My Bangkok Bitcoin Bonanza

Uber, fortunately, is readily available (the X-rated version) on arrival, so it wasnтАЩt very long after touchdown that I was speeding away from Swampy to my hotel (the Sofitel, near iSuck BTS). Unfortunately тАУ indeed sadly тАУ Uber offer only payment by credit card, and there are no Bitcoin-denominated credit cards that Uber will accept. Two so-called disruptive e-businesses (Amazon, Uber) no Bitcoin

As we drove towards the Big Mango I decided to ask my driver about his acceptance of Bitcoin. тАЬOh,тАЭ he replied, тАЬyou want lady?тАЭ тАЬNo, no,тАЭ I replied, тАЬBitcoin. Bit Coin.тАЭ тАЬAh, you want boy?!тАЭ тАЬNo, no,тАЭ I said firmly, тАЬBitcoin. Bit Coin.тАЭ тАЬYesтАЭ, he said, leering at me, тАЬYou want lady boy!тАЭ

At last I convinced him that I was not seeking companionship (or at least not through his efforts), before he dropped me at my hotel

тАЬCan I settle the account in Bitcoin?тАЭ I asked the sleepy receptionist. She looked at me as if IтАЩd made an indecent proposal. Ah well. She too had not heard that Bitcoin is accepted everywhere, every time. I must get Bruce to put in a quiet word. They need to convert to The True Faith That Is Bitcoin (http://www.coinfox.info/news/2293-bitcoin-religion-2)

[arsenal]

Unbelievable to imagine that a Bangkok taxi driver was not up to speed on an electronic virtual currency. Whatever next? A rickshaw driver refusing to accept your air miles perhaps.

[bruce_nyc]

From the article you linked to....


Curiously, bitcoin adversaries do not seem any more logical.

I think iPhone users are more evangelical, for sure.

Anyway, next time check http://coinmap.org first. Not every business accepts bitcoin yet. Not every business has its own website yet. Not every business accepts Visa either.

However, you might be surprised at the growing number of gay businesses in Bangkok that already accept bitcoin. But give it a little time. The internet didn't become ubiquitous overnight. In fact, it's still not.... not completely.

Uber already announced that they are working on bitcoin integration. Everyone agrees that it can't happen fast enough. Bitcoin is already accepted at Starbucks, Target, and hundreds of other major retail operations in the US.... via the Airbitz wallet. By the way, you get a 20% *discount* when you use bitcoin at Starbucks in the US and Europe. But you only get a 10% discount when you use bitcoin at Target.

[attachment=2:1e9ff0fq]Screenshot_2015-12-25-15-01-50.png[/attachment:1e9ff0fq]

[attachment=1:1e9ff0fq]Screenshot_2015-12-25-15-02-01.png[/attachment:1e9ff0fq]

[attachment=0:1e9ff0fq]Screenshot_2015-12-25-15-02-15.png[/attachment:1e9ff0fq]

[Tobi]

Bitcoin is already accepted at Starbucks, Target, and hundreds of other major retail operations in the US....

No. You first have to buy gift cards from a third party supplier using titcoin and then use those giftcards instore. *sigh*

https://airbitz.co/go/how-to-hack-starb ... to-20-off/ (https://airbitz.co/go/how-to-hack-starbucks-target-to-get-up-to-20-off/)

#titcoin

[bruce_nyc]

No. It's not a gift card. It's an *integrated* *virtual* gift card.

In other words, you touch a button on your Airbitz wallet, at the Starbucks or Target cashier.... and a big "bar code" appears. The cashier scans it.

That's it. Done.

And you just used bitcoin to pay for your purchase at any Starbucks or Target.... and saved up to 20% in the process.

But you still have the option of using cash or credit card..... and paying 20% more. As they say, up to you.

[Tobi]

Ah, so Starbucks, Target and hundreds of other major retail operations in the US... don't in fact accept titcoin, do they? :^O

You've simply found a dodgy hack through a third-party "virtual" gift card provider.

