BarnicaleBob

Mae Sai district chief Sopon Choom said he had prepared a plane to evacuate residents in the event the province is declared a disaster zone. The district had contacted owners of tall buildings about the evacuation plan, which would cover more than 100,000 evacuees, he said.

I know the above must be a typo, I hope?

It may be that the Thai rooms are equipped with Thai toilets thus, Thai residents only.

Hrican, those were some pretty limber moves you made there in the video, not bad for a man of 80 years. I have a feeling that you are going to make things happen here in the land of smiles.

By the way I had dinner last night at the Country Western Club or restaurant on Mae Jo Road and it was American country Western music the walk around band was playing. Yes the band walked around the tables playing like a mariachi band but they were playing American western music. Later another band performed on the stage and played a bit of a mixture of American music with a little Thai music in between. Food was OK, seen better but have seen much worse in other places. Yes, the menu has both English and Thai on it but the food is purely Thai. There may be room for line dancing in front of the stage if they move a couple of tables out of there.

I am pretty sure a lot of Thais especially the Thai girls could get into line-dancing and enjoy it.

Good luck and keep us posted and let us know if you get something going over here.

I know the OP's complaint was about the ATM having a problem but while we are on the subject I thought I would pas this along.

Here is a report from Scambusters about how some crooks manage to scam you when you use an ATM, at the end it also gives advice on how to prevent these things from happening to you:

5 Common, Real ATM Theft Scams

1. The Lebanese Loop

Many thieves are using external devices to confiscate your card. In this scam, a blocking device (which can be as simple as some film glued to trap ATM cards), is inserted into the card slot of the ATM machine. Unwittingly, you place your card into the machine and enter your PIN. All the while, someone nearby may be watching you enter your PIN number.

A very common reaction is to go into the bank to report your confiscated card. Now the thieves jump into action. They remove the blocking device, along with your trapped ATM card and withdraw money from your account.

The way the scammers use the Lebanese Loop can vary. Often, once your ATM card is trapped, a "Good Samaritan" will show up and offer advice on how to get your card back. They may suggest that you enter your PIN number a couple of times.

They might also offer to hold the cancel button while you enter your PIN. What they're really doing is memorizing your PIN number. They're certainly not Samaritans at all!

2. Card Skimming

Skimmers are devices added to ATM machines to capture your card's information, including your account number, balance, and PIN number. These devices, often mounted alongside a machine and labeled 'card cleaners,' are difficult to notice unless you're looking for them.

You may also find card skimmers mounted beside the normal ATM card slot with a sign that says, "slide card here first." Sometimes they are even mounted right on top of where you would normally enter your card. Skimmers can actually collect and store up to 200 ATM cards before they need to be removed by thieves.

3. Shoulder Surfing, Fake PIN Pads, and Even Fake Machines

Another way to glean your ATM PIN number is for thieves to mount a wireless video camera inside the ATM area. It can look as harmless as a brochure holder. Once the scammers have your number, magnetic strips are easy to make and thieves are able to easily reproduce ATM cards.

In addition to using cameras to collect PIN numbers, thieves have designed fake PIN pads that they place on top of the original ATM PIN pad. Unfortunately, with fake PIN pads, your ATM transaction will proceed normally and you won't know a scammer has stolen anything until it's too late.

Thieves have also taken to occasionally putting up fake ATM machines in and around shopping centers and other public locations. Upon placing your card into the card reader, these machines collect your ATM PIN and account information. They do not dispense cash. Rather, a screen comes up that says that the machine is out of money or out of order.

4. Cash Trapping.

Similar to the Lebanese Loop where a thin sleeve traps your card, this time your cash is trapped by a sleeve or device slipped inside the cash dispenser. Your transaction will operate normally, but you won't receive the cash you've withdrawn.

Chances are you'll either walk or drive away assuming the machine is out of order or you'll go inside the bank and report the incident. Either way, you have left the machine and the thieves can walk up, remove the device, and your cash.

5. Phishing

We mentioned above how easy it is for thieves to replicate ATM cards. All they need is a magnetic strip and a plastic card. Armed with an ATM card, all a would-be thief needs is a PIN number. Some email phishing scams have been designed to find out just that.

Representing your bank, a scammer can send you an email with a notice on it saying something about incomplete account information or that you need to update your account information. You click on the link and follow the directions but you're not at your bank, you're at a site designed to look like your bank by thieves. They collect your information and are free to replicate your ATM card or simply withdraw your money from your account via online banking.

