Airport Mafia Documented
I was amazed to discover that Wikipedia has documented the corruption at the new airport and named the AOT managment as being part of the problem.
Irregularities
Several thugs and cheats, the majority of them illegal taxi drivers and tour guides, are to be found preying upon tourists within the arrival hall. These scammers belong to major, politically-well connected criminal groups: Kamnan Samruay, Boonruang Srisang, Sak Pakphanang, the Pattaya Mafia and Phuyai Daeng. Measures to evict them have proven ineffectual due to their being well connected with top AoT executives (it is alleged that the head of the Pirap gang is personally related to an AoT executive, while the Phuyai Daeng enjoys good connections with influential civil servants in Samut Prakan).
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suvarnabhumi_Airport
There's also a warning about the shoplifting scam, and mentions three embassies that have advised tourists to be aware of the invisible shop boundaries to avoid being scammed of thousands in euros/pounds/baht.
Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
New Version of Speak Easy Thai
I finally finished testing the new version of the Multi-Language Dictionary (MLD) Web Update and the new version of Speak Easy Thai. You can download them here:
http://www.thai-software.com/MultiLangDict/Pages/Download.htm
I have changed the name of MLD Web Update to MLD Download Manager, which more closely indicates its purpose in life. It has new, robust Internet access routines and tries to recover gracefully from timeouts and stalled downloads, a necessity here in Thailand.
Speak Easy Thai gains a self-test in the Alphabet section, and an "All Tests" button on the main menu, so you can bypass the vocabulary reviews and just jump directly to the self-tests. Sphere: Related Content
http://www.thai-software.com/MultiLangDict/Pages/Download.htm
I have changed the name of MLD Web Update to MLD Download Manager, which more closely indicates its purpose in life. It has new, robust Internet access routines and tries to recover gracefully from timeouts and stalled downloads, a necessity here in Thailand.
Speak Easy Thai gains a self-test in the Alphabet section, and an "All Tests" button on the main menu, so you can bypass the vocabulary reviews and just jump directly to the self-tests. Sphere: Related Content
Monday, August 10, 2009
Multi-Language Dictionary Forum Has Moved
The Multi-Language Dictionary Forum has moved from Toronto, Ontario, to Houston, Texas; this is the first stage in getting my Thai software site off of the expensive Canadian server and onto the cheap US one, which is where all my other sites are hosted. The new address of the forum is:
http://www.thai-culture-publishing.com/Forum/
I have been working on Speak Easy Thai and MLD Web Update, and will be uploading new versions of these shortly. The new MLD Web Update supports the Texas server, and does so without using Microsoft's crappy Internet subroutines which were introduced in IE4. This version of Web Update replaces those subroutines with lower-level, and IE-independent, Windows Sockets subroutines.
BTW, IE7 and IE8 don't use those IE4 subroutines either. And on my computers, IE8 has black areas in the menu area of the browser window, proof that Microsoft has once again released software without fully testing it. The black areas show up when you don't use the cartoonish XP or Vista interface and have Windows desktop set to the Classic or Custom theme.
I will be sending out a general announcement to everyone on my mailing lists when these two updates are ready. Sphere: Related Content
http://www.thai-culture-publishing.com/Forum/
I have been working on Speak Easy Thai and MLD Web Update, and will be uploading new versions of these shortly. The new MLD Web Update supports the Texas server, and does so without using Microsoft's crappy Internet subroutines which were introduced in IE4. This version of Web Update replaces those subroutines with lower-level, and IE-independent, Windows Sockets subroutines.
BTW, IE7 and IE8 don't use those IE4 subroutines either. And on my computers, IE8 has black areas in the menu area of the browser window, proof that Microsoft has once again released software without fully testing it. The black areas show up when you don't use the cartoonish XP or Vista interface and have Windows desktop set to the Classic or Custom theme.
I will be sending out a general announcement to everyone on my mailing lists when these two updates are ready. Sphere: Related Content
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Wat Thamkrabok -- The Temple Where You Go to Vomit
contributed by Paul Garrigan
When I first heard about Wat Thamkrabok, my life had reached a desperate state. An alcohol addition had almost destroyed me, and I wasn't sure how much longer I had to live. My liver was in bad shape because of my alcoholism, and I had ignored a doctor's instructions, a few years previously, to see a consultant. I now feared that it was beyond repair. I had been an alcoholic for almost two decades and my life felt completely miserable and pointless; the sort of life I wouldn't wish a dog.
I found Wat Thamkrabok on the Internet. In the past I had tried many treatment options, but none of them had worked for me; I always ended up back drinking. I had lived in Thailand for a few years by this stage so it came as a surprise to find that such a treatment facility existed right under my nose. The information on the Internet provided something that had been missing in my life for years; it gave me hope. The regime at the temple sounded harsh, but the time for pussy-footing around had passed. I felt willing to do anything if it meant an escape from the misery that my life had become. Alcoholism was about to kill me anyway so what did I have to lose? I was only thrity-six and didn't want to die.
On my first day at the temple, I met a wonderful monk called Phra Hans who answered all the questions that had bugged me for years about my addiction to alcohol. He explained that I had been using alcoholism as a tool to cope with life. Maybe this tool had worked for a short while, but it was now counter-productive. This Swiss monk explained to me that my reason for choosing alcohol as a means to cope with the pain in life was that I had lost my path in life. If I once again found my way in life, then the need for alcohol would fall away. He went on to explain that there was no way that this path would become clear to me while I was still abusing alcohol or any drug.
I spent ten days at Wat Thamkrabok and at times it was harder then even I had imagined. The temple is famous for its use of an anti-emetic to speed the detox process along. For the first five days at the temple, we were expected to take this medicine and spend the next ten minutes vomiting up pints of water into a gutter. This humbling ceremony took place in front of a large crowd of other patients and supporters. It is a difficult process, but also a magical one. Most impressively, it did indeed speed the detox process along.
Wat Thamkrabok is a Buddhist temple but there is no attempt to convert anyone to any religion. Most of the monks are ex-addicts themselves so really know what they are talking about. The temple does not charge money for its work with alcoholics and addicts, which is pretty amazing when you compare it to the big money-making business that addiction treatment sometimes seems to have become in western countries. Not to take away from the good work that many of these treatment centres do.
