General Reports

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]I end up using the free wifi in places and using fring on my phone to use skype for most calls and skype out of the room on the computer. So it's not that bad. I spend two weeks or so at a time there for work. Basically it was replying via calls and sms to the recent manila GF that i was being good in BKK that ate up most my cards this last trip.[/QUOTE]If you are in the reach of internet, you could subscribe to voipcheap.com and initiate calls through the browser. Thailand is US$ 0,01 per minute, your home country most probably free, and the connection charge is 0,05 per call. You will receive a call back onto your Thai mobile and reciving calls on the mobile in Thailand is not charged airtime. So you could call another mobile in Thailand for 0.7 Baht instead of 4. Plus the connection charge of 1.7 Baht. This goes also very well for the few crazy internet cafes that charge you a 20 Baht per minute fine if you use VoIP like Skype (I know of one in Pattaya).

[QUOTE=Tiger 888]Thailand is US$ 0,01 per minute, your home country most probably free, [/QUOTE]

Excellent site, thank you, but I wish... my country is so out there no one has heard of us. For us it would be 23 cents a minute and skype is cheaper. My country can't even do interantional SMS messenging and doesn't even have roaming with our telecom provider.

Plus work, big brother tries to watch me a lot, and they do take care of the skype charges, the voice mails and all the forwarding numbers and such. So I'm kind of stuck with it.

But I know what you mean, I've taught many girls how to use the phones better with other services.

[QUOTE=Artisttyp][QUOTE=Freeler]Artisttyp,

Police do random checks (or at least they appear to be random...) in gogos and bars.
When they do EVERYBODY inside gets tested on the spot.

You should find reports of such searches on [url]http://www.pattayamail.com/[/url]
on a regular basis.

Wow it is very true. I cant knock another culture but man that is brutal. I wonder if the 100 people who tested positive in one article will all face brutal prison sentences ?

Maybe I should stick to latin america.[/QUOTE]Just stay out of the bars. The streets are full of meat.

I know if i need to buy computers ect that i should go to pantip plaza. Can anyone advise where i should go to buy Jeans ECT in european sizes. This may be a stuip question in light of all the stalls which Hauk these things around, just wondering if theres any place better.
Thanks in advance.

I know if i need to buy computers ect that i should go to pantip plaza. Can anyone advise where i should go to buy Jeans ECT in European sizes. This may be a stupid question in light of all the stalls which Hauk these things around, just wondering if theres any place better.
Thanks in advance

[QUOTE=Tiger 888]The cards that last 1 year have much higher calling rates per minute (I think it is 4 Baht). So if you heavily use it, you would want to make a calculation. For me the 1 year card [/QUOTE]

I paid B300 at the Mall for a one year card and added B100 for safe measure. Last trip, 3 days only, used it for local as well as international calls to states, HK and Taiwan and still have B100 left, one year term. For a brief 2-3 minute international call, not sure exactly what they charge but a lot cheaper than using your 'home' number.

Steve, I dont know where you live, but I found, when shopping for a computer a couple of years ago, that the models for sale at Pantip were models which were already discontinued. When asking the salespeople about international warranties, they were very vague. You can buy a laptop online, and have it shipped to you. I just bought a new IBM 2 weeks ago, it was a very good price, and the warranty is excellent.

For jeans, I would go to the week end market. There must be over 500 vendors who sell jeans, so you are bound to find something for you.

Good luck

[QUOTE=SkmSteve]I know if i need to buy computers ect that i should go to pantip plaza. Can anyone advise where i should go to buy Jeans ECT in European sizes. This may be a stupid question in light of all the stalls which Hauk these things around, just wondering if theres any place better.
Thanks in advance[/QUOTE]

Actually, it should read 'etc' ;)

In answer to your query, I usually get that sort of stuff at MBK. Easy to get to, jam packed with just about everything, and less bargaining required than the markets (still bargain though).

