Bob

I renewed my one-year visa about 6 weeks ago and nobody asked me about any credit card (or other type of card). I was asked a question about my address and I showed the guy a copy of the condo lease I had - and he proceeded to take a copy of the front and signature pages. I had the impression this wasn't strictly required but I didn't care that he took the copy. So, I'm guessing that it's at least wise to take something (lease copy, utility bill, or whatever) that shows your address on it. Btw, I happened to have renewed at the Hua Hin office.

A rather nasty and inappropriate comparison. A national ID card, used in many countries (including Thailand - I presume you've seen one) hardly lists inappropriate data. I suppose it's theoretically possible that driver's licenses could list inappropriate data and I'm wondering if you're against those too.

I think we're mixing apples and oranges here a bit. The "illegal immigration" issue here in the states really doesn't have much to do with technology as it has to do with having a border with Mexico that's rather porous. Whether we upgrade our technology (and I do agree that a national ID is a reasonable necessity as Khor Tose discusses) won't solve much of the problem, at least in my view. And I wouldn't really tout Thailand's system. I'd bet that Thailand's illegal immigrants, as a percentage of the total population, might actually exceed the problem occurring in the United States and most of it, like in the US, is because of extremely porous borders in the north of Thailand (and, to some degree, in the south). There are multitudes of various peoples from Burma and Laos all over northern Thailand and, as we've read regularly over the years, even people from as far away as North Korea. And I believe that Thailand too has the same problem with foreigners overstaying their visas. Because of the issues of the modern world (mainly the possibility of terrorism), I'd support any reasonable method to limit illegal immigration; however, at the same time, let's not forget that 99%+ of these people are illegally crossing borders either to join family members, escape an oppressive regime, or to simply try to better themselves economically. It's somewhat hard for me to consider a Mexican here in the US (or a Shan in Chiangmai) a criminal.

Am I getting the drift you don't like me? While I have no clue why, I'm crushed nonetheless...

Please have your meaningless hissy fits somewhere else. Moldor, perhaps.

Out of curiosity, does the name "Yaya" have any meaning?

Yep....and that unfortunately means that they don't have a prayer to win many seats in the Phillipines which is about as catholic as countries get.

What I posted was accurate. Before we went to Fang one weekend, I watched him download some stuff a couple of other times (he was playing with it and I was interested in how it worked). Once, when we were in a coffee shop in Kad Suan Gaew (the northern mall), I asked him if he could get newspapers too, especially the New York Times. He proceeded in about a minute to download that in a minute or less (I think he said it was a free two-week deal or something like that). He's also told me that he understands that he could get a wireless router for his computer and he thought the Kindle would recognize that signal too and download that way. But he hasn't done that as yet and, given he's happy with the wireless download speed he already has, said he wasn't going to bother with that.

Yes it does. A friend of mine in Chiangmai got the Kindle (big one) in February and he can download books rather quickly. In fact, we were up in the middle of nowhere (out in the country near Fang which isn't too far from the Burmese border) and he had no problem downloading a book from there (and he said it was rather fast although I don't know what "fast" meant). The Kindle site shows that about 95% of Thailand is covered by the lower speed wireless which, I think (I'm guessing here as I don't know for sure), comes over the digital telephone waves versus via a satellite. There is a faster 3G wireless in other parts of the world (much of the US, most of Korea, etc.) but I do note that my Chiangmai friend said he was more than satisfied with the download speed he got using the slower wireless format in Thailand. I remember he told me that he got the entire works of Charles Dickens for $5.99 which I thought was rather cheap. Before I return to LOS in September, I definitely am going to buy a reader and likely the big Kindle. Expensive (just under $500.00) but, given my reading habits (a fair amount when I'm in Thailand), it seems like a good deal for me.

Lol, I liked that! It's surely a very touching scene but, at least to me, it didn't seem like a very romantic or gay moment. By the way, what heart?!?

I'm just wondering if it's simply evidence of poor math skills much of the time (but, of course, maybe not all of the time). For about 3 months earlier this year, I used the same laundry - great place, great service - and noticed that almost half of the laundry bills had math errors and half or slightly more than half of those wrong bills were in my favor (yea, I pointed it out and paid the right amount). A couple of the ladies would use a pocket calculator to add up amounts that 90% of us would have simply figured out in our heads and even they got it wrong on occasion as they didn't clear the calculator to start or didn't read the English numbers correctly. I really don't think these ladies were trying to cheat me at all. Remember, a lot of these kids were pulled from school to work in the fields or the family restaurant business when they were 12-13 years old. And the education they got up to that point in time wasn't always very good.

