2 slices short

... and you have no idea what was in the container, or what I did .... so I'll return the favour and call you FULL OF SHIT There are right ways and wrong ways to do it. There are also some other requirements that can help. I was lucky enough to have a friend put me in contact with a Customs official. You can read all the publiushed BS 'till you go blue in the face, wont help (to paraphrase her words). Cheers : Admiral Ken PS what have you managed to import without any duty other than a suitcase?

Yamaha Waverunner VX Sport 2009 model. Excellent mechanical condition only 80 hours approx. Serviced and maintained as a private toy. No longer needed as selling business and moving, no large water deposits anywhere near where I'm going. Cheaper than renting from Beach Rd. Has some minor scratches and blemishes but we can arrange to fix these or leave them there so you can claim repairs from your future customers. This is the 1100cc model and it is NOT for the weak hearted. Trust me, falling off at speed BLOODY WELL HURTS. The new models are over 500K now and will not get cheaper 320K or reasonable offer. Unreasonable offers and/or comments will be simply ignored. Contact Ken 0853897055 or ken@kgb.asia Beer-holder included Pirate uniform extra (makes you feel like you belong with the jetski operators on Beach Rd)

To cut a long story short ---- dont bother. I left a Jaguar XJ40 Sovereign and a Ford Carpri soft-top in Oz due to the crazy import taxes. I also managed to import a 40' container FULL of personal item into the country with ZERO taxes, legally, so I'm no mug when it comes to working out the ways around the system. Simple fact is that car import is too hard unless you have the required contacts in customs and even with those it's still difficult as you will get nailed later on with registration/insurance etc etc etc Cheers : Admiral Ken

Send her to "The Fountain of Life" Nakluea (Soi 25 but I may be wrong. They offer free Englsh lessons and the environment is good for learning as she will be ecouraged by many others. She should also have no problems finding someone there with appropriate skills to serve as an interpreter. Cheers : Admiral Ken

Happy Birthday Paul. See you around 9 Cheers : Admiral Ken

Try this one: easy to use, does bulk conversion and free. Use the 600x800 setting for most forums. http://bluefive.pair.com/pixresizer.htm Cheers : Admiral Ken

Mr T still doing business, best ways to contatct him are via email or just call him (phone) Have booked him for friends about 10 times in the last few months and everyone was happy with his service. Cheers : Admiral Ken

Wouldn't be the first AV software to cause these sorts of problems - and you can bet it wont be the last. Some friends have had lots of success with Avast (free also) and I usually recommend this as I've had no negative replies in quite a few years. Personnaly I have a lifetime corporate license for Norton's but wouldn;t use their retail version to save my own life. One of the "other" suppliers in the top 3 has a serious bloat-ware issue and having worked closely with them I am reluctant to recommend them. Essentially none of the "majors" have a perfect solution (and an obvious vested interest in continuing that scenario). Free software has to earn its reputation and whilst not always the best choice my experience in this would still lead to Avast. (Note that "Corporate" and "Retail" versions are VERY DIFFERENT ANIMALS - Corporate customers are completely intolerant as a rule and the quailty is reflected in the Corporate versions) One thing that you need to understand is that AV software works by "reading" every file that works it's way onto your system and comparing the WHOLE file with a HUGE list of matching characters. Imagine reading a book with a list of random dictionary words and seeing if ANY of them are contained in the book - anywhere. This happens with every file on your computer (OK there are some exceptions but we'll kepp the explanation in layman's terms). Given the amount of work involved there is considerable overhead added to your computer. This can cause the obvious problem of delays but in some instances it can cause other problems when certain items are not available for the computer to use and in a 'worst case' scenario can cause all sorts of problems. The best solution at this stage is "kick the tyres" and try a new AV suite. If it works, great, if not, NEXT. (Sort of like barfining) Give me a call when you're in town and I may be able to offer some other assistance. Cheers : Admiral Ken PS my client has re-installed everything and whilst the situation has improved it's still not 100%. I'll get her to try the AV soluton tomorrow and see what happens - problem is that I'm reluctant to aduse this for inexperienced operators (like her) and a large business database at risk.

Chatkeow, Did you recently do an upgrade to FF10 and an upgrade to Wundows? If so, I can confirm that there is definately an issue with this combination (and apparently the presence of some other software) but we as yet haven't narrowed it down. One of my clients (from my eCommerce business in Australia) has this problem and we are still trying to solve it. A few things to try: copy your bookmarks and any data you wish to retain to Chrome REMOVE Firefox completely. Including any addons. Do a fresh install of Firefox using the previous version (V9) Check operation without addons. If OK proceed to put back any addons (a few at a time, retesting after each group) Good luck. Unfortunately trying to unwind the Windows update will probably cause more problems than it's worth unless you have a backup to restore. Going back to a restore point is NOT the same. I've got to the point that I infrequently update Windows as the updates usually just update all the bugs in Windows and frequently adds a few extras for fun, If we find the issue in Oz I'll post back here and would appreciate the same if you find the combination that is causing this. Cheers : Admiral Ken

Love it ---- after thousands of flights I must admit to never seeing that! Qantas could learn a lot from this guy. Cheers : Admiral Ken