8 Tips to Help You Protect Yourself From ATM Theft:

1. 
   Get in the habit of using the same ATM machine for your transactions. Become familiar with it and be able to recognize changes to the machine.
   
2. 
   Use ATM machines inside banks rather than on the street (where they're easier for thieves to access).
   
3. 
   If you're visiting an unfamiliar ATM machine that is not inside a bank, examine it carefully for devices. Card or cash trapping devices need to be glued or taped to the card reader or cash dispenser. Look for 'extra' cameras beyond the basic and generally obvious ATM security camera.
   
4. 
   Never rely on the help of strangers to retrieve a confiscated card.
   
5. 
   Never use an ATM machine when other people are lingering.
   
6. 
   Report confiscated cards immediately. If you can, don't leave the machine. Instead call the bank from the ATM where your card was taken using a cell phone.
   
7. 
   Don't use ATM machines with extra signage or warnings posted on the machine.
   
8. 
   Never follow a link in a supposed bank email notice. If you are wondering if your bank has really contacted you via email, then close the email and directly type your bank's website address into your browser. Visit your account and look for update notices directly on your account or bank's website. The email is almost always a phishing scam.
   

While ATM theft isn't going to go away, the Global ATM Security Alliance reports that just .0016% of all ATM transactions worldwide are affected by crime or fraud. Additionally, with a little bit of care and attention, you can avoid these scams and keep your money.

I worked on one of Happysanook's photos so you can see it a little better.

But I can't seem to get the photo on this page. Sorry just not that good with this forum's photo posting ways.

No winners in war, both sides will lose.

Investigators suspect a business, romantic or drug conflict as motive for the death.

It seems the left out the "Robbery" as a motive. Also I question the 38 cal. spent shell and two unfired 38 cal. bullets at the scene, 99% of 38 cal. handguns are revolvers so why would there be a spent shell left at the scene much less two bullets? Also, if there were 250 9 mm rounds in the truck/boot of the car which most likely belonged to the victim, where is the victim's 9mm weapon?

I am a big guy really big 555, I have found some clothing that fits me in the Airport Plaza Central Mall on the ground floor in the center isle just a few meters outside the Tops Grocery store. Sorry I can't remember the name of the store but it is on your right in the center isle shortly after you exit Tops. I'm sure someone will know the store I'm talking about and give you it's name. It's the closest think I have found to a king size store in Chiang Mai.

Good luck and I hope you find what your looking for there.

Getting back to the OP's question; I have not been able to find a good sized orange pumpkin at a reasonable price. I am thinking of getting a green one and a can of orange spray paint.

BTW Halloween is a spin off of an old European Pagan holiday called Samhain. In that time the pagan folk believed that on that night the spirit world and our world were at their closest point of being together for the year and only at that time could the spirits of the dead could pass through to our world and visit. So it became a custom to leave food or a treat for them and if you did not they would play a trick upon you.

The wife and I just ate there this evening. It is owned by an Italian fellow and his Thai wife, they offered to make us a large pizza to order as well as several other Italian dishes. But we thought it would be novel to make our own pizza at the table and ordered a set for 8 of the mini make it yourself pizzas. They asked us what topping we wanted and served us up with several bowels of our selections of toppings and 8 little pre-made pizza crusts. Each table had it's own pizza oven and we assembled our mini pizzas with the toppings we wanted and put them in the oven for about 6 to 8 minutes. You should be able to fit in about 4 pizzas at a time into the table top oven.

Tasted good but I think next time I will just order a large pizza and let them do all the work. There is also another restaurant next door that is owned by an American and his Thai wife that I will try the next time I am up that way again.

Our total bill with drinks was about 300 baht.

My wife owns our home and when I die I know she will at least have a place to live and I am sure many of the expats that have children with a Thai also feel the same way. But if you are an older person and do not have a Thai partner why would you want to own a home in Thailand in the first place. Why not rent long term instead, I know you may want to make some modifications to the property so you feel you must own it. But if you find a good property to rent long term you can write into the rental agreement that you be aloud to make such modifications. This way you also save on a larger outlay of cash that you would need to own.

Make sure if you do rent that the rental agreement is registered at the local Ampher (spelling) so that it is fully legal.

I am watching the Amazing Race now and I was dumbfounded when I saw all the Tuk Tuk drivers charged the players 4,500 baht for driving players around for just a few hours. Is that the normal rate or is this another one of those rip offs that have now made it to international television?

