mpetersen

Video is on the way, but we are experiencing technical difficulties.

Update: At least 20 security officers injured when confronted by red-shirt protesters at Huachiew Hospital; officers agree to retreat from hospital

Absolutely best news about Daeng being shot. The triade of terrorists (Thaksin, Daeng, Arisman) should be taken out to remove the extreme elements hijacking a perfectly good cause (rights for the poor etc etc).

My inlaws, themselves from a disadvantaged upcountry background were literally dancing in the living room about this news.

Great strategy, not sure if the government can keep up the pressure or if it's going to turn into a complete mess again.

Too bad that the reforms being made (agricultural aide, loan packages, education reforms) aren't making headlines.

WOW, what kind of a fuc_king asshol_e you are man???

I am the kind of asshol_e who likes to see that innocent people who are taking advantage of by evil leadership are not hurt any further. I am not sure what in my comment offended you, but if it was the fact that I am not mourning the loss of a rogue terrorist armed guerilla leader, then, well...so be it.

Let me get this straight ...Thaksin's extrajudicial killings of drug dealers were fiercely condemned by the Democrats. Now the army has shot a General in the head while he was giving an interview to an international media reporter.

I assume he was given a fair trial before he was shot?

He is a self-declared armed anti-government rebel leader. He is not just any innocent (non)-suspect riding a bicycle. Taking him out will save many many lives, if not the country from civil war. Well done. Congratulations, finally to the army and government for a properly executed strategy.

Video is on the way, but we are experiencing technical difficulties.

Update: At least 20 security officers injured when confronted by red-shirt protesters at Huachiew Hospital; officers agree to retreat from hospital

Absolutely best news about Daeng being shot. The triade of terrorists (Thaksin, Daeng, Arisman) should be taken out to remove the extreme elements hijacking a perfectly good cause (rights for the poor etc etc).

My inlaws, themselves from a disadvantaged upcountry background were literally dancing in the living room about this news.

Great strategy, not sure if the government can keep up the pressure or if it's going to turn into a complete mess again.

Too bad that the reforms being made (agricultural aide, loan packages, education reforms) aren't making headlines.

dude, like I said, you're getting cheated and K bank is telling you they can take commissions where they really can't. Do yourself a big favor and check out the place I mentioned above where I do my investing. They'll point you in the right direction.

The other guy is correct, like we said you can't own anything. and IF you had a falling out, your Mrs takes all. put yourself in a more winning and secure position. I mean, maybe a condo so you have it in terms of security, and easier to get financed. if you have a condo or OWN something here, banks will work with you more. I'm not the expert, but I all to acquainted to playing the game here

Like I said, the guys above are from the UK Canada and USA, so you wont have to feel like you're getting cheated. i don't wanna deal with any Thai bank finance or even feel like any groups are cheating me, I want a bank or place I can have a personable relationship with. I'm sure you do too

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If you are buying a condo, make sure you wait until you have signed a deal on one (millennium residence is nice!), because you will have to purpose-transfer funds from overseas mentioning the condo unit on the transfer in order for you to be issued an FET foreign exchange transaction form which then you show to the land office to prove the funds came from overseas. If you already have funds here you will have to send them out and then back in again....more hassles, exchange rate losses and time wasted.

no workpermit, no mortgage. even with workpermit, mortgage almost impossible.

Ok, thanks for the info, that's saved me a long trip.

What about transferring either all my money when the exchange rate is better, or bit by bit when needed, what's the cheapest way to do this? How do the ferangs who buy 10 million Baht houses get that much money into Thailand and not suffer huge costs?

You can cost-average your exchange rate by transferring every 30 or 90 days or what suits you. Or you can just jump on a chance when you have sufficient money to take advantage of what looks like an up-tick on exchange rate. It's really your own feeling and preference. I wouldn't wait for the GBP to go back up to 70THB. It might happen, but not quickly.