On my first day at the temple, the Swiss monk warned me that Wat Thamkrabok could not cure me. It would still be up to me to do the work. What the temple did provide were great tools which would give me a chance at staying sober and living a happy life. I left the temple feeling completely cured of my addiction and so will always be grateful to it and believe it to be a magical place. I appreciate, though, that there are many options which work to lead addicts and alcoholics into recovery. It would not be practical for everyone to turn up in Thailand in the hope of beating their addiction; many would go home disappointed.
About the Author:
Paul Garrigan was born in Ireland, spent his twenties in England, and now lives in Thailand. Most of the year, he works as an ESL teacher, but he's also a qualified nurse. He has one book published and another one due for release in 2010. Sphere: Related Content
When I first heard about Wat Thamkrabok, my life had reached a desperate state. An alcohol addition had almost destroyed me, and I wasn't sure how much longer I had to live. My liver was in bad shape because of my alcoholism, and I had ignored a doctor's instructions, a few years previously, to see a consultant. I now feared that it was beyond repair. I had been an alcoholic for almost two decades and my life felt completely miserable and pointless; the sort of life I wouldn't wish a dog.
I found Wat Thamkrabok on the Internet. In the past I had tried many treatment options, but none of them had worked for me; I always ended up back drinking. I had lived in Thailand for a few years by this stage so it came as a surprise to find that such a treatment facility existed right under my nose. The information on the Internet provided something that had been missing in my life for years; it gave me hope. The regime at the temple sounded harsh, but the time for pussy-footing around had passed. I felt willing to do anything if it meant an escape from the misery that my life had become. Alcoholism was about to kill me anyway so what did I have to lose? I was only thrity-six and didn't want to die.
On my first day at the temple, I met a wonderful monk called Phra Hans who answered all the questions that had bugged me for years about my addiction to alcohol. He explained that I had been using alcoholism as a tool to cope with life. Maybe this tool had worked for a short while, but it was now counter-productive. This Swiss monk explained to me that my reason for choosing alcohol as a means to cope with the pain in life was that I had lost my path in life. If I once again found my way in life, then the need for alcohol would fall away. He went on to explain that there was no way that this path would become clear to me while I was still abusing alcohol or any drug.
I spent ten days at Wat Thamkrabok and at times it was harder then even I had imagined. The temple is famous for its use of an anti-emetic to speed the detox process along. For the first five days at the temple, we were expected to take this medicine and spend the next ten minutes vomiting up pints of water into a gutter. This humbling ceremony took place in front of a large crowd of other patients and supporters. It is a difficult process, but also a magical one. Most impressively, it did indeed speed the detox process along.
Wat Thamkrabok is a Buddhist temple but there is no attempt to convert anyone to any religion. Most of the monks are ex-addicts themselves so really know what they are talking about. The temple does not charge money for its work with alcoholics and addicts, which is pretty amazing when you compare it to the big money-making business that addiction treatment sometimes seems to have become in western countries. Not to take away from the good work that many of these treatment centres do.
On my first day at the temple, the Swiss monk warned me that Wat Thamkrabok could not cure me. It would still be up to me to do the work. What the temple did provide were great tools which would give me a chance at staying sober and living a happy life. I left the temple feeling completely cured of my addiction and so will always be grateful to it and believe it to be a magical place. I appreciate, though, that there are many options which work to lead addicts and alcoholics into recovery. It would not be practical for everyone to turn up in Thailand in the hope of beating their addiction; many would go home disappointed.
About the Author:
Paul Garrigan was born in Ireland, spent his twenties in England, and now lives in Thailand. Most of the year, he works as an ESL teacher, but he's also a qualified nurse. He has one book published and another one due for release in 2010. Sphere: Related Content
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Termites in Thailand and Australia
Termites are also called "White Ants", and they are particularly prevalent in warm weather countries. Thailand has more than 100 species of termites, some of which are edible (but not by me).
Homeowners, though, get a little upset when termites start eating the wooden poles of their house. I lived in Australia for 10 years, and it was necessary to spray around the house annually. Also, when the house was built, screening was laid around the foundation and around the entrance holes for the various water and sewage pipes.
Some people in Australia build houses with a metal frame, rather than wood, just to reduce the chance of termite damage. However, it was reported that one home was damaged anyway because the owner did not spray around his house (hey, it's got a metal frame, why bother?) and the termites got inside by building a mud tunnel up the concrete foundation until they found a hole into the house, then they ate a path through the drywall (which has a paper coating). Paper is made from wood pulp, in other words, it's termite food.
Information on controlling termites can be found here:
http://www.Termite-Control.info Sphere: Related Content
Homeowners, though, get a little upset when termites start eating the wooden poles of their house. I lived in Australia for 10 years, and it was necessary to spray around the house annually. Also, when the house was built, screening was laid around the foundation and around the entrance holes for the various water and sewage pipes.
Some people in Australia build houses with a metal frame, rather than wood, just to reduce the chance of termite damage. However, it was reported that one home was damaged anyway because the owner did not spray around his house (hey, it's got a metal frame, why bother?) and the termites got inside by building a mud tunnel up the concrete foundation until they found a hole into the house, then they ate a path through the drywall (which has a paper coating). Paper is made from wood pulp, in other words, it's termite food.
Information on controlling termites can be found here:
http://www.Termite-Control.info Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Five Disadvantages of Living in Thailand
contributed by Fabletoo
I Love Thailand and Will Probably Live Here for the Rest of My Life, but It's Not Perfect
I have lived in Thailand for almost five years and I do love it. However, if you plan on coming to live in Thailand, do remember there are still disadvantages to living in Thailand especially for Westerners. Thailand is an exotic country, it's hot, it's frustrating sometimes and Thais do think differently than Westerners. Having lived here for almost five years, here are my top five frustrations with living in Thailand.
1. The Heat. A huge disadvantage about living in Thailand is the weather. The Thais joke they have three seasons - Hot, Hotter and Hottest. It's always hot here. Of course, Thailand has a 'winter' but, in Bangkok, it normally lasts for about three days and the heat only falls to a temperature of around 85 degrees. It's still hot. So, even though many of the Thais are wearing down jackets and sweaters (seriously!), most Westerners will still find it uncomfortable, sweaty and hot. According to the World Metereological Organization, Bangkok is the world's hottest city, so when a Thai tells you they have a winter, don't believe them.
