bangkokburning

Recently returned from trip abroad with girlfriend. I am holding a double, with one 60day already spent. I wanted a stamp so I could stay a few weeks, get my act together and go down to Malaysia for a but of sun and snorkeling.

Immigration with a smile - sorry cannot. Another, perhaps his boss was about, he confirmed.

My new passport was really fresh and there was no indication of my former long stay presence in Thailand. This must really, really suck for backpackers landing in Thailand hoping to do a bit of overland to neighboring countries.

Moral to story esp these days - don't waste your time.

There has never been anything wrong with the spped at which this embassy processes. Just the hassles.

I made a double w/ DC before coming out in May. I had to pay for this one. I would note that it came back astonishingly fast, esp compared to year prior when I had to call them to remind I had a plane to catch in ten days.

Nice thing to note: they gave me expiry window of six mos, maybe due to the turmoil.

Your post is not clear. You wish to w/d foreign currency from an ATM machine? Cannot

You wish to obtain foreign currency from a bank at the desk? Can, w/ paperwork and crap xch rate. You can also just do it at the airport w/ no paperwork.

W/D local from w/ your card from abroad, can. You get THB

You will pay B150 per pull, esp from banks you noted.

Can you use your Thai card abroad? I have only experience in Malaysia but it worked w/ Maybank. Look at the network on th eback of the card.

JW Red now B650 (1L) from Departures

What if we all decided to do something about this instead of just whinging? I am serious. Request an audience with no less than the ambassador to inform her of the shoddy treatment. What if we all wrote our congressmen and senators. What if we told the ambassador that we will as a group write to our congress as to the lack of service. As a group effort and a commitment, a real effort of solidarity.

My girlfriend will be applying next year to go with me for a month to US. We will be visiting family, two national parks. I am cringing and worried.

Global Realtor conspiracy I suppose ...growth numbers are included.

I don't think the slideshow is pushing anything, It's simply noting markets where housing is not depressed. Of course, many of these countries are very lovely and yet people are leaving them for places like Thailand out due to cost of living.

Interesting how Malaysia bests Thailand yet again and presumably you could get something nice outside KUL on the island for even cheaper.

Can anyone address the drop in gold on the 16th @ 8am?

The need for JPM to cover their shorts in Gold and silver in the next week+

It appears the bank/s are driving prices lower (in hopes of covering their shorts).

Media reports could see silver into 15-16. Others boldly predicting silver in 12-13 range before any upside.

Thanks

"The question is how do we build a system that weeds out corruption?"

Privatize government and all government services. Shareholders are far better at getting good management than voters.

This is the ugly US Rethuglican notion that markets are a) free need no regulation c) work

Where would most Americans retirement be if it were put into the market under GWB?

Stockhlders don't manage anything - It's only about short term dividends payouts.

What about the shorters?

Stockholders did a great job of managing....BP/Exxon/Shell, Enron, Tyco, Wall Street, big pharma, mortgage industry, housing industry, the US auto industry - huh?

We have seen for decades in the USA now how this notion is pure nonsense. The people that spout it are the only ones that stand to gain. A decade of GWB and look at the US. Ravaged by opportunists. Funny how these people hate government spending that goes to the poor and unemployed but have no issue with lobbying and taking money for the corporation they hold shares in.

I saw French speaking Belgian

So, you know this person to be French national? Is it possible a French national could speak Belgian? <deleted> is Belgian?! People in Belgium speak Dutch, French, German and perhaps another 20 languages numbnutz.

Indian looking Nepali's (hmm, why might they look similar who knows... maybe they WERE Nepali? Maybe they were French!

I gave you a great link. Please just go away and read it.

I would drag myself to immigration. I think that will be less cost and hassle of all these notes and whatnot. In the ned, they can always say no and if you've only got a bad case of the flu and not in hospital. They may actually deny you with the note. Up to them.

Didn't Bumie used to have an Immigration office inside the hospital?

As we saw last week that other silly intervention aimed at give backs to hotels, this is aimed at another segment. This will do nothing to increase tourist numbers.

