Steiner

But what do you expect from adults with an imaginary friend.

Good sir I will borrow that one...

So if we have a worldwide population of approx 2 billion Muslims, you are saying their are approx minimum 20 million demonstrating?

Let me guess, you are going to tell me that 1000 extremists are manipulating 2 billion+ muslims and there is nothing they can do to stop it?

The numbers protesting are not small by any means and the 'outraged' would easily pass the 20 million mark.

You need to get some perspective in this, if a westerner is pissed off enough they will send you a letter of complaint, piss off a muslim and you will end up in an orange jumpsuit having your head hacked off with a 3 inch blade.

The fact remains that if the majority of muslims did not harbour and show support for extremists then they would simply cease to exist. If they were ostracized and shunned by the muslim community they would be visible, exposed and easy to control but the sad fact is they are not. They are accepted, hidden by communities, supported and glorified.

Do I think a few thousand people are guilty of this approach? Definitely not. Do I think 20 million are guilty of this? In a heartbeat!

To quote your words to which i responded "looks like way more than 5% are demonstrating and murdering worldwide"

EDIT: Moderate Muslims do speak out, but what are the consequences for them? An example that has been covered in the global media in the past year was two high profile moderates in Pakistan who spoke out against the anti blasphemy laws were shot dead by extremists. very sad, but that's the consequence. On the other side of the coin some elements of Pakistani government has co-operated with the US in identifying and killing extremists.

OK firstly I am not talking about 1 or 2 brave high profile attempts, I am talking about billions of people who could simply make an anonymous phone call to authorities, no risk no danger but do they? NO!

How about the mosques of extremists muslim clerics? Are they empty, or full to capacity with hundreds more outside eating up messages of hate with their children by their side ensuring another generation of fanatics and those who shield them?

The very token efforts by the Pakistani government don't warrant any praise, their efforts are simply ridiculous and they could do a lot more to stamp out extremists were it not for one simple fact; most of the population support them! The Pakistani government walk the line of appeasement with the USA for the sake of financial aid and would never risk offending extremists beyond a certain point.

I was hoping the local muslims were a bit more worldly, oh well, irrational thought leads to irrational behavior...... watch the little youtube movie. Support freedom.

I thought the terms 'muslim' and 'worldly' were mutually exclusive.

Oh and before we get the tree/muslim hugging community telling us how 95% of all muslims are good people (looks like way more than 5% are demonstrating and murdering worldwide but hey...) I will defer to the words of Edmund Burke which are so apt in the dark age religiously exclusive society that plagues the muslim world; "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

So if we have a worldwide population of approx 2 billion Muslims, you are saying their are approx minimum 20 million demonstrating?

Let me guess, you are going to tell me that 1000 extremists are manipulating 2 billion+ muslims and there is nothing they can do to stop it?

The numbers protesting are not small by any means and the 'outraged' would easily pass the 20 million mark.

You need to get some perspective in this, if a westerner is pissed off enough they will send you a letter of complaint, piss off a muslim and you will end up in an orange jumpsuit having your head hacked off with a 3 inch blade.

The fact remains that if the majority of muslims did not harbour and show support for extremists then they would simply cease to exist. If they were ostracized and shunned by the muslim community they would be visible, exposed and easy to control but the sad fact is they are not. They are accepted, hidden by communities, supported and glorified.

Do I think a few thousand people are guilty of this approach? Definitely not. Do I think 20 million are guilty of this? In a heartbeat!

Are the protests by muslims an overreaction? I don't know.

Are you serious? You don't know if the protests are an over reaction.

The mullahs are just doing their thing - inciting violence and hatred for the US which is so good at giving them the tiniest of morsels that they can capitalize on. You have to appreciate their marketing ability to sell violence and hatred for 300M+ individual Americans because of the stupidity of one person.

It's like the 12th century with Internet.

12th century might be a bit optomistic...

From Wiki re 'the dark ages in Europe': the concept of a period of intellectual darkness and economic regression Feel free to substitute 'today' for 'dark ages' and any 'any muslim country' for 'Europe'

Hi to all

To be honest too much attention have been placed around this episode which I think it is totally irrelevant. The movie in question is a 13 minutes rubbish film put together in a very unprofessional way by an amateur "movie director". It is a piece of crap!! And by the way seems that the "director" is actually a Jew!

People can't kill each other because of this!!

I believe that all this is happening because of the US foreign policies of the last century (american people have nothing to do with it). I think people are tired of economical, political and military colonization of USA! This could just be the straw that broke the camel's back

When they wants something they just go and get it with force and if it could be controversial they act through the United Nations like they did in Libya with Gheddafi.