Try the jet-ski operators on Beach Rd, they seem to have an overabundance of them. Maybe they can get you a letter from the Mayor or Police Chief to certify their authenticity too Cheers : Admiral Ken

I'm sure that for a small fee they'll give them back .... that is how it works !? ... isn't it ??? Cheers : Admiral Ken

Shamus, as embassies tend to be constrained by a tight set of rules I can understand their inability in some cases to assist on a technical point but unfortunately most of these places are manned by people who dont really give a toss about anyone (not restricted to Norway I'm certain). Have you tried contacting one of the many Norwegian communitiy/resorts around Pattaya to see if they can offer assistance or evenjust help by putting some notices in their villages to request help. I thnk you're far more likely to get quality assistance from one of his countrymen than a group of 'disparate tail chasers'. If you don't know of any of these places PM me and I'll give you some contacts. We have a number of groups and villages that use our business regularly. There may even be a Norwegian doctor lving amongst them. There are also a number of biker groups that may be willing to assist. Cheers : Admiral Ken PS I've got to ask : Gourmet catering AND septic tank cleaning WTF

If the software that you have (Photoshop Elements 9) is a legal copy then you are permitted to seek out and obtain a copy. Lots of places like Piratebay and the like supply 'torrents' which will allow you to obtain copies of the software so you can re-install it later. If your copy is not legal then you are not entitled to copy the software and you would be committing a copyright infringement by doing so (along with the millions of other people who do it each day). The other alternative is to copy the files from the 'Program Files' directory and any other directory used solely by 'Elements' onto a separate drive, You must however be cautious to NOT change any registry entries or run any registry cleanup / general cleanup software(anti-virus is OK) or it will not function when you put it back. You cannot use this method to transfer the software to another machine, only to store it elsewhere to free up space. Cheers : Admiral Ken PS This advice is to aid you in your situation NOT to recommend or condone the use of pirated software. Having said that I'm not sure about recent IP legislation in the 'land of the long white cloud'. You could also ask whoever installed it for a copy of the software

Just read through mine and it appears that there is no exclusion in my policy for learners, or drivers under supervision. Given the usual reaction of insurance companies iei "any way we can weasle out of paying will do", I wouldn't take the risk. I'd also make sure that the company teaching her and supplying the vehicle offer a waiver for her responsibility whilst she is under their care and instruction or you could still get stuck with the bill. As usual, remember ONLY Thai law and customs apply here and not any other countries (regarless of what some may wish). Cheers : Admiral Ken PS Will be looking around for a place for the GF soon so any help appreciated. She tells me there are also driving schools on Pattaya Tai and Jomtien which offer a fixed number of lessons with traing and assistance to get a license. What I liked with one of them was thay also offer an extension of the lessons until they consider the proficiency sufficient to pass. Problem is that passing a license test here doesn't mean they are ever going to be reasonable drivers.

Another potentially good thread, fucked by the resident know it all. Give it up Joe, this time you're WAY out of your depth. You asked me before why I didn't refute your comments - reason: most of them, like usual, don't actually say anything. Your posts are the equivalent of verbal diarrhea, there is no information there other than a set of random points that frequently don't even coalesce into an idea and on many occasions express multiple points of view so you can later come back and choose which side of your own argument that you wish to support in your (self appointed) role as antagonist. By the way, look up 'ether' on your search thingy and try to read what I write. Actually try to read what the OP wrote too. ... and your translation of this becomes ... I dont see any mention of credit cards, nor danger, nor safety actually none of what you write is related to the OP. My response was partially in respone to the 'unbreakability' part of his question (ie it's not relevant because the unencrypted data is normally readily available) and in response to some of Frostie's comments. The bottom line is that the encryption is 'irrelevant'. The 'weak points' in the system have nothing to do with encryption. The weak points are where the data is stored or where the data is used and the weak links are the people responsible for the storage of the data. I must admit I got a chuckle out of the following: This just proves that you have no bloody idea whatsoever. Cryptography is a science, based in pure mathematics. Data is fed in one end of an algorithm and spat out the other end. For any given algorithm the output for the same input data will ALWAYS (ie 100% Joe) be the the same, not your fictitious 99.999... figure. Cryptography actually IS about everything being 100%, if it weren't then the output would not always be the same and the output would be useless. As general advice, if you use credit cards on the internet always assume that at some stage the integrity may be compromised. Limited value or low limit cards are a good way to avoid having large sums of money taken from you. If you need to make a large purchase with one of these cards then transfer money into the card and use it. Similarly internet enabled debt cards can save you considerable heartache by keeping a low balance on the account and only transferring money to the card just before completing a transaction. If there is nothing on the card to take then it's safe to allow the thieves access to the details. Finally, the one off theft of information is very rare on the internat, mainly because there are so many easier ways to collect shit loads of data without going through the time consuming 'packet snatching' and 'decryption' process for one set of details. Deal with reputable businesses and ensure that if someone does get your information that when the time comes for them to steal your precious money the 'cupboard should be bare'. Hard to steal something that's not there. Cheer : Admiral Ken PS Joe you've just managed to become the first and only person I have ever placed on 'ignore' in all my years using the internet. Congratulations. It should make what little content on this board is left much quicker to read through each day, and far more enjoyable.

