A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

[Froggy]

Shabu shabu restaurant for lunch

 

[dietcoke]

sorry, long time never come in liao. how come I did not see chonburi?

 

[Froggy]

Let's say it's after midnight and you just had a good night of wine and dine with these damsels and you're on your way home and you needed to act normal what you do?

damsels

 

[danteakc]

Hey I'm not sure if it is feasible. I'm actually on my way to making a decent income of $1k US per month from forex trading from next year onwards. My question does this covers the daily expenses to stay and eat and live in thailand? My 2nd option is taiwan. But I think it is not enough for rental?

 

[Froggy]

Hey I'm not sure if it is feasible. I'm actually on my way to making a decent income of $1k US per month from forex trading from next year onwards. My question does this covers the daily expenses to stay and eat and live in thailand? My 2nd option is taiwan. But I think it is not enough for rental?

Thats 33,000 baht, a lot of money. Rental of an apartment (not condo), just a room of about 20 sqm with own bathroom and furnished with aircon can be had for as little as 6,000 baht if one is simple and don't anyhow spend 33,000 baht can go a long way.

 

[Charlie99]

Thats 33,000 baht, a lot of money. Rental of an apartment (not condo), just a room of about 20 sqm with own bathroom and furnished with aircon can be had for as little as 6,000 baht if one is simple and don't anyhow spend 33,000 baht can go a long way.

Do you mean that an individual can live comfortably on US$1,000 a month, in Thailand?
in a city?

 

[yinyang]

Let's say it's after midnight and you just had a good night of wine and dine with these damsels and you're on your way home and you needed to act normal what you do?

Too late to make a sane (or sober) choice. Doesn't look like damsels in distress, more so the patron. Deal with it the morning after, nursing hangover :p

 

[Froggy]

Too late to make a sane (or sober) choice. Doesn't look like damsels in distress, more so the patron. Deal with it the morning after, nursing hangover :p

Ok my answer to the question I asked is, on your way home, a little pissed of coursed, can stop by a tzechar stall like this and have a hot one to wake you up



they can cook practically anything like porridge, noodle soup anything, my choice is sang meen

 

[Froggy]

Hey I'm not sure if it is feasible. I'm actually on my way to making a decent income of $1k US per month from forex trading from next year onwards. My question does this covers the daily expenses to stay and eat and live in thailand? My 2nd option is taiwan. But I think it is not enough for rental?

Do you mean that an individual can live comfortably on US$1,000 a month, in Thailand?
in a city?

This is my take, worst case scenario and normal living

 

[Froggy]

What a glorious morning. Its beginning to be cool now in Bangkok morning temperature is about 23 degC and even in the afternoon when the sun is blasting down on you if one is under the shade it still cooling.

Morning breakfast on a beautiful roadside shop







Freshly brewed coffee in a nice china


My simple porridge with egg and minced meat


Sawasdee krup

 

[yinyang]

Shit hits the fan with ex CID chief.

MPB charges Pongpat, 11 more
Ring accused of graft, gambling, lese majeste
Bangkok Post Published: 25/11/2014 at 06:00 AM

The Metropolitan Police Bureau has charged former Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pongpat Chayapan along with 11 other individuals, including senior officers, with operating gambling dens, taking bribes from oil smuggling gangs, and lese majeste.

Police brought nine suspects of lese majeste and bribery charges to be detained at the Criminal Court on Ratchaphisek Road Monday evening. Six of them arrived in the afternoon while the three major suspects including former Central Investigation Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Pongpat Chayapan (in white T-shirt) and former CIB deputy chief Pol Maj Gen Kowit Wongrungroj were brought to the court in the evening. (Video and photos by Pattanapong Hirunard)

In raids on Sunday, police discovered billions of baht worth of assets at six houses owned by Pol Lt Gen Pongpat and CIB deputy chief Pol Maj Gen Kowit Wongrungruang.
Besides Pol Lt Gen Pongpat and Pol Maj Gen Kowit, five other officers charged with crimes are Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb Phraithuean, former chief of the Marine Police Division; Pol Col Wuthichat Liansukhon, former chief of the Anti-Human Trafficking Division's Sub-division 4; Pol Snr Sgt Maj Surasak Channgao, Pol Lt Gen Pongpat's driver; Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chattrin Laothong, Pol Maj Gen Kowit's driver; and Pol Col Kowit Muangnual, chief of Samut Sakhon's Immigration Police Office.

The five civilians charged are Sudathip Muangnual, Pol Col Kowit's wife; Sawong Mungthiang, who turned himself in to police yesterday; Rerngsak Saknarongdech, who is still at large; and Chob Chinprapa and his wife Tiyaphan. Mr Chob and Ms Tiyaphan were arrested yesterday.

Previous major scandals: See graphic below
Pongpat background: Praised as 'skilled' CIB boss
A complicated crime: Money laundering evolves

Pol Lt Gen Pongpat, Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb, Pol Maj Gen Kowit and Pol Col Wuthichat face charges involving acting dishonestly, illegally demanding benefits and violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law. Police submitted the charges to the court yesterday to support the arrest warrants.