2. The Traffic. The traffic in many Thai cities, but especially in Bangkok, is appalling, and this is probably the biggest disadvantage of living in Thailand for most Westerners. Traffic jams are a daily occurrence and, despite the Thai government saying they are trying to solve the problem, they seem to get worse every year. If I leave my house to go to work at 6am, it takes me less than 15 minutes to get there. If I leave my house at 7:15am, my commute to work now takes 2 hours. The one main street I travel to work on will simply be one huge traffic jam, which barely moves. Bangkok is also gridlocked on every street and every major freeway. Many Thais spend hours every day just sitting in traffic jams. This is also why they will normally organize meetings between 10am and 2pm. It's the only time the traffic isn't horrendous.
3. The Pollution. Bangkok pollution is really bad. It hangs in a gray pall all over the city and never really dissipates. For the first few months I was here, it always seemed difficult to breathe and was a huge disadvantage to my well being. Unfortunately, you do get used to the Bangkok pollution, and now I barely even notice it. My lungs probably do though.
4. Conversation. Most Thais do not speak very much English so conversation is difficult. I work in an office with all Thai employees, (I am the only Westerner), so that can sometimes be a little frustrating when I long for a 'Western conversation'. However, Thais are so nice and friendly, this fact does make up for the lack of Westerners at work.
5. Obtaining Visas and Work Permits. This can be frustrating in Thailand as the rules change all the time. I teach here and all teachers now have to have university degrees and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification, as well as at least 2 years teaching experience. Without this, you cannot get a work permit in Thailand and, even with these qualifications, it requires many trips to immigration before you are completely legal.
Overall, living in Thailand is really wonderful and I do plan on staying here permanently. The above five disadvantages are very frustrating at times, but the advantages so far outweigh the disadvantages, most of the time they are nothing more than a minor nuisance. Sphere: Related Content
I Love Thailand and Will Probably Live Here for the Rest of My Life, but It's Not Perfect
I have lived in Thailand for almost five years and I do love it. However, if you plan on coming to live in Thailand, do remember there are still disadvantages to living in Thailand especially for Westerners. Thailand is an exotic country, it's hot, it's frustrating sometimes and Thais do think differently than Westerners. Having lived here for almost five years, here are my top five frustrations with living in Thailand.
1. The Heat. A huge disadvantage about living in Thailand is the weather. The Thais joke they have three seasons - Hot, Hotter and Hottest. It's always hot here. Of course, Thailand has a 'winter' but, in Bangkok, it normally lasts for about three days and the heat only falls to a temperature of around 85 degrees. It's still hot. So, even though many of the Thais are wearing down jackets and sweaters (seriously!), most Westerners will still find it uncomfortable, sweaty and hot. According to the World Metereological Organization, Bangkok is the world's hottest city, so when a Thai tells you they have a winter, don't believe them.
2. The Traffic. The traffic in many Thai cities, but especially in Bangkok, is appalling, and this is probably the biggest disadvantage of living in Thailand for most Westerners. Traffic jams are a daily occurrence and, despite the Thai government saying they are trying to solve the problem, they seem to get worse every year. If I leave my house to go to work at 6am, it takes me less than 15 minutes to get there. If I leave my house at 7:15am, my commute to work now takes 2 hours. The one main street I travel to work on will simply be one huge traffic jam, which barely moves. Bangkok is also gridlocked on every street and every major freeway. Many Thais spend hours every day just sitting in traffic jams. This is also why they will normally organize meetings between 10am and 2pm. It's the only time the traffic isn't horrendous.
3. The Pollution. Bangkok pollution is really bad. It hangs in a gray pall all over the city and never really dissipates. For the first few months I was here, it always seemed difficult to breathe and was a huge disadvantage to my well being. Unfortunately, you do get used to the Bangkok pollution, and now I barely even notice it. My lungs probably do though.
4. Conversation. Most Thais do not speak very much English so conversation is difficult. I work in an office with all Thai employees, (I am the only Westerner), so that can sometimes be a little frustrating when I long for a 'Western conversation'. However, Thais are so nice and friendly, this fact does make up for the lack of Westerners at work.
5. Obtaining Visas and Work Permits. This can be frustrating in Thailand as the rules change all the time. I teach here and all teachers now have to have university degrees and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification, as well as at least 2 years teaching experience. Without this, you cannot get a work permit in Thailand and, even with these qualifications, it requires many trips to immigration before you are completely legal.
Overall, living in Thailand is really wonderful and I do plan on staying here permanently. The above five disadvantages are very frustrating at times, but the advantages so far outweigh the disadvantages, most of the time they are nothing more than a minor nuisance. Sphere: Related Content
Friday, May 29, 2009
Illegal To Use Thai Spouse As Nominee In Land Ownership
Land purchase through Thai spouse forbidden
PHUKET CITY: The director general of the Land Department has reiterated that foreigners using Thai nominees to buy land anywhere in the country will have their land title deeds revoked if caught – even if the nominee in question is a lawfully wedded spouse.
Land Department Director Anuwat Meteewiboonwut made the comments during a recent stop in Phuket as part of a nationwide inspection tour of 30 provinces.
The tour is aimed at improving public services by land officials in three areas: dress, conduct when dealing with the public and working harder to eliminate a backlog of work.
Many members of the public have complained that it takes up to a year to complete a transaction that should only take one day, he said.
Mr Anuwat, a former governor of both Phang Nga and Samut Prakan provinces, said he was satisfied on the first two points, but rated the general level of success among land officials nationwide at speeding up their work rate at “only 30%”.
The next round of inspection tours will come in July, after which time personnel changes will be considered if service does not improve, he said.
“We have to keep pressure on them, otherwise the work will not get done,” he said.
As for foreigners seeking to buy homes in Phuket, they can do so through the Condominium Act, which allows foreign ownership of up to 49% of any project, he said.
Foreigners cannot use a Thai spouse as a nominee to buy property in Thailand, however.
