Pacific Orient

New design. New features.
iPod nano rocks like never before.

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Curved ahead of the curve.

For those about to rock, we give you nine amazing colors. But that’s only part of the story. Feel the curved, all-aluminum and glass design and you won’t want to put iPod nano down.

Great looks. And brains, too.

The new Genius feature turns iPod nano into your own highly intelligent, personal DJ. It creates playlists by finding songs in your library that go great together.

Now you can shake, shuffle, and roll.

Give your iPod nano a shake and it shuffles to another song in your library — thanks to the built-in accelerometer. And you can turn it sideways to view your albums in Cover Flow.

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A musical Genius.

Say you’re listening to a song you really like and want to hear other tracks that go great with it. The Genius feature finds the songs in your music library that go great together and makes a Genius Playlist for you. It’s like having your own highly intelligent, personal DJ.

Shake your groove thing.

Sometimes, we could all use a little unpredictability. And now you can shake to shuffle your music. Just give iPod nano a shake and it shuffles to a different song in your music library. You’ll always be surprised by what you’ll hear.

Rock and roll over.

Tilt or turn iPod nano on its side, and you’ll listen, watch, and play in new ways. You can flip through your album art with Cover Flow. Or, vertically speaking, see more albums and artists on the screen at one time.

Find your music faster.

It’s even easier to find the song you want to hear. Now you can view your album art in Cover Flow. Or just press and hold the Center button to browse by album or artist. When you find the right song, press the Center button to add it to your on-the-go playlist.

Let the games begin.

Now you can get in on games made especially for iPod nano and the accelerometer. They respond to the way you move, so they’re immersive, addictive, and a blast. iPod nano comes with Maze, which lets you work your way through vast mazes by tilting and moving. You can find even more games on the iTunes Store.

Even your photos rock.

Pull hundreds of photos from your pocket and share them wherever you go. Hold iPod nano upright and see your photos in portrait view. Turn it on its side to see them in landscape. Your photos look beautiful in their proper aspect ratio on the vibrant, 320-by-240-resolution display.

World’s biggest small screen.

Watching movies, TV shows, and videos is big fun on iPod nano. And the high-resolution picture looks crisp and vivid on the 2-inch widescreen display. So you can always have a little video with you.

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Size and weight

• Height: 3.6 inches (90.7 mm)
• Width: 1.5 inches (38.7 mm)
• Depth: 0.24 inch (6.2 mm)
• Weight: 1.3 ounces (36.8 grams)

Display

• 2-inch (diagonal) liquid crystal display with blue-white LED backlight
• 320-by-240-pixel resolution at 204 pixels per inch

Input and output

• Dock connector
• 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack

External buttons and controls

Audio

• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
• Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
• User-configurable maximum volume limit

Capacity

• 8GB
• Holds up to 2,000 or 4,000 songs in 128-Kbps AAC format
• Holds up to 7,000 or 14,000 iPod-viewable photos
• Holds up to 8 hours or 16 hours of video
• Stores data via USB flash drive

Headphones

• Earphones
• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
• Impedance: 32 ohms

Battery and Power

• Built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery
• Playback time
  • Music playback time: Up to 24 hours when fully charged
  • Video playback time: Up to 4 hours when fully charged
• Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter (sold separately)
  • Fast-charge time: about 1.5 hours (charges up to 80% of battery capacity)
  • Full-charge time: about 3 hours

Accessibility

• Spoken menus allow listeners to hear many of the names of menus, song titles, and artists without viewing the screen.
• An alternative large font can make menus easier to read.
• A high-resolution LCD display with adjustable contrast and backlight settings makes it easier to read in low light.
• Captions in video are displayed when they are present using a legible, high-contrast white-on-black font.

