watcharacters

.

What is the going rate for an enterprising young Thai lad to become a tuk tuk driver with his own tuk tuk in Phuket these days?

richard_smith237, on 19 Mar 2013 - 12:48, said:

I'd be pretty 'pi$$ed off' about this... I'm not fortunate enough to be able to pee on demand. If I've 'been' within an hour or two before the request I'd find myself waiting for another couple of hours.

I can't see how this is a legal infringement even within Thailand.

In a bar or pub they have reasonable cause and therefore legality and that wouldn't bother me so much - but randomly stopping someone walking by in the street can't be legal.

I suspect the Police have stepped beyond the law by doing this.

Yes, they are the Police, so some will say they can do whatever they want. Of course, it makes things smoother just to give in and politely follow their requests and I might be tempted to follow their request if it didn't involve peeing in a cup in the street (or alley) and if I was 'ready to pee'.. or if its in a bar etc... But, I believe I might find myself politely, but firmly refusing... (my refusal would involve calling a friend who can help if things got a little testy)...

I've been in similar situations before when the police stopped my taxi and asked for my passport. I refused, politely but firmly - the police lost interest.

It would be interesting to know the 'real' law on this and exactly what our rights are. I'm sure some will say it doesn't matter what our rights are if the Police ask us to do something. I disagree, it does matter to me.

.

Don't you imagine the "real law" is written so vaguely so as to allow the police to interpret it as they so chose?

Upon arrival, and after I leave the BKK airport I realize my rights Embassy-wise are only to be afforded the same legal process given Thai citizens. I think I have few if any legal rights in Thailand.

"It would be interesting to know the 'real' law on this and exactly what our rights are. I'm sure some will say it doesn't matter what our rights are if the Police ask us to do something. I disagree, it does matter to me."

You cannot download movies or music through Amazon when in Thailand. So the fire, which is a device for consuming Amazon content is no good for that here. It will still work as an Android tablet, but as I said above, if your primary reason for looking for kindle is reading books, avoid the fire (or buy both). E-ink screen on the normal kindle devices means that it is the same as reading from a printed page. with the fire, it's like reading a book on your laptop screen or your TV... I.e. not very comfortable for your eyes if reading for lengthy periods (over 45 mins).

Feel free to pm me or post questions on here, as I know both devices very well, and should be able to help.

The best thing for you to do is decide what you want the device for?

GREAT info here. Thanks to all.

Has anyone had a normal Kindle AND a Kindle Fire?

Curious if getting the fire is worth the extra cost. A poster above said something about it being limited abroad. What limits are there?

Great info, thanks.

I'm only wanting this for reading. I figure a Kindle will be cheaper than continuing to have books shipped to me that I can't find in Thailand.

For those of you who are unable to download from Amazing due to being in Thailand, use a VPN connection with a non-Thai IP address. You can choose many different countries. Amazon will think you are in that country and should allow access. That is how many people get past many internet blocks (streaming movies, music, some youtube channels, and so on who block their sites from Thailand) while in Thailand and using their computers and phones. I assume the Kindle Fire can be set up with a VPN, as most devices can. Worth looking into if that is an issue for you.

I don't think I'm allowed to link out, but feel free to PM me for VPN suggestions if you are new to using a VPN. It's the best way to live here and enjoy the internet.

.

Even before I knew about VPN's, I never had a problem downloading books from Amazon on a Kindle.

OP - if you hate TV why do you paticipate?

.

I wonder what you read in the OP to make you come to the conclusion he hates TV?

Sounds incredible.

Bkk is getting worst and worst with this mafia.

Has this happened to someone else ?

.

What ma

This proves that the police are doing a good job.

What I would do in that situation is cooperate with the police rather than telling them no pee and to pee off and refuse.

Providing you abide by the laws then you have nothing to fear. Get caught with drugs, dealing or taking, then you`re owned, it`s that simple.

