Thaimo

Beer Chang, in the future we ask that you please cite the source of posted news items. More detailed reports of this incident are now available: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/4171/russian-tourist-sliced-open-and-killed-following-speed-boat-accident-near-larn-island http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/01/11/russian-tourist-killed-in-tragic-speedboat-accident-off-koh-larn

Me too and I became complacent about it. According to Turbo Tax I had done everything correctly. Unfortunately, according to IRS I had not. I hope your luck holds out, but if you ever have to go through anything similar to what happened to me, I'll bet you won't use it again. My accountant did say that if your tax return is fairly simple, then Turbo Tax is fine, but if you are doing a complex return, I would think twice about using it if I were you. Bear in mind that IRS has three years to decide whether to audit your current tax return. Seven years if they suspect fraud. In one respect I was lucky. The IRS agent handling my case said it was obvious that I had made honest mistakes (or Turbo Tax had). He waived the interest and penalty fees, but that was the best he could do. All I can tell you is both IRS and my accountant say that a large number of people get themselves into trouble every year because of relying on Turbo Tax and similar software. I would much rather pay the accounting fees, which are deductible by the way, and have my return prepared and submitted by a professional rather than relying upon software. Both IRS and my accountant made it very clear that if you ever do get audited, do not try to represent yourself and don't even talk to IRS at all. Get an enrolled accountant and let the accountant handle it. You know the cliche about any attorney representing himself has a fool for a client. The same applies to audits. Even Clarence Darrow got himself a lawyer when he was sued. I learned the hard way. I hope none of you will ever have to.

I used to do that too, until as a result of Turbo Tax I ended up in trouble with IRS. I also ended up with an accountant enrolled to practice before IRS, who fortunately was able to save my butt. She said Turbo Tax is fine if you have nothing much more complicated than the short form, but half her business comes from people who have more complicated returns, did their tax returns honestly, relying upon Turbo Tax, and still were audited and nailed for big bucks. That was the last time I used Turbo Tax. According to the accountant, people with complicated returns who use Turbo Tax to try to save accounting fees are audits waiting to happen, and sooner or later it will, and IRS is not exactly sympathetic. I'll never use it again, even for the short form. It's not worth the hell I went through just to save the price of an accountant, especially since the accountant got me much more of a refund than Turbo Tax came up with.

Along with it being the new year, it's also time for USA citizens to start thinking about income tax. Some of you may not know that the USA embassy has all the tax forms, if you need them. You can get them at the American Citizens Services area. You can also download them from the IRS web site and print them out. If you need an accountant, I have heard, but never confirmed, that the embassy does have a list of accountants within Thailand who are fully qualified to handle USA taxes. If you need to contact IRS, you can call them (or any other toll free number within the USA) for free. You need an internet telephone program, many of which are available online, also free. My favorite is Skype. You can download it at http://www.skype.com I have used Skype to call various toll free numbers in the USA and there is neither a charge nor time limit for the call. Also, I almost always get a connection even better than using a telephone. The toll free number for IRS is 800-829-1040. If you use a program such as Skype, do not put a 1 in front of the 800. The IRS web site is http://www.irs.gov

Lvdkeyes, do you have a Carbonara recipe? Everything I find on the internet looks very good, but also looks like its loaded with so much cholesterol that I would need heart surgery right after eating it. Also, when using olive oil for cooking, some people tell me to use plain olive oil and other people tell me to use extra virgin. What is your opinion?

It is located, going from Sukhumvit toward the beach, it is on Pattaya Tai just before you get as far as Tuk Com. Yes, it does look like a Chinese temple. You can't miss it. If you drive there, make sure you get a stamp on your receipt when you are paying the cashier. Otherwise they charge for parking. When you are getting close to Tuk Com, drive slowly. It you miss the parking lot entrance it is difficult to get back.

Yes, I understood that. Don't be so quick to look askance at my suggestion about asking young people. Those Issan concerts draw huge crowds. Crowds of who? Young people. They go and seem to know where and when they will be. It can't hurt to try.