Video

• H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 3.0 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

System Requirements

Mac system requirements

• Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
• Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later
• iTunes 8 or later7

Windows system requirements

• PC with USB 2.0 port
• Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3
• iTunes 8 or later

Enviornmental Status Report

iPod nano embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

• Arsenic-free glass
• Brominated flame retardant-free
• Mercury-free
• PVC-free
• Highly recyclable aluminum enclosure

Languages

• Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, and Turkish
• Additional language support for display of song, album, and artist information: Bulgarian, Croatian, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Thai, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese

In the box

• iPod nano
• Earphones
• USB 2.0 cable
• Dock adapter
• Quick Start guide

Environmental requirements

• Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
• Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F
  (-20° to 45° C)
• Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
• Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)

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Access the global market in privacy and security. Expand your options and achieve more from your pension and finances. With the expansion of the global market and individuals desire to escape taxes, offshore markets are now accessible and easy. Many governments are allowing the inevitable, and lifting restrictions that have previously prevented many from reaching their potential benefits.

For example, In April 2006 it was announced that British expatriates with a UK pension scheme who now lives overseas as an expatriate, or is planning to leave the UK can now transfer their existing pension provisions into a QROPS (Qualifying Recognized Overseas Pensions Scheme). The financial benefits can be huge if professional managed and planned in advance. By doing so, you can be sure to expect higher investment growth, more flexibility, and future financial security by starting now. Additional benefits include not having to purchase annuity, ability to take a large amount transfer, and un-spent pensions can be transferred to beneficiaries.

With any financial advice it is recommended you work with qualified professionals, and the following is available for insight and review

Getting Past The Government and Its Acronyms

For some reason governments like to use acronymn and complex terms. This is where a professional would come in, but here are the basics. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) permit UK pension rights to be transferred to a Qualifying Recongnised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS). The QROPS must act as if it were a UK based scheme for QROPS who have been residents in the UK at any time in the previous 5 years.

Qualifying Recognized Overseas Pension Schemes

In an effort to protect the tax revenues of the UK by taxing income from annuities, taking residual value on death, and stopping pensioners spending all of their money; UK Pensions are notorious for being tied up in many layers of restrictions and regulations.

However, citizens overseas can bypass with an HMRC approved QROPS while endulging in the numerous other advantages of living abroad.

Benefits and Costs of QROPS:

• No need to EVER purchase an annuity or pay UK tax charge upon death.
• Leave ALL unused pension funds to your beneficiaries free of tax at source.
• Much greater investment freedom.
• Tax free lump sum, even if you have already taken 25% from your pension.
• Onshore / offshore funds, highest fixed deposit rates, total diversification.
• Take income from your pension in a much more tax efficient way.
• Take income and benefits in currency of your choice.
• Protection against possible future creditors. (Dependent on QROPS jurisdiction).
• Greater confidentiality.

Off Shore Accounts

Although, it is usually labeled as lucrative or mafia-like, off shore accounts are an actual option for many. Individuals, companies, conglomerates and even governments often need to move money around the world and off shore accounts are essential essential to facilitate this transaction.

Legal Issues About Off Shore Accounts

When discussing about offshore bank accounts it is important to start out by saying that if you are an American citizen, it IS NOT ILLEGAL to open an offshore account. There are conditions that can make this illegal, and again is where a professional can help consult on this and prevent you from facing criminal charges.

Risks of Off Shore Accounts

Banking in the United States may give you the impression of being secure by the government, but there are definitely no guarantees with offshore bank accounts. Also, with more people researching the off shore market, scammers and mis-information is rampant. This can all be reduced if you use a qualified professional, regardless of your nationality, when exploring your potential with offshore accounts.

Your Pension – Your Money

The benefits of being in control of your pension fund are immense for those living abroad! Not only can you benefit from being able to invest into a more diversified range of asset classes, but you can also take tax free benefits if structured correctly. Remember it is YOUR pension fund & YOUR money as you have worked for it!

New York is a city that is known around the world and offers something for everyone. There are many ways to get to know the city, but one of the best ways may come as a little surprise – atop a Double Decker bus!

