asdecas

I am genuinely interested.... not doing a wind up or something.

I understand the starting fare has been the same since 1992

The last hike was in 2006.

I mean BTS fare increased 5-6 times already.

You understand wrong, there was no starting fare in 1992, there were no meters fitted then.

Just about everyone of these taxis runs on LPG 10 baht per litre.

A quick look at either the drivers door or passenger door will tall you ifs its privately owned or leased.

Of course there was a flagfall in 1992, it was set at 35B in that year but there were meters installed prior to that

http://www.thaiworldview.com/travel/travel5.htm

IoW 1969, The Big Z and The Band, Richie Havens (RIP), Free, Who, Joe Cocker. The fragrant Françoise Hardy was there too, but not singing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Wight_Festival_1969

So what was your problem? For visa exempt entry flight ticket out of Thailand is required, you provided, and were allowed in.

My problem was that my passport was passed up to a senior official before I was allowed entry.

Has that ever happened to you on a visa exempt entry?

So your problem was: I did not meet the entry requirement at first glance, was asked about this and able to meet the requirements and consequently allowed entry.

The OP can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd say the problem (I'd call it just an anxiety) is that what happened to him at the border recently presages further difficulties in the future.

It seems true to say that there is a general tightening up of visa regulations enforcement. The problem for people in the same situation as the OP is that nobody can say for sure how far such tightening up will go and for how long it will last. Certainly it's part of a worldwide trend, no doubt engendered by the absurd 'War on Terror', but real nevertheless.

Why stop at just one million? Hell, if you're that much in love, go the whole hog and build a palace for your princess, invite the whole family.

In for a Penny, in for a Pound I say, and the devil take the hindmost.

It's a school; not an adoption agency. Michael Jackson "loved kids," too. I've seen a guy with a 125,000 USD legal bill. He was known as "the human jungle gym," because he used to let students climb on him. You can care about the students and teach them a lot, without trying to be their Mexican grandmother.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/local/fairfax-teacher-sean-lanigan-still-suffering-from-false-molestation-allegations/2011/03/04/AFVwhh3G_story.html

Rather harsh, but an element of truth nonetheless.

When I first started teaching a long, long time ago, during indoctrination we were told/reminded that most of the students (somewhat older than in the first grade) did not need another friend, they needed someone who provided order, routine and helped them develop work habits that would enable them to benefit from the time they spent in school ... along with the knowledge that you were paid to help them gain while in your charge.

... they also need protection and safety.

To the extent that you are responsible for them during the school day, yes. But unless they come from exceptional circumstances, they are protected and kept safe by their families and you need to recognize that your role in their lives has definite limits. If any child appears to need additional protection, you should seek the assistance of someone qualified to deal with child welfare and be careful about interfering in things you may not fully understand.

I'm with Suradit on this; while teaching in modern times is a greater challenge than ever, it can still be done with empathy, patience and understanding. But getting all squishy about it is exceeding your remit in my opinion, and could lead to unforeseen consequences.

The link you provided says the price is, as you thought, 799/month, reduced from 2547 'normal price'. For that you get 108 True Vision channels plus 3 HD channels (whatever they turn out to be). On the Internet side, you get up to 30Mb speed, but the starred note says that speed is only for cable Internet, and 'True H' 48Gb maximum (the starred note says 'details according to conditions' (of contract, presumably).

So if you want cable and all the channels and you think 48Gb data is sufficient per month, this is a good deal. I'd advise finding out what additional data will cost if you exceed the cap, and going through the contract carefully with someone who understands both Thai and Internet before signing up.

Thanks for the reply.

The impression I got was the 48Gb limit applied to the mobile broadband part of the package, but perhaps it's an all together limit. This could be a problem, back home I was averaging about 120gb a month.

Be interested to know if anyone knows how long this price is reduced from the normal price for.

Cheers

See my original post, I've amended it

Ahh, great. Thanks a lot.

I'd be pretty hard pressed to hit 48GB of mobile data a month. My average is about 2 or 3 usually so that's not a problem.

I guess it now comes down to how long the price is reduced for and whether I can get it in my condo.

Will try contacting true and see where I get.

Thanks for the help.

No word on the link as to whether it's a limited offer or not, but with competition and Internet prices coming down worldwide, I'd expect it to continue. Best check directly at the True shop though.

The link you provided says the price is, as you thought, 799/month, reduced from 2547 'normal price'. For that you get 108 True Vision channels plus 3 HD channels (whatever they turn out to be). On the Internet side, you get up to 30Mb speed, but the starred note says that speed is only for cable Internet, and 'True H' 48Gb maximum (the starred note says 'details according to conditions' (of contract, presumably).

So if you want cable and all the channels and you think 48Gb data is sufficient per month, this is a good deal. I'd advise finding out what additional data will cost if you exceed the cap, and going through the contract carefully with someone who understands both Thai and Internet before signing up.

Thanks for the reply.

The impression I got was the 48Gb limit applied to the mobile broadband part of the package, but perhaps it's an all together limit. This could be a problem, back home I was averaging about 120gb a month.

Be interested to know if anyone knows how long this price is reduced from the normal price for.

Cheers

See my original post, I've amended it.

They do also say that they will provide and install cable free up to 70m, provide a router (not given free though). There's a load of other stuff too, which is why, as I said, I'd go through the contract details carefully.

