mattcodes

That was one quick bubble to burst, couldn't see a tree or hill in samui due the to iDive banners everywhere the other month, definitely OTT.

Where is the touring market tonight, the big one with same games, same dancing shows, and food stores?

Must of been a lucky day. I wasted a full day there getting a 7 day extension to a non-b, F that in future just pay overstay. Office (was jammed with ppl) staff were rude and unhelpful and any quoted times were 2hrs late, frustrating.

It was funny though to watch some other people though (non imm-o and imm- trying to get 30 days extensions, one big fat women going on about "this just not possible" "i have flight book 1 month" blah blah, "7 day not enough", and another italian guy complaining like he was mafia or something... Love seeing some people being bought back down to earth sharply, just a shame when it affects me

We'll a few people telling her she is nuts now, no one is gonna repay her lost money but maybe she can see a way to working for it again.

I cant remember what it was local currency but it something like 26 sterling a massage per hour I worked it out at the other day, 5-8 customers a day, surely at this rate, the greedy arabs can afford to pay at least non-exploitation salary (or at least cover work permits, visa - perhaps after posting a trust bond for x days). These owners need a kicking... Apparently the owner has told her if she find 10 thai girls that 20+ yrs age (that of course pay their own flights etc..) he'll return her 70k money... gets better by the moment.

I think the result will be this, this time round after exhausting her savings and borrowings (not me - cant assist in money burning) from friends/family for next set of visa/wp/flights, she'll will eventual get a promised WP, work her nuts off massaging 6 days a week, be locked in an apartment at night, and make 10-12k a month (after boss "cutting" -as she puts it - "he not like girl make much money"), not exactly the 30k-40k a month promised, although she'll probably be somewhat adjusted off this after sending some home to family. Its a shame as if she had 80k savings plus some borrowings she could of setup something her on own or with a trusted friend, now she aint got a pot to piss in. Love to give this massage parlor boss a kicking..

When I worked in IT, I would expect any real and legitimate offer of possible employment somewhere to have included travel expenses, etc., for even a job interview. If the company in question can't afford such, then they're not serious, and not a company I would want to work for. Why should the massage business be any different?

Because they can get away with it - exploitation, make promises on the phone verbally, use delay and switch and bait tactics, and deliver just enough to make think "well bullocks, ive spent nearly 100k, maybe ill make 12k this month though, might as well stay here now". She hasnt got a contract, neither has any of the girls there, just sold a dream of returning to thailand at the top of the food chain..

Ends rant... Just a warning if anyone hears of thai girls going to work in Dubai, at least the first three months will be significant loss... I'll report back if she does regain her savings, plus some more and sets up her own business her in a year or two... Somewhat doubtful.

Livinginexile,

Yes, I can see that, at this stage the Iran trip for a work permit seems plausible, albeit probably overcharged again, but where has the rest of her money disappeared, she was under the impression the first big whack of cash was securing all of this. From what I understand the boss is full of crap but its easy to sell a dream to someone who aside from some saving has nowt. As for a welfare there Im sure she okay but the idea now to regain the money lost, the original idea was make a lot of money, and dream is being sold as work her a few years go back Thailand rich. I think this is pure exploitation.

I have a friend that went to Dubai 3 months ago after being offered a job in a massage palour in Dubai, perks sounded great, business more reliable than anywhere in Thailand and no living costs. She went for it, lost her 80,000 in savings, in visa fees, work permit fees, (both wp and visa organized by boss of massage palour), and 20k to thai agent, plus flights. On top of that worked her arse off, boss locked the apartment where the 10 girls lived at night (couldnt get out even in fire, apparently to stop them hoaring themsleves) and skinned any sensible salaries they could earn. From what I understand though no funny business, although was nearly raped but it kicked off, most customers good though apparently and she puts that down to a bad customer...

Anyway when she went out initially and paid vast amounts for visa, wp, agent fees, confused... she was apparently promised a 3 month work permit, but end up with a 1month tourist visa, and had to pay overstay fine at Dubai airport on way out after 1.5 months, boss told have to leave now and told her to go Iran to wait (at a friends house for a WP at this point - should of been sorted at start had he kept to word - i believe this was his false probation trick) anyway she had enough and came back to Thailand on her own baht.

