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nited States of America

2008-10-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

สหรัฐอเมริกา nited States of America

สถานเอกอัครราชทูต ณ กรุงวอชิงตัน ดีซี

เอกอัครราชทูต ดร.กฤช กาญจนกุญชร

Royal Thai Embassy, Washington

1024 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 401 Washington, D.C. 20007 - 3681

Tel.(202) 944-3600

Fax.(202) 944-3611

E-mail : thai.wsn@thaiembdc.org, rtewsn@thaiembde.org

WebSite : http://www.thaiembdc.org

Office Hours : Monday - Friday 09:00 - 12:30 hrs and 14:00 - 17:00 hrs. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time)

Visa and Consular Section : Monday - Friday 09:00 - 13:00 hrs and 14:30 - 16:00 hrs. Walk-in services : 09:00 - 13:00 hrs.

Office of Agricultural Affairs

1024 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 203

Washington, D.C. 20007

Tel. (202) 338-1543

Fax: (202) 338-1549

E-mail: moacdc@erols.com

http://www.erols.com/moacdc

Office of the Air Attache

1024 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 303

Washington, D.C. 20007

Tel. (202) 338-9700-1

Fax: (202) 338-9702

E-mail: airforce.thaiembdc.org, HYPERLINK mailto: saharach@aol.com saharach@aol.com

http:// airforce@thaiembdc.org

Office of Commercial Affairs

1024 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 202

Washington, D.C. 20007

Tel. (202) 467-6790

Fax: (202) 429-2949

E-mail: inquiries@oca.thaiembdc.org

http://oca.thaiembdc.org

Office of Economic and Financial Affairs

1024 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 201

Washington, D.C. 20007

Tel. (202) 944-2111

Fax: (202) 944-3313

E-mail: mof.thaiembdc.org

http://www.oeadc.org

Office of Educational Affairs

1906-23 rd Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20008

Tel. (202) 667-8010, 667-6084, 6063

Fax: (202) 265-7239

E-mail: oea@oecdc.org

http://www.oeadc.org

Office of the Defense and Military Attache

2440 Foxhall Road, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20007

Tel. (202) 333-9381 to 3

Fax: (202) 333-9384

E-mail: officedma@thaiembdc.org

http://dma.thaiembdc.org

Office of the Naval Attache

1024 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 302

Washington, D.C. 20007

Tel. (202) 944-3628 to 9

Fax: (202) 944-3630

E-mail: officenavy@navy.thaiembdc.org

http://navy.thaiembdc.org

Office of Science and Technology

1024 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 104

Washington, D.C. 20007-3620

Tel. (202) 944-5200 to 2

Fax: (202) 944-5203

E-mail: ostc@thaiembdc.org

http://ostc.thaiembdc.org

Thai Trade Center, Miami

200 South Biscayne Blvd., Suite 4420

MIAMI, FL 33131

Tel. (305) 379-5675

Fax: (305) 379-5677

E-mail : ttcmiami@earthlink.net

สถานกงสุลใหญ่ ณ นครชิคาโก

กงสุลใหญ่ นายณรงค์ ศศิธร

Royal Thai Consulate-General, Chicago

700 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611

Tel.(312) 664-3129

Fax.(312) 664-3230

E-mail : thaichicago@ameritech.net

WebSite : http://www.thaichicago.net

Office Hours : 09.30 hrs. - 16.30 hrs. (Monday - Friday)

Visa and Consular Section : 10.00 hrs. - 14.00 hrs. (Monday - Friday)

Commercial Section

Thai Trade Center-Chicago

500 North Michigan Avenue,

suite 1920, Chicago, Illinois 60611

Tel. (1 312) 467-0044

Fax: (1 312) 467-1690

E-mail : ttcc@thaitradechicgo.com

สถานกงสุลใหญ่ ณ นครลอสแอนเจลิส

กงสุลใหญ่ นายจักร บุญ - หลง

Royal Thai Consulate-General, Los Angeles

611 North Larchmont Boulevard, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90004

Tel.(323) 962-9574

Fax.(323) 962-2128

E-mail : thai-la@mindspring.com

WebSite : http://www.thai-la.net

Office Hours : Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to Noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Visa and Consular Section : 9:00 a.m. to Noon

Commercial Section

611 North Larchmont Boulevard,

3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90004

Tel. (1-323) 466-9645

Fax: (1-323) 466-1559

E-mail : ttcla@earthlink.net

Tourism Authority of Thailand

611 N. Larchmont Boulevard, 1st Floor,

Los Angeles, CA 90004

Tel. (1-323) 461-9814

Fax: (1-323) 461-9834

E-mail : tatla@ixnetcom.com

Thailand Board of Investment

Los Angeles Office

Tel. (1-323) 466 - 9645

Fax: (1-323) 466 – 1559

เอกอัครราชทูตไทยประจำองค์การสหประชาชาตินครนิวยอร์ค

นายดอน ปรมัตถ์วินัย

สถานกงสุลใหญ่ ณ นครนิวยอร์ก

กงสุลใหญ่ นายพิริยะ เข็มพล

Royal Thai Consulate-General, New York

351 East 52nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10022

Tel.(1-212) 754-1770, 754-2536 to 8,754-1896

Fax.(1-212) 754-1907

E-mail : thainycg@aol.com info@thaiconsulnewyork.com

WebSite : http://www.thaiconsulnewyork.com

Office Hours : Monday - Friday 9.00 - 12.00 and 13.30 - 16.30

Commercial Section

61 Broadway, Suit 2805, New York,

NY 1006

Tel. (212) 482-0077

Fax: (212) 482-1177

E-mail : info@thaitradeny.com

Office of The Economic Counsellor

Thailand Board of Investment

61 Broadway, Suit 2805, New York,

NY 1006

Tel. (212) 422-9009

Fax: (212) 422-9119

E-mail : boiny@aol.com

Tourism Authority of Thailand

61 Broadway, Suit 2805, New York,

NY 1006 Tel. (212) 432-0433

Fax: (212) 269-2588

E-mail : info@tatny.com

Amazing Thailand

2008-04-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

The team from TAT Amazing Thailand (white shirt) fights for the ball with The Tickle & the Ivories team (blue shirt) during their elephant polo match at Golden Triangle in Thailand April 1, 2008. The tournament drew 12 international teams from 15 countries across five continents to take part in the game with 28 elephants. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom (THAILAND)

Two ‘Idols’ inspire judges to sing their praises

2008-04-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

Two ‘Idols’ inspire judges to sing their praises

Kristy Lee Cook and Jason Castro come out strong on charity week

Michael Becker / Fox

The "Idol" final eight are (clockwise from top left): Michael Johns, Brooke White, David Archuleta, Carly Smithson, David Cook, Kristy Lee Cook, Jason Castro and Syesha Mercado.

