tonititan

Can the uneducated be educated? Yes, if you teach us instead of insulting us and calling us names! I've been trying to figure how to quote only part of a previous post, but I never got it just right. Mossfinn, thank you for providing helpful information.

Ok, you had good explanations for the 1st and 8th floors....let's see if you can solve this mystery. Two of my friends lived in a different tower, on the 5th floor. She had termite problems too. Reason?

Eat less; exercise more and you will see a change.

Eat minimally and excercise vigorously and you will see a lot of change.

No secret really, just a bit of self-discipline.

if you do not put it in you cannot put it on,stop eating for a few days,fat people amaze me,i have a friend who is fat and she keeps saying she is trying to diet,and everytime i catch her with her head in the fridge,so everytime i see her i just sing (who et all the pies who et all the pies ) now she does not talk to me,solved one problem LOL

People like you amaze me. People who think that it's simple to lose weight. People who think that are you have to do is eat less, and forget about the major psychological/emotional aspects of being overweight. People like you who give advice like "stop eating for a few days." People who think they can tease their friends into losing weight, instead of supporting them.

Hmm, that's weird. Didn't the OP say that CO and TG are both Star Alliance partners? You would think the luggage wouldn't be a problem, but airlines are funny, aren't they?

Like I said, I flew AA & TG last year. I booked the two tickets separately through the AA & TG websites. Not only did they check my bags all the way through, but I also got to use TG's luggage allowance the whole way. When I checked in for my domestic flight with AA, I told them my itinerary. The lady looked up TG and said that my allowance was two 70 lb. bags (I think it MIGHT be 50 now). I actually had 5 heavy bags, but AA didn't charge me anything. I only had to pay the extra bag fee (x3) with TG.

My family came to visit last month, and they did the same - AA to LAX, then the nonstop TG to BKK, also on two separate itineraries. They had no problems checking their bags all the way through.

The professional MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL may compensate for lack of professional certification - for a TESOL position. And I know real intl. schools have such positions for remedial students.

Agreed.

The MA (is that from Leicester Uni by any chance?) will give you the required qualification to teach EFL/TESOL in 'real' International Schools.

You already have the CRB so that is another hurdle crossed.

I am personally aware of a true blue International in Pattaya that pays the TESOL staff (with same quals) 95k baht per month plus benefits.

If you are still in the UK then try to attend the Council of International Schools (CIS) Job Fairs late January and May.

You will have to complete an online application at the CIS website as these fairs are by invite only.

I have to respectfully disagree. I work in a "real" international school (as others have labeled them), and we require ALL teachers, including ESL, to be certified teachers. I have researched many other international schools in Bangkok when trying to find a new job for my partner, and it appeared to be the same situation - they clearly stated on their websites that they required a certified teacher. I'm sure that given your experience and background, you are qualified (as in, capable) of teaching ESL/TESOL, but I'm not sure if you'll be considered "qualified" in the eyes of many of the international schools. Like others have said, though, there are different types of international schools offering different teaching experiences and benefits packages, so hopefully you can find a school to suit your needs. I would spend some time on the websites of various international schools to see what they are looking for. You might also want to contact CIS immediately. I don't know about this organization in particular, but I know that other organizations that hold international teacher job fairs won't accept someone as a candidate unless they have teacher certification. Good luck!

Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I am pretty sure that as a certified teacher, you would not even need to worry about a TEFL in order to find work teaching English. I would THINK that an employer would consider your teacher certification to be more valuable than a TEFL certificate.

The other poster is correct - you can usually get a much better package at an international school if you are hired from overseas.

I think that you should make sure to really look around carefully at the condition and location of Sukhumvit Plus and Waterford Park Rama IV before you make any decisions. Yes, Waterford is off the main road so a little quieter, but it's also a fair ways down the soi...a good 10-12 walk to the BTS station for me. It seemed that the majority of people took motorcycles down the soi anyway. There's not a whole lot on the soi in terms of shops, but there are a couple nice small Thai restaurants, a 7-11, and a Lotus Express. If the units available in Waterford have been newly renovated, hopefully they will be ok. But the unit I rented had termites! Just be careful!