You can setup a GBP non-resident account (at HSBC) and keep GBP here, then transfer into a non-resident or resident THB account as you please. When I need to to exchange "that much money" to buy a condo, I just monitored the rates for one or two months and struck when I thought the time was right. It "saved" me about 400,000 baht over current rates.

no workpermit, no mortgage. even with workpermit, mortgage almost impossible.

according to the law they have be paid 75% of their wage during temp layoff. For hotel staff, of course they lose their service fee distribution. Commissions are also lost. Alot of staff is transferred to other store locations.

Minimum wage in Thailand is almost 200 baht per day

I don't know where this statistic came from

I know that there is no National minimum wage, but I remember seeing somewhere that minimum wage is set according to the province.

Of course a lot of employers paying cash in hand will pay little regard to any minimum wage rate.

Last year my missus was offered a job in a 7-11. That job paid 157 Baht per day and no extra for the unsocial hours.

Sometimes i have to wonder why people post stuff without the simplest of research first. Of course there is a minimum wage in Thailand. I am not going to post a link, it's easy to google. Last year's upcountry minimum wage for women (yes it's lower than for men) might have been 157, but it's higher now, and in Bangkok and dam_n near close to 200 baht for men.

Construction workers make 200 baht a day. The price of a Big Mac set. Yep, not bad at all.

Why would a thai worker need a big mac set? That's equivalent to a New York office worker going to Circo or Mylos for their daily lunch or dinner. A really decent nutritious lunch here can be had from 15-20 baht. Minimum wage earners in Thailand are far better off than minimum wage earners in US, Europe or other developed countries because of the local earning power of their minimum wage here.

You have to be kidding................

50% of a days wage on a meal ???

ph

Minimum wage in Thailand is almost 200 baht per day.

The first thing to do is expect the unexpected at all times and then-----

1 get a louder horn than the standard one on the scooter / bike.

2 Ride with a finger hovering over the horn button and USE IT! OFTEN!

3 NEVER EVER be in a rush to get anywhere. If it takes longer so what ! its why you came here remember!

4 ride using the two finger braking or 1 finger / big toe braking method depending on the type of bike you ride. If you require more than 1 finger or toe to stop you are riding too fast. SEE RULE #3

5 WEAR A LID!!!! riding without one will cost you either a little bit of money in a fine or a shed load for a hospital bill. IT MAY ALSO SAVE YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6 ENJOY Thailand is a bikers paradise and the best way to see it is by bike!

7 If ever you see tree branches in the road BEWARE!!!! This is the Thai emergency triangle and is placed in the road to warn drivers there is a broken down vehicle ahead or workers on the road!

I absolutely agree with your first sentence. As for the rest, well I have been racing motorcycles for 40 years and have decided never to have a bike in Thailand.

Thailand is one of the best places on earth for motorcycle touring. you should give it a try sometime again. But probably not on a sport bike...Multistrada or GS should be great.

Every year I ride and drive more than 20000km in the winter period (when I´m in LOS) all over the country, also BKK. Never felt, it´s too dangerous. I like lefthand driving more than the rightside here in Germany. The Thai Driver are not agressive. The traffic is easy, every Parking Ground Guardian can stops all cars. This is suicude in south of Europe. Traffic lights are almost acceptet, constrution sides are marked. Very easy going at all. Try India or Turkey to realize how simpel it is in Thailand.

Traffic lights are almost accepted as what?Street lantarns??

Did you know that about 2 years ago a 30 day test with 10 traffic light camera's in Bangkok registered Seventy seven thousand ( 77.000) red light jumpers.

That translates to one car or bike every 6 minutes. Red light jumping doesn't mean (necessarily) ignoring red lights. Considering that these would have been placed very busy intersections, this is not a whole lot of red light jumping. It's basically a testament to how well traffic lights are respected in the city, isn't it.

Something about Thai drivers is intriguing, polite, natural, albeit not "common sense" in the western way.

Thai drivers hardly ever get upset if you cut in front of them. They don't try to squeeze you off the road on purpose, only if they happen not to see you, or if it's very inconvenient to let you pass (such as a truck going uphill not wanting to slow down to let you through).

Thai drivers never retaliate against other drivers in a way which is very common in western countries. Someone here will not say "what an a...hole, I am gonna get him!". They just mind their own business.

