Meridian007
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Posts posted by Meridian007
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I know I'm just being paranoid, but I've heard the stories of people being stuck while going for a visa change in Laos.
I plan to go next Wednesday (the 27th), flying to Udon Thani and then taking the bus to Vientiane. I'm changing my Non-Immigrant ED back into a Non-Immigrant B for employment purposes. I've heard that they do next day service there, but I've booked an extra day just to be safe. As long as I can get to the embassy before noon on the 27th, I figure that everything will work out.
I think that I'll get my Laos visa beforehand to avoid any visa-on-arrival issues, but should I also get a re-entry permit on my Non-Im ED in case there is a problem? I assume that it isn't needed as I have all the paperwork I need, in Thai. I read the announcement here: http://www.consular.go.th/ about things that can affect express service, but I don't think any of them apply to me.
Is there anything I'm forgetting?
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Look here http://www.thaivisa....rship-document/
Thanks! That is exactly what I needed, but I was only looking in this subsection.
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Well, the time has finally come. I'm going to sell my bike as I just don't ride it here in Bangkok. I know that there are two forms from the Land Transport Office that are needed to sell a bike, the "Transfer of Ownership" and "Power of Attorney" paperwork.
I live over the river in the west-end of Bangkok, and really don't want to travel to MoChit for these. Does any kind soul have a scanned copy of these?
Oh, and BTW, I haven't advertised the bike here because I know a Thai guy who is asking around with his friends, but if someone is interested, let me know.
It's a 1992 Honda Steed 600cc (but the frame numbers make me think it might be a Honda Shadow), that has been modded. You can see it in my profile photo, it has upside-down forks, stainless steel exhaust, a "soft-tail" back end, and I have put mag rims on it since that photo (I still have the spoked ones too).
I'm selling it as-is for ฿100,000.00 because it was stolen a few months ago, and when the police retrieved it for me, the electrical system had been disconnected from the headlights, turn signals, and brake light. I think they were disassembling it to sell as parts because all the lights except the headlight were removed (I have them all in a box), and the gas tank hose was disconnected and clamped off. They also removed the front brake disc on the front wheel because I had a disc lock on it. It still ran a few months ago, so the carbs might be good, or might need some cleaning. It being stolen pissed me off so much that I haven't been able to make myself fix it back up again.
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<br /><br />It would be great to have some sleuth-like media characters in Thailand the likes of, say, The 60 minutes crew in the US...<br /><br />Good on him. I wish him every success. I also hope he can get someone involved with the media to assist him so as to keep it high profile.<br />jb1<br />Sadly, investigative journalism is difficult to find anywhere in the world right now, the term "independent media" has become an oxymoron.
I wonder if this is related to the hotel deaths that happened in Koh PhiPhi a few years ago? See here: http://articles.cnn.com/2009-05-08/us/seattle.woman.death_1_st-onge-komo-norwegian-woman?_s=PM:US
What are they using in Thai hotels that is killing people?
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Ascenti Resources or ARC provide support for certain items sold in other stores such as J.I.B. but I think they also have their own storefronts. Based on my recent experience with them, I would suggest caution for anyone thinking of purchasing a video card from them.
I'll put the TL;DR here as I know that this is a really long post: While Dtech provides good hardware support for stores like J.I.B, I have had a rough time in dealing with ARC, as they have been trying to avoid honouring their warranty with me.
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I bought a Galaxy GT9600 card at J.I.B. two years ago, and it was labeled with a sticker stating three years of warranty support. A week and a half ago, I started hearing a nasty noise coming from my pc case. It went on for a few seconds, and then stopped, so I figured that maybe one of the case fans was momentarily touched by a cable in the case. I continued working for a while, when suddenly the whole pc shut down without warning. I could start it up into the POST screen again, but as soon as the OS began loading, it would keep shutting down. I left it alone for a little while, and it started up normally again, but would then occasionally shutdown at random.
I decided to see what was causing these random shutdowns, and upon looking into the case, I noticed that the fan on the videocard wasn't moving. It seems that one of the fan blades broke off, and got jammed in the heatsink, which stopped the fan from moving. I removed the broken blade and the fan worked again, but minus a blade. Thankfully, this card is a "green" card from Nvidea, so I'm assuming that it was able to work for a while by lowering its clock-rate when it got too hot from no longer having active cooling. Although the fan was spinning again, I didn't think that this was a good state for the card to be in, so off to Pantip I went for some support.