You can find the video clip and the words on my (new) website at http://pattayapartyboat.com The link on the site takes you to YouTube where you will also find many variants of it. (site not finished yet, should get most of it done finally in the next 3 weeks as I cant go too far ATM) Cheers : Admiral Ken

The point that everyone seems to miss here is that the cryptography is not the weak point. Joe I'm surprised that you even have an opinion, I thought Wikipaedia was off-line/on protest today. Use google instead did you? Having spent most of my working life designing and testing cryptographic systems (mostly gambling and financial transaction related) the strength of the algorithm is totally irrelevant. If someone gets hold of the appropriate key you can have 64kbit encryption and it takes a matter of microseconds to decrypt the datastream. As for online use of sensitive data, dont put anything onto the 'ether' that you cant afford to become public. The primary risk with eCommerce related sites that collect eg credit-card information is that the data is frequently stored in unencrypted form where anyone with access to the database storing the information can access it. Hacking into a server is (for some) a not so difficult task in many instances. If you are transmitting financial details ONLY do so to someone you trust (your bank for example) and ensure that you are sending that information to the bank and not some nefarious group in Russia, Israel or Nigeria. This is the most useful part of the SSL in that it gives you some assurance that the site is indeed the one that it says it is. As an additional protection always record any online transactions that you make and screenshot the site. Should you be defrauded by a site carrying an SSL certificate you may well be entitled to compensation from the issuer of the SSL certificate. Most carry assurance for $10000 (USD) and EV certificates carry far more. If the site doesn't have SSL simple - DONT SEND ANY SENSITIVE DATA as they obviously dont care about security. BTW Dave, WHM, the most popular hosting manager for *nix platforms now only supports 1024 and 2048 bit key generation and many SSL providers will only accept 2048 bit (512 byte) request when purchasing a certificate. Done 7 in the last week. 1024 bit (128 byte) has been unavailable for at least 6 months from all of my suppliers. After spending many years in the business I can guarantee the safest way to protect information is to lock it in a high quality safe and bury it, then forget where you put it. Cheers : Admiral Ken

Who's offering unlimited 3G data? All the packages I've seen have limits on the 3G component and the unlimited aspect refers to EDGE or WIFI only. 3G is active in my area at home with a decent signal and I can pick it up all the way to Koh Larn on the top deck (so adding an antenna would even improve that) but AIS and True move packages dont have unlimited 3G. Your suggestion is good, if it exists, and I'll be onto it myself if it does. Cheers : Admiral Ken

Try the threads on Thai Visa or Pattaya City Expats Club. Both have loads of information that should cover your situation. Cheers : Admiral Ken

You're right, it probably doesn't help anyone, but I didn't revive this thread. If I have any "agenda" it would be to see the board return to the days when, if you posted a response attempting to help, you could reasonably expect NOT to get flamed for your efforts. I have attempted to assist in a limited way in other threads but the whole truth is that you have not restored my account fully (only the removal of mod watch). As you know I'm "on the ground" in Pattaya quite a bit and encounter many more types of tourist than most BMs would. I'm happy to assist but don't feel inclined to do so with limited access or while you discourage mention of my business Changing my handle and removing my sig didn't encourage me to participate in any way whatsoever.. Sometimes PMs are a more efficient way to help people and avoid the shitfest from the usual trolls and you have removed that right as well. Seems many more things have not been reinstated than have been, if the whole truth be known. If you really do want to see this forum flourish again encourage an environment where people can post without fear from the resident head-kicker and the others who really do seem to have an agenda that isn't in the best interests of the forum. You've always been against heavy-handed moderation (and cudos to you for that) but the original portion of this thread is a perfect example of why people won't post. The post, to which I replied recently, shows that I'm not the only one that feels that the tone of posts discourages participation. Your forum, up to you. Cheers : Admiral Ken ... and a Happy New Year to all

Welcome to the new Pattaya Talk ... this place has progressively gone to shit since Pattaya Pete had it - maybe it is time for the fork. Cheers, :gullp: Admiral Ken PS : I 100% agree, forums are to help fellow BMs, not score "brownie points". Copy this post as it will most likely disappear soon or I'll be back on "mod watch" without any warnings ...... again. Still cant use the PM system as someone must have been spying on my PMs.

They've decide to do a channel reallocation (probably to add some stuff. I'm going to wait for a day or two then just rescan the stations. Many channels still not working yet and some are duplicated. Typical Sophon (Thailand) they do this without announcement or details Cheers : Admiral Ken

Yeah but remember that in a bar the barowner will be gourging your wallet for drinks whilst with this guy in your own location there's no "bar induced surcharge". He's been absent every day I've been past for the last week though his setup is still there, maybe he's just busy. If I see him I'll verify the price again. Cheers, : Admiral Ken

Soi 17 off 3rd Rd. About 50m past Tigglebitties on the other side (left coming from 3rd Rd) Start at about 4500B and includes EVERYTHING. They deliver, cook, cut, serve and clean up. Cheers, : Admiral Ken