View related photos

COMMENTARY

By Craig Berman

MSNBC contributor

updated 10:30 p.m. ET April 8, 2008

In honor of “Idol Gives Back,” the remaining eight finalists got to pick a song they considered inspirational this week. The two singers who had the most at stake did the best job at picking songs that inspired the judges to sing their praises, while others with a better history on the show got tepid reviews.

Jason Castro is perennially flirting with Simon Cowell’s bad side because of the judge’s perception that Castro isn’t taking the competition seriously enough. Given that situation, coming onstage with a ukulele to sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is somewhere between spending the night in a haunted house and investing in subprime mortgages on the riskiness scale.

Somehow, however, Castro made it work. Randy Jackson was a big fan, saying, “Jason Castro is back in the hunt. That was crazy, molten hot.” Even Simon called the performance fantastic, and it looks like Castro did enough to make it through another week.

Story continues below ↓
That’s less certain for Kristy Lee Cook, who’s spent so much time in the bottom three that she’s building a summer home on that portion of the stage. But she did all she could to earn her place on the comfortable seats of safety this week by selecting her song wisely and doing a nice job with Martina McBride’s “Anyway.” It didn’t make anyone forget the original, but it also didn’t make anyone change the channel, which is progress.

Randy said that he loved it, and that “it was really good for you,” but he said it in a very non-Randy way, barely raising his voice. It sounded more like he was thinking “crap, she’s sticking around. I lose the office pool.”

Simon was more charitable. “With a choice this broad, you have an opportunity to show who you are as an artist, and I thought you were very, very good indeed. You look like a star tonight, Kristy.” That’s stretching the point, but it also probably will be enough that she’ll survive.

The third singer that everyone loved was less of a surprise, as David Archuleta once again drew raves for his version of Robbie Williams’ “Angels.” Always unpredictable in his song choices, the teenager made a great pick here.

“When you did that little refrain at the end … that’s the David Archuleta that I love. Crazy, crazy, crazy hot,” Randy said in his most animated comment of the night.

Some less inspiring than others
Everyone else finished the night in the same boat. Nobody was truly awful, but the other five singers each did enough to be nervous heading into Wednesday’s charity concert and Thursday’s results show.

David Cook is probably going to advance given his recent series of strong performances, but he didn’t impress with “Innocent” by Our Lady Peace. The most original of the hopefuls most weeks, and the most talented of the “Idol” finalists according to one recent poll, he sounded derivative here for the first time.

Paula Abdul loved it, but she was the only one. Simon spoke for most in the audience when he said, “I didn’t like this performance very much at all. I thought it was a teensy-eensy bit pompous. It wasn’t anywhere near as good as the past two weeks.”

Another singer who took a step back in the judges’ eyes was Michael Johns, who opened the night with “Dream On” by Aerosmith. The song was right in his musical wheelhouse, but nobody besides Paula thought he hit it out of the park.

He’s not doing a good job of convincing Simon that he’s a rocker. “I thought it was a very good performance … (but) I don’t like it when you do an impression of a rock star. I thought it was a little wannabe-ish,” the judge said.

Brooke White had been sailing along until winding up in the bottom three a week ago. White is the most predictable of the finalists, in that she always sounds perfectly nice and pleasant without doing anything truly memorable. Disliking her is akin to kicking puppies or heckling little kids playing soccer, but where she’s fallen off in recent weeks is that she’s not doing much to get people passionately in her corner.

She was teary-eyed before she even finished, Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend,” and the judges may have tempered any criticism because, seriously, not even Simon can be mean to a sad-looking Brooke White. “I don’t think it was your best performance, but I wasn’t mad at you either,” Randy said. “It was all right.”

Syesha Mercado again took on a tough act, singing “I Believe” by Fantasia. The judges tend to not like it when “Idol” finalists choose songs recorded by previous winners, and it was a questionable call to pick something done by perhaps the most powerful voice in the history of the show.

The judges agreed that she sang it well, but it lacked Fantasia’s emotion from four years ago. That comparison may hurt her in the voting.

Click for related content

Poll: 'Idol' fans see Archuleta winning
Tattoo you: Smithson leaving mark on 'Idol'
Behind the scenes of an ‘American Idol’ taping
Stars come out for taping of 'Idol Gives Back'
'Idol' hopefuls get help on song arrangements
Vote: Who should go home?

Carly Smithson did better than she did a week ago in one respect; according to Simon, she dressed better. But in becoming the latest contestant this season to choose a Queen song, she didn’t match Freddie Mercury’s vocals on “The Show Must Go On,” and it didn’t help that she sounded worse at the end of the song than she did at the beginning.

“I thought you oversang it to the point where you lost control of it at the end,” Simon said. “It came across as an angry performance, and you actually might be in a bit of trouble.” Even the perennially cheery Paula said she didn’t feel engaged, and that alone means Smithson’s in big trouble as she sweats out the counting of the votes.

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Girl Next Door Officially Goes Gangsta

2007-08-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Step aside, Snoop Dogg and Slim Shady. The rap world is about to get a beat-boxing bunny.

(I could not make this stuff up.)

In case you hadn't heard, MTV has a new reality show called Celebrity Rap Superstar coming out this month, in which celebrity contestants learn to rap from industry mentors and then compete, American Idol style. Well, we're now hearing that E!’s own Kendra Wilkinson of The Girls Next Door has signed on to hone her hip-hop lyricist skills as well.

Though MTV has not officially confirmed her casting, our sources are insisting it’s true. And as any good GND fan knows, Kendra’s the perfect girl for the job, considering her penchant for spitting impromptu lyrics around the Playboy Mansion.

