cbc

what about those so called music police that go around all the foreign owned bars or bars that are in the name of the thai wife and they take away all computer's and music even if it is not thai music.Then they make the owners pay a fine to get their computer's back.Some pay 20.000 baht or some pay 12.000 depending on what these police will settle for.Happened recently to a friend of mine.Sure put a dent in his monthly income as time's are tough now and it is low season.No illegal working was being done either.No search warrant and no trial or charges laid.Just demanded money.And these so called police are in civilian clothing.

Good work on behalf of the thai authorities.Not like in the western countries where they would be given everything free and the babies granted automatic citizenship.Also,the mother would be given bundles of aid from welfare and childerns aid,all compliments of the taxpayers.I agree 100% with the thai immigration on this one.Well done and i wish our government's in the west would do the same and not worry about being politically correct or branded as racist.

Wish I could help here, but since Service pack one on W7 (Ultimate for me) 64 bit, there have been a host of "little problems and glitches" .... just annoying when trying to do things...

So, me wonders if some of these problems have stemmed from the service pack 1...? (best I can pin down too) plus other updates...

Perhaps you more technically advanced guys / girls can give some input...?

Soon will start a list, of these things, until recently there have been few problems with W7.... Now seeing silly "pop up messages" I never come across before or things just don't work as they use too!

Done cache clean up, run Tuneup Utlities (which says everything fine) defragged.... blah blah! And still not right!

Hi everybody.I just returned from my country Canada and folks there are having the same problems with windows 7.IE.windows closing unexpectibly,pc shutting down and starting again,freezing up and the list goes on.My syggestion,uninstall 7 and return to original operating system.Microsoft obviously has some problems to fix with that system.

This country is sick.Not only are they racist towards people with dark skin but,it seems that they are racist against westerner's of all sorts.Too bad the younger generation will not get a chance to see the real world and see real life outside of thailand.Just had a incident in bangkok at the hotel where i stayed always when going there.I made the mistake of trying to be friendly and saying hello to one of the restaurant staff in the hotel lobby .Next time in the restaurant nobody would speak to me.Seems i made the mistake of greeting her outside her workplace as i have dark skin.What a sorry society this is.Seems the so called educated are also racist.

I am fromcanada and i imagine our immigration rules are mostly or quite close to being the same as the usa.The wife cannot sponsor a member ie,sister or brother after the age of 18 or 19,also the nanny job would not work as first she must prove that she cannot find a suitable one in the usa as there are many nanny's already there.Also,the person must be qualified to do the job of a nanny,cannot just use anyone for the job when sponsoring as a nanny.Must be qualified in child care ie first aid,CPR , and all other aspects of taking care of small children.Must provide a certificate in child care and must speak the language of the country.The child care courses are conducted in their country of origin and must be done by a viable company or organization.Also,the employer must show proof that they can pay health insurance,umemployment insurance fees and other benefits as a employer.Too much problems and i doubt very much if they would grant the application.My input as those are the rules or some of that apply in my country.

Just arrived home in chiang mai from another trip to bangkok.Seems that the taxis at the airport CHIANG MAI are getting worse then those in BKK ! I was asked if i wanted a taxi meter and when i asked how much to hillside 3 i was told 200 baht.They thought i was a tourist and when i told them i lived here for three year's now,two of the driver's just looked at each other and smiled.They knew they were caught especially when there were three newly arrived tourists sitting nearby and listening to the conversation.They quoted another price of 150 baht and i walked away and took a red taxi for 80 baht.Wonder why the tourist number's are declining.

I n regards to quality tourists,i see TAT stated they will focus on the middle east tourist well,those are mainly the people i see now in BKK as tourists and,they do nothing but try and bargain.Gripe and do not want to pay 50 baht for a pair of sandals.These are the quality tourists they want to attract wow.Also,they are very rude in their actions and speaking.Quality ?I don't think so.

I

Chiang Mai has some of the most reasonable and honest taxi/transport services in Thailand, this complainer obviously hasn't been to Samui or Phuket! Here's the situation;

the transport in Chiang Mai is dominated by red songteaws, about 3,000 of them (for a population of 300,000!) which are organised by a well establish Sri-Lanna Taxi Association (effectively an untouchable mafia), they are a traffic nuisance but always available, cheap, honest, and will take you anywhere in the city for under 50 baht, that's what this tourist should bave used.

Then there are tuktuks lurking in tourist areas, offering shorter rides for about 60-100 baht, not a rip off but not the cheapest. They are useful at night or outside tourist sites.