As stated by others above, just report it to your insurance and let them handle it. Going after the offender is dangerous in that you now become an offender yourself. Zipping through traffic to catch up to your suspect you could very easily hit someone else or run over a small child. Then to run your suspect off the road intentionally puts you in a position of being responsible for damage or injury to him, his vehicle and his passengers. We are talking jail time for such an offense so unless you feel time in a Thai prison is where you would like to be don't do this. There is also one more hazard in going after a traffic offender; he may be armed and feel he has a right to shot you for attempting to kill him with your car, whose side do you think the Thai court will be on then? Finally, if you do a search you will find there have been several westerners shoot and killed in Chiang Mai in recent years for simple traffic incidents where they pissed off an armed Thai driver. Think before you take the leap that could end your life as you know.

I'm not in Bangkok but can give you a yes for Chiang Mai.

As most of you know, most Thais are Buddhist, but what many do not know is that most Thai Buddhists are also Animist and have synchronized the two spiritual beliefs together much to the dismay of the Buddhist monks. In some forms of animism practiced in Thailand the triangle is used by the soothsayers to hold summoned spirits when the spirits have been summoned to seek advice from the beyond. This is not unlike the same thing done in the Middle East and in some western magical traditions where demons and or spirits are summoned to do the bidding of the magician. In these traditions the triangle is also used as a sort of trap to hold the demon in place as that it does not wonder off. When the magician is finished with the demon he then has to banish it back to the realm from which it came.

So what the head man fears is that you may inadvertently capture a passing spirit and that it will then become angry for being held there. Nothing like having angry spirits trapped in your home, no telling what malevolence they will attract to your abode.

If you believe in this sort of thing you should be OK as long as you don't do anything to attract negative energy to your house.

Hey, I did not say I believed this but it is what they believe.

Thank you, thank you, Barnicle Bob. This is the explanation that I have been waiting for, or at least thought it was indeed, out there. Now it is making much more sense as to why the varied reactions. My stairway where this is part of, is not on a ground floor, if that makes any difference. And we do have a spirit house. Went out on a mission to find that particular one that is unlike most of the others. If I say so, I would find it most attractive if I were a spirit looking to settle. I have animistic leanings in my beliefs as well, so I do respect that view.

By the way, are you any kin to Barnicle Bill, the sailor? Thanks again for the info. ett

Your welcome and I don't think I am related to a Barnicale Bill but my brother's name is Bill. About your spirit house; To do it proper contact a Thai mystic (not a monk as monks don't deal with spirit houses) to advise you on the proper location in your garden to place your spirit house. It seems Thai spirits are a bit fussy about the placement of their spirit quarters. If you don't know already you can google spirit houses to find out about the proper accessories to place in it and what to feed the spirits to keep them happy. Good luck and enjoy your new home.

What would we be supporting, by buying breakfast there?

The restaurant is donating a percentage of all their income this morning to the Chiang Mai VFW Post 12074, which is a non-profit organization made up of current and former U.S. military that has served overseas during times of conflict. The VFW has been active in Chiang Mai supporting various events.

By the way, This event is still on for this morning the flooding has not reached the restaurant but it is recommended that you try to avoid the Ping River on your way there.

THE VFW BREAKFAST IS STILL ON FOR THIS MORNING, THE RESTAURANT IS NOT FLOODED AND IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

It should be no problem to find a moo baan outside the city that is high and dry. I live in Doi Saket and my moo baan has no standing water problem.

As most of you know, most Thais are Buddhist, but what many do not know is that most Thai Buddhists are also Animist and have synchronized the two spiritual beliefs together much to the dismay of the Buddhist monks. In some forms of animism practiced in Thailand the triangle is used by the soothsayers to hold summoned spirits when the spirits have been summoned to seek advice from the beyond. This is not unlike the same thing done in the Middle East and in some western magical traditions where demons and or spirits are summoned to do the bidding of the magician. In these traditions the triangle is also used as a sort of trap to hold the demon in place as that it does not wonder off. When the magician is finished with the demon he then has to banish it back to the realm from which it came.

So what the head man fears is that you may inadvertently capture a passing spirit and that it will then become angry for being held there. Nothing like having angry spirits trapped in your home, no telling what malevolence they will attract to your abode.

If you believe in this sort of thing you should be OK as long as you don't do anything to attract negative energy to your house.

Hey, I did not say I believed this but it is what they believe.

The VFW Breakfast may be flooded by Thursday morning, best way to know for sure is if Alice's Restaurant is underwater in the morning we will reschedule this event for a later date after the flooding is over.

