GamLing

My car has leather seats that were fitted last year. The driver's seat has developed a very small scuff mark caused by friction between the seat surface and a metal side loop on my belt. As I said the scuff mark is small and constitutes an abrasion to the leather surface about 3 cm long and 0,5 cm wide. It has no depth to it but is quite obvious. Are there any leather repairers in or around Pattaya that might be able to get rid of it for me?

Thanks to everybody........ and I have a new belt without the side loops!!

What about car parking? I will bring four young children and one of them is disabled, so I need to park my wheels close to the action!

Car parking is usually on the field behind the fair, maybe you could just stop outside the main entrance and drop them off?

Thank you for that......... now I know that there is a car park area and my friend will take care of them at the main entrance as you suggested, whilst I park my car.

What about car parking? I will bring four young children and one of them is disabled, so I need to park my wheels close to the action!

This day is NOT a statutory holiday. I think everything should be open.

Yes, this is true. The start of the Buddhist Lent (Khao Pansa) in July is more important to some Thais..... even then it's still not a statutory holiday. The full moon in October marks the end of the Buddhist Lent (Ork Pansa) and it's business as usual..... everywhere.

How about พัทยา ?

That is the only correct spelling

Good point. And พ is pronounced as a "P" while "PH" is pronounced as an "F" - in English and most other European languages.

Come to think of it, why do they transcribe ท as "tth"? According to the logic I just read, it should be "th".

Of course, the added "h" makes sense only to academics, not to tourist for who these signs are made.

It's all about aspirating the พ and the extra-aspiration of the ท ....... obvious, innit?

How about พัทยา ?

That is the only correct spelling

Ive been looking for a thread with this topic. Mechanics here in Pattaya are pain in the a$. I'll try the guy today and give you update

So Dencio, did you use him and, if so, what was your opinion?

Three months ago, a good friend in the UK sent me a 1 litre bottle of malt whisky as a birthday present using UPS. A girl from UPS Distribution in Bangkok called me to inform me that the package had arrived safely at Suvarnabhumi but, to satisfy customs clearance, they need a copy of my passport. UPS also want to know how many pieces and of what size, I thought that would have been obvious!

I was told that the Thai Customs have a number of fees that I must pay before they will release the consignment. They insist on being paid a"handling charge", import duty and a storage charge which she elaborated in an e-mail to me. The handling charge was not the same as the shipping or freight charge (as she called it) and that alone will be nearly 1,400 baht (about £30). The total import duty would have been as shown below

Having said all that. she told me that it will then take about three days to clear customs.

Essentially, the following duties and fees were to be paid before the release of the package. (Read out by the "helpful" girl at UPS based in the airport).....

1. Formal entry 1,284 baht
2. Normal duty 1,609 baht
3. Excise Duty 6,162 baht
4. Interior Duty 616 baht
5. Health Duty 215 baht
6. VAT 748 baht
7. Storage 240 baht (3 days)
8. Terminal Charges 192 baht
9. Customs Fee 214 baht

Total: 11,280 baht (£235 to be paid by me/somebody before the consignement will be released!!!!

I called my friend and we had a good laugh........I told her to forget it but he said that I should have told her to stick it where the sun doesn't shine!!!

Well, I finally got to the bottom of my long-standing battery problem this morning. In January, when I bought the battery that failed, the battery shop (Dyanamo-Son or something similar) fitted the wrong battery!!!! They fitted a lower power one (70 amp/hr whereas it should have been 90 amp/hr for my diesel-engined auto G-Wagon!!! This was observed when I went to another, more reputable, battery shop (GS) this morning and I asked them for a second opinion on the failing battery. I went back to the original shop and, naturally, they weren't in the least bit interested in the situation!!! I'll make sure that their couldn't-care-less attitude gets known around here. Incompetent twerps. The alternator's output is 90 amp/hr and it fried the junior battery..... the six week's of cycling from fully discharged to fully charged didn't help either. As Transam remarked.... the battery was "cooked".

So, I had a new 90 amp/hr battery fitted at the more reputable seller..... including a written one-year guarantee and I'm mobile again.

Just which English were you talking about? Are you including: Cockney English, Shropshire English, Oxford English, Welsh English, Scottish English, Irish English, Liverpool English, Bangladesh English, West coast Canadian English, East coast Canadian English, French Canadian English, Australian English, Southern US English, New England US English, California English, or pick any one of the British Commonwealth countries that supposedly speak English?