#titcoin #twaddle

[cdnmatt]

Ah well. She too had not heard that Bitcoin is accepted everywhere, every time. I must get Bruce to put in a quiet word. They need to convert to The True Faith That Is Bitcoin (http://www.coinfox.info/news/2293-bitcoin-religion-2)

I have to agree. Don't get me wrong, I love bitcoin and everything, the concept is excellent, it's proven itself over time as an excellent vehicle for the transfer of wealth especially across borders, and it's provided me a very comfortable life over the past 2.5 years. However, I'm not some fanatic either, and there's unfortunately quite a few of them out there. They give bitcoin a bad name.

It's almost worst than Scientology, because these guys spread themselves across every forum on the internet. :)

[bruce_nyc]

They're all very much involved in the process. It's a partnership among all of the parties to make the transition very smooth. And giving users a 20% discount for using bitcoin is one of the goals.

Of course, most of the millions of businesses that accept bitcoin, accept them directly.

See http://www.bitcoinvalues.net/who-accept ... coins.html (http://www.bitcoinvalues.net/who-accepts-bitcoins-payment-companies-stores-take-bitcoins.html) for a partial list of major businesses who accept bitcoin.

For example, when I'm in the car riding from Bangkok to Hua Hin, I'll often open my phone and book a hotel on the way.... in less than 5 minutes.... using bitcoin.... and entering no personal information other than my name. See the attached screenshots.

For some reason the images won't load here, so take a look at these screenshots here: http://bw.gl/11v

[Smiles]

' ... They give bitcoin a bad name. It's almost worst than Scientology, because these guys spread themselves across every forum on the internet ...'
One only has to watch Brucie's YouTube bitcoin flogging episodes and you will see - perhaps - what I see; an unsophisticated and breathless used car salesman of the most, and worst, cliched type. And an obvious one at that.
So cdnmatt is quite correct, the/my take regarding Brucie is not about bitcoin, it's about him. And 'him' ain't a pretty sight.

[Tobi]

Of course, most of the millions of businesses that accept bitcoin, accept them directly. :^O

No. They don't.

http://time.com/money/3658361/dell-micr ... a-bitcoin/ (http://time.com/money/3658361/dell-microsoft-expedia-bitcoin/)

#titcoin #twaddle

[bruce_nyc]

That report is so idiotic.

Of course huge businesses use a payment processor.

BitPay and Coinbase are two of the largest payment processors.

If you want to use *that* insane definition..... That any business which uses a payment processor doesn't *really* accept credit cards......

Then by that insane definition..... NO businesses accept credit cards. None.

If you make idiotic basic assumptions, you can claim anything is true.... or false.

Some reporters just are desperate for attention..... so they latch on to any super popular topic.... and say the *opposite* of what everyone else is saying... only to get attention. Like a screaming baby.

[Tobi]

If you make idiotic basic assumptions, you can claim anything is true....

As. You. Do.


Like a screaming baby.

As. You. Are.

#titcoin #twaddle

[cdnmatt]

For example, when I'm in the car riding from Bangkok to Hua Hin, I'll often open my phone and book a hotel on the way.... in less than 5 minutes.... using bitcoin.... and entering no personal information other than my name.

I think you're missing the point here. Everyone can already do that with their credit card, hence giving them no incentive whatsoever to use bitcoin.

You have to come up with realistic scenarios. The most realsitic is people easily sending their loved ones in Thailand some money once their back in their home country, cutting out Western Union, wire transfer fees, etc. Again, if the requests from Thai guys for bitcoin haven't started yet, I'm sure they will begin within a year or two.

Nobody is going to use bitcoin for the sake of using bitcoin though. It's not like they're going to buy a bunch of bitcoin so they can book a hotel from their phone while in a taxi. They can already do that with their credit card. I'm a bit of an oddball because I get paid in bitcoin, but that's neither here or there.

[Tobi]

Great points, Matt. It's rude, but may I ask you as an expert, do you keep any percentage of your earnings in bitcoin, or do you translate them into another currency straight away? I'm also curious regarding your scenario above, I've a few bitcoins from the early days, I've no idea how a gar├зon de la saison would convert them into cash, even if I sent them to him.

[bruce_nyc]

Unbelievable to imagine that a Bangkok taxi driver was not up to speed on an electronic virtual currency. Whatever next? A rickshaw driver refusing to accept your air miles perhaps.

Exactly. The OP was idiotic, of course. Intentionally, of course.

But the fact that I can instantly book a hotel room from a car... without entering any numbers into a website..... No identity info. I don't even have to give them a real name!