Thai drivers are fairly predictable, but then with lots of experience, just about any country's drivers are predictable. Prediction of driver action depends much on your own experience and skill.

Thai drivers don't beep at each other incessantly, they let others ahead if they seem to be in a hurry, they don't squeeze bikes out of making a lane between cars, and they even pull aside to allow bikes through.

Yes, there are dogs, chickens (I drove right over one accidentally yesterday because it decided to turn back from crossing the road!), and kids, lots of slow vehicles, bicycles, rickedy motorbikes, homemade contraptions, antique trucks etc etc.

But, all those things are indeed predictable and accidents can be avoided if we respect the fact that there is no such thing as "right of way" in real life. Being right but dead serves no purpose.

On motorbikes, gear is key. Good clothing, helmet, boots.

About speed, again, I think that it requires great experience, foresight and driving skill to drive fast without being stupid. The key here is not the actual absolute speed, but to make sure not to over-drive the field of vision. That means you need to be able to stop in the distance that you can actually see ahead of you; at night that means your light beams, at daytime it means the road ahead of the next turn.

There are some other cool things in Thailand; You can pass against oncoming traffic without any problem as long as you are sure the oncoming traffic sees you. They are more than pleased to move out of the way if they are able to. I have never seen that in any place to the level of efficiency as it is practiced in Thailand. That said, I try to avoid passing on the left as much as possible, unless I am very sure the driver just won't move over.

Driving in Thailand is, in a way, pure pleasure, without the petty hassles of tickets and insurance rates rising. I do wish, though, that parents would put their kids in seatbelts, and make them wear at least a bicycle helmet or something like that.

If you want to enjoy motorbiking in Thailand, take a safety course, take a racing course, and alway s know what goes on around, behind, and ahead of you, and anticipate stuff jumping out from nowhere...you'll be just fine.

There must be another Thailand somewhere in the world or you haven't been on the road much in this Thailand.

I've owned a car for 2 years, and before that drove rentals when I needed one. I have done almost 10,000 kms on my motorbike since last september all over Thailand, and doing errands around bkk.

Someone on a different forum likened traffic in BKK to a herd of water buffalo, moving, but seemingly chaotic.

I have driven for years in NYC, and traffic there is more rule based, but exhibits characteristics of what elsewhere would be described as aggressive driving or chaos, but it keeps things moving.

On the other hand, my home city in Canada, with beautiful big roads, perfectly marked signs and lanes, and by-the-book policing is a nightmare of "defensive drivers" who appear to be intent on turning the public road grid into a parking lot for hours on end, and would rather create a traffic jam than let someone merge into "their" lane.

Construction workers make 200 baht a day. The price of a Big Mac set. Yep, not bad at all.

Why would a thai worker need a big mac set? That's equivalent to a New York office worker going to Circo or Mylos for their daily lunch or dinner. A really decent nutritious lunch here can be had from 15-20 baht. Minimum wage earners in Thailand are far better off than minimum wage earners in US, Europe or other developed countries because of the local earning power of their minimum wage here.

Something about Thai drivers is intriguing, polite, natural, albeit not "common sense" in the western way.

Thai drivers hardly ever get upset if you cut in front of them. They don't try to squeeze you off the road on purpose, only if they happen not to see you, or if it's very inconvenient to let you pass (such as a truck going uphill not wanting to slow down to let you through).

Thai drivers never retaliate against other drivers in a way which is very common in western countries. Someone here will not say "what an a...hole, I am gonna get him!". They just mind their own business.

Thai drivers are fairly predictable, but then with lots of experience, just about any country's drivers are predictable. Prediction of driver action depends much on your own experience and skill.

Thai drivers don't beep at each other incessantly, they let others ahead if they seem to be in a hurry, they don't squeeze bikes out of making a lane between cars, and they even pull aside to allow bikes through.

Yes, there are dogs, chickens (I drove right over one accidentally yesterday because it decided to turn back from crossing the road!), and kids, lots of slow vehicles, bicycles, rickedy motorbikes, homemade contraptions, antique trucks etc etc.