.....An' divent forget uz Geordies Yer bugger a hell man. Ah think ah need a tab noo!

Oooooop's forgot. I would like you to follow the positive battery cable ALL the way to the starter and look for chafing on any metalwork and ensure the starter connection is OK, not loose.

Did that and the positive cable is secure and undamaged. I am certain that the battery is the problem, although the shop where I bought it five months ago insist that the battery is fine. But, they would say that wouldn't they? After all, this is Thailand where fair after-sales service and fair recompense aren't understood............. or just ignored, especially if their is no way for the customer to prove his/her point. ********

I've heard that the GS Battery outlet (opposite the Highway Police Station) on the Sukhumvit Road is the place to go. I'm going there now for, hopefully, an honest assessment of my battery........ but, I'm sure that I will be told that I need a new battery!!!! Refer to ******** above !!!!

Just a thought!!! Which manufacturer wins most places in the first six finishers in the Lisbon Dakar Rallies? It's Mitsubishi!!! They are made from girders.

BUT BUT BUT, what you buy for your use is NOTHING like, or engineered like a rally ride.

Yes, I know that. My point was simply to illustrate the merits and strengths of a Mitsubishi. They are still made from girders! If you have the opportunity, take a look at the structural differences in the spare wheel carrier attached to the rear of a Mitsubishi SUV compared to those on other SUVs from other manufacturers. (Mitsubishi also built battleships and long range fighter aircraft).

The performance, design and safety aspects of modern everyday cars have evolved from experience gained on a rally or a race track. e.g. disc brakes, ABS.... to name but two.

He He, Therefore i bought a Ford. I'm sick of this "high nose service" from the Japanese Car dealers. Why should wait several months for just a normal dam 4 banger sedan car. Buy Ford or Chevrolet and you don't have that kind of troubles. In my opinion they are better cars for the money anyway.

Same same...... only different badge. Ford = Mazda and Chevrolet = Izuzu, but sold via different dealers. Sources are the same as are the cars.

Just a thought!!! Which manufacturer wins most places in the first six finishers in the Lisbon Dakar Rallies? It's Mitsubishi!!! They are made from girders.

Try MP Car Clean (Kar Kleen) on Thepprasit Road. Head east towards the Sukhumvit and it's situated in the second gasoline station on the left side of Thepprasit Road.

There is an air-conditioned diner located within the car wash premises. Just read the newspapers if you want and watch your car being washed.

Well, try start the motor with your battery. If slow or will not start, pull the battery and try your pals battery BEFORE you go for the jump leads. It will tell you if the battery is the problem. You can also try your battery in your chums ride to see if it will start.

Transam, I've just tried what you suggested. My car will not start but I can hear the solenoid buzzing. Then I tried a battery from a neighbour's car and my car started immediately. Then we tried to start his car with my battery and his car wouldn't start also. Looks like the battery.......... but, I am worried that my new alternator might be the culprit. As I said, it pumps out an indicated 13.5 volts (or just over) even when idling. But, my battery discharges enough not to be able to turn my engine when standing overnight with the earth cable detached.

What should the output voltage fall to when my engine is idling with all electrical accessories (headlights, air-con and wipers) switched on when the engine is idling? It does fall slightly to about 12.5 to 13 volts. (I have a Mitsubishi OEM voltmeter on my car).

Thank you for your advice Transam.

Have you got a pal local that you could borrow their battery when your motor won't start just to see if the battery is the prob or the starter motor. .

Starter motor has been checked and is fine. A friend is coming to see me tomorrow morning with some jump leads and we'll start my car and take it for a reliable (!) battery check and alternator assessment. The battery is five months old and the alternator is three months old......... but, as you know, the battery had a terrible early life.

Sounds like your dodgy alternator ''cooked'' your battery . You are now charging OK but the battery perhaps will not accept the charge.

Hi Transam. The battery shop where I bought this particular battery in January says that the battery is OK.................. but they would wouldn't they!!!! I watched them do the check and the hydrometer readings were a bit "iffy". The float was on, or close to, the "red" zone" on two of the cells but shaking the hydrometer dropped the float to the "green zone". But ....TIT!!!

Hi, it's me again!

I'm now having a similar problem related to starting my Mitsubishi after standing all night. But, this time, I think it could be related to the battery. I bought a new battery in January this year, think my original starting problems were battery-related. This was found to be not the case and the culprit was caused by battery drain through the alternator. A new alternator fixed that.

