Lemondropkid

12 hours ago, galenkia said:

Latest in the Cormoran Strike series. 945 pages so should keep me busy for a while. Last book was similar length

Read my first Strike novel " Troubled Blood" earlier this month.

She doesn't do skinny volumes does she😀picked it up in a second hand bookstore.

Like you I found it an engaging read.

Looks like you've bought the hard back. As a bonus you can. Keep fit Bench pressing it

On 1/12/2024 at 9:57 AM, Bazle said:

Just a thought!

Does whether uBlock works or not get affected by whether you are logged-in to YouTube?

YT gives me a problem when I use the Opera browser (which has ad blocking) only if I am logged in to YT. So I log in on Firefox, but watch the videos on Opera.

Strange I  can be logged into YouTube without any adverts running Opera without any ad blocking software plug in installed.

This is on my Chromebook, on my Andriiod tablet the AdBlock browser does the same job for me. 

Conversely I couldn't access YT properly using Firefox. The exact reverse of yourself!!

Happy to be ad free again, they are infurirating

On 1/4/2024 at 12:58 PM, Glasseye said:

Started it here twice once in classroom with a group. The sounds of twenty people trying to pronounce words at the same time was mind numbing

Had lesson 1 today and was thinking of this post, precisely 20 people replying to the teacher at once.

Began with Thai vowels , consonants and tones. Some in the class were either extremely bright or had learnt these before.

I struggled but enjoyed more towards the end as I was starting to get some of the basics on repetition.

So plenty of home study coming up for me 

As one of your fellow countrymen said on leaving, "well this is going to be challenge!" 😁

1 hour ago, Golfingboy said:

@Lemondropkid But then what about the mattress king who has won I believe $75M on a single bet? Although that’s comparing apples to oranges to me betting a few dimes and dollars on basketball & hockey

Seriously though I have had a good run the past 2 days, the bets I am losing are parlays paying 20-1 or better, my O/U seem to be 80%…..

We will see, if I do end up blowing up my bankroll AND they ban me……no doubt there will be some social media vlogs posted by me. Have had it with corporations fucking us, UBER ruined my 6-figure taxi job, and now we have big sportsbooks putting my Italian friends out of business, but also saying if you’re too good we won’t let you win

The mattress king as I understand is down to 1 or 2 books that will take his bet. They only exist for 2 reasons.

Firstly a long term relationship with them. Second up he's putting money into a highly liquid market, his big bet on the Houston Astros winning the world series. 

The brutal bottom line is the chances of you winning are somewhere between 1 and 3%, but closer to the former. I base that on the percentage of long term winners that an honest bookmaker would own up to.

And even if you make into that 1% putting in full time research like a job, you'll be restricted to the point you can't get on.

That is the modern earn income for the shareholders, corporate book making market. It's the big mouth from Barstool sports playing the  big meme stock trader but won't lay $1000 bucks on the NFL draft .

Read Walters book.

I won't reply back on this am conscious I've dragged this thread way, way off topic.

2 hours ago, Golfingboy said:

Thanks for this information. I have heard it is impossible to be a frequent winner and turn say $500 into a million+……I am curious to see what it takes to get shut down, I have  heard $15-20K per site but who knows? 
 

Only way around it, assuming you can be a long-term winner, is use others to open accoun

You are way off mate. Read Walters book, he lists out the very, very small number of these parasitic corporates that you can even get a bet on with.

Lose and consistently get best price will see an account shut down. Never mind winning !

Whomever is putting out the 15-20k figure is most likely away with the fairies. I've had accounts closed in the past couple of years within 4 bets. More like £150 to £200

A long term pro won't make 10% on turnover. So turning over 150 to 200k on a single site, B******t. They wouldn't physically be able to do it.

You are correct on the need to bury bets in someone else's losing account or use an agent. Another topic that comes up in Walters book.

Never done it much myself, considered it sneaky.

Chances are you will be found out, they'll freeze your money, withhold any winnings and see you are banned with them and elsewhere.