Think about it. With a credit card, you're giving people a number. A number which they can use to dip into your bank account and take any amount they want any time they want..... as many times as they want. And there's nothing you can do to stop them! Oh sure.... You can complain to your bank and begin a months long process of trying to get your money back.... with no guarantee of success.

But when I send $69 to a hotel via bitcoin. They cannot charge me one cent more. They cannot charge me again every month for the rest of my life. Etc etc etc.

They can't steal my identity. They don't even need my identity at all.

That's just one of 1000 benefits to using bitcoin as a consumer.

[Tobi]

I can do that with PayPal.

[cdnmatt]

I currently keep all of my funds in bitcoin. Probably quite stupid of me, but it works, and it lets me not worry about the volatility. I invoice in USD, and get paid in BTC, so just pull out the little I need for daily living, and leave the rest there. Price fluctuations don't matter to me much, as I'm in it for the long-term, and have no problem seeing it at $1500+ in the future (especially come mid 2016 when rewards halve), and always have fresh invoices coming in.

If it goes up, great. If it goes down, no problem, that just means more BTC for me when my next invoices get paid. Again, to do this you have to actually understand and believe in the technology, and be in it for the long-term, which I am. There's definitely some technological challenges ahead though, main one being scalability. To give an example, currently the bitcoin network can handle about 7 tps (transactions per-second), whereas on an average day PayPal does about 115 tps, and VISA does about 2000 - 3000 tps -- and obviously, their max thresholds are far higher than that. If I remember correctly the VISA network can sustain about 56,000 tps if needed.

So bitcoin still has quite a ways to go before it becomes a global leader in payment processing, and the scalability issue is currently a very hotly contested debate within the developer community. You have to realize, bitcoin was never designed for daily purchases like a coffee at Starbucks. It was designed to be used more as a savings accounts, and for international wire transfers, not for $2 purchases. However, that's what happened though, so how to correctly implement things to handle that large # of transactions is currently still being debated.

You still have a "few" bitcoin? How much is a few? Do you have access to them? They're currently worth about $450 USD each. If you want to cash them out, just Google "country_name bitcoin exchange" or just signup at https://localbitcoins.com/ and you can get cash for them. Might pay for a nice trip to Thailand for you. :) Or wait until mid-2016, and they will either increase in price substantially, or drop to $0. Time will tell. If they don't increase in price a good amount, bitcoin will be a thing of the past.

[Smiles]

. They can't steal my identity. They don't even need my identity at all. That's just one of 1000 benefits to using bitcoin as a consumer.
And thank god that the 'consumer' is not as neurotic and/or paranoid as yourself.
Bruce, as a flogger, you are a train wreck.

[Tobi]

I currently keep all of my funds in bitcoin.

Thanks for answering at length Matt, I appreciate it. I bought ten when they were a few bucks each and just a novelty. I've never spent any, they're stuck in an old disused laptop. If I couldn't recover them, no great loss, I've always thought of them more like casino chips, I got them to have a play, just a bit of a fun really. I'll take your advice and hold on until the summer and see if I can cash out at $15,000!! If they're worthless by then, I'll also know who to blame, you!! :P

It's not stupid of you holding long term seeing as you're fully aware of the fluctuation risks and are obviously comfortable with that. I wouldn't be and as you've repeatedly pointed out, there's no good reason to use bitcoin in every day transactions. I use PayPal and pre-paid cards for online transactions and for sending people money. I find that giving someone a pre-paid card that I can top up online and they can immediately use anywhere they see the VISA or Mastercard sign or withdraw cash from any ATM in the world has worked pretty well so far. I did google bitcoin ATMs but they seem to be rare beasts, so I can't imagine sending a Gar├зon de la Saison bitcoins would be sensible if they can't cash them out easily? I've also used transferwise.com to move larger sums cheaply between countries and that's worked really well for me. YMMV.

Thanks again.

... bitcoin is used everywhere on earth every day
Jumping straight to the point here, sadly I have to announce that Central Chidlom is another "not everywhere" place. Like the old communist days when we had a non-person (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonperson) Central Department stores are a non-everywhere. One of the three pillars of a genuine currency is that it's a medium of exchange - everyday prices are expressed in the currency. That is, bitcoin itself is used. Everything transacted is in bitcoin - buyer and seller.