First I went to Dtech, because that was where J.I.B. had sent me before for warranty work on failed hard drives. Dtech has always been great to work with, they will replace a defective piece with a re-furbished replacement without any problem. Sadly, they told me that they don't do support for J.I.B's video cards. I went to the J.I.B. service centre on the third floor, and showed them my faulty card. The girl at the counter seemed unsure of what to do, and told me to leave it with them for a month or two (!?!?). I told her that I couldn't wait that long, as I need to use my computer almost daily. She brought me to a manager, who told me that a broken fan may not be covered under the three year warranty. I said that that seemed unlikely, as I assume that if I replaced the fan on my own, I would void the warranty completely, so I asked her if she could please honour her warranty.
She told me that ARC does their warranty work for them, so she would have them look at it, and they would contact me in a few days. I was satisfied by this, and a few days later I was called by J.I.B. and told that I could pick it up. I went in and they said that it wasn't ready, and that I could pick it up after the weekend. Aside from the wasted trip, I was okay with this, but I decided to join some friends in Koh Samed for a few days, so I told them I'd be in on Thursday to pick it up.
On the Monday, I got a mysterious call from someone at ARC, accusing me of already changing the fan and heatsink! He said that ARC wouldn't support an aftermarket heatsink, and that my warranty was void. I told him that I definitely did not change the heatsink, that it was the original from when I bought it, but that I was on a beach and didn't really want to argue about it then. I said that I'd go in on Thursday, and talk to them about it then.
I went in, and after dealing with ARC's non-English speaking representative at Pantip, (luckily I can speak enough Thai to be at least basically understood), he put me on the phone with someone from the main office. She again told me that their techs said that the heatsink and fan weren't original, and that ARC was no longer responsible for the card. I again restated that I hadn't changed it, and was insistent that they should at least replace the fan, and test the card to make sure that it wasn't damaged by the extra heat from the faulty fan. She finally said that they would look at it again and contact me in a week or two.
That is where it stands now, and I made sure that I took a picture of my card before giving it back to them. This hopefully makes sure that they won't try to pull anything, and has allowed me to do more research on my own. I've since found at least four online reviews of the card, each having a picture of the card with the exact same heatsink and fan that mine has. Hopefully this will help motivate them to take responsibility for this.
I know that it is just a fan, and that I could just replace it myself for a few baht, but I know that doing so would then give them the chance to be correct that the warranty on the whole card is void. I figure that part of the value that I payed for in the purchase price of the card is the support for the advertised length of time. With the dirty current, frequent blackouts/brownouts, and heat of Thailand, the warranty has become an important variable for me. I think that it is important for people to know who will give good support, and who won't. Hopefully this can help some of you who like to build your own computers here.
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I've always thought that these shops were just a front for the pla-ra industry!
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I would suggest that you make sure her flight doesn't land/transfer in the states at all. I used to take Thai airways to New York, and then transfer to Pearson, but the security issues became too much of a headache. I can only imagine what it would be like for someone who isn't comfortable travelling, and who cannot speak English well.
When I visited Ontario this past August, I took a Cathay Pacific flight. It had a layover in Hong Kong, but then went directly to Pearson. It was a fraction of the cost of the Thai airways flights, and surprisingly enjoyable in economy. I'd say that it is almost as good as Thai airways, just not quite as posh. I probably won't bother going back to Ontario for a couple of years, otherwise I'd be happy to help. Good luck!
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I've been trying hard to keep away from political discussions on here, but this just made me laugh:
Thailand continues to 'move towards a more participatory democracy', foreign minister Kasit Piromya said yesterday. "I think the true debate about the future in Thailand is how we can move towards becoming a full-fledged democracy with a liberal, multi-party parliamentary system," he said.I guess Kasit has forgotten one of the main tenants of his PAD, to remove more elected positions from parliament and replace them with politically appointed ones. (see here under "Political Proposals" I know it's Wiki, but it's acknowledged party policy) Perhaps his definition of a "participatory democracy" differs from what the rest of us have learned.
This is why I despise both the red and yellow leadership, both are just groups of elites looking to plump-out their feedbags at the cost of democracy and civil rights.
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There may be flooding, but I doubt it will be worse today than flooding that has been experienced in Bangkok in the past. I remember hearing stories of swimming on Sukhumwit!