The metered taxis were only introduced a few years ago and generally operate from the airport or outside key points like Airport Plaza. Since they aren't allowed (by the taxi mafia) to trawl the streets, they generally only survive by agreeing set fees (since they can't pick up someone off the street for the return journey), but generally don't overcharge severely like some of the islands. They are under the semi supervision of the taxi association.

Then there is a bus service, introduced a few years back after much haggling between the mayor and the taxi mafia, but they are confined to set routes and the city council has to pay the taxi mafia a compensation fee to keep the songteaws off those routes.

Best thing to do in Chiang Mai is rent a scooter!

virtualtraveller,i live here in chiang mai for three year's now and,i totally disagree with your post.The majority of the tuk tuk's here always rip off the tourists and charge outrages amounts for short distance's....ie 80 to 100 baht for a trip from central mall to hillside three.Sure,it's cheap compared to our western or european countrie's but,why should a foreigner as a tourist or expat in this city pay more then a thai?A thai can go anywhere within the inner part of the moat for 50 baht.So,why should we pay 80 to 100 for the same distance.And,why do you think the songtaew is a menace to traffic?Atleast they are safer and drive more careful then the tuk tuk driver's,many of whom are or have been drinking beer or whisky.I know this because i use the tpt system here in this city a lot and have made friend's with a red taxi driver who informed me of many scams used by the taxi's here.

As for the meter taxi's,they are a joke.Meter taxi but never use the meter.I make frequent trip's to bangkok and when i return via air,i always see those taxi booth's in the airport and the ladies saying meter taxi,100 baht to downtown.Whenever i take one from the airport to hillside three they take a shothcut through the airbase which takes 7 to 8 min drive but still charge 100 baht.Now,since the beginning of high season i don't see the booth's now saying meter taxi 100 baht.I assume it's because they want to charge the incoming tourists more for their travel to whatever hotel they are going to.And BTW,now i collect my bag's go outside and wait for a incoming songtaew whenever i arrive at the airport.My hat is off to the norweigan gentleman for bringing this problem to surface.Hopefully something will be done about it.But,i doubt it very much.

It was also poor regulation that caused the last World financial crises!!

It wasn't poor regulation that caused the crisis. It was bad risk management on the part of the banks, which was helped by the poor regulations that allowed them to hide the risks off their balance sheets.

I agree with you bkk _mike.I am a former banker who left my job because of the politics involved in the workplace.But,just see what countries in the west where the bank's did not receive or need to receive a bailout package.

Maybe i am being a bit biased here because i am canadian,but our regulations in the financial system are very stringent.We have strict rules and i mean very strict requirements before one can receive a loan or mortgage.Also,regulation wise we don't have all these small independent bank branches.May sound a bit like regulation too much but,as i said see what countries did not give taxpayers money for big bailouts.Canada,which is never mentioned in this part of the world is one of the best countries in the world.And,i might add i will be returning home within the next two year's to remain.Go canada go.

Lots of stuff goes on in this country to give one the wrong appearance.A big thing is the whitening cream because they don't like brown or darker skin.But,let's face it,is thailand not a tropical country.Maybe i am wrong but i think it is.And where in a tropical country that has sunshine practically 365 day's a year do the people have light or yellowish white skin.Only in thailand.If that cream and longsleeve shirt's,sweater,coat and balaclava's are not used when driving their mode of transportation (motor bike ) just see how long a time it is before they are their normal colour,which the people of a tropical country should be.

How does this work? Let's say my passport expires in Devember. I want to travel somewhere in June (pushing 6 month boundary), so being prudent I renew it 2 months earlier, in case there are problems.

Does My new passport have an expiry of old passport + x years? Or is it x years from renewal date? I've been told it's renewal date, which means the life of the passport gets shorter

I would consider this a sour point with passport renewal. I suppose only a small point.

Edit: I'm Australian. Consider each country has it's own rules

I am canadian and had a similar problem.Went to consulate got the paperwork,got a new passport.Assumeing the rules are the same or close,they will stamp the old passport as invalid for travel or any other use.And your new one is valid from the time of issue from you're consulate or embassy.Not allowed to have two passport's so old one is invalid but returned to you if you ask for it.If staying here in thailand you will need the old passport to have stamp's and visa's transferred.

Simple soultion. Get a new passport. Americans can renew there passport even if the old one is not expired. New passport + blank pages = no stickers to count.

Sorry Thairich but you are wrong with your solution.When you get a new passport all of the stamp's and visa's are transferred from the old passport to the new one.I just experienced this as i recently renewed my passport.