You know Thailand is finished when looks to Uzbekistan for money. UZBEKISTAN! <deleted>!

Please note the thumb in the eye for all western nations. No easing, no promotions.

FINANCIAL CRISIS HITS UZBEKISTAN

Just make sure wherever you decide to procure the visa that you are in a window of 90 days from date of planned arrival.

My latest TRs from USA They were kind enough to give me six mos (the only year I haven't wanted or needed it -not given prior when I begged them because I wanted to take some trips first!. I think due to nsatbility of Thailand. Just a hunch.

bangkokscams.com has done a good job. Don't see any need to elaborate.

The New Bubble in the Barbarous Relic that Is Gold By Nouriel Roubini

Even Jim Rogers says he is no longer buying gold (and doesn't see it hitting US2000 for a decade).

Duh.

Hey, Electrolux vacuum cleaners have dual use parts. Its a wise economic decision.

I'm sure the Americans, Brits/France are pissed.

Sure make me look at the nation in yet another light.

Flying vacuum cleaners - BAH!

"mainly from Myanmar and Laos"

So, Cambodia is looking like a pretty good neighbor here - no? Just asking with all the nonsense brewing on the border w/ Cambodia.

Its the meth and the ketamine - chemical substances that are the truly evil stuff.

They are also expected to call on Thailand to honor its agreement to allow Cambodia to register the Preah Vihear temple as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Which it will not - because as we all know, this is Lieland.

Is this the same government that Thailand is accusing of providing mercenaries, agents provocateur on (and safe harbor to) the red shirt barricades? Cambodians despite the last hundreds of years have nothing against the Thai, save for these modern land disputes. This is a typical third world reaction to the hate that has been spewn upon them by Thailand.

Harboring Taksin was one of Hun Sen's few political miscalculations during his reign. Having said that, Cambodia has not and will not suffer for it. A finger in the eye of its arrogant neighbor.

I am sure the unions deal is a qpquo thing.

Few years back. I've been most everywhere save for the flash touristy spots. Cebu is a sprawl and lots of crime. No really great place to live, no beauty coastline imo both from the city and the island itself. Bacolad gets marks as a nicer city as Dumaguete. But there are lots of local expat complaints as well.

Just rec'd email from a friend commenting on how many friends he's lost due to alcoholism. I would also say, I have never seen more washed up guys than in the RP. Americans are gone by and large. Scores of hand-to-mouth Aussies and the odd English dodger. Of course, German small presence, usually running some sort of "resort".

Ever since my first trip to RP in 94, it struck me as winners/players come to Thailand. The rest go to Philippines.

Before you go, think about all the men and their "s.o.'s" living in Thailand. Why? Because it sucks. Any Thai women living in Phils? Nope.

I don't think Davao as very enjoyable, for me - never "home", occasional bombings as well.

Manila, I heard an urban planner comment on is officially "failed". Phils is a failed state in every way.

Vietnam - never took to the place. If you think you are an outsider in Lieland, wait till you try to settle in Vietnam.

Incidentally Phils visas are no longer a bargain and seemingly go up annually. Gov't sees this as a money spinner so no end in sight. They love to tag on a forced expedite fee as well making the visa even more expensive.

Have you thought about spending a few months in a number of countries? Coming and going as the best weather suits. I honestly do not think there is a Nirvana now Thailand being what it is now (politics, modern, pricy, visa problems, theft/crime).

Singapore need not be expensive. You are an older retired couple. Might be nice for you,

Ayutthaya is the only major temple complex in Thailand that can be claimed to be truly "Thai". It is not that special. The construction of the temples, poor and the site is small at best, an interesting walk in a park; hardly a gift to humanity -and its the best Thai's have to offer. Unlike the Khmer, Burman and Indic peoples, the Thai are not builders. Ayutthaya pales in comparison to her neighbors efforts. In fact, Ayutthaya is so un-special, I always tell people to see all the Thai temples before you go to Cambodia and Burma because Ayutthaya, Lopburi and certainly CM will be a total let down. There are no (Thai) temples of any significance in the peninsula, none in Issarn, none in Cambodia or past the Mekong in Lao.

