LivinLOS

Well, it appears that the report is about one particular community and one particular business - elephant park.

People feel threatened and their reaction is unreasonable. What is so surprising? They've invested years and years of hard work and feel that new sons in law may take over their business.

How would small western business owners react in the same situation - a group of immigrants settles in the area and they look like they want to open new, competing businesses there, or marry their way into existing ones.

ha ha choice...

Here on Phuket a farang had the idea of opening a go cart track (obviously designed for tourists) being a new idea and an innovation to a local market that cant come up with them or service a need (other than bars and women) without being shown etc etc..

So the place makes money until he catches that his manger has been skimming him, fires said manager who opens a copy place net door.. Literally 20m away..

How would western business owners take it ?? Up the hole usually here!!

This colorado was modified to go from jomtien to pattaya!

Sorry if this is your ride..

But that is the ultimate in useless hideousness..

I am not wanting to start any fanboy debates but at this point in time the 360 beats the PS3 hands down IMO.. Maybe as programmers get better with the cell chips that will change but they have been saying that for ages.

The games catalogue for the 360 is loads better, new titles worth playing each week or so.. Halo now, sega rally any second, assassins creed in a couple of weeks, virtua fighter 5 same, the hits just keep on coming.

360s can be chipped for copy games (I probably wouldnt be playing if it wasnt) but be very aware that you can get kicked off live and its a non stop cat and mouse game.. Read xbox-scene to follow it..

If you need the HDMI you need to buy an elite (currently, theres some leaked info / rumour that it may be a cable soon)..

Hi, I am new to all this.......

I have a drink diving record against me........five years ago....I was not jailed, but lost my licence for one year.......I would like to retire to Thailand..........Would this conviction stop my application to live in Thailand....

No , over here they consider that a trivial driving offence,.

This does of course then beg the question.. When is a criminal record not a criminal record ??

Drink Driving is allowed to slide.. What else ??

I suspect it is.. But also have to say it looks nice and pumped with the wider arches and kit etc..

Theres a solid mitsu triton style truck parks near me thats been jacked and kitted and has a similar look..

And changing a cars color can impact its value.. The assumption of accident repair etc..

I too am surprised cola did that through the paint topcoats and laminations.. I would be thinking more someone with a grudge and brake fluid..

Your probably confusing credit and validity..

When you buy tiny amounts of credit 50 and so baht you only get a few days added onto its duration / validity.. If you buy 500 baht top ups you get much longer..

Otherwise you could buy a 50 baht card, never use the credit and have it for incoming calls on thier network forever..

Went to the place today and he had sold out.. Wont have more until Tuesday !!!

Went round all the other places but they have the proper pressed ones so expect a longer delay !!

Annoyed.. Wanted to get into that today !!

Oh I am fully aware of the reality.. I just still wonder why its the reality..<snip>

Sun 23 Sep 07, 2:56 p.m.

I don't think anyone understands, precisely. It's complex. Human behavior is complex. Much of it, however, I reckon is evolutionary. When tribes and cultures developed in close proximity and had to compete for food and other resources, it was a survival dynamic to have a highly developed racial-ethnic-tribal sensitivity to who you were, and that the tribe over the hill (who want to steal your goats and your women) are NOT you, not of your tribe. In some Polynesia cultures (possibly also the Caribbean that you refer to) where food and resources were more abundant, xenophobia and racism may have not have develped such a virulent strain as in the European cultures.

Aloha,

Rex

If your interested theres a wealth of interesting (to a geek like me) of social science.. I would recommended looking at "Can Asians Think ?" (written by an asian) and perhaps even "IQ and the wealth of Nations" or "Race Differences in Intelligence". The latter has been criticised with good reason for some shoddy data and assumptions but has some interesting analysis.

Another one thats applicable here would be "the geography of thought" where the author argues that some of these regional differences shaped lasting cultural traits, such as the collectivism required by our local hosts rice irrigation, compared with the individualism of ancient Greek herding, maritime mercantilism, and money crops wine and olive oil. The group verses the individual etc.

Its futile to pretend we are all the same, sadly under the necessary issues of defeating racism there has been a push to pretend that all humans are essentially the same rather than being able to celebrate our small differences as part of the global mixture and that doesnt take into account great differences in IQ, social structures and conventions etc etc..