She'll be battling it out with other "celebrity contestants" like Perez Hilton for the title of Celebrity Rap Superstar. Kendra, babe, our money’s on you.

—Reporting by Korbi Ghosh

Spoiler Chat: Kristen Bell Heroes Scoop, Grey's Gossip and a New Nip/Tucker

2007-08-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

Hello, tuberinos. It’s Monday, and you know what that means...chat time! Let’s get this fiesta going...

Lee in Tremonton, Utah: Any more news on the possibility of Shane West returning to ER this coming season? Would hate to see the whole Ray/Neela storyline dropped!
I was just on set, and Parminder Nagra (Neela) told me she doesn’t yet know of any plans for him to return, but she’s hopeful he will. Still, there is another familiar face to look forward to! Maura Tierney confirmed to me that Goran Visnjic will be returning for four episodes this season. Good news, no?

Thomas in Dallas: Any word on Lost? I can’t wait to see new episodes!
We still don’t get new eps until February (a little fact that makes me sob uncontrollably every time I hear it). However! The coolest cast around just went back to work last week in Oahu, and I’m hearing very good things about the new season! Michael is back, the Losties we love are front and center and the storylines are tighter than, well, I’d say Josh Holloway’s backside but, sheesh, I’m a married woman.

Ginny in Ipswich, Massachusetts: Will there be any cast changes this season on Lost?
Aside from the newbies we announced last week (much thanks to Korbi for that scoop!), Entertainment Weekly is now reporting that Grindhouse’s Jeff Fahey will join the island crew this year. I can also tell you that although I'd heard a while back we’d be seeing a little less of Matthew Fox this season, so far there are no signs of any “Jack-off” days on the production schedule (sorry, I couldn’t resist, I’m 12). So, we’ll see.

Mary in Hickory Hills, Illinois: Did you hear Friday Night Lights is offering a money-back guarantee on the season-one DVD if you aren't fully satisfied?!
I did. And they’re so confident you’ll love the show, they’re practically giving it away for free as well! As for season two, I'm hearing there may be another new coach on the scene this year. Producers are currently looking for a tough—but funny—lady to play Roberta Roberts, the girls soccer coach.

Hilda from Idaho: Dish on Gizzie on Grey's please! And Meredith and Derek and all the couples...we need scoop!
Read on to the spoiler section...I've got dish!

Nancy from Toronto: Since Laura Vandervoort has been cast on Smallville, does that mean she will not be on season four of Instant Star?
Don’t worry, Laura will be doing double duty this year, going back and forth filming Smallville and the N’s Instant Star. Both shows film in Canada, so it's easy peasy.

Mick in Worcester, Massachusetts: What’s the deal with that vampire show with Jason Dohring? You guys haven’t said a word about it.
Moonlight is quite a mystery to us at this point, since we have yet to see the first episode. But there’s good reason for that, since we’re hearing production is still underway on the pilot reshoot! Bad news for the show? Not necessarily. They got a late start, changing show runners three times and recasting the entire thing. But an inside source says things are moving along, and it’s actually looking pretty good.

Bethany in Alexandria, Virginia: Heroes!
YouTube has your back if you want to watch the first and/or second full-length spots for season two (or, for that matter, the surreptitiously filmed Comic-Con teaser trailer).

Owen in Oswego, New York: When is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia coming back?
Thursday, Sept. 13 at 10 p.m. But if you’re feeling antsy, you might wanna hit the road, ‘cause you just might run into the guys and their RV. This past weekend, they kicked off the Sunny Road Trip Experience, traveling to Berkeley, California, to meet up with fans. They’re continuing the trek this week in L.A., then hitting Chicago, D.C., New York, Boston and, of course, Philly in September. I’d highly recommend you meet up with ‘em, ‘cause that Glenn Howerton’s certainly worth the effort.

Laurie in Las Vegas: I heard that in real life, Charlie Day from It’s Always Sunny is actually married to the waitress on the show—you know, the one who despises him and loves Dennis? Will she be back?
Yes, 'tis true! Mary Elizabeth Ellis is the actress’ name, and as we reported last year, she and Charlie Day are indeed hitched by law! Such a great couple. We ran into her recently and she told us she’d be appearing in three episodes this coming season. Sooo not enough! But I’m hearing that Charlie (the character) will land a girlfriend this year. Perhaps he finally won the waitress over?!

Kate in Calabasas, California: I keep seeing these crazy ads for that new show Dirty Sexy Money. I always think they are actual news items, and then I realize there’s no such thing as the Darling family! Tell me, should I be excited for this show?
Yes. It’s pretty campy, but with a great cast that makes it work. Speaking of the fake news items and ads, it seems as though a fan has already caught on and created a MySpace profile for Patrick Darling!

Irene in Providence, Rhode Island: What's coming up on my beloved Burn Notice?
Richard Schiff (aka The West Wing's Toby Ziegler) will be doing a guest stint as Philip Cowan, the intelligence agency operative who burned Michael Weston. Yes, that was his voice on the phone in ep seven, but we won't see him until the two-hour finale airing Sept. 20, which is called "Loose Ends."

Dee in Reston, Virginia: Mad Men is sooo good—thank you for recommending it! Dish?
You're sooo welcome. For the rest of you, if you haven't caught on to Mad Men's greatness yet, you can catch up on Sunday, Sept. 2. AMC is running a nonstop marathon of the first seven episodes, starting at 10 a.m. ET.

SPOILER SECTION

Francis in Washington D.C.: Heroes! Give us the scoop! Didn’t Kristen Bell come to your wedding? Then you have to know her power, right!?
All I know is that at the wedding, Kristen and I had a giddy-good time dancing to some silly overplayed wedding song that was some kind of “slide” or something...What kind of slide was it again? Oh yeah, it was “Electric!” If you do it with me now, I might tell you more...Line up, please!

Noah in Miami: I’m confused about the death scoop you gave on Heroes. Who is dying?
Well, let me come right out and tell you that and then call my loved ones and tell them I love them before Tim Kring sics Sylar on my ass. What I’m saying is...I can’t name names. However, here are the facts I can spill:

There is a series regular from last season who is no longer a part of the cast and as far as I know is not coming back.
There is a series regular from last season who is presumed dead, but is not.
There are two popular and important recurring characters who appear to be totally and completely doomed, and at least one of them will die within the first two episodes.