But, all those things are indeed predictable and accidents can be avoided if we respect the fact that there is no such thing as "right of way" in real life. Being right but dead serves no purpose.

On motorbikes, gear is key. Good clothing, helmet, boots.

About speed, again, I think that it requires great experience, foresight and driving skill to drive fast without being stupid. The key here is not the actual absolute speed, but to make sure not to over-drive the field of vision. That means you need to be able to stop in the distance that you can actually see ahead of you; at night that means your light beams, at daytime it means the road ahead of the next turn.

There are some other cool things in Thailand; You can pass against oncoming traffic without any problem as long as you are sure the oncoming traffic sees you. They are more than pleased to move out of the way if they are able to. I have never seen that in any place to the level of efficiency as it is practiced in Thailand. That said, I try to avoid passing on the left as much as possible, unless I am very sure the driver just won't move over.

Driving in Thailand is, in a way, pure pleasure, without the petty hassles of tickets and insurance rates rising. I do wish, though, that parents would put their kids in seatbelts, and make them wear at least a bicycle helmet or something like that.

If you want to enjoy motorbiking in Thailand, take a safety course, take a racing course, and alway s know what goes on around, behind, and ahead of you, and anticipate stuff jumping out from nowhere...you'll be just fine.

i just got a price from Pasaya for nearly 90,000THB for just three curtain sets. A double door and two small windows. Almost spat my coffee over the PC monitor reading the quote! They kindly(!) offered 20% discount, and I asked for another 60. Doubt they'll answer. In need of another supplier as well methinks.

You can get fine silks starting from about 400 baht per meter at Jim Thompson outlet center in Bangkok or Pattaya.

Jim Thompson....any of the shops, or you can go to their outlet center near On-Nut station, or in Pattaya. I buy all my silk bed sheets/duvet covers, pillows, window coverings there. They are also an OEM to top design houses all over the world (if you buy a Zegna tie, it might well be made by or made from silk by Jim Thompson)

Not sure what all the fuss is about. In the US, they have no other gas BUT 10% Ethanol fuel. Due to their corn lobbies, Ethanol is in all fuels sold at standard retail gas stations.

As for "not working" or "damaging" bikes/engines, here, for example, is a TSB from BMW:

2007 BMW R 1200 ST Fuel System TSBsTSB Number: SB-00-021-07NHTSA Number: 10030825TSB Date: November 1, 2007Date Added to File: December 7, 2009Failing Component:Fuel System, OtherSummary:BMW motorcycle: engine fuels containing ethanol. BMW motorrad has no objection to the use of si engine fuels containing up to a maximum of 10% ethanol and imposes no warranty restrictions

I think some people have old vehicles which are either stale-dated for Ethanol use, or they are just ageing and in need of repair, regardless of Ethanol mix or not.

As for top-end power, Ethanol should give more power, not less, but possibly slightly lower fuel efficiency.

I have never hesitated putting Gasohol in either my 2004 car (Freelander) or 2005 or 2009, or 1998 BMW Motorbikes.

m

MPetersen, yep, I've looked at a couple of those hotel-chain based member cards... As you mention, Marriott has one, as does the Landmark just down Sukhumvit Road a bit. Last I recall, the Landmark one was around 6,000 baht per year, and I think the Marriott's was higher.

If a person has a business/company that involves entertaining or has an expense account, or even a large family, those make for very good deals, admittedly, discounts off of food and drinks at the hotel eateries that are already over-priced for the general market. But indeed, there are some very nice places to eat and drink at the Marriott, Landmark and other of the hotel properties around Bangkok. And the hotel stay or discount vouchers and other included items help offset the card purchase cost, if you'll really use the benefits offered.

What's the deal and the details/location for the Courtyard eatery you mentioned above??? That's more in my price range target, so I oughta check it out!!!

Courtyard bangkok Mahdlekluang 1, off Rajadamri behind Four Seasons Hotel. Courtyard also has a property in Hua Hin, and 3 or 4 in Phuket. Their Momo cafe has a nice selection, and is well priced even without discount. I reckon at 50% off (when two people dine), it's cheaper to eat at Momo cafe than to buy groceries!