The jail houses here are stacked wall to wall with farang inhabitants incarcerated for drug offenses, many serving life sentences.

fia

I wonder how you and figs have such divergent feelings about this when you're both long time Thailand residents. While he seems to suggest these police actions are Mafia related you refer to them as "police doing a good job"?

What's the difference?

What I would like to say would be against forum rules.

I think and hope it's generally considered in poor taste for a man or men to smack around women.

If it is the plastic, Bicarbonate of soda in water. Wipe all surfaces, dry off and then use one of these car interior cleaner/polishes.

.

just an open container of baking soda is supposed to do wonders at removing orders. Cheap and effortless and maybe worth a try.

good luck

40% windscreen and 60 %. Sides is very dark you will really have problems at night

.

40% windscreen and 60 %. I have the same but if i were to do it over, i'd have had the 80% put on the back window. We have no issues seeing at night or using the mirrors.

in samui, when I went to renew my one year visa, I was received very pleasently by by a senior officer.

Once in his office, he gave me a list of documents that were neccessary for the application.

I gave him all the documents and mentionned that I had also joined the prove that I had paid my personel income taxes and the company taxes.

His face changed and the nice smile disapeared.

he had a look at the documents, asked me in thai if I could speak thai, than after my positve answer asked me if I could read thai.

the answer was no. the smile came back.

He than told me that my documents were not the right one.

As I told him that they had been prepared by my thai accountant, he replied that since I could not read thai I could not know if they were right or not...

He than refused my application and told me to come back with my lawyer.

I told him that I had no lawyer as I am a honest person.

Double smile than, and he handed me 2 names and phone number of lawyers in samui.

Even though I had no will to pass through a lawyer to get my visa reconducted, I called them to enquiry about their fee.

15000 (yes fifteen).

I went the next day to suratthani where I logged a formal complaint about samui, gave them the set of document and 2000, received my extension and 100 back, all that with the smile of the beautifull station officer.

Was told later on by a new friend of mine who is a lawyer that they leave tips of up to 4000/passport to get ultra fast service....

.

Land of Smiles indeed.

While i admire his bravery and stand against corruption, i also find it silly in a number of ways.

To start with corruption is a way of life here, like it or not.

The only way to get things done fast and easy is to pay someone to do it fast and easy.

The amount was rather small, so lets hope he has all his paperwork in 100% order, because rest assured he would be audited in the near future.

Yes some Thai have supported him, but just like with everything else in Thailand it passes by pretty fast.

The next year he will try to renew his visa or WP he may find a number of obstacles, not to mention being refused, as WP and Visa is not granted but up to the discretion of issuing officer.

All those claiming to have never paid any bribes, either too oblivious or talking out of their backside.

1000 baht is small ? It's seems he was just after some photocopies of his tax documents, in which case the cost should be no more than the cost for a few photocopies.

Well lemoncake, you know better right?. Just keep on paying that 1000 baht, and pretty soon when they see you coming, they'll be asking for 3,000 or 5,000 baht from you.

That's when the smile needs to keep getting bigger. Or else just pay the requesting piper.

"

UPDATE

Anti-Corruption Views - Tweeting toward a corruption-free Thailand?

By Alisa Tang

BANGKOK: -- When an official in this Bangkok suburb of Samut Prakan asked British blogger Richard Barrow for 1,000 baht ($33) to finalise some tax documents, the longtime Thailand resident requested a receipt.

The official refused to give one, and conceded that the money was to buy lunch for him and his staff. Barrow then pulled out his iPhone and outed the bribe-demanding official, complete with photo, to his 22,000-plus Twitter followers.

“Unbelievable. This revenue officer wants me to pay him 1,000B before he will release my tax documents. I've refused,” Barrow tweeted as he left the man’s office on Monday morning.

Twenty-six minutes later, Barrow tweeted that the official, anxious to have his picture deleted from the Internet, had backed down: “Success against corruption. Price for my tax documents has gone down from 1,000 Baht to 260 Baht with receipt.”