Helena in Eugene, Oregon: What is Kristen Bell’s power in Heroes?
If you did the "Electric Slide" with me and still don’t get it, I will tell you that Kristen’s power is electricity. I’m also hearing that Kristen might be doing some kind of scene with Masi/Hiro in the past, but honestly, that makes no sense whatsoever to me based on everything else I’ve heard.

Jackson in Wyoming: Okay, girl, dish it! You said you’d spill in the chat about the line at the end of the first episode of Grey’s that shocked you...You'd better not forget!
Like I would! It is burned into my brain! That line is “I love you, too.” And although a year ago, the thought of this storyline may have made me squee, I personally am not really happy about who says it and to whom—as a recently married woman and all. (Wow, that was weird! My italics button just clicked itself on as though that last line was a big giveaway or something...Nutty!)

April from Sonoma, California: Any information on James Van Der Beek's appearance on Ugly Betty?
Yes, I did some Dawson digging and was told that James Van Der Beek is playing the owner of Atlantic Attire. Apparently, he's scheduled to do business with Mode, but he has problems with Alexis being a transsexual.

Maria88 in Mission Hills, Kansas: I need Nip/Tuck scoop!
I'm hearing rumors of a new recurring character this year, by the name of Rachel Ben Natan. She's a young Israeli woman whose beautiful face was destroyed by a suicide-bomb attack. Word is, she appears around midseason and sticks around for quite some time. Who wants to bet one of the boys fixes her mug, then hops into bed with her? Or vice versa?

Tim from Seattle: Any Brothers & Sisters scoop?
A custody battle takes place early on in the season between Sarah and her ex-husband, Joe, when he requests full custody of their children. Other B&S scoop: Senator McCallister is part of the Republican primary debate, in which the other candidates attack him because of Kitty's more liberal views.

Lisa from Chicago: What's coming up for Tommy on Brothers & Sisters?
Balthazar tells me: "This year, [Tommy] is trying to be his father and re-create this male figure in the family who runs the business, has the wife and kids and is a success in all areas. You find out it's not that easy. He is going to realize he is making a lot of the mistakes his dad made." Uh-oh.

JaneSP in Cape Coral, Florida: Friday Night Lights is my favorite show. Do you have any information on the next season? I'm dying to hear what will come next.
Word is, Tami's cute younger sister flies into Dillon this year, and we get to know her quite well. She's in her early 30s, works as a teacher and sometimes moonlights as a counselor for battered women. Apparently, she's very cool and could spice things up for Mrs. Taylor, though she'll probably skip town before getting too comfortable. Also, producers are bringing two new gals to Dillon High, both of whom date a Panther boy somewhat seriously this season.

Neil in Northfield, New Jersey: None of my friends watch Big Love, and they are so missing out. Last night when I saw Ana and Bill go at it in the pantry, I was like, Oh my God! I really want Ana to be fourth wife, 'cause I love the chemistry among her, Bill and Margene.
You're not the only one! Though it might drive Barb right out the door, it would certainly make for lots of season-three excitement. Let me put it this way: We haven't seen the last of Ms. Ana. Unless Branka Katic, the actress who plays her, disappears from the face of the earth, she'd better be on that Big Love set come production time!

Matt in Hollywood: Whatever happened to Alby's gay storyline? Last season we found out he was into dudes, but this season, nary a word about it!
Don't worry your pretty little head. Expect Alby to play a big part in season three. The writers have not forgotten his secret, and it is definitely dealt with.

Rebecca in Chicago: I'm getting really excited about Private Practice. Any news yet? Kate Walsh is my hero.
In episode four of the Grey's spinoff, Private Practice, Tim Daly's character, Dr. Pete Finch, shows up Addison (Kate Walsh) when he magically cures a patient of hers who was unable to have sex due to a medical condition—and chances are Dr. Feelgood has a cure for what ails Addy's sex life as well. Look for a chemistry spike between those two characters right about then...

Frankie in Hollywood, Florida: I haven't heard much about Jericho lately. It's still coming back, right?
Yep. They're in production as we speak, and are looking to add a new recurring character to the cast. Rumor has it a guy by the name of Barsotti will work for Goetz at the Ravenwood organization as a trained soldier. He's a potentially dangerous kind of guy who gets things done.

Keri in Parkline, Idaho: Any scoop on October Road? I know they're shooting right now.
Yes, I'm hearing we haven't seen the last of Hannah and that creep Ray Cataldo! Apparently, their relationship continues this season, much to the chagrin of Ray's ex-wife, Christine. She's a snazzy surgeon who lives in Boston but returns to Knights Ridge and freaks out when she sees how close Hannah has become to her kids and their father. Word is there will be fireworks.

Louise in Lincoln, Nebraska: What's coming up on Mad Men?
Don's boss, Roger Sterling, cannot hold his liquor—but apparently he can handle Betty. Manhandle her, that is. Don invites Roger over to the house for dinner with him and Betty, but when Don's out of the room, Roger gets frisky with Betty. Don't cry for Don and Betty, though. Roger gets his just deserts when a nine-martini lunch plus 20 flights of stairs results in humiliation in front of a client. Let's just say lunch is on him. Ha-ha!

Drusilla from cubicle 3.375: Psych scoop! Please give us more deets about the funniest show on TV!
In a few weeks, Gus' parents are going to be arrested for murder! Gus and Shawn have to prove that Mrs. and Mrs. Guster are innocent, but they aren't exactly helpful, seeing as they blame Shawn for every bad thing that ever happened to good-guy Gus. And who plays these parents? Ernie Hudson and Phylicia Rashad! How cool is that?

Greg in Denver: Any news on ER? It's still must-see TV for me!
New interns for everybody! First on Grey's, then on Scrubs, and now on ER. ER is looking for a young (like late teens) actor to play Neela's new intern, Harold Zelinsky. He's a Doogie Howser-style genius, but he's about as sensitive as Barney Stinson. He wants Neela to explain how sex works, so he steals an anatomically correct model of girlie parts from the lab and follows her around with it, asking her to point out the relevant structures. Smooth he is not. Also, Gates may be making eyes at the hospital chaplain. Sacrilegious is the new sexy.

