Forethat

is that right , at 11pm. what the hell kind of surgery do you have at 11 pm at night ? sounds fishy to me.

It is very common for surgical procedures to take place outside normal "office hours". It is considered normal practice all over the world. There are several reasons, including surgeons and anaesthesiologists working in another clinic or hospital during the day. This is a common reason a procedure is scheduled late at night.

I hope that explains it.

They do this because staff may have already done a full day's work in a hospital, and need to make extra money by "moonlighting

"

- there are seldom checks to find if these staff are over worked or over-tired and incapable of working 100%.

Obviously I can't comment on why an individual chooses to work extra (if that is the case). There are research available on this topic, none of them conclude an increased complication rate related to surgeon fatigue and other logistical factors that may be suspected to play an adverse role. Have yet to see a paper on this topic targeting Thai clinics.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21825947

The best way to deal with this is to allow authorities to manage the investigation and refrain from speculations.

is that right , at 11pm. what the hell kind of surgery do you have at 11 pm at night ? sounds fishy to me.

It is very common for surgical procedures to take place outside normal "office hours". It is considered normal practice all over the world. There are several reasons, including surgeons and anaesthesiologists working in another clinic or hospital during the day. This is a common reason a procedure is scheduled late at night.

I hope that explains it.

For those of you who still consider a forward facing car seat - check out this video.

There is a great site available as well.

http://www.rearfacing.co.uk/

When in Rome.

Just back from TESCO ... MissFarmGirl and the two 7 months old in the back seat ... no-one wearing a seat-belt let alone harnessed into a proper Baby seat^*

I'll get called a bad Father for allowing this ... but it is what it is.

BTW ... I ride in the back of the truck with the other relatives when it's not raining.

^* will be different in the West ... the Law requires it there.

I am very very surprised to read your above comment. You come across as a responsible guy on this forum who is very proud of his children and doesnt let a chance go by to show it on here.

When in Rome......i read it as who wears the trousers in the relationship.

I sincerely ask you, regarding this topic, to act in Rome with your Aussie mindset even if it causes frictions. Your children are precious.

Good for being honest though.

There was a time not that long ago when baby seats weren't used in the west. How on earth did civilization survive???

Actually, on a personal level, we didn't, although civilisation survived. A report presented at the Ircobi conference last year shows that fatal accidents involving children has been reduced by 83% since we began using child car seats. The report investigated accidents between 1956-2011.

I drive an M5 F10 with run flats. I was not aware that RFTs was noisier. I have not experienced any of what is described above. I will keep an ear open...

Children in this family travelled rear facing in the back seat until 4 years old (in the region of 18kg). Our BMW comes with the ability to disable the passenger airbag, but we have never travelled with a child in the front seat if another option was available. I also have an Italian 2-seater sports car that doesn't have the ability to disable the passenger airbag; a child must therefore travel in a forward facing seat. For this reason, I only allowed that when the body weight was +20kg.

We used Britax. The only issue with a rear facing child seat in the back is leg space when the child grows. The seat is secured with the seat belt and anchored to the front seat mount points . The safety aspects outweighs the comfort, and none of out children ever complained.

And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, the Americans dressed in something that grandma knitted for Christmas. Horrible. This years American clothing is the worst I've seen for a long time.

I'd be embarrassed.

can someone tell me, for the love of god, why were the European team wearing St Andrews cross Blue and White tops in the afternoon ?

i know the event is being played at Gleneagles in Scotland, but this is a European team and can you imagine the outcry especially from the Celtic nations, if say the event was being played at the Belfry England and everyone had to wear Red and White St Georges cross tops for example.

I really liked the suits worn during the opening ceremony. The weatherproofs (the white blue and yellow) looks like something from a marina, and the blue tops with the St.Andrews cross was up there amongst the ugliest Ryder Cup outfits ever. The cross? Utter lack of class. Ridiculous.

Good thing the Americans proved beyond doubt that they are the true masters of coming up with tasteless Ryder Cup outfits; the marine blue top with the huge blue Ryder Cup trophy is already a classic. Are you kidding me?