CitySights NY, is a well-known and recognized leader in the sightseeing industry, offers a fleet of shiny new Double Decker bus that offers the best possible view of New York City’s best attractions. The tours do not restrict you to only the bus. The bus is able to get you into the heart of the city, allowing you to hop-on and hop-off service.

CitySights NY offers the best value services and includes various sightseeing packages that range from various options of NYC Tours:

• Major Attractions
• Harbor Cruises
• Museum Visits
• Helicopter Tours
• Shopping Trips
• 1-Day Tours

CitySights sight seeing tours are not only restricted to New York. For tourist seeking to visit other major cities such as: Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Amish Country.

Be sure to take advantage of the amazing night tour that offers a spectacular view of the illuminated Manhattan skyline and includes a special stop on the Brooklyn waterfront.

For those who are short on time and want to get to know the Big Apple, the Brooklyn Tour is the tour to take. Get a glimpse into the trendy neighborhoods that many great musicians grew up in.

The buses offer high tech public address system with speakers located under ever seat to insure all riders are able to hear insightful information from the tour guides. The buses offers a comfortable environment with heating coils situated throughout the top deck flooring, so that tours are pleasurable even during the winter.

During cold and bad weather, City Sights NY buses have the ability to add their removable canopy made of clear, see-through material, that allows not only for warmth but also a clear view of the sights of New York.

If your headed for New York and looking for the perfect way to see the Big Apple, City Sights NY offer a wide range of unique tours that will leave a lasting impression.

Improving your credit score may be one of the most important things you can do for your future. Repairing your credit score can help you qualify for lower interest rates and increase your financial options. With Repair My Credit Now, you are able to receive a FREE credit report evaluation with FREE credit repair information!

ANY collection account from ANY collection agency can be removed!

You do not have to live with bad credit and you owe it to yourself to improve your credit rating by improving the accuracy of your credit report. It is also important you become more educated and prevent these situations from happening again.

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We would like to introduce our new military and government financing partner High Tech Credit, a partner of 800HighTech. Who is High Tech Credit? Well, High Tech Credit was formed by the 800HighTech joining up with the guys who kept CompUSA alive for as long as it did. They left CompUSA after its doors closed and got right to work building up the partner base and delivering the goods under 3rd Coast Marketing LLC. With 800HighTech’s customer base growing, we needed to offer a larger product range and pre-configured computers and laptops at the best possible price for our Armed Forces and Civilian DoD customers. It was also imperative that we continue to provide fast shipping that included overseas military address and combat zones.

Military Armed Forces High Tech Credit Financing

High Tech Credit is offering new best buy computer electronics media with financing for Armed Forces and Civilian DoD government contracted employees. Regardless of adverse credit history, receive bad credit history secured loans for high performance consumer electronics at military discount rates. Low monthly payments and zero money down with allotments through mypay DFAS Mil. All orders are guaranteed approval loans and include free shipping overseas. Shipments to troops stationed CONUS also include express overnight shipping.

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If you find your self struggling to cope with the stress of everyday life or work has seemingly ground down your muscles, a Thai massage may be just what the mind and body are looking for. Thai Massage is an ancient art form combing guided stretches and Meridian pressure techniques with Pranayama breathing.

Traditional Thai massage is over 2500 years old and originates from India. It was the famous Indian ‘Doctor Jivaka (Shivago) Kumar Baccha’ Buddha’s personal physician, who bought the techniques to Thailand. Dr. Shivago is known as the ‘father or medicine’ throughout Thailand and homage is given to him by all serious practitioners of Thai Massage.

Although most of the literature regarding Traditional Thai Massage was destroyed during the Burmese invasion of Thailand, there are still a collection of intricate carvings and drawings on display at the famous Wat Po Temple, located behind the Grand Palace in the Phra Nakhon District of Bangkok, that give testimony to its existence and its place in tradition.

Thai massage is based around the energy (prana or chi) which flows around our bodies. Our energy is said to circulate around 72,000 energy lines within the body, if there are blockages in these lines our ‘chi’ is broken and we may become susceptible to sickness and disease. Thai Massage Techniques help rid the body of these blockages enabling our energy to flow properly.

