KhorTose

Hell, I travel with my Thai partner and always go with him through the Thai passport lines. I have never been questioned or stopped. The first time was nearly two years ago when one of the passport people told me I could do so.

Tule fog is a radiation fog, which condenses when there is a high relative humidity (typically after a heavy rain), calm winds, and rapid cooling during the night. The nights are longer in the winter months, which creates rapid ground cooling, and thereby a pronounced temperature inversion at a low altitude. In California, tule fog can extend from Bakersfield to Red Bluff. Tule fog occasionally drifts as far west as the San Francisco Bay Area, even drifting westward out the Golden Gate, opposite to the usual course of summertime ocean fog. It is formed when cold mountain air flows downslope into the valley during the night, pooling in the low areas until it fills the valley to the "brim" formed by the Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada. This occurs because most areas in the Great Central Valley have little or no air drainage below the level of mountain passes. Because of the density of the cold air in the winter, winds are not able to dislodge the fog and the high pressure of the warmer air above the mountaintops presses down on the cold air trapped in the valley, resulting in a dense, immobile fog that can last for days or at times for weeks undisturbed. Tule fog often contains light drizzle or freezing drizzle where temperatures are sufficiently cold. Visibility in tule fog is usually less than an eighth of a mile (about 600 feet or 200 meters), but can be as little as a foot (about 30 cm.) Visibility can vary rapidly; in only a few feet visibility can go from 10 feet to near zero.[1] The variability in visibility is the cause of many chain-reaction pile-ups on roads and freeways. In one such accident on Interstate 5 near Elk Grove south of Sacramento, 25 cars and 12 big-rig trucks collided inside a fog bank in December 1997. Five people died and 28 were injured. In February 2002, two people were killed in an 80-plus car pile-up on State Route 99 between Kingsburg and Selma. The visibility at the time of the accident was zero. On the morning of November 3, 2007, heavy tule fog caused a massive pile-up that included 108 passenger vehicles and 18 big rig trucks on Northbound State Route 99 between Fowler and Fresno. Visibility was about 200 feet at the time of the accident. There were two fatalities and 39 injuries in the crash.[2] [/url] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tule_fog

Actually, I think the central valley of California holds the record of the most expensive crash in History. Every year we have massive car pile-up due to the tule fog that plagues the central valley. This fog is so thick that you can't see the front of your car and it can be like a solid wall where one minute you can see and the next you can't. In 2007 we had 108 cars and trucks in a pile up and similar events happen every year.

Yes, I saw the headline in the "Nation". Tell me would it be better if they removed all the Juanta judges and gave Thaksin a new trail with impartial judges that just might find him innocent of the charges. I will admit Thaksin is not Mr clean, but what he was charged with and convicted of was garbage. They did not dare charge him with a real crime as they would have had to indict themselves for the same things.

Yes, I agree. He follows in the tradition of Ed Sullivan, whom I believe was frozen at birth.

Been there and know what you mean. Small and cramped. However, check out the bathroom where many who flew did so to join the Mach 2 club. By the way, because of the short duration of the flight, you did have to be fast.

Well I went to the play in Singapore and I was very impressed. The Good: The play was set in a modernistic setting using one basic set that consisted of a number of doors in a large room. Once you get use to this rather strange set you do find it works well with the play and the early 19th century dress of the actors. This is and has always been a one person play, with some great lines by Richard's mother and Edward's wife, but the main focus is always on Richard III. Spacey does an excellent job of getting all the nuances of this very complex character. For those familiar with the character he is devious, scheming, capable of charm and cruelty and driven by an overwhelming self hate and anger that leads inevitably to his self-destruction. A very difficult character to play, but Spacey manages to get all the nuances. The Bad: Spacey is not the only American in the cast. Spacey and the Americans are very good at the language of Shakespeare when they speak slowly, but tend to slur the words and lose the beat when they speak rapidly. It was kind of remarkable to hear the tone of the British speakers and the difference in the American speakers and did take a little away from the play. However, the audience and I did give the actors a standing ovation and I do think it was well earned. Overall well worth the trip to Singapore. I do wish we had more of this kind of play in Thailand.

I hate to sound like beachlover, but I could imagine a member posting pictures of himself nude. Not sure I have the stomach for that.

"What a piece of work is a man" was definitely written by the Earl of Oxford (Edward DeVere) whose two cousins were named Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to whom the character Hamlet addresses in this speech.

The British did themselves proud with this design. One of the few planes developed by another nation that our armed forces had to have. The commandant of the Marines insisted on having this plane for his air support and McDonald Douglas bought the rights to make it. What is sad for Britain is good news for America as we still have plans for this plane to at least 2025, and we are getting these jets for pennies on the dollar.

