tharae

Without thinking twice, I would say Margaret Thatcher.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher

Sorry, she's dead, but still she is the greatest for me.

I agree on Maggie 100%. But one of the real greatest was Winston Churchill without him I really think the Germans would have got us.

Err, no. Without the US army Corps the Germans would have "got you". In case you hadn't noticed you have been paying for it ever since. That's (one ) of the reasons why the UK is a basket case today.

More authentic is not better , maybe they should copy the USA style .

Indeed. Just like McDonalds hamburgers, KFC fried chicken, Pizza Hut pizza and Starbucks coffee. Soooooo good.

I can never get Chinese food that tastes like Chinese American Restaurants from the states . It doesn't even come close . Why ?

You wont find Chinese food that tastes the same as Chinese American Restaurants anywhere but in the US. Elsewhere it is likely to more authentic.

Not true. A Chinese-American restaurant called Fortune Cookie opened a few months ago.

https://www.facebook.com/fortunecookieresto

Good food and they deliver through ChefsXP.

Excellent. Bland, dumbed down Chinese-American food in Thailand catering especially for the "acquired" American taste. Must give it a try sometime when I'm tired of authentic Chinese food.

I can never get Chinese food that tastes like Chinese American Restaurants from the states . It doesn't even come close . Why ?

You wont find Chinese food that tastes the same as Chinese American Restaurants anywhere but in the US. Elsewhere it is likely to more authentic.

Well we've had the Pride game between the Swans and Fremantle. Is the pincher "coming out" now?

http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/ryan-crowley-fighting-off-field-issues-ahead-of-fremantle-dockers-season/story-fniv64vs-1227261125256

Please help me understand who the gentleman is in the foreground.

He seems large, white and not Thai.

Are there Farang police here in Thailand??? and if so, do we grasp that this person is both judge and jury for the Thais, since language is a hurdle here, and the Thai would rely heavily on his interpretations and judgment. And please do not tell me that those Thai police speak English. Yes, to a small degree, but to truly understanding Australian English ??... no way. I am American and can not understand what folks from Oz are talking about half the time ! 555 !

In other words, who is this guy? Is he an official, or friend of the man charged?

The rest of us can't understand Americans.. But that is because they do not use the English language. They have managed to bastardise it into Amlish. And along the way changed nouns into verbs. Will you be Christmasing this year? Seriously. 55555

I second the OP. Does anyone know where one can purchase a Seersucker suit in Bangkok?

I understand there is a gay tailor shop in Soi 11

Several years ago, Great Britain funded a study to determine why the head on a mans’ penis is larger than the shaft. The study took two years and cost over $1.2 million. The study concluded that the reason the head of a man’s penis is larger than the shaft was to provide the man with more pleasure during sex.

After the results were published, France decided to conduct their own study on the same subject. They were convinced that the results of the British study was incorrect. After three years of research at a cost of in excess of $2 million, the French researchers concluded that the head of a man’s penis is larger than the shaft to provide the woman with more pleasure during sex.

When the results of the French study were released, Australia decided to conduct their own study. The Aussies didnt really trust British or French studies. So, after nearly three hours of intensive research and a cost of right around $75.00 ( 3 cases of beer), the Aussie study was complete. They concluded that the reason the head on a man’s penis is larger than the shaft is to prevent your hand from flying off and hitting you in the forehead

Great Britain followed up the earlier survey with a study involving volunteers from the homosexual and bi-sexual community.

Since GB is broke, the study was funded by the UN. The study was inconclusive as there was no agreement on the orifice to be used for the study.

The study group was fully subscribed with 65% of all males in GB volunteering.

Not only do you have to be resident in Australia when you apply for the pension, you have to have lived there Full Time for the two years previous to applying. So the only way you will qualify and be able to get the pension paid whilst living in Thailand is to go back and live there for two years first. You will get the pension paid to you during that two years, but leave the country before the two years is up and Centrelink will stop the pension immediately.

