Hanuman2547

You say,who wants to holiday in England? The answer is,most of the world.It seems all of the world wants to visit England and no one wants to go back to their own country. England is a great place. When I tell people I am from england they always say the same thing,"You are lucky".

Even though we are ruled by a bunch of anti-british politicians (I mean Cameron,the Lib/Dem Con and the establishment)the indigenous people are sharp,modern and very intelligent. We are lucky to live in such a well organised country.Such a beautiful country,too.Could it be that people envy us!

Isn't England the place with never ending rain and grey skies? (At least it is in most movies :-)

English weather is pretty much like the state of New York, some days good, some days bad, some years we have too many grey days, and other years we are spoilt with lots of blue skies. We don't try to paint our country with rose coloured specs, so in movie and TV we portray it as it really is, sometimes raining and some days sunny

English weather, from what I've been told is more closer to Seattle than New York.

Although LINE is very popular in Thailand and other countries, it is almost unheard of here in the USA. When I tell my friends I'm using LINE I am greeted with blank stares. Most of the people I know using LINE in the USA are Asians from recently from Asia or have a strong connection with Asia.

I'm looking to rent a car in Bangkok for one month. Any recomendations on companies to use in Bangkok and those to stay away from? I'm an experienced Bangkok driver so I know what to expect, just not so sure about what company to use for a good price.

Emirates airlines uses a Boeing 777 on its route from LAX to Dubai nonstop. That's a 15:50 in the air according to their website. THAI does fly the 777 but not sure which routes they use it on.

Personally, I don't care what Thai Air does. To me they're overpriced, with bad service. I'll take EVA Emerald Class over Thai First Class every time!

My feelings as well. THAI is overpriced which is why I rarely fly them. I much prefer EVA and China Airlines. The arrival departure times are much better on both ends of the flight.

Thanks!

Had this topic come up recently and I was wondering just when the 1,000 baht note entered circulation. I was thinking that it was around 1990 - 1992 but not quite sure.

A lot of this has to do with the wages. I know a guy that teaches at Uni level and get less than 30K a month. But a lot of it has to do with location... we have an ELS and we're offering 60K a month... but when you say it's in Surin they're not interested. Still needing two TESOL teachers...

Hi, I'm a highly qualified teacher, currently working at Singapore American School, and looking to transfer to Thailand. I'm interested in hearing more about this position..

If I were you I'd try ISB.

Burma was an English colony.

It has millions of English speakers train by the British (the real McCoy).

Why not just hire Burmese English Teachers. Cheap and good.

I agreee, but..........the way the Thais look at the Burmese it would be a huge "loss of face" to hire someone they think of as being inferior to them.

For some reason, I don't think 3 years, 1 month, and 2 and a bit weeks is long enough to solve the English language problems!

You reap what you sow. This ASEAN AEC is going to cause big problems for Thailand.

This may shed so light on the problem with (OrBorJor) or provincially run schools.

(First I will say the school I was allocated to by the province was lovely the director was great so were the staff and most of the teachers.)

6 teachers were employed by a North Eastern Province last May recruited by the head of English at a well know school for the province, we were promised 30K baht + 3K accommodation, 12 month contract renewable. Visa and work permit paid for.

Ok after a month we were asking when do we do the visas, when are we signing the contract?

6 weeks later we were all asked to sign the contract at a sports day cameras there etc.

The contract 3 months, 24K visa and work permit we had to pay for.

One guy went on a visa run for his B visa was refused by the consulate and he had to pay for this a second went again refused.

The schools said could they do it as the teachers who were old hands knew what was needed; the schools were refused by the province as it was there job. (But were totally useless at it)

Now a neighboring province in the North East is trying the same thing.

Paul.

Typical Thai mentality. Advertise one thing and then eventually ofer something else. Bait & Switch??

The most useful move that the education system could make would be to Romanise the Thai alphabet, this is the biggest obstacle to learning English, and conversely for foreigners learning Thai. Just look at how Turkey emerged from the Middle Ages when it converted from Arabic to Roman.

Like Vietnamese or Malay.

How about offering a better salary to those who are qualified instead of the same ole unattractive, low wage standard thats been going on for years...."you get what you pay for!"

That's one of the big problems. Typically the Thai government would pay 17,580 baht per month plus an 8,000 baht per month housing allowance. That's only 25,580 aht per month. How are you going to live on this? This was a common practice all through the mid-90's up until early 02. It did not keep up with inflation forcing many teachers to take on part time teaching or private groups which is technically illegal unless it is through their employer. Private schools know this and have paid their teachers a higher wage although not great. Thus, more teachers opt for the private schools and shun the government schools.

Anyone know what the current government teaching wage is?

Or if you are married to a Thai citizen and will be staying at their/your residence.

Wouldn't you be getting a Non O in that case?

I have usually only stayed for 30 days or less at time. Before that I had a one year visa and work permit so I don't know anything about a "Non O" visa.

Thai Embassies and Consulates abroad to be stricter with requirements when applicants are applying for Tourist visas for Thailand.

Does this apply to "Visa Exempt" entry also?

What happens if the tourists are staying with friends?

Or if you are married to a Thai citizen and will be staying at their/your residence.

Too me this sounds like another way to kill tourism.

Cool! I just love a parade!

can't believe any school would let kids stay at a hotel on Soi 8

I can't believe that it wasn't until post #22 that someone questioned what a bunch of school kids were doing in Pattaya on Soi 8. Although it was pointed out that you can't see the bars from that hotel I'm sure you would see a lot of scantily dressed women walking around with a number of farang. And why was it that the school children had to use the service lift? Didn't want them to see all the goings on in the lobby? Easier to bypass hotel staff if something illicit is going on? I know that it is school break right now so the kids are out of school until 1 November.

