tonititan

Oh aren't we all jumping on the righteous indignation bandwagon about the bad FARANG who was drunk and speeding and killed people?

It is most certainly deplorable and I do not defend his actions whatsoever, but come on!

If this was an accident with a drunk and speeding Thai smashing his car into another Thai and killing him/her, it would not even register in the news. And it happens every day.

<deleted>! Its a tragedy but not news.

Yes, I will admit that I rarely see Thai-Thai accidents like this in the news, but that is probably because I cannot read Thai and do not have cable. If I did see stories like that, I can guarantee you that I would be just as furious.

And yes, it is horrible for this to happen at all, but I think it adds a whole new dimension when it is a GUEST in Thailand who does something stupid and the locals are the ones who suffer.

Wow, that video clip is graphic. Kind of wishing I hadn't watched it. But, I guess it's a good reminder for people of the damage then can inflict when they do something as idiotic as drinking & driving.

I hope the Canadian man is severely punished for what he did. Drinking & driving is never acceptable, even when you think you are "ok."

Pen, Paper, Intersection. You'll have 10 different possibilities within 20 minutes?

Being at a random intersection at the right time hardly qualifies a driver as being reliable.

No, but it would show that the minivan is roadworthy

You're right, it would. But the OP isn't have a problem finding a roadworthy van....he's having trouble finding a reliable driver/owner.

I'm curious as to why being American is a down-side to this. Scum of the earth?

I honestly consider it somewhat of a compliment, but I'm interested as to your reasons for reffering to them as scum of the earth.

I thought it was sarcasm. Yes?

Yay for you! New flirtations and relationships are always fun. I hope it works out for you.........and that if if it doesn't work out, you still get some killer shoes out of the deal.

Pen, Paper, Intersection. You'll have 10 different possibilities within 20 minutes?

Being at a random intersection at the right time hardly qualifies a driver as being reliable.

Can we take it that you and Nancy are not close?

ive never met him! poor, greek and gay?

Urban dictionary

'Bio break - Neo-geek terminology for visiting the bathroom'

What is your problem? First of all, I don't know why you think "he" is gay. I am assuming by the name Nancy that this person is a she, but even if I'm wrong, there's no reason to think that Nancy is gay. And even if he/she IS gay, you're obviously saying it in a derragatory manner, which is completely rude and uncalled for.

And you think he's Greek? Is that supposed to be an insult too? Oh wait....maybe you just can't type and you meant to say "geek."

last time you sat in the air-con and at starbucks to see the long long long parade buying nothing but one coffee and this year your going to set up on the sidewalk to save the cost of an over-priced coffee! how much is an over-priced coffe at starbucks? not everyone is poor you know.

what is 'bio-break', muesli or something like that, and why is it so important .

you say your going to have to dash home when 'nature calls' - what's that the budgie squaking cos he wants feeding?.

one problem of being on the sidewalk which you didnt mention is what to do if you need to take a piss.

Hilarious. Dude, she already said what she would she would do if she needed to pee....she'll run home. "Nature calls" = the urge to use the toilet. And a "bio break" means the same thing....a biology break, for a natural function. Get it now?

If I lived in the area, I would probably do the same thing (set up lawn chairs). Way more relaxing to me. You can spread out, claim "your" space, bring a cooler, etc. I'd prefer to do that then crowd into Starbucks with a bunch of other people, but unfortunately I can't because I'm not from CM, don't know where to go, and don't have lawn chairs.

I cook with pumpkin here all the time. It does taste slightly different, obviously, but it's really quite good. I find that it often results in a softer texture, but it's easy to adapt most recipes. I eat it warm and cold (cooked, but cold).

Of course, on the rare occasion when I've seen butternut squash for sale, I buy it all up.

Great, thanks to everyone for all the advice! I have been to Chiang Mai before, but I don't remember much of anything.

You can then follow the parade to its final resting place, where it stops and you can take loads more pictures of the beautiful ladyboys that sat on the floats, that you thought were girls.

Looking forward to it! Although, I have to say, I think my ladyboy radar is pretty good....I'm up for the challenge!

backpackers posting here??????????????????????/:lol: :lol:

just men taken advantage by issan winnim w 3rd grade edukations!

Well, how was he supposed to know that? When I moved to Thailand, I didn't know about the large number of older western men living here, and I certainly didn't know that Thai Visa was dominated by them! Imagine my disappointment when I found out. Lol. Without spending hours and hours reading through random posts, there's no way for a new poster to know what kind of people typically post on TV.

To the OP....another poster was right when he said that you may want to consider other websites that cater more toward the young backpacker crowd. They would probably be more helpful given your specific situation. Yes, I agree that you may have unrealistic expectations about your move to Thailand, and there's a decent chance that you might fail and have to turn around and go home. But isn't that kind of what being 18 is about? There's lots of people your age chasing "silly" dreams. Not everyone has to follow the same path in life (high school, university, job, save money, then move to Thailand). If it doesn't work out for you, fine, I'm sure you will have learned something from it.

I do agree that it would be wise to have insurance and reserve funds for a trip home in case it doesn't work out, but other than that, why not? When an older guy is considering moving to Thailand, they tend to get comments like "You will never know if you don't try." I don't see why you can't follow that advice too just because you are only 18. In a way, 18 might be a better time to travel and live here for a little while, because you're probably used to living on practically nothing, you're willing to sleep almost anywhere, and you can instantly make friends just from partying with the other young people touring Thailand for extended periods. Just be smart about things.

One tip: If you are short on cash, instead of staying in hostels/guesthouses, have you considered Couch Surfing? I have several friends in Thailand who have hosted, and some of their couch surfers spent months bopping around Thailand, staying with different people for free.

I'm looking at hotels for the weekend of the flower festival in February. On a lot of websites, you can search by location...Night Bazaar, City Center, Old City, Riverside, Fang, Mae Jo, Nawarat....the list goes on and on. I'd like to narrow down my search a little before I start researching specific hotels. Do any of you who live in CM have any suggestions for the best general geographic location for a few people coming up specifically for the flower festival? It would be nice to be close to the parade & flower displays, or at least somewhere accessible.

Alternatively, if you think that it's not a good idea to stay close to the festival location because of noise, crowds, etc., I would appreciate hearing your perspective as well. Thank you!

It is now quite clear the BOBO and DODOLADY are the same person as he posted on both accounts to continue his story in this thread. In another thread he is pretending his alter ego Dodolady is a thai girl even going so far as to fake her bad english and then making up a story about the police scamming her boyfriend... if that story is bullshit then so is this one. Somebody PLEASE lay this fool out with the BANHAMMER. I cant fuc_king stand people that lie and tell bullshit stories, get a life and stop posting here!

Good catch! What a waste of time this whole thread was.

(Although, I guess if it educated some people about the risks of ATM skimming in BKK or anywhere, then maybe it was worth it.)

we have done everything goingfrom department todepartment n going to plice n done all the report but the stupid bangkok bank say its not they who shoud refunf the money we should go the the other bankfor refundas the money is withdraw fm the ther bank atm whtbullshit is this dont bangkok bank hav any security or their customer n should the customer do all the invistagating ourself ?

If the situation is like I have interpreted from your posts (your girlfriend was the victim of ATM skimming, in that an illegal device was placed in the ATM to steal her account number and pin code), and the transaction happened at a different bank's ATM, it is NOT an issue of Bangkok Bank's security. It is the other bank's issue, for failing to secure their ATM machines. Bangkok Bank had nothing to do with it, so why should they pay you back?

However, I do think you have right to be pissed at the other bank for not checking their ATMs more carefully/frequently. Whether you have a legal right to the money....I don't know, I'm not a lawyer.

I'm sure there must be something I can do, like maybe on a trash truck not as a driver for example. Maybe something simple like operating a forklift loading/unloading trucks.

Is there a list somewhere of jobs that are restricted to Thai's only? If so, where can I find one?

I have never seen a list, but I am 100% sure (ok, 99.999999999999....%) that you will not be able to do anything like work on a trash truck or operate a forklift. There are so many Thais willing to do manual labor, and there are plenty of trained/experienced workers, so there's no reason they need to hire you. And hypothetically, even if you could get a job like that, would you really want to work your butt off for $4 or $5/day? You'd probably spend more than that just getting to/from work and paying for lunch!

When people are telling you "no, no, no" about the jobs you're suggesting, we're not trying to be rude or negative. People who live here are simply telling you the truth so that you can have a realistic idea of what to expect if you move here.

Thanks for the helpful responses guys (or gals)!

But where would you buy the wine? They do check for liquids before you go through immigration, and there is no decent wine in the Duty Free. Not sure why you think that wine is affordable in Cambodia?

I would probably buy it before going to the airport. I have read about affordable wine in Cambodia in several places, including this thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/288337-red-wine-best-buy/ (post # 8) Do you think that's inaccurate?

How can beef be good at Sizzler?? (but somebody like the 'all-you-can-eat salad bar')

I have no idea...I've never tried it. I just know that there is a Sizzler there, and yes, the salad bar is pretty good.

My mistake. I am not an experienced smuggler.

There's a Sizzler at Bangkapi mall.

I had no idea the fees were so cheap.

Any advice on which of these 3 places (Hat Yai, Narathiwat, & Nakhon Si Thammarat) would be best for a weekend trip? Has anyone been to one? I would love either a nice beach, OR to see a part of Thailand that is somewhat unique.

I'm also wondering about safety. I've read so much in the news about bombings and shootings in these areas. The violence seems to be directed towards other Thais, but is it something that should deter a group of foreigners (probably all women) from visiting? Which areas would be the safest?

Thanks!

The other post about bringing food into Thailand got me thinking. I am going to be visiting Lao and Cambodia soon, and I have heard that both places have excellent, affordable wine. I'm trying to figure out how to get some back into Thailand without messing with customs fees. It appears that liquor allowance is 1 liter, correct? So that's only 1 bottle of wine. In my ~15-20 trips into Thailand, I've never been asked to put my luggage through the scanners in the "nothing to declare" line, so I guess it's a matter of whether I want to risk it or not, huh? Does anyone know what would happen if I got caught with more than 1 bottle? Would I just have to turn it over, pay a fee, or worse? What if I put one in each bag, and snuck one in my purse after landing....maybe they wouldn't notice that it was all my luggage. I would like to hear from someone who experienced this.

Also this may be a silly question, but does anyone know if the airports in Luang Prabang and Phnom Pehn prohibit liquids onboard like other countries do? In my research, I read somewhere that it might be possible to carry the wine in my carry-on luggage.

Or, if anyone knows any sly ways to get wine in, I would appreciate the advice.

Isn't there some sort of Lego Land here?

Also, some of the malls have play areas, I believe.

There's usually at least 1 kids' movie playing in the movie theaters.

How about just going to a bookstore, letting your daughter pick out a book or two, then going to a park to read them together?

Ice skating is available at one or more malls.

There are some craft studios for kids/families.

If you have a car, you could take some day trips, such as to Chokchai Farms....I bet kids would enjoy seeing the cows & farm animals.