With the application of rhythmic pressure on certain points and the yogic stretching of muscles and joints, blockages can be broken and the energy restored to its natural flow. Using a combination of the hands, thumbs, elbows, knees, feet and forearms, Traditional Thai Massage Techniques focus on utilizing body weight and correct posture to perfect the spiritual art form.

Benefits of a Traditional Thai Massage

Traditional Thai Massage is about restoring the body’s natural balance and well-being. Depending on your mood, the massage may leave you feeling drained and tired or completely invigorated and full of energy. However you feel after the experience, a Thai Massage is able to:

• Alleviate conditions such as lower back pain, headache, arthritis, digestive difficulties or menstrual cramps
• Release built-up tension (knots) in the muscles
• Increase general flexibility and joint mobility
• Act as a lymphatic cleanser
• Eliminate toxins in the system
• Stimulate internal organs
• Improve neurological functioning
• Increase vitality
• Relieve tension and stress-related diseases
• Help heal old injuries
• Help strengthen the immune system
• Release emotional blockages
• Induce deep relaxation
• Calm the mind

Toyota Motor Corp Thursday unveiled two new robots that can assist humans in transport, domestic duties and care taking.

The first robot is envisaged to transport humans and objects at a speed of 6 km per hour for a distance of 20 km with one battery charge.

The other, a two-legged violin-playing robot, has 17 movable joints that provide it capability to conduct domestic duties and assist in nursing or medical care.

Japan’s top automaker plans to put the ‘mobility robot’ on trial at its facilities late 2008, and commercially introduce both into the market by the early 2010s, the company said in a statement.

Loy Krathong is a beautiful festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand. It is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar, this usually falls sometime in November.

The name Loy Krathong literally means to ‘float a raft’ and in this ceremony Thai’s do exactly that. Small personal rafts are crafted from banana tree and elaborately decorated with flowers, three incense sticks and a candle. The rafts are then placed on the river to float down stream. The act of floating away the candle on a raft symbolizes letting go of one’s grudges, anger and defilements, so that we can start life afresh on a better foot. Many Thai’s will also cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the raft as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of oneself.

Loy Kratong Song Translated

The originally Brahmanical festival was adapted by Thai Buddhists as a ceremony to honor the Lord Buddha. The concept is thought to have originated in India from a Hindu festival similar to Divali, in which they give thanks to the deity of the Ganges with floating lanterns for giving life throughout the year.

Along with the floating of the raft and candle ritual, celebrations include beauty contests, spectacular fireworks displays and temporary markets selling everything from krathongs to food. The beauty contests that accompany the festival are known as “Noppamas Queen Contests” and according to legend, Noppamas was a consort of the Sukothai king Loethai (14th century) and she was the first to float decorated krathongs.

800HighTech has been proudly providing military armed forces custom built computer PCs and customized laptop notebooks for over 10 years. They are the Number 1 Choice for military members and still going strong. They have the most powerful and fastest computers on the IT market; available for ZERO MONEY DOWN and LOW MONTHLY PAYMENTS! If they do not have what you want – let them know and they will get it for you. You could even win a $100 if it is a product they add to their product line.

If you have been considering buying a computer, 800HighTech is definitely a website you should visit. Regardless if you have bad credit history or no credit at all, YOU ARE FINANCED – Guaranteed! They will even help you improve your credit history because they will report your good payments. This will help you get back on the road to good credit.

Payments are made easily via the MyPay allotment system. All you have to do is go to their website and apply. You are pre-approved. Financing is then finalized by submitting your LES.

The price you see is the price you get – no hidden costs! When you go to buy a computer, you would think you would not have to ask this, but many dealers do not include many things in the price they give you.

H! You wanted a monitor with that?! Well that’s another $300.

There are no tricks in their price. It includes shipping including FPO APO military P.O. Boxes and Combat War Zones. Also, their renowned customer support is also included. It is provided by the same Americans that built your computer! The go well beyond for their customers and which is very apparent from their military testimonials!

