Paknam Web Thailand Forums - Bangkok Guidebook http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/ Your online guide to a vaction in the City of Angels. This forum is brought to you by www.BangkokGuidebook.com en-USA Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:42:00 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg Paknam Web Thailand Forums - Bangkok Guidebook http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/ <![CDATA[A film-making king: New exhibition mirrors King Rama VII's passion for cinema]]> http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35513&goto=newpost Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:22:11 GMT A film-making king
New exhibition mirrors King Rama VII's passion for cinema

Published: 8/09/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Outlook

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Even before ascending the throne, King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) was already a pioneer in moviemaking in Siam. During his reign, he shot or directed many documentary movies of royal ceremonies and of his trips in the country and abroad. However, only about 100 of the late king's more than 500 film rolls have survived the humidity and improper storage they were subjected to. Some of them have been preserved, copied onto new film and transferred to DVD format by the Thai Film Archive with support from King Prajadhipok's Institute.


Now, the first 16 preserved documentaries of King Rama VII are ready for public viewing. They feature the visits of the late King Rama VII and Queen Rambhai Barni to the north of Thailand, to the beaches of Sam Roi Yot, Sattahip and Pattani, as well as overseas trips to Indochina, Java and the US. Events on film include the Tonsure Ceremony, Guards of Honour, the Ploughing Ceremony and the Kathin Ceremony. A boat ride by the king is also among the films being presented.

From now until September 30, the exhibition ''Siamese Footprints on King Prajadhipok's Movies'' _ recollections about Siam in the last years of the Absolute Monarchy _ is on view at the King Prajadhipok Museum. At the opening on August 25, documentaries on the king's Coronation, the celebrations on the 12th Anniversary of the Royal Wedding, and Prince Chirasak's Tonsure Ceremony (top knot-cutting rite of passage to adulthood) were shown.

More: http://www.bangkokpost.com/leisure/b...lm-making-king

Selected movies by King Rama VII are being shown twice a day as part of the exhibition 'Siamese Footprints on King Prajadhipok's Movies' at the King Prajadhipok Museum, near Phan Fa Bridge, until September 30. The museum is open from 9am to 4pm, except on Mondays.

For more information, visit www.kingprajadhipokmuseum.org or call 02-280-3413/4 ext 111.
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]]> Bangkok Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35513 Best Cooking school in Bangkok? http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35506&goto=newpost Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:46:10 GMT Hi... Going to be in Bangkok 29 sept to 3 oct for our first visit and would like to take a cooking class... any recommendations? Thank you. Hi... Going to be in Bangkok 29 sept to 3 oct for our first visit and would like to take a cooking class... any recommendations? Thank you. ]]> Bangkok Guidebook Jetsun http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35506 <![CDATA[Visitor Warning: 'Cigarette police'-"Don't pay" says Official!]]> http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35491&goto=newpost Sat, 04 Sep 2010 22:01:10 GMT Tourists warned about 'cigarette police'
Published: 5/09/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Foreign tourists have been told to take a hard line with the thetsakij, or Bangkok's city inspectors, who have been accused of unfairly targeting them to issue fines for littering.

Manit Techa-apichoke, deputy director of the City Law Enforcement Department, said foreigners who feel they have been unfairly targeted by the thetsakij should refuse to pay the fines.

He said they should alert the nearest district office or police officer, so action can be taken against the inspectors.

Mr Manit's statement comes on the heels of an investigation published in last Sunday's Spectrum that revealed foreign tourists, particularly those on Sukhumvit Road, were targeted by thetsakij to pay fines for littering, while Thais committing similar offences were largely ignored.

The report, which garnered more than 150 comments online, revealed that many of those targeted by the thetsakij were not issued receipts.

The Spectrum investigation also found that very few rubbish bins were present in areas where the thetsakij operate, leading some to suspect that they were removed to increase the likelihood that foreigners would litter.

Foreigners interviewed by Spectrum investigators said that it seemed as if inspectors were standing by ready to swoop immediately once they littered.

Inspectors demanded they pay the fines on the spot, telling them that if they wanted to take the matter to a nearby district office or police station, they would end up paying much more.

Mr Manit said any city inspectors found guilty of extortion would be sacked immediately.

He said that opaque rubbish bins were removed from city streets as part of security measures in the wake of bomb attacks in the capital.

Some thetsakij had taken advantage of the situation to extort foreigners who litter, Mr Manit said.

Members of the public and tourists can call City Hall's hotline at 1555 to report any attempts at extortion by city inspectors.

BANGKOK POST

See also this report ]]> Bangkok Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35491 Bangkok car rental http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35483&goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:45:10 GMT Looking for a car rental referral hopefully either in the outskirts of BKK, or by the toll road. Coming out in late October and want to rent a car for travel to Phuket - Hua Hin and return to BKK about 2.5 weeks. Thanks All!! Looking for a car rental referral hopefully either in the outskirts of BKK, or by the toll road.

Coming out in late October and want to rent a car for travel to Phuket - Hua Hin and return to BKK about 2.5 weeks.

