timmyp

I am A negative, and I will go on Friday to donate blood. At least I have something that somebody wants?

I have to wonder, though: Are these specific calls all for donors real? This will be the third blood donor ad that I responded to where someone was calling out for a donor with a specific blood type. Is this the normal practice these days, to call out for specific blood types via social media? The other two times I donated for a needy young girl, someone telephoned me from the hospital a few hours later to say thanks, the girl has used your blood.

I think donating blood is very important, we should all do it, and if someone is making up stories like this gets people in the door to donate, then I think it's perfectly fine to do.

Again, I'm not saying that this isn't a legitimate call for help, it just made me wonder... there is a photo of the girl, and Newbie says that the family was there to thank donors.

Hopefully this will help. There are several music instruments stores (at least 5) near Sanamluang. They are all on the same street. They stock cheap to mid-range instruments and equipment. I bought my banjo there. Only a couple stores had banjos, but several stores sell mandolins, accordions, etc. Of course guitars, mics, PAs, drums, all that other stuff.

I have indicated the street with a red line. There are other music instrument dealers in Yaowarat/Chinatown of a similar vain as the stores indicated in the image.

It was the Villa near the Prom Phong BTS station. They only had one pumpkin. I don't know if they had lots and that was the last one, or if it was the only one they were selling.

Carving a watermelon sounds like a good idea, thanks for the suggestion.

Well, if anyone can find previous pumpkin posts, please paste the link! I agree, kblaze, it sure makes sense that others would have been asking on this site, but my searches turned up nothing.

Searching on "pumpkin bangkok" etc. just turned up a whole lot of unrelated info, mostly on paper decorations.

As recommended by phutu, I dropped by Villa this evening and found what a was looking for: A medium-sized pumpkin for a hefty 1137 baht. Yeah, I bought it. Obviously there are people desperate enough to fork out the cash.

Please let me know if you have information on other pumpkin dealers.

Or, if you know of any good pumpkin substitutes? Coconuts might be good for carving. Durian would work if the outside wasn't so bumpy... All suggestions welcome!

I'm amazed that someone hasn't asked this before. Is there somewhere in Bangkok that sells big orange pumpkins? Of course for carving to celebrate Halloween. I searched on the forum, and was really surprised that there are no posting about Halloween pumpkins.

Even southern Japan had pumpkins for Halloween... there's gotta be a place in Bangkok, no?

I heard that there will be a fireworks display over in Sanam Luang, but an internet search found nothing for 2012. I found info stating that there will be celebrations at Sanam Luang and the Royal Palace, but nothing about fireworks. Anybody know if there will be fireworks, and if so, what time?

And my apologies if I missed an obvious link about this, but I seriously hunted around on this website and others.

Many thanks--

I agree with the comments that Thai folks don't like Indian/south Asian food because of a long-running prejudice against south Asians.

That said, the Thai friends I've taken to have Mexican/Tex-Mex food didn't like it at all, and couldn't eat more than a couple of bites. This intrigues me because I always figured that if you like Mexican food, you gotta like Thai food, and vice versa. Obviously not the case...

This post is plenty old, but I finally found a place that sells kimchi in larger portions.

I stopped by 3 Korean restaurants, and asked if they sold kimchi by the kilo for take-home. They clearly thought this was a bizarre question, so by the 3rd restaurant I felt stupid enough to just stop asking.

Months later, I was having lunch at Umma Dosirak on Sukhumvit Soi 49 yesterday, and aside from being very inexpensive, I noticed that they also sold large quantities of kimchi. Boxes weigh about 1 kilo, and cost 150 baht. An excellent, excellent deal. I'm thrilled. I hope my neighbors don't mind the smell.

Here's a link for anyone interested in picking up a decent-sized quantity of kimchi.

http://www.farangfriendly.com/bangkok/watthana/restaurants-korean/umma-dosirak-korean-restaurant-soi-49

I found a cheap vet very close to me, "Clinic Rak Sa Sat". It's just off of Ratchawithi Soi 2.

It was a pretty run-down place, I wouldn't recommend it for anything serious, but if your pet has a basic problem like conjunctivitis then I think it's a good vet to go to. I had my cat checked for ringworm and conjunctivitis. No ringworm, but got some medicine for the red eye. The vet visit cost a total of 140 baht.