“If the Thai spouse has enough money to buy the house that is fine, but if the Thai has no money and uses money given to him or her by a foreigner to acquire property, that is against the law. If we check and find out later that a Thai person has been using money from a foreigner to buy land anywhere in Thailand, we will revoke title deeds,” he said.
Mr Anuwat said the provisions of [Ministry of Interior] ministerial order 43 makes it difficult to issue land documents quickly, as it requires action from a number of different agencies. Desire for land on the island has also led to encroachment problems here, he said.
As a key market for property companies, Phuket is a constant source of problems and complaints to the director general’s office, he admitted.
“We will try to resolve these problems and develop our personnel continuously in order to provide high quality services. Fortunately the governor of Phuket used to work in the Land Department, so he understands the procedures and can help co-ordinate all the agencies involved,” he said.
Mr Anuwat was speaking of Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop, who served as Land Office director in Nakhon Pathom in 1997 and as deputy director of the Land Department nationwide in 2003.
-- Phuket Gazette 2009-05-27 Sphere: Related Content
PHUKET CITY: The director general of the Land Department has reiterated that foreigners using Thai nominees to buy land anywhere in the country will have their land title deeds revoked if caught – even if the nominee in question is a lawfully wedded spouse.
Land Department Director Anuwat Meteewiboonwut made the comments during a recent stop in Phuket as part of a nationwide inspection tour of 30 provinces.
The tour is aimed at improving public services by land officials in three areas: dress, conduct when dealing with the public and working harder to eliminate a backlog of work.
Many members of the public have complained that it takes up to a year to complete a transaction that should only take one day, he said.
Mr Anuwat, a former governor of both Phang Nga and Samut Prakan provinces, said he was satisfied on the first two points, but rated the general level of success among land officials nationwide at speeding up their work rate at “only 30%”.
The next round of inspection tours will come in July, after which time personnel changes will be considered if service does not improve, he said.
“We have to keep pressure on them, otherwise the work will not get done,” he said.
As for foreigners seeking to buy homes in Phuket, they can do so through the Condominium Act, which allows foreign ownership of up to 49% of any project, he said.
Foreigners cannot use a Thai spouse as a nominee to buy property in Thailand, however.
“If the Thai spouse has enough money to buy the house that is fine, but if the Thai has no money and uses money given to him or her by a foreigner to acquire property, that is against the law. If we check and find out later that a Thai person has been using money from a foreigner to buy land anywhere in Thailand, we will revoke title deeds,” he said.
Mr Anuwat said the provisions of [Ministry of Interior] ministerial order 43 makes it difficult to issue land documents quickly, as it requires action from a number of different agencies. Desire for land on the island has also led to encroachment problems here, he said.
As a key market for property companies, Phuket is a constant source of problems and complaints to the director general’s office, he admitted.
“We will try to resolve these problems and develop our personnel continuously in order to provide high quality services. Fortunately the governor of Phuket used to work in the Land Department, so he understands the procedures and can help co-ordinate all the agencies involved,” he said.
Mr Anuwat was speaking of Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop, who served as Land Office director in Nakhon Pathom in 1997 and as deputy director of the Land Department nationwide in 2003.
-- Phuket Gazette 2009-05-27 Sphere: Related Content
Monday, May 18, 2009
Photos of Our South Pacific Travels
In 2004, during the months of August to December, my wife and I visited many island countries in the South Pacific.
We visited a number of French Islands, including Nouvelle Caledonie (New Caledonia), Wallis Island (part of Wallis and Futuna, and which had incredibly beautiful sea views), Tahiti, and Hiva Oa in the Marquesas (where Gauguin and Jaques Brel are buried). I have stood next to Gauguin's grave and thanked him for his wonderful paintings of the South Seas.
We also visited many English-speaking islands, including Fiji, Western Samoa and American Samoa, Tonga, and Cook Islands (where everyone spoke with a New Zealand accent).
We visited Bali, Indonesia, staying primarily in Ubud, which is renowned for its art, although my wife and daughter did a tour of other parts of the island.
Brunei was small but scenic, and very Muslim.
We also visited Kuching, Malaysia, which was quite pleasant, and were in the air flying to Kuala Lumpur when the tsunami struck. The tsunami did not affect us at all.
We ended our tour in Bangkok, Thailand, in mid-January 2005.
We have many photos of this trip at http://www.thai-software.com/Personal/default.htm; you are welcome to browse the lot. Sphere: Related Content
We visited a number of French Islands, including Nouvelle Caledonie (New Caledonia), Wallis Island (part of Wallis and Futuna, and which had incredibly beautiful sea views), Tahiti, and Hiva Oa in the Marquesas (where Gauguin and Jaques Brel are buried). I have stood next to Gauguin's grave and thanked him for his wonderful paintings of the South Seas.
We also visited many English-speaking islands, including Fiji, Western Samoa and American Samoa, Tonga, and Cook Islands (where everyone spoke with a New Zealand accent).
We visited Bali, Indonesia, staying primarily in Ubud, which is renowned for its art, although my wife and daughter did a tour of other parts of the island.
Brunei was small but scenic, and very Muslim.
We also visited Kuching, Malaysia, which was quite pleasant, and were in the air flying to Kuala Lumpur when the tsunami struck. The tsunami did not affect us at all.
We ended our tour in Bangkok, Thailand, in mid-January 2005.
We have many photos of this trip at http://www.thai-software.com/Personal/default.htm; you are welcome to browse the lot. Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Visa Run to Laos
A few days ago, I made my first visa run to Laos, by bus.
Normally I go to Singapore to get a 60-day tourist visa, but the last time I went, they refused to give me a 60-day visa because I have an open e-ticket back to Canada. They now want a confirmed ticket, and will not accept an open ticket. This is stupid, if you ask me. I told the lady at the front desk that if the violence in Bangkok gets bad, I can phone Air Canada and be on my way next day, so an open ticket is much better than a ticket for a particular date. No dice. So I had to fly back to Bangkok and got the usual 30-day entry at the airport. The entire trip cost me 18,000 baht, counting hotels, flights, meals, taxis, etc. What a waste.
I did a couple of visa runs by bus to Cambodia, and find that a pain in the bum, since you only get 14 days and then have to do it again, and it costs 2000 baht each time.
So this time, I signed up for the bus to Vientiane.
