awd

Many of the supplements mentioned in this thread are indeed effective. However, their effectiveness will be far greater if taken at the same time every day, preferably right after the serenity prayer is said at the start of your daily AA meeting.

At least we are free to criticize Thaksin on TV, as we were when he was PM, before the military junta trashed the People's Constitution and installed the government. The scary thing is the incredible intimidation and censorship used by the Anti-Thaksin forces and the way they self-perpetuate.

Foreigners seem unjustly obsessed with this childbirth question. I just let my wife decide and helped in any way I could to support her decision. Once a baby is out it's out! Nothing more to say...

what is 'double pricing'?

Here is a easy example if you are really so naive about this matter-

GOLF PRICING

Green fee Frang 2500 baht

Thai fee 600 baht

same course, same same same except dual pricing, now you are a more knowledgeable person

I would doubt that there are any farang prices for golfing in Thailand. Please post them. I'm sure the price is for foreigners or non-Thais; thus they would charge caucasians with Thai citizenship and caucasian resident club members the lower price.

Why not?

It does seem like Abhisit takes more photo ops that an up and coming transvestite hawking a new perfume. I'm not sure it's a shame that we aren't assaulted with even more tacky photo sessions; it's really a shame he can't do anything to get the government going in the direction it was going before the military junta started calling the shots. That said, no one else handpicked by the Gens. would be any different. It is good to see him amidst his true constituency where he is very popular. If the next election were monitored by the PAD and only the first 5 floors of the Siam Paragon were allowed to vote, I'm sure Abhisit would do very well.

Hawaiian airlines. Cheaper for locals.

I always show my CA driver's license in CA for a better rate.

Eurail passes are different for for Europeans and foreigners.

Hey, I agree with you. I am for a one world government where we are all paid the same salaries and there are no rich or poor. But that utopia has not arrived. Until then, why don't you start an NGO to help poor foreigners with the entrance fees to visit the National Parks in Thailand and the Siam Aquarium with their bargirls and their upcountry families.

Double pricing is never based on race in Thailand. It is based on nationality always and usually on your length of time in Thailand, your documentation (driver's license etc.) and most importantly, as with anywhere in the world, your humility. My caucasian friends who have Thai citizenship never are asked to pay the foreigner price, I am rarely asked when I speak Thai humbly and show my drivers license. My Thai friends in California pay about 4 times the price I pay to attend university there. But, like here in Thailand, it is based on residency, not on race.

This may be true, but do your Thai friends in California pay more than Californians or US citizens visiting from other parts of the country for the following: food in restaurants, clothing, knick knacks, souvenirs, rent, utilities, public transportation, private transportation, condominiums, etc. etc. etc.?

Well, of course, they do. Many restaurants in the US give discounts to local residents, and public transportation is generally cheaper for local tax payers as well. Residents often get discounts on airfare that are not available to tourists, etc. etc. etc. It is the way of the world.

Double pricing is never based on race in Thailand. It is based on nationality always and usually on your length of time in Thailand, your documentation (driver's license etc.) and most importantly, as with anywhere in the world, your humility. My caucasian friends who have Thai citizenship never are asked to pay the foreigner price, I am rarely asked when I speak Thai humbly and show my drivers license. My Thai friends in California pay about 4 times the price I pay to attend university there. But, like here in Thailand, it is based on residency, not on race.

It does seem to be a racist policy to pay the local Thai workers far less than the Australian workers who design and manage the facility. When will the Thais be compensated fairly? A disgrace...

The Aussies who run the place have to use a higher % of their brains to run the place... at the same time Aussie or other foreign tourists typically take up more space (air, etc.) and are charged more.

How true! I've always felt that price by kilo would be more equitable for all!

A National Park is owned by the Thai people. I know if I was a shareholder in a tourist attraction I would expect a discounted entry fee.

Fair enough....but what about private enterprises like Siam Aquarium where it is a blatant rasict based duel pricing?

What really pisses me off is the way they try to hide it by displaying the local price in Thai script.

I am another who will not visit these places.

It does seem to be a racist policy to pay the local Thai workers far less than the Australian workers who design and manage the facility. When will the Thais be compensated fairly? A disgrace...

I've heard that playing Cheap Trick albums from the 1980's at ear-piercing volume for three days will rid the pests. Good Luck!