Okay, kiddies, that's it for us this week! Thanks for playing!

—Additional reporting by Korbi Ghosh, Jennifer Godwin, Michael Berner and Marisa Roffman

Samson bids farewell to her prison life.

2007-08-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

13 June 2007, Convicted drug dealer and World Boxing Council (WBC) female light-flyweight champion, Siriporn "Samson Sor Siriporn" Thaveesuk, was released from prison after the Corrections Department decided to grant her early parole.

more news

Woman leaves jail as reward for winning world title (ESPN)
Thai boxer released after winning title (Fox Sport)
Samson is freed from the lion's den
(The Nation)
World champion boxer Samson finally walks free from prison (Bangkok Post)
Thailand rewards prison boxing champ with early release (Manager Online)

Thai economy on track despite export slowdown: Fin Min

2007-08-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

By Manager Online

25 August 2007 15:05

http://www.pattayadailynews.com: Tarisa Watanagase, born 30 November 1949) is the governor of the Bank of Thailand. She succeeded Pridiyathorn Devakula, who was appointed finance minister in the interim government. Tarisa was an assistant governor of the BoT and is the first female governor in the bank's 64-year history

August 24, 2007
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand's economy is still on track to grow by 4.0 percent this year, despite a sudden slowdown in exports in July, Finance Minister Chalongphob Sussangkarn said.

The government still expects exports to grow by 12.5 percent this year, even though July exports registered at the lowest level in 29 months, he told reporters.

"Even exports tend to slow in the second half, we are confident that the whole-year target of 12.5 percent remains achievable," Chalongphob said.

July exports grew only 5.9 percent year-on-year, against growth of 18.6 percent in the first six months.

Chalongphob insisted slowing exports were unlikely to hurt the kingdom's overall economic growth this year.

"We are confident that the decline in exports will not impact the gross domestic product (GDP) growth, which is targeted at 4.0 percent this year," he told reporters.

The Bank of Thailand also expressed confidence that the July export data did not indicate problems ahead for the economy.

"Exports slowed not only because of the strong baht, but also because of other factors, including the US economic slowdown," said BoT governor Tarisa Watanagase.

"The central bank still believes that economic growth of around 4.0 to 5.0 percent remains possible," she told reporters.

The Thai currency traded at 10-year highs in July, but weakened following a slump in the stock market and the introduction of new measures aimed at weakening the currency.

The currency finished at 34.38 baht to the dollar on Friday.

A strong baht puts pressure on exports, the key driver of the Thai economy, as it makes Thai goods less competitive abroad and cuts the value of repatriated profits.

One dead, 12 injured in Thai bomb attack

2007-08-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

By Manager Online

25 August 2007 16:58

August 25, 2007
BANGKOK (AFP) - A Buddhist woman was killed and 12 others wounded, including six soldiers, when a roadside bomb exploded Saturday in Thailand's restive Muslim-majority south, police said.

The seven-kilogram (15-pound) bomb went off in front of a grocery shop in Pattani, one of three insurgency-torn provinces bordering Malaysia, they said, adding the roadside bomb was detonated by remote control.

The bomb was aimed at patrolling soldiers who were providing security for Buddhist monks on their morning alms round, police said. Three monks were also wounded.

More than 2,500 people have been killed in the southern unrest since January 2004, with violence escalating despite a number of peace initiatives by the military-installed government.

Back to Hell

2007-08-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Having recently finished reading “Welcome to Hell – One man’s fight inside the Bangkok Hilton" by Colin Martin, I decided to write a short presentation on Thailand Blogs too. You can read it here!

Find out more about this topic here:

- The Real Bangkok Hilton - BBC article

- Bangkwang - Wikipedia article

- Save a Life - Foreign prisoner support service

- Thai Prison Life - Gor's story

- Department of Corrections, Thailand - official website

How to Avoid a Rattlesnake Attack

2007-08-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

How to Avoid a Rattlesnake Attack

Rattlesnakes are pit vipers, found in various parts of the United States, Canada and Mexico. In Central and South America, they are almost everywhere there is wilderness. Contrary to popular belief, rattlesnakes do not deliberately stalk human beings - their natural diet consists of rats and mice, gophers, small birds, frogs and even the occasional meaty insect. All the same, a snake's instinct is to protect itself - if you think about it, a snake is a very vulnerable creature without legs, ears and a large size. So poisonous venom becomes its key defense mechanism, injected via sharp fangs as soon as prey or threats come near. As such, the duty really rests on you to behave responsibly, with alertness and with full cognizance of the actions and wanderings of minors in your charge. Be wary, be certain and keep safe.

Lawyer: Ex-astronaut Nowak wants ankle-bracelet removed

2007-08-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- The lawyer for Lisa Nowak -- the former NASA astronaut accused of assaulting a romantic rival -- will ask a judge Friday to throw out her statements to police, suppress evidence collected from her car and remove her ankle-bracelet monitor.

Former astronaut Lisa Nowak is alleged to have driven nearly 900 miles to confront her romantic rival.

The pretrial hearing, during which witnesses will be called -- and Nowak may testify -- is set to start at 9 a.m. ET in the 9th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.

NASA ended Nowak's assignment as an astronaut in March after she allegedly assaulted Air Force Cpt. Colleen Shipman, who was dating Nowak's former love interest, Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein.

Nowak, a captain in the U.S. Navy, allegedly drove nearly 900 miles from Houston, Texas, to Orlando, Florida, wearing adult diapers to cut down on the number of stops she needed to make, in order to confront Shipman, according to an initial police report.

She was apprehended in the parking lot at Orlando International Airport after Shipman claimed Nowak attacked her. Airport surveillance tapes show Nowak donning a disguise while waiting for Shipman to arrive, then following her, police said.

Shipman told police that Nowak approached her car in the airport parking lot, and asked her for help with a dead battery.

"I cracked my window open about two inches and told her I'd send someone to help her," Shipman said. "She said, 'Please help me,' and then started spraying something from a skinny black can into my window.'"

Police said the can held pepper spray.

Nowak pleaded not guilty March 22 to charges of attempted kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily harm, battery and burglary of a vehicle using a weapon. The trial is to begin next month.

If convicted of the February 5 incidents, the 44-year-old woman could face a sentence of up to life in prison.