The Landmar and Shangrila Dining programs are fine, but I really think the food quality at Marriotts is superb, and of course, even though the membership is 6900 THB (maybe slightly higher than Landmark), you can use it in a whole lot more places all around Thailand and even beyond.

As well, this year, if you hold an HSBC Premier or Platinum card you can eat for 50% off at the terrace at Marriott Riverside Resort.

M

You are best to call United Airlines to make sure they allow check-through of luggage on USAir.

Air Canada, for instance, suspended two-itinerary checktrough for a while, but reinstated it last year again. I just checked through from a YYZ-HKG flight and a separate TG ticket from HKG-BKK, and did not get nailed with any luggage fees because my second flight was inner-Asia.

Star Alliance has tried their best to streamline their policies to make travel smoother.

In any case, however, you will have to collect luggage in SFO to put through customs and drop them on the connecting belt. Having your tags printed all the way through to final destination will be a time saver.

My opinion is that it's probably ok, but you have to make sure to request it at check-in, and you should double check with United. I didnt find any info on a quick search of their website.

m

mpetersen,

Thank you for your comments.

Are you suggesting her to contact United Airlines, instead of Thai Airways?

Thai Airways will be the airlines that issue the luggage tag on the first itinerary. I recommended her to go to the Bangkok airport and asked for all details including the name of the personnel who gives her the answer. Since it is verbal, I would like to ensure that the information received will be accurate.

I think, in her case, she will be negotiating with Thai airways rather than United Airlines. But, there is United Airlines in Bangkok as well. Should I tell her to inquire with United Airlines too?

If the check-through is approved, likelihood, it will be originated by Thai Airways. I am concerned that what will happen if the Thai Airways refuse to accept the second itinerary.

I have no experience on this issue. I could not locate the information on the internet as well.

Thanks for the information. Take care.

Based on my experience just this week, there is no problem through-checking from two itineraries, especially if they are both on star alliance carriers. I even received my boarding passes all the way for my HKG-Canada ticket at the checkin counter in BKK. I thought that was rather efficient. Sometimes, it might be prudent not to ask too many questions...

Lots of clear arguments from the rational people. Zip from the 'Thaksin is our savior" brigade. Typical.

If you live in the south or Bkk you never see Thailand as it is.

I feel for the people of Thailand who all they want is a fair Election in which whoever wins gets to govern without being kicked out through a coupe.

Unlike most of you on here, the red shirts couldn't afford to come to BKK without being paid, but they would rather not have to come in the first place.

This isn't fun or funny it's people fighting for Democracy, fairness. Forget Thaksin for a while and if he is a liar, bad, good, a saint, or the devil.

He WAS the Prime Minister of Thailand, he never got voted out of power the people who voted for him - over 60% - do not think this fair. If it were to happen in Germany, the US or the UK would YOU think it fair?

I hope no one gets hurt I hope it is peaceful, and I wish them well.

Shame on all you ignorant fools who think you are far better than most Thai's, and I include you if you are Thai too.

Along with being democratically elected (even that, in light of widespread vote-buying is doubtful), does not absolve the leader from acting properly once in power. Extrajudicial killings, sniding the UN, blatant gifting of money to rural poor in the hopes and expectation of gaining their votes, and using the government to fill one`s own coffers, not to mention, in Thailand, being a `republican` and disrespecting the Roayl Institution, should be enough justification for removal. Since the judicial and parliamentary systems are relatively immature and unable to fulfil such a demand, there is no other choice but for the military to step in as `big brother` to rectify such situation.

Thailand has a constitutional Monarchy, with a democratically elected prime minister, and for better or for worse, the military, largely loyal to His Majestey, has been given the default role of gatekeeper of this fledgling democracy.

The last coup resulted in democratic elections which voted a coalition government into power. There is nothing undemocratic about that at all.

If one looks at the figure of 1.000,000 (one million) demonstrators although an impressive figure and indeed sight it is actually less than 1% (one per cent) of the population of Thailand.