I've always somehow avoided them (knock on wood), but I agree with LaoPo that it is a "when", not "if", scenario. Every year we talk about how they should expand the city sewer system, manage the khlongs better, and stop people from clogging up the sewers with their garbage and cooking refuse (all those street stalls pouring hot fat, etc down the sewers). Every year, nothing gets done.
I still think that Thailand would be smart to follow Malaysia, and create a new capital somewhere that won't sink and is on higher ground. At least infrastructure can be maintained where it will be needed to coordinate a response if everywhere else goes down.
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For alternatives to the Kindle, I just found http://www.ebookforyou.biz/ They even have what I think is a Chinese Ipad clone. Now I just need to decide if I want the Kindle, Nook, or Sony...
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Is there anywhere in Thailand that has eReaders? I looked in Pantip the other day, but I didn't see anything. I'm surprised that Sony doesn't have their PRS-650 on display there. Has anyone seen any place in Bangkok that has them? I'd look around in MBK and Fortune Town, but I live on the west end of the river, so I don't go downtown very often.
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Is there anywhere in Bangkok that I can physically compare the different e-books? The last time I was in Pantip I don't remember anywhere having them, but I wasn't really looking.
Also, have there been any convincing "alternatives" from China? I know about the I-Ped, (an android-based I-Pad copy), but are there any e-book readers (with electrophoretic displays) that use Android or Linux? It would be great to have something that isn't tied down to any one format, so that I don't have to re-format anything that I want to read.
I think being on a more open format like Android or Linux would allow for more app availability and therefore push the reader closer to the regular computer usability of a notebook or similar.
Now if only they could create a display that would have the low eye-strain of an electrophoretic display, with the versatility of an lcd...
I almost forgot, has anyone seen any of the colour e-books? I've heard rumours of their development, but I don't know if they've come out yet.
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Is there anywhere in Bangkok that I can physically compare the different e-books? The last time I was in Pantip I don't remember anywhere having them, but I wasn't really looking.
Also, have there been any convincing "alternatives" from China? I know about the I-Ped, (an android-based I-Pad copy), but are there any e-book readers (with electrophoretic displays) that use Android or Linux? It would be great to have something that isn't tied down to any one format, so that I don't have to re-format anything that I want to read.
I think being on a more open format like Android or Linux would allow for more app availability and therefore push the reader closer to the regular computer usability of a notebook or similar.
Now if only they could create a display that would have the low eye-strain of an electrophoretic display, with the versatility of an lcd...
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I just checked Bei Otto's website, and as per usual, they are having theirs in late November to catch the cool season. Nov. 25-27 I'm sure there are other places, but you won't get the authenticity that makes Bei Otto my favourite.
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If you're up around the Grand Palace area, there are many good shops right on the river, from the palace, all the way to Thammasat University. I like the Deck, but if you want somewhere more casual, check out the area between Tha Chang and Tha Phra Chan Piers. There is even an S&P with nice views, and a casual atmosphere. There is another small cafe around there, but I can't remember the name. Across the river from there, you can hang out at the shops near the pier at Sririraj Hospital. The Black Canyon there has a second floor that most people don't know about, with a nice view of the university and the palace in the background.
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I haven't been to JJ market in about two years, but I remember that there used to be a spot where they sold all styles of Levi's. They had them all in a big pile and you had to sort through them to find your style and size.
Has anyone seen this stall lately? I'm thinking of going this weekend, but I won't bother if they aren't there anymore. The quality wasn't perfect, but the price was!
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Personally, I can understand the frustration. It sells more to create a story of an underdog fighting against a repressive government than to report on the violent actions of a group that is comprised of paid thugs, the manipulated poor, drunken hooligans, and testosterone addled "big men". Once the paper trail has been exposed, these reporters will either conveniently forget their biased reporting, or complain that they didn't know, when a little research could have made things abundantly clear.
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The government must assert control before there can be any thoughts of amnesty. If people are getting shot, they are being shot in reaction to their attacks on the military. This is a defensive action on the part of the military to contain the destructive actions of armed thugs who are attacking them. They have been warned ad nauseum, so if they die, it is their own fault.
The reds admitting defeat and stopping their assault on Bangkok is not a matter of IF, only WHEN and HOW MANY MORE DEAD?
See, I can use the caps lock too!