Defense attorney Don Lykkebak has said the charges overstate his client's conduct. He said Nowak was under duress at the time and was not provided counsel when she was arrested. He wants the judge to throw out her statements to police and all evidence collected from her person and her car. Nowak was not properly advised of her constitutional rights before the police interviews began, the lawyer says.

Lykkebak wants Nowak's ankle bracelet removed, arguing that it costs his client $105 per week for the monitoring, which is uncomfortable and cumbersome. The lawyer has said Nowak is not a flight risk, and will stay away from Brevard County, where Shipman lives.

Police contend Nowak gave them permission to search her car, which was parked away from the airport. From it they seized weapons and photos inside a duffel bag, a steel mallet, a 4-inch buck knife and a loaded BB gun. They also found an alleged "plan," which was written on paper and included flight information and directions.

Police said they also found a large plastic trash bag.

"Inside the bag I saw two used diapers. I asked Ms. Nowak if the diapers were used. She said that the diapers were used," an officer said. "I then asked Mrs. Nowak why she had the baby diapers. Mrs. Nowak said that she did not want to stop and use the restroom, so, she used the diapers to collect her urine."

According to the Orange County Attorney's Office, Nowak -- while in a jail cell -- explained to authorities: "I just wanted to sit there and talk to her, and she said she wouldn't talk to me and she walked away."

Pending the resolution of the criminal charges against her, Nowak is assigned to the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station in Texas.

Oefelein, who left NASA in June, told investigators he and Nowak had been involved in a sexual relationship, but he ended it in January.

He said Nowak "appeared to take the news well."

Today's featured article

2007-08-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000, it is the largest town on the island. Sheerness began as a fort built in the 16th century to protect the River Medway from naval invasion. After a Dutch attack in 1692, Samuel Pepys, the Secretary to the Admiralty, established a Royal Navy dockyard in the town, where warships were built and repaired until its closure in 1960. In the 19th century, Sheerness also became a seaside resort, when a pier and promenade were constructed. Industry remains an important part of the town, and the port of Sheerness is one of the United Kingdom's leading car and fresh produce importers. The town is the site of one of the UK's first co-operative societies and the world's first multi-storey building with a rigid metal frame. (more...)

Thai auto exports increase

2007-08-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said that Thailand's automobile exports increased by 19 per cent in the first seven months of this year, in contrast with the total domestic sales, which dropped due to the economic slowdown.FTI spokesman Suraphong Paisitpattanaphong said that automobile production from January to July this year totaled 706,749 vehicles, an increase of 2.25 per cent, compared to the same period last year.Of the total auto production, 370,885 vehicles were made for export, an increase of 20.56 per cent and 335,864 for sale in local markets, a 12.43 per cent drop, compared to the same period last year.Auto sales in Thailand decreased in the last seven months because consumer confidence is low, resulted from the economic sluggishness, oil price hikes, and political turmoil.The manufacture of sedans for export increased to 12,349, up 37.10 per cent in July 2007 and 80,041 from January to July 2007, an increase of 16.66 per cent.The production of one-tonne pick-up trucks for export totaled 45,663 in July 2007 or an increase of 46.60 and 290,844 from January to July 2007, up 21.76 per cent.Thailand's auto exports totaled 56,042 in July 2007, a 38.17 per cent year-on-year rise, valued at Bt23.9 billion, surging 33.67 per cent from the corresponding period last year. (TNA)

Monkey business

2007-08-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

Monkey
Khun Suk, a three-month-old orphan monkey, helps his owner sell eggs at the district market in Lop Buri's Khok Samrong. Vendors at the market, including Khun Suk's owner, are concerned about their future and are fighting plans to build a superstore in the area. — SAROT MEKSOPHAWANAKUL

The Birth

2006-12-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

Click the link below to check out my comedy vid, The Magazine!!:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2308468499167864864
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Quarters 2

2006-12-07T20:24:00.000-08:00


It's the quarters guy again, but this time, he's using his hot girlfriend as a prop. www.spunvideo.com

นมนม

2006-11-24T21:43:00.000-08:00

A little flower Angel

2006-11-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

A little flower Angel,
Sent from me to you.
Bringing love and fortune,
In everything you do.

When ever you get weary,
Or feel the thought's of despair.
Remember this little Flower Angel,
Brings blessings beyond compare!

Thinking of You With Love Always

Nokia!! รุ่นไหนวะเนี่ยย??

2006-11-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

การกลับมาอีกครั้งของ Nokia 3310 full option

2006-11-08T18:28:00.001-08:00

จากการที่Nokia 3310 ได้รับความนิยมอย่างแพร่หลายและยาวนาน

วันนี้ทาง NOKIA ได้ปรับปรุงและเพิ่มฟังชั่นต่างๆ ไม่ว่าจะเป็น กล้อง บลูทูธ MP3 และการ์ดอีก 215MB

พร้อมเสียงเรียกเข้าทูโทน เชิญพบกับ Nokia 3310i

Nokia 888

2006-11-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

1.3 million dollar for this phone

2006-11-08T18:02:00.000-08:00

1.3 million dollar for this phone

Till now I thought the Nokia Vertu, Moto SLVR and Goldvish were the only expensive phones, and now there is one more, its worth 1.3 million dollars. 1.3 million dollar for this phone??? Well the price is totally based on the looks of the phone. The phone, which is made by a Russian, has been embedded with diamonds on its left and right border. There are diamonds even on the keypad of the phone. There are total of 50 diamonds. Each one is a blue diamond of 0.5 - 2 carat. The phone is completely made from platinum with logo and button's made out of gold. The phone has been introduced in the market by the company "Ancort".