Yes, termites are common in projects over 5 years old. That's why I am spending nearly Bt1600 per sqm on termite resistant parquet from Leowood for the bedroom floor, not those Bt600 per sqm laminate flooring also found commonly in quite a few new projects.

Floors in living, dining and pantry area are 60x60cm high gloss ceramic.

We seemed to notice them coming from the ceiling, actually. Well, the wood paneling/trim around the ceiling. The flooring didn't seem to have much to do with it. I just got tired of finding them in my closet, and we were unhappy with some other things about the condo, so we got out of there after our lease was up!

Were you staying in a unit on the first floor? They are popular with farangs, being next to the pool deck. But these units have a problem with high humidity due to the plants and soil around the pool deck.

I refurbish the whole unit, replacing all interior elements and renovated the bathroom, door panels, all M&E system and add in a ELCB for tenant's safety.

Nope, we were on the top floor...with a cement roof.

I did something similar last year - AA to LAX, then TG nonstop to BKK. I had an 8 hour layover in LAX, and it really wasn't too bad. I don't know about an official lounge, but I found plenty of places to sit, shop, and eat. I didn't notice any construction.

I can't say for sure about luggage with CO and TG, but I would assume that your friends could check their bags all the way from their original departure city to BKK. Even with AA, they were able to do that for me since they are some sort of partners (not even Star Alliance, I don't think). I didn't have to pick up my bags at LAX, so the security on luggage was no problem.

Are your friends flying economy? If so, I would suggest that they seriously consider premium economy - completely worth it, in my opinion! Those economy seats are TINY, and the plane I was on didn't have individual t.v. screens in economy.

I think that you should make sure to really look around carefully at the condition and location of Sukhumvit Plus and Waterford Park Rama IV before you make any decisions. Yes, Waterford is off the main road so a little quieter, but it's also a fair ways down the soi...a good 10-12 walk to the BTS station for me. It seemed that the majority of people took motorcycles down the soi anyway. There's not a whole lot on the soi in terms of shops, but there are a couple nice small Thai restaurants, a 7-11, and a Lotus Express. If the units available in Waterford have been newly renovated, hopefully they will be ok. But the unit I rented had termites! Just be careful!

Yes, termites are common in projects over 5 years old. That's why I am spending nearly Bt1600 per sqm on termite resistant parquet from Leowood for the bedroom floor, not those Bt600 per sqm laminate flooring also found commonly in quite a few new projects.

Floors in living, dining and pantry area are 60x60cm high gloss ceramic.

We seemed to notice them coming from the ceiling, actually. Well, the wood paneling/trim around the ceiling. The flooring didn't seem to have much to do with it. I just got tired of finding them in my closet, and we were unhappy with some other things about the condo, so we got out of there after our lease was up!

I think that you should make sure to really look around carefully at the condition and location of Sukhumvit Plus and Waterford Park Rama IV before you make any decisions. Yes, Waterford is off the main road so a little quieter, but it's also a fair ways down the soi...a good 10-12 walk to the BTS station for me. It seemed that the majority of people took motorcycles down the soi anyway. There's not a whole lot on the soi in terms of shops, but there are a couple nice small Thai restaurants, a 7-11, and a Lotus Express. If the units available in Waterford have been newly renovated, hopefully they will be ok. But the unit I rented had termites! Just be careful!

............Airport Director Prathueng Sornkham held a meeting at the airport yesterday to announce the crackdown......

......................“We need to restore our good image among tourists

.............Taxi meters are also allowed onto AoT grounds, but must pay a flat fee per fare.

1. Good idea to anounce a crackdown before it happend,,,,

2. which GOOD image he is talking about?

3. Why its called TAXI METER then?

Read that section again carefully. The flat fee is what the taxi pays the AoT! The taxi is still metered.