If there is no festival, you can still experience the music and dancing. In Pattaya, on North road, also known as Pattaya Nua, there is a restaurant called Thai House. They put on an Issan music and dancing show every night and it is quite good. And even better news! The restaurant is not expensive and the food is good there. Try to get there around 8:00pm.

I would be willing to settle for the same speed I get with ASDL, if that's all I can get, since it is half the price.

My friend, I don't know about you, but I'm not so sure I want to know the answer to that particular question.

The only truly practical purpose I can see would be to make a purchase that requires credit in the event that you don't have enough cash to pay for it outright or simply don't want to part with whatever amount of cash at one time. But I must say I'm surprised that the interest rate on the unpaid balance turns out to be 20%. OMG! Do you know that's the same rate illegal loan sharks in Thailand charge? In that case, you might as well borrow from the illegal loan sharks rather than bother with a credit card. You're going to pay the same rate and you don't have to keep a balance of your credit limit in the bank. Of course with the loan sharks, you're going to pay that 20% on the balance even if you pay off the entire balance at once within the first month.

Yes, and I'm not surprised by your response. He really is there almost every day and he does try to be as helpful as possible.

I'm an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it' type of person. I use Windows XP and have no problems with it. I'll upgrade to newer operating system only if and when the need arises. So far I have no reason to switch over to Windows 7, which of course will itself probably be obsolete in a year or so.

I remember reading that it does expire after a certain date, but I don't recall the date.

Do you get that back at some point or do they hold the money permanently? If you have established credit in good standing with them, do they ever raise the limit? Do you know the interest rate?

I don't know of any, but you could probably ask just about any young Thai person in Pattaya. It is likely they all know.

If you can find out what kind of aircraft is going to be used for your flight, you can check the seat configurations at http://www.seatguru.com

It has been about that long for me too. But I do remember that I enjoyed it there. I have learned not to necessarily go by the recommendations of others. I think many of us have been to places recommended by friends and wouldn't go back again if it was free. And I'm sure the same applies to places friends tried to convince you not to go, but you loved every second of it. I think whether you enjoy any holiday, no matter where you go, depends on what you are looking for and what you expect, compared with what you actually get, along with good or bad unforeseen experiences.

I have not, but a few friends have done it. All said it was very nice. But if you are a cigarette smoker I would take a lot of nicotine packets with you. It's about a 15 to 17-hour flight, depending on prevailing winds.

I think that is a legitimate question. I wonder if such information is published anywhere. I'm curious about it myself.

Challenge: Find a Thai over the age of 16 who does not have at least one scar caused by a motorcycle accident. For many, that challenge could prove to be difficult.

That may not be the case. I've done comparison shopping. Unlike the USA, the 7-Elevens, Family Marts, etc, in Thailand do not charge rip-off prices. I've found their prices to be on par with grocery store prices and sometimes even cheaper.