Phone Specifications:

Network: GSM 900/1800

Dimensions: 115ง็53ง็24 mm

Processor: Motorola MX21 (266 MHz)

OS: Windows CE

Memory: 64 งฎB (Flash)/64 งฎB (RAM)

Display: 2.2กํ 262K TFT screen

Standby Time: 100 Hours

Talk Time: 2 hours

Music Player

USB

Encryption Specifications:

Encryption Processor: TMS 320 VC 5416

Crypto Phone call

Crypto SMS

Crypto E-mail

Dedicated encryption button

Bluetooth-watch Sony Ericsson MBW-100

2006-10-31T18:07:00.000-08:00

Bluetooth-watch Sony Ericsson MBW-100

Not only does a watch serve as a handy tool for timing, it’s also a kind of accessory today, whose luxury and stylishness might amplify wearer’s image. The very fundamental aspect of every wrist-watch is incredibly simple, so that both one dollar-worth and more expensive scions of this class can handle this function. It might seem that the major drop in watch production costs, occurred in the 80s of the twentieth centaury and caused by a leap up in microelectronics, would ruin the traditional market of these mechanisms; however nothing like this has happened so far. Even nowadays, your arm will grab everyone’s attention if you have mechanic or quartz watch, boasting original design created by a known manufacturer, better a Swiss one. Basically, such image of a watch has been established with the help of billions, invested by companies in one or another form – through direct advertising and making up a subtle halo around their products. This market should be closely investigated mainly by handsets manufacturers, as soon they are going to encounter more or less the same situation. By “soon” here we mean “in 20-25 years’ time”.

When I was still in primary school, the market got flooded with digital watches owing mainly to Japanese manufacturers. Since I was a bit too young back then, I cannot surmise how successful such watches were world-wide, but the thing for sure is that for majority of my classmates those were beyond wildest dreams. Having gotten Casio-labeled watch (with 16 various tunes, stopwatch, and all this in an extremely slim casing) as a birthday present from my father, I was more than just happy. For a third-form boy such watch served for both entertainment and timing purposes. We played “99” with it (when one must catch milliseconds with the stopwatch) and did countless other things. Some had watches with built-in FM-receiver (in the USSR they were useless) or calculator. A couple of years later, we got bored with such gadgets, so that in secondary school we had ordinary watches on our hands, frequently mechanical ones. That is how digital watches have gone out of fashion.

As accessories, watches do their best – having created something unique with watch concept inside, you won't hit star-high sales, but certainly will attract masses’ and journalists' attention. Apparently, it is the very idea that was driving Sony Ericsson when it got to developing Vanguard watch. Being the pioneer innovator of Bluetooth technology, they company tries to live up to this image by coming up with various gadgets – just remember the toy-car and the furor it created on the market.

Review of Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Car>>>
The Bluetooth-equipped watch allows its user to check out who is calling on a tiny OLED-display (96x16 pixels) and at that supports only single profile – GAP (plus music player management tools). Apart from that the watch boasts the silent alert, which turns out to be quite handy on incoming calls, as well as messages (though the MBW-100’s display won’t scroll their text)

There are three buttons mounted on the casing, namely two big ones on each side of the clock winder and the clock winder itself, since it can be pressed as well. The analogue watch face with two hands tops the display that stays inactive unless an event occurs. Although it can be brought to life with the upper key, so that it will get filled up with date, time and battery status. The lower buttons calls up the menu featuring the following options: Bluetooth activation, coupling mode, SMS notification (on/off), time synchronization with handset.

The MBW-100 is quite bulky indeed, as it tips the scales at massive 182 grams, which is too much in the judgment of most users, nevertheless youth won’t find much of an impediment in this – eventually, you get used to carrying a watch on hand. The water-proof (up to 30 meters) casing is made of stainless steel, but due to the inner side housing charger contacts, I wouldn’t recommend swimming with the MBW-100 being on you. The hands are covered with phosphorescent powder, thus they remain visible even in the darkest rooms. On top of that the display (if activated) can tell you time as well, which is quite handy.

Here I must make an important note – this watch goes with Sony Ericsson-branded handsets only with auto pairing being supported. Coupling the MBW-100 with Nokia’s phone won’t cause much problems, however not a single feature will start up.

The MBW-100 comes in a stylish black-finished box – inside you will find either silver or black colored watch. It would seem that the black trim is more appealing visually, though it’s not the whole truth – the steel trim has its trumps as well, since it has somewhat fresh looks.

Video, watch’s outlook and operation (wmv, 44.1 Mb)>>>

After a week of use I had twofold impressions – while dimensions and weight are not that crucial for teenagers, other features do matter. For example, when bending hand, you might accidentally push the winder and thus start music playback – it’s not a real issue, should you have handset in shirt’s pocket, or headset plugged in, in this case you will notice that and turn the player off. But if the phone is carried in a purse or bag, it will most likely have lost the lion's share of its charge before you realize that.

While out of coverage zone, the watch notifies you that the connection is lost with vibration. Such feature seem to be out of place to some extent – in the beginning you keep twitching, when moving around flat, and then come to ignore these signals. It won’t make your phone thief-proof either – when moving in a crowd, a thief will be at least 5-6 meters away, so you will hardly see him.

The great thing about the MBW-100 is Caller ID in display – such seemingly unsophisticated feature comes in handy owing to numerous reasons. For instance, when at conference or talks, it’s not always polite to get a handset out of pocket and decline a call, but everything changes with Sony Ericsson’s latest innovation – you can quietly (everything is relative in this world) check out who wants to reach you so badly. Unfortunately the target audience won’t make much use of this particular function – it will rather be just for show only.

Using the top key you can mute incoming calls (both on the watch and the handset), double press declines a call.

The dedicated player controls found on the MBW-100 are good only for Play and Pause commands, since in order to jump to other tracks you will need to press the winder and turn it at once. Taking account of how big the watch is, it is not always handy. The MBW-100 doesn’t provide any information on currently played back track.

The built-in battery, as the manufacturer claims, can last 7 days, but in our case the watch managed to stay online for not more than 2 days. Considerable number of calls reduces lifetime dramatically – at 20-25 calls a day, the MBW-100’s charge will go off in a day’s time. On weekends the lifetime turned out to be twice as long. On the other hand, paired watch, worn as a trinket might work for 7 days indeed.

One of the most troublesome aspects lies in the fact that should the battery run out of charge, the analogue watch stop as well – the hands just freeze. After recharging the battery, you will have to set time all over again, for the MBW-100 lacks auto time set feature. Another shortcoming is that frequently the watch sets time on handset on its own and we couldn’t figure out why.

The gadget comes with a special charging cable, whose front end attaches to the watch with a clip, while the other one is a socket for plugging in standard charger for Sony Ericsson’s handsets. It takes the MBW-100 about 1 hour and 10 minutes to charge from empty to full.