I found the place looking on the internet, then called the clinic. The address on the internet was not correct, so I have included a map here for anyone interested in taking their pet to this clinic. They spoke absolutely no English, but were very nice.

It's actually not on Ratchawithi Soi 2, but *next to* Soi 2, in a little pocket of run-down building an shop houses that doesn't show up on Google Maps (I drew it in the map I've attached). The sign is in Thai with no English. The clinic is more-or-less "behind" the Narcotics Control Board. To get to the clinic, you must enter the small area that the clinic is in by turning from the road that runs under the Si Rat Urban Network Expressway.

I have a couple of cats that I picked up from the nice people at SCAD.

Both cats have a minor case of what I believe is ring worm and congunctivitis. According to the web, these are easy to treat, non-life threatening problems. It's just a matter of buying the right kind of medicine for the particular type of ring worm and getting eye drops for the congunctivitis.

My understanding is that there is a range of vets in Bangkok: Ones who offer top notch treatment for the rich folks and their fancy pets, and other vets who offer more basic care. Is this right, or do most of the vets charge more-or-less the same? After searching this site, I've found info on reputable animal hospitals for pets with serious problems, but what about the more affordable places for more basic care?

I'm hesitant to bring my cats in the vets described in this site because I'm afraid that I'll be hit with a big diagnosis fee or first time visit fee? Vets in Japan just love to charge new comers with "first-time visit" fees.

Not to be overly cheap with my pets... that said, I would go to Bumrungrad Hospital for shoulder surgery, but would be happy to stand in line at a public hospital for just an ingrown toe nail.

Please let me know if you

1. have any tips on cheap, basic care (shots, etc.) and

2. know any vets near Victory Monument. Hoping to minimize my cats' terrifying trip to the vet on the back of my motorbike.

Thanks for the tip! Will check out the store once Songkran is over. Yes, I believe the instruments I saw were likely made in China like most everything they sell at those music stores near Sanam Luang. Most of the Chinese-Thai store keepers have the attitude of "Why are you bothering me by coming to my store??! Buy something and LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. The rest of my day will be ruined if I miss the opportunity to rip you off."

I've seen some cheaper, mid-ranged instrument makers up in Chiang Mai. While I'm looking forward to craftsmanship over at Old Siam, please let me know if you have any tips on finding something mid-ranged as well. I'll report back about what I find at Old Siam as well.

Where can I get traditional Thai instruments in the Bangkok area? I'm particularly interested in a sueng. I saw some very, very cheap sueng and khims at the series of instrument stores over near Sanam Luang. The suengs there were covered in a nasty shelak that stayed on your hands just from picking the instrument up. Anyone know of any other stores or makers in the Bangkok area?

One of the suengs at a shop near Sanam Luang was going for just 800 baht, which is worth it just as a wall hanging, although I would definitely want to pull off the ugly red stickers that indicate the notes for each fret. Would be nice to find a store selling some nicer ones, though. Please let me know if you have any tips.

Thanks--

Tim

Just went to Thay Watsadu for the first time out next to Ikea in Bangna. Exactly the place I've been looking for. This is where you can get cheap lumber and piping, among tons of other stuff. I was also looking for some very cheap sections of carpeting, and was having trouble finding it. Well, this is definitely the place. Unfortunately they only deliver within 10 k...

I need to get the pipe cut and threaded by someone else, I don't have the materials. That will be another challenge...

Just went to Thay Watsadu for the first time out next to Ikea in Bangna. Exactly the place I've been looking for. This is where you can get cheap lumber and piping, among tons of other stuff. I was also looking for some very cheap sections of carpeting, and was having trouble finding it. Well, this is definitely the place. Unfortunately they only deliver within 10 k...

Where can I buy some steel pipes in Bangkok? Don't know where to look, Home Pro only has the PVC kind. I'm looking to make a table, and PVC tubing doesn't look very nice.

I went down to the Yu Thai Lumber area, right next to the Golden Mountain Temple. There's an entire street there with people selling lumber, doors, moldings, and other items might of wood. I asked at several stores, and the prices weren't really cheap. Sure, I tried talking them down and asked for lower quality. The cheapest door I found was a ready-made door at 850 baht. That was a good price, but all other doors were at least 2500 baht and up. To get the door and frame as a set was 3500 baht. That was the price everywhere. All stores said that they don't install the door/frame, and didn't know about prices.