Thanks All!! ]]> Bangkok Guidebook migrant http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35483 Troubled rapid bus route gets deadline http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35467&goto=newpost Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:06:15 GMT Troubled rapid bus route gets deadline
By Mayuree Sukyingcharoenwong
The Nation
Published on September 2, 2010

The Bt2-billion Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)'s Sathorn-Rajapreuk route - which was trial-launched in late May - is reported to be facing many problems, and public dissatisfaction has prompted another four routes in the pipeline to be suspended and possibly cancelled.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has asked for another four months for the BRT Sathorn-Rajapreuk route to operate before making a decision on whether to cancel it and the other four routes.

After the Sathorn-Rajapreuk route opened on May 29, transporting 20,000 commuters daily, it was reported that 10 per cent of personal car users had shifted to the BRT. However, about 60 per cent of surveyed motorists were not satisfied with the project, said Bangkok Deputy Governor Theerachon Manomaipibul.

The route was to charge a flat fee of Bt10 from September 1 onwards and collect fares ranging from Bt12 to Bt20 after January 2.

The city has now suspended the BRT route, studying procedures on the Mor Chit-Civil Service Complex-Nonthaburi, Sathorn-Suksawat, Don Muang-Min Buri-Suvarnabhumi and Min Buri-Sri Nakarin-Samrong routes.

Theerachon said the problem was that car drivers were not observing traffic laws and some were not familiar with the BRT and the fact that it had its own lane. He said it would take three or four months for people to adjust to this.

More: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home...-30137076.html ]]> Bangkok Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35467 <![CDATA[Visitor Warning: Bangkok's "Litter Police"]]> http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35421&goto=newpost Sun, 29 Aug 2010 08:03:29 GMT Bangkok's 'cigarette police'

Littering is against the law and offenders should be punished, but some say the capital city's inspectors are perhaps a little too vigilant!

Published: 29/08/2010 at 05:06 AM
Newspaper section: Spectrum

Many foreign tourists in Bangkok have complained they have been "burned" after being fined for littering by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's (BMA) inspectors. An investigation by a Spectrum team lasting several weeks has revealed that foreign tourists appear to be the targets of the city's uniformed inspectors.

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CAUGHT SMOKING: A French couple line up at a BMA booth to pay a fine for littering.

Commonly known as the "cigarette police", the BMA's inspectors, known in Thai as thetsakij, appear to ignore most of the city's litterbugs _ a look down any of Bangkok's main roads will reveal piles of garbage _ and only catch foreign tourists who drop cigarette butts.

Even the Spectrum team was harassed by the thetsakij as they gathered evidence and conducted interviews with people who had been caught and fined for littering.

In fact, the author if this story had a brush with the thetsakij outside Benjasiri Park _ one of the many downtown areas they operate in _ which could only be described as an act of intimidation and harassment (see sidebar story).

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FRIGHTENED: Two German women pay their fine on the skywalk outside the MBK building.

Dropping a cigarette butt, a bus ticket or anything else on a public street is certainly illegal, but it is not a serious crime. But to police this relatively small crime, the BMA has assigned dozens of uniformed officials to enforce the littering law, especially in the central parts of Bangkok frequented by foreign tourists.

What the Spectrum team witnessed during their investigation appeared to be more of a money-making enterprise than law enforcement. It should also be pointed out that the Spectrum team didn't see a single Thai person being apprehended for littering, only foreigners.

More: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/inve...garette-police
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]]> Bangkok Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35421 <![CDATA["Imagine Peace" Exhibition - Bangkok]]> http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35353&goto=newpost Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:57:11 GMT Last night the BBC World Service carried an story in their daily arts programme "The Strand" carried an item about the "Imagine Peace" art exhibition currently being held in the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre.

The programme is available to listen to on the BBC World Service website until next Saturday the 28 August 2009, at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p0095djs. The item starts about 27 minutes in after the news update and is about 6 minutes long.

There was a time when you could believe the truth in anything that was broadcast on BBC factual programmes but the quote "Also this week the Government lifted emergency rule in the three provinces where the protest movement has its roots, though it does remain in place across the rest of the country" is plainly wrong...

David ]]> Bangkok Guidebook David_Loves_Ubonwan http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35353 Shopping for lawyer http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35261&goto=newpost Thu, 12 Aug 2010 03:25:40 GMT Hello everyone, (Feel free to move this posting to another forum if this is not the right one.) I will be in Bangkok in September and will be looking to hire a lawyer. Plan to consult with at least three before I make a decision. The work that... Hello everyone,

(Feel free to move this posting to another forum if this is not the right one.)

I will be in Bangkok in September and will be looking to hire a lawyer. Plan to consult with at least three before I make a decision. The work that needs to be done does not involve litigation just probating my father's will. Have been in touch with a few lawyers via e-mail and the consultation hourly rate quoted was between B2,500-$4,000. And the case itself is between B45,000 - B80,000.


If you have dealt with lawyers in Bangkok and care to share your comments about pricing, payment terms, etc. I would greatly appreciate it. I have no idea what to expect. Also how does one find lawyers while in Bangkok, is there a referral service through the lawyer organization?

I was also told that a lawyer can practice even if s/he have not passed the bar exam. Is this true?

Also I am looking for a Thai-English translator that can accompany me to the lawyer office, if you know of someone please share. Thank you in advance. ]]> Bangkok Guidebook gardenmama http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35261