On a couple of simultaneously received incoming calls, handset might lose connection with the watch, forcing you to wait until it re-establishes connection automatically, or initiate search from the MBW-100’s menu. Those keen on technical specifications will be pleased to know that the MBW-100 runs on hilips’s chipset (BO2031) with Bluetooth 2.0.

To promote its latest solution, the company has come up with a dedicated portal, featuring a James Bond-like clip, that clearly positions the MBW-100 as a gadget aimed primarily at youth (girls won’t find it fitting due to dimensions and weight).

Conclusion and final thoughts

The guideline retail price for most markets will make 300 Euro (in Russia – not less than 400 USD). Does this product offer enough of value for this much money? It is a question without a plain answer – watches coming from this class are not attention magnets and thus impress only with technical specifications, with Caller ID being the major one. This isn’t too much, although youth should find it suitable. All in all, it’s a solution for a certain niche, by no means aimed at the mass market. Its sales will prove to be significantly smaller than those of Motorola’s very own RAZRWire, even though that solution is not all the rage either.

RAZRWIRE – sunglasses and headset>>>

So, what’s the point for Sony Ericsson in releasing such watch? In some ways a PR move and attempt to attract attention to Bluetooth-accessories, you say? Definitely, the company has something like this on mind. But dig a bit deeper and think of the MBW-100’s nickname, hidden from the broad audience (all resources feature only the product’s index, even though on coupling the watch’s title pop up). What does “vanguard” mean? In the military sense of this word, these are the squads on the frontline. However on second thoughts, we can rightfully suppose that the watch’s dimensions were deliberately increased not for the sake of fashion or because they couldn’t miniaturize them (the MBW-100 could be at least two times smaller at the same feature set). In fact, it’s a reserve for the future release of a watch model armed with GPS-receiver. Such devices have already hit the market, though they are almost out of demand, as it’s quite challenging to pack both receiving module and screen with maps for visual reflection of current coordinates and routes into a compact watch’s casing. Nevertheless bundled with handsets in 2008, these solutions will become not only possible, but vitally essential as well. Another option here is widening of the range with Walkman-watches, enabling users to check out information on played back tracks and offering more dedicated player controls.

Furthermore, this watch is a desire to see where cooperation with Fossil will lead – in its turn, Sony Ericsson has handed over Bluetooth-technology to this company. The best thing about Fossil’s watch (similar to the MBW-100) is altered watch-face, while all other specs are completely identical. However, being an independent manufacturer, Fossil powered its product with support for handsets other than Sony Ericsson-branded ones, namely smartphones running on the S60 with Symbian 7,8, 8.1. Regrettably, most up-to-date top-notch devices are making use of Symbian 9.x. Another attraction of Fossil’s offering is price at equal feature packs –it makes about 250 USD (which is approximately 100 USD cheaper). So, there is always a choice which one to buy – generally speaking, these two products are of equal value.

Thailand Food and Recipes

2006-10-30T18:37:00.000-08:00

The main food in Thailand is rice. Everyone has eaten it since they were born. But we can't really eat rice alone so we have to have something to go with it. There are many dishes of food to go with rice. Most of them are hot and spicy and that is what Thai food is famous for.

Thai people are used to eating rice with their meal. Most Thai people can't have sandwiches for their meal. They call sandwiches a snack. Also, most Thai people do not sit down to eat a proper meal because they usually eat when they are hungry, especially kids and teenagers. If you know some Thai person, you might hear them say "gin khao yung" every time you meet them. It means "have you eaten yet?" or more precise "have you eaten rice yet?". If you come to Thailand and stay with a Thai family then be careful you don't put on too much weight! All of the visitors that have come to stay at our school always go home weighing more!

Thai Food Today
Tom Yam Kung

Main Ingredient

Shrimp
Rice straw mushroom
Chilli paste
Soup stock
Citric acid
Salt
Fish sauce
Sugar
Lime juice
Hot chilli

Chilli paste Ingredient

Dried Chilli
Lemon grass
Shallots
Galangal
Kaffir lime leaves
Vegetable oil

500 g.
600 g.
150 g.
2,500 g.
10 g.
15 g.
100 g.
20 g.
15 g.
10 g.

10 g.
40 g.
40 g.
10 g.
5 g.
100 g.

Cooking Method

Chilli paste cooking

Roast the chilli paste mixture and pound until ground then fry with oil and take aside.

-Peel the shrimp except its tail
-Peel the mushroom, divide by two
-Heat the soup stock and mix with all
seasonings until boiling, add shrimps and
mushroom and boil until done
-Add the chilli paste to favorite taste

I spent most of the day at the Book Fair at Queen Sirikit Convention Hall. The big fairs are usually during the school holidays in April and October. I used to comment that Thai people don’t like reading much (apart from cartoon books), but every year more and more people go to these book fairs. Today was packed and I could hardly move. I bought quite a few books that I will share with you later, but first I want to show you this book which is all about the Top 10 of Thai Food! Obviously one of my favourite subjects. As you can see, the book is in Thai. I think I already have the best of the Thai cookery books. Most of them are quite limited and repeat themselves a lot. so, that is why today I was browsing through the cook books written by Thai people. A better selection for sure. I bought half a dozen cook books which will help me a lot identifying the ingredients of street food that I have already photographed. I could blog about Thai food every day, I am just lacking the information sometimes.

Sauces, Pastes & Preserves

2006-10-30T18:36:00.000-08:00

Sauces, Pastes & Preserves

There are so many types of chili pepper in Thailand. Different ones are used for different dishes.

The most famous one must be 'prig kee nu'. It's a very short, small green and red pepper. It is about one inch in length. It is the hottest of the pepper family. Prig kee nu is available in oriental grocery stores in the US. If you are visiting Hay Market, an open air market in Boston, it is available there, too. You can keep it frozen for years. I usually buy a large quantity and wash the pepper thoroughly. Let it air dry then put in a freezer bag and freeze until you are ready to use it. Just take what you need each time before using. It is a lot easier to slice when it is frozen.

'Prig chee fah', is not very hot and often used for its color and spice. The name literally means pointing toward sky chili. It is about3-5 inches in length. It comes in green and red.

'Prig yoorg', is pale green. It is not hot at all.