I must say that the service by the visa run company was excellent; the bus (a 40-seater) was full, and it was the same comfortable bus they use for the Cambodia runs, with the same driver. The driver is relatively conservative, seems to be mindful of the fact he's got 40 farangs on board, and is as careful a driver as you would want.
The bus left PB Tower on Sukhumvit Soi 71 exactly at 8:30PM.
There was a pee break about an hour later at a service centre, and then another 2 hours later, and so on, throughout the night. These gave the driver a chance to relax a bit, which I thought was a good idea.
Unfortunately, I have never been able to sleep on a bus or airplane, and this trip was no exception. While my seat mate happily snored away the night, I sat there bleary eyed, shifting in my seat periodically as my bum got sore. I appreciated the rest breaks as well.
A DVD movie was played at the start of the trip, but after it finished, it was after 11PM, so no more movies were shown.
We arrived at the border early, before 6:30. I watched the sun come up. We had to sit around for a while until the border office opened, and then one of the bus company ladies got all our passports processed. She had previously collected them on the bus.
After being stamped out of Thailand, we took 3 mini-buses (vans) across the bridge (Mekong River) into Laos, where again we waited while the lady got our passports processed by Lao immigration. In less than an hour, we took the mini-buses into Vientiane, and arrived at the street for the Thai Embassy about 7:30 or 7:40 AM. There were already at least 200 people lined up along the sidewalk, and it was hot.
The embassy gates opened about 8:15 AM, and we all filed into the embassy compound. There was a ticket machine at the front, and we joined the queue.
However, our erstwhile visa run lady ushered us up the stairs into an air-conditioned area and handed out low-numbered tickets from the machine. Our numbers started around 95, whereas the people at the ticket machine were getting tickets numbered over 350. So I presume she had some contact in Vientiane who stood at the beginning of the line at the gates at an early hour, and then passed the tickets to her when she arrived an hour or more later.
The ticket numbers were called out over the public address system in both Thai and English, and repeated once: "Ticket number 37, please proceed to counter number 2".
I soon noticed that there was no pause in the number callout, the announcements came non-stop, and soon reached the 80s. We all rushed downstairs to the counters and were there when our numbers came up. But the numbers just kept on rolling by. Our lady collected our passports and tickets, and lined them all up along the counter, and then told us to go wait in the other building.
Over there, we found there were four more counters, numbered 3 through 6, but only one, counter 4, was active, and there were at least 100 people waiting, sitting on chairs. This waiting room was also air conditioned.
Again, the numbers were called out, but this time there were big gaps between, and there was a substantial pause after each number was called. When a number was called, a person went up to counter 4, received a paper receipt, and then exited stage left.
After every batch of 10 or 12 numbers, there was a 5 or 6 minute delay. That was when I noticed that the Thai lady behind the counter was printing out and then separating the receipts. Clearly, the passports and applications were being processed in the other building, entered into a computer, and then the receipt was printed in this building at counter 4.
After about 30 or 40 minutes, my number was called; I went up to the counter, got my receipt and exited. The guy next to me had a lower number, but his number was not called, so he got a little upset and went up to the counter, where the lady told him to wait.
I went out the exit, and there was my visa run lady collecting the receipts, and then ushering us over to one of the vans. My receipt had shown "60 days double entry tourist visa" and "fee: $0", so I was happy.
The van took us to a local restaurant where we had a Thai/Lao food breakfast or brunch of fried rice and whatever. This was free, paid for by the visa run company, but soft drinks were 20 baht extra.
In Laos, you can use Lao kip, Thai baht, and US dollars interchangeably. If you pay in Thai baht, you get change in Thai baht. If you pay in US dollars, you get change in Lao kip, which, like Cambodian currency, has very high denominations and no value. A Pepsi was 20 baht, which was reasonable, but no diet drinks were available. By the way, ATM machines in Laos only dispense Lao kip.
After brunch, we were taken by van to the hotel, which turned out to be quite acceptable, maybe 2.5 stars. There was no pool, just a room, but it was a big room, private bathroom, and cable or satellite TV with many Thai, a few Lao, and some movie channels, including HBO and Star Movies.
The bathroom was typical Thai-style, with no shower stall or bath, and a shower head on the wall. There was a flash water heater which worked, and the toilet worked. The towels were large, red, fluffy, and obviously new.
I had paid an extra 200 baht at the front desk for a private room. The visa run fee of 5000 baht includes a shared room (2 per room). The fee will increase to 6000 baht after the free tourist visa promotion ends June 5.
In bed by 1PM in the afternoon, I slept for several hours, got up, showered, watched a movie, then went out in search of dinner. I walked up and down the main street near the hotel, but there was nothing appealing. However, the office complex 20 meters from the hotel had a restaurant, so I went in there and found 5 other farangs from the visa run also there. The food was good, the prices were not expensive, and I was able to pay with Thai baht. The young lady behind the bar was probably the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on, and I have been to Thailand off and on for 20 years. She made me wish I was 25 again.
Next day, I had breakfast at the same restaurant, and then around 1PM, we piled into the vans again and were taken to the border. There are a lot of "duty free" shops at the border. We waited about 45 minutes or so, and then the visa run lady showed up, and we all went through Immigration with the Lao border people just looking at us, not asking to see our passports, which the visa run lady had.
Back across the bridge to Thailand, where we waited another 45 minutes or so, then it was back on the bus for the return trip. Within an hour, we stopped at a restaurant, where we had another Thai meal, again free, soft drinks extra, 20 baht.
The return trip seemed much faster, as several DVD movies were played, which occupies the time and the mind.
We arrived back in Bangkok at 1:30 AM. You can get dropped off anywhere along the route; some exited at Ramkhamhaeng. I waited until the end, which is just beside Ekamai BTS station, where I quickly discovered that the BTS was closed. An 80 baht taxi ride later, I was home again.
Would I do it again? Definitely, yes. The whole process was pretty much automatic. The company took care of everything. You do have to book a seat in advance, though. One farang apparently called to find out the price and time, showed up and was angry that there was no seat for him. But he had not made a reservation, had not left his name or phone number, so was out of luck. Of course, he had left it until the last day of his visa, so he would have to leave the next day somehow and pay the 500 baht overstay fee.