I worked for 888s precursor Hills 40 years back, and have worked for one other Biggie. Shop, head office and even on course at one point.

They had a semblance of honour then,  now they are just parasitic scum.

Like the famous Goldman Sachs quote, "A vampire squid stuck stuck on the face of humanity with their blood funnell jammed into anything that smells of money"

2 hours ago, Golfingboy said:

think there are some chinks in the armour and someone who is good with probabilities can make some real $….Just got Hull at 5.5, they scored late & held off Sunderland

OK so I used to punt to heavy levels (more than my annual salary). I've always kept records, more formal now with everything spreadsheeted. I only bet horse racing for significant stakes(still small by historical standards for me) and a small subset of races. These days I'll turnover about 6 to 8k GDP per annum  my profit over 7 years to date runs at just shy of 14% return, That's a bit of fun and a hobby for me.

I'd suggest

1. Keep a record of every single punt you make, broken down by sport. And I mean every single things no matter how small.

2. Don't bet on things you don't understand.

Every punter having a lucky wininng bet has deluded himself he knows that sport. He doesn't he's got lucky, unless it somethng he really, really understands.

That might be ice hockey in your case, it won't be Championship football.

3. There are chinks in their armour, but if you really have found them, you'll be closed down with a month maximun.  Just getting the best price on a loser can see you account restricted. Finding a "chink in their armour" and losing that day, they won't like

By closed down I mean restricted stakes. Ladrokes and Coral in the UK allow me an amusing 25 pence ew on an ante post horse racing bet, lets call in 12 baht ew. And I've had a losing year last year, that still didn't stop them

I'm restricted by every single major bookmaker in the UK bar one (think I lasted 2 weeks with 888 sport).

Only place bar one exception where you can get a bet, is a betting exchange. Pay the 2% commision of winnings, that's as good as you'll do long term. However even one of the them has restricted me to only depositing £100 pcm, why bother? This is due to new gambling laws coming into the the UK, 

4. Very closely related to keeping records, learn about money management or you'll be totally screwed very fast.

Highly recommend get a copy of Billy Walters Secrets from a life a risk.

The chapters on staking and money management and how to rate bets, are the best explanation I've seen. Chapters 21 and 22

If all of this sounds like hard work, it is!! I think it's impossible in today's climate to make money off the corporate bookmakers.

Play it for fun, but follow the above if you want to be serious. It's like a real job if you want to win but to be honest a real job is far less effort, time and stress

1 hour ago, Stillearly said:

i

It's funny but don't have too think too long to realise how wrong bookmakers sponsorship of clubs, competitions, blanket adverts during the football is.

Please gamble responsibily in our online casino- you what!!

1 minute ago, boydeste said:

Don't fly Vietjet unless absolutely necessary.

Passing through BKK earlier in the month it was bedlam at the Vietjet check in.  It was like the evacuation of Saigon in reverse!!!

The bars in BKK will still be open when you arrive😛

3 hours ago, Krapow said:

@Lemondropkid to the thread please!

It's OK to admit you love Ange 😘 No need to hide it now he's not at Celtic.

3 hours ago, maipenrai said:

Just had my old version of this replaced the other day here in BKK for 150b, right on Sukhumvit near Soi 7 - photo page on one side, visa stamps on the other, laminated and wallet sized. 

Nice reminder to me, I've got an old version that needs replacing.

Had my done as the Asia Copy Center between Sukhumvit Soi 31 and 33 BKK. Can't recall the exact cost but certainly wasn't more than the 150 Baht you've paid.

26 minutes ago, Yessongs said:

Wifey cooked up some "pasta" last night....very good. 

Does she put a little chilli in it to spice it up a bit?

On 1/12/2024 at 12:54 PM, Horizondave said:

This book should be handed out to all single mongers on arrival into Thailand. 

Shows the 2013 version but was around when I came here in the 90s, I am sure. Some info says first published in 2013 but I have seen forum comments about this book from 2002 and pretty sure I read it in the early 90s.