KD, is actually one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet.

KD is a TOP GUY. Excellent sense of humour as well.

I second this. Top man.

bowerboy, I can understand your feeling but come untruths in your OP.

• and the kids going to free and good education
• and the clean streets and
• free very good healthcare
• and the retirement funds

None of that is free ... all paid for by our taxes or rates.

 

We pay income tax, the Medicare levy, GST, rates and levies.

 

Even a pension is paid by the taxes of your children as they come from recurrent revenue.

 

Remember 'Government Money' is/was your money.

.

Actually, I'm not overly convinced the so called "free education" is the raving success people claim it is. 30 children per class is the first problem. With that size it's impossible to offer the same kind of education offered by private schools where class size is half or even a third of the state alternative. My oldest is in a private school and it is anything but free, but scary good.

 

Clean streets? You're not talking West Bromwich and Peckham now, I presume?'

Retirement funds? There be non left when I feel like retiring. I've sorted myself out. You should too.

 

NHS, on the other hand, is a feature UK must never rid off.

 

Doesn't matter if it's Australia or UK, it all depends on what you seek in life (wherever you lay your hat) ...

Alone. Every living creature dies alone.

I say No.5

I dont know if I'm the exception here but in my world a hot caddie is the caddie who:

1. Shares my opinion that a round of golf should be fun for all parties
2. Realises that sometimes a golfer needs to focus on golf only

I have a small book with a collection of caddie numbers, numbers that has taken me years to collect. Some of the numbers would probably qualify as "ugly old fat bitch" in your book, but when I'm in the 'hood for a round they're the caddies I'm after simply because they're "fun as he** and realises that when it's a tournament the fun ends when I'm approaching a shot"

If a cute ass is what you seek, there's plenty of opportunities for that kind of business in Thailand, and it's cheap too! A good and fun caddie, on the other hand, is much more valuable and rare - who cares what she looks like!? I don't.

TK Park is the library on the 8th floor of Central World. You can do a 20 baht day pass to check it out. If you have a long-term visa or work permit, they will give you the Thai price (200/year). The non-Thai price is also reasonable at 400/year.

http://www.tkpark.or.th/eng/intro/

There is also a smaller library on the 21st floor of the Elephant Tower called Apple Tree Library. You need to call first to make an appointment. More info here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/302638859841847/

HTH

This is great. Good info. Thanks!

Did I understand this correctly? A two year membership at Nielson Hays cost 5000THB (£90 or $153) and you cant afford that, alternatively you're not prepared to make the sacrifices required to acquire the books for your child?

Maybe I'm wrong but who would ever believe that someone would get arrested for taking photos of paid models.

As far as I can see, nobody has come close to expressing any such beliefs. At least not here on TV.

IMO get a grip - maybe literally.

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that people on TV dont appreciate when they are faced with correct information or hard facts, but in this case I am.

I am confident (or perhaps not...) that a majority of adults are able to make their own decisions and make whatever arrangements are necessary to make their engagements operate smoothly. I'm am, however, very surprised the illegal conditions is not only confirmed but also discussed open on TV in terms of how to avoid getting caught.

I cant see how taking photographs as a hobby and printing them off back home for the sole reason of presenting my skills to a UK modelling agency is against the law.

The photos will not be used in any publicity just my portfolio.

If it's against the law most people who take photos and put them on websites are breaking the law.

Seriously, there is a slight difference between a tourist snapping away and adding to your portfolio using "a few models that would fit various concepts I want to shoot in various locations, get a make up and hair stylist, buy clothes and props for the shoot, get an assistant etc

... with a large scrim on stands and a number of off camera strobes and light modifiers etc".

What's the purpose of your portfolio? "Present to agencies" back home, you say. The amount of equipment you'd be using is irrelevant; you're working.

I wouldn't be breaking the law it is art. It's to make a portfolio that I can present to agencies back home.

