Eneukman

Yes, you can - BUT you would need to tie your money up for a fixed period such as 6 months or longer. The standard savings account does pay interest, but at a very low rate. Alan

Most currencies are free to "float" and find their own value on the market. Governments will sometimes intervene to prop up the value of a currency or to try and stop it getting too strong and thus huritng exporters. From - http://www.bangkokbank.com/Bangkok+Bank/Pe...tes/default.htm The TT baht dollar rate is (at 2.00 pm Thai time) ia 34.15 and 69.3575 for sterling. This suggests a dollar - sterling rate of 2.03. If rates get out of synch - say the dollar fell to 2.05 to the £, but other rates remained unchanged, dealers wouold be quick to spot the difference and benefit from it enormously. As for the World Bank, you can read as much or as little) about it as you want here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bank Alan

Basically top marks for over the top sensationalist journalism and the dunce's cap for scoring 1/100 for truth and accurate reporting. Alan

I'd be inclined to ask at one of the proper camera shops in town such as the one in Royal Garden Plaza. Alan

It's been back for a number of days now. There were ways round the ban and I was always able to view YouTube videos. Alan

I was in for a short time last night. It was resonably busy and my first impression was that it was quite a bit larger than its predecessor, but that must just be my memory. They have 2 stages. The main stage had 4 or 5 dancers though it could probably accommodate up to 7 or 8 easily enough. The smaller stage had one dancer. The music was pretty crap, but as it wasn't loud it was bearable. Some nice looking girls in the line up. Sangsom coke was pretty standard at 95 baht with lady drinks seemingly priced at 99 baht. I don't know what the barfine was, but assume it to be the standard 500/600 baht. Some dancers were wearing a one piece costume, which just about covers the arse at the bacl and at the front divides into two just about covering the girls' nipples. Most though were wearing bra and panties. There were no shows when I was in last night, but once the current clampdown eases, I would expect them to be introduced. The walk from Walking Street itself into the bar was further than I remembered from when it was Honey. Overall, I think Sisterz has the potential to become one of the top go-gos in town. Alan

What Joe says may sound unbelievable, but it is the reality of life in Thailand. As Joe says, get a visa if visiting on a regular basis or are staying for more than 30 days. It will save you a lot of hassle. Just remember to check the date you're stamped in until immediately after you passport has been handed back to you. it is far easier to correct mistakes on the spot than later. Alan

Try the pharmacist next to Tim's Beer Bar - opposite Soi 12. Generic Cialis is 500 baht for a pack of 4. The real thing is, I think, 1,000 baht for a pack of 4. Alan

There's an east European guy (Russian?) who lives in View Talay 2 with his foreign wife and 3 young children. I don't know how old he is but he could easily be 50. His children are all young with the youngest being only 2 or 3 at the most. I don't know what sort of visa he has, but if he has a retirement visa, this will affect him. Whilst I don't have a problem with Thailand laying down the rules on the criteria you have to meet to be allowed to stay in Thailand on a permanent or semi-permanent basis, this does seem to me to be a step too far. Alan

More bad news for foreigners living in Thailand. From ThaiVisa - "No More Dependent Extension Of Stay If The Host Foreigner Has A Retirement Extension Of Stay Permit and Map required If a foreigner has been granted a extension of stay based on retirement, until now as per 7.19 of the Royal Police Office Order 606/2006 his or her foreign dependent ( Wife or husband, child, father, mother) could get a extension of stay by being a dependent. As of Sept 1st, no more dependent extension of stay permits will be issued if the foreigner has a extension of stay based on retirement. This includes any “grandfather” cases where the dependent applicant had the extension of stay before Sept 1st 2007. Example. A foreigner husband is 53 years old and has a extension of stay based on retirement. His wife is Japanese and they live together in Thailand. She is 43 years old and now cannot get a extension of stay as a dependent. Even if she was 51 years old, she does not qualify. She must meet her own set of criteria and not piggyback off her husbands retirement extension of stay permit. If she is over 50 years old, she can get a extension of stay based on retirement but must have her own 800K sent from outside the country to her bank account or qualify by having a pension of 65K per month. Example: A foreigner has two children that are not Thai nationals. They are 16 years old and 12 years old. They can no longer be a dependent to obtain a extension of stay permit by having a father who is over 50 years old. They possibly can get a extension of stay permit or visa on a different criteria. Perhaps they will qualify as a educational extension of stay permit. This National Police Order will be dated Sept 1st 2007 and will be published in the Gazette in the next 10 days. However this order is effective immediately. This could be a U-turn next week but the odds are very high, this will continued to be the new law and interpretation. If you are applying for the extension of stay based on retirement. You now need to provide a map from Immigration to your house." http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=140252 The bit about having to provide a map seems a bit over the top. No problem for me, but I'm sure that many people living in a remote village will find this very difficult. Alan

