qualtrough

I am glad the OP raised this topic. I constantly read and hear about gold diggers and money grubbing Thai GFs and wives, but fortunately that has not been my experience at all. My Thai wife of 10 years is the most frugal (putting it nicely) person I have ever met in any country. Any expenditure over 10 Baht is expensive. She rarely pays more than 40-80 Baht for blouses, and not much more for slacks and dresses. Surprisingly they look nice too. Does not want gifts or flowers as they are a waste of money. I used to travel on business and would leave 4-5 thousand Baht for her if I was gone a week. When I returned I would usually find that she was still hanging on to 90% of that. Not perfect (like yours truly), but this is one aspect I quite enjoy. Glad to hear that she is not unique.

What is wrong with it? What do you want for it?

If you are up Bangkok way go to the Worachak/Lan Luang intersection near Chinatown. Just tell the taxi driver Worachak. You will almost certainly find any part you would need for your Peugeot there. That is the place to go for spare parts. Not the only one, but probably the best.

The use of cooking gas cylinders is dangerous and prohibited by law. They are not as sturdy as the car cylinders and do not have the cut-off safety features either. Additionally, the cooking gas cylinder would not be permanently installed as are the car cylinders, which would add to possible danger in the event of an accident.

One possible exception to the 'no damage' rule is if you have a car built in the pre-unleaded fuel days. The cooling characteristics of LPG differ from petrol and my understanding is that it can cause rapid erosion of valve seats and valves in older vehicles from the leaded gasoline era. The removal of lead from fuel required harder valves and valve seats so newer vehicles can use LPG without concern.

The solution is to install hardened seats and valves, e.g. stellite, if you have one of those older vehicles. For the vast majority of forum readers this will not be an issue, but for the few who have old vehicles like my Land Rover it is worth knowing. I plan on making the conversion at some point after locating and installing the hardened parts to the valve train.

To all of the foreigners whining about how dangerous Thailand is for foreigners-WHY THE hel_l DO YOU LIVE THERE?? Are you in some kind of bondage/slavery? Are you forbidden from returning to your native country? Are there no safer countries you could live in? Call me normal, but if I found myself living in a country with a people that I thought were hellbent on killing me I would be on the next plane out of there. I have lived here something like 16 years since first setting foot here 25 years ago and I don't even recognize the Thailand you write about. Please be sure to let me know where you live so that I can avoid those areas, or at least be sure to lock my doors when driving through.

19 yr. old girlfriend, 29 yr. old male 'friend', drinking together late at night...hmm, what could possibly go wrong?

That being said, crimes like that almost never happen in Western countries. When was the last time anyone read about a stabbing in the UK for instance? Oh, yesterday, well never mind...

Those who feel Thailand is very dangerous are right. Get out now while you still can. Pack your bags and get on the next flight before you die here, and leave Thailand for us thrill-seekers. Too many farangs here anyway.

I also endorse Rajas across from Nana. Be careful as there are other outfits with the same name. A friend and I advised another friend to go to Rajas to get his suits. He went and then complained that the work wasn't that great and we were quite surprised as we had both had very good experiences. Fast forward, a week or two later I am taking the complaining friend with me to meet the other friend at Rajas. As we are cruising down Sukhumvit he says, "Hey, you passed Rajas!" I told him he was nuts, it was right at the mouth of Nana and we were not even there yet. At that moment we learned that there are other Raja's tailors in town...

Must agree with Bubba on Manila airport scene.

I have mixed feelings. We live right under the flight path so I can reach up and touch the planes. So it will be very nice if/when they are gone. On the other hand my house is very convenient for catching flights, meeting guests, etc. That being said I will still prefer the new airport opening.

Qualthrough,

Yes, even in economy class, each seat has their own screen. You get to choose the movie you watch. When you want to watch it and as many time you want to watch it or any of the other movies. Music and games the entertainment system is outstanding.

Thanks Jimmi. Looks like my next LAX trip must might be on Thai. Haven't flown them across the Pacific in ages.

I will check out Fedex. I just send a Jumbo Jr. (10 kg.) to the USA and it cost something like 5200 Baht. It is hard to tell sometimes what the final cost will be due to fuel surcharges, VAT, etc. and etc. that end up getting tacked on.

I learn something new on the forum everyday. I didn't even know there were direct BKK-LAX flights! I would love to cut 5 or more hours out of the trip! One question--do they have screens in the economy seats?

Hello,

I currently use DHL to send packages weighing 10-25 kilos to the US and other countries. I generally end up using the Jumbo and Jumbo Jr. specials . For smaller shipments I use registered airmail.

I have a few questions:

1. Does any reliable AF forwarder do better than DHL for those weight ranges?

2. Is airmail the only option for smaller shipments? DHL only becomes viable over 7 kilos or so. Under that and airmail is cheaper. I tried economy airmail but found that it is about as fast as shipping surface--which is very, very slow.

3. I would appreciate any recommendations for reliable air freight forwarders. I am looking for friendly service and someone that can be trusted.

Thanks in advance for anyone who can offer advice.

The whole Saudi gems case would make for a fantastic book or movie, or has a book been written already?

Just the other day as I was waiting at a service center I met a Thai man and we started chatting. He spent something like 15 years working in Saudi. That ended when the Saudis banned Thai workers because of the gems case. I think I have had the same converstation many times. Lots of Taxi drivers used to work there. A total shame that a handful of people who were tasked with protecting and serving the Thai people ended up costing the nation billions of dollars. Wonder just how long this guy will spend in jail....