Never heard of the movie or the actors. But....and not just trying to be the contrarian.....I watched the clip a couple of times and I don't view this as a "lips on lips" kiss at all. The one guy, realizing he's about to lose a compatriot or close friend, kisses the guy on the cheek near the left side of the wounded guy's mouth and the wounded guy certainly didn't reciprocate. No big deal....but this doesn't look like an Broke Back Mountain moment.

Yep, and while I actually don't have a history of foul language on the boards, I just can't fucking help myself when I read this stuff. hahahahaha

Hmmmm....I don't fucking think so! Abhisit can't help himself in more ways than one. He'll be gone after the next election or whenever the army says so. Actually, I'm hopeful he stays out of the public eye for a while as he's likely a target for a whole lot of people.

Lol. Yea, probably a lot of baht stoppers.....

I think that was a porn film from the 50's....(Dizzy diddled Desire). P.S. Rather than the ping pong balls, perhaps (in honor of the World Cup this year) you and GB might want to try soccer balls? (geez, I even crack myself up on occasion)

Although that entire notion is enough to make just about anyone nauseous, I suppose I ought to be charitable and at least recommend that you reinforce the stage so bystanders aren't hurt when it collapses!

"Ho" is simply American slang for whore and my guess is it was an intentional play-on-words. Which reminds me of the one "dirty" joke that my mother, then in her late 70's, used to tell: Q. How do you know who the prostitute is at the Miss America contest? A. She's the one with the banner that says "Idaho."

As you and others suggest, Abhisit will likely go if and when others decide that for him. What's puzzling and "inscrutable" to me is how there has seemed to be a total failure of governance over the years, especially since the coup. It seems like a rudderless ship and I haven't read a single article about a single Thai politician (dressed in a suit, a military uniform, or one of those silly imitation military uniforms) who seemingly has stood up and expressed any clue about any long-term vision for this country. It's almost as if every day is some juvenile experiment in how to run a country. And doing nothing* seems to be the national sport. Sometimes I think a group of cub scouts could run this country better than what I've witnessed for years. (*a few examples: essentially doing nothing when a group takes over Government House or later takes over your one and only international airport, doing nothing when it's found out that the coup-appointed prime minister and several other higher-ups have essentially stolen state lands, doing nothing about the redshirt build-up until long after it's an accomplished fact and too dangerous to deal with at that point, etc., etc...)

Yes, what an idiot. At a minimum, he'll be tossed out of Thailand forever (and, for just being involved in a political protest, he ought to be). But, unless he actually participated in burning or looting the mall or took some physical action to assist others in doing so, he surely wouldn't be convicted of anything in the west for just threatening to burn and loot the place. Nevertheless, what a total loser.

I think you're wrong there, i.e., the vast majority (95%+) of Thais have all the free speech they want. While what they have may not pass the muster of western sensibilities, the vast majority of Thai citizens (just my view, I didn't take a poll) have neither the desire nor inclination to sling criticism at the King.

While I can understand the serious concerns expressed here, there's also no need to overstate the importance to falang who live or visit here. Sure, it could theoretically get to the point where we're more directly involved but, so far, it's my view that the "situation" won't affect my decision to live and play in Thailand for most of the year. And, no, I personally am not staying up late at night wondering if or when the Thai government is going to block or ban websites such as this one.

Absolutely agree with this part of your statement. But there are many others in Thai society who share some of the blame for allowing (supporting) the underlying societal conditions that led up to this. And, while the children were fighting, the father said nothing. Inexcusable in my opinion.

What "wa"? You have a comment or question you care to translate into English?

I know that's common folklore but it's inaccurate. A prosecutor (or US attorney) cannot pick and choose which judge to go to as the assignment of such cases is handled randomly by administrators (and the US District Courts, where such matters are handled in federal matters, have multiple judges). Plus the prosecutor or US attorney involved could lose his/her license by even trying that little trick.