To summarize: you leave at 8:30PM, spend a night on the bus. Then it's half a day waiting around, with brunch included. Check into the hotel, sleep a bit or, if you have the stamina, explore Vientiane. Not much there, though. Have dinner, sleep one night at the hotel. Next day, wait around for a morning or visit Vientiane, then bus it back to Bangkok, arriving about 1:30 AM.
If you want to do this yourself, the company I used was "Quick Thai Visa Run", 6th floor, PB Tower, Sukhumvit Soi 71. The contact is Phillip, who speaks perfect English, at 02-713-2498 (office hours) or 09-0245-255 (24 hours). They have a web site at www.ThaiVisaRun.com, but it hasn't been updated in a while, and only mentions their Cambodia run, not the Laos run. Sphere: Related Content
Normally I go to Singapore to get a 60-day tourist visa, but the last time I went, they refused to give me a 60-day visa because I have an open e-ticket back to Canada. They now want a confirmed ticket, and will not accept an open ticket. This is stupid, if you ask me. I told the lady at the front desk that if the violence in Bangkok gets bad, I can phone Air Canada and be on my way next day, so an open ticket is much better than a ticket for a particular date. No dice. So I had to fly back to Bangkok and got the usual 30-day entry at the airport. The entire trip cost me 18,000 baht, counting hotels, flights, meals, taxis, etc. What a waste.
I did a couple of visa runs by bus to Cambodia, and find that a pain in the bum, since you only get 14 days and then have to do it again, and it costs 2000 baht each time.
So this time, I signed up for the bus to Vientiane.
I must say that the service by the visa run company was excellent; the bus (a 40-seater) was full, and it was the same comfortable bus they use for the Cambodia runs, with the same driver. The driver is relatively conservative, seems to be mindful of the fact he's got 40 farangs on board, and is as careful a driver as you would want.
The bus left PB Tower on Sukhumvit Soi 71 exactly at 8:30PM.
There was a pee break about an hour later at a service centre, and then another 2 hours later, and so on, throughout the night. These gave the driver a chance to relax a bit, which I thought was a good idea.
Unfortunately, I have never been able to sleep on a bus or airplane, and this trip was no exception. While my seat mate happily snored away the night, I sat there bleary eyed, shifting in my seat periodically as my bum got sore. I appreciated the rest breaks as well.
A DVD movie was played at the start of the trip, but after it finished, it was after 11PM, so no more movies were shown.
We arrived at the border early, before 6:30. I watched the sun come up. We had to sit around for a while until the border office opened, and then one of the bus company ladies got all our passports processed. She had previously collected them on the bus.
After being stamped out of Thailand, we took 3 mini-buses (vans) across the bridge (Mekong River) into Laos, where again we waited while the lady got our passports processed by Lao immigration. In less than an hour, we took the mini-buses into Vientiane, and arrived at the street for the Thai Embassy about 7:30 or 7:40 AM. There were already at least 200 people lined up along the sidewalk, and it was hot.
The embassy gates opened about 8:15 AM, and we all filed into the embassy compound. There was a ticket machine at the front, and we joined the queue.
However, our erstwhile visa run lady ushered us up the stairs into an air-conditioned area and handed out low-numbered tickets from the machine. Our numbers started around 95, whereas the people at the ticket machine were getting tickets numbered over 350. So I presume she had some contact in Vientiane who stood at the beginning of the line at the gates at an early hour, and then passed the tickets to her when she arrived an hour or more later.
The ticket numbers were called out over the public address system in both Thai and English, and repeated once: "Ticket number 37, please proceed to counter number 2".
I soon noticed that there was no pause in the number callout, the announcements came non-stop, and soon reached the 80s. We all rushed downstairs to the counters and were there when our numbers came up. But the numbers just kept on rolling by. Our lady collected our passports and tickets, and lined them all up along the counter, and then told us to go wait in the other building.
Over there, we found there were four more counters, numbered 3 through 6, but only one, counter 4, was active, and there were at least 100 people waiting, sitting on chairs. This waiting room was also air conditioned.
Again, the numbers were called out, but this time there were big gaps between, and there was a substantial pause after each number was called. When a number was called, a person went up to counter 4, received a paper receipt, and then exited stage left.
After every batch of 10 or 12 numbers, there was a 5 or 6 minute delay. That was when I noticed that the Thai lady behind the counter was printing out and then separating the receipts. Clearly, the passports and applications were being processed in the other building, entered into a computer, and then the receipt was printed in this building at counter 4.
After about 30 or 40 minutes, my number was called; I went up to the counter, got my receipt and exited. The guy next to me had a lower number, but his number was not called, so he got a little upset and went up to the counter, where the lady told him to wait.
I went out the exit, and there was my visa run lady collecting the receipts, and then ushering us over to one of the vans. My receipt had shown "60 days double entry tourist visa" and "fee: $0", so I was happy.
The van took us to a local restaurant where we had a Thai/Lao food breakfast or brunch of fried rice and whatever. This was free, paid for by the visa run company, but soft drinks were 20 baht extra.
In Laos, you can use Lao kip, Thai baht, and US dollars interchangeably. If you pay in Thai baht, you get change in Thai baht. If you pay in US dollars, you get change in Lao kip, which, like Cambodian currency, has very high denominations and no value. A Pepsi was 20 baht, which was reasonable, but no diet drinks were available. By the way, ATM machines in Laos only dispense Lao kip.
After brunch, we were taken by van to the hotel, which turned out to be quite acceptable, maybe 2.5 stars. There was no pool, just a room, but it was a big room, private bathroom, and cable or satellite TV with many Thai, a few Lao, and some movie channels, including HBO and Star Movies.
The bathroom was typical Thai-style, with no shower stall or bath, and a shower head on the wall. There was a flash water heater which worked, and the toilet worked. The towels were large, red, fluffy, and obviously new.
I had paid an extra 200 baht at the front desk for a private room. The visa run fee of 5000 baht includes a shared room (2 per room). The fee will increase to 6000 baht after the free tourist visa promotion ends June 5.
