Patanawet

Thanks GB, pawnshops are a good idea. I think I saw one in Pattaya once in the basement of Tuk Kom but never here in Bangkok although they must be here. Must look for the golden balls. Lazada does in fact have a second hand section again I should look at that. Didn't know there was a Craig's List in Thailand. Thanks for your ideas but I was hoping someone who had indulged and could point me in a tried and tested direction I once ordered from Lazada, a cheap phone and when the package finally arrived, it contained a few teeth whitening sachets. I couldn't be arsed to return because it had taken so long, the return dates had expired.

Yes ... and?

Recently, I had a bad moment -- my P.C. AND mobile phone failed at the same time. I felt naked! Now, both are repaired but I am looking for a cheap standby short term notebook or pad. The emphasis is on CHEAP. I don't 'game' or need any special fast speed apps. Just email, these boards and the ability to view videos already downloaded to USB thumbdrives for my lonely bedtimes. I don't need high named products -- only one that works. I don't mind second hand (working) or, dare I say it, fakes. I searched on Facebook and now, of course, I am besieged with ads. for similar. Has anyone here any experience of buying successfully or not? Alibaba (which of course is Chinese and the parent of Lazada) has so many ads from about 3k Baht up to 10k. (one in particular is a notebook with 2 screens delivered to Thailand for about 10K Baht). Please no criticisms, questioning my morals about accepting fakes as the multinationals have ripped me off enough over the years.

Here for 22+ years. Never heard anybody, local or farang, call it 'Swampy'. Maybe I should get out more.

No. You're quite right. I put my confusion down to the lack of alcohol this last week. My apologies again. Now, where did I post my message I'm thinking of?

I started this thread asking for information about how other areas than Soi 4 are operating in these days of 4 o/clock closing. These past few messages seem unrelated to my question -- not only that, I can't understand a word of them. Any chance of answers to my original question?

Yes that was the sensible way. No one ever suggested that it would be compulsory. The bars should have the right to close when it is sensible for their customer presence.

I am confused. All the publicity over four o/clock closures in tourist/entertainment areas from the 15th of December. Well, no sign of it in Silom, soi4. The bar owners tell me that the late closing only applies to those establishments that hold an 'entertainment licence' and that in Soi 4, only Banana has one (from it's Tapas days years ago) . This is what the B.I.B. tell them anyway. This wasn't the impression given with all the publicity and protests early in December. What is the situation in other areas?

or NO TOUCH. NO TIP!

Yes weird but typically Thai. The very people who have the time and life experience to pass on are barred from doing so.

I'm confused now. At least one bar in Silom tells me that they will not open till 4 (most customers will have gone to DJ or GOD by then) another that they will play it by ear and a third one is the one that confuses me saying that the 4:00 does not allow alcohol selling till then. In the back of my mind was something about restaurants not allowing alcohol till then but that might be from a LEO generated dream.

In the end, the B.I.B., anxious not to lose face, resurrected an old law that forbade people to be in possession of more than certain number of decks of cards (7 I think).

What a tetchy queen having a strop. Trying to tell hundreds of contributors to this board how to behave. Start your own forum cretin.

Dad, just keep an eye on the new government proposing to charge income tax on pensions from the home country if you are in the country for more than 180 days per year. If you look on YouTube for TNT (Tim Newton Today), a daily vlog (?) keeping an eye on news in Thailand.

Remember the 'bridge' raid? A group of farang pensioners, including an honorary vice consul, was raided and all arrested (some in their 80s) for gambling when playing bridge. They were carted off to the nick and after a long time it was pointed out to the police that bridge is in fact not gambling (and in fact at the same time the world international bridge conference was being held in a top Bangkok hotel). Not to lose face, the BIB had to find something illegal and came up with an old law that prohibits people being in possession of a certain number of decks of playing cards (about 7?). T.I.T.

Yes, plenty of time for U-turns.

Is Chon Buri not Pattaya?

Oh how I miss 'Sleaze Alley' located opposite the rear of the Night Bazaar and even before that, in the basement of the Night Bazar.

Why is it 'a new ripoff"? I haven't had to draw Baht from a foreign account for a few years but from what I remember, I used to have to choose between 2 exchange rates. At the time, there was a lot of advice hovering around. So NEW, no. And if you're given a choice, why is it a ripoff?

Probably has an Excel chart for it.

Oh, how we miss Monty.

Exactly Mac. It is used throughout Asia for messaging. Most people here know LINE but not WhatsApp or Messenger.