Anyway,it is their country and their rules and we are only guests here so,simple follow the rules or try another country with visa rules that suit one.I can't imagine what anyone would do staying here for months or years upon end unless one is retired here.Once you've seen the sites here the only thing to do is hang around in the bar's and drink.And one can't work unless you have the proper visa,not a tourist visa.

Regrettably as a Brit I can see the exchange rate going in one direction for GBP/THB and thats down. More so in the case of the Euro.

As a result after 7 years of living here I'm off back to the UK as I can't justify the expense of living here any more when you consider the UK has free schools, free hospitals, family allowance - non of which Thailand has. A retirement visa that used to cost me less than £12,000 now works out at nearly £18,000 and I have to have that money locked in a Thai bank for 3 months so I'd need in excess of £20,000 in effect.

This wouldn't be too bad with a rising exchange rate but its not rising - its falling with little long term prospect of change.

I am slightly more positive about the EUR for the moment. It looks like Asia and India are buying into EUR debt as an alternative to the USD, but who knows what is about to pop out of the woodwork next. But the visa does not "cost" you 18,000 Quid, you only have to show that money for three months, and during this time it will earn interest and has also gained against the GBP over the last couple of years as well.

Earn interest you say .What a joke ! Have you checked lately and seen how much interest is paid to a foreigner's account ?It's a joke,the interest they pay.

These <deleted> have no consideration for anyone - and why is it the 8 people burned to death in the Central World arson have never been mentioned in the "91 killed' ??? Red Scum are running amok again and it needs the army to round them up or prevent the blockage of the city. Enough is enough - especially when you live in the towers around the area and cannot get in or sleep due to the insane noise from stages and speakers. When will Thailand wake up?

well asiawatcher,i assume you are a expat living here in thailand as i am myself.My comment to your post is.This is their country and we as foreigners are only guests here.Therefore,they can protest or rally when and wherever they want (thais ) that is.If you don't like it go back to your own country.Nobody is keeping you here.

Just got back from BKK.Friday evening was a fair amount of tourists on sukhumvit most of which were arabs and from other middle east countries.Saturday eve,about the same amount.Sunday,was quite empty and most of the vendors weren't even open and those that were closed early,no business.The hotel i stayed in was full...small hotel....but only for two night's.Most if not all were budget travellers and,this was not a normally low budget hotel ! The majority of foreign tourists i've seen are low budget or backpackers.Also read a piece in the nation that the high priced hotels are now wanting to cash in on the low budget travellers.

I now have noticed a change with the meter taxis in BKK.Now they will not except a fair and use the meter.Any trip that is not a long distance ie,airport,phuket or anything under 100 baht they will not use the meter,just charge a flat rate asking for 200 baht for a trip from sukhumvit soi 9 to soi 38 or 100 baht from same location to pratunam.I seen many tourists get in and instantly exit the meter taxi after finding out the inflated rates they are now asking the tourists and other foreigners to pay.This surely can't and won't be good for tourism.Are there no taxi regulations here in thailand.

I am canadian and am usually neutral.But,it just sickens me when i read some of the usa bashing that some of the members on here spew out.In most if not all cases,if their country was at war or threatened by another country.Who would be the first country they would want to help or say should intervene to help them out.Well,the usa of course! I answered my own question but,that's the way it woul be.So please think before you start bashing the united states.

Good, let the tourists stay away.I can now get a tuk tuk trip for 40 baht instead of them trying to rip me off or scam me for 80 to 100 baht for a trip that a thai is only charged 50 baht.There is a saying,that what goes around comes around.Now maybe chiang mai is paying the price for all these scamming tuk tuk driver's and local bussinesses doubling if not trippleing their price's to gain from the tourist's.I say give a fair price and people will maybe return.Rip people off and word gets around.

Hello to all that is discussing this topic.I am a black man living in north thailand and yes,from time to time i have experienced some discrimination here.But,never in Bangkok.I don't go around or book hotel's in the shoddy areas and i don't sell or use drug's.Also,during one of my trip's to Bangkok,i too have been approached by the african scammers asking me to invest money for them.I guess they can tell i am a westerner so,when i just look at them and laugh they leave me alone.I don't go in bar's where i don't feel comfortable and welcome and,i have no problem's.On the other hand i can see that thailand is a very racist country.But,i contribute that to lack of education and the fact that the vast majority have never been outside the country.My,approach is to try and educate them whenever i can talk with one and explain about discrimination.A good thing to note,and that they also discriminate against their own country men if they have dark skin ! In closing i would like to say,that i have met some europeans over here that also discriminate,but,i have met many,many more who don't and are very,very nice people.Including the french.