The link you provided says the price is, as you thought, 799/month, reduced from 2547 'normal price'. For that you get 108 True Vision channels plus 3 HD channels (whatever they turn out to be). On the Internet side, you get up to 30Mb speed, but the starred note says that speed is only for cable Internet. You seem to get unlimited 'True Online' Internet, 30Mb/3Mb download/upload, and 'True H' 48Gb maximum data plan for mobile (the starred note says 'details according to conditions' (of contract, presumably).

So if your apartment has cable and you want all those channels and you think 48Gb data for mobile is sufficient per month, this is a good deal. I'd advise finding out what additional data will cost if you exceed the cap, and going through the contract carefully with someone who understands both Thai and Internet before signing up.

Shame on you for your idle bar lizard guessing games; the man is apparently Syrian so you could as well speculate that his wife and children were killed there, and that he fled that appalling conflict.

You have no idea, and neither do I.

I have hives. Where can I find free bees?

I'd advise not getting too clever with the personal pronouns too. As a poster above says, if the context is clear then you can drop the ผม or any other form altogether. Avoid using more involved pronouns (such as พี่, น้อง, กู etc) to refer to oneself; it is a study in itself and depends upon a very good understanding of one's social position in relation to the listener. Using one's own name in the third person to refer to oneself can also sound rather strange to Thai ears, especially in men.

I agree that กำลังเรียนอยู่ is clear and sufficient.

Why does she want to be called Ken?

Too funny.

What are they going to do? Clothespin playing cards against the spokes like a kids bicycle ;-)

The most aggressive model will have authentic audio recordings of "Grunt" Klutzwitz, of the Hell's Angels, Altamont Chapter, warning other road users to "get the <deleted> outta mah way", at 120 decibels.

Middle range models will have recordings commensurate with more modest pricing.

Somtamnication post # 2.

And create a one stop service for customers to complain to!

All that would do is just increase the mass of bodies spilling onto the highway ( as queue forming is indeed an unknown art to Thai's ) thus impeding the progress of said vans .

However the Guinness Book of records would probably have Thailand as the holder of the longest Conga queue ever .

As seems to be the correct use of the apostrophe to some posters.

I sure do like Thailand under military rule.

The days of endemic corruption that flourished under democratic leadership has been terrible for Thailand and the wholesale deforestation for profit adversely effects all Thai.

Way to go Army!

You could start to open your eyes by researching the history of the logging out of Thailand's hardwood forests in the past seventy years. That's an hors d'oeuvre. The main course might be the question of which body, having denuded Thailand, facilitated the military regimes in Burma in the sale, in defiance of international sanctions, of their forests and gems during the same period.

Nok comes before Moo but after Daeng.

As a follow up to my earlier post, here are a few links (in Thai) that might lead you somewhere useful. Assuming you do not read Thai, you can get a (poor) automatic translation using a Chrome browser, or if your wife is Thai, she can read them to you:

https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=%E0%B8%9A%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%88&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=Qk6aU6HLEeaK8QeStoC4BA

http://www.maneeyaseniorhome.com/

http://www.eldercarethailand.com/

You've probably tried this already, but googling "alzheimer's care in thailand" will bring up several leads for you to follow.

Good luck to you and your family, Nick.

I get by on just under 10k a month, rent for 1 year pre-paid (3200pm equiv), wife's shoe business covers utilities + wiffi (1,700), petrol and any titbits for friends & family. 10k car loan comes back on line in Sept after using up the tax refund.

10000 baht a month?

Even assuming you don't have kids and you are happy to go native you must have a very understanding wife!

I don't know why people invariably question the amount that others state they can live comfortably on; because this person feels that to live happily they need X amount has absolutely no bearing on others' ability to feel they are living like kings on a quarter of that sum. And what does an understanding wife have to do with it, for God's sake? A wife could well be the prime mover in such a lifestyle - such women do exist, even in Thailand and even in the cities, contrary to the image of Thai womanhood entrenched among certain elements on ThaiVisa

38K Bath per month may be possible now if you are extremely careful, not a lot of room for leisure already.

But I wouldn't advise you to take the risk considering exchange rate fluctuations, rising prices of everything in Thailand, possible health issues, changing visa regulations, etc.

Personally, I wouldn't attempt it,...unless I was fluent in Thai, and had at least a few connections, such as a Thai that held you in great esteem. In Chiang Mai, 38k baht is about the average monthly income for Thai folk (like a taxi driver), who live like Thai's, and are part of extended families. For a farang (a term that merely means Westerner), it is not so easy get Thai prices on goods and services unless you are seen as an integrated resident,...which includes dressing like a Thai, and having a fundamental understanding of their Buddhist culture. Chiang Rai or Nong Khai would likely be easier, price wise,...but from Bangkok and south,...you'd best have 60k baht+ per month for a no-frills, austere retirement.

From what I've noticed....foreigners who respect the Thai culture, ie., refrain from wearing beach clothes unless they're at the beach,...have a lower cost of living than farang pushing their cultures onto the Thai.

This is wildly inaccurate. 38k is at least three times what the typical working class guy makes a month, even in Bangkok, and 60k a month is great for a comfortable life, even in Bangkok, even for a Westerner. You've got a problem with mathematics or with reality, one or the other.

You are absolutely correct, no way do taxi drivers (the example stated) make 38k Baht average per month. And I seldom exceed 40-45k per month, living comfortably. However, factually inaccurate though the first part is, it is always true to say that one man's meat is another man's poison, and that while one person can live happily on 10k, another struggles on six times that.