK?

Ideally, it would be as easy at the Hull consulate, ie. not take more than a couple of days and not be more expensive either (approx. 5000THB)

Would they allow me to do it from a hotel address in say Phnom Penh through Thai embassy there?

Well, I've been suspicious of the suspended ceiling tiles for a while now, and reading the posts here has me concerned.

I recently had them down and mucked about with them quite a bit without any protection. Obviously they come from larger sheets and so have been cut to size

and then plaster (poorly) applied to the down-facing side, so, already "broken" and a few chipped as I moved them about.

I was hoping it was was some kind of fibre-board sans asbestos as I really thought there was a worldwide ban on this stuff.

I can't believe that asbestos is still around. This was THE health story of my pre-teens more than 25 years ago.

Not sure what to do a the house is rented, but we're SLEEPING under this <deleted>.

It is possible that an abscess developed on the place of the injection. These things can happen and is not necessarily a result of bad practice.

At the time of the injection your puppy was sick, meaning the immune system was not strong. Also the immune system of a 4 months old puppy is not yet fully matured and most puppies are dealing with the many vaccines that is jabbed into their bodies as well.

Beside this, I've encountered many puppies that developed ongoing soft feces or watery diarrhea as a result of several combined vaccines (of modified live viruses) in a too short period of time. In other words, puppies that developed symptoms of the very diseases they were vaccinated against.

It also happens that the pup or adult dog develops a lump on the side of the vaccine jab. This can take a while before it reduces in size. It can also develop into a tumor.

Yeah, it's an abscess.

Doctor's orders are to continue with a stronger anti-inflammation drug and antibiotics. Also suggested a warm pack being placed 2-3 times a day.

Apparently it can go three ways:

1. The lump disappears/significantly reduces after a while

2. The abscess "explodes", ie. the skin gets so thin and cracks and puss starts to come out. In that case more drugs and daily treatment.

3. If neither of the above, will have to consider surgery.