oldsalt

Lamphun route, as suggested, is best. It's a leisurely 5 hours and can be done in under 4.5. Phrae to Nan is winding, but usually with little traffic. I've done the trip many times, but was not aware of the "short cut" before Den Chai,. Will try it next time.

I live in Sukumvhit Soi 10 and these police (who are stationed in a little box at Sukumvhit Plaza) have been doing this for years. They seem to operate between Soi 8 and Times Square as suggested - why walk too far, even for 1000bt?

They will actually spot and tail a smoker along the street, waiting for the butt to be dropped. They are, in fact, and unusually, operating within the law.

I operate a small resort in the north of Thailand. We applied for a business (company) loan on March 22 with Bangkok Bank.

Our accountant checked with them beforehand and was told it would take six weeks. Approval came through today - almost

3 months and one week later, but it will still be another week or so before the money goes into the company account -

putting it closer to four months. It is a fully secured loan as the land and bungalows are debt free, so it should have been easy to approve.

Does anyone else have experience with business loans and is three months of waiting the norm? I would appreciate any

tips on speedier banks. I have heard KBank may have been a better choice. I will still take the Bangkok Bank money but

am inclined to refinance elsewhere and move my banking.

It's a common practice in Thailand and I stringently avoid any places that do it. You're a bit caught though if you are staying at the resort on New Year's Eve and they make attendance at the dinner compulsory. Hope you find a decent and reasonable alternative.

BANGKOK – For the first time, an experimental vaccine has prevented infection with the AIDS virus, a watershed event in the deadly epidemic and a surprising result. Recent failures led many scientists to think such a vaccine might never be possible.

The vaccine cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 percent in the world's largest AIDS vaccine trial of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, researchers announced Thursday in Bangkok.

Even though the benefit is modest, "it's the first evidence that we could have a safe and effective preventive vaccine," Col. Jerome Kim said in a telephone interview. He helped lead the study for the U.S. Army, which sponsored it with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases....

more you can read at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090924/ap_on_...ed_aids_vaccine

p.s. I tried to post it at news clipping but was not allowed. Can some mod move it there?

regards

I have not read anywhere that the vaccine was "produced" in Thailand. The study was "produced" in Thailand, courtesy of volunteers. There will be drug companies behind it, of course, and someone, either in govt. or a deparment, will be getting consideration for their support, in one form or another.

I live in Soi 10 and had been puzzled for a few weeks now over Chuwit Park. There have been times when it appeared to be shut the whole day. I had not noticed the sign posting the new times, so it is obviously a recent move (I have been out of Bangkok for a few weeks). However, it was always popular at lunch time, so closing it seems strange. The next step will be a permanent closure and then before we know it, it will all be bulldozed to make way for a hotel. The only thing that might save it for posterity is that Chuwit has dedicated it to the Glory of God in the marker plaque. I had noticed an increasing number of "ladies" sitting idly on the park seats, so perhaps they got a bit too noticeable at lunch time and they thought it easier to close to break the pattern. Let's hope it is only short term, so to speak.

Re Sunrise Tacos, I don't know how they manage to employ Filipinos as waiting would surely be a Thais only job. I do know that most Thai friends I have gone there with, have considered the Filipino staff rude to them, while being personable to the farang.

Nice one from a 1st time poster. Zero to do with Chiang Mai.

Perhaps the first time poster considers living in Chiang Mai as "life threatening." I would.....

This doesn't really help, but any taxes our company pays through the accountant are in the form of "account payee only" cheques to the Revenue Department , Social Security Fund, etc., so is there no chance of the accountant keeping the money. His office just collects and lodges our cheques and does the necessary paperwork. His monthly fee is around 7000bt to take care of the monthly requirements, including VAT lodgment and the annual accounts. Annual work permit is extra. I don't know what you were paying, but you should be able to find a Samui accountant for around the same monthly fee. If you try it yourself, it might be a good idea to go to someone reputable like Sunbelt and pay them a one off fee to walk you through the process.

Times are tough and I suspect many owners are sitting on empty properties. My monthly income recently dropped dramatically and I told my landlady I'd be moving fulltime from Bangkok to my house in the north. She told me I could stay on for free until my income improved again! (She has always been a great landlady and when I moved in seven years ago, said she would never put up the rent - which she hasn't - and it's a bargain rent anyway). She has another rental property which she says has been empty since the farang tenant moved out. There are more empty apartments in the building than there have ever been.

It's a bit like the "good old days" just after the '97 crash when I first came to Bangkok and rents and deals were phenomenal. Mind you, I'd still rather have my old income back and pay the full rent.....

I've yet to see anyone busking in Thailand, apart from an "official" event held at Lumpini earlier this year and hugely attended. You would definitely need a work permit and you can be sure it is a profession not open to foreigners. And the chances of a Thai busker? Come one - they can't get past karaoke.

The forum is a lost cause for those interested in sane debates. Forums, in the same vein as "letters to the editor," are the domain of the idle, the unemployed, the infirm and the aged. I have squeezed into the last category. And am trying to fight it. You do not find too many thought or business leaders in forums. Still, it does pass the hours......

One thing they are certainly cutting back on is checkout service. Tesco at Nan seems to have staff standing around doing nothing, (or laughing and talking), while the checkout staff not only try and manage the huge queues at the register, but have to pack the bags as well. I need to shop there every week and gear up for the long wait at the checkout....they seem to have even fewer staff at the busiest times.

Do you mean 500bt for a French meal or just for a main course? Very wishful thinking - and unrealistic - to expect a meal for under 500bt, or even a worthwhile main course. You could always buy a baguette and a small chunk of Brie.....

I opened a small resort a few years ago now with a Thai friend and when we first opened the local police "offered" to set up a polic box on the property in return for a monthly fee. I think my Thai partner kept me in the dark regarding the subsequent pressure he received, but held out and said no. We had a few other hassles from them in the early days, but my partner eventually contacted the head honcho for the local police and all harassment ceased. I realise going to the man in charge does not always work in Thailand, but in this case it did, and without any consequences.

We are in a very remote location and a few lowly ranked cops obviously saw us as the first business in town that could provide them with a little extra cash.

Hi, anyone interested in having a thread talking only Toyota Vigo's ? I have one in UK, I come to LOS EVERY JAN /FEB, also I have various trucks ,cars, bikes, and am allways willing to learn/ give advice, regards

You might just be the man to help. I am leasing a Toyota Vigo from Budget for the next 12 months, but am only an occasional passenger in it - the Thai GM drives it. Today, for the first time, I noticed on the side of the car that it boasts VSC in addition to Cruise Control, which I do grasp. There is also a VSC indicator when you start the car and in ours it is off. What is VSC please? I did a web search and got Vehicle Stability Control, but it did not say when and how it is to be used. The car is driven a lot on mountainous roads - in fact, the Thai GM has already run two of them off these mountain roads. If it happens again, he can go back to a motorbike. Should VSC be on for mountainous, and often slippery, roads? The manual is in Thai, of course, so can't find out that way.

Can anyone recommend a good driver and car for a trip from Bangkok to Nan? The driver I generally use - with a new Isuzu - is not available for the rest of this month. If you can help, please reply with contact number. Tks