You would be breaking the law. This is not art, and I am confident you understand this as well.

OP doesn't seem to need a nanny and is open for creative suggestions, read his post, he was looking for a way to make it legal safe...

Creative suggestions? You are suggesting that he pay tea money to an immigration officer in order to solve a potential problem that may arise if someone questions whether he carries a work permit when performing work in Thailand?

A little too creative if you ask me.

The problem is that he is in breach of the law (unless he "performs duties or missions for the benefit of art")

http://www.bia.co.th/023.html

Your advice clearly shows that you are fully aware of the fact the he is breaking the law, hence your advice is an attempt to propose a way to get away with it. If he is NOT breaking the law, why would he need to hire an off-duty immigration officer?

Again, I'm surprised your post still stands.

I guess you have to be paid for it to be classed as employment.

no, work permits are required even for unpaid work.

since this is going to be a big pro shoot, I would do it this way: hire a thai photographer to be your front and "hire" an off-duty immigration police officer for "security" - the officer will deal with any official interest your shoot could attract.

Strictly speaking, this is a clear attempt to breach immigration laws. Only because you make arrangements not to get caught doesn't mean you're in breach of the law.

cunningly observed!

Not that cunningly if you ask me. You gave an advice that encouraged someone to fiddle with the law in a way that is clearly not recommended.

I am surprised your post still stands.

I guess you have to be paid for it to be classed as employment.

no, work permits are required even for unpaid work.

since this is going to be a big pro shoot, I would do it this way: hire a thai photographer to be your front and "hire" an off-duty immigration police officer for "security" - the officer will deal with any official interest your shoot could attract.

Strictly speaking, this is a clear attempt to breach immigration laws. Only because you make arrangements not to get caught doesn't mean you're in breach of the law.

If your description of the conditions is correct your engagement would count as work. Period. You are not allowed to work in Thailand without a work permit. Period.

Artist visa probably doesn't apply, because they tend to be aimed at performers. I dont know if there is an equivalent for "artists" like photographers, painters and similar. If you sell your work you're working.

Chapter 19 of the foreign employment act suggests any activities performed for the benefit of art is exempt of employment. So as long as this is art I think it would pass. The question is if this really IS "art"...?

http://www.bia.co.th/023.html

Ok, my topic ...

As far as your photos are concerned, they're perfect examples of the limitations of a camera - the brain of the camera will make a serious attempt at exposing both the sky and the darker areas, but in general it will fail miserably because the dynamic range is simply to great.

You could potentially solve these problems, the most common way is to create an HDR. Personally, I'm not to fond of HDR, but that's me.

Your composition makes the use of a flash difficult, but you could have created an awesome photo if you had a subject in the foreground and had that subject lit by flashes. Landscape photography with flash is almost pointless without a subject in the foreground, and impossible with a built in flash. But the big question here is why you would want to capture a night landscape photo without a light source? You can create awesome shots using a powerful torch, or even using your cars headlights. Traditional landscape photography at night tend to focus on capturing the glowing sky, and that's exactly what you've done in your photo, the first being by far the better one.

So, what should you do if you want to use flash in darkness? First of all, get your camera in Manual mode. Forget any type of auto (including Aperture Priority and similar). Most important; get the flash off the camera, which means dont use the built in flash. And secondly (in MY opinion), you need something that sticks out, a subject other than the sky.

The most common reason I see decent night shots amongst most amateurs (in my opinion) is that most photographers have yet to discover the possibilities with off-camera flash in MANUAL mode. Check out David Hobby for inspiration and how he uses flashes and strobes to focus on subjects in night photography. In fact, your photo is very similar to Davids, minus the cellist.

http://davidhobby.zenfolio.com/

Lastly, keep in mind that with speedlites you can craft your own light. If you combine that with blocking out the ambient light with the shutter speed you can easily create the illusion of night when it is in fact plain daylight.

It all depends what you want to capture.

By the pattern of scales on the head I am certain it is a king cobra. Enough venom to down an elephant.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_Cobra_head.jpg

I second this opinion.