Now boss has been calling saying come back little staff now, you think too much blah blah, costs for first 3 months are pricey but then every thai girl that stays more than 3 months does alright, apparently this is supported by a few people that have been there - all girls have apparently lost 50k in first few months, I can see the logical in this a little - you cant scam them too much forever. But her dream, that the boss says "work here a few years, go back thailand you be your own boss, setup your own business" blah blah I dont see attainable, so they might make more the 6k a month than her but <deleted>.. Trying to talk some sense into the girl without absorbing her financially... Any advice? Her incentive for going back is "have to get my money back", "no i have no money, i need go back get my money back" - chasing the loss as it would be in gambling/trading..

Cherry on cake.. Boss says come back now, get flight to Oman (she has to pay her self of course), and wait oman 10 days so I can sort work permit for you to come back Dubai for 2 years, you can stay with my friend in Oman free. Oh.. but I have to organise tourist visa for you for Oman whilst you wait, that will be 10,000 baht. Now I know various sites on the internet arent always up to date, but as far as I can from multiple sources a tourist visa for 14 days for someone of Thai nationality (with passport) is visa-on-arrival about 580baht USD

Anyone know a thai girl that has been bitten by this and hasnt chased the loss that could talk some sense into her??

Interesting angle, the friend that suggested/encouraged it, subsequently acted as agent thai side and made a 20k nicely... maybe its MLM style..

And I'm speaking from a lifetime of working in the aviation industry

Must be a short lifetime, unless Im mistaken as up until 10-12 years ago there were no proper budget airlines. Its the budget airlines in last decade that have pioneered affordable flying, set new price expectation and made the traditional airlines compete hard. Now when you look at BKK Air you compare the price against EasyJet and AirAsia for example.

Playing devil adovcate above, but I agree BKK Air is annoyingly expensive when you get 4800 oneway or something like that. Although I did arrive at BKK an hour early yesterday, went to the desk ask to change to early flight - 20 seconds later some print off, walked over to stanby checked in - again no queue, 30kg luggage for joining bonus scheme (free), 5 minutes later into the lounge free wifi, charged laptop and had a few coffees, back in samui an hour later. Its is a good airline but you do pay for it (more than you should). I had enough points for a free flight yesterday otherwise I may have been tempted to do the Nokair route (although this was close to 3k - all the promo 1k fares gone it seems forever - the small saving insigifnicant compared to wasted day)

Yes, things are bit fcked up, the industry really isnt helping itself. It was only the other day I had a beer at Honey bar on beach choeng mon - expecting 70/80 baht per usual, but no 110baht I queried why, the girl said very quiet now but boss still want to make big money..

As for hotels being full, Agoda must be lying then

Flight from BKK to Samui yesterday was about only 60% full.

Check the small local IT shops. Big C ground floor, the ones of the ring road, the one near the pai leam police station etc.. Cha

One of the easiest / quickest things to do is to send current important files to yourself immediately and every time you have completed some work, using yahoo or gmail or similar, then at least you can access them even if your laptop is lost, stolen, crashes, etc.

Easy/Quick?? Too much friction just use www.dropbox.com. And if using XP Pro or Windows 7 Pro/Ultimate right click on the directory and encrypt the directory, the encryption key is unlocked by your windows login.

6 baht is a considerable markup, last place i stayed I paid 5 baht but they had diesel generators for any outage (and they're were a few couple of hours) so I didnt think too much of it. Water price seems fair enough. If no super infrastrucutre for the electric (everything earthed and generators) then Id say 4.5/4 baht max.

Most of the house prices in Samui are crazy, a basic build house and owner is looking at a few million (partly due to say a few hundred quid worth of furniture), the owners are of coursing renting these properties in the eternal space in between.

I see in bars house pics/advertisments for again crazy prices, of course the nuts have offered 10-20% to the bar owners if they stumble across mr. stupid, I still think the bars are retarded for displaying such <deleted>. To buy in Samui doesnt make sense, building on the other hand,if you can acquire the land cheap (from a falang that had big plans but didnt develop or a thai that wants to shift it) could be feasible..

Chatting to folk that are selling houses is quite comical, their logical in reality is flawed, but in their heads it is nailed solid. Reality is they have to sell at more than they bought to avoid the sense of stupidity, its like a multi-level-marketing scam (they believe it, sell it onwards) only this is not on the internet..