Pol Lt Gen Pongpat allegedly colluded with Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb; Pol Col Akkharawut Limrat, former chief of the Crime Suppression Division's Sub-Division 1, who recently plunged to his death in mysterious circumstances and was immediately cremated; and Pol Col Wuthichat to demand 3-5 million baht from police officers — totalling about 50 million baht — in exchange for promotions between Oct 1, 2010, and Nov 11 this year.

Before and after: Pol Lt Gen Pongpat Chayapan is seen (above) in a photo taken earlier this year during a crime-busting press conference and, below, at his arrest on Sunday. Pol Lt Gen Pongpat and Pol Maj Gen Kowit were also charged with operating gambling dens in Huai Khwang at which they allegedly said they would hand the money over to the "monarchy".

Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb is also accused of citing the "monarchy" when taking bribes from oil smuggling gangs amounting to 1-2 million baht per month.
He allegedly delivered 35 million baht to Pol Maj Gen Kowit and 118 million baht to Pol Lt Gen Pongpant between Dec 28, 2011, and July 18 this year.
Two other officers, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Surasak and Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chattrin, are charged with malfeasance and extortion.

Pol Col Kowit, meanwhile, faces deforestation and forest encroachment charges. His wife, Sudathip, faces the same charges.
Mr Sawong and Mr Rerngsak are charged with possessing the carcasses of several protected species.
Mr Chob and his wife Tiyaphan are charged with extortion.
Mr Chob, reportedly a deputy director of a school in Nonthaburi, lives near a house of Pol Lt Gen Pongpat's mother in Bang Luai district in the same province.

Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya yesterday discussed their alleged crimes with senior officials at the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) and Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and told the two agencies to start looking into the case to support the police investigation.

The DSI, which handles "special cases", has been told to prepare to take action if police determine the allegations fall within the DSI's purview, while Amlo will investigate the suspects' seized assets, Gen Paiboon said. "But we want more details from the police first" before launching official probes, he said.

Yesterday police at the Metropolitan Police Bureau questioned the suspects again in the morning before taking them to the Criminal Court in the afternoon in order to ask that they be detained for 12 days until Dec 5. The court denied a request to release the suspects on bail.

All arrested police suspects, except Pol Col Kowit, have been suspended from their posts. All are currently under disciplinary inquiry.
Asked to respond to the alleged misconduct of senior police officers, deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said only: "Everything must comply with the law."

 

[johnny333]

Living in Spore is hazardous to one's health. We have a high rate of dengue cases which the PAP gov't hasn't been able to tackle & now we have air pollution :(

Been watching the air quality here & notice it is often over 50 just like Bangkok. With the PAP gov'ts plan for more people they are clearing more land to build housing & more roads. This will cause a deterioration of the environment. With the haze readings of 100+ is common. I expect the haze to be part of normal Spore life in the future.

This is my take, worst case scenario and normal living

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

hotel room at bkk

outside of my room

went here for dinner. Chill chill restaurant at meng jai in rachada

Look at these dishes. Yum

oyster

 

[Froggy]

Just a few months ago Song Fa opened an outlet in Jakarta, its been perpetually having long queue and full since the day it opened, now opened their second outlet at Mangga Besar, business must be very good for them.

 

[yinyang]

Priming up the LOS economy? "Happy (sp)ending"?? :p

ECONOMY
Government to give public 'surprise' stimulus
Bangkok Post Published: 26/11/2014 at 06:00 AM

The government will launch a "surprise" economic stimulus package next year, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says.

"It will be a New Year's gift for the people," Gen Prayut said after the Tuesday cabinet meeting. The package will involve tasks for all ministries to make people "happy" in spending, he said.

It will cover financial, investment, and economic security issues such as measures to solve personal loan problems, promote tourism and travel, and reduce inequality.

"Today, many people face rising debts. How can they stop increases in debt which could make them bankrupt?" Gen Prayut said.
"It will be another 'surprise' package but I'm not giving anything away," said the prime minister.

Gen Prayut said the government will press ahead with 163 new laws, including business and economic ones, over the next year.
"Low-income people are the main group that will benefit from those laws," the prime minister said.

In another development Tuesday, the cabinet approved a draft memorandum of understanding on the deal between Thailand and China for the construction of the 734-km Nong Khai-Map Ta Phut dual-track railway.

The cabinet agreed to set up a committee, chaired by Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong, to negotiate with a Chinese committee over the details of the project.

Meanwhile, deputy government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Gen Prayut has rejected a new water management plan proposed by the Water Management and Policy Committee because the proposal was unclear.

Gen Prayut suggested the committee look at five project areas that would involve drinking water, water storage, water quality improvement, flood prevention, and agricultural purposes.

Maj Gen Sansern said the Budget Bureau reported that the suspended 350-billion-baht water management plan could be terminated.

"The prime minister has explained to the countries which participated in the bids that we are revising the plan, but it does not mean that this government will abandon the bid winners," he said.