I used to live there too - not on Pridi, but across the road on the other side of Sukhumvit. For me, the appeal of Phrakhanong was the value and proximity to the BTS. I was able to afford a nice, renovated, huge condo within walking distance from the BTS. I had looked at Thong Lo & Ekamai, but in those areas you get half the space for twice the price, and very far from the BTS. Honestly, I felt like there wasn't as much to actually do in the Phrakhanong area - it's not like the other major roads along the BTS. But, it's so close to the more happening areas that it's perfectly fine. Depending on where you are looking, it's also convenient to be right by Rama IV, which connect to Asok and can get you to an MRT station really quickly.

Is there a specific condo you're looking at?

He probably dropped the other piece on the floor.

That sucks. I would be so annoyed if my mail all started disappearing. I haven't had any problems, but I was warned when I first moved here. My job advises that I have all packages sent to me there. So far, everything has made it and nothing has been opened. Do you happen to have anywhere more "official" that you could have your mail sent (as opposed to your house)?

As a woman who has been living here for awhile too, I can give you some opinions from myself and my friends.

1. Many foreign women simply do not find Thai men attractive.

2. Just like foreign guys might like small women, many foreign women want a bigger guy...not likely to happen with a Thai guy.

3. Many foreign women don't want to waste all their hard-earned money on an man, and most don't want to be a "sugar momma" to a poor Thai guy.

4. We're not stupid - we know how things work in Thailand, and we just don't want to deal with a culture that accepts men cheating on their women.

5. We laugh at the foreign men getting taken advantage of by the Thai girls, and we're too smart for that.

6. Foreign men often come here primarily for the young, cheap girls, whereas foreign women often come because of jobs. We're focused on other things besides men.

I'm sure I'll get the same old response that foreigner men usually give - that we foreign women are just jealous. Trust me, we are not! We are confident, professional, able to take care of ourselves, and enjoy living the single life. We could care less what the foreign men are doing here.

Good post but no such thing as cheap girls anywhere in the world,they all cost us a fortune,lol.

If you ask most women on here they will all say that they havent got a thai bf/husband who gets looked after financialy,they areall busness men,who speak good english and have great values,so your comment doesnt hold water.Many more men work here too so that comment gets blown out of the water too.Not all of us came here for CHEAP women but your post is still good but you generalised too much.I also know of some foreign women who dont mind paying for the pleasures of life,just the same as tourist males,and i know that many thai women pay for the pleasures too.I certainly will not knock men or women who are after young cheap uns but many are not living in Thailand for that

Yes, you kind of have to generalize on a forum like this. I could write about all the exceptions and my friends who DO have Thai boyfriends/husbands, but no one wants to read a novel. True, maybe the women on this forum do date/marry Thai business men. But as I clearly stated in my original post, my explanations were based on the opinions of my friends and I. I think my comment does "hold water" for the women I said I was talking about. I generalized based on the many, many conversations I have had with dozens of my foreign female friends living in Thailand.

1. Many foreign women simply do not find Thai men attractive.

That's the opposite. What I have heard from some of my Thai male friends. Farang women are ugly, has a big nose, huge and fat. LOL

Well, then there's no problems, are there? They don't want us, and we don't want them...works out perfectly!

As a woman who has been living here for awhile too, I can give you some opinions from myself and my friends.

1. Many foreign women simply do not find Thai men attractive.

2. Just like foreign guys might like small women, many foreign women want a bigger guy...not likely to happen with a Thai guy.

3. Many foreign women don't want to waste all their hard-earned money on an man, and most don't want to be a "sugar momma" to a poor Thai guy.

4. We're not stupid - we know how things work in Thailand, and we just don't want to deal with a culture that accepts men cheating on their women.

5. We laugh at the foreign men getting taken advantage of by the Thai girls, and we're too smart for that.

6. Foreign men often come here primarily for the young, cheap girls, whereas foreign women often come because of jobs. We're focused on other things besides men.