The simple fact is that most of us send our children to schools where Thais are paid about a third or less what Caucasian teachers are paid. Filipinos are paid somewhere in the middle.

Same with flight instruction. Pay a Thai 500 baht an hour, but a Caucasian will be a lot more.

It really is hypocritical for Caucasians to be moaning about race-based financial positions when they benefit the most.

I always thought they were limestone karsts, but who knows?

One of the reasons most of us enjoy living here in Thailand is the dual pricing system which is quite simply that prices here are generally less than back home. If you are finding that you are not finding it cheaper to live here in Thailand then by all means feel free to return home. Otherwise, enjoy this beautiful land; it really is quite nice here...

Jeez it took almost 12 hours to get the "if you don't like it go home" guard to arrive.Thought they were too busy enjoying dual pricing.

Buddha, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change

The courage to change the things I can

And the wisdom to know the difference!

One of the reasons most of us enjoy living here in Thailand is the dual pricing system which is quite simply that prices here are generally less than back home. If you are finding that you are not finding it cheaper to live here in Thailand then by all means feel free to return home. Otherwise, enjoy this beautiful land; it really is quite nice here...

Personally, I never look at my member without my reading glasses on. Try it, it works...

Same thing happened a few weeks ago to my Thai wife at LAX. The airline didn't hand in her departure card so she never left according to the computer. The agent was nice enough and gave us a printed form to hand out and told us to mail it in or else! Welcome to America; it really is a savage country in so many way, we were so happy to get back to Suwannaphumi.

Sorry about the mistake in the titel *expansion*

Is Chumphon a city in expansion? I ask because I have my eye on some business but I need to know more about possible tourism increase in the next 2 years. I hear they are building an airport?

There is already an airport in Chumphon; it's actually in Pathiu about 30 km north that serves the city. Chumphon is well poised for a massive expansion if people stop investing in gold and instead dive into the coconut futures market; otherwise I think it's less than expanding. The steel mills in Bang Saphan will probably not expand and probably no power plants coming.

The Nation truly is the FOX News of Thailand! Entertaining to see their spin on everything.

One point to note is that many of the posts very accurately describe the Thaksin years.

And another point to note is that none of Thaksin's supporters on this forum even bother trying to defend him these days. Lost cause it would seem. Their efforts now concentrate on those who toppled him. Says a lot.

I think you missed my point which was that the very fact that criticism of Thaksin is so freely available and one risks nothing in offering it and that criticism of Thaksin's enemies is not tolerated gives strength to Thaksin in the long run. It has allowed people to do this anti-Thaksin dance for years now without addressing the core issue.

The Irish in America used to face much persecution. Times change. Now that the US has elected a man of Irish decent as President, the Irish-Americans can hold their heads high!

In the English language blogosphere on Thai politcs, there seems to be a general opinion, that posters to Thai Visa, are innocent lightweights. I'm sure that might be true of some, but several contributors to this topic are talking about things that most of these apparently "knowledgable" sites, hardly mention or comment on - certainly not in such a forthright manner, about the lies and hypocracies of the TRT/Thaksin years.

But, given the slightest opportunity, they will be like rabid dogs, tearing at those, who they see, as the "elite" and "usurpers of one man's idea of democracy"

It is a pity, that (what seems to be) informed opinion being given air on this topic, will almost certainly be ignored by these "intellectual boosters" on sites such as ....well anyone who follows Thai politics will have a fair idea of who I mean.

Please keep at it.

Thanks

One point to note is that many of the posts very accurately describe the Thaksin years. They are perfectly free to write and discuss Thaksin. Anyone who connects the dots, names names, or gives strong hints at who was behind the coup, who set up the present govt, etc. will end up quite quickly in jail or otherwise silenced. Keep up the criticism of Thaksin, fair enough. But realize that much of his support comes from those that realize that they will never have the right to discuss the truth of Thai politics without going into exile.

I am planning to drive my wife's car down to Malaysia for a couple weeks. Does anyone have a resource showing what papers and insurance I need to cross the border and drive in Malaysia?

Just a bump. No one with info?

Abhisit has done all he can do. He must continue to support the military financially and be their political mouthpiece lest Thaksin resume power. His real talent is in delaying an election as long as possible. Rangoon must be watching and learning.