Pretty sure you don't have to live in Oz for two years before applying, provided you meet the other work and/or residency requirements. Just have to lodge when you are in Australia. I understand that you will though have to have stay in Australia for two years before returning to Thailand to qualify for mobility - not even a short holiday, otherwise the clock resets.

Check the Human Services website.

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/age-pension

I thought that's what I said. The two years prior to applying only concerns the mobility, which is what the OP was interested in. I already stated that the pension would be paid during that two years in Australia to qualify for mobility. I think they have also increased the length of your working life in Australia to 35 years to be eligible for a pension.

It can get confusing - you said "you have to have lived there Full Time for the two years previous to applying"

Re Working Life In Australia to 35 years - yes that is my understanding too. Hence my comment to the OP re qualification of work requirements. If the OP has been out of OZ for 11 years and, say left at age 53, and started work after leaving Uni at 20 it could be a problem. Again, need to check the Website.

My go to wine is the mt pleasant Philip Shiraz from villa. Think it's 850bt. Decent.

OB

Unfortunately you're still paying $34AUD for what is a $14AUD bottle of wine in Oz.

Not only do you have to be resident in Australia when you apply for the pension, you have to have lived there Full Time for the two years previous to applying. So the only way you will qualify and be able to get the pension paid whilst living in Thailand is to go back and live there for two years first. You will get the pension paid to you during that two years, but leave the country before the two years is up and Centrelink will stop the pension immediately.

Pretty sure you don't have to live in Oz for two years before applying, provided you meet the other work and/or residency requirements. Just have to lodge when you are in Australia. I understand that you will though have to have stay in Australia for two years before returning to Thailand to qualify for mobility - not even a short holiday, otherwise the clock resets.

Check the Human Services website.

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/age-pension

Another bloody "theme" game

The next one will be "land rights for gay whales."

Dockers, Swans to host NAB Challenge pride match

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-03-05/afl-announces-pride-match

Well the AwFL has got it right for once. They have certainly chosen the most appropriate clubs.

There is no such thing as a good wine being grown/made in a tropical location. It can't be done.

Australia ?

You got to be joking have a look where the regions are for growing grapes and wineries you call

the Hunter Vally or swan vally or Margaret River tropic?

Fair point - it just registers in my head as a sweltering huge space of not much !

Sounds like a prejudice calibration issue. lol.

Within reason, a few gifts for the poor family back in Issan our wherever should be overlooked. Many of the Thai ladies coming back on vacation to visit the family are charitable and good on them. Now I will say on my own experience Thai customs have been the best of anywhere else that I have traveled. Anytime that I have come to Thailand have never had a bag opened and the only time that I have ever had a bag put thru x-ray was when the baggage was odd and not your normal tourist luggage, even then a couple of questions without opening the bag and a wave on. Hopefully, this is not the start of a new shake down.

We were nabbed at Swampy in late December with nine bottles of wine - for the first time, via a luggage X-Ray. We had five bottles in our luggage and another four duty free. They wanted 3 bottles from our luggage. The Mrs played the "gifts for poor Issan family" card. The guy then said OK 2,000 Baht, which I was happy to pay and get out of there. Mrs then wanted a receipt, because she knew it would go into is pocket otherwise. After some further discussion with the guy and a few other Customs Officials, her demand was met.

I don't think they ever noticed the four duty free bottles in the top tray of the luggage trolley.

Check out Alan the Builder.

I got a rough estimate from him. Quite pricy compared to the rest.

Who are the rest?

Be prepared this thread is likely to deteriate!

The grammar has already gone down hill.

Guys, tharae has appointed himself the top expert in this discussion. So if he wants to drink 30-degree red wine, let him do it. Hey it's room temperature, must be correct!

Red wines are not meant to be served at 'room temperature.' They are meant to be served at cave temperature, around 18 degrees C. Even if your house or apartment is air-conditioned, you're not likely to have the thermostat set that low.

