JXXXL

My sweet 18 yo daughter is coming to visit and she's she's been genetically bequeathed some unwanted hair by my Lebanese side of the family. Anyway, she wants to get some of it removed and I was wondering is anyone has a recommendation or horror story. I may take the opportunity to get some of my back pelt removed while she's there.

"HOWEVER, every time I get coffee at some coffee place, restaurant, bar, whatever, all over town, (excepting instant!) they grind in a dedicated machine (I can do that) and then they use an expresso machine (pressurized) to build my long 'Americano' - adding hot water. It Is better than mine, no matter which bean I use in a drip style machine, or bodun either. Or so it seems to me.

Am I wrong?" ---------------- OP,

(before purchasing an expresso machine, probably in Chiang Mai - expensive, apparently)

"....lets not debate whether espresso is better than brewed or vice versa." - JXXXL

Well, that certainly decides this thread.

I'm waiting with bated breath to read your conclusion as to which method is best.

Lingnoi definitely knows his stuff and I agree with everything he wrote.

There is always a debate within this group about which coffee is "better or best" and of course there are those who chime into any discussion of espresso saying their home brewed is cheaper and just as good. I don't know why people can't grasp the fact that the discussion isn't about what is better when people are talking about finding good espresso.

So, just to make it clear, espresso is a method of preparing coffee and produces a more concentrated drink that can be mixed with milk or water to dilute the strength and produce a variety of drinks. There are other methods of preparing coffee (e.g., stove top pots, presses, vacuum pots, drip machines) that also product fine coffee. Brewed coffee and espresso have different characteristics and flavors and if one is interested, they should sample different types till they find the one they like.

However, if one likes espresso, and wants to make it at home, then you have to find I right equipment and there are lots of choices. I recommend you go to cites like CoffeeGeek and do some research to find out what is best for your budget and complexity of preparation. There are many types of machines (e.g., superautomatic, automatic, manual, lever pull, HX, dual boiler, etc). Hillkoff has a lot of good kit, but if you are really into it, you can import equipment.

So, bring on the discussions about beans and roasts, but please folks, lets not debate whether espresso is better than brewed or vice versa.

For daily scheduled departures the busiest time each day is 07:00 - 08:00 with 33 departures. However many of those are smaller aircraft so the total number of passengers might be less than say the 23:00 - 00:00 block with 22 departures many of which are red-eye widebodies?

-- Block -- Departures

00:01 – 06:00 42

07:00 – 08:00 33

08:00 – 09:00 30

10:00 – 11:00 29

11:00 – 12:00 27

16:00 – 17:00 26

17:00 – 18:00 24

18:00 – 19:00 27

19:00 – 20:00 24

23:00 – 00:00 22

all other blocks have a lot fewer departures. Codeshares have not been counted.

Wow, that's excellent info. 01:00 to 06:00 have a lot of flights and I suspect most of them are closer to 01:00. I also suspect that there are more long-haul flights going to EMEA and the Americas and these would most likely be wide bodies.

I fly out of Swampy 2-3 times a month, always international, and I have seen long immigration queues but nothing compared to what I saw last week at 23:00. It's astonishing that this is a spanking new airport and they are already operating way beyond capacity.

I departed last Friday morning at 00:20 and the airport was absolutely heaving. The queue to stamp out at both immigration areas was snaking far outside the designated areas. I fly out of Swampy a lot and have never seen it this crowded. I usually depart mid-day or early evening.

Did I catch it at a bad time, or is time of day exceptionally busy?

Wow, great! Thanks everyone.

I need to print some color documents and want to find a shop with high quality professional equipment rather than consumer equipment. Anyone know of such a place?

It appears to me that Thailand once had that "it" that made it popular to people around the world. Thailand hire some good foreign PR firms who successfully publicized the "it". But, the people of Thailand were too greedy and/or stupid to know how to preserve that which made this place attractive.

As posters have said, Thailand has seen its hay day and its people are pathologically incapable of preserving the things that made it special as a world class tourist destination. I reckon the only thing it's managed to preserve and refine is the business of bonking.

This system "upgrade" was breathtakingly stupid. I can't believe a company as large as Air Asia could allow something like this to happen. My sense is that they planned an upgrade and screwed it up hence they couldn't book ANY flights for four days.

I didn't get stranded, but I was planning on flying AA and couldn't due to this event. I went to the airport to book a flight and was told that they couldn't book flights either because the system was down enterprise wide. So, no call center either.

As far as you whiners saying one should eat the price of a ticket, AA's policy is that tickets ARE change-able up to 48 hours prior to departure with a fee. That is their stated policy. If I was holding a ticket and couldn't change it because of their idiotic upgrade, I would be furious.

I wouldn't hold out much hope of getting any satisfaction from a company that treats its customers like this.

I saw it mentioned in another thread and have been wanting to try it for a while now. I was there to meet a friend recently and the setting looks very romantic. I was just wondering about what type of food they serve, price, service, etc.

I've mostly tried the foam ear plugs in various shapes and sizes. I use the ear plugs when touring on my motorcycle so I can't adjust them once my helmet is on. I would keep them in for up to two hours at a time (i.e., between fill-ups) and usually have 10 hour days.

I've heard a lot of bikers raving about custom fit silicone ear plugs so I want to give these a try.

How about a muffler for the bike?

It's not the sound of the bike but the wind blowing across your helmet that's the problem. Even more so with guys who wear pudding bowl helmets. Anyway, long term hearing damage is assured if you do a lot of riding without protection.

As a matter of interest, which types could you not get on with? As someone who has to wear ear protection all day long I prefer ear defenders (Peltor/3M) but on the odd occasion ear plugs are more convenient. I have never been able to get on with the foam type plugs but a good quality soft 'silicone' type rubber ear plug I find much more comfortable, they are also easier to keep clean. I think Global house had them at one time.