There is no risk in buying as Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed! If within 30 days you are not completely satisfied, send it back with no questions asked! The PX does not even offer anything like this remotely close.

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• Custom Build a Computers
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On behalf of our partner 800HighTech, we would like to apologize to all of their customers who received their Email newsletter and were dissatisfied. We received many complaints and questions regarding it – and I was not what it was suppose to be. It was our first attempt at communicated with their customers via Email and 800HighTech wanted to do it professionally. They searched and we were referred to Jerry Hart – who from his website seemed like he was going to help achieve our goal and more, but he wasn’t. It was a shame it turned out the way it was – Okizoo was able to help them recover and helped establish their new Email newsletter program.

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Thailand’s climate is most certainly tropical, it’s high in temperature and humidity and when it rains, it pours! For Bangkok and the North, seasons are divided into hot, cold, and rainy where as in the South, there are just two seasons, hot and wet.

Bangkok and the North of Thailand

In Bangkok and the North, the cool season sets in around November and last up till February. During these months it’s mostly dry with temperatures ranging between 18 º C to 32 º C, with the Northern areas usually being a little cooler than Bangkok. For many visitors, mid-afternoon in the cool season can still feel swelteringly hot; however in the morning and at nighttime, temperatures can drop to as low as 8 º C – 12 º C and even lower in the north.

Be prepared for both hot and cold temperatures, light clothing in the heat of the day and long sleeves during the evening should keep you feeling comfortable. There may be the very odd occasional downpour so and umbrella or light water resistant jacket may be useful. Don’t forget that the tropical sun can be harsh, even during the cool season hats and sun block is also advised.

The hot season begins after the northeastern monsoon winds stop providing cool air for Bangkok and the North of Thailand. From March till May the temperatures increase, and as the lush vegetation is sucked of all it nutrients, it becomes humid and towards the end of the hot season, very dry. Temperatures can reach up to 40 º C with humidity levels of 75%, the North being slightly hotter than Bangkok

If you are concerned about heat, try to avoid April and May, these months can be extremely hot and humid and considerably uncomfortable even for the locals. If you do happen to be here during April, the Thai’s celebrate their New Year and coming of the rainy season in a nation wide celebration that lasts from April 12th to the 15th. This spectacular festival is literally a nationwide water fight which can be an extremely fun break from the dry and arid heat in the hottest month of the year.

The monsoons start to pour in June and finish around October. July and August are generally the heaviest months, temperatures average approx 29 º C but humidity levels rise to 90%. Downpours may temporarily flood areas of Bangkok and the North; however rain pours rarely last longer than an hour or two.

The Southeast and Southwest

The southern peninsular region of Thailand sees two seasons, the hot and the wet; however they do not occur at the same time on the eastern and the western sides.

The Western Peninsular

On the western side of the peninsular Thailand’s shores stretch along the warm waters of the Andaman Ocean. Many tourist travel here every year to visit such destinations as Krabi, Phuket and Koh Lanta to experience Thailand’s tropical paradise.

Heavy storms begin in the west in April and last until October. Many resorts shut down for this low season and the tourist population decreases. The weather can be unpredictable at best and those caught out on some islands like Koh Phi-Ph (where the famous film “The Beach” was filmed) may get stuck due to rough seas.

As November comes around the holiday makers return and seasons starts again. Although the seasons are split into two, it does get slightly hotter towards the end of the hot season in the south.

Eastern Peninsular

This is the Southern part of the Gulf of Thailand; popular destinations include a set of three beautiful islands (Koh) off the cost of Surrathani and Chumporn, Koh Samui, Koh Pha-Ngan and Koh Tao.

On this side, the monsoon rains begin later in year around September and last until December. Much like the rain in the Bangkok and the North, down pours usually last an hour or two but can occasionally last up 4-5 hours. And like the Southwest, it starts of cool after the rain finishes and gets hotter and the season progresses.