As Tobi points out, and Bruce agrees, you cannot pay in Bitcoin for a price expressed in Bitcoin. That is, bitcoin is not used at the point of sale to settle the bill. What the gift card does is convert your original Bitcoin into the fiat currency of the retailer. They are not accepting a payment in Bitcoin. They don't have a Bitcoin wallet into which they're transferring your Bitcoin. There is absolutely no difference in principle to me using my UK credit card (whose values and limit are all expressed in UK pounds) to pay for goods or services in a foreign currency. To Bitcoin all currencies are foreign, even the currency you used to acquire your original bitcoin(s). Bitcoin is absolutely no different to gold except in one vital respect - it's digital. You can't touch a Bitcoin. It's the ideal fantasy for high-tech wankers who think there's something just a bit old-fashioned about a physical commodity. Bits'n'Bytes are so much more real, don't you know.

However, you might be surprised at the growing number of gay businesses in Bangkok that already accept bitcoin.
Surprise me. Start by listing the ones who display their prices in Bitcoin

Ah yes, Central Chidlom. It's not exactly a short stroll from my hotel (The Sofitel - as you'll recall they don't take bitcoin) so we took the BTS (another non-bitcoin heretic), and damn crowded it was, too.

We had lunch there on Christmas Day, in the Food Loft, usually abbreviated to "Loft" in the Thai way. It was busy, so busy we had difficulty getting a table by the window, but we did. It seems a chaotic arrangement, a cross between a cafeteria and a cafe. You get a card on entry which you then present to the kitchen of your choice, they record your card number (electronically Bruce will be pleased to hear) and return your card and a slip of paper (paper - uh oh :-? ). You then return to your table, on the way handing your slip of paper to a waiter. Shortly thereafter your food appears. I had some soup, pasta and apple & sultana crumble with vanilla ice-cream (yum yum) all washed down by a fruit smoothie (in my case a "Barbed Wire"). Alcohol was available - I saw someone with cans of Singha - but I'm not sure if there was any riesling. There were certainly numbers of men who, like riesling, would be best enjoyed young. The card is then presented to the cashier who tells you what you owe (in baht, not bitcoin) and you pay (in cash or credit card). My total was 535 baht (not bitcoin) and well worth it.

So now I've had to put the useless childish non-contributing posters on ignore.... smiles, cdnmatt, tobi, kommentariat.
Oh dear, it seems as if Bruce has chickened out when faced with a real challenge.

However, you might be surprised at the growing number of gay businesses in Bangkok that already accept bitcoin.

Surprise me. Start by listing the ones who display their prices in Bitcoin.
However, I have some exciting news. I'm lunching today with someone who was asked to pay in bitcoin and the only price quoted was bitcoin - not THB, not USD, not GBP - bitcoin. Just like Matt. I can't wait.

[Tobi]

Has anyone tried World Remit? https://www.worldremit.com/

Has anyone followed the logic of Bruce's instructions for using Bitcoin to send money internationally?
1 Buy Bitcoin in your own currency through a local intermediary
2 Sell Bitcoin in the currency of the destination country through a destination intermediary
3 Hope like hell the value of Bitcoin doesn't fluctuate in the meantime

That's as opposed to:
1 Buy the currency of the destination country in your own currency through a local intermediary at a guaranteed rate
2 Let the intermediary worry about the transfer mechanics
3 Um, that's it

As I've said elsewhere (http://sawatdeenetwork.com/forum/alternatives-western-union-t34562.html), I use Transferwise

I lunched with a friend (yes, that's the one, Bruce's neighbour (http://www.accomasia.co.th/the-infinity-sathorn-condominium-for-sale-rent-chongnonsi-bts-bangkok)) at Dean & Deluca (http://www.deandeluca.com/thailand)'s new Chong Nonsi branch. They've had one there before but it's now moved a step to the right (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBHONx9vTtI) but in many ways still the Rocky Horror Show as far as the service goes. As it's a New York franchise perhaps Bruce feels right at home?