In bed by 1PM in the afternoon, I slept for several hours, got up, showered, watched a movie, then went out in search of dinner. I walked up and down the main street near the hotel, but there was nothing appealing. However, the office complex 20 meters from the hotel had a restaurant, so I went in there and found 5 other farangs from the visa run also there. The food was good, the prices were not expensive, and I was able to pay with Thai baht. The young lady behind the bar was probably the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on, and I have been to Thailand off and on for 20 years. She made me wish I was 25 again.
Next day, I had breakfast at the same restaurant, and then around 1PM, we piled into the vans again and were taken to the border. There are a lot of "duty free" shops at the border. We waited about 45 minutes or so, and then the visa run lady showed up, and we all went through Immigration with the Lao border people just looking at us, not asking to see our passports, which the visa run lady had.
Back across the bridge to Thailand, where we waited another 45 minutes or so, then it was back on the bus for the return trip. Within an hour, we stopped at a restaurant, where we had another Thai meal, again free, soft drinks extra, 20 baht.
The return trip seemed much faster, as several DVD movies were played, which occupies the time and the mind.
We arrived back in Bangkok at 1:30 AM. You can get dropped off anywhere along the route; some exited at Ramkhamhaeng. I waited until the end, which is just beside Ekamai BTS station, where I quickly discovered that the BTS was closed. An 80 baht taxi ride later, I was home again.
Would I do it again? Definitely, yes. The whole process was pretty much automatic. The company took care of everything. You do have to book a seat in advance, though. One farang apparently called to find out the price and time, showed up and was angry that there was no seat for him. But he had not made a reservation, had not left his name or phone number, so was out of luck. Of course, he had left it until the last day of his visa, so he would have to leave the next day somehow and pay the 500 baht overstay fee.
To summarize: you leave at 8:30PM, spend a night on the bus. Then it's half a day waiting around, with brunch included. Check into the hotel, sleep a bit or, if you have the stamina, explore Vientiane. Not much there, though. Have dinner, sleep one night at the hotel. Next day, wait around for a morning or visit Vientiane, then bus it back to Bangkok, arriving about 1:30 AM.
If you want to do this yourself, the company I used was "Quick Thai Visa Run", 6th floor, PB Tower, Sukhumvit Soi 71. The contact is Phillip, who speaks perfect English, at 02-713-2498 (office hours) or 09-0245-255 (24 hours). They have a web site at www.ThaiVisaRun.com, but it hasn't been updated in a while, and only mentions their Cambodia run, not the Laos run. Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Songkran and Time for Another Coup
It's Songkran here now, Thai New Year, when people throw water and smear powder on your cheeks for good luck. However, many people have gone back to their villages to be with their families, so the streets are empty and there are no traffic jams.
There are now 3 mobs of people protesting. The red shirts, supporters of Thaksin, are protesting the current government and succeeded in embarrassing Thailand and closing the ASEAN Summit. The government has declared a State of Emergency, and I got a notice from the Canadian Department of External Affairs (I registered with them) warning me to be cautious and to notify any other Canadians. The blue shirts are a new unknown group who attacked the red shirts with sticks and beat them. The yellow shirts support Sondhi who wants to change the parliamentary system to have half the seats appointed by government. They call themselves the People's Alliance for Democracy, but what they want is to kill democracy.
The red shirts are supporters of Thaksin's party, which handed out money to the poor provinces for infrastructure; Isaan and the NW (Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai) got a lot of money, which was far in excess of anything the government had done previously. Thaksin is from Chiang Mai. The poor provinces total 30 million people and make up almost half the Thai population, but the government would prefer they go away. Thaksin helped them, they voted his party into power, which upset the ruling class ... the royalty and the business people. This is why Sondhi, who is a rich business man, wants to kill half of parliament, to make sure it doesn't happen again.
But Thaksin did some stupid things, including setting up a dummy company in the Caribbean to avoid paying Thai taxes, and selling Shinawatra Corp, which he owned personally, to the Singapore government. Shinawatra owns Thailand's only satellite, and all Thai government communications, and military communications, as well as many private (business and personal) are funnelled trough that satellite. This upset the military, who did not want Singapore to be able to access their secret messages. All communications are encoded, of course, but with enough horsepower, anything can be broken.
The poor people are all over Bangkok, in the low-paying jobs: waiters and waitresses, taxi drivers, construction workers, etc. They are like Mexicans in the US, everywhere, invisible, and the country would fall apart if they are not there. The taxi drivers blocked major intersections a few days ago, in support of the red shirts, and Thaksin has been making videos which are played to huge crowds of red shirts.
I expect there will either be a coup or another military intervention or the resignation of the government in the next couple of weeks.
Such is life in Thailand. Sphere: Related Content
There are now 3 mobs of people protesting. The red shirts, supporters of Thaksin, are protesting the current government and succeeded in embarrassing Thailand and closing the ASEAN Summit. The government has declared a State of Emergency, and I got a notice from the Canadian Department of External Affairs (I registered with them) warning me to be cautious and to notify any other Canadians. The blue shirts are a new unknown group who attacked the red shirts with sticks and beat them. The yellow shirts support Sondhi who wants to change the parliamentary system to have half the seats appointed by government. They call themselves the People's Alliance for Democracy, but what they want is to kill democracy.
The red shirts are supporters of Thaksin's party, which handed out money to the poor provinces for infrastructure; Isaan and the NW (Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai) got a lot of money, which was far in excess of anything the government had done previously. Thaksin is from Chiang Mai. The poor provinces total 30 million people and make up almost half the Thai population, but the government would prefer they go away. Thaksin helped them, they voted his party into power, which upset the ruling class ... the royalty and the business people. This is why Sondhi, who is a rich business man, wants to kill half of parliament, to make sure it doesn't happen again.
But Thaksin did some stupid things, including setting up a dummy company in the Caribbean to avoid paying Thai taxes, and selling Shinawatra Corp, which he owned personally, to the Singapore government. Shinawatra owns Thailand's only satellite, and all Thai government communications, and military communications, as well as many private (business and personal) are funnelled trough that satellite. This upset the military, who did not want Singapore to be able to access their secret messages. All communications are encoded, of course, but with enough horsepower, anything can be broken.
The poor people are all over Bangkok, in the low-paying jobs: waiters and waitresses, taxi drivers, construction workers, etc. They are like Mexicans in the US, everywhere, invisible, and the country would fall apart if they are not there. The taxi drivers blocked major intersections a few days ago, in support of the red shirts, and Thaksin has been making videos which are played to huge crowds of red shirts.
