AmeriThai

The video reminded me of some of the past Bum Gun threads here at TV. LOL!

David - Is your objective to control the skeeters indoors or outdoors?

LOL! Don't feel alone. I have a hard time with the "rolling R" sound too. I can sort of do it, but not very well. Using the rolling R sound seems to be a bit more formal. You'll still be understood even if you can't do it. I'd suggest using the R sound (even without the rolling R) though with words such as khrap or roo. It's not always necessary and you're not going to be misunderstood if you happen to use khap or loo. It's very informal and a bit lazier though. In my opinion, it's a good idea to get into the habit of using the R sound with words that include it rather than omit it. It'll make a better impression.

Here's a video clip of a guy in Times Square NYC, right after the Doomsday Hour, who gave big bucks to the scam. He appears to be clueless as to why is didn't happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsN50hB8x_M

I think about 2.5 - 4k, check out their website. I bought an Olympus with enough memory to record a reading of war and peace but to get one with a USB to connect direct to a computer I think was 3.5k

It might be something for the OP to consider. I have an Olympus Digital Recorder as well, maybe the same as yours. Mine is the VN-5200PC, 512MB of memory, and includes a USB cable to transfer the recordings to the computer. You're right that it has a long recording time. I've never saved anything to the computer yet so I'm not sure how long it takes to upload. There are 5 folders available. You can save up to around 200 files. I like it because I can easily put it in my shirt pocket when I'm on the go. As a musician, I use it as a memo to record new tunes that come to mind when I'm out and about and don't have to worry about forgetting it later.

Recording Mode Times:

HQ Mode allows about 35 hours 20 minutes. Faster speed. Best sound quality.

SP Mode allows about 69 hours 35 minutes. Slower speed. Sounds okay.

LP Mode allows about 221 hours 30 minutes. Slowest speed. Fine for long voice lectures or notes.

The Instructions say AA alkaline batteries will last about 37 hours before needing to replace them.

There's also the VN-3200PC model which is cheaper. It has 128MB of memory, but is still a lot of room for audio recording.

Dr. Nisachon Morgan, M.D.

275 M.6 Thannon Chiangmai-Hangdong

T. Mae Hia, A. Muang

Chiang Mai 50100

Telephone: 053-804405

http://www.healthcaremedicalclinic.com/index.php

Office Hours : Monday-Friday 08.30-19.30 Hrs

Saturday 8.30 - 13.00 Hrs Closed on Sunday

Great doctor and a very nice person. She speaks perfect fluent English.

Thanks for posting that. We've been mulling over the idea of moving to Chiang Mai, and I know my wife feels better with a female physician.

So what's next? If you play at home to entertain your friends and neighbors, is that considered illegal too? And what about foreign musicians who buy studio recording time? Dare anyone hum in the shower, or sing Happy Birthday at a birthday party?

I was thinking about that. Having musicians jamming at someone's home - it would not be in the support of a financial enterprise, i.e. a bar. If people were invited, brought their own food and beverages to share, I don't think that scenario would be a violation. But let's face it, so often here in the LOS, it's what the police or authorities consider a violation that determines whether a violation has occurred.

Seems like a good point, but it also seems that arresting unpaid jamming musicians is pretty extreme. At best, it would be the owner(s) of the bar who should take the heat, if anyone must, since it's the bar that's making money, not the musicians. The musicians who earned nothing from it (maybe some free beer) could've simply been given a verbal "warning" that they need to apply for a work permit if they have any intention of being paid to play in the future. I agree with you though, that it was the arresting authorities who made the decision, even though it may have been completely unnecessary. You're quite right, TIT.

Regardless, the arrest brings up some areas of concern. For example, suppose a foreigner who is a professional, but does not play at any live events, but has the equipment in their own home to make recordings, but not necessarily recordings to be sold directly in Thailand. Such home recording 'studios' are much more common these days. And then too, as I mentioned, what about musicians who use professional studios in Thailand to, say, cut a demo? Although it's clear the studio is being paid by the musicians, the musicians may most likely intend such a demo as a prospective income-earner. If the musicians who were arrested for playing had paid the bar to allow them to play, then the income earned is still solely on the shoulders of the bar, not the musicians. If a person is not allowed to play for free at such establishments, then what about djs, cds, etc, who play recordings from the West? Would the djs be arrested and any western cds be taken away?