My friend has had the rare experience of being able to transact solely in Bitcoin had he so wished. The price of the service he was offered was denominated only in Bitcoin. Had he owned some Bitcoin he could have paid for it without using the currency of his own country (the UK), the currency of his country of residence (Thailand) or the currency of the service provider (hmmm). What was this wonderful opportunity he was offered? The photos and documents he held on his computer were "kidnapped" and held to ransom. More technically, they were encrypted by a criminal who demanded payment in Bitcoin so they could be de-crypted. It's known colloquially as ransomware (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ransomware) rather than software

And that pretty much encapsulates the broad spectrum of those who live and die by Bitcoin: blackmailers, child pornographers, drug dealers - and high-tech wankers

Did my friend pay up? Of course not. He backs his data up weekly to an external drive that is immediately disconnected and stored away. Before and after he runs a full virus scan on his computer. How then was he held to ramsom? He's not sure, but strongly suspects it was a visiting boy who asked to check his email

At last - someone in Bangkok who was offered Bitcoin as a means to transact :ymparty: :o)

[cdnmatt]

That scam has nothing to do about bitcoin, and was going on well before bitcoin hit the scene. Previously before bitcoin, they would require things like MoneyPak cards instead to unlock your computer.

Tell your friend to up his personal security. I don't ever seem to have a problem with malware. Then again, I don't let hookers use my computer either.

Then again, I don't let hookers use my computer either.
As we're all well aware, you're so ashamed of your sexuality you scuttle off to a short-time hotel for your sordid little encounters. Your comment is merely confirmation of your general hypocrisy and self-regard.

[firecat69]

Ridiculous!! Use of a CC does not give anyone access to your bank account. Also if you use a CC like Chase, I am alerted as the card is being read , almost instantaneously.

If I did not use the card , I make a simple call and the transaction is stopped . No month long chases to get my money back. My money is never spent.

Bitcoin may have some uses but certainly not for me!!!

[christianpfc]

Has anyone followed the logic of Bruce's instructions for using Bitcoin to send money internationally?
1 Buy Bitcoin in your own currency through a local intermediary
2 Sell Bitcoin in the currency of the destination country through a destination intermediary
3 Hope like hell the value of Bitcoin doesn't fluctuate in the meantime

That's as opposed to:
1 Buy the currency of the destination country in your own currency through a local intermediary at a guaranteed rate
2 Let the intermediary worry about the transfer mechanics
3 Um, that's it

As I've said elsewhere (http://sawatdeenetwork.com/forum/alternatives-western-union-t34562.html), I use Transferwise
But what are the losses with these two different ways? When I use transferwise to send 1000 Euro to Baht, I pay 15 Euro in fees. Bruce claims the same transaction in bitcoin would cost me close to zero, for which I would accept a further step.

"Hope like hell the value of Bitcoin doesn't fluctuate in the meantime...
guaranteed rate
Let the intermediary worry about the transfer mechanics"
That's not true. Transferwise takes days to complete the transaction, and only at the end the exact rate is known (but sufficiently close to prediction in my cases.

[bucknaway]

My only worry with bitcoin is related to my last trip to Thailand where my western union account was used to scam money from my local banks debit visa. They got about $2,000 usd but my bank protected me and I lost nothing.

If someone were to steal bitcoin in a similar manner, I would suffer the loss alone with no one protecting me from the loss or theft.

[Tobi]

When I use transferwise to send 1000 Euro to Baht, I pay 15 Euro in fees.

I've used TransferWise but I'm also hearing good things about WorldRemit https://www.worldremit.com where the fee for sending 1,000 euros is just 5 euros.

"Nout Wellink, has called dealings in bitcoins a bubble that is тАЬpure speculationтАЭ and тАЬhypeтАЭ and тАЬworse than the tulip maniaтАЭ of the seventeenth century because тАЬat least then you got a tulip [at the end], now you get nothing.тАЭ

When I use transferwise to send 1000 Euro to Baht, I pay 15 Euro in fees.
I've used TransferWise but I'm also hearing good things about WorldRemit https://www.worldremit.com where the fee for sending 1,000 euros is just 5 euros.
The exchange rate is usually more important than the fees. I've just done a comparison between Transferwise and World Remit for sending 1000 GBP to Thailand, and all up World Remit was marginally less competitive but promised delivery with the same delay - 24 to 36 hours - as Transferwise. The overall cost was line ball once you include the fees - about 5 GBP difference in Transferwise's favour

I've now realised why I've never bothered with Chiang Mai before. I'll be back in Bangkok on Saturday to resume my Bitcoin Bonanza there.