Where was this mathematics competition taking place? There are many other hotels outside of central Pattaya where they could have stayed. This all sounds a little skeptical to me. I agree with the poster that said as a parent they would never allow their children to go on this type of activity being held in Pattaya.

Obviously Thais don't have the same opinion and don't consider the going's on in Soi 8 and other adjacent Sois to be any big deal. You really need to stop looking at things from your own narrow point of view.

I'll give you a prime example of different thinking: Ladyboys are quite well accepted in Thai society whereas they cause a lot of distress to many Farang. Perhaps you haven't quite caught on to the fact that Thai society is rather tolerant toward many things that may upset you and other visitors.

Tropo: Actually, some middle class Thais do know what is going on Soi 8 in Pattaya and although they don't say much publicly they certainly do privately. Ladyboys are tolerated, much more than in the west, but as far as accepted, that is a different matter. Just because they are tolerated doesn't mean that Somchai is all smiles that his darling Somchai jr. grew up to be a ladyboy.

Pattaya isn't a representation of Thailand much like Las Vegas isn't a representation of the USA, or King's Cross is of Australia. That I have a "narrow view" in your eyes is laughable given that you know nothing about me. I've been involved with Thais & Thailand for 30 years, lived in Bangkok for 10+ years, have two university educated adult luk-krung sons with their PhD western educated Thai mother, and I speak rather fluently Thai although my reading and writing can use some work. Yeah, I don't know crap about Thais & Thailand.

can't believe any school would let kids stay at a hotel on Soi 8

I can't believe that it wasn't until post #22 that someone questioned what a bunch of school kids were doing in Pattaya on Soi 8. Although it was pointed out that you can't see the bars from that hotel I'm sure you would see a lot of scantily dressed women walking around with a number of farang. And why was it that the school children had to use the service lift? Didn't want them to see all the goings on in the lobby? Easier to bypass hotel staff if something illicit is going on? I know that it is school break right now so the kids are out of school until 1 November.

Where was this mathematics competition taking place? There are many other hotels outside of central Pattaya where they could have stayed. This all sounds a little skeptical to me. I agree with the poster that said as a parent they would never allow their children to go on this type of activity being held in Pattaya.

British 'Red Shirt' to be released from Thai prison: lawyer

Savage, who used to work for Queen Elizabeth II's royal household in Britain, was arrested in May and charged with breaching emergency law, an offence which carries a penalty of up to two years' imprisonment.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-07-08

Perhaps he can get his old job back with Queen Liz??

The Only problem i have is immigration coming into Thailand no matter how fast i walk/run to the desk there is always a huge queue in front and a 45 minute wait made worse by those donkeys who do not fill in their cards on the plane plus the booths are half occupied <deleted> place more staff in it must cost 10k baht a month per employee?

Leaving is not a problem there is never anyone in front of me as i turn up at the last minute name being called by the time i walk past duty free and always fly out at 2.30am.

Well said! I agree. When departing Thailand I never have that long of a wait. I've already paid the departure tax and now I have more time to be accosted/accused by King Power or other merchant. It is entering Thailand that is the problem. Long lines at the three or four (out of 10+) available immigration desks. Simply baffling!!

This is my first post on Thaivisa, a website that is constantly running on my computer to keep me up to date with all the news here in Thailand.

Ok, stupid question and totally off subject. If this is the poster's first post to Thaivisa, why does it says he (assuming it is a "he") has already made five posts?

Overall I think it was ok and Greg certainly wanted to do the right thing and his intentions are commendable. I do feel that Greg slipped back into his childhood and thought he was actually the star of the "Mr. Rogers" show. "Welcome boys and girls. Today we're going to learn about living under a state of emergency........"

It would have been great to have the internet back in the last BIG crisis in '92 as well as the ones in '85, '76, and '73.

If ISA failed, why will a state of emergency succeed?

It will not. It is just a political game. Using violence would be suicide for Anupong. the world is watching.

Actually, in terms of the whole world............no one really cares what happens to Thailand. It's just a small corrupted country that will make the days headlines and then they (the news presenters) will move on to the next flashpoint or soundbite.

Domestically, TAT will go further with its national domestic campaign, "12 months 7 stars and 9 suns", with ads featuring Thai superstar Thongchai "Bird" McIntyre.

"Although we paid a high sum to get him (Thongchai), he has the ability to stimulate a huge tourism movement," said Juthaporn.

Thongchai who??? Ok, he's a dam_n big star in Thailand, no doubt about it. He is getting older so not quite the draw he once was. However, outside of Thailand who the hel_l would know him?

A number of years ago Tata Young, while at the top of her career in Thailand, went to LA to put on a concert. She came back with her head held low after performing in an almost empty concert hall in the USA.

Another failed TAT ad campaign in the making!

I think the one that struck in my visit last summer down in the Hua Hin area ...was Thais do not read. Further from Hau Hin along the posh coast near Banbury there were scores of Farang reading, books, papers or laptops along the beeches and hotel pools. It struck me you never see a Thai reading - they sit on their bums eating, gossiping and watching but never reading. They are fundamentally a semi-peasant society.

No........Thais are always reading.......Dragon Ball Z, Doreaman, and other assorted comic books, as well as anything about Man U.

I've never heard of "zebra crossings", but I have heard of a "crosswalk".

Zebra crossing/Crosswalk

Same Same!