I'm sure I'll get the same old response that foreigner men usually give - that we foreign women are just jealous. Trust me, we are not! We are confident, professional, able to take care of ourselves, and enjoy living the single life. We could care less what the foreign men are doing here.

Yeah, Agoda adds taxes later (which you can of course see before purchasing), but I'm still a loyal Agoda member. I usually compare the Agoda rate to all of the other sites, and 9.5 times out of 10, they're the cheapest. Well known and recognized, so no problems at the hotel. Very good customer service when I've needed to change/cancel my reservation. And best of all, they have a reward point system. Every time you book, you rack up reward points to use towards future rooms. You also get points for other things, like reviewing the hotel after your stay. I've gotten a couple free rooms just from using Agoda over the last year.

Ok, thanks, that's good to know.

Thanks for all the helpful info. One more question...is there any way for me to look at a system at MBK, etc., and know whether it's a real Wii or a fake one? I don't mind paying more for a real one, and I don't mind paying less for a fake one since I'll only use it for a year or two...but I don't want to pay for a real one and get a cheap, fake one!

Fake Wiis do not exist. They are all real. Likewise fake WiiFit balance boards do not exist.

Still, have them hook it up at the store and make sure everything is working.

Really? When I was browsing through old posts about the Wii, several people talked about the knock-off Wii, like you would buy in Chinatown. Hmmm.

When I was in Phuket last month, my top two choices were Serene Resort and Tropical Garden Resort. The two are "sister resorts" owned by the same company, I believe. I ended up choosing Tropical Garden Resort because the reviews I read indicated that it was the better of the two, and I got a killer deal during a sale on Agoda. It was a great hotel for the value. Not the nicest hotel I've stayed in at Kata, but still very good for the price. Very short walk to the beach and several restaurants. I met a few other people at the resort who had originally booked at Serene but were moved to Tropical Garden when they arrived. Even though it was high season (mid December), the resort didn't seem very full, so maybe they were trying to consolidate all of the guests into one resort? Who knows. I don't know about wifi access in the area b/c I didn't take a laptop, but other than that, I think it would probably be a good choice. Good luck!

Thanks for all the helpful info. One more question...is there any way for me to look at a system at MBK, etc., and know whether it's a real Wii or a fake one? I don't mind paying more for a real one, and I don't mind paying less for a fake one since I'll only use it for a year or two...but I don't want to pay for a real one and get a cheap, fake one!

Hi,

I should admit that I know almost NOTHING about video games. I have never owned one, and rarely played them. I've done some searching on this website already, but most of the information about the Wii is over my head. I need some VERY basic information, and I'm hoping someone can help and "dumb it down" for me.

I would like to purchase a Wii system, primarily (well, exclusively, I guess) for the exercise component. It's too freakin hot in Thailand to exercise outside! I guess that means I'll need the Wii Fit game. I've looked at the classifieds here and on craigslist, but I really don't know what I need. I understand that there are different versions of the Wii that work in different countries. I don't mind buying one that will only work in Thailand since I have at least another year or two here before I go back to the States...unless there's a good reason to buy the US version.

1. Where would I go to get a Wii? Any electronics store, or would I need to go to Pantip?

2. How much should I expect to pay?

3. What extra components (cords, accessories, some "chip" that everyone is talking about) would I need?

I'm sorry if these questions are too broad, but like I said, I'm just starting to look into this. Thanks in advance for your help!

P.S. Mods, if this isn't the correct forum for this, feel free to move my post.

Any idea how much it costs, for an average treatment?

Wasn't the attempted US bomber African, not Middle Eastern? So why would you propose that all Middle Easterners would be screened? I agree with Jingthing...the "bad guys" will just get more creative and find people who can slide through security. There are radical people everywhere, even those with blond hair! There may also be others who get sucked in unwillingly (e.g., those with mental or cognitive disabilities, those being brainwashed into it, etc.). I think it's only safe and fair to check EVERYONE. I for one would be completely horrified at the thought of someone seeing every bump on my body in an airport scanner, but I would gladly do it if it meant that I was safer in the air.