allane

I have become familiar with thinking that ประมาณ means 'to estimate' or 'roughly'.

This usage doesn't really make sense to me in the following sentence;

อันนั้นก็ไม่เป็นประมาณ เป็นประมาณอยู่ที่ความยึดมั่นถือมั่นเรียกว่ามานะ

Any ideas?

Just the sort of thing I mean. Whatever the context it says at the end 'it is a case of determination which is called called perseverance.' could you say ' that, is not a case of approximate, it is closer to will power, what we call perseverance.? Probaly 100% wrong but worth a stab. Any one else?

"Mai pen praman" in romanized Thai = "it isn't about"

This is my first time to use Western Union, and it may be my last. I have tried to send a small amount of money from Bangkok to a friend in The Philipines. After complimenting me on how well I speak Thai, the clerk in Bkk. sent the money and assured me it could be picked up on the other end immediately. I took that with a grain of salt, and told my friend to try in an hour or two. That was about 5 hours ago. Each end is blaming the other for non-delivery.

When I use the firm's website and enter the tracking number I was given, it says "no record of such a control number" or words to that effect. I have tried all possible combinations of my first, middle and last names, in case the Thai clerk could not tell which was which, though the form I completed seems clear enough on that point.

The firm's website will not accept my enquiry, claiming it only accepts English letters, commas and periods. Of course, I was using only those.

A few questions:

1. Does the firm's computer do a "sweep" every 24 hrs., and not send anything until that is done, (even if the clerk advises to the contrary) ?

2. Is extra time required because we did this on a weekend ?

I don't smell a rat here. Surely the firm must have sufficient controls in place to ensure that the clerk on either end is not pocketing the money. And the amount is too small for anyone to jeopordize their job over it, even in two third world countries. And, I used the service in part because my friend says he is a neighbour of the clerk on the receiving end. As for my friend, he knows he is not going to get any more money from me, if he is somehow conning me, though I don't see how he could be. The firm's website does not indicate the money has been picked up. And he knows that I am not going to pour any more money into a black hole.

I don't want to spend any money trying to investigatge this further. Has anyone out there any ideas as to how I can break this logjam ? I am at my wit's end, and need a perspective from someone else.

I think it can be done if you can connect with a telephone operator at a telephone company in your home country. Look at the websites of the telephone companies operating there.

I am not a former customer of this business, I am a former neighbour, though that ended about four years ago. I remember speaking with an employee there a couple of times. His nickname is "B", he is a half-American, half-Thai, who speaks native speaker English. The business is Sirivatana Printing or some such name, there web address is : www.sirivatana.co.th. Tel. (02) 675 - 5600, Fax: (02) 212-1105.

In many years in Thailand I personally have never made advance reservations for the bus. It is not necessary. Service is frequent. On the Bangkok - Trat run, there are probably 5-6 through, A/C buses per day, more if you include ones that go via the slightly longer route, or ones that would require you to change buses in Chantaburi.

On the subject of advance reservations, the information that I have is at least 5 years old, so I stand to be corrected by others with more recent info. If you go to the originating bus terminal IN PERSON, and pay the fare, you can make an advance reservation. You can not make a reservation by telephone, and I do not think that buslines serving various regions of the country are connected online.

In a semi-developed country like this one, you can not give a credit card number over the phone, or online to make a purchase. There would be so much fraud going on that system would soon be shut down. The level of public trust/public morals simply hasn't developed to that point yet. Even if someone tells you that it is possible to reserve by phone or online, take his advice with a large grain of salt.

This is a guess, as I don't have a Thai distance grid close at hand here. But, there is more than one way to go to Trat from Bangkok. The longer route may be via Highway 3 and Sathahip, the shorter one via the cutoff which takes off from Chonburi city and rejoins Hwy. 3 at Klang. (Sorry, I can't remember the number of that cutoff Highway.) An off the top of my head guess is that that cutoff would save about 60 km.

If you are going to the end of the line, it doesn't really matter which route ou take.

St. Louis Hospital, south side of Sathorn Road, just east of Surasak BTS station.

I have used St. Louis for over 10 years, including two occasions when I was admitted. I have had nothing except positive experiences there. I stand to be corrected on this, but I don't think that they have a surcharge for foreigners. My reason for saying this is that I have ordinary Thai health insurance (by which I mean the sort of plan that is sold to Thai people.) When I presented him with the bills, my insurance representative has never remarked that the charges at St. Louis looked excessive.