[Tobi]

The exchange rate is usually more important than the fees.

Absolutely. When I checked a few days ago, the WorldRemit rate was slightly better than TransferWise, hence the savings. It might be worth checking both on the day, especially if you're transferring a large sum. For me, what made WorldRemit interesting, even though I've yet to try it, is that it offers a range of services; door-to-door, cash pickup, mobile topup, as well as bank transfers.

I really must contact Brucie while I'm here. I've found the ideal role for him - the Bitcoin Foundation (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-30/the-final-days-of-the-bitcoin-foundation-). Apparently the chaps are running out of money.

I went to G's last night. You'll all remember G - worked in the kitchen at Telephone before setting up on his own account in Patpong. He's now back in Soi 4, in that place that used to have dogs lolling around inside. He opened in early December and seems to be going great guns. Frankly (and those of you who've seen G's profile on Grindr will know exactly what I mean by that), not that many can bothered walking the length of the Soi to Sphinx any more, although I suppose they have enough customers to keep the place going. Anyway - G's. The food is still mostly German - lots of schnitzels and sausages. The staff are mostly (wholly?) Burmese including Win who has a fabulous smile and who has moved from the kitchen to the bar. I've always found G's a tad disappointing in two respects - the vegetables are never al dente (that's a polite way of saying they're somewhat over-cooked), and G himself can be somewhat over-powering. Still, if you like that queenie, daahhliiiing approach you'll feel right at home

But now there's a third disappointment. G doesn't take bitcoin. I'll have to get Christian to have stern words with him (and we know how stern words can be from a Hitler-loving German)

Disclaimer: I am, by the way, making all this up. That tool Surfcrest (am I missing a word there???) has made an ex cathedra pronouncement only this morning that I'm actually in South Brisbane :ymdevil:

Does anyone know the name of that gogo bar in Soi Prostitute opposite Maxxies? It's where Boys Bangkok used to be, and then it became something else, but as I sat across the alley having a post-prandial last night all I could see was a blacked-out sign. The Bangkok Massage place is next door, and then there's Fresh Boys. The personnel of those bars never seem to change; the nameless bar has that Uriah Heep character as a mamasan whose been around forever - you know the one, he allegedly knocked off the takings one night when he was mamasan of that bar that a supposed de-frocked Anglican priest had upstairs along there somewhere around the turn of the millenium (or was it before?) and then did a runner. Anyway, he seems to be sticking to those premises; I recall he's been there through various incarnations for a number of years now.

Anyway .... they don't take bitcoin either. It's getting to be a bit of a monotonous tale, isn't it?

Disclaimer: I am, by the way, making all this up. That tool Surfcrest (am I missing a word there???) has made an ex cathedra pronouncement only this morning that I'm actually in South Brisbane :ymdevil:

Since my last post I've been to hospital. If, like me, you have a condition that compromises your immune system you can only let something go for 24 - 36 hours before antibiotics are required. I've been suffering from Bangkok Belly (or in this case Chiang Mai Belly) ever since I returned to Bangkok. Imodium isn't doing the trick. I could have gone to Bangkok Nursing Home but I'm deeply suspicious of hospitals where the lobby is populated by expensively-dressed flunkeys, as is BNH. Besides, as it's a for-profit hospital you know exactly where the cost of said flunkeys will end up - on your bill

I could, I suppose, have picked up some antibiotics over the counter from Boots, but in this case I preferred a doctor run a practised eye over me - and besides, the travel insurance is paying (or so I thought). My hospital of choice is Saint Louis, up Sathorn Rd. No sooner had I reported in to Reception than an orderly flung me into a wheelchair and wheeled me round to, I suppose, the Emergency Room. If you've ever been to SLH you'll know where it is - past Au Bon Pain to the right, and then that little convenience store, and then you hang a right. Outside I'm guessing ambulances could pull in. That's the thing I noticed this time in Bangkok - more ambulances. I think I've barely seen one on some previous trips. This time, several sirens from ambulances. But I digress

A young woman doctor examined me, asked the usual questions (I naturally revealed my life as a diabetic), prescribed some medicine, and away I went to the nearby pharmacy-cum-cashier. As I waited a huge photo of Pope John Paul II and the Thai royal family looked down on me. Now the bad news. It comes in two parts. The cost of the medication and doctor's consultation was under the excess on my travel insurance policy. That's right, all up it was under 20 pounds. Secondly - and this should come as no surprise - they don't take bitcoin

Disclaimer: I am, by the way, making all this up. That tool Surfcrest (am I missing a word there???) has made an ex cathedra pronouncement only this morning that I'm actually in South Brisbane and has a map of the world to prove it :ymdevil:

[scottish-guy]

... that bar that a supposed de-frocked Anglican priest had....