Whilst that may work to some people's advantage, there are still many of us who have no choice but to take a connecting flight to a larger airport. Somehow, I don't see any airline starting a direct flight to Bangkok from either Edinburgh or Glasgow. When I go back home, I have no alternative but to fly to somewhere like Amsterdam ot heathrow and fly on to Edinburgh from there. I have no real wish to fly to Glasgow, as I will be staying on the east coast of Scotland and I would have to get into the centre of Glasgow and take 2 trains before being picked up and driven the last 15 miles or so. Flying to Edinburgh, I can take the airport bus into the centre of Edinburgh, cross the road to the station and take just one train. Alan

There's a new Mexican restaurant on Thappraya Road - just past the Hanaman Statue and the Paragon Estate Agent's shop. I've no idea what the food is like. Alan

How old are you snowman? If you're 50 or over, you may be able to qualify for a retirement visa. Alan

sounds good

Your assumption is correct, but many of us didn't have any private medical insurance cover before moving to Thailand. I certainly didn't. I was diagnosed as having high blood pressure 5 years ago - 200/150. The medication I was put on quickly brought it under control and I have just started cutting my pills into 4 rather than 2 (half of what I used to take in the UK). My wrist monitor has just given me a reading of 113/71, with a pulse rateof 60. That is pretty good and if I can maintain that for another month or two, I may try to stop taking the pills altogether, though I would monitor my blood pressure carefully for some time before being totally satisfied that I no longer need any medication. I don't know whether no longer needing any medication would mean that I would in future be covered for strokes and heart conditions. I susect that I would need to be off the medication for at least 1 year and maybe 2 years before being covered, if at all. Alan

From a quick look, the cost for 1 1/2 million baht cover seems to be very similar to the scheme provided through the Pattaya Ex-Pats Club. This policy eill only psy up to 6,000 baht per day for your room, which isn't much help if you're in the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital as the daily room charge there is, I believe, in excess of 12,000 baht. You would have to pay the difference yourself. The Pattaya Ex-Pats Club policy has a similar problem. Alan

When you talk about a visa, do you mean the standard 30 day stamp in your passport? This is not a visa. You are allowed to stay 90 days out of 180 days without a visa, doing 2 successive visa runs. So thaat shouldn't be a problem. Are you planning on returning to the USA from Bangkok? If not, then you are likely to have a problem when you check in as your airline may not let you fly unless you have an onward ticket or a visa. Returning to Thailand from Shanghai and Australia shouldn't be a problem but you may need to produce your onward ticket out of Thailand. Immigration in Thailand may also ask to see the return portion of your ticket, in which case you may have a problem if it is dated more than 30 days after your arrival. Alan

This is what I did. Before I retired to live here, I had the address on my Nationwide accounts changed to my brother's address. Statements are sent to him monthly as normal. I could actually cancel the paper statements if I so wished. In addition, I also opened an account offshore with Nationwide Isle of Man. I can do virtually everything on line but the Nationwide Isle of Man have a note of my address in Thailand as otherwise they would have to deduct EU withholding tax. Any mail still goes to my brother though. Alan

And he's told them all not to accept a satang less than 2,000 baht from you for lt. Alan

I'll look in at some point, but will reserve my judgement on it until it has had a chance to settle down and Ricky has sorted out the inevitable teething difficulties. Alan

And the music did my bloody head in when I was in!!!! Alan

Good luck with your new venture, Adam. Alan

Don't forget to report or you will be fined 2,000 baht AND get your passport stamped. I know this from experience. I always try to go a few days early just to be on the safe side. Alan

If this girl doesn't want to be barfined, then she should perhaps be given a job as a service girl - presumably with a lower rate of pay. Alan

What's wrong with barfining sisters? I've done it once though for obvious reasons, they didn't interact with each other. Alan