I prefer to keep my wines in a small wine fridge set to that temperature. When not at home then a regular fridge will do, and once poured the wine will reach cave temp in a few minutes here in Thailand (come to think of it, perhaps tharae doesn't live here). I've never seen that process harm the flavour of any wine, whether a boxed wine or a 50-euro bottled burgundy.

I suppose he also lets a half-drunk bottle of wine sit there and solarise, too. Wouldn't want to try a different, better technology that prevented oxidation, would we?

Well it looks like you have displaced me as the self appointed expert. But just so we're all on the same page here. You're correct 18 degrees is a good temperature to store wine (not in the fridge as one blogger wants to do) - importantly it should be stored at a constant temperature. The higher the temperature the quicker it will age. But the temp it is stored and temp it is drunk are two different thigs. Chances are when take your wine out of your wine fridge you're drinking it at higher than 18 degrees, unless you guzzling it. But don't be alarmed, drinking it at room temperature is OK. It just depends on the room you're in.

I'll ingore you're non-adult comment regarding oxidation. You're showing your age.

Yep. 800 Baht total, that was 0 Baht for the ticket, 700 Baht Tax and 100 Baht for using a Credit Card to book, don't think there is any other way to book online.

I agree a pretty amazing offer and it's the second time we have managed it, we also went last November for same price.

You will have to pay additional at least 200 B for a 15 KG bag each way if you need that.

Or we could do what we did last year and carry 7kg each in the cabin for free.

PS - Not sure why you changed my name on the quote?

Old fella, I assume he changed your name because anyone who can get from BKK to Bali for 800 Baht is surely a guru. I'm sticking close to you now buddy. Good on ya. :-)

This is, at best, cooking wine. In OZ cask wine is called goon bags. Because only a goon would.........never mind.

I think you miss the mark on many points, and I would have to agree with the post by Wayfarer108. Firstly all of the world wine producing countries produce different levels of wine, and much of it is for every day drinking, and Australia is no exception. In fact it would be fair to say that Australia produces some of the best quality everyday drinking wines of any country in the world. Fruit driven, very accessible, soft tannins and made for drinking within a couple of years, just right for the everyday imbiber.

The "bag in the box" process was developed in Australia and has helped the consumer and wine industry tremendously, inasmuch as wine can be drawn from the bag without the remaining wine suffering from the effects of contact with oxygen, thereby making it last longer. Much of what would normally be sold in bottles, is now sold in these boxes, and they represent extremely good value for money.

As someone who has tasted some of the finest wines in the world, and dined in some of the world's best restaurants, I regularly keep a box of wine in the fridge for everyday consumption. I have not tried the De Bortoli wines but will look out for them now -- -- my current everyday drinker is the five litre cask/box of Mont Clair wine from South Africa (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz) which is excellent value at around 970 baht for 5 litres.

Austalia certainly does make some of the finest wines in world. However you won't find a quality, or even half decent red in a goon bag.

Great to hear you have found an everyday drinking that suits your palate within your budget. But I'm struggling with why you would keep a shiraz in the fridge. Suggest you try chilling a Pinot Noir or a Zinfandel.

Hmmmmm.........again many points to consider here. You will find a good everyday drinking wine in a cask/box, which basically was the gist of the first post. Please don't struggle with chilling a red wine in Thailand's climate, because that is the only way to enjoy it when it reaches its peak temperature. Red wines when drunk at high temperatures become a little volatile and spirity, and in no way reflect the true nature of the wine.

So a little chilling prior to consuming will ensure that the wine when emerging from its slightly chilled state will give up many of the aromas and multidimensional tastes when it acquires what is normally considered "room temperature". Therefore you have the benefit of tasting a wine when it reaches its "optimum temperature". After that, the hot and humid temperature in Thailand takes over and it becomes, as I said, a little volatile and spirity.