Hence my comment - no significant "temple"

A closer look at Thai temples...Doi Suthep is pretty special and old but this also I think is only about circa 1400 at best . Phra Buddha Chinnarat is a Buddha image of huge import but the temple is marginal, Buddha dating from Ayutthaya kingdom.

Ayutthaya while certainly "Thai", arguably, the one and only true Thai kingdom save for Bangkok - it is not of any stupendous historic significance in Buddhist historic record, certainly any individual temple within. Ayutthaya was the golden age for the formation of what was to be later known as Thailand, but this also came with the waning power of the Burman and Khmer kingdoms.

So, you have Ayutthaya circa 1400 - bunch of smallish broken temples, only important to historic relates as it relates to Thailand.

Loburi - Indic and Khmer roots

Chaing Mai - Very new kingdom and vassal state

Bangkok - new city

From visiting nearly every major temple from India (from the South to Ladakh/Spiti) to Indonesia including a tiny 600ad temple in S.Korea. Thai's are (were) simply not builders and there is not one really ancient WOW temple in the country - and certainly outside it's borders as the Burmese and Khmer can claim.

Some years ago I saw a special by Micheal Palin (Monty Python). He did a tour of the world looking at the most special things. There was a horse treasure from Ayutthaya he was enthralled with - but the temples, barely a mention.

What temple(s) have I missed?

Sorry to hijack the thread, wanted to clarify.

Do like half the board does - hire a Thai to wait you hand and foot.

In all seriousness,

Take some time outside the country. Evaluate why you are here, what you like about Thailand in comparison to the country youve chosen to travel/holiday in. Think about why you left your country ...Take no less than two months. Even better, come back when you miss it. II've done this a few times.

Large material possessions are nothing but a headache outside ones country imo.

There is a reason its called the third world.

The problem is that the fees are not "tiny". Some entrances are B400 - that is a huge amount of cash to be allowed into a park that has little or no maintenance and do really poor job of managing garbage, etc... It's a joke.

Especially at these high rates, DOS is glad to issue you a new passport as you wish. They have no idea what you plan to be doing in the next few years and as the government should not really be asking? What if you have half your pp filled and planning to stay out for five years? round the world tour? Visa hopping across Thailand's borders. As long as you are not breaking US law and presumably other nations. They could care less - it's a total money spinner.

I've had many pp replaced while in states some with few pages left, a few with many.

Those new prices are criminal incidentally.

No reason new pages should not be a few bucks (10-15). Welcome to the new normal - fee for service (PLUS INCOME AND SALES TAXES).

National Parks often are nothing short of thievery.<br><br>Paying anything to go on trash strewn, jet ski infested Ko Samet.<br>Paying about B400 to go into Khao Sok and if you leave and stay in near by room, pay again to re-enter<br>Phuket does not allow camping and charges same as above for daily visits.<br>Similan islands do not allow you to put your own tent - so this whole thing becomes as expensive as staying at a resort (boat, fees, tent, $food$)<br>Surin islands also very expensive - two people in a tent (own) about B250 per day (bungalow on Ko Phayam, Kradan B300). Boat B1300.<br><br>Many National parks are nice places, but not worth any more than a nominal fee. Many are really stupid priced like to get into see a waterfall or sit on some average beach in Trang park system.<br>

I don't think you will be happy in either place or come to call either home. Philippines is a mess on every count. It has to be one of the poorest values in Asia. Vietnam will also be expensive, then there is the commie thing.

Look at Malaysia Sabah, Sarawak. Parts of colonial Penang? Maybe outlying parts of Hong Kong's islands. Singapore if you can afford it and qualify for LS visas.

Don't even waste your time on Philippines. British ministry even warns against any/all travel there. I was told even years back, despite the hype about lovely beaches, Phils has lower tourism than tiny Cambodia with only one real attraction.