We have two lines of thought on the issue of crime. One that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and the other is where there is smoke there is usually fire. When it comes to child molestation the second thought seems to prevail even among people who would give any other type of criminal a reasonable doubt before judging them. It is not only the damage done to the victim of false accusations that suffers when this happens, but children and society in general. Whenever, someone is accused falsely and has to go though hell to prove his innocence then one more person decides not to be a teacher, one more person decide not to be a coach, one more person decides not to be a scout master or volunteer to work with kids, etc. Not only that but when we require people to prove their innocence, remove the requiremejnt that they can face their accusers, and require no physical evidence to prove quilt then we are weakening the rule of law and the system of justice that should keep us all safe from false accusations. Don't get me wrong, this a serious and heinous crime that can and does destroy its victims, but we only make it worse on all of us when we engage in prejudging and weaken the standards of our justice system.

This disabled American veteran agrees 100% with this post. I too read your offer and thought what a nice thing to do.

I agree with Bob's statements and would add that even with your own transportation expert to spend some time getting to anywhere else in CM at the moment. Presently, we have twice the traffic we normally get do to people from the South escaping the floods and people coming in for Loy Katong.

Thanks for the great story. I think you have done yourself proud by your boyfriend and his family. My hat is off to you.

Up front???:?" I got kicked off his board for a comment I made on another board, or have you forgotton that conversation If you call that up front, please never be my lawyer. Along that line I have received two Pms agreeing with my comments by other people that know if they say something bad here they are gone from his board. Up front my ass.

I too think there are too many msg boards all ready but, if you are going to start one, I do like Kokopelli's idea to call it Pattayamale. You are well known as a good poster and moderator and I think your name on the board would be an attraction. I do wish you the best of luck.

With all due respect, BULLSHIT. Gaybutton is not now or has ever been open to any kind of criticism on his board. He considers any criticism an attack and he immediately deletes all such post. It is only when he asks for advice is anything allowed and then he points everyone to where he wants to to anyway. I have no idea what board you have been reading but it is surely not GaybuttonThai where you are instructed to post all criticisms in a PM, or get the "Iron Fist" Give me a break Z It is nice of you to defend your friend, but reality is far from the way you describe it.

It comes early in Monty Python's movie "The Meaning of Life"

[quote name=kjun12' timestamp='1 I only had sex with Caucasian men but I often looked at pictures of Asians and really wanted to try it with them. I too only had sex with Caucasian guys and then I met some Vietnamese guys and had a great time. They started me on Asians. My first Thai guy was in Washington DC. He was okay but nothing spectacular. Then I went to Paris for a month and met this incredible Thai guy. He did not speak English, but he was great to be with. Next trip was to Chiang Mai, Burma, Bangkok and Pattaya. Loved Chiang mai and the Thai guy I met in Chiang mai, but hated Pattaya so badly I did not come back for two years. During that time I tried the Philippines, and when I gave up there it was back to Chiang mai, and now I live here..

I hate to fault BBC, but I cannot believe this list. Christ is unknown in much of the world and I do question many of the other icons. I can think of one icon found in nearly every country in the world and it is not even mentioned. I give you the obelisk.

Actually, I am against gun control, but thanks for one more reason to support giving some people guns. Only a total idiot would do what he did, and only luck saved his ass.

Hmmmm, morality usually is based on norms, so I like this answer. As to why this may be the norm, the poverty of this country can easily be cited. I also think Xian is correct, it must be very embarrassing for some to have to borrow and not be able to pay back. Talk about a loss of face. Yes, the only and best solution is to just give or not give the money. I guess I would determine whether I would give the money by how truthful the request sounds.

Xian, as an American I already know that Malaysian means a number of thing, just like, English, Chinese, and (or should I say, "especially") the word American. I am also very aware of the danger of stereotypes, and I do apologize if I misunderstood part of your post. So, have you ever lent money to a Thai or have any of your friends? What are your experiences? Do you think Foutainhall is correct in that it may have something to do with the fact that foreigners seem to do better (do to hard work) then Thais. Almost every Farang I talk to and many of the message boards have often commented that it is okay to lend money to Thais, but only if you have the expectation of not getting it back. Also many of my friends, who are also into long term relationships, often hear from our BFs that they have loaned so and so money and did not get it back. I do mean often. What I am looking for is some type of understanding. I am not really trying to judge, but to understand. Especially since Fountainhall's explanation does not cover Thai to Thai loans. As a wise (not that old) Chinese Grandfather I was kind of hoping you might have some kind of insight. After all, you did contribute to this thread.

Yes, but why? I too have seen this Thai (and apparently Malaysian) lack of understanding about the need to pay back a loan to a friend, be the loaner Thai or Farang. However, this tendency is so different then what you see in the West, and most of the rest of Asia that I have to wonder why it exists. Xian you suggest that their thinking is that, if you have more money then them it is like they believe you owe them and it is okay not to pay you back, but I can't quite seem to buy that explanation. Can you offer another? Anybody?

More Chiang Mai flood pictures: http://www.city-now.com/comment.php?cid=283311&lang=English&page=1#rank283311