Monday 30 September 2013

TrueVisions Scam?

Two TrueVisions 'engineers' turned up at a Rag reader's, (RR), house today to collect the Truevisions' dish/receiver and RR told them they would have to return his BT2,000 deposit before they could have their equipment.

After much confab in Thai between RR's 'live in ATM abuser', (AA), and the engineers it was explained to RR that the only way for him to get back his deposit was to let them take the equipment and submit papers to that affect to TrueVisions and then Truevisions would refund the deposit directly to his account.

RR explained to AA that there was a good chance he wouldn't get the Bt2,000 once the equipment was gone as Truevisions know that nobody will take them to court for non payment of Bt2,000/-. Regardless, AA handed over the equipment to the Truevisions engineers.

Now the sting.

When AA showed RR the receipt provided by the engineers for the equipment taken, written in Thai on the form were the words:

No wall mount bracket for dish.

When RR asked AA why they hadn't taken the TrueVisions bracket off the wall she explained that the engineer had said it was too old...... Arghhhhhhhhhh TOO OLD, of course it's old, it's been on the effing wall for years. FFS.

So now RR's papers will be submitted to Truevisions with the magical 'no bracket' comment which will be all the excuse they need not to refund his deposit..... arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

There's not really a moral to the story but when Truevisions engineers turn up at your door, don't hand over the decoder until they've taken down the dish bracket. Also, make sure there's no pen written comments on your receipt.


Fly Bangkok to Hua Hin with Nok AIr



It's 90 miles as the crow flies and takes 30mins to Hua Hin and 40mins coming back to Bangkok. Must be up hill coming back. In reality, you probably spend more time taxiing than flying.

For more info on the service go to Nok Air.

Sunday 29 September 2013

Sexy Asian Lady #149

I could look at that view all day......




10 Weird, Unsettling Facts About Sex

On the surface, sex should be the simplest thing in the world—find someone you like, retreat to the bedroom, and spend the next half hour apologizing. But the reality is very different. Deep down, sex and attraction are weird and complicated things, and our subconscious minds are capable of producing all sorts of bizarre and sometimes comical stuff.

At No. 10 - Most Transsexual Porn Is Watched By Straight Men



At No 9 - Straight Men Love Looking At Penises

So you see Steve, it's not just you.......

For the other 8 oddities go to Listverse.


Saturday 28 September 2013

Friday 27 September 2013

Pattaya Rag Blog - more changes

After my total failure yesterday to 'sell' an update to the content of the Pattaya Rag Girls tab on the Rag blog, I'm back again with another sales pitch. I can't do any worse surely........ famous last words....

I've added a new page to the blog which aggregates all Pattaya Rag related posts on the major social  networks, (see image below). It's a good place to see what you've missed whilst you were sleeping/working, (same thing for some), or a good place to go if you want to share a Rag post but can't remember where you saw it. Just click on the 'Rag on Social Media' tab at the top of this page.



I reckon it's a better presentation of Rag posts than you'll find on Facebook. Just my opinion.

Feel free to ignore this post too....

Thursday 26 September 2013

Ms Hard Rock, 4th–5th October 2013

Hard Rock Hotel and Cafe Pattaya is set to play host to the Ms. Hard Rock Southeast Asia 2013 contest on 4th–5th October.




During the contest in Pattaya, the nine contestants will be tested on music knowledge, take part in a talent show and demonstrate their fashion sense in the Your ‘Rock’ style and Your ‘Beach’ style parades.  Finally, they will undergo a question and answer session before the winner will be chosen and announced on Sunday evening.
The contest is open and free for spectators to come along and cheer on their favourite female rocker.
For more info read the full article at Pattaya Mail.

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Sexy Asian Lady #147

Shower time...



Monday 23 September 2013

Man has penis amputated after overdosing on Viagra

A man from southern Colombia had to have his penis amputated after he allegedly overdosed on Viagra to impress his girlfriend.

The 66-year-old man from Gigante, Colombia, whose name has not been released, told a local newspaper that he intentionally overdosed on the erectile dysfunction medicine.

He then is said to have suffered an erection for several days before being forced to seek medical advice.



When he sought medical help, doctors in Gigante referred the man to a medical facility in Neiva, where medical staff noted that the man's penis was inflamed and fractured.

They informed the patient his only option was amputation so the inflammation and gangrene would stop spreading to other parts of his body.

Read the full article at MailOnline.

Rag - Shouldn't that sort of side effect be mentioned on the box.