First time in a studio? Good on you! Be careful, the ability to craft your own light comes at a prize - I've seen people turn into photo-junkies in less than 50 shots, and it will have a serious impact on your free time and your finances ...

Looking at your shots, rim-light alone would only be used for instructional purposes, but I think you know that already. If your key light is also your rim light, may I suggest that you use a reflector and point the rim light at the reflector and bring back some of the light as fill light. If you only have one light source (i.e speedlite) I would check out Rob Harringtons advice in this video:

where he demonstrates 16 setup using ONE flash.

With regards to the position of the model, as a rule of thumb, make sure the eye-lash of the far eye is visible. The model turns away too much on both the images, but that depends on what you're trying to do, of course. Posing the model (AND the models ability to be posed) is one of the keys to good shots.

As a first advice, I would advice you to make sure you have the means of setting up modifiers and fill light at 1:2 or potentially 1:4 ratio using a modifier and a reflector AND add a hair light. That is a simple look using two light sources that can create awesome shots.

Your shots looks great

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Wow.

I get the impression you are a farang woman married to a Thai man? Or your husband has family here in Thailand? Either way, you're in trouble.

To be perfectly honest, living with an infant in Bangkok is a nightmare for several reasons, safety for your child being the major problem.

Air pollution is not as bad as it was 15 years ago, but still a major issue for an infant with sensitive lungs. I wouldn't bring out an infant in open air the first 3-4 months, and when I did it would be on early sunday mornings.

Traffic (as you know) is mad and walking down a street with a buggy soon turns into an obstacle course lined with motorcyclists using the sidewalks as a shortcut.

A MASSIVE problem is crossing a street. Many drivers dont respect traffic lights, effectively putting you and the baby's life at risk every time you cross the street. Footbridges are almost impossible to cross for a mom with a baby in a buggy. Do you expect to carry the buggy in one hand and balance the baby in the other?

The alternative is to accept the risk associated with air pollution, dangerous traffic and lack of baby seats in taxis driven by people with limited training and no understanding of safety. Or you could do what the Thais do; give diddly and accept that you and your child can get mauled by a car when you drive home in your Honda Wave 125 "SUV" - transforming you and the baby into a roadside Big Mac.

My best advice to anyone who considers raising a child in Thailand without having the financial means to provide the safety required is to leave and raise the baby elsewhere. And that is my advice in this case.

Go home.

Yes, my husband is Thai.

Hah. Well, not going home....so that's not an option. Air pollution is not only in BKK...besides, we're not living in BKK the first couple months of the child's life and my question wasn't about air pollution...

I'm not buying a stroller/pram. I don't feel I need one because Thai sidewalks are well...sometimes non existent. I will be using a baby sling/carrier. What about all the families who live in BKK?? They live normal lives and let's face it--everytime we walk out the door there's a chance you could get hit by a car, etc (and this goes for not only in BKK).

That's wonderful that maybe you have the money to take your child around in a car and somehow magically avoid all the danger that everyone here faces everyday just because you have the "financial means to do so." Reality is not always like that...in any country for that matter.

Great reply!! I've met many expats here who always say if they got 'pregnant' they'd get the first flight home. Ridiculous. Life is a game of chance. If Thailand was so dangerous to live in why is there 60 million Thai people?? We spent the first year of our son's life in Bangkok and moved home to Ireland and UK for the past three years. My son was happy in Ireland but the jobs market was not good. We moved to England a year ago and my son's quality of life has gone downhill here. English kids are kept at home by their parents so he has no friends outside of nursery. We're moving back to Bangkok in a few months and we're never leaving again. Thailand has some issues, just like every country, but for us, the positives outweigh the bad. Rearing your child in Thailand will be much more interesting and beneficial for your child especially if they are of mixed descent. Good luck and don't listen to any negativity on this forum...

Lovely.

However, I cant see how any of this relates to the topic ...

So how do you suggest OP should transport her child?