 

[yinyang]

Behold, what a LOOT (from cops in graft). :p

Police net 5 more Pongpat cronies
Civilian suspects face raft of criminal charges
Bangkok Post Published: 27/11/2014 at 06:27 AM

Five more civilian suspects linked to former Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pongpat Chayapan have been arrested for a slew of criminal charges, including lese majeste.

Arrest warrants charge former Central Investigation Bureau chief Pongpat Chayapan used the proceeds of a vast corruption network inside the national police to buy up and house artefacts, Buddha images, gold, jewellery and cold, hard cash. National police chief Somyot Poompanmoung conducted the media on a treasure tour Wednesday. An earlier report and additional photo gallery is here.(Photos by Thiti Wannamontha)



The arrests followed the issuance of warrants approved by a court. They are Natthapol Akkharaphongpricha, Sitthisak Akkharaphongpricha, Narong Akkharaphongpricha, Sutthisak Sutthijit and Chakan Phakphum.

The five are accused of citing the monarchy to obtain benefits and money from others, illegally collecting debts, illegally detaining others, and extortion, national police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang said.

One part of the storehouse was set aside for hundreds of millions of baht in cash - including a huge wad of English 20-pound notes.

Police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri said Mr Natthapol, who was previously in the military, has been stripped of his rank. Mr Natthapol was among 14 soldiers who were granted the Tritraphon Mungkut Thai royal decoration on Nov 20 to mark the occasion of His Majesty the King's birthday on Dec 5.

Pol Lt Gen Pongpat and 11 other suspects — six police officers and five civilians — are accused of receiving bribes in exchange for transferring or promoting police officers, demanding money from oil smuggling gangs, making money from gambling businesses, laundering money, and citing the monarchy as a way to gain benefits.
Amongst the evidence collected were huge amounts of cash, rare artefacts, expensive Buddha images and amulets, and gold ornaments worth billions of baht belonging to Pol Lt Gen Pongpat and other suspects. Luxury vehicles and land deeds were also seized.

Both the Anti-Money Laundering Office and the National Anti-Corruption Commission have stepped into the investigation over the gang’s alleged illegal activities and unusual wealth.

Police said the gang had been collecting bribes for years, adding there would be more arrests and more ill-gotten assets seized. Seized assets included 24 gold bars, 225 gold amulet frames, 224 gold bracelets, and 114 land title deeds worth 418 million baht, a source said.

Pol Gen Somyot said there are still more assets belonging to Pol Lt Gen Pongpat and his associates that officers have not been able to remove for storage at police facilities such as rare and expensive wood that would require more than 60 lorries to transport.

The national police chief dismissed a rumour, however, that more than 40 other police officials were involved with the illegal activities.
He confirmed police were expanding their investigation to find out whether more people were involved but refused to elaborate on the details.

A source said security agencies had obtained an investigation report concerning the ex-CIB chief case which contained a record of bribe payments made to Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb Phraithuean, former chief of the Marine Police Division, who is one of the six other police suspects arrested.

The report provided details of money that southern businessman Sahachai Chiansoemsi, alias Sia Jo, had allegedly paid to Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb and about 33 other high-level law enforcement officers, including those in the justice system, ranging from 1,500 baht to 12 million baht each time, the same source said.

According to the report, the 33 people included deputy police station chiefs and police inspectors in the far South and those attached to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD).
Other civil servants have also been named as recipients of Mr Sahachai's alleged bribes. They included several officials at the Interior Ministry, two military officers, a number of officials in the Department of Special Investigation, the Customs Department, and the Excise Department, the same source said.
Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb allegedly confessed that he had received 12-15 million baht in bribes each month from oil smuggling gangs in the South.
A Pattani police officer allegedly helped Mr Sahachai to escape after he was sentenced by the Pattani Provincial court on Oct 9 to a year and nine months in prison in a forged documents case.
He also faced prosecution for oil smuggling and tax evasion.
As well as Mr Sahachai, authorities are investigating other groups of people who have been paying bribes to state officials, the source said.
These people included businessmen, politicians, local leaders, and influential figures involved in oil smuggling and drug trade activities in the southern border areas and they are believed to be linked with the southern unrest, the source said.
In another development, Rak Thailand Party leader Chuvit Kamolvisit yesterday accused two more high-level police officials of being involved with two major illegal casinos involving Pol Lt Gen Pongpat's criminal ring which have now been shut down.
National police chief Somyot said Mr Chuvit needed to prove his allegations by providing evidence that wrongdoings had been committed

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Nice place.

The Ananta Samakom Throne Hall

 

[sleaguepunter]

this is a headup for uncle frog.

in case you have craving for railway head hainanese curry rice @ pasir panjang when u return to spore.

the stall will be close from 13 dec 2014 to 04 jan 2015.

 

[yinyang]

Nice place.

Was distracted by chabor (your squeeze?) :p

 

[Froggy]

this is a headup for uncle frog.

in case you have craving for railway head hainanese curry rice @ pasir panjang when u return to spore.

the stall will be close from 13 dec 2014 to 04 jan 2015.

Thank you sir, be back tomorrow.