I've downloaded a copy, according to the author it was first available in Pattaya in 2001.

Am skim reading it as much of it so Pattaya specific( travel from the airport, the baht bus!) . What makes it are the generic parts that are still true and the author whose very amusing.

More wisdom across circa 200 pages than entire vlog sphere combined!

2 hours ago, AJSP said:

Listened to her loads - makes me feel old that  

Doesn't it just😞

Annie Nightingale, one of my favourite Radio 1 DJ's growing up, and on the Whistle test too. R.I.P

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67955757

22 minutes ago, Stillearly said:

Stuff that makes your life easier / resolves a problem in Thailand ... 😜

Mods, can we pin this post to the top of this thread?😁

35 minutes ago, richy65 said:

Ublock stopped working for me now

Same here.

I've down loaded the Adblock plus browser, that blocks out the adverts on my Andriod tablet and phone

Loving the reaction of Spurs new signings agent to his charge turning down Bayern Munich 😀

" Dragusin chose Tottenham over Bayern Munich, a fact his agent has seemingly yet to fully recover from. "Bayern are one of the biggest clubs in the world... I can't believe we turned down Bayern. Radu had given Spurs his word and chose to respect this," 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67939043

And Dier going to Munich, good luck to him but strange times.

19 hours ago, Phantom51red said:

Just came through security at suv which was quick and passport control even quicker,tho it looked a nightmare was quickest its ever been as used one of the new scanning machines,no passport stamp leaving now ? As long as its registered in their system all good.

Was still 2 massive queue s at either side so maybe the scanning machines only set up for some national s.

That is interesting.

I came through on Monday at 16.00, I used the fast track service. Showed the IO officer a printed email of my non-immigrant O visa and she gave me the 3 month stamp I was entitled to.

Rhetorical question but what on earth would the machine have done?

The fast track saved zero time as guy as guys sat around me on the plane were at the luggage collection at the same time I was. Reading your post maybe they came through the automated gates?

44 minutes ago, galenkia said:

Thing is he actually is an older version of you.

😂

Brilliant 

Many's a true word...

1 hour ago, Toy Boy said:

After being a bit disappointed in the Nonthaburi Brewery's Helles, I gave its Weizen a go. The same price, a painful 150 Baht for a locally-brewed beer, and a waste of money. While it's better than the chemical crap produced by the large brewers (e.g. the truly awful Snowy Weizen from Boon Rawd), that's not really saying much. It has nothing worth talking about; no character, no interesting flavours (Weissbiers are famous for their fruity, citrus tones, or even banana), its sole distinguishing features are the banality and the outlandish price. Why would you drink this stuff when, for 95 Baht in 7-eleven, you can buy a half-litre can of Hoegaarden brewed under licence in Vietnam? Remember that they've been brewing Hoegaarden for some 700 years, so they've had plenty time to figure out how to make it interesting and enjoyable. Maybe in the year 2725 (cue music by Zager and Evans, lol) the Nonthaburi crowd will finally produce an interesting beer? (If man is still alive.)

Tried their Helles and totally agree, average at best. The Full Moon brewery beers are the best Thai ones I've had in bottles. Have had better beers  ones on draft in Thai craft bars but from breweries unknown to me, that I couldn't find any information about online.

22 hours ago, Zambo said:

That must be a tough way to learn. One to one once a week and then go off and try a few sentences would be better. But i guess that's not cheap these days. 

The Duke language school charges 1200 baht for a 2 hour private lesson.

2 hours is too long to concentrate fully, but at least it's a benchmark of possible cost per hour. But not cheap.

3 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

airport I may zip off the legs converting the pants to cargo shorts.

I hadn't realised such a garment existed 🤩Short haul flights in Asia I normally go for shorts.

Long haul I will go for trousers and a long sleeves.

May have to investigate those fancy pants of yours!!!

Having a beer watching the world go by on the Tonle Sap Riverbank.

Have a relaxing few beers checking out a few regular bars.