I hardly think that qualifies as an overwhelming popular demand for the return of Thaksin brand of DEMONOCRACY

Ummm, there's around 67 million people in Thailand, so that's actually about 1.5% of the population. In reality, that's huge, and for example, FAR larger than the Iran protests which gained so much media attention in the West. Really, when was the last time you heard about 1.5% of an entire country getting together to protest in the capital? Doesn't happen too often.

I don't know, but if 1.5% of Canada's population (~540,000 people) of all a sudden showed up in Ottawa to protest against the government, I'd say that'd cause a pretty decent stir nationwide.

Yes but it won`t be anywhere close to 1 Million showing up. Maybe not even 100,000, so in the end 0.1% is NOT huge, it`s tiny and insignificant were it not for the potential dangers of people in the background attempting to stir up trouble and violence.

That said, there is nothing wrong with 100,000 people, or 50,000 people or whatever the final number is, peacefully demonstrating or protesting their views.

why do non thai posters seem to be negative about the supporters of thaksin, like him or not these are ordinary people for whom the previous regime was of benefit so they like and support him and his policy.

i really dont know if he was good or bad when compared to others but i do know that those wearing yellow shirts are anti democracy as they have stated so the question is, if the choice is to have a vote or not to have a vote, who would you vote for?

Why? Because non-Thai people have a better understanding of mature democracy, what it means, and that the mob-rule, or even majority-rule doesn't necessarily equate to good democracy.

1) The Red shirts are a minority, so why can they decide when and how to dissolve a government?

2) The government is a coalition of elected parties. There is nothing undemocratic about coalition governments. Indeed, it's probalby one of the most democratic means to represent multiple minority views in the form of a common governing front

3) "Populist" leaders more often than not have their own interests in mind. Hitler was a populist, democratically elected, leader. Was he good? Was he democratic? Of course not he was a devil incarnate.

4) Thaksin is a dictatory wannabe. Jealous of the "successful" implementation of "democratic" principles, such as North Korea (sorry Democratic Replublic of Korea(!)), Burma (dedicated ot democratic prinicples of course), Cambodia (look what the "reds" accomplished there) etc.

In previous times, the red shirts would have been denounced as "communists" and crushed. Of course, that is no longer possible since China, a communist nation, would strongly object to that.

Thailand has so many things that should be addressed: Garbage, Energy, Water, Poverty, Infrastructure, Pollution, the South, Heritage and last but not least Education (or lack thereof) which sends hundreds of thousands of desparate girls into prostitution each year.

To be fair, the elites have nobody but themselves to blame, and until they stop looking down on Issan and Karen and Upcountry farming people with disdain, they should not be suprised about any attempt at popular revolts. So, the reds`protests have a very important role in forming democratic princples, even though their stated goals (such as re-instating Thug-sin) are deplorable, the process, if done in peace, will give rise to positive, truly democratic principles in the end.

Wish to "freshen up before flying onwards" This indicates that you are arriving on a flight and possibly transitting with a 3 hour stop over. I really dont think the hassles of leaving (even if you arrive on a domestic flight) and returning through immigration etc would be justified for only 3 hours. In fact as aircraft tend to board 30 minutes before departure your three hour stop over is now reduced to 2.5 hours.

Not worth it, suggest you stay at swampy

Go to an airline lounge. You can buy access day passes at Plaza Premium if you don't have lounge access through one of your credit cards or airlines.

You are best to call United Airlines to make sure they allow check-through of luggage on USAir.

Air Canada, for instance, suspended two-itinerary checktrough for a while, but reinstated it last year again. I just checked through from a YYZ-HKG flight and a separate TG ticket from HKG-BKK, and did not get nailed with any luggage fees because my second flight was inner-Asia.

Star Alliance has tried their best to streamline their policies to make travel smoother.

In any case, however, you will have to collect luggage in SFO to put through customs and drop them on the connecting belt. Having your tags printed all the way through to final destination will be a time saver.

My opinion is that it's probably ok, but you have to make sure to request it at check-in, and you should double check with United. I didnt find any info on a quick search of their website.

m

expect it and tolerate it. as long as it's reciprocal.