Wasn't it Pattaya, wasn't he a drefrocked Catholic Priest, and hadn't he also been involved in the armed robbery of a Bank or Post Office or similar?

And I'm being serious!

Wasn't it Pattaya, wasn't he a drefrocked Catholic Priest, and hadn't he also been involved in the armed robbery of a Bank or Post Office or similar?
The nearest I get to Roman Catholicism is Saint Louis Hospital - I'm firmly of the One True Faith (C of E) - even though BNH is right next door to the Anglican Church in Bangkok

A few hours after my close encounter with John Paul II and the Thai royal family I decided to try Maxxies again. Has anyone else noticed those rather odd signs on the inside of the cubicle doors in the lavatory? They're in English (so clearly not aimed at the Thais) and state that the "facilities" are intended for the sole use of Maxxies' customers. They go on to state that if the reader is not a Maxxies' customer he should seek out the duty manager and make a contribution to the cleaning of the facilities. The reader is invited to make this contribution in "bath", which is possibly a Freudian slip. While an amount is nominated, in the cubicle I occupied (the one nearest the door) the notice was smudged and the exact amount was illegible

Fortunately I didn't have to seek out the duty manager (how would I recognise him?) since I was at the time a Maxxies' customer, as was the Thai boy I sucked off in the cubicle. I know the maiden aunts and lip pursers of the forum will be horrified to hear that when I entered the lavatory he was having a piss in the far urinal. Seeing my interest he immediately got an erection, and we went into the cubicle. He neither washed his hands nor his cock before I went down on him. Shocking I know. And there was no cum shot in my eyes, either - I slurped it all down. If the two farangs he was with are reading this post - thanks guys, and next time pay attention to what the boy you've dragged along to listen to your dreary conversation with each other might actually be doing. Or perhaps you don't care? Either way - thanks for the freebie

However - does anyone know how much (in "bath") the duty manager expects to be paid by these freeloading English-speaking non-customers who are forever (I assume) hogging his "facilities"? Indeed, where do they come from? Is it farang who've popped out from some other bar to have a quiet smoke and who think, while they're at it, they may as well use the "facilities" at Maxxies before they return?

I may have said this before, but Maxxies don't take bitcoin either - and certainly not in payment for use of the facilities, as the notice makes clear

[christianpfc]

I've been suffering from Bangkok Belly (or in this case Chiang Mai Belly) ever since I returned to Bangkok. Imodium isn't doing the trick.
I tried Immodium once (the first time I had diarrhea in Thailand), and it didn't work. I vaguely remember others claiming the same. Anyway, I had a look at Wikipedia, which says that Immodium merely paralyzes the sphincter, but does not fight the cause of diarrhea.

When I have diarrhea that does not disappear after a few days, I go to see a doctor, or now rather go to pharmacy and get ciprofloxacin which helps (prescription only in Europe, OTC in Thailand - drug resistancy and so on, one day someone will die because he is infected with a resistant strain, just because I didn't want to sit it out - literally!).

[lukylok]

We are far from bitcoin.....
Just a word of warning re ciprofloxacin : one common side effect is allergy to sun light ....
I suffered from it and had to be treated with cortisone.
And I was briefly in the pale sun of Northern Europe, so imagine the tropical sun !

[christianpfc]

That's interesting, I didn't know that before, although I'm sure I read the wikipedia article on ciprofloxacin. I have sensitive skin and use umbrella or cover up completely from knee up (even gloves!) when I travel during daytime more than short distances. I didn't notice increases sensitivity when taking ciprofloxacin, but will cover completely next time I use it.

[sjaak327]

Riding on an uber taxi trying to pay with bitcoins. What the hell is wrong with a normal taxi and THB ?

Silly buggers.