Sorry for again going OT.. Its just I find this quite an interesting line of thought.

But for the life of me I cannot understand why Thailand doesnt want to attract the genuinely affluent by giving them some way to live with a little more security.

I assume they do for the older crowd then? What's the cutoff or start age for the "geezer" visa?

The only option for the young retiree at the moment is either visa runs or the "grey" BOI route, yes?

Yes sorry the 'geezer visa' is my slang for retirement, even that is still annually extension but the under 50's have nothing.. Its tourist visa's etc (elite card not counted)..

Retirement is obviously 50 years old and with just 800k.. I personally would think that if someone can display verified assets of 20 - 30 mil or even 1 mil USD (not brought into Thailand, money needs to work for you effectively) then they should at least get a 1 year permit to stay ?? I mean most people with a mil or two USD are not going to be squeaking under the 65k a month limit, these are the people who spend >200k per month into the Thai system.. Lots of nice foriegn exchange.. I just think hindering the really affluent is not helping 'Thailand PLC' and these people are the most likely to be turned away by 'inconvenient' issues like the Thai clerical paper chases.

I dont know where the bar should be set.. Perhaps proof of spending (bringing in) 2 mil per year, or an assets outside level or similar. But these people are a boon for local economies.

I also realise that money isnt everything, and that purely fiscal limits should not replace social connections, marriage, chiuldren, etc.. But it does provide one way to create a greater stream of revenue for little cost.

I personally dont take that view at all.. Some of the best places are the most culturally diverse..

True, but IMO integration doesn't always make a place "better" either, whether on a country level or even on a company, school, team, or family level.

But isnt that the 'job' of social governance ?? to manage and hopefully improve society ??

I am a bit of an oddball in that I am fairly strongly libertarian and small government.. The social states of Europe, where everyone claims so much and those claims are wastefully supplied by the taxes on the majority annoy me greatly, the big brother systems of speed traps and road controls, little things that add up to a feeling of not being free.. Hence why I like the looser 3rd world where while there may be petty and strange rules and laws, they dont often mean much..

Thai banking security is woeful..

It took me about 10 mins of thinking to find a way to empty my ex's private bank account after her demise (no will etc) and that would work on anyones account.

No once banned the box cannot get back onto live..

If live is needed its buy another box time...

See clear fast and easy..

What ratio of 1 mil GBP is factored into what median UK income is ?? I bet its less than 3mil baht and Thai median income is..

But in the UK its then a step to PR and has the full rights of citizenship and can bring spouses and family AND claim multiple benefits. Plus your treated equally in the eyes of the law and cannot be withdrawn after that term.

So in effect its actually much easier and better deal for long stay even for a Thai to do the investment route there than here. Why people seems to claim that not to be the fact baffles me.

Oh I am fully aware of the reality.. I just still wonder why its the reality..

Of course, for the record, I do not mean to single out Thailand. And without resorting to the dreaded "X" word, and the (Oy my gawd!) "R" word, many people in the U.S., UK and EU maintain this same very conservative perception of immigration and migrations patters as something that demands strict control and regulation lest it run amok and rain chaos. Many falang who post to this forum express that viewpoint.

I personally dont take that view at all.. Some of the best places are the most culturally diverse.. The afro caribean community in England of the windrush days added to the melting pot and culture we enjoy, the music and the times people have lived through..

I once had a long discussion with a intelligent Euro (but borderline racist / bigot) about immigration and the problems of it.. I would think that policy could be drafted in such a way to allow visit and residency of only the best and brightest (or hardest working and honest) simply by restricting all advantages down to near nil. Anyone coming into the country would have no right to claim any benefit whatsoever, they must have sufficient funds for medical / insurance, they would on first infraction of any serious crime (including 'minor' street crime like dealing drugs or prostitution and no homeless tolerated) be immediately repatriated, thier only 'benefit' would be access to the work environment and that could even be limited to some sectors for the first few years to protect the local labour pool. Once someone had spent 5 years, working, paying taxes, not ever committing a crime (with some guidelines like speeding tickets or stuff thats super petty) then give them thier right of stay. The host country gets honest hard working people, the people get a chance at the west and any failure is purely on thier shoulders.. The immigrant would actually be paying taxes for the residents for that period as a payback.