I expect there will either be a coup or another military intervention or the resignation of the government in the next couple of weeks.
Such is life in Thailand. Sphere: Related Content
Yet Another Cambodia Visa Run
Although I swore I would never do it again, I made another visa run to Cambodia by bus. The one I use leaves from the coffee shop opposite Ekamai Bus Station at Sukhumvit Soi 31. It leaves at 9:30 AM, which is an OK time for me, and returns about 7PM the same day. It costs 2000 baht, and you need your passport (of course), 2 passport photos, plus a photocopy of the ID page of your passport.
It's one day, there and back by bus. It's a big tour bus, but no toilet, but they do play DVDs. It's 4.5 hours there, 1 hour at the border, 4.5 hours back, more or less depending on traffic.
It's hard on the bum. There is a toilet break half way both directions, and they feed you a free lunch. It costs 2000 baht which is about Cdn$72 currently. Half goes to the Cambodian government for a 30 day visa which is issued and then immediately cancelled. The bad news is that this visa takes up a whole page in your passport, it's not just a stamp.
Coming back into Thailand, they give you only a 14 day visa. It used to be 30 days and an unlimited number of entries; now it's 14 days and a max of 3 entries. While Thailand desperately needs tourists and the Tourist Association of Thailand is advertising worldwide, the Immigration Dept is making it more difficult. It's the Thai way.
Cambodia is dirt poor, literally.
The village at the border has no paved roads. There are always a dozen or more children begging for money. One of the little girls that I gave some money to a couple of years ago, when she was 7, is now about 9, I think.
Two years ago, when I gave her about $1, and some other kids lesser amounts, they all ran over to the local shop and bought potato chips and gum and candy, so I don't give them money any more.
The kids go to school (I asked) but learn only pissah khmen (Khmer), no Thai, no English, at least at that age. However, the kids understand and speak some Thai, which is what I use, and the 9 year old girl now understands and speaks some English, which she apparently taught herself in the few brief moments while trying to wheedle money out of the farangs. Poor, yes, stupid, no.
The kids call me "papa", which is the word they use for all old guys. The kids are downright cute, I can understand why people want to adopt them. I believe Angelina Jolie adopted a Cambodian boy after making Tomb Raider there.
Two years ago, when tanks rolled into BKK, the military closed all borders and people were stranded for a week. I was praying that would not happen again, and it didn't.
The worst part, other than the long sitting, and the often crappy movies, is the toilets at the highway rest stops (gasoline stations with an attached market), which are awful. First thing I do back in Bangkok is walk to the Landmark Hotel and use their toilet. Last night I also had dinner at the Landmark's Huntsman's Pub in the basement, something I rarely do because it charges Western prices. However, I needed real Western food, other than hamburgers and KFC, and so had an English meal: pork chop, baked potato, apple sauce, carrots and peas, and a Yorkshire pudding (not as good as my mother's, though). But the Coke Zero was 106 baht (more than $3) and the entire dinner cost 455 baht (an arm and a leg). I often eat from a street vendor for 40 baht, and did so tonight.
I hate this trip and each time vow never to do it again, but it's cheap, and I needed a delay until I get my new software product done. I have to leave Thailand again on the 26th.
Surprisingly, the day after the trip, I always suffer from "bus lag"; I am always exhausted, no energy, short attention span, sleep a lot. Sphere: Related Content
It's one day, there and back by bus. It's a big tour bus, but no toilet, but they do play DVDs. It's 4.5 hours there, 1 hour at the border, 4.5 hours back, more or less depending on traffic.
It's hard on the bum. There is a toilet break half way both directions, and they feed you a free lunch. It costs 2000 baht which is about Cdn$72 currently. Half goes to the Cambodian government for a 30 day visa which is issued and then immediately cancelled. The bad news is that this visa takes up a whole page in your passport, it's not just a stamp.
Coming back into Thailand, they give you only a 14 day visa. It used to be 30 days and an unlimited number of entries; now it's 14 days and a max of 3 entries. While Thailand desperately needs tourists and the Tourist Association of Thailand is advertising worldwide, the Immigration Dept is making it more difficult. It's the Thai way.
Cambodia is dirt poor, literally.
The village at the border has no paved roads. There are always a dozen or more children begging for money. One of the little girls that I gave some money to a couple of years ago, when she was 7, is now about 9, I think.
Two years ago, when I gave her about $1, and some other kids lesser amounts, they all ran over to the local shop and bought potato chips and gum and candy, so I don't give them money any more.
The kids go to school (I asked) but learn only pissah khmen (Khmer), no Thai, no English, at least at that age. However, the kids understand and speak some Thai, which is what I use, and the 9 year old girl now understands and speaks some English, which she apparently taught herself in the few brief moments while trying to wheedle money out of the farangs. Poor, yes, stupid, no.
The kids call me "papa", which is the word they use for all old guys. The kids are downright cute, I can understand why people want to adopt them. I believe Angelina Jolie adopted a Cambodian boy after making Tomb Raider there.
Two years ago, when tanks rolled into BKK, the military closed all borders and people were stranded for a week. I was praying that would not happen again, and it didn't.
The worst part, other than the long sitting, and the often crappy movies, is the toilets at the highway rest stops (gasoline stations with an attached market), which are awful. First thing I do back in Bangkok is walk to the Landmark Hotel and use their toilet. Last night I also had dinner at the Landmark's Huntsman's Pub in the basement, something I rarely do because it charges Western prices. However, I needed real Western food, other than hamburgers and KFC, and so had an English meal: pork chop, baked potato, apple sauce, carrots and peas, and a Yorkshire pudding (not as good as my mother's, though). But the Coke Zero was 106 baht (more than $3) and the entire dinner cost 455 baht (an arm and a leg). I often eat from a street vendor for 40 baht, and did so tonight.
I hate this trip and each time vow never to do it again, but it's cheap, and I needed a delay until I get my new software product done. I have to leave Thailand again on the 26th.
Surprisingly, the day after the trip, I always suffer from "bus lag"; I am always exhausted, no energy, short attention span, sleep a lot. Sphere: Related Content
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