crazygreg44

My point is that if it were not for this type of payment system then a formal taxation system would need to exist. I am not saying that a tax system would be a bad thing but its essentially the same thing.

Public servants do not make a living wage so they take bribes , a large portion of those bribes are then paid up the ladder until it reaches the highest levels of govt. Its like a bottom-up system versus a trickle-down system we are used to where sufficient salaries are paid to public servants through taxes paid by workers (and others).

I am not saying I support this Thai system or that it is the most efficient--I am only pointing out that nothing is for free. Including coming to Thailand to earn wages to send home and not benefit the local economy.

So a police force paid to uphold the law, can now be justified in extortion. If they dont make a living wage why are their big bosses in power not trying to improve their pay and conditions?

Maybe many of the workers would be happy to register, pay tax and regularize themselves in the country, unfortunately Thais are very happy to employ them, but prefer to keep it irregular as it is cheaper labor.

exactly, and since the Burmese have no rights, the employers can from time to time stop paying them without getting sued. When not getting paid in time, the Burmese or Cambodians ave no choice but to continue working and put their hope into that they will eventually get paid. Police moves in and deport them, saving the Thai company headmen several months of pay they owe these people. New Burmese and Cambodians are being recruited, and the caroussel starts again ! Please General , ask your countrymen to treat other Asians right, and stop the infringement

Me thinks you want to hide something from us, as you do not give us an idea on how much percent import duty you ended up paying for useful plus the "useless" (stated by you) household items.

Could it be because you realized a bit later that it would have been cheaper & much easier to obtain these household goods, or at least neither cheaper nor much more expensive, the only negative being that you had to run from Pontius to Pilatus in order to make everything happen ? My oh my.

I am not an engineer, but due to the easyness of the Thai electric house systems, I was able to do all the wiring & fuse box by myself. Using test method "works" and "does not work" and a little screwdiver with an inbuild light. Plus a grounding rod. Everything including pizza oven, TV, computers, Water Heaters, Fridges & freezers and etc work like a dream for five years now, and I am happy I didn't have to go to university for that

the one who is expected to fit in, is YOU. Not them. When I took out my Thai friends, I always sided with THEIR choice of bar or restaurant. It is called politeness. In Thailand, even if YOU are the one to pay the bill, you are always better to leave the choice of the place to the people you invite. Or you forcefully seat them in a place that offers food they abslutely don't like.

I have learned this in my first year being here. I have only one plea for you : "please adept"

there indeed are many mature, beautiful widows ( of mostly Thai Chinese origin) on Asian dating sites. you find them , you won't regret it. A few of my friends are spending a lot of good time with independent mature women. Don't ever consider marrying . . . they, as turns out, don't want either.

just having a good jolly time, travel together, lay down together. Join a "FF" forum ( i am not allowed to link)

actually better than "buddy" up with an escort . . .some of these women even pay FOR YOUR TRIP !!! Given that you are an ATTRACTIVE, CHARMING guy with a long palm tree.

google is your friend. Alos, local marinas. There's a few hundreds of them out there. Phone around, have your wife talk to them. Barter for prices. We got a 9 day high sea fishing trip for 9 persons, around the Similan islands, for only 5500 US $. Burned 1600 litres of Diesel on that trip. Call me a CO2 footprint killer.

he went to the kanman, who himself is suspected of surpressing evidence ?

How long until he will fall from a balcony, drown in unsafe waters, or is killed in a motorcycle accident ?

Why the press reveals his real name, doesn't get me. He is accusing the police of comitting a very heavy crime . . hope he has protection.

Me think the couple got murdered by a local who was at the bar, approached the girl and got rejected, then additionally confronted by her buddy partner. A typical case of Face Loss gone the killer road.

Matter of fact, If go out in the evening carrying the room key on me, I would never carry any identification on me that will reveal my resort/room/hotel. Simply because if I get mugged, it would add insult to injury - the mugger not only steals my wallet but also can break into my room and take away everything else. Why would I want to maximise the risks ?

Is it so difficult to outline the negative towards the positive aspects of an Identification Wristband ? If only Mister Tourism Minister had encountered some brainstorming with a few people on this topic, would have soon realized how far flung his idea is. "Ok, here's your wristband, welcome in Thailand, you are safe, and when you get murdered, it helps identifying you quickly. Thank you for coming !"

Don't buy electric shavers in Thailand. In the malls, even if it says WAHL or PHILLIPS on the box, it is mostly just a cheap copy sold at prices one pays for the originals. Buy at home in the UK, Europe or the USA in brand stores. make sure you buy the original quality. I have a WAHL and a Braun Shaver in Thailand for 9 years, and they work well ! Keep 'em blades and moving parts oiled !

With online shops like Lazada , AliBaba or pantip, one still has to experience the quality of the stuff they deal. I am not fully convinced yet. And anyone who buys on Ebay I would openly blame for being stupid, lucky only to ever receive the original quality.