Last two times I flew to LAX in the last year the best quotes I got were for Cathy. Excellent flights all around. Short waiting times in HK, and a very nice airport there too. Service wonderful, even the food was not bad. Departure times from BKK are nice too, something like mid-morning as I recall. Whatever you do, do not fly on Northwest or United. Repeat, DO NOT fly them, unless you are a masochist. Oh, the tales I could tell....

You don't have to visit the P.I. as the scammers operate here as well. Many years ago I ran into a guy at a bus stop who introduced himself. When he found out what state I was from he went on about how the local baseball team was his favorite, his Mom went to school there, etc. Point at that time was to get you back to their place and involve you in a game of cards that you would invariably lose. It was pretty clear where the conversation was headed to I excused myself and moved on. It is too bad because most Filipinos are good people and very friendly.

It just so happens that the Green book we had to carry around with our passports in the Philippines was sitting next to my computer here. It is called a Special Return Certificate, and had to be presented and updated every time we left and returned. As I mentioned, on the way out there was a pretty stiff fee per person. What was odd was that during the period I was waiting for my visa and work permit to be approved we didn't have to pay any exit fees when living the country! This all might have changed so I hope someone with more recent experience could let those who are interesed know the current situation.

I have always had a good experience with the Thai post, but have heard that some people have problems. Could be their local post office is a bad one. Overall I would rank the service highly. I sell things throgh the mail and only twice have had US customers say they never received a package. Gave them a refund, only to have their packages show up a month later stamped by the USPS as undeliveable, no such address, etc.! Got to give the postal people here credit. How many postal authorities deliver mail whether it is addressed in Thai, English, or Chinese?

Lived in Manila two years. The food is not the worst in Asia, more like the worst in the world. If you like rice the consistency of mashed potatoes, greasy or fried foods totally devoid of any spice, etc. you will be in heaven however. Didn't find it that cheap either. Food hygiene very poor. Found a cockroach frozen in my ice cube at a Kenny Rogers restaurant, yum. Food in markets was about twice the cost of similar produce in Thailand yet inferior quality. Food on shelves in supermarkets was frequently out of date and sometimes rotten or infested. However, if Western food is a concern it is abundant in Manila and cheaper than what you would pay in Thailand.

Accomodations in the Manila area were about two or three times the price of similar accomodations in Thailand and the condition of the properties generally poorer. Expat housing is usually completely stripped of any applicances and furniture including fridges, stoves, and air conditioners! Split type A/C is still unusual and even pricy expat housing often has noisy window AC. You will often be asked for a year lease, big time deposit money, etc. and you are responsible for all repairs that become necessary, even normal wear and tear or structural defects, etc. Landlords have all the power there. One landlord tried to hit us for something like 3000 dollars for just BS stuff. Through the intercession of company lawyers we got that down to 200-that is how worthless the damage claims were.

Crime situation is much, much worse than in Thailand. Armed guards everywhere, even in libraries, etc. I fondly remember the things my driver had to say when he met me in the morning, "Sir, my bus was robbed last night and my cell phone stolen." "Sir, I saw a man shot yesterday." and so on and so on. I used to mentioned interesting areas to visit to staff and the reply was always the same, "Oh no sir, I would not go there, NPA" or "Sir, their are bandits on the highway in that area", "The bus (ferry, train...) was bombed last week", etc. and etc. I just laugh when posters get all excited about crime levels in Thailand.

Also found that visa/work permit reqs were complicated and expensive. Had to have entire family fingerprinted (including 3 mo. old baby) and photographed, interviewed, etc. and then had a stupid green book we had to carry around with our passports when we left the country. Each time we left each member had to pay something like 2000 pesos, even though we all had year long visas and I was there on a work permit.

My company took care of all the details, but if I had been on my own it would have been a big headache and much more expensive than Thailand.

Different strokes for different folks. Some people like living there and more power to them. I am just relating my experience. Plus side is the friendly and outgoing people.

Chownah, thanks for a rational and unmagical explanation supporting a home door opening inwards. For public buildings outward opening doors are recommended for the safety reason previously stated.

If you are worried about safety why not take the train?

just look around your soi for pickups parked with big phone number signs on them. they are for rent.

there always seem to be a few around.

that or ask the motorcycle taxi guys, a few of them on my soi have pickups as well.

As T.S. notes, there are pickups and trucks almost everywhere that can be hired. In Thai they have a sign saying 'Rap Jang' which means for hire. Often the drivers are there or nearby. If you don't speak Thai bring a Thai friend to negotiate and there you go.

I also recall reading that betel is good for the gums and protects the teeth even though it discolors them.

When the British ruled Burma the Brits didn't want to take off their shoes in temples because of the spitting issue. This became a big issue in the independence movement.

This thread is nearly 2 years old

Is there a prize?

Why do thai front doors open outwards, UK and US doors always open inwards

open out is totally wrong, wrong concept no matter how you put it, the people that built their house with door open out doesn't know any better.

when door open inwards you're protecting other people, outwards meaning you want to bust someone nose

Not sure how the door swinging fits in here. If Feng Shui or magic work for you fine, but I need rational explanations. For public buildings doors swinging out are often mandated by law as in the US. In the US this was the result of the Iroquois Theater fire (Chicago) in which hundreds died, many of them piled up behind doors that swung inwards and could be opened with panicky people pushing against them.