I am European and I believe European countries are nowhere better in this terms but US has been playing around for too long now. The problem is that they always do what they want and nobody stop them, maybe because like i said most of the organizations related to UN are manipulated by US government.

I believe that US should just get out of the middle east and all the other countries they are in and don't bother too much about exporting "democracy". And again all this is fomenting hate between religions and races.........what a waste of time!!

They know very well how to keep us divided and turn us into each other. They are worried of people being united against the system, they need us to be divided!

There are many more problems to take care beside different religious beliefs and is definitely not the world economy. I don't care about economic crises, because I still can grow food and survive. What I am worried about is the world crises, food is poisoned, air is poisoned and water is poisoned, climate change, resources depletion. These are the things we should be worry about.....all together!!!

Actually the 'director' is Egyptian

I was hoping the local muslims were a bit more worldly, oh well, irrational thought leads to irrational behavior...... watch the little youtube movie. Support freedom.

I thought the terms 'muslim' and 'worldly' were mutually exclusive.

Oh and before we get the tree/muslim hugging community telling us how 95% of all muslims are good people (looks like way more than 5% are demonstrating and murdering worldwide but hey...) I will defer to the words of Edmund Burke which are so apt in the dark age religiously exclusive society that plagues the muslim world; "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

Farang companies operating in Thailand are under Thai laws.If they think they can get away lightly and make a fast buckbecause they are operating in Asia, this will make them thinkagain.

OMG. What bridge did you crawl out from under?Can you imagine a Thai going to the UK or the states and being told that "you are not permitted to do any form of work that a Brit or American citizen can do"

For a Thai to even get a visa to the US or UK presents a major hurdle. I doubt they are issued visas to go explore the job market.And, assuming they managed to get into either country, they would not be free to apply for employment as if they were citizens of those countries.

Labor certification (not to be confused with the Labor Condition Application - LCA) is a United States of America immigration process step. Its stated goal is to "protect U.S. workers and the U.S. labor market by ensuring that foreign workers seeking immigrant visa classifications are not displacing equally qualified U.S. workers".^[1]

http://en.wikipedia....r_certification

Not to split hairs but the important phrase in that quote is 'are not displacing equally qualified U.S. workers" in Thailand it is simply that they can't do any work that a Thai can do, no 'equally qualified' provision just a racist blanket ban.

Although that provision is made in the certification are you telling me it is ever implemented? So there are no immigrants in the USA or UK driving taxis, working as; decorators, builders, train drivers or programmers?

Why do you demonise westerners who come here to work or start a business with the line 'I doubt they are issued visas to go explore the job market'?

I have 7 Thai staff, offices, cars and company motorbikes, I pay tax on all of those and create money for the government to waste. Would that money and tax be there if I hadn't done that? No!

I am not alone, there are many westerners here who inject a lot of money expertise and knowledge into both the country and the economy, money that simply would not be there otherwise.

You think we should stay at home and leave the sole influence on the economy to be from English teachers?

I didn't come here to 'explore the job market' and I don't think many sane people do. What would they do here when opportunities for westerners are so restricted?

On the subject of visas if a Thai national can prove that they have a life here, assets, home, job to return to then they will get a visa, there is a process that is fair and open to all without discrimination.The 'major hurdle' of convincing immigration that they will not disappear or become a burden on the state is pretty standard.Of course a single girl with no assets to return to, no income or financial reserves or just 'going to visit her boyfriend' is going to have a tougher time, we all know how that can go!

So they are gonna stick up a few safety barriers when every bend in Bangkok has a nice shiny slippy drain cover to slide around on, the cut-out ones leaving an area of 10mm²

between your motorbike tyres and said slippy drain cover are a great idea.

Are they gonna remove those ludicrous globes of glass that are as wide as a small motorcycle tyre?

Ridiculous idea when they could use a road warning device that is; self cleaning, requires no power source, alerts drivers to an unintentional lane change, reflects lights at night and in bad weather (may even be possible to see them through Thai 'black out' glass) and have saved countless lives. See 'cats eyes', anyone from the UK will know the benefit if driving with this amazing safety device.

I think Speed is all Thai taxi drivers favorite movie and they believe that the car has only 2 gears and that it will explode if they let the rev needle OUT of the red zone!

Cant see an 'eco car' working too well at 7500 revs...

Ok I have posted this for 10 days now with no reply.

The latest reports of getting a non b from laos in the 'Latest Reports Of Getting A Visa In The Region' are dated 2007 and 2008? Hardly latest reports.