Yes. I definitely recommend Garmin. I also recommend their 'Nuvi' series. I use their 'StreetPilot' model myself, but if I knew at the time I bought it what I know now, I would have gotten a Nuvi. I think the Nuvi is a better platform. I suggest a GPS that is easy to remove from your vehicle when not in use to avoid theft. Also having it handy when planning a trip is quite helpful. You live in Pattaya. You'll find several places at Tuk Com that sell the Garmin GPS models. In Bangkok, Pantip Plaza has a wide selection. I'm sure there are other places, but those are the only ones where I've looked. I did have to buy some extra equipment. My GPS came with a cord that attaches to the GPS and plugs into my computer via a USB port. The battery can be charged via the USB and that's also how to connect the GPS to your computer. I bought a kit that contains a plug for the car's cigarette lighter and a plug for a wall outlet. Maybe the newer models come with those (mine is two years old), but mine didn't. I think you definitely want the cigarette lighter plug for long trips. A fully charged battery will last about 5 or 6 hours, not nearly long enough for some trips. I've never really needed the wall outlet plug. So far, for the last two years all it's done is take up space in a drawer. But in my opinion the cigarette lighter cord is essential if you're going to make long trips. Nothing is worse than seeing that battery charge indicator down to nearly nothing when you're out in the boonies in the middle of the night and having no idea where you really are or watching the battery die just as you are arriving at your destination city and now need to find your hotel. I think the cigarette lighter cord is an essential peripheral and considering that the GPS is sold to be used in a car, I'm surprised they didn't include one along with the USB cord. If you buy any of those items, make sure you have the GPS with you when you make the purchase so that you can be sure you're getting something that fits your GPS. I have discovered one negative feature, but it is relatively easy to overcome. The most popular software for GPS use in Thailand comes from a company in Bangkok called ESRI ( http://www.esrith.com/Eindex.cfm ). When you are trying to spell out the name of a place you wish to go, quite often ESRI has their own spellings, non-standard and different from more common spellings. As you start getting used to your GPS you will become accustomed to their spelling quirks and learn to play around with the spelling. Most of the time, after trying a few spelling variation possibilities, what you are looking for will eventually come up. It can be a little frustrating, but it doesn't take long to get it all figured out. When you first get your GPS it might seem very complex and confusing to use. But you'll play around with it and hopefully go through the instruction manual. I would guess that within 2 to 3 weeks you will be familiar with and know how to easily use all the features. After a while it becomes second nature. Of course, in the meantime you can always post questions here and we'll very likely be able to answer them. There is a Yahoo group for GPS users. Many of the posts are the kinds that assume a great deal of prior knowledge, but many of the posters there are quite cooperative and helpful to people new to GPS use. But for most of your questions, we should be able to handle understandable answers for you right here on this forum.

As a moderator on this forum, I have to agree with lvdkeyes. While it is true that this forum is not yet exactly brimming over with new posters (and I believe it eventually will be as more and more people become aware of this forum), I do think it is incumbent upon members to make the effort to post coherently. I don't think asking people to post properly will cause potential members to choose not to become members. If anything, I think if this forum hosts numerous unreadable posts, that is what would drive people away. Also, why post at all if you can see that the "audience reaction" is such that people are going to avoid trying to read the post? For those who have difficulty writing a post, Bob's suggestion is a good one. If you first write your post on a word processor instead of directly into the forum, run the proofreading checks, and then simply copy and paste, while it still may not be perfect, the post will be far easier to read than simply writing a string of words and completely ignoring any semblance of spelling, grammar, and punctuation. I think people should spend a moment proofreading before hitting that POST button. I don't think that is too much to ask.

Phuket does offer everything you say it does, and more, but that is not my problem about going to Phuket. Several cities in Thailand also offer all you cite. The problem is the public transportation problem. That problem is easy for you to overcome, being a resident. You said it yourself. My interpretation of what you are saying is that you have to rent a motorbike or car, as a tourist, in order to avoid being ripped off by tuk-tuks. Is my interpretation incorrect? That is precisely the point I'm trying to make. As a tourist, why would I want to go to a destination that is so rampant with public transportation rip-offs that I would have to rent my own vehicle to avoid the problem, especially when Phuket is not the only city that offers what Phuket has to offer? And based upon the article that began this thread, even if I want to go to the added expense of renting a car I will still have to be very careful about where I try to park if I want to avoid incidents ranging from verbal abuse to being physically attacked. Knowing that those possibilities are not only real possibilities, but are quite likely to occur, then until Phuket gets serious and starts doing something substantial about it, in all honesty I really cannot think of a good reason to go to Phuket at all. I don't think I am alone in that opinion. Defending the positive aspects of Phuket is not enough to override the feeling of preferring to go elsewhere. A long time ago I had a boss who said, and I think he was right, "It takes at least 10 'atta boys' to counteract 1 'awwww shit.'" That's how I see the problem in Phuket. As long as the city continues to tolerate this problem, tourists and potential tourists are going to be alienated.