The story reveals, that in order to conduct such research, the Ebola Virus has already been imported to Thailand. That alone gives me goosebumps. I am aware that the level of medical research in Thailand is very high, if not already on par with western standard research, but I would touch any results with a silky glove until fully proven.

i can only guess that some laboratory glass vials got infested with pla ra, this killing all Ebola viruses contained inside the sample. If this will be a breakthrough, time will tell.

you could have bought it in the USA for 2.50 dollars, made to the specs. Why americans always buy electric stuff on holidays worldwide, not considering their RARE 110 Volts home systems, is out of my understanding. Only in the South Americas they can find appliances similar to those at home. Everywhere else it is 220/240 volts. Reading helps

Who are you ? Go to bed early ( in our village, it is shutters down at 8 pm !) and raise with the chickens ! Just adjust your life, get up early, let them walk their dogs and let them bark. Go adept a "southern" style, have a "Siesta" after noontime, go asleep with a finger up your nose, to make good for the hours you think you lost in being not allowed to sleep late in the mornings. Stop wailing and get adjusted. And keep in mind, in Thailand you are nowhere safe from early bonkers. They will be everywhere your next move might take you.

where does it say 500.000?

as i have always known and it show on the website as well it is 2.000.000 baht

"It is legit. It will cost you 500k baht for the the 5 year plan."

That's where it says 500,000..

500k is short for 500,000

i dont see 500k anywhere on the official website http://www.thailandelite.com/index.php

it show 2 million baht

It's 2 Million THB PLUS VAT for a 20 year membership. Plus you will have to pay an extra 20,000 THB plus VAT annual fee.

The 500,000 THB plus VAT is the fee for 5 years membership. There is NO annual extra fee.

armed with a calculator, the 5 year option is clearly the cheapest. And if you die before 20 years have passed, the investment is lost. I would always prefer the 5 years option towards the 20 year's one.

Reading helps.

you are beating a dead horse. sorry i am too lazy to dig up the matching .gif

makes me try to picture how the thief fumbles with his phone, still posting some facebook messages while opening the car, then puts his phone down in the back seat in order to fill his pockets with stuff from the glove box etc. . . . . and then forgets the phone !

He is now among the TOP 5 on my list for the Darwin Award 2014 , along with the two lads who needed too much time discovering their prey weren't 'real' ladies, followed by the russian big bike crasher who missed the right curve in the overpass of the Sukhumvit leading to the motorway 7 in North Pattaya, making him a honourable and only one still alive (!!!) member of the "Pattaya Flying Club"

or was that last year?

keep the stories coming, folks. Make our day !

Thai border security stepped up checks on merchandises from Cambodia to sell at Talad Rong Kluea market after they seized huge volume of counterfeit brand-name merchandises hidden among cargoes the Cambodian traders declared as second hand clothes on Thursday.

Is this 'brand name' counterfeit merchandise ending up in Thai retail outlets or are the Khmers merely peddling the stuff at Rong Kluea market?

Since Cambodia has a relatively small population by comparison with Thailand, where does all this "used' clothing originate? The Sally Ann, NYC?

if you have never been there ( the Rongkluea Market) I don't blame you for not knowing. It's a very very weird universe on it's own.

All or MOST of these second hand clothes, shoes, socks, tees and Army&Hunter garments are FROM THE U.S.A.

After, inside the U.S.A., all sizes XXL to XXXXL have been sorted out (these sizes go to Africa, as the population there is taller), the rest gets shipped to 3rd world country shores, preferably Cambodia. There literally must be HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of PIECES of clothes leaving US shores EVERY MONTH, with destination Asia....

This is partially true, though if you're American I guess it's nice to talk up your own country. I'm inclined to believe (with the range of brands) that it comes from all over the world. Also these generally aren't copied. 90%, when I use to go there 6 years ago, was genuine factory seconds or or secondhand.

Anyone can tell with half a brain that these are donated goods (Sorry if you were there & didn't work it out in the first 5 min, extremely sorry if you didn't work it out at all). Just yet another corrupt system in place that's openly robbing those that are in need.

Yes, you are right, I forgot to mention the donations are from all 1 st world countries, not only from the U.S.A. And when it says "Levis" on a jeans from Rongkluea, it is most surely a 1 st world original brand Levis

Anybody that knows anything about the counterfeit business will tell you that Rong Kluea Market is the place to go for the cheapest prices!

I know guys that go there for Football Shirts to sell in the UK.

The cheapest must be the source surely??

at the Rongkluea Market, there are no newly manufactured items. Only second hand clothes. so if you are looking for counterfeit UK football club's t-shirts, Bangkoks malls are the better option. Also in Bangkok, the dealers ( in the Indian quarter) take on orders for making "cheapest" Fottball shirts.

your source of information can surely keep his sources hidden . . . . .

You are all wrong,

I've only been here 5 minutes and even I know it's the mans wedding vow.