Bribery and corruption pervade all levels of Thai society - from the cash paid for traffic offences and government permits - to the grand-scale leakage that plagues infrastructure projects. Barrow’s blow-by-blow account on Twitter illustrates one way people can fight back.

Full story: http://www.trust.org...n-free-thailand

-- Trust.org 2013-03-15

A better resolution I think.

Beetlejuice, where does it say that *I* was the person waved out of the audio store ? Please give me a quote I can work with - perhaps I have dyslexia and typed 'MrWorldwide' when I meant to type 'CarlBKK', or that last crack pipe really has taken its toll.

.

Accurate quoting of anything is not required on the TV forum. 555

.

I sincerely believe social media and sites like youtube will have the greatest impact imaginable on LOS's government as well as that of similar countries. It's only a matter of time.

Everything is now instant and the rules are changing in a flash.

.

Without reading this thread I'll still say how disingenuous.

Who cares about nothing?

.

Did you google this?

you might get an unbiased reply.

.

Bigger doesn't always equate to safer but I guess my saloon would've sustained even greater damage. Thank goodness for airbags even if there isn't as many as I'd like.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates the driver's survival space wasn't maintained well.

.

Sometimes it's less than easy to deal with Thai government officials. There's a lack of consistency.

I'm on a srict seefood diet.

Watch out for the bottom feeders.

Each of your 3 entries could have been extended at Immigration.

This would have given you almost 270 days.

Don't forget the passport size photo.

.

Right about that. it's a long visa and if done as was the case with me it was on a promo and free.

.

I sincerely hope I never have to experience what you did. I get annoyed at the silliness of both car and bike drivers here but I wish them no harm.

<deleted> is an estuary accent?

Google's to the rescue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estuary_English

I'd never heard of that which surprised me since I originate from that neck of the woods. Then I scrolled to the bottom of the wikki page and saw "This page was last modified on 28 February 2013 at 02:35." - well that explains it - only existed for a couple of weeks no wonder....

one, two 333,345,535,535,523,875,333

So what does that mean? Do you question the validity of the explanation/definition?

Are you able to turn the router off and then on?

Also re-start the PC.

It could be something as simple as an IP address conflict.

I've taken it upon myself to stand on a chair in a hotel corridor before and turn off the router for a minute or two to reboot it. Sometimes it works.

The Ranger get 5 star safety rating:

http://www.euroncap.com/Content-Web-Article/bab01277-a8d0-4185-b071-4f09031da9cc/euro-ncap-awards-first-5-star-rating-for-a-pick-up.aspx

The Ranger (high rider model) can "swim" in 80 cm water without drowning.

I bought a Ranger so it's therefore the best pick-up truck on the Thai market, period.

Transam bought a Toyota Vigo, so seen though his eyes, that's the best.

The Isuzu is without doubt very solid but outdated, may I ask what's your reasons buying one?

In the end of the day, You have to buy what you like, all the trucks on the Thai market got their pros and cons .

When I saw the Ranger and read about it on the Web, I knew I wanted one.

I never tried a Vigo or an Isuzu, not interested. Tried a BT50 and it drove great, but the Ranger is (way) a better looker seen though my eyes.

My 2cent

I didn't think performance or crash tests performed outside of Thailand applied to the cars sold in Thailand. Of course I don't know of such tests done in Thailand at all but if they were I'd like to see them.

But all that aside… and having had my experiences in the years before (yes to younger girls, yes to bargirls, yes to losing money etc.) and reading all the only negative threads on here, I thought to just let people know that there ARE other women who are not about cheating, extorting, money etc.

Whether I will be proven wrong one day... time only will show...

They can all pretend to love you for 6 months.

Or longer if a rich guy.

Yeah, but just today I read a thread about one rich guy who's credit card wasn't accepted at Ubon Tesco, so I guess the love is over for that one

.

Maybe this OP will keep living the dream in his head if not in his wallet.