But the phone number on the website is too short and doesnt work.

I am not going to bother dialling the phone number to try it, you can do that for yourself. Now everywhere in Thailand, you must dial 9 digits, even if you are phoning across the street. Of course, not everyone remembers to go back and change their websites, especially their English-language ones. (Those tend to be created once, and then forgotten about.)

So, try dialling (02) 749-8766. If that line is busy, try (02) 749-8767.

And, more to the point, where he got them made ? I am not interested in paying farang prices, at some place that doesn't even consider it necessary to put up a Thai-language sign.

Cheap storage places ? So the Muslims would have a cheap place to store their bombs ?

If you mean an English language copy, there no longer is such a thing.

Try the Bon Marche on Prachaniwet 1 Road.

Thai govt. schools charge about 2000 baht/term, private ones 10,000 - 20,000 baht/term. These figures are for the regular program, not for "Mini English", "English Immersion" etc. etc.

In all likelihood, advertisers have to pay a surcharge to be listed in the English version, whether in book or on-line format.

You may be able so make a smooth, seamless transition if:

a) you remain on good terms with your present employer, and he is willing to keep your present Work Permit open until your new employer has the paperwork ready to submit. (Your present employer does not necessarily have to return your Work Permit on your last day of work there.)

your new employer is competent, experienced, and ready to quickly make any last minute amendments that the govt. departments request. This can be hard for you to assess when you haven't yet worked there, try to talk to other current or former foreign employees if you can.

I managed to do this once. I met both employers on the same morning in the lobby of the Immigration office, and everything went smoothly. The employers involved were in two different provinces. That means a little extra running around in terms of the Labour Dept., but not for Immigration.

Individual schools/univ. seem to have a few days of latitude, but in general:

Schools - Annnual break: all of April Midterm Break: last 2 weeks of October

Univ's: - Annual Break: late March - end of May Midterm break: last 3 weeks of October

International Schools: follow the schedule of whatever country they are affiliated to.

Obviously, these are very general guidlines. For Thai schools, the govt. requirements are expressed in terms of instructional hours per term or per year, not in terms of vacation entitlements. And of course, in all cases, teachers normally have to work a few days at the beginning or end of the term,while the students are on vacation.

A fridge, and an airconditioner which you never shut off would use about 1000 units/month, so in your case 7000 baht. Probably, the a/c would be 75% of this total, let's say 5200 baht. From that, you can subtract, based on your own estimate of actual hours of usage.

Money used by a foreigner to buy a condo. in Thailand must be earmarked as such, at the time it is brought into Thailand. As a foreigner, you can not use money which you have previously brought to Thailand, or money which you have earned and saved here, if you are working here. Money from either of these sources would have to be "recycled" through your home country first. This is a provision of The Condominium Act.

Use buses # 8 or 542.

Pattaya to Bangkok: 150 baht, catch them in front of the Family Mart (next to a Krung Thai Bank) on the north side of South Road, near Wat Chaimongkon. I think they leave every hour, perhaps more frequently if demand warrants. They will pick you up at your location, if asked in advance. (Obviously, you need their business card with phone number for this.)

Bamgkok to Pattaya: same price, catch at the NW corner of Century Shopping Centre, on the east side of Phayathai Road, just south of Victory Monument BTS Station.

A caution for tourists: baggage space is very limited, only the small area between the last row of seats and the back door.

Website: www.bmta.co.th

Not completely up to date, missing some of the newest routes.

I can't say that I KNOW the answer, but after many years here, my guess would be that there is not. Even a former Prime Minister (with a background in the police force, no less !) made the same sort of comments in the past. Surely the people around him would have cautioned him about inappropriate remarks, even if he didn't have the sense to censor himself.

If you prefer to go by bus, bus # 77 stops at Morchit, then goes counterclockwise around Jatujak Park to the back entrance to Jatujak Market.

Note: if you see some #77's NOT stopping, do not give up. Those are the southbound ones; they go NORTH on Phahonyothin Road for a short distance before making a U-turn to go south.

Be aware - the "floating market" in Phrapadaeng is only open on Saturdays and Sundays.