This situation has made me wonder about where to draw the line. A number of years ago, my wife and I threw a huge party in the province of Saraburi. We hired two professional groups of musicians, singers and dancers (all Thai) for the event. We also hired a food catering service for one night, with "donations" of 100 baht per person (invited RSVP guests) for an outdoor sit down dinner and drinks. The next night was open house and free for anyone and everyone, although we also invited local vendors selling food, drinks, novelties, etc., for anyone who wanted some food or drinks. We took in enough to cover the expenses for the entire event. I've thought about the idea of strapping on my guitar, just for fun, if we ever sponsor another similar event in the future. Now, I'm not so sure. We did have 2 or 3 local police on duty just in case anything got a bit on the rowdy side. Just guessing, but if I had gotten up on stage to play with the Thai musicians, I doubt the local authorities would've been the least bit concerned. That said, I'm not so sure about it now. I might talk with them to see if such a thing would be a problem as far as they're concerned. We also know the local dignitaries from the amphur.

I'm sure, as you mentioned, the decision for the musicians at the bar in Chiang Mai, was made by the local arresting authorities for no particular reason other than they could, regardless of whether it was fair and justified or not. It seems to me there must be more to the story than we've heard. Maybe a complaint from a cranky local or drunk that got thown out. I haven't kept up with the whole story about the arrest. Any further information about what happened to the musicians? Were they fined? Visa revoked? Or nothing?

Horrible and sad for a young 17-year old girl with a whole life ahead of her to be snuffed out in a fraction of a second because a driver wanted to drive like a hotshot with no regard to the safety of others. There's no excuse for such senseless recklessness. R.I.P. for the young girl, and deepest sympathy for the family who now have to deal with such a nightmarish loss.

So what's next? If you play at home to entertain your friends and neighbors, is that considered illegal too? And what about foreign musicians who buy studio recording time? Dare anyone hum in the shower, or sing Happy Birthday at a birthday party?

My first time to Chiang Mai was about 20 years ago when my wife and I went to visit some Thai friends of mine. We completely fell in love with the city and surrounding areas. What we both like about it is that there are plenty of conveniences available, but has an easier pace than Bangkok. Sure, in the heart of the city and the various tourist spots can be pretty busy, but the surrounding communities are much more relaxed and a comfortable place to call home. We have a place in the province of Saraburi, but we've been mulling over the idea of moving to Chiang Mai. Our daughter and her husband moved there a year or so ago, and seem to enjoy it as much as we do. I guess it can take some time for some people to get a better feel for Chiang Mai, but for us, it was love at first sight and we really like the people there.

e-cigarettes available in MBK, BKK third floor (several shops) and some shops Tukcom, Pattaya. "smoke" tastes like shit. bought recently from India, "smoke" tastes like slightly lesser shit. but perhaps it's all a matter of personal taste.

If I am going to smoke shat then I at least want it coming in a counterfeit Marlboro box.

You mean something like this?

Interesting perhaps was a state thing then

Right. It's a state thing as previously mentioned. Oregon is one that prohibits the sale, although I understand they can sometimes be found at some of the truck stops along I-5. Probably have to ask for them though. Not sure about quality. Some e-cigarettes are poorly made and liquid can leak into the mouthpiece if you don't keep them in an upright position, making for a very unexpected and unwanted taste.

No idea about the quality of e-cigs in Thailand, but I suppose some are probably not so great because of leakage problems, hard to draw, etc.

These are now "legal" in the US, due to FDA losing two cases to prove they should be classified as a drug.

Actually they have never been illegal in the US. In fact they have been available for purchase online since 2006. A quick google and I came across 8 US based companies with websites that sell mail order and 3 retail stores.