I also just needed a plank of plain unfinished wood about 150 x 25 x 2 cm long for a temporary shelf for a bunch of plants I recently picked up. Measurements not important, appoximate would have been fine. Just a junk piece of wood would work, but the cheapest strip of wood I could find was 800 baht (they requires a min. purchase of 2 m). I walked around for a while and finally found someone willing to sell me a junk piece of wood for 120 baht. I bought two pieces.

All that said, in the end Home Pro is cheaper: They have a cheap doors on sale for 625 to 1900 baht, and cheap frames for 429 to 890. They offer installation of the door for 800 baht. This is obviously far cheaper than what I found in the lumber yard.

I also asked about getting a couple of unfinished tables at 100 x 45 x 75 cm made at the lumber yard. Using the cheapest wood and a very basic design (panel sides instead of legs), they quoted me at 2600 baht per table. I thought that was a bit expensive, I really envisioned it would cost about half of that. The expensive part is the wood itself, they said.

Is the Yu Thai Lumber area more expensive than other areas, or do these prices sound pretty standard? I really thought Home Pro would cost more, but from what I've found sound far, that doesn't seem to be the case.

All input on soundproofing with a double door is highly encouraged and welcome, but back to the original question:

1. Where can I get a solid plywood door in Bangkok?

The cheapest one at Home Pro is 2300 baht (without the door knob, hinges). Hoping to spend considerable less.

2. Any idea what it would cost to get someone to install the door?

Is there a standard fee plus hourly rate for a chang/worker making a house call?

I hear there is an area down near Khlong Toei shops that sell doors and have a chang/worker who could put it in? If you know exactly where those shops are, please explain. Please, more detail than "over in Khlong Toei". It's a big area. I've seen some shops down there, but none for doors. Some were selling lumber, but not doors. I'm still learning my way around BKK, so just having the name of a neighborhood just gets me lost when I venture over there.

Yeah, take a photo and show it, good idea. I'll get this done in a couple of weeks. I'll post the results. Many thanks--

Enormous, enormous thanks for you input on this.

My current outside door opens into the outside shared hallway of the building. There is enough room in the jam and frame to hang a second door that opens in to the apartment. The hinges for the outside door and the new inside door would be on opposite sides of the door frame. There's just enough room with the door knob to fit an extra door (assuming doors are standard thickness in Thailand!).

Here's a floor plan. There's a separate room in the back, but there isn't enough extra space in the frame/jam to hang a second door.

The landlord wouldn't care about a jam added to the bottom of the door. The place isn't exactly a hi-so building.

Thanks for all the responses.

Jaiyenyen: What shop did you go to? I understand that you're recommending any auto upholstery shop, but sounds like I need to look no further than the place you went to.

The leather has peeled off a massage chair that I got, and I would like to have it re-upholstered.

Getting this thing down to the first floor and then transporting it to a shop would be a serious, serious chore.

Does anyone know:

1. A place that re-upholsters furniture?

2. One that makes house calls to do the job?

I just dropped by Home Pro and there they were, narrow rollers. Don't know how I missed them... maybe something was stacked in front of them?

I think a roller looks better than brush strokes. Good for window frames. Of course I have to edge with the brush for some spots, but a narrow roller in some spots looks good.

I was planning to use sponge used for insulation around the perimeter of the door, and a rubber door jam that goes under the door. Do you think that would do the trick, or do you think this is a lot of effort that will have little affect on the noise level in the end?

>How about hanging a heavy curtain material

A double door with a wedge on the bottom is far superior in stopping noise. I've taken the heavy fabric approaches to the rest of the room (walls, floor, etc.).

Acutally not so happy with what I found at Home Pro, I thought it a bit pricey for the door they offered, and wondered what else is out there. I don't know other stores, though of course I'm sure there are plenty, I just don't know where to look other than the area of lumber shops I've heard about somewhere near Khlong Toei. I guess I also figured that installation fees offered by Home Pro would be more pricey than other places or what the chang/workmen would charge directly. But I didn't ask at Home Pro, so I don't really know.

Where can I get a narrow paint roller in Bangkok? Say, about 5 cm wide. I've been to two Home Pros, and they both offered the same wide rollers, around 20 cm wide.