sezzo

Down our way the local expats around here just go into the DL place and show the International Driving Permit, Your country of origin driving licence and your passport and visa. There is no doctors certificate, no eye test, no depth perception test, no driving test, and not even any tea money under the table.

I suppose it helps living in the sticks sometimes,

We fix this one already and let me say if yoiu have problems in Ubon and medial, u can contact us,my wife is medical nurse and almost ready pharmasist(opnining soon), any kind of medical infection you might feel uncomfortable you can contact us,,my wife can advice you.

We will opening pharmasists for all foreigners soon in Ubon where you can get service in english with no hassle,

Thats excellant news Marco. I know from past experience the difficulty in getting your message across to pharmasists about what medications you want. Your wife Bee has always been very helpful with my medical questions and I look forward to using your pharmacy in the future.

Hopefully I will be one of your first customers.

Good luck.

Going off on a tangent but ...

How far is the LaiTong hotel from Tesco Lotus in Ubon? Within walking distance or not?

I would be conservative and estimate the distance as being about 3 - 4 kms. So its up to you if its walking distance.

I live in Khemarat which is about 65 kms east of Amnat. There are quite a few farang living in our area and along the road from Khemarat to Amnat. Here there are 3 Australians, 2 Germans, 2 Americans, an Austrian, a Norwegian and a few more that come and go. I know of an american that lives about 8 kms outside of Amnat and there will be an Australian moving to Amnat on the Mukdahan road in November.

There is an english lady that either works in or owns a book shop in Amnat that I met a couple of years ago. Im sure there will be more farang in the area once you get to live there and move around the area. Out in the sticks you tend to find them as it does get a bit lonely and you sometimes need to get a sanity break and talk to one of your own.

Amnat is a small provincial captial city. Im not sure about nightlife there but you will find all that out when you live there. It is about 70kms from Ubon Ratchathani which is quite large and good for shopping, entertainment, etc and about 75 kms to Mukdahan which is an entry point into Laos for isa runs etc.. There are many farangs living in and around both those areas.

Give it a go and see how you enjoy it. Dont expect it to be as lively as Bangkok or Pattaya but it is good fun living up this way.

Good luck

Army shops??

Please elaborate.

Second that. My gf's response also was 'well you seem to be wanting soldier's hammock' but she had no idea where to find that.

Why not get one of those bamboo hammocks. They sell them all round the place. Only about 200 baht each and they are very strong and comfortable. Also a lot easier to get into and out of (in my case anyway)

What would one call these in thai? Does "all over" mean shops or open markets or ...? Pity you didn't post a pic of one - I hope you are recommending their comfort from actual experience rather than conjecture.

Anywhere they sell bamboo furniture, brooms, etc they will generally sell the hammocks. I usually find stalls set up on the roads around Ubon, Sisaket, any major provincial town. Also there are plenty at Chong Mek on the Lao side in the markets

It blew a gale here all night last night. Heaps of rain going sideways due to the wind. I have just gone for a walk around to make sure everything is in place. I thought for a while there that my roof would be gone in the morning.

Why not get one of those bamboo hammocks. They sell them all round the place. Only about 200 baht each and they are very strong and comfortable. Also a lot easier to get into and out of (in my case anyway)

The game was great to watch in Perth. How was it in Ubon?

The right team won.

Edit

Melborne to win tomorrow.

A good day was had by all. The place was fairly packed with all sorts of nationalities. About 5 ozzies glued to the TV and with one very happy Lou at the end of the afternoon. Richard (the owner) made some very nice chili con carne and garlic bread for all to enjoy. Beers were served by a very scantily dressed Tiger girl who then changed into a Heineken girl. Too bad they hadnt worked out how to use the webcam.

Things are getting civilised out here in the sticks when you can start to watch the footy from your home country.

I got 3 50mm bores drilled around our farm. The cost was about 4- 4500 baht which included a crude wooden hand pump. I also got a 100 mm bore drilled for my house. The price was 13500 with the same sort of hand pump or 20000 baht and they suppolied a deep well pump, which I didnt need at the time.

The 50mm bores went down to about 20 odd metres and the house one went to 31 metres.

They are supposed to work on a no water, no pay system but I would be wary of that. Dont pay till you see the stuff come up and then ask for another 10 or so metres.

Sorry cant help you about drillers in your area but ask around the area and someone always knows of one.

Hello all,

I thought this deserved a separate thread as it sounds like people from neighboring provinces might be coming around. I asked Sezzo to post something on Thai Visa about this get-together, but from the sound of him, he's begun drinking heavilly already for the big event on Saturday. . . I hope he makes it. We're having it at Wrong Way Cafe simply because the original idea of having it in Khemmarat at Sezzo's didn't work out. I think it's a great reason to get together and enjoy a Saturday, Australian or not.

Im not sure but I think the above statement might be a bit slanderous. Its true, but still a bit slanderous anyway. Anyhow it was all Johns fault.

Wild horses or at least a cranky wife wont keep me away from this pissup.

See you all there

Go the swans.

John,

Theres an excellant little hotel directly behind the Wrongway cafe. Newly renovated, 25m staggering distance all for 350 baht per night.

Should try and get over for it, mate

I just would like to add that this game is the grand final of the 2006 season and will be played between Sydney and West Coast. Last year I searched all over the place to find a venue that I could watch the game. Luckily Richard at Wrongway cafe has the cable TV with ABC AsiaPacific/Australia Network on it so this year it can be watched.