I'm not sure where you'd find e-cigarettes in Thailand. As for the US, while many states may allow the sale, Oregon is one that has prohibited the sale of them within the state. That includes prohibiting any mail order purchases as well. Even if they're legal in the US, the states can have their own regulations about whether they can be sold or not.

Ok I can see that they may 'know' but there has been NO conviction right? everyone is innocent until proven guilty, in a Court of Law, even in the US - he can just say 'not me - they deported the wrong guy' - it appears there is no confession, no conviction and no sentence - anyone know different?

It dosen't matter that he is not convicted or charged or any thing else. when he go's back to the states it will not show up as a mark against him. It will in no way hamper his ability to pursue what ever he chooses to pursue.

What it will do is be a huge mark against bringing his wife in to the country if the immigration is aware of it.

Even being lily white and fulfilling all the required conditions is not a guarantee that she would be allowed into the country.

That's true. I know of one guy who is as clean as a whistle, has tried several times to get a visa to the US, and has been repeatedly refused. I don't know the reasons for the refusal though.

If only life were that easy.

My personal opinion (often wrong) is that she will have a very hard time getting into the USA.

No conviction in court true, but neither have a lot of other USA blacklisted people without convictions.

I think the US will look at the evidence, talk to the authorities and decide that 'he did it'.

I agree. If she had US citizenship, there'd be no problem in entering the US. But assuming she's a Thai citizen, she'd need to obtain a visa. That might not be so easy to obtain. At the very least, I'm sure the US Consulates have read the newspapers. If they're legally married, she might be able to squeak into the US. Even then I think it would be very difficult simply by the association that her husband has or will be blacklisted from Thailand. The Consulate would probably take into consideration the reason for the blacklisting. But you never know, they might grant a visa by virtue of marriage, assuming they have a registered marriage. If not, then I would think it's history. I wonder if they had any kids?

unless it's A military helmet you don't have much between you and the car,road brick building etc.A good high speed accident you'll probably become brain dead if your not all the way dead.

Even the guy on the video said he wouldn't want to trust it in a high speed crash. And unless I misunderstood, I think he also said the helmet was previously involved in some pothole crash by a friend. Interesting he was using a flexible baton. Not sure many roads would be that flexible. You're right though. If the speed is fast enough, a helmet might not matter much if you end up as a stain on the road.

Bob may be a nice guy but why does he deserve any less than a person who is not a nice guy.

People dealing in heavy drugs in the quantity Bob was may seem like a nice guy but have little concern for what they do to others. Just as long as they don't have to see it they think it is OK to make heavy drugs available to any one including children.

Ask your selves would you say it was OK to supply opium to your kids would you say he is a nice guy if it was in your back yard.

I have to kind of agree. If it was just the ganja, it might've been seen as a different matter. But it's the quantity of opium that makes it quite unacceptable. To be fair though, as far as I can tell, there was no indication he was supplying opium as candy or in any other form to kids.

He must've surely understood the risks though even with ganja.

Yeah.. I think a lot of that behavior (making vids, pictures) is related to being a fairly new arrival in a new and different place, but with lots of friends and family back 'home'. So then for a couple years people are amazed by all kinds of common things, and share that with those they left behind.

Thing is though, after living in Thailand longer than most Thaise I meet (come retirement age), there won't be a whole lot of overseas people I'd want to share pictures of wall geckos with, or do a Youtube upload everytime I see a family of 6 plus their dog on a Honda Click.

LOL @ the part about pictures of wall geckos and the family of 8. Sure, I agree. And also, not everyone is into making endless videos or taking countless photos. But sometimes something can strike you. I can't begin to think of how many times I went somewhere, saw something, and thought "Why didn't I bring the camera along?" LOL! One thing about YT vids related to Thailand, at least some of the better ones, is that there are a lot of overseas people who watch these vids and see views that maybe they've never seen before and maybe never will, but still find it interesting because it's different from what they're otherwise used to seeing and doing. It's really interesting that everyday, ordinary things I see or take for granted, someone else might see as something unique. The point though was that there's such a wide variety of things to do just about anywhere, especially when you're retired. Some things can indeed get boring, but then that's a good time to try something different. Everybody can come up with all kinds of different ideas of things that are enjoyable. Some people like sightseeing, and some people like tinkering around at home or talking with friends and neighbors. I like going to the talat or night market sometimes, just to wander around and look at people and things. Wouldn't want to do it every day though but it's good exercise.