You probably wont find any western style coffee before 8am, alternatively there is 7/11s, or the little thai stands that open for the construction workers sometimes sell normal coffee (i say sometimes usually the sweet stuff with cornoration milk), best to get a flask from home pro and fill it till you can get the real stuff.

Could they not have beat them with a stick or something first, I usually find it works when I come across an aggreesive dog on a run, just enough to inflict a meaningful dose of pain if it so required (usually it doesnt come to that) so they dont bother you next time - a form of training if you will (awaiting comical response along the lines of if i beat you with a stick..). I agree poisoning is not ethical/fair/proportional, but these reality-disconnected animal lovers that think ... cause a lot of these problems themselves whilst presenting no alternative solution.

As for the despicable act by the thai, its happening all over the country, he's probably bewildered by the reprucsions/attention, he certainly wont be feeling any guilt, its just their way of dealing with pests - wrong, but standard..

Nevermind sorted.

Anyone know a lock smith, preferably available today, need someone to install a simple deadbolt and maybe do some joinery - stick a plate on it, readd some wood - dont how these things, current bathroom lock exposes about a 1cm gap and with spat of thefts recently a little worrying. Have bought a okay Yale deadbolt that should be okay once installed

Is there any bus, minibus route to Penang from Hat Yai main bus station in the evening. I arrive there about 5.45 so something around 6-6.30 would be ideal?

Drop passport/visa app off day 1. Day 2 go collect visa in afternoon (website says 2pm-4pm, but TIT so imagine so lateness and queues), will I be able to catch the 5.05pm Penang to BKK (FD 3546) flight - Enough time to collect visa? Time to airport

Thanks no answer on either number.

Anyway got any others?

A litre of bottled water and a sponge.......Works for me!!!!!

Could end up very expensive if used in place of government water / water trucks

What about taking a number 2?

Cleaning the dishes and house?

Thanks no answer on either number.

Anyway got any others?

Whats the number of the water trucks that can deliver to Choeng Mon? (not the 100baht bottles), searched with no success.

Need to fill one of those big blue tanks - a few hundred litres? Cost?

Cant be arsed bathing in the sea everyday

Yikes, the amount of time alone to find somewhere to fix it, then parts, labour and the likelyhood another part will fail on such an old thing - would they be better going to work instead for 300baht a today? would only need a week or so and they can buy a new one with a 1yr guarante.

After exhausting immediate avenues of repair, and if the truck is only worth 2000baht and trying fixing the water pump will take days of my time, involve family members soliciting help and ultimately a right PITA then yeah I'll just replace the dam_n thing and throw it in the bin.

While it might be a minor job to replace the parts, its acquiring the part that wll be problematic. I confidently say that in this case it best to call them to stop wasting their time, apologises for sending it and tell them to stick it in the bin. Someone will dig it out from the garbage and then it will sit in some small IT shop for 20 years until they finally really dispose of it, looking at the size of it I guestimate it already 10 years old?

In meantime, they can use any internet shop to scan to usb, if you think the volume average person scans this will be more cost effective for years to come..

scratch card/timeshare deal.

When I was back home was in the local pub talking to long time friend who I thought was quite an on-the-ball guy. He told he got an apartment in Spain just recently, further digging he got a timeshare, thinking better of him I said "well it must of been worthwhile, at least it wasnt one of scratch card jobbies for free theme park tickets", at which he replied "how did you know it was a scratch card" and yeah we got tickets to the water park.

3hrs of taking the piss began. The next day he cancelled his direct debit for the bit they financed, I think he was lucky lost les than £1000

Sounds like you had a similar escape..

For reference, it was £7000 to join, £1000 deposit, they financed (thankfully not through a bank - so not negative credit report impact) the next £6000 over 5 years. Then you were allocated 1 week a year at what I considered a service apartment. It sounded alright at this point, until he said it was £500 service/facility charge each and every year. So basically he committed to going to same resort every year costing £500 just for the basic accomodation, no food, no flights, no trips. 4* All inclusive including flights were around £3-400 to this same area. And £7000 just to rub it in. It didnt take too long for him to see the bigger picture (although we are still not sure if cancelled out of peer pressure or the lights went on)

Yeah I know its not great but at least it got a few english speaking news channels, CNN, Bloomberg etc..

To get it installed what are the costs? Contract? Upfront commitment? What you need to take? I have it on good authority they do provide in the near vicinity so they shouldnt be running a cable too far (from what I dont know..)