phaethon

If anyone should be charged <snip> it should be these two loyal subjects <snip> defiling the 'realm'...




Locals stood by watching but, possibly wisely, not intervening. I blow a whistle to get them to look up into the camera, but as a foreigner I'm disinclined to get involved unnecessarily with any Thai authorities. I do wonder what I could do with photos like the above and several others, including a BMA drains contractor, without risking compromising myself. Has anyone tried?

Eight months after the soi was completed alongside an undeveloped, pleasantly green area the edge of the road is now some 30% occupied by rubbish. Eventually, and poignantly, someone has improvised a sign:


หัาม ทิ้ง ขยะ - stop dump(ing) rubbish.

In case you're apt to try and get cash transferred online in a rush...

I tried to do a SWIFT transfer of about GBP6k yesterday to find the new Halifax online system has dumped all previous transaction records and I had to set up a new one to my Kasikorn account.

The real problem came when I found they now insist on making a telephone call to confirm the transaction and, guess what , the system doesn't accept overseas numbers.I tried entering my Thai mobile number and although that failed I was informed (later when I called to complain) that while the change would have been effective immediately, my changing a telephone number would lock the account down (for SWIFT transfers) for SEVEN days.

It was suggested that I could use a Thai number if my address where Thai also, but I foresee that causing more problems than it solves.

I could apparently do it by telephone but in the time it took to get to that advice I had carried out a transfer online from Nationwide for GBP25 instead of Halifax's GBP9.50 - a GBP15.50 hit but I was tired and fed-up and I wanted to teach them a lesson by losing money.

MORAL: Don't leave your SWIFT transfers to the last minute and expect that the bank won't have thrown something new into the mix  to screw up your day.

Does anyone know which bank has the current highest limit for free over-the-counter withdrawals on a Nationwide card? Used to be Bangkok Bank at about THB100k/transaction (Kasikorn only THB50k)

Liverpool FC/Honda joint promotion

(The point being, for the satirically impaired, that just wearing a red shirt or red logos doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be beaten to death in the street)

I was hoping to stumble across one somewhere amongst the halloween paraphernalia recently - someone must want to dress up as a pirate - but no luck.Maybe a joke or party shop somewhere central-ish. Bright green, shocking pink, whatever, it's just a joke for a friend.

Here's and interesting little site I just stumbled across:

http://www.quietbangkok.org

In particular "The Whistle Free Zone campaign"

http://www.quietbang...whistle.en.html

It's interesting they are sponsored by Gaysorn and Amarin because the LOUDEST whistler I ever heard in Bangkok used to be stationed opposite the Intercontinental/Gaysorn and next to the Amarin. He was uncomfortably loud just walking by on the Chit Lom station walkway - ear-splitting at street level.  He's gone now and I now know who to thank