I know its an australian game but come on along and watch the game anyway. Heaps of beer and plenty of people to have a yarn with.

Go the Swans

Have been contacted by someone who has been asked by the family to invest in eucalyptus trees. He asked me if I could find out returns per rai after the initial 5 year growing period. Also wants to know what spacing required and how many trees per rai can be planted.

Thanks for any help or advice

Firstly I will apologize in advance for not searching through the forum first as everyone else has their own particular needs.

The story is that my wife and I are coming to Bkk to visit friends from Oz for about a week. Normally I would fly and stay in one of a few favourites in Sukimvhit. This time, however, we have decided to drive down. As I am living in the sticks in Ubon Ratchathani and not used to Bangkok driving I would like to find a hotel with which I can drive to with ease.

I would like to find a hotel possibly around the Mochit area, which going by the map is within close proximity to both the skytrain and the underground rail systems. My budget is up to 1400 baht and would prefer that the hotel had secure parking facilities.

Thanks for any assistance or advice on hotels or a good hotel booking engine.

Hi All

Just opened this topic to ask the residents of Ubon to keep all posted on the goings on in and around Ubon. Has SK shopping mall completed its extension yet including bowling lanes. Any good restuarants to note or talk about. Anything that may be useful and interesting to people who spend part or all of their time in Ubon Rachathani. Thanks for your input...

All the best

Jay

Jay,

Not sure if you are aware of it but the Wrongway Cafe is sort of like the unofficial place for a lot of farangs in and around Ubon to meet up. Good food, ice cold beer and there is always someone there to have a yarn with.

Catch up with you there sometime,

Carl

Good Nannys are hard to find, can you find us one?

We're looking for someone to help look after the baby (my wife prefers to do most of this but needs to get out sometimes), and our 3 year old boy when he's not at school.

Accomodation provided, 5,000 baht a month but can be negotiated. I understand this is the going rate.

We live in a quiet area, and things can be slooooow, so party girls need not apply!

Please send us an email at [email protected]

Thanks in advance.

Would have thought a family member would have jumped at the chance at that one.

5 grand per month plus accomodation. They would think it was xmas, if they believed in xmas.

Good luck

Gday all,

I have had a Dynasat satellite dish and receiver for the past 4 months and am quite happy with the reception that I get on Aguila KU satellite. I get most of the UBC stations plus the ABC Asia Pacific channel which I require to watch Australian sports. The problem is that as Dynasat obviously pirate the channels off a phillipine provider every so often they change the codes and I am without TV for a period of time. This last period has now become 3 1/2 weeks and its P###ing me off.

I have checked out the website for the PAS satellite which will provide me with ABC Asia Pacific channel and their footprint does cover thailand. I have got all the technical data required to align the satellite. On the list of satellites that Dynasat can get on their menu the PAS 8 and 10 satellites are available. I asked the local Dynasat technician ??? if it is possible to get PAS 8 tuned in. I gave him all the specs and he said that it cant be done. I am just assuming that he didnt want to do it as then I would have no need for his on going service.

My question is, can I realign the satellite dish for my needs and if so can anyone put me in the right direction on how to do it or someone who can.

Any advice/assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Every time you leave Thailand you need an exit visa. They are correct. If you leave the country without the exit visa your current visa will be cancelled. A single exit visa costs 1,000 baht but if you plan to go out a lot there is a multiple exit visa available. I think it costs 3,800 baht. I am sure about the single exit costing 1,000 baht but have never had a multiple exit.

Although this is so it has not previously been enforced at this border - or many other crossings on the Mekong further north - I have crossed many times at Chong Mek to visit the market with my wife (last time also in Jan), usually paying a few baht to the customs post. I don't think that they are offering an exit visa, they will just stamp your pp with a 30 day stamp when you return which will invalidate your visa - and the cost of an exit just to spend a few minutes at the market would be impractical anyway. I saw that they were building a new customs post - perhaps they are looking for something to do with it!

I wonder if this will also apply for a visit to Chao Prah Vihan (Cambodia) near Kantralak?

I took some friends from Oz down to Chao Prah Vihan in June and we also had to pay a fee to go thru the market area to the steps leading up to the sanctuary. I think the fee was around 50 baht but maybe a little more. Definately didnt need to stamp out and in with the passports during this process.

We also took the same friends to Chong Mek to so some shopping and all we needed to do was to get a photocopy of the passports and pay a small fee then we could get a day pass. Once again no need to stamp in and out plus get a Lao visa. Mind you, the previous time I had been there 18 months earlier a fee of 20 baht was all that was required.

Just had a mate come back from Penang two days ago trying to get a mulit entry non imm. It was his second time there in 4 years and was told that he could only get a single entry. He was told that for a multii entry he has to go back to the country his passport was issued.

Had an email from another guy who had a similar experience at Savannakhet consulate as well.

Maybe there are changes on the way

G'DAy Mike

How's SG, any plans when you are back in Ubn? im back by Mid Sept.

we are planing to hit the road also toward's to Bergen mountain hut's.....

-M-

Hi Marco,

Have you been spending time with our antipodean cousins ??? ("G'Day" )

I will be back in Thailand in about a week (16th), for around 3 or 4 weeks. I have my daughters from my first marriage coming to stay so will also do a little touring with them. I just hope the rain eases up a bit, last few weeks it has been raