tonititan

This is great news for us expatriates who live here and work here. We can now afford holidays in the UK and US.

Yup. Selfishly, it's great news for me because my Thai income earns me more money at home, and not being involved in inports/exports or the tourism industry, I see little day-to-day effects.

I do feel bad for people who are negatively affected, but I'd be pleased to see it drop even lower. Sorry guys!

Strange story..

Ever heared of insurance?

Yeah, it's unfortunate that many people do not consider insurance to be a priority. That's a personal requirement for me....if I'm going to be in another country, I am going to be sure to have good insurance that covers a medical evacuation.

the point of this is to get you to get out and never ask working legit people to send books to people who've ruined lives.

That's not the point, because the guy is not asking "working legit people" to send anything! He's not asking YOU to do anything. He's looking to get in touch with a prisoner, and he's asking if anyone knows one.

I highly enjoyed it as well, even after living here a couple years. I think it's an especially great options for visitors who aren't into the party/bar scene, or for those who can't handle the heat, noise, and physical demands of walking around downtown.....like my elderly parents.....they loved it.

Just Googling "Bangkok Bank" and "ATM Skimming" revealed quite a few horror stories, not just involving BBL.

This one sounded painful

Form Bangkok Bank's ATM Security Guidelines item #12 caught my eye:

Apply for Bangkok Bank's Be1st Smart Visa Debit card, Thailand's first debit card to use EMV chip security technology, which is almost impossible to copy.

I'm glad I finally upgraded to this card; also change your PIN every 90 days.

You beat me to it, and your links are way better....thanks!

Seriously people! I know the guy's post wasn't totally clear, but the first sentence clearly says: "my girlfriend was a vitim of atm skimming." Furthermore, he says "her account," so it's not that she's taking money out of HIS account.

If you don't know what that means, how about taking the time to look it up instead of jumping down the guy's throat and accusing him and his gf for being idiots for giving out their car & pin number? Here, this can get you started:

http://ezinearticles.com/?ATM-Skimming---What-is-It?&id=1718695

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/checking/skimming-the-cash-out-of-your-account-1.aspx

http://banking.about.com/od/securityandsafety/a/skimmers.htm

" ATM skimming" does NOT mean that you loan your card out and other people and they "skim," or take some for themselves!!!! I remember reading an article about the increase in skimming in Bangkok sometime last year. I will try to find a link if I can. It's a pretty high tech scam, so just because you didn't have problems 10, 20, 30 years ago does not mean that it's not a problem now!

Yes, very creepy. And the picture with the article is pointless. One, there is no "before" picture, and two, she IS wearing a bra in the photo! Maybe that's why her girls are so perky!

Yes, the OP was a bit difficult to understand, but I also read it to mean that the bank is accusing his girlfriend of giving out her card to someone else, when in reality, she was the victim of ATM skimming. Right? I believe that ATM skimming is when a thief inserts a device into an ATM that reads (copies?) the account number....and sometimes the person peeks at the pin number.

Nothing new under the sun. Many TV member show no mercy, compassion and feel strong to write something in front of a screen, sitting comfortably on your armchair, protected by anonymity.

Always ready to spit a death penalty, kill 'en all, but driving your bike drunk, going with prostitutes, buying cloned software, music and films, wearing a 300 baht copied football or Lacoste tshirt.

But no mercy for other people's mistakes.

That's a good one I didn't think of earlier when I listed some of the illegal things people do in Thailand. They may be able to say, well, buying pirated software or working without a work permit doesn't endanger other people like drugs do.....but drunk driving certainly does! And it seems to be quite prevalent here. I've even seen TV threads in which members have joked/bragged about their ability to get wasted and then drive home. I am way more worried about being hit by a drunk driver than about being attacked by someone who is jacked up on drugs.

The early years are indeed important, so why would anyone leave the education of their child to a group of strangers? If you want your child to receive a good education the responsibility is on YOU to educate them. Especially in the early years, schools should just be about 'topping up' the education provided at home and giving the child a chance learn social skills.

Yes, that is true and sounds great. The problem is that many parents these days aren't willing to put in the time or effort to focus on development at home. Kids end up sitting in front of the tv, or playing on their own instead of receiving valuable language input.

Well said, Rich !

This tragedy occured through some unfortunate kid being shot in the face and neck. The report didn't make it clear whether this was by one bullet or multiples. Either way, even for a 16 year old, you've probably got to be a living Saint to believe the statement "I didn't intend to hurt him"

Also, I can interpret the kid as saying he did not intend to hurt the 9 year old. He was after the rival kids, probably 16 and older.

That's how I read it too. I'm guessing that he probably meant "I didn't intend to hurt HIM." He probably does feel genuine remorse for killing a 9 year old boy. Of course it doesn't make it ok that he was trying to hurt someone else, but that could explain the quote that seems completely ridiculous to most of us.

I am very happy, because I am Thai. My currency finally appreciate for the first time.

Yes, me too. Personally, this is a good thing for me on the short term, because I get paid in baht and send money home every month to pay bills. The stronger the baht gets, the more USD I get from my salary.

I do feel for the people who are affected, but no matter what the baht is at, certain people are going to be negatively affected.

I wonder how many of the people slamming this man have done nothing illegal since they have been in Thailand? Prostitution, gambling, working without a work permit....just to name a few.

And no, I don't consider drugs and gambling to be "equal" in terms of vices, but most of us make mistakes. Some of our mistakes our just more stupid than others, and some illegal activities are more strictly enforced than others.

Yes, if you're certified, you can try to find a job at an international school. Most (not all, but most) hiring is done through recruitment organizations/companies (CIS, ISS, Search, TIE, etc.). While hiring isn't usually done until January or after, you need to be getting started on the process NOW. You may have to attend a job fair, and those can fill up. I know there is at least one job fair held in London, but I don't know which organization hosts it. You have to apply to be an applicant (I know, I know), so you will need to start doing all the paperwork very soon.

Sometimes you may be able to apply directly to the school, but the higher-paying ones only hire through the recruitment process. The exception seems to be hard to fill positions, but I don't think PE is one of those.

The good news is that if you are looking for a job at a higher-paying international school, you are much better off applying from the UK than you would be if you moved to Thailand first! Many schools won't hire locally, and if they do, the salary & benefits package are severely reduced.

Good luck!

I was there last night. Only about one-third to one-half of the stalls were open. Very few customers. It was definitely not the same as it used to be. The entrance to the night market (by the MRT) has already been bulldozed down. According to the vendors I spoke to, many vendors have already moved to new locations. I think a lot of it has to do with the "men in black" incident/fight that occurred at the market a week or two ago.

Its is also my understanding that Khun is gender neutral, which, as a side-note, is possibly why many Thai are taught that "Sir" is polite for addressing both male and females.

I love that one! I still get a kick out of my daily "good morning sir" (and I am a woman). I don't have the heart to correct the guy (and I don't think he really has a desire to learn more English).

people who think farang is a nice term tend to be the same people who are heavily invested in a thai family through a wife or girlfriend that they also think loves them for their balding pot=bellied alcohol abusing self.

People with a more detached perspective tend to see things as they actually are.

That's an interesting theory, although it's quite opposite of my experiences here. I am one of the people who has no problem with the term "farang," and I have never been offended when the word has been used in reference to me. I see it primarily as a descriptive term, much like the word "Asian" (but of course any "label" can be used in a negative way if you want it to). I have pretty much no investment in any Thai people, except a couple of my Thai friends who I see occasionally. No Thai family, no Thai wife/girlfriend. Most of my friends, who have similar lifestyles to mine, are also not bothered by the term "farang."

The people I see getting the most upset about the term (especially in another recent thread) are sometimes the people who DO have a strong Thai attachment - those who say that they get mad at their Thai wives for calling them farang, or who get upset at their wife's family for using the term. It seems like many times, the people who want to become more "Thai-like" are the ones who get most upset by the term, and the detached people don't take offense to it.

I don't know, but last week I had a nightmare about the exact same thing happening to me! Weird.

And take them on the river/canal trip on a long tail boat - and then to Wat Pho

Another option on the river is to take them for an evening dinner cruise. They typically run from about 7-9:30, but I believe that there are also afternoon and sunset cruises. They go up and down the river so you can see all the temples & the Grand Palace. All of my visitors have loved the dinner cruises, and it's a little classier than some of the other options around town.

Well, I can't answer about a university. And I don't know exactly what you mean by "well-known international schools," but if you're referring to the ones with expat packages like ISB, NIST, ASB, RIS, BPS, etc., then you will need to obtain teacher certification if you do not already have it. All teachers (including ESL) must have teacher certification. Recruitment season usually runs from about January-April. Good luck!

It doesn't bother me one bit to be called "farang" in Thailand. It has never happened to me outside of Thailand, but I wouldn't be offended, and I certainly wouldn't tell a Thai person that they were the farang. I don't consider it an insult, just a descriptive term, like if I were to refer to a Thai person as an "Asian." My Thai friends will use the word "farang" when talking about me to other Thais, and I know they do not mean anything offensive.

One of my favorite things is when I'm out shopping or sightseeing (especially in small towns) and a small child gets excited and starts pointing and shouting "Farang, farang!" I think it's cute. And the parents don't seem embarrassed - they usually make the child wave at me western style or try to say "hi."

Yes, but the OP didn't ask for help, and I don't think she was asking for anyone to "fix" her problem. If she woman wanted suggestions, she would have asked, since women aren't afraid to ask for help. She posted to apologize for things she might have said lately. Perhaps a man finds that belittling someone's problems and attempting to make her feel silly for worrying about something as "insignificant" as finding a new place to live is being helpful, but I sure don't see it that way.

You're right, though, men and women definitely react differently to things. That's probably why she posted the thread in the Ladies Forum - because she wanted support and encouragement, not a bunch of people basically telling her to "toughen up" and "get over it."

Perhaps I have lived here for too long,anyway,I don`t see any baffling with pepsi in a bag......The solution:Put it in a plasticbag (like they do with everything else...)

Ever try to sit that "bag" on a table while you eat or work at your desk? Two perfectly good reasons for why the bag is baffling to me.

Exactly, that's why I find the bag baffling too. Or, at least the fact that you often don't have an option if you want the bag or not. Maybe it works if you're just walking around, but it's not good if you want to have your hand free for anything other than holding the bag. And then you end up with a big bag of ice, and it's not always easy to dispose of if you're indoors.

I voted for the bag (actually, for a hot coffee in a bag), but had I known about urinal massages, I definitely would have voted for that! I had no idea that even happened. Crazy! You learn something new every day.

I have heard that it's quite easy to get this type of job (legitimately) if you are under 30 because of a special work program. I have a few friends doing it now. Any chance you're under that age cutoff?