Udon - A Three Starbucks Town

With the opening of the LANDMARK center  Udon boasts three Starbucks.  The first at Central Plaza.  The second at UD Town [with a nice outdoor seating area] and the third at the new Landmark center which is home of Tukcom Udon and very nearly open 'Villa Market'

What next.....

Songkran Early Bird Special at Crystal Hill Garden Resort

Thai Tourist News

Laos considers joining single visa system

Lao PDR says it will consider joining Thailand and Cambodia’s single visa scheme launched late last year saying it will help to boost Mekong region tourism.

Alcohol Free Songkran - Really Guys!!


Areas of the Thai capital will go alcohol-free during the popular Songkran festival 12 to 17 April according to Thai authorities.
Coconuts Bangkok and Thaivisa.com identified the alcohol dry spots as Khao San, Rama Nine and Silom roads. Parts of Pattaya and Phuket will also be designated alcohol-free.

New service to Ranong

Nok Air will introduce a new service to Ranong, 15 May, that will make it more convenient for gamblers to visit a casino located on an island off Victoria Point, Myanmar, a short boat ride from Ranong.

Thai Smile Goes Regional


THAI Smile managing director, Woranate Laprabang said: “We will add three routes in India — Bangkok to Ahmedabad, Phuket to New Delhi, and Phuket to Mumbai — with two weekly flights each.”
The Ahmedabad route will start 31 March, New Delhi, 1 April and Mumbai , 3 April.  In addition, the airline will launch five weekly flights from Bangkok to Mandalay in Myanmar, 31 March and four weekly flights from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur, 2 April.

Thailand Accused of Honey Laundering And More News

China is flooding markets worldwide with cheap sweeteners mislabelled as honey - and using Thailand to do it, accounts from the US said on Thursday.

The case against Chinese honey exports has been building for months.
Unscrupulous businesses in China are producing sweet products containing tiny amounts of real honey and packed with corn and rice syrup, malt sweeteners and raw sugar, said a report on the Business Insider site


The deception has grown more complicated recently, the story said, because when US regulators placed punitive import duties on Chinese honey exporters for dumping, the Chinese began sending their products through neighbouring countries, including Thailand.
The "laundered" honey thus appears to come from Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand or other neighbours.

READ MORE

Pantip Plaza aims to ban pirate goods

READ MORE AT BANGKOK POST

Air AsiaX has sought Thai authorities' approval for an air operator's certificate to operate regular flights from Bangkok to South Korea and Japan, highly competitive routes with strong demand and growth potential.
The airline intends to deploy two Airbus A330-300 wide-body jets, configured with 377 seats (12 in business and 365 in economy), on those routes starting in October, industry sources say.

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Myanmar will allow tourists to exchange its kyat currency  with two more foreign currencies; the Chinese yuan and Thai baht by the end of this month.
Currently, Myanmar’s state and private banks has an official exchange rate between kyat and the  euro,  US dollar and Singapore dollar.

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Elephant Trunks

Elephant Trunks is also on the move to Nibblebit.

Effective at the end of the month Elephant Trunks will be at 

http://elephantstrunks.nibblebit.com/

Thai Diamond Books

I have been informed by Robert Bell that Thai Diamond Books is moving from blogger to nibblebit. 

The new url is 

http://thaidiamondbooks.nibblebit.com

The links from this blog have been updated.

Robert's site at moonfruit will combine with the new blog so all information will be available in one place.

The new nibblebit blog is up and running now.  The existing blog will continue for a few days

In The Thai News

Phuket Crime Data - TTR WEEKLY


Police on Phuket island arrested 193 foreigners in 2012 mostly for drug related crimes and disturbing the peace.
Police provided data on crimes involving expatriates on the island to the local online news service Phuketwan, Monday, in the hope it would show the tourist island was not as dangerous as depicted in the media.
Crimes involving foreigners included two rapes, 13 attempted robberies and 46 cases of fraud.

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Phuket Crack Down on foreign workers - TTR WEEKLY


Six eastern Europeans were arrested Monday by Immigration Police at Rawai district accused of work permit offences, according to a report released by a local online news service.
It suggests that immigration police are preparing a crackdown on the island to enforce labour laws that are opening flouted by foreign workers.

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US wants armed marshals on its Thailand flights - BANGKOK POST

READ MORE

Scamp - RIP

About Scamp

Scamp passed away last Friday after an accident with a car.  He is missed by everyone at Crystal Hill.  The Short Story, 'Scamp', written by a friend, tells anecdotes from his short life.

25 October 2012 - 08 March 2013

Scamp walked across the bridge.  He didn't understand where he was going, but he did it.  He knew he couldn't go back.  There was an old black and white dog waiting.  He assumed it must be waiting for him.  There was no one else around.  He felt alone and in need of a friend.  He walked up to the stranger, but he did look familiar.  He needed to introduce himself.  He wanted to explain to someone.

"You look friendly.  Do you mind me talking to you?  I’m new here.  Were you waiting for me?  Let me introduce myself, and tell you my short story.  I’m Scamp, a Shih Tzu.  I was born in Thailand and remember little of my early life."

 

The stranger just laid there, his head resting on his outstretched paws.  He knew the newcomer needed to talk.  There was time for everything.  He remembered when he crossed the bridge.

Scamp sensed he should carry on.