During the day time in the south temperatures are between 29 º C and 39 º C and the sun can be fierce, you should use a hat, plenty of sun cream and avoid long periods of time in the sun.When the sun goes down the temperature drops considerably, temperature average 8 15 º C although some nights can be up to 20 º C. Long sleeves may be needed especially if there is a cool onshore breeze.

Wheather sightseeing or killing time in Bangkok, taking a cruise along the legendry Chao Phraya River is a perfect way to spend a day or evening. The Chao Phraya River or “The River of King” has been the lifeblood of Thailand. When the capital of Thailand was moved to Bangkok in 1782 (the beginning of the Rattanakosin period), canals where so abundant in Bangkok that it was labeled “Venice of the East” by European travelers. Since then, many of the canal ways have been filled in or are no longer in use, however life around the Chao Phraya still holds the nostalgia of days long passed.

There are few different types of cruise available, cruises held in the day time tend to be geared towards sightseeing and may provide food, whilst cruises during the evening tend to be luxury dinning and entertainment oriented.

Day Trip and Short Cruise

On both sides of the Chao Phraya River, a tourist can see many magnificent temples and architectural buildings including the Grand Palace, Wat Arun(Temple of dawn), Wat Prayunwong, Wat Rakhang Kositaram, the Rama 8 Bridge, the First Presbyterian Church, the Royal Thai Navy Dockyard, the Thai Maritime Navigation Company, the Old Customs and the Royal Boat House.

Other sights you might wish to see if you don’t wish to travel too far, include the Floating Market at Wat Sai along the Klong(canal) Dao Khanong, 35 mins from Wat Sai is the Snake Farm and then also in the same area is Wat Pak Nam which is famous for amulets and is also a popular place to pay respects to Buddha at the weekend.

Dinner Cruise

Perhaps the most popular cruise to take is a luxury dinner cruise. Held in the evening amidst the cool breeze of the evening, there are a host of different cruises to cater you’re needs. Cruise’s range from traditional Thai cuisine to International buffets, sometime with live music or traditional Thai entertainment. You can expect first class service, 5 star foods and a delightful evening on one of many Bangkok River Cruises.

There are many luxury cruises when it comes to dinning, Hotels like JW Marriot and the Oriental offer International Buffets at a very reasonable price, other cruises like the Loy Nava Cruise and Manorah Cruise offer Traditional Thai Cuisine at around the same price. Cruises take place on wide variety of different boats, some are modern cruise boats with air conditioning and indoor or open air dinning, others may be traditional rice barges and may also have indoor or open air dinning areas. One drink is usually included with the price so be prepared to spend a little more for drinks.

Overnight or 2-4 Day Cruise

If you travel further north you can reach the famous ancient Siamese capital city of Ayutthaya. A river cruise to Ayutthaya can be done in one day; there are options to shorten the cruise by traveling one way on the bus, and cruising back to Bangkok. One or two night cruises offer cabins on board with all amenities.

You can even take 3-4 day river cruise across to Kanchanaburi and visit the Death Railway and the “Bridge over the River Kwai”. During this 3-4 day cruise you will be taken to many untouched places in Thailand such as Khao Noi Cave Temple, Somdet Phra Sri Nakharin Park also known as “Stone Garden”, Krasae Cave, Kaeng Lava Cave. You will also get the opportunity to visit other parts of the Death railway like Hell Fire Pass and the Thailand-Burma Railway Center Museum.

Booking A River Cruise

River Cruises are available from many hotels and tourist information centers. Short day trips can be organized at different piers along the river however you may have to haggle to get a fair price, so it’s good to have an idea of how much your chosen tour should cost.

Dinner Cruises are often one standard price; they can be organized by your hotel or travel rep. The choice of food and your boat preference should be the deciding factors for the best experience.

If you wish to take a longer cruise, prices vary according to accommodations and quality of service. It is best to organize these trips through a reputable provider for the best value for money.