As a side note, it is also where I go to get phones unlocked (the place is HUGE).

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MBK_Center[/url]

[QUOTE=SkmSteve]
[b]Sorry..should read " good Value Jeans ECT "[/b]

I know if i need to buy computers ect that i should go to pantip plaza. Can anyone advise where i should go to buy Jeans ECT in European sizes. This may be a stupid question in light of all the stalls which Hauk these things around, just wondering if theres any place better.
Thanks in advance[/QUOTE]

I have a phone, sim, purchased in Pattaya (1-2 calling ) I load the phone with 300 minute cards at 7-11 stores. Each time after I load the phone I check the status and it always show that the minutes are now good for another year. Exactly 1 year from the day I loaded that particular card.

When I call the U.S. on this card, it is approximately 10 baht a minute still cheaper than other plans if you don't talk long.

LBM

[QUOTE=Tiger 888]The cards that last 1 year have much higher calling rates per minute (I think it is 4 Baht). [/QUOTE]

The plan I am on is 1 Bhat/min and a text message is also 1 Bhat. Unless you are in the States, then it is like 20 Bhat for a text message-------ouch!

Art,

Most SE Asian countries aren't exactly in favor of drugs and drugs should be avoided at all times.
Sing and Malaysia have a solid hang-em-high policy on drug possession in order to sell (I believe 10 grams of 'hard' drugs is a neck snapper). 'Soft' drugs: caning and prison...

Freeler

I don't know if it is still there (I remember it from over 20 years ago now), but when you took the train across from Malaysia, there used to be a big sign when you come into Thailand that read:

[i]The penalty for drug trafficking is [color=red]DEATH[/color][/i]

Where [i][color=red]DEATH[/color][/i] was written in big red letters that were dripping with blood.

Say what you will, but you can hardly claim the warnings are so subtle you didn't pick up on them :)

I'm too lazy to look it up now, but don't they still execute by machine gun in Thailand? Not fun!!

Seriously, you'd have to be a moron wouldn't you. Every now and again there's the big stink in the news about a <insert random western nationality here> who gets caught and faces death. This stuff is hardly unforseeable - I think of it as a simple manifestation of Darwinism.

[QUOTE=Freeler]Art,

Most SE Asian countries aren't exactly in favor of drugs and drugs should be avoided at all times.
Sing and Malaysia have a solid hang-em-high policy on drug possession in order to sell (I believe 10 grams of 'hard' drugs is a neck snapper). 'Soft' drugs: caning and prison...

Freeler[/QUOTE]

The preceding reports are true - Thailand, like most Asian countries, implements even more horrific human rights abuses regarding drugs than Western nations. There are still, for the moment, two exceptions - Cambodia and Laos. There you may still buy and smoke marijuana without much chance of being murdered, etc. Last I was there two or three years ago one could even still order pizzas with marijuana on top - I wonder if that amazing freedom yet exists?

[quote=opebo]the preceding reports are true - thailand, like most asian countries, implements even more horrific human rights abuses regarding drugs than western nations. there are still, for the moment, two exceptions - cambodia and laos. there you may still buy and smoke marijuana without much chance of being murdered, etc. last i was there two or three years ago one could even still order pizzas with marijuana on top - i wonder if that amazing freedom yet exists?[/quote]


the odd thing is i actually have a legal prescription for "marinol" (dont ask) which are pot pills.

if i had a [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord109][CodeWord109][/url] test done marijuana would show up for sure. i could always show them the prescription but it would take alot of explaining. also i dont know if marinol is legal in thailand since its only sold in the states and canada.

asian culture and i have always clashed thats why ive been avoiding asia for so long.

im actually now looking into a photography trip to egypt.

glad i found out about it this early.

[QUOTE=Blunderer]
I'm too lazy to look it up now, but don't they still execute by machine gun in Thailand? Not fun!! .[/QUOTE]
At the Bangkok Hilton they have switched to injection. (but not that long ago)