Its the fact that housing and medical is handed out on arrival that causes so many problems. Its the reduction of these benefit schemes to arrivals that is a better way to deal with the issue IMO.

Very OT tho.. Sorry.

With retirees for example (including young folks who can prove their investment income), I believe they SHOULD be afforded long term 5-10-15 year visas -subject to periodic inspection- even if they don't qualify for permanent residency if they can prove they can support their families and that their relationships are in fact legitimate (in order to not just protect the local but also the immigrant him/herself) on a case by case basis. Sometimes you see 70-80 year old foreigners at Suan Phlu immigration, obviously not in the best of health, trying to make futile stands "no no no no I will not stand for this!" and you can't help but feel sorry for them. IMO some cases border on senior abuse. So yes, there should be case by case exceptions made for those caught in the broad brush immigration rule nets. I'm just saying I don't agree with those who believe more/less foreigners = bad or good.

Actually heres something I do firmly agree with you about (and not only as I am a young retiree who doesnty have a real visa option and is still nearly 2 decades from the geezer visa)..

I certainly agree its not a simple case of more or less = good or bad.. But I do find it hard to see where the draw back is in genuinely self supporting people who cannot impose a financial drain on Thailand being given some kind of longer stay (subject to continuing checks to make sure that hey are still self supportable etc).. How many people who have long stay visa ARE still working here ?? How many are claiming to be retired or existing purely on marriage visas without work really have a sideline.. Possibly even a majority. I would suggest they would be far better off if they either made the process of legitimately paying taxes less difficult (self employed, telecommute, etc) and created a framework where it was less desirable to fly under the radar. The penalties of trying to exist in the grey area of not working by 'managing your investment' etc are foolish and dont help Thailand IMO. It also encourages people to be law breakers, encourages those who cant afford to really exist without working to attempt to do so.

But for the life of me I cannot understand why Thailand doesnt want to attract the genuinely affluent by giving them some way to live with a little more security.

Yeah the bike parking is strange.. Its possible one day, not the next, then ok again, seemingly very randomly.. Plus the eastern (baanzaan) side entrance which also had a bike parking section is now closed so it makes it very trial and error as to where to go.

Shame as everything else is shaping up very well in there.

Just got this from xbox-scene site:

It was up on the internet about 3 days ago

I think the source is from the UK store Argos who accidentally sent the game out to some of their pre order customers.

Strange to think that someone in the UK pops the disc in and backs it up, next day its coming out of their multi-burners on Patong beach, phuket... and everywhere else in the world

Haha Argos staff, someone's gonna be in the sh_it probably some 15 yr old work experience student

Although args in the UK did ship pre release.. The torrent is a NTSC version, so I doubt its a UK sourced one.

Sure it is.. They havent closed the border..

http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/200.../19/553394.aspx

Hopefully I can put these Halo 3 ban rumors to rest...

If you obtain a copy of Halo 3 prior to its street date of Sept 25th, you will NOT be banned from Xbox Live for playing Halo 3 early (not even my fellow softies).

That would of course be legit ones.. Will see if the drive needs reflashing or how the fall update works out..

You would have to be mad to try and sign onto live with halo prior to the launch.. banhammer candidate for sure..

I will go get a copy tomorrow tho

Down at Ranong it has risen from 5 USD (300 baht to buy them tho) to now 10 USD (for 500 baht)..

If you try to use USD you bring they must be pristine new notes, they try everything possible to reject notes to keep the exchange industry going (my guess)..

Let's face it: Thailand is a (pleasant) mess, makes it kind of human.

In 100% agreement.. I kinda like the insanity, the unpredicability, they way things are never simple and clear to achieve, the way you can pop out to post a letter and end up returning 8 hours later not having done it.. I have the same fond feelings of bemusement in arab africa too and I would be gnawing my own feet off with boredom living where everything always worked like it should.

But for all that I enjoy it, it severely hampers productivity and the creation of wealth.

Really the least painful way to go without a real visa class is to go get a 1 year non imm from somewhere once each 15 months.. Then visa run at 90 days..