Not long after my arrival in Chiangmai I thought it would be interesting to take a couple of photos inside a Big C and send them to my kids in the States to show them I could get most of what I need here to live. After the first two or three photos a security guard kindly informed me that I couldn't take photos in the store. So this must be a long standing policy for some large chain stores here.

There will be a fund raiser breakfast for the Chiang Mai VFW Post 12074 held at Alice's Restaurant on Thursday, 29 September, from 8 AM to 10 AM. During that time Alice's will donate 10% of all the breakfast orders made to the VFW. There will also be some VFW officers and members on hand to answer any questions the public may have about this volunteer organization which is made up of U.S. Military veterans who have served overseas during times of conflict. This breakfast is open to the public and we would like to encourage everyone to attend to support the cause.

Alice's is located nest to the New Asia Hotel in downtown Chiang Mai, a map and a menu are attached files.

ALICE'S RESTAURANT Breakfast Menu.doc

There will be a fund raiser breakfast for the Chiang Mai VFW Post 12074 held at Alice's Restaurant on Thursday 29, September, from 8 AM to 10 AM, during that time Alice's will donate 10% of all the breakfast orders made to the VFW. There will also be some VFW officers and members on hand to answer any questions the public may have about this volunteer organization which is made up of U.S. Military veterans who have served overseas in combat zones. This breakfast is open to the public and we would like to encourage everyone to attend to support the cause.

Alice's is located nest to the New Asia Hotel in downdown Chiang Mai, a map and a photo of the front of the Alice's are in the attached files.

After seeing the photos I think I see a Thai political message in this march. The logo on the black vest showed the seal of the Nazis and had printed on it RED NAZISM. When you add to this the fact they were all wearing red shirts I see a political influence there. This was drilled home to me when I opened the photo and my wife yells out "see dang, see dang". Oh well who knows.

I am sure most westerners may feel offended by the school’s action in allowing this display of Nazism. However, as stated above Thailand was part of the Axis powers during WWll so I can understand the teachers not being too concerned about the negativity connected with Nazis. Thais had few if any relatives who fell victim to Hitler and his crew. Neo-Nazis are still active and in Germany today. On the other hand Thais seem to be tolerant of many western activities that westerners partake in Chiang Mai. Example: Recently there was a public ceremony by a group of Americans celebrating an American that was shot down as he bombed strafed Chiang Mai during the war. Local Thais looked on without making a big deal out of it. I think tolerance of minor displays such as these should be in order here.

Glad to hear that the Farang Tourist Police is declining in members.

There is no similarity at all between Western Country LEO's and Thai Police.

I for one, could not sit Idly By while the Thai Police indulge in their daily Activities Thai Style.

I noticed most of the Volunteers thoughout the Country were Wanna-Be's and acted nothing like a real, Trained LEO would.

I have not had much contact with the tourist police but I have seen enough to know there are Thai tourist police and there are volunteers who work to assist them. These are two separate things and should not be confused as being the same. I have seen some of these volunteers on Sunday Walking Street but have yet to speak with one.

I have also met Thai tourist police and did take a few minutes to speak with a couple of them. I was not very impressed with them but that is my opinion. On the other hand these volunteers remind me of volunteers we used back in the States. You have heard of the COP (Citizens on Patrol) programs in many of the cities and counties in America. Yes, most of these people were elderly and maybe a bit in to the part they play a bit much but they did serve a valuable service in being extra eyes and ears for the police and were there to assist with traffic control at auto crash scenes and other events. I see the Tourist Police Volunteers in much the same light, they want to help and be of some assistance and sure just like in America maybe a few of them could have egos about their work. If I were a lost tourist and had a minor problem in Chiang Mai, I would rather talk to one of them than a tourist policeman as I feel the volunteer would better understand my problem.

I think those that do offer up their free time to this volunteer work should be accepted as people who care and want to help. Yes, some may have egos but they in turn do offer a service with the intent to help the tourist who has problems.

I can also understand that any former LEO from the West not wanting to be part of this as it would be like trying to help with your hands tied behind your backs in their minds. LEOs are used to being able to react as an event unfolds in their presence and they are used to being equipped to do so. The tourist police volunteers here have none of that ability, authority, training or equipment to do so. All they can do is to offer advice and call for police if needed. This would be too much stress for me to handle as a former cop and I'm sure I would piss off a Thai Tourist policemen sooner or later because I would be unable to restrain myself from offering my advice and or opinion.