Sunday 22 September 2013

Thursday 19 September 2013

Australians drugged, raped and robbed at Thai beach parties, diplomat warns

In an interview on the eve of his retirement after eight years as Australian Honorary Consul in Thailand, Mr Cunningham said Australian parents would be shocked to know how Thai criminals target young Australians and other foreigners at parties like those on Koh Phangan, an island where each full moon up to 30,000 ravers cram into one kilometre of beach, sipping cocktails from buckets.

“They are some of the worst criminals in Thailand ... rapists, murderers and thieves and some are corrupt police,” he said.



Mr Cunningham said one young distressed Australian woman turned up at the Australian embassy in Bangkok wearing only a T-shirt and bikini. She had been pack raped and had all her valuables stolen during a party and someone had put her on a bus to Bangkok.

“These are dangerous, dangerous places … even groups of revellers are targeted by these criminals,” Mr Cunningham said.

“Previously the buckets contained mixes like cheap Thai whiskey but now drinkers have no idea what is in there,” he said.

Dozens of revellers are usually ferried to mainland hospitals after each party on Koh Phangan, suffering a litany of ailments and injuries

Read the full article at The Sunday Morning Herald.


Wednesday 18 September 2013

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Pattaya Fortune Teller Festival 2013

Maybe now we can find out if Shergar really did end up in a Tesco burger.......



From 28th - 29th September at Central Center, Big C, north Pattaya.

Monday 16 September 2013

Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show, 22nd - 24th November 13



Ocean Marina Yacht Club are to host the second Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show, showcasing the Gulf of Thailand’s marine leisure industry and underscoring its position as a strategic yachting hub in South East Asia. To be held 22nd to 24th November at Ocean Marina Yacht Club on Jomtien Beach, Pattaya, on Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard, the event is expected to attract over 100 exhibitors and 3,000 visitors.

Read the full article at the Pattaya Daily News.


Saturday 14 September 2013

Friday 13 September 2013

Red Bull Heir and Inequality in Thailand

Early on a Monday morning in September, 2012, Vorayuth Yoovidhya, an heir to Thailand’s Red Bull energy-drink fortune, allegedly sped down a Bangkok street in his silver Ferrari and crashed into a police officer on motorcycle patrol. The police officer died at the scene; Vorayuth, who is known as one of Thailand’s most prominent young princelings and goes by the nickname Boss, did not stop. He drove his battered sports car home, police said, dragging the officer’s body some distance along the way.



Last week, Vorayuth’s alleged crime made headlines once more when he failed to appear for an indictment hearing in Bangkok. The reason: according to his lawyer, Vorayuth had fallen ill during a business trip to nearby Singapore, and was recuperating there on doctor’s orders. That meant that Vorayuth’s indictment was postponed for the sixth time; police now say they are seeking an arrest warrant. Still, some argue that the family’s economic and political clout will insure Vorayuth is never adequately punished.

Many Thais have taken to online forums and social media to complain about the impunity of the country’s wealthiest. Thai citizens simply have more tools at their disposal now to voice their displeasure with wayward young scions who seem to get away with their misdeeds. Had the hit-and-run taken place before the advent of the Web, it may well have been mentioned in newspapers and discussed around dinner tables. But now, with message boards and Facebook, among other outlets, their dissent is easier to quantify, and the narrative of a princeling, a silver Ferrari, and a dead policeman becomes all the more vivid.

Read the full article at The New Yorker.

Wednesday 11 September 2013

36 Hours In...Bangkok

Why spend 'One Night in Bangkok' when you can have 36?



A heady mix of palaces and temples, mesmerising cuisine and vibrant street life reward the visitor to this extraordinary city, says Tom Vater, a long time resident and destination expert for western media outlets.

The city offers many compelling reasons, way beyond the stereotype of an exotic nightlife and budget hostels on the Khao San Road. There is the year-round sunshine, the fascinating palaces and temples, as well as some of Asia’s best food. Then there are the countless markets day and night, as well as the unreserved friendliness of the locals.

The crowds, traffic and pollution can seem daunting at first, but this tropical metropolis of 11 million people is both reasonably safe and surprisingly navigable, making it an urban cornucopia of smells, tastes, sounds and sights you are unlikely to forget.

Read Tom Vater's full article on where to stay and what to do to get the most out of your visit at The Telegraph.


Tuesday 10 September 2013

Down the hill to Karon Beach, Phuket

Flight delays at Suvarnabhumi

All outbound flights from Suvarnabhumi are being delayed until the airport's eastern runway reopens on Wednesday, by which time damage caused by the crash-landing of a Thai Airways International flight should be repaired.



