Chaam local

Thanks guys! Cheers

I have this little fellow on my balcony. Should I run for help or can I finish my beer? Please help, many thanks.

Hi,

Yes it's Southern Thai and it means "totally/entirely crazy". In Central Thai I guess it would be บ้าทั้งหมด.

Thanks guys, it's clearer now. I have sent an email to the French embassy and will call them eventually if they don't reply.

Yes I will, definitely, but it's not that easy to contact them these days, so I thought I would check with the airline first. I posted here because I was interested to know if someone else on TV had been in the same situation and could provide with useful advice.

Thanks a lot, I will contact my lawyer.

Soutpeel, thanks a lot. Where did you go to have the documents notarized in Thailand?

A French friend of mine is going to spend a month in France with his Thai lady, and I would like my 4 yo son to travel with them, so that the boy can spend some time with his grandparents there. The boy loves his grandparents, he's been to France before and is looking forward to going back again. The friends he will travel with are fully trustable and they're like an uncle and aunt to him. My Thai wife and I would stay here in Thailand, but of course we will be at Suvarnabhumi for the check in, and the grandparents will be at the airport in Paris.

I still don't know what airline they will fly with, as my friend hasn't booked his ticket yet. As soon as we know, I will also contact the airline to have more information, and we will book the two tickets together. But just to plan things ahead, what kind of paperwork do you think we need to show? Obviously a parental authorization from both my wife and I, but do you know if it needs to be authentified, for instance by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or my embassy? Do I need any official translations? Is there any other documents, probably a copy of his birth certificates? Has anyone done that before and encountered any trouble? What do you think is the 'critical' moment: check in, departure check, arrival...? If there are eyebrows raised and questions asked, will it be by the Thai? The French? On going to France or when coming back to Thailand?

That's a lot of questions, but I would like the experience to be as smooth as possible for my friend, as he is already taking the trouble and the responsibility of travelling with my son. But I can understand that the situation may seem a bit unusual: a French man and a Thai woman, not married, travelling with a little "luuk khreung" who is not theirs.

Just to make things clear, my wife and I are legally married (in both countries), and we are both fully willing to let the boy go. He was born in Thailand and has two passports and two citizenships.

Thank you very much for your feedback!

Yes, something like that.

เมื่อไรจะเสร็จสักที - to show that you're impatient.

In short: from the airport follow "Bangkok", then keep left and exit on Kanchanaphisek (towards Bangna). Follow Bangna, then when you see them follow the signs indicating Rama II (towards Dao Khanong and Samut Sakhon).

Quick map here.

I was following http://twitter.com/#!/ThaivisaTopics to be informed of new topics on the forum.

I used to follow Thaivisa new topics on Twitter, now it's been silent since April 9. Please tell me what is wrong.

You mean in Cha-am.

Thanks for the feedback!

I went back to the shops today and shortlisted two systems: Philips HTS-5550 (14,000 THB) and Sony DAV-DZ910W (21,000 THB). Both have wireless rear speakers, plug for a microphone, USB etc. I don't know which one to choose because I read good reviews about the Philips and it seems to have interesting features. I didn't find much information about the Sony, I couldn't even download the manual. I listened to both of them and I did like the sound of the Sony, but I was not in good listening conditions.

Thank you for your input. I was looking at Samsung and Philips, but I will now look at Sony products too.

Since you mention listening to music rather than films, do you really need 5.1 ?

A good quality amp with 2 speakers will give you much better sound for your money than a similar priced 5.1 system

Actually the 5.1 system is for the family living room, that's why I would also like to know about the possibilities of adding other devices, like a mike or karaoke system, video game etc. Is it possible with most systems, especially Sony systems?

I also plan to buy an amp and two speakers to listen to music in another room, but that will be quite different, with a higher budget, serious research beforehand (probably including another post here!) and time spent in Bangkok testing the systems in proper listening conditions. But for now I just need something that the whole family can enjoy.

Oh, guys... don't tell my wife about the higher budget, ok?

I would like to buy a home cinema kit, something around 20,000 baht. I hardly ever watch movies, I'm more into music, but I like to watch concerts. Obviously I'm not very demanding (or else I would have a higher budget and I would buy separate elements, not a kit), but I need something with a good sound for all the family to enjoy: me watching concerts, the daughter singing karoke, and my wife saying "wow, it's like being in a real theater!". I'm sure you get the idea

So, I went to Home Pro, Index and a few other places, but you know the salesmen there, only interested in selling what they will get a percentage on, unable to answer simple questions (even in Thai), etc. They just turn the sound as loud as possible to show how "good" it is. I don't live in Bangkok and I don't think there are specialized shops close to where I live (Cha-am).

What I (think I) need is: a kit with a DVD (does it have to be Bluray?) and a 5.1 set speakers, with the 2 rear speakers being wireless, if possible. A USB plug to read MP3 from a USB key or MP3 player, and a mike plug for the daughter. My budget is flexible, could be up to 30 K if it's worth it.

Could someone please direct me to a specific brand or model? Or tell me what I should avoid, or simply what power I should be looking for? The room is 4m x 5m, 3 walls and an opening on the rest of the first floor (sound reverberates a little). I already have a TV (Samsung series 5 46").

Thanks in advance for your help.

Google Sketchup is free and quite easy to learn.

Try www.freelang.net/translation , it's free for short texts and you contact the translator by email, so your text is not published in a forum.

Will check it out, thanks a lot!

Hello,

I'm looking for a hotel within walking distance of a BTS somewhere between On Nut and Ekamai. Walking distance meaning walking distance also for Thai wife, so no more than 5 minutes!

Price range around 800-1,000 including breakfast. Don't need anything fancy, it's just for one night (Sat 19), but must have car park. Thank you for any suggestions!

Originally I had planned to stay near Asoke, but with the red-yellow BS starting again, I'd rather stay a bit outside of the center.

Additional question: shops along Sukhumvit, like Emporium, or IT Mall at Ratchada should remain open, right? Went through the 8 page topic about demonstrations but didn't find any info.

Thanks again.

Indeed it used to be in February but they moved it to April since last year. This year it's planned from April 1 to 10, but the dates are not fixed yet.

บ้าง can also be used to express "on and off".

มีบ้าง ไม่มีบ้าง / อยู่บ้าง ไม่อยู่บ้าง

(me bang may me bang / yoo bang may yoo bang)

Where I am from newly licensed driver must have a magnetic sticker on their car during one year. It used to be "90", to indicate that you were not allowed to drive faster than 90 km/h, then it became an "A" (for apprentice). Of course nobody wants it, but it's compulsory. It's also compulsory to have at least 20 hours of practice before taking the driving test, and you can't drive alone before the age of 18. It doesn't make French drivers any better than American drivers, though I wouldn't trust a 16 yo with only 6 hours of practice behind the wheel!