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As there isn't a thread to really address this in the News Clippings section, I thought some of you might like to read the real "open letter to CNN" sent by Napas Na Pombejra. I was saddened by the rude nature of the satire that was done on this very real issue. Although I always tried to critically analyze the "news" from major outlets, I never realized how blatantly incorrect many of them are, and how shoddy the research done in some articles for major news outlets is, until I moved here.
(extensive deletions - material not allowed in General - IJWT)
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Um, that first video doesn't show the protester being shot at, even though he lobbed a pingpong bomb at them. If the sound of firing was the soldiers firing at him, he wouldn't have walked away so casually.
Amnesty is the wrong way at this point. A strong force with a plan to immobilize, (maybe rubber bullets to the legs), rather than kill could surround and compress the groups if there were enough soldiers. The problem is that I don't think there are enough soldiers.
The red leaders must be taken and charged with the full extent of treason, terrorism and murder, to make a lesson out of them. Then the lesser players who were just street fighters can be given amnesty. To give amnesty to the leaders, is to create a future where these monsters are allowed to play in the government. That cannot be allowed.
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Does anyone else get the feeling that the (relative) lull yesterday and today is due to the reds nursing their hangovers? There is only so long that you can live on lao-kao and yabba, but I'm sure that they'll nurse themselves for a little longer and then start up again soon. Instead of closing off access to food, the government should close off the access to alcohol. Maybe the reds would start drinking the gasoline instead of burning it then...
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The control issue is one that bothers me as well. I'm constantly wondering if Thailand has the troop numbers to deal with this. If you walk around the "border" of the area that's blocked off, you'll just see groups of 4 or 5 soldiers, and patrols of the same. Occasionally there will be groupings of 30 or so, (as seen in the videos), to react to a threat, but generally, they seem spread too thin. I know that troops are needed in other provinces, but they need to bring 20,000 or 30,000 troops here. Set them up around the perimeter, (and tell the obviously red-sympathetic police to go home), to totally close off access. Then they could just close in their ranks, arresting as they go.
I think the other tactic that the reds have been successful with is their propaganda that they have no guns, and that the snipers are with the military. Yes, the military has troops with scopes on their rifles, but I'm talking about the hidden snipers. I've seen videos of people who have been shot while they are with the military. The military would not shoot into its own group. I've also read the twitter accounts of people who are with the reds, and have been threatened to not take photos when the reds reveal their guns. I've even seen video that shows that there are still those who have automatic rifles among the reds.
This way, they can keep up a victimized front for CNN and the BBC, who fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. Thank god for Youtube and other outlets like Twitter that can show the truth better than these "news corporations".
As for it ending on Wednesday, I'm not sure about that. I am worried that the people are starting to feel that if Abhisit cannot deal with the situation, that Anupong would make a better leader than anyone from the red side. I agree, but the cost of reverting back to military rule would be high. It makes me wonder if this was Anupong's plan from the start.
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It is always sad when violence leads to loss of life, we don't know yet if that will be so in this case, but hopefully the government and the red leaders can use this sad event as a point to break away from the gridlock that has happened on the reconciliation plan.
This is where both sides should realize that enough is enough, and a political solution should be sought, rather than shooting in the streets. Hopefully this will allow the moderates from both sides to work together to find a solution while the extremists retract in self-defense.
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To the minority who have tried to make competitive and useful businesses there, my condolences.
To the price gougers who felt they could take advantage of the tourists that came there with impunity, som nam na.
Maybe this is the kick in the head that Phuket needs to reform its business practices. The mentality of "we can treat our customers like crap and overprice everything, because there will always be a new load of suckers" has finally started to bite them on the ass.
I just feel badly for those who tried to run an honest business there, they are suffering the fallout from their greedier neighbors.
Mohinga - Burmese Soup In Bangkok?
in Bangkok
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If you want to try the one near ABAC, but don't want to take a taxi, the klong boats might be your answer. You can catch one from downtown, I'd suggest either the one near MBK or the one near Pratunam, and take it to the stop called "Ramkamhaeng 29".
From there, follow everyone else out to the street (a bit of a walk), then turn right and go over the pedestrian bridge in front of the Big C mall. Walk away from Ramkamhaeng Road on the the left side of the street, follow it around a small curve and you can wait for a share taxi there that will bring you to ABAC.
What is the name of this restaurant? I've never had mohinga, and I'd like to try it.