Deputy Transport Minister Gen Prin Suvanadat said flights should return to normal at 9am on Wednesday after the surface of the eastern runway is repaired and the stricken aircraft removed from the site.

Part of the runway has been closed since the crash on Sunday and is open only to small aircraft. Up to 30 minute delays on outbound flights and 15 minute delays on incoming flights are expected until the entire runway is back in service.

Read the full article at Bangkok Post.


Monday 9 September 2013

Saturday 7 September 2013

How to feel a twerk


Don't try this at home......


Friday 6 September 2013

Pattaya Bay - 6th September 2013



If you are using an extension like Hover Zoom, mouse over the image for a full size view.


Thursday 5 September 2013

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Yorkshire - God's own country is the best place in Europe

Yorkshire beats off competition from popular cities, among them Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Florence, to be named Europe's leading destination 2013.



"Yorkshire wins World Travel Awards." I read it online on my way home to York after a trip abroad. Not only that but the county had beaten off opposition from London, Berlin and Madrid to become European destination 2013 at the World Travel Awards held in Antalya, Turkey. Previous winners include Edinburgh, Istanbul and Lisbon. Reading all this, I was, I must admit, shocked, deeply shocked. How was it possible that God's Own Country had not won before? What flagrant prejudice and bigotry had denied the North, South, East and West Yorkshire victory in previous years?

Read the full article at The Guardian.


Tuesday 3 September 2013

Higher alcohol prices in Thailand after midnight Tuesday

Drinkers are going to face higher prices on beer, wine and liquor after midnight Tuesday, following cabinet approval on new alcohol tax rates.



The maximum tax for beer will be maintained at 60% of the product's value, but the effective tax rate per litre of 100% alcohol content will rise from 100 baht to 300 baht.

The tax hike will effectively drive up beer prices by about three to seven baht per bottle.

In terms of alcohol content, all wines will now be taxed at 1,000 baht per litre of pure alcohol, up from 100 baht.

The Finance Ministry will release full details of the new tax policy on Wednesday.

Read the full article at the Bangkok Post.


Sexy Asian Lady #141



Monday 2 September 2013

Sexy Asian Lady #140



CTH receive brickbats not bouquets for EPL broadcast

Predictably, the debut of the English Premier League (EPL) broadcast by the new rights owner, CTH, received more brickbats than bouquets. Not to mention the difficulty in applying for a subscription. Some have to wait for a month or two to get a dealer or CTH itself to install a set-top box.

Currently, fans in Thailand are able to watch the entire EPL's 380 matches via CTH's set-top-box (17 live matches will be televised through Modernine TV) and the AIS Mobile Barclays Premier League app.



Surprisingly, the number of subscribers for the AIS app is far more than the rights owner, CTH. AIS revealed after the first match of the season that more than 200,000 people have registered for the app while CTH, according to its executive two weeks ago, installed only 20,000 set-top boxes out of the 700,000 who have applied for the network.

A flood of complaints poured into a Facebook page named "Doo Ball Sod CTH-Premier League" (watch live CTH-Premier League) after the first match. Although there was no statement that it was the official page of CTH, the page admin was slammed because of lack of responses to the complaints.

Most of the complaints were about the poor signal quality and sound including the lethargic attitude of the company in installing the boxes. Some fans cried foul after missing out on John Dykes, who left ESPNStar to join the Barclays Premier League Television (PLTV) as a football presenter.

"Big results spark big reactions. Arsenal's surprise 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa [on the first match] would have had the pitch side reporter begging for many questions. Sadly, bigger questions were being begged by CTH viewers as absolutely no post-match reaction was offered.

Normally exclusive rights mean full contents that include PLTV, interviews of managers before and after the matches. CTH does have game analysis and highlights by Thai presenters but it should not be forgotten that there are a sizeable number of foreign football fans living in Thailand and they need game analysis, previews, and match interviews in English.

I tried to reach CTH but there was no response. However, my source at CTH says that the PLTV will start in the next two weeks.

Read the full article at The Nation.

Rag

I hope PLTV includes the pundit panels who review/preview EPL games.

And what's going on with the audio feed. Sometimes English language broadcasts are on the 'English' audio channel and sometimes on the 'Primary' audio channel. Room for improvement methinks.

And before somebody makes the standard moronic comment of "if you don't like it go back to your own country" forget it. I'm in this country and I'm paying for a service. I reckon I'm entitled to comment on the quality of that service.


Sunday 1 September 2013