[frequent]

Oh dear oh dear. Now nearly 30% in two days - http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-drops-12-exchange-hack-amplifies-price-decline/

[Nirish guy]

Oh dear a bitcoin server hacked again eh - hmmm maybe someone's trying out at going for a second Brucey Bonus (popular UK game show host where you got a load of free money) - all "allegedly" of course just :-)

[scottish-guy]

Riding on an uber taxi trying to pay with bitcoins. What the hell is wrong with a normal taxi and THB ?

Silly buggers.

I'm reminded of those people who trudge from one money exchange booth to another clutching $200, in search of a 10 satang difference in the exchange rate

[cdnmatt]

Oh dear a bitcoin server hacked again eh - hmmm maybe someone's trying out at going for a second Brucey Bonus (popular UK game show host where you got a load of free money) - all "allegedly" of course just :-)

Large theft too. What was it? Around $70 million this time or so? Ouch.

Said it before, will say it again, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR FUNDS IN A WEB WALLET (ie. Bitfinex). Because shit like this happens.

I'm going over 3 years getting paid solely in bitcoin, and have yet to have a dollar stolen, so I have the track record to back up my words.

[Old git]

The lost motorist asks a farmer for directions. After thinking for a moment, the farmer replies: 'Well sir, if you want to go there, you don't want to start from here..'

Thus it is with Bitcoin - if you want to beat 'the system' and get one over on the fiat currencies, QE, blah blah blah.. Bitcoin is not your answer.

The value of a currency needs to be anchored to something, either directly or indirectly. Why? - Because one of the prime requisites of a currency is purchase power stability - it's value needs to be known and understood, it needs to relate to real life. In that regard, Bitcoin fails and will continue to fail. It sucks in the foolish and gullible, and will, at some point, almost certainly vanish, leaving nothing of value in it's wake. No-one is underwriting Bitcoin, no-one stands as guarantor of it's value.

If you want a new currency that is detached from state control, base it on the distant futures price of a core commodity - say a kilo of rice for delivery in 5 years time.

Trouble is, that is too safe and sensible, and too hard to use as a tool to separate fools from their hard-earned..

Before dabbling in Bitcoin, ask yourself the question: 'Who, really, is
getting fat out of this?'

[christianpfc]

The value of a currency needs to be anchored to something, either directly or indirectly.
And to what is the value of EUR or USD anchored?

[cdnmatt]

And to what is the value of EUR or USD anchored?

Land, natural resources, militaries, taxation systems, GDPs, etc.

A better example would be what's gold linked to? Previously, it had worth due to its uses within industry & products, but these days there's substitutes for most applications that previously used gold (ie. computer chips / boards). Nowadays, it only has value because people believe it does, and people are willing to accept it in exchange for barter / currency.

Same goes for bitcoin. Or hell, beanie babies, or pet rocks, or exotic fish, or artwork, or whatever...

[frequent]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jul/01/bitcoins-underground-economy-proves-a-hard-sell

[cdnmatt]

Have you checked the price of bitcoin lately? Oh right, it absolutely skyrocketed.

It's not difficult to flip bitcoin over to fiat, in basically any payment method you'd like. Deposit into your account, PayPal, Western Union, or whatever. Takes about 30 mins. Not to mention the dozens of debit cards that are now available, allowing you to withdraw your BTC directly from any ATM on the planet.

Keep scoffing if you want, but it's been around since 2009, the price has recently surged drastically, and I can promise you bitcoin isn't going anywhere soon.

[frequent]

Keep scoffing if you want, but it's been around since 2009, the price has recently surged drastically, and I can promise you bitcoin isn't going anywhere soon.Your original assertion, way back when, was that Bitcoin was the ideal way for lonely foreigners to send money to their monogamously-coupled-but-poor "boyfriends" in Thailand. That was then and still is a load of tosh. It's a form of speculation, just like gold, but non-physical so the ideal "investment" for hi-tech wankers

I'm merely interested in Bitcoin as a means of exchange - you know, like real money - which clearly it is not. The point of the story was that there are vanishingly few ways of actually spending Bitcoin and it is, as the very first shopkeeper says, valued by pimps, blackmailers, drug dealers and cyber criminals, but not by real people. And if you want to, you know, buy some then you'll be charged a whopping commission for the "privilege" - something well over 5% as I recall from the story