The new alternator is still pushing out around 13.5 volts but the car won't start in the morning now. During my earlier problems, the new battery took a hammering for about a month or more......... charging from total discharge and then losing charge and the process continued like that until the alternator was replaced. Fast charge/boost charge/trickle charge/jump start....... you name it and it was done.

The battery electrolyte level has never needed to be topped up and there is a scum noticeable on the electrolyte surface now. I have tried disconnecting the earth cable temporarily overnight after charging the battery but, next morning, the engine will not start again.

Please....... any comments on the lack of need for topping up and the slight scum on the electrolyte surface? Also, do you think my newish battery has died after the hard life it had earlier this year?

My thanks to all.

OK Eric........ from JBC, proceed to Soi Watboon and turn left. Go right up to the Sukhumvit Road and turn left at traffic lights. A short distance along the Sukhumvit Road there is an insurance agency on the left hand side........ maybe 150 metres. The insurance agent's shop is green and white and there is one of those water dispensers outside. They will renew the yearly tax for you and you will be charged 100 baht for the service. All you need is the registration book (Tabien Rot) and your insurance papers, especially the tear-off "polobor" slip (compulsory third party insurance). I'm not sure about the tax amount though....... maybe around 3,000 baht.

Don't forget, when your car is 7 years old, you will need a test certificate also and the testing station can do the renewal for you.

Cheers Eric.

Hi GamLing, how much you spent for alternator?

I was quoted 8,500 baht for new 90 amp/Hr alternator from the local Mitsubishi dealer..... not including fitting time but fitting time was estimated to be no more than 30 minutes.

Hitachi Automotive (Bangkok) quoted 5,500 baht for Hitachi new 90 amp/Hr. Delivery from Bangkok to Pattaya 3 hours and fitting free.

Reconditioned 90 amp/Hr alternator obtained and cost me 3,200 baht. No charge for fitting but only 30 days warranty. Fortunately, it is working perfectly and output well over 13 volts.

Agree never heard of an OEM system being installed without a fresh air feature, only it being disabled by someone after the fact..

Well WarpSpeed, now you have heard of one. The early Mitsu G-Wagons and the Stradas (and other models from other manufacturers) did not have the option of choosing between re-circulatory air and outside air. My car was only 24 hours old when the problem occurred and the Mitsubishi dealer pin-pointed the cause immediately. The air-conditioning system and the drain just needed thawing; the car didn't even go into their workshop. I was asked to stop the engine and within a few seconds there was a deluge from the drain. Ten years on, I've never had the problem again.

These days, even with the choice, most car owners have the switches positioned on recirc air. The reason is obvious.

Exactly the same problem. after 2 to 3 days, the battery is drained, the car wont start but i can see there is still battery charge left. I went to ACT to replace the battery bought 8 months ago. They gave me spare. But still the battery drained after 3 days. i dont know if alternator problem or what. i have to get back to ACT

In my case, the battery drain was so immense that nothing electrical would work after standing overnight. Even the interior lights wouldn't come on. Could be leakage to earth within the alternator!!!! Almost 4 months since the alternator was replaced on my car and no problems since.

It's called condensation from the evaporator and yes it is a normal part of proper operation. But in the case you described, though, it was solved with their recommended solution it was a symptom and not the actual problem, you just went around it but you should not have to use outside air to thaw it, it should work fine in all modes of operation without freezing.

Yes, of course it was a symptom. The car did not have the option of using outside air; there air was re-circulatory only and, depending on the sustained humidity within the car and the excessive demands placed upon the evaporator, these systems do ice up and restrict the re-circulatory air flow through the evaporator. This was the cause. The residual heat from the engine thawed the system and the drain.

All this technical stuff is very interesting indeed but.............

I had the same problem with a new Mitsubishi G-Wagon on it's second outing; the day after I bought it. Travelling through Khorat, the cold air flow into the car was minimal and the four steaming bodies, including mine, were sweating like pigs. I stopped at the Mitsubishi dealer and the maintenance department took one look, stopped the engine and, within a few seconds, there was a water deluge from the exchanger drain. I had set the temperature control to the coldest and the recirculating air, loaded with moisture from the car occupants breathing, iced up the system and blocked the air flow. The recommendation was to set the control at 50%. Never had the problem again.

Have you noticed the pools of water at traffic lights? This "problem" is commonplace and the short stop at traffic lights defrosts the system and the water drains to the road.