I guess retirement is not the same thing as an extended holiday: a holiday spent boozing and relaxing by the sea: awesome.

I dunno Winnie. I think retirement can be very much like an extended holiday, of sorts. The way I look at it is that the main thing is you can do what you want, whenever you want, not because you have to. You're not tied to a time clock. You're the boss of your own life and make your own choices to do whatever you enjoy doing. You can try lots of different things. You can even kick back and take it easy.

A few guys I know take digital camcorders along with them and capture all kinds of things, places they go, things they do, people they meet, then post them on YT to share with everyone. Some of the vids I've seen are truely amazing and give lots of great ideas about places and things I never thought about before. Not everyone's cup of tea, but it's just that there are loads of things a person can do, especially when they're retired that they never had time for before. It's really impressive to see all the different ideas people in this thread have come up with.

Cheers!

We rarely get into Bangkok anymore. A friend of mine recently posted a video of Soi 8 to give me a peek at what it looks like now. It looks pretty attractive but also was really surprising for me to see how much has changed there. The 7-11 is where Tong Manhattan Barber shop used to be located. Great service and nice people. I'm pretty sure where Monsoon is located is where the old Mermaid's Rest was. Just a note about Mermaid's Rest, I stayed there on one occasion for 6 weeks, Dec to mid-Jan. The cost was 1560 baht. I've still got some of their business cards.

Ref dead end query - essentially yes it is a dead end. Not much apart from hotels and apartment blocks after the first 200 metres or so.

Thank you. That's pretty much what I thought. Last time I was at Soi 8 was about 20 years ago, but I was certain a LOT of changes have taken place since then. The Mermaids Rest (which I think was located at 6/1) was my favorite place to stay. I spent a lot of time there, but of course it no longer exists. A friend and I were discussing the Soi, and he mentioned a turn-off to get to Soi 4. From what others have mentioned here, there's an alley that cuts through. To the best of my recollection, there was at least one alley to the right very close to Sukhumvit, but it was very short and a dead end years ago. To get to Soi 4 way back when, the only way I ever knew of was by way of Sukhumvit. Nothing stays the same for long. LOL!

Thanks to everyone for the helpful info.

A couple of questions:

Is Soi 8 essentially a dead-end soi?

Are there any sois along Soi 8 that connect Soi 8 with Soi 4?

The news from Egypt, along with a Reuters article, which shows how easy it is for a country to shut off internet amd mobile communication services internally. From what I understand, Egypt is leaving an open access for banking and the stock market. All other access, including email access, has been shut off. Part of that is that Egypt doesn't really have many domestic ISPs.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/28/us-egypt-internet-analysis-idUSTRE70R35S20110128

It got me to thinking, how many ISPs are there in Thailand? Not that it's a great concern, but it doesn't hurt to at least be aware and plan ahead for any unexpected interruption if such an extensive situation ever did occur.

Is Petchuri a very short or long road ?

Where is Phra Kanong ?

This is just to answer two questions you asked. I could be wrong, but I think what was probably meant was Phetchaburi Road. It's fairly long. Below should give you an idea about both Phetchaburi Road and Phra Kanong. Phetchaburi Road is the one from left to right near the top of the map. You can see Phra Kanong. The slanted road (where you see "F", "E" and "C") is Sukhumvit Road. The BTS goes out to Phra Kanong.

I don't know if you're in BKK or Thailand or not, but it's pretty hard to go just about anywhere in the entire country without running into plenty of inexpensive quick-fix food stalls. The abundance of them in BKK is such that you almost can't walk around a corner without finding food stalls, many of which are set up next to each other.

Phetchaburi Rd / Phra Kanong

Ayutthaya is another good destination.