What about cancelling or lowering the fee charges for foreign debit or credit card.This also effects the tourists coming here and the expat's living here.But, i guess we are considered all to be rich foreigner's and the Bank's can makeup some of their losses through us.

Without pressure I am sure we all know that nothing will ever happen. What is worse, the Thai government letting the police bury it or the the foreign government being disinterested?

Foreign government apathy and disinterest in seeking justice for their murdered citizens just encourages the local attitude to continue. That of course doesn't help any of us here.

The real mission of diplomatic missions is to keep trade relationships humming. Providing help for expats or their survivors will always be way down the list.

Really? You think so? I mean, how much trade could there be between Thailand and Canada? I bet their consular team is busier here than in most other countries, seeing the range of expats I do in the city. And what about in Burma? I bet the Embassy there doesn't do trade at all. I mean, doesn't Canada have laws against trading with the Burman govt? I don't know, it just seems to me that there's more to this just taking easy potshots at burocrats. Every time this topic comes up all these attacks from expats start of their own govt. I don't know why all the hating has to start again. Things are bad enough without us adding to the noise.

Hey KeyMan,this from a Canadian our government does not do trade with Burma and if you check it out ,do some research and you will see that canada doesn't have a embassy or consulate in Burma.

I drive past that area every morning. It's several large building surrounded by parking lots. It's a quite extensive compound and if the guards were on the opposite side of the building or a couple of buildings away, it's not too surprising that they didn't notice the explosion.

Oh,come on now.I am a former member of the military (infantry ) and having been around or near numerous grenade,c4 and other explosions,i can tell you that the security guard was either sleeping very soundly or he turned a so called blind ear to this.the blast was strong enough to shatter window's plus do other damage and he only took it to be a loud bang.Why not go and investigate then call the police.It's part of his job (security ).So,it wasn't reported until the next morning.What if someone had been injured and needed medical assistance ie first aid ?I'll bet he was sleep on the job just like all the other security personnel i see all over thailand that sleep on the job when,they are suppose to be guarding a vital point or guarding other peoples property ie,motor bike's and parked car's at condo unit's.But, this is thailand and i guess it's ok to be security and sleep on the job.Wouldn't last 24 hrs on the job back in the west. Same with the military.When on TDM or ammo depot duty in the military,one is required to patrol all evening and all day,with guard changes of course.Here i guess that don't apply.Let's all hope and pray that thailand doesn't get any nuclear facilities or,( no pun intended ) SEA is or will be in deep trouble.

Yup, hope he gets what he deserves.I am canadian and having been in this country for two year's and seeing most of the foreigner's that are expat's or the sex tourists that are here,this confirms to me what i been thinking all along.They are here because they do thing's here what they cannot do in their own countries.Back home he probably would not have been allowed to leave the bar he was in with the key's to the car let alone driving.Also,the bar that he got so intoxicated in would also be held responsible for the death's he caused.Hope he get's his just due.

I don't think it's the rallies and or protests that are keeping tourism down.Just look at the exchange rate's baht versus the dollar,euro and the pound sterling.The majority of tourists here are backpacker's and they travel on a budget.Also,not to mention that the expats living here and the tourists alike must pay atm fee 150 baht per transaction to withdraw money to spend on the economy here.Also,have a look around and see that many of the backpacker's here now choose to use a songtau rather then the tuk tuk for taxi because of the price gouging and double standard of pricing.Travelled to bangkok a few week's ago and what tourists there are down there are mostly from the middle east who spend more time trying to bargain and don't purchase anything.Any tourists that come here know well enough to stay away from the area of the protest or rallies! Having said that,as foreigner's living here as a guest in thailand we cannot say they (thai's ) should not be allowed to hold a rally or have a protest.No,it's not the protests or the rallies that ruin tourism.It's the above mentioned thing's plus the situation in the western and european economies is still in bad shape.People don't have money to travel or are choosing to travel at home and cannot travel abroad.

Why is a Farang on a local train?

oh come on Piengrudee.Maybe he was travelling by train to see the countryside or just maybe he was travelling thailand on a budget as many backpacker's do.I think you are intelligent or are you same as all thais that think all foreigners are rich.

You must go to Mai Sai for this type of visa.As for cost i am not sure,but have 3000 baht just incase.i am sure it's not that much but, better safe then sorry.