I've mostly tried the foam ear plugs in various shapes and sizes. I use the ear plugs when touring on my motorcycle so I can't adjust them once my helmet is on. I would keep them in for up to two hours at a time (i.e., between fill-ups) and usually have 10 hour days.

I've heard a lot of bikers raving about custom fit silicone ear plugs so I want to give these a try.

I want to get some custom made ear plugs made for hearing protection because the standard ear plugs don't seem to stay in my ear or they are really uncomfortable after an hour or so. Most shops in the US who deal with hearing aids will make them cheap, I'm just wondering if anyone's got them done in CM, or knows of shop in CM who deals with ear related products.

I heard it's a good organic flea and tick control product. Anyone have experience with it?

The water jet shop has 6mm steel plate. I have 3/4 sheet of 5mm A-36 plate that is surplus to my needs and I will give you a deal on it if it works for you

Price here is about the same as in Canada

Don't know where to buy large pipe and if only a small amount you may be able to get Daeng to roll it.

Most local shops use crappy AC welders and it looks like bird shit. Daeng has a Miller MIG and quality is not bad.

He speaks English 081 950 8622

Sounds like you need MIG or good stick welding, but I use a small local guy for TIG work that is not perfect but pretty good.

For expert welding work, Jeff Walker in Lamphum is one of the best I have seen 089 634 7878.

He also has a CNC lathe and mill but a production shop so small one of's are not his thing. He will know where to buy the pipe

Thanks to my Brother, I have Solid Works as well but unfortunately no idea how to use it.

Thanks HH, great info. I will PM you about the 5mm sheet.

Yes, would be interested, particularly if some good bargains were highlighted at the events.

In my experience, a big part of the value of groups like this is helping members find good value.

No CNC at this shop and I too would like to find a CNC shop with lathe, mill and bender. Please advise if you find a good one that will do small jobs. Right now I need a precision bender for some .095 wall 1" 4340 tube.

The water jet shop has cut 1.5mm steel and aluminium for me and I have seen some 50 mm steel plate that he has cut. Do not know his max thickness but have seen him working on plastic, granite, and all types of metals

Not sure how he charges and I have taken him CAD drawings, hand drawings, and things to copy. Cost is always a lump sum and I have never asked for a breakdown. In any case it is not expensive considering the investment in the machine.

He keeps the design so next time it is easy and presumably cheaper.

What are you making?

I've got two things that I need done. One is a small aluminum bracket to mount crash bobbins on my moto. This is what I need CNC'ing.

The other project is a serious Texas-style smoking pit and for this I need some cutting and welding.

A couple of other questions if anyone knows. How does the price of steel here compare to that in the US? I'm looking for 6mm steel plate and 6mm pipe 610mm diameter.

Also, does anyone know where I can find an EXPERT welder? Most of the welding I've seen in Thailand is pathetic even at some of the shops that claim to do it well.

No idea on these GPS coordinates but I use a water jet shop that also has a large stock of specialty steels and alloys. Cross Natharwat bridge, heading to the train station, left at the first light, and down about 500m on the left to the water jet shop. The office however is across the street inside the steel shop. You will see a large standard Thai steel shop and cannot miss it.

Nice guy. limited English but no problem to get the idea across.

Fair price and very fast service.

he has CAD capabilities or can scan a design or copy something. I use him all the time for small specialty jobs and no problem with small runs or one of's

Hog Head, does this guy also have CNC?

I know a few "Jewish" places in CM with good, reasonably priced food and no service charge at all. Posting narrow-minded  racial stereotypes in just not necessary. 

Can you be more specific about what kind of food these Jewish places serve e.g., Isreali, Jewish-American?

I looked all over the China Airlines website and couldn't find any information on the baggage allowance. They didn't show it in the T&C's prior to on-line booking. I didn't advance past that point, so they may show it in subsequent steps in the process.

I did find on China travel website the following:

Check-in Baggage

Adults and children are entitled to a free checked baggage allowance of 40kg, for first class, 30kg, for business class, and 20kg, for economy class while traveling on domestic airlines in China. No free baggage allowance is granted to infants. Groups traveling together are able to combine their baggage allowance if they check in together.

That's a great price. Was it round tip? I also recommend China Airlines...good planes...and lovely to bypass Bangkok!

Yes, that was RT, but the fare may vary based on the dates.

How much is the fare? I can't load the website.

I flew CNX to LAX on China Airlines and have nothing but praise for them. Great service. Captains flew smooth as silk and landed the planes like a dream

You will also encounter 700 people (each with 5 huge boxes) when you return to Taipei from LAX. Be prepared. I got to LAX 4 hours early or I would have never gotten my baggage on the flight!

Thanks for the feedback and great to hear you had a good experience. Was the plan a newer model?

The price I got for my dates (mid June return mid July) was 32,565 inclusive of taxes and fees.

I don't know what other cities they fly to from CNX, but they have an excellent fare to LAX and even more compelling given you don't have a stop over at Swampypoom. BUT, I'm not sure about China Airlines.

Last time I went to LA, I flew Eva and while the flight and equipment was ok, it was a nightmare on the return. Eva had two flights departing at the same time to TPE so there were about 700 people trying to check in, at LAX no less. This was right after the underpants bomber fiasco so with the "enhanced" security, it took us about three hours to get checked in.

Just read that Rossi has broken his leg at practise and is out for the season.

Related article on the MotoGP website HERE

Looks like a very nasty injury. It says they will have to reevaluate in six weeks. He could very well be out for the whole season. It wont be the same without him

I'd like to find a nice place that regularly shows the MotoGP, and of course also serves cold beer.