Every year in late September and early October, Thailand pays their respect to 9 gods over 9 days in a mish-mash of events that make one of the most gruesome festivals in the world, known as the Vegetarian Festival with the largest festival held in Phuket Island.

This tradition was brought to Thailand by the Chinese in the 19th century, and the festival is supposed to celebrate the community’s belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants will help them obtain good health and peace of mind. During the 9 days, participants must adhere to 9 rules.

9 Days – 9 Rules List

• Wear white during the festival
• Behave physically and mentally
• Avoid eating meat
• Avoid sex
• Avoid alcohol
• Pay attention to cleanliness of the body during the festival
• Clean kitchen utensils not to be used by others who do not participate in the festival
• Pregnant women and menstruating women should not attend ceremonies
• People in mourning should not participate

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A recent report has shown that medical tourism and cut-price cosmetic surgery is becoming almost as popular as a tropical beach for nearly one in three Australians choosing a relaxing getaway.

A survey by travel website Total Travel found that 31.5% of Australians would love to relax by a pool in a tropical destination such as Malaysia, Sri Lanka or Thailand, while saving thousands on surgery.

Managing director of Totaltravel.com Malcolm Baker, said society was centered on the body beautiful.

“People are very conscious of how they look. I’m not surprised that the travel industry is taking advantage of this social trend and that cosmetic surgery holidays have become so popular.”

A survey by the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons carried out earlier in the year found a growing number of patients seek further medical help when they return home because of complications regarding the surgery. This has prompted a warning from plastic surgeons about the dangers of cut priced surgery.

Cut Priced surgery in a popular tourist destination can be risky, before deciding whether or not your chosen surgery should be done in another country, important in-depth research should be carried out and the patient should be fully aware of the possible dangers from undergoing surgical procedures in particular hospital or clinic.

IBNLive reports on how online marketing is becoming a big business in India.According to a study by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) in association with Pinstorm, India alone produces more than half-a-million searches a month.
The study puts light to the evolution and growth of search engine marketing in India. The study found that over 40,000 marketers are using this platform to capture the market share.

For the uninitiated in Internet marketing,

The process of SEM involves bidding for the right words at a cost on major Search Engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, Baidu etc.Search results are better with greater number of key words. The number of keywords bid could range from around 500 to 1 million or more.These words are then used for writing ad copy that is visible in the Sponsored links when the keyword is searched

The client is charged either through Cost per click (CPC), where the client is charged only when a potential customer clicks the ad or through Cost per Impression (CPM), where the client is charged for every 1000 impressions.Every search is an expression of consumer intent. Marketing will veer around to this mode of communication because one is able to segment finely – a typical client effort may have two dozen or more campaigns and strategies – only advertising to stated consumer intent instead of shooting in the dark.

As traditional media increasingly fails to deliver with precisely targeted segments, online search will increasingly become the prime media weapon in a marketer’s arsenal for its sheer ability to target and deliver to an interested consumer.

Taiwan Family is one of the leaders in providing a wide range of massage chairs. Takasima massage chair, is manufactured with professional technology by excelling in product research and quality control, thereby proudly winning acclaim from every rank. Takasima have continuously expanded in markets overseas. For years, they have developed an enviable reputation for advanced technology, quality and reliability. This leather lift massage chair is very reliable. Here are list of its reliability:

1. P.V.C. leather, Burgundy
2. 16 massage balls
3. 3-width adjustment
4. 3-speed adjustment
5. Seat vibration and foot tapping massage
6. Electric backrest and footrest up/down movement with additional lift chair function for the elders(one motor) (up to 30 angle)
7. Armrests designed with storage case

Japanese toilets are really high tech. The seats are raised automatically, pulsating massage spray,heated and now theres even a SD slot and an MP3 player! This one made by Toto has revolutionized the whole toilet industry. Just pick your music, take care of your business, and flush.

TAIPEI, Oct 1

American Express is expanding in Taiwan through a tie-up with the island’s EVA Airways as foreign interest in Asia’s fourth-biggest banking market heats up.