Traditional Thai wedding

Man swears to take care of woman.

Woman promises to serve man.

They are looking for a husband, sadly foreigner doesn't understand their bad translation.

Exactly, and that's why they say " I want you take care me" . . as they need your confirmation for your commitment to a future - hopefully everlasting - partnership. Pretty much the norm in a country that lacks of a social welfare network for their working class

. . . and it does not automatically mean that you are expected to support the whole family. Taking care of business and supporting her, includes she will accept that you are the Boss from now on . . . Just make sure face loss is never involved.

If you go up the back lanes at Rong Kluea market you will see hundreds of bails of clothing in storage or being broken down to have the clothes washed and ironed. The wife enquired about the cost of a bail and was told it was 10000 baht (2012). When asked what the make up of the contents of a bail would be the guy had no idea....or just wasn't saying.

The stuff is all donated to charity and is ex U.S.A.

Why would they send XXXXXL size clothes to Cambodia?

Look up my post and read again. There are no XXL and larger clothes to be found on the Rongkluea Market. They most probably gotten sorted out in the U.S.A. already and get sent to Nigeria/Ivory Coast/Liberia. People there are much taller . . . . XXL and up !!

Oooops, somebody already explained this toJeremy . .sorry for my double post

Thai border security stepped up checks on merchandises from Cambodia to sell at Talad Rong Kluea market after they seized huge volume of counterfeit brand-name merchandises hidden among cargoes the Cambodian traders declared as second hand clothes on Thursday.

Is this 'brand name' counterfeit merchandise ending up in Thai retail outlets or are the Khmers merely peddling the stuff at Rong Kluea market?

Since Cambodia has a relatively small population by comparison with Thailand, where does all this "used' clothing originate? The Sally Ann, NYC?

if you have never been there ( the Rongkluea Market) I don't blame you for not knowing. It's a very very weird universe on it's own.

All or MOST of these second hand clothes, shoes, socks, tees and Army&Hunter garments are FROM THE U.S.A.

After, inside the U.S.A., all sizes XXL to XXXXL have been sorted out (these sizes go to Africa, as the population there is taller), the rest gets shipped to 3rd world country shores, preferably Cambodia. There literally must be HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of PIECES of clothes leaving US shores EVERY MONTH, with destination Asia.

These clothes have been donated to charities inside the U.S. and then been handed along. The U.S.A. ship them to Cambodia all free for the Cambodian people. But the clothes never reach the people they are intended for.

Once in Cambodia, the "ruling few" SELL the donated for free clothes to middle men, the millions of clothes get sold by the weight , maybe even by "sea container" !!

When the clothes have finally reached the Thai second hand Rongkluea market, they have already passed through the hands of a few more "midlemen". So you can imagine the donated clothes now cost the poor people they were donated for, quite a bit of $$donkeydough$$. For example, a 2nd hand Levis sells for 20-40 THB, depending how many you buy. You can buy them by the tens or hundreds or thousands. All your needs can be handled, no problem.

Maybe in the place you live in Thailand, you may have noticed most clothes stalls on "night markets" sell 2nd hand gear. These people either buy, again, from middle men, who have bought from Rongkluea. Actually MOST 2nd hand clothes that are traded on inside Thailand have passed this market, only excluding those that families hand on as second hand after buying them new at Tesco's and BigC's.

The Rongklua Market ist a MUST HAVE SEEN destination for anyone who is interested in Asian culture and trade. It's probably one of the world's largest second hand clothes market. You need days to have seen it all.

Even as a Farang, one can buy some VERY RARE pieces ( if you discover them!!) , some stall owners there are willing to sell you one piece out of the thousands they stock, if you wish so. But don't expect a wholesale price, as they are used to trade in hundreds.

Maybe if you have ever watched traffic anywhere in Thailand, you will discover many young thai guys riding motosais who are wearing a black t-shirt, and on it's back it says "BARNETT's Clutches" and the Harley Eagle, I assume Barnett T-shirt owners must be America's largest donator group of 'em all . . . . as this Tee is a common view on Thai roads.

I hope you re happy now I got that explained a tad and bring you enlightment.

I am posting this on Disinfo.com in the morning. This is priceless!

would you please outline, which part of my story you think is wrong? Also the same poster who says that 90% of the goods on this market are NEW . . how ridiculous this is . . . . . . . . he's probably NEVER been there

I'm also appalled that the words good, food and 7/11 appeared in the same sentence. The only thing I buy there is beer and milk.

that word combination ought to be outlawed . . . . . however, beer also doesn't mix overly well with milk

Just what kind of gourmets are populating ThaiVisa country ???

Siam Big Bike in Bangkok has released sales of the new Yamaha SR 400 . . I am not sure about the price, one has to call and ask.

http://www.siambigbike.com/Bigbike_PopUpProduct.asp?idForm1=A57-1039&idForm2=1