Scamp recounts his short life to his new friend, and learns that he will be reunited with those he loved.  Old Scamp, his namesake, is a wise old dog.

Use Coupon Code MF33E at checkout to download for free from Smashwords.com

Also available from Amazon

Patty’s Guide to Thai Ladies & All Men

A foolproof guide to the mating game and a humorous look at Thailand's modern Miss.
A definitive look at the man-woman relationship in Thailand.
Avoid ‘Expat Syndrome’, Know ‘The Bar Code’.

Patty’s Guide to Thai Ladies & All Men ISBN : 9786162222191 Category : Books on Thailand Pages : 111 Price from : 3.99 US$ (ebook)

Free eBooks from Bangkok Books

Blame it on Bangkok

Sex, Lies & Alibis
Tippawan is suspicious when her ex-fiancé starts being nice. She’s about to find out why.
Joe Copeland races to save his son from drugs, and discovers more than he ever wanted to know.
Young Troy learns an painful truth about his father after his mother dies.
Kamra’s life has not been an easy one. Hear a Thai lady's story in her own poignant words.
See Hanoi through the eyes of a fiction writer.
Tad’s brother is dead in Thailand. He goes there to find out why. He should have stayed home.... And Other Musings

Author : Gump, J.F.
ISBN : 9786162221378
Category : Books on Thailand
Pages : 176

Bar Girl

Siswan started life as a simple village girl but an alcoholic father and a needing mother would change her life forever. She must seek out the help of the foreign men who visit her country - but first she has to learn their ways.
From the first chapter to the last Bar Girl tells a harrowing tale of life in Asia where the only thing that matters is money, where love and respect have to be bought rather than earned, and where women always come second. 

Author : Thompson, David
ISBN : 9786162221330
Category : Books on Thailand
Pages : 274

DOWNLOAD HERE

Udon Thani FC

Four matches into the new season and Udon have managed one win and a draw and sit mid table.  Their first win came at the weekend with a 3-0 victory at Mukdahan

Run Away From The Tiger, Face The Crocodile

Martin headed for Thailand, leaving behind his former, self destructive, alcoholic self, James.  The last person he expected to see was Rene, especially not one who had descended into drink and drugs.  Together they headed for a temple to be cured of their addictions.  The temple wasn't a temple.  The big question was whether Isaan Black Magic could cure them.  Would the Master succeed?

Martin and Rene enter a world where belief in the Master, the Teacher, is paramount.  Are they the subject of an elaborate scam, or is there a reality to which they are awakened.

Just Published at Smashwords

Published: March 08, 2013 
Words: 11,037 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781301666379

Football coms to Bangkok

Big European football teams have announced plans to play in Bangkok as part of their preseason tours.

Manchester United - July 13

Chelsea - July 17

Liverpool - July 28

Barcelona - August 7

March at Crystal Hill Garden Resort

Clash of Wills

Robert Bell has just self published his first short story at Smashwords, entitled Clash of Wills.

When informed his father had died, Ray knew he had to do the right thing, even though they'd not spoken in years.  Determined to face his demons, but dreading the thought of it, he returned to his England, only to discover the realities weren't as he'd imagined and that a world of new problems had to be faced.

There was one particular demon.

He made the vultures wait.  There was no other family; the funeral had to wait until he could attend.  The facts were simple, or so he thought.

Clash of Wills by Robert Bell. $0.99 from Smashwords.com


Published: March 02, 2013 
Words: 16,218 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781301375615

Download 'The Sword of Nonsakhorn' free from Bangkok Books

Lian’s father was an Isaan rice farmer. One day when he was digging a well on his land he found something. On his death bed he told her about it, “Look at the bottom of my wardrobe and you will find a wooden box there. It has something that I found on my land.”

Mysteries unwind when Nop, her boyfriend finds an old rusty sword in the box and there is some old writing and a picture engraved on it.

A Tale of times’ gone by.

The Sword of Nonsakhorn is one of ten free eBooks from Bangkok Books.  You can review them all, and download them here


Author : Little, Alan
ISBN : 9786162221651
Category : 50-75% OFF!
Pages : 68
Format : e-book

Tourism News

Scandinavian Airlines will axe its services to Bangkok 1 April ending 64 years serving the Thai capital from cities in Scandinavia.
The airline will lay off 30 employees at the Bangkok office. The airline hopes to resume service to Thailand from its Copenhagen base during the winter season, starting November, but it will be without the financial obligations of full-time staff and a dedicated office. It is likely the airline will recruit the general sales agency in Bangkok to take over ground and sales operations to save costs for winter season flights.


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The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has confirmed, Wednesday, Air Mekong will halt operations, in March possibly until the end of the year to restructure its entire fleet.
After two years of operations, the carrier now says its Bombardier aircraft were unsuitable to serve its network economically. It will return the aircraft to the supplier and invest in other aircraft types.



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Health plans for foreigners under review - BANGKOK POST

On health care measures for foreigners in preparation for the AEC, the ministry will target three groups of foreign nationals: people from countries sharing borders with Thailand who seek medical treatment here; foreign (migrant) workers and expatriates and their families who are not under the social security system; and foreigners who require a visa to enter Thailand.

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About 3,000 members of cooperative groups in the Northeast have blocked the Friendship Highway in front of the Khlong Phai Prison in Nakhon Ratchasima's Si Khiu district, reports said

READ MORE