Grawburg

Group of 8 of us landing in Phuket in a couple of weeks. Can't find an on-airport agency with a van so wanted to find a van and driver to take us to hotel and around the island for a few days. Any idea of a driver or a company to contact and rates? My Thai is probably good enough that the driver doesn't need to speak too much English as we live in BKK. Maybe tat opens more possibilities. Thanks for any suggestions.

Anyone know the going rate at California wow to join for 1 year without yoga? My wife got a 2 year deal a year ago for about 600baht per month and she's a farang but they're trying to hit me with a price double that. Thanks.

Looking for American style buffalo chicken wings to by and bring to the office for lunch. Any suggestions (other than KFC)?

Did Federbrau just start being sold in Thailand? it seems like all of a sudden I started seeing ads for it and umbrellas with the name? is it new to LOS?

A few weeks ago I was watching CNN International and in one of their own commercials they were flipping through scenes of different cities around the world. One of the shots was Lumpini Park looking up towards Banyan Tree. I've been trying to find this commercial online, but with no luck. Did anyone see this commercial? Anyone seen it online?

Where can I buy a used small satellite dish - like a True dish- around town? I'll take with or without the LNB. I've got another source for that. Thanks.

I wanted to find a t-shirt from a local construction company that has some Thai on it. Something like I see the people wearing working on the job sites. I don't have any conenctions at any local companies and I'm not too keen on walking up to one of the employees and asking to buy the shirt off his back. Anyone know how to get a shirt?

We're flying to Phuket from BKK in November and heading up to Khao Lak for snorkeling. I'm sure booking through the hotel will be more expensive. Any suggestions on a company that would pick us up from our hotel and take us (4 adults) on a snorkeling trip for the day? They don't need to have a website, but I'd like to find a little info on them before I book....I can call (live in BKK) and set it up if that opens me up to more possibilities. Any idea of costs?

I am NOT looking for bootlegged Polo shirts....I'm trying to find golf shirts, polo shirts whatever you call them....I don't care if there is a monitor lizard on the shirt....just needs a few polo/golf type shirts. Can these be gotten at Bo Bae cheaper than the street or at Central?

There's a stop at the corner of Saladaeng and Saladaeng Soi 1 that heads up to Rama 4, then left, then u-turn and stops at the Rama 4 entrance to Lumpini park. My son and I ride it to the park, but I've never gone further. I want to know if it turns left on Wireless or keeps going down Rama 4...and how for doesit keep going. Wanted to go all the way to Carrefour/Big C if possible.

Other than riding them to the end of their route or making the driver mad again with my stumbling Thai - how can I find out where songthaew routs run? Are they published anywhere?

Can't find a review about it...it's the Thai restaurant in the Grand Sheraton hotel at the river. Meeting friends at the bar for late drinks and figured we'd just eat in the hotel before drink time. Anyone tried it?

You were my favorite Chinese restaurant...close to the house, affordable, friendly staff, good food. I realize that food prices are going up, but your 50% - 80% increase in food price last week has ruined it for me. Sorry...I won't be back. I'll go back to Banana Leaf.

I have occasionally needed to use my US ATM to withdraw money (baht, obviously). The 3 times I have had to do it I always get the B150 fee, plus the international fee, and then varying degrees of good to crappy exchange rates.

Does anyone know if there is a particular bank or even a speciifc machine that gives the best rate....even better - any way to avoid the B150 fee? I'm not likely to try an ATM on Patpong or Khao San or Nana because I'm too suspicious of skimmers....but I'll take what advise I can get.

If I'm going across town I know it's going to be tougher to get a ride because traffic is so bad here. Took us an hour in personal car to go from Saladaeng to Chinatown on Sunday. I've taken hundreds of taxis and almost no problems once in the taxi – but OP's issue is just getting picked up.

I have twice convinced taxis who originally told me "no" to pick me up….asking nicely again in Thai and looking sad did the trick. When I asked them why the originally said "no" one guy said his wife worked in a nearby office building and if he was late picking her up, she would yell at him all night. The second guy said he makes more money with short rides in the area instead of long rides sitting in traffic and wanted to maximize his last hour of his shift. All real answers and all answers YOU'D probably give were you in his shoes.

I have found the taxis here as some of the nicest guys in town. (Side story - Once I had a B100 fare and realized I only had a B500 to pay with…the taxi said don't worry about it..he was going to let me go free…I gave him the B500. Many like to practice their English and help me with Thai. We got in a taxi on Friday night and the driver, on hearing the American accent in my Thai I guess, turned off the Thai music and started playing a Rolling Stones CD. He never event spoke to us on the ride, but he had a huge smile when he saw I liked the music.)

Both of us have careers and we have a mortgage and other bills to pay. Not really an option for one of us to stay at home

Not really an option?? ....but you opted to have kids and someone else to raise them. Puzzling...

Has anyone seen those curvy benches in the waiting areas of the local train stations (not MRT/BTS)? I saw one at a restaurant which is the 1st time I've ever seen one outside of the train station....where do these come from or who makes these things? Want one for the house!

We live 2 blocks away and I think we've tried every restaurant around....here are my picks....

Beruit - as mentioned

Banana Leaf - basement of Silom Center. Excellent Thai, reasonable prices, little English spoken FYI

Shangarila - my favorite Chinese outside of Chinatown - 3rd floor Silom Center

Bug & Bee - some people hate this, but they make Thai dishes with crepe strips instead of noodles. I like it myself.

Beccofino Italian on Convent across from Christ Church

Roadhouse Grill on Rama IV and Sirawong

Several good raman/Japanese places on Soi Thanaya (spelling?)

Peyone Tea House on Saladang Soi 1

Treecreeper on Saladang Soi 1 - my favorite

Jim Thompson on Salandang Soi 1

Avoid...

Swiss Hotel/Cafe on Saladang Soi 2

Coyote on Convent - overpriced and average

a meal at any of the Irish pubs - drinks only

Italy 24 - meehhh...

If I think of others I'll post.

Gippy - yes this is what i mean. The Ummm is the only milk available that has "stayed" milk from cow to store whereas the others are powdered, shipped to Thailand, and then reconstituted in Thailand and put on the shelves....I can't tell a difference but she is convinced.

Someone told my wife that the only non-powdered milk available in BKK is Umm..Milk. She is convinced that powdered milk is inferior to "real" milk. Anyone got any confirmation if this is true about Ummm..Milk and if it even matters?

Ok - I know you can't drive to the islands - but I want to visit the islands and drive from BKK in personal car (no bus, no train unless you'll babysit the kids). How long does it take to get there if we left early one morning from downtown BKK. What would be the city we'd travel to?

Yes - but at 250B per day X 7 days (I thought it was 6, but it's 7) = B1,750 (US$60)

A private car has to be cheaper than that.

We're (me, wife, 1 year old, 3 year old, maid, luggage, luggage, luggage) going to Phuket for 6 days and I know parking my car at BKK will cost a fortune. An off the street taxi won't hold all of our luggage.

Any suggestions on getting a private pickup in a minivan or at least a bigger car to pick us up and take to airport....and then be there 6 days later to return us back home. Home is downtown...

I just want to go down to Walking Street to check it out since I've never been there before. Only looking.......

We (family) is driving from BKK and staying at Jomtien Beach Residences. I can drive, but not sure how available/safe parking is in that area. Thoughts?

Two questions...

1) Someone said there was a good tailor doing 5 shirts for B5,000.....what tailor?

2) Anyone use any of the tailor's in Amarin Mall? That's super close to my work....