Any feedback re this?

Ok I'll bump this one.

Thank you Mario, a straight forward reply at last.

So if immigration is closed for Song Kran then how can it be cancelled before Monday? If the company do not have the passport to take to immigration, which is closed anyway and cancel; can the company do it in their office?

So back to my original question then. "Is there any real need for me to take the passport to them (the company) as there is no re-entry on it, surely it would be cancelled at the border?"

Was originally on non B's. The BOI is valid until 2012.

Uk national, living and working in Thailand for 18 months and was on BOI visa.

Left the company I was working with last Friday at which point they said they had cancelled the BOI immediately and I had 7 days to leave country.

I will be using non B with new company for the minute.

Old company have asked me to bring in my passport so they can cancel the stamp which makes me think they need the passport to cancel the visa?

I was unable to get in with the passport so far and now we are in song kran limbo.

Do they need the passport or can I stand them off until Monday before going to Laos as everywhere is closed.

Is there any real need for me to take the passport to them as there is no re-entry on it, surely it would be cancelled at the border?

I have heard some rumours that non B's are not as easy to get at Vientiene as they once were and that some people have been getting knocked back. Have always had a bible sized chink of papers so would only be a case of that famous discrimination.

Anyone experienced trouble or found it easy lately?

No need to spend 25000, 6990 here magnet:?xt=urn:btih:RLEJFL3GMZUYARZYLMFRE2RP43N7S6DN

Mutu.

This is Mutu, he is a very happy 5week old saucy French/tricky Thai mix. His favourite thing, as you can see, is keeping cool. He will be an amazing companion for someone and he needs a home urgently. Smart, dissarming, fearless, affectionate and full of life. He loves water, balls and refrigerators but not necessarily in that order.

However there are some rules if you would like Mutu to brighten your life:

1/ he must live in a house with a garden.

2/ Expat prefered with some continuity in the kingdom. I want a lifelong home .Mutu is yours for life.

The only other requirement is that you love him, this you will see returned tenfold.

Interested? pm me with phone number for an immediate response.

I would ask that no one moves this post as there are time factors at play here. Mutu thanks you all in advance.

Use the typical boiler that is used in Thailand for hot water. No problem.

Is that "boiler" easily available in the west? How would it be connected to the bumspray - in the same way as it is used for the showers?

As was mentioned by a previous poster, the bumspray can be installed like this: "Just buy a 'T' fitting and attach to the little pipe coming outta the wall that supplies the toilet tank, you will then have two outlets: one for the toilet tank supply and one for your new bum sprayer...wrap the threads with jointing tape and attach both. "

I guess, then, that from the outlet which will be used for the bumspray, the water will first go into the box for heating the water, then the bumspray will be connected to that box?

I think a little forethought and common sense is needed here.

Hot or even warm water on a shitty ass and poo filled toilet bowl.... Ummmm now that would smell good, better have a dam_n good extractor in that bathroom

You mean there are fit girls out there giving away free drugs...

...and you're dumping her...

Seriously though I dont think there can really have been a robbery planned, how easy would it have been to finger her (no pun intended) as the culprit.

You also say there are security guards at your gaff and no doubt cameras.

I can testify to the general stupidity of Thais regarding pills of any kind.

I have lost count of the number of times a quick internet search for a pill which they have produced and are taking for some ailment or enhancement has revealed that the pill on question is not intended for that purpose. Will they believe the truth... nope.

Ok this has to be a new low, a grown (supposedly) man asking an internet forum whether he should jump his 'girlfriends' bones.

How can one have a gf who is not jumping your bones, surely that is a friend then.

How has diddums managed to travel to another country all by himself?

I fear the OP arrived at the airport with a sign around his neck, crafted from string and cardboard, with the address of the the hotel on one side and Mom's number on the other!

He has to be that annoying person who holds up the queue by always asking bemused counter staff endless pointless questions or checking every option at every ATM.

My heart goes out to the girl in question, can you imagine the post cotial scene?

Picture this; After giving her the best 30 seconds of her life (did it twice) and while the poor girl contemplates her enormous dissapointment the clipboard emerges and the inquistion begins. "Did you like this, how was that bit and you made a noise 4 seconds in , can I ask what was that in relation to, are you tainted now?"

All that followed no doubt by a review of the video footage captured by the all seeing eye on his 'hymen detector'...

Anyway who wants to get giggy with a virgin? It would be the worst sex of your life.

Remember YOU DONT GET TO BE AN EXPERT IN FOOD IF YOU EAT AT THE SAME RESTAURANT EVERY NIGHT...