Also for the record, Shiraz (or Syrah as it is known in the older and primary wine producing countries) has many personalities, depending upon the French explanation of "terroir" or indeed the country in which it is grown. Therefore the Shiraz produced in South Africa for this particular wine is more likely from younger vines and made for everyday drinking so it does not have the "personality" of the Shiraz grown in Australia or for that matter in the Northern Rhone. So being a wine made for easy drinking and everyday consumption, it is quite normal to chill it. Indeed in France the younger and fruitier wines are very often chilled slightly before drinking to enhance the enjoyment of the wine.

Red wines from the Loire, Beaujolais, the southern Rhone and Lanquedoc/Rousillion region can benefit from slight chilling, as can the many everyday drinkers from Italy. And as I said, Thailand does not have a good climate in which to consume quality red wines, so chilling is often a necessity.

Just yesterday I tasted a 2005 Grand Vin De Bordeaux, from St Emilion which retails here for around 1500 baht (however I managed to acquire it for a lot less) so following my usual procedure I chilled it slightly before drinking and for three-quarters of the bottled it was superb, however when it reached the normal Thailand temperature it became a very average wine indeed.

Hopefully that explains a little of what is behind chilling wines in Thailand. Also hopefully it explains that Shiraz/Syrah (and any grape for that matter)can have different tastes depending upon where it is grown and how it is produced. No vintner/producer is going to spend time and money nurturing the wine in vat/barrel/tank if it is a wine that is made for everyday drinking, so those wines are produced to be drunk young and quite often slightly chilled.

living in Thailand for considerable has not dulled my understanding of how wine should be handled. Any extreme change of temperature of any wine (wine or red) is not going to ehance the end state. It is must better kept at a constant temperatuture. If you must do the unthinkable then chill the glass first.

This is, at best, cooking wine. In OZ cask wine is called goon bags. Because only a goon would.........never mind.

I think you miss the mark on many points, and I would have to agree with the post by Wayfarer108. Firstly all of the world wine producing countries produce different levels of wine, and much of it is for every day drinking, and Australia is no exception. In fact it would be fair to say that Australia produces some of the best quality everyday drinking wines of any country in the world. Fruit driven, very accessible, soft tannins and made for drinking within a couple of years, just right for the everyday imbiber.

The "bag in the box" process was developed in Australia and has helped the consumer and wine industry tremendously, inasmuch as wine can be drawn from the bag without the remaining wine suffering from the effects of contact with oxygen, thereby making it last longer. Much of what would normally be sold in bottles, is now sold in these boxes, and they represent extremely good value for money.

As someone who has tasted some of the finest wines in the world, and dined in some of the world's best restaurants, I regularly keep a box of wine in the fridge for everyday consumption. I have not tried the De Bortoli wines but will look out for them now -- -- my current everyday drinker is the five litre cask/box of Mont Clair wine from South Africa (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz) which is excellent value at around 970 baht for 5 litres.

Austalia certainly does make some of the finest wines in world. However you won't find a quality, or even half decent red in a goon bag.

Great to hear you have found an everyday drinking that suits your palate within your budget. But I'm struggling with why you would keep a shiraz in the fridge. Suggest you try chilling a Pinot Noir or a Zinfandel.

This is, at best, cooking wine. In OZ cask wine is called goon bags. Because only a goon would.........never mind.

Reconciliation in South Africa?  Nelson Mandella had nothing to do with reconciliation. He, and his political party, the ANC,  had a part to play in the ending of apartheid. Reconciliation in South Africa has been so successful that the crime rate has spiralled out of control and anglo/saxon whites are leaving in their droves. In the words of Don Henley.........kiss it goodbye.

Just another reason to stay as far away from Chonburi as possible. I swear Pattaya has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world.

Surely by comparison with some countries in the world like Honduras, South Africa, ,Rwanda, Jamaica,Colombia and some other south American countries,Thailand seems very safe. Pattaya alone would be like Bournemouth by comparison.

The US has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, higher than China. So you can include that country in the mix.

My first question after recent times was, 'Is this really an Australia or another another breed claiming to be an Aussie?'

Oh please, please.

Of course he`s an Aussie. No one in they`re right mind who is not an Aussie would ever claim to be Aussie.

Pommies do it all the time.