American Express will issue a co-branded credit card on Monday with EVA, the island’s No. 2 carrier, after the U.S. company halted issuing new cards for several months last year due to mounting defaults.

Taiwan’s financial sector has become a target for major foreign banks such as Standard Chartered and private equity funds like Carlyle Group [CYL.UL] seeking acquisitions at lower multiples than elsewhere in Asia as Taiwan lenders return to profit.

Taiwan’s domestic banks had a combined pretax profit of T$47.63 billion (US$1.47 billion) from January to July, swinging from T$7.4 billion in losses for the full year of 2006, latest government data showed.

Standard Chartered recently completed its US$1.2 billion merger of a Taiwan lender, while Citigroup  finished its US$436 million merger of another bank.

Here is a few reasons why you should start invest in Taiwan:

1. Deep industrial base and strong vertical integration in IT and electronics sectors.

Taiwan’s economic strength is rooted in its industrial base, which started with a manufacturing boom in basic-level exported goods and progressed to technology-intensive industries, such as electrical goods and chemicals. Today Taiwan is one of the world’s largest producers of computer-related products, and boasts an extensive, well-established network of industrial zones and a growing number of high-technology industry clusters, which are supported by high-quality human resources and fully integrated supply-chain networks.

2. Strial research and development capabilities

Taiwan’s rise to prominence in the IT industry has sparked a growing industrial research and development sector — according to the “Indicators of Science and Technology, Taiwan” published in 2006 by National Science Council (NSC), national expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP rose from 2.44% in 2004 to 2.52% in 2005. In the same year, Taiwan published 15,661 scientific dissertations, the 18th highest in the world, and held 5,118 US patents, the fourth largest quantity in the world after the US, Japan and Germany.

3. Entrepreneurial and innovative corporate sector

A strong work ethic and carefully managed economy has produced a nation of aspiring entrepreneurs. As a society that places high value on lifetime careers and employment, many Taiwanese seek to create sustainable and profitable businesses. The majority of businesses in Taiwan are small and medium-sized enterprises, which are known for their novel and innovative approaches to business — particularly in the technology sector, where Taiwan has one of the highest numbers of utility patents in the world.

4. A leading source of venture capital in Asia
Taiwan is home to the largest venture capital industry in Asia. By the end of 2005, there were 231 venture capital firms actually operating in Taiwan, which have raised a total of NT$189.3 billion for 10,295 investment projects, amounting to support for 368 listed and over-the-counter companies. About half of all listed companies in Taiwan are backed by venture capital — although only NT$139 billion has been invested in domestic industries by Taiwan venture capital funds, the industry has generated NT$2 trillion in capital.
5. Advanced harbor infrastructure and central hub for Asian transportation routes

Taiwan has a well-developed harbor infrastructure that accommodates a full range of shipping and transport needs. Two major harbors, Kaohsiung Port and Keelung Port, are in the process of becoming free trade zones, enabling more expedient customs procedures, a faster flow of goods and lower business operating costs. The island’s central location offers the shortest shipping times to the major ports of the Asia-Pacific region, averaging 3 hours by air, and 53 hours by sea from Kaohsiung Port.

6. Mature B2B infrastructure

Taiwan’s highly-integrated industrial base is supported by a mature B2B infrastructure, which has received ample government support. Several programs sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Affairs have allocated over NT$530 million in subsidies to develop E-commerce trade networks for a wide range of industries, including IT services, petrochemicals, textiles, and auto manufacturing. A notable E-business platform has been established by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, which links more than 20,000 Taiwan exporters globally.

7. Chinese and international market experience
Taiwan serves as an ideal test market for companies interested in Mainland China investment, as close cultural and linguistic ties have given Taiwanese businesses an edge in navigating China’s emerging markets. An export-driven economy has brought Taiwan the vast experience needed to work together with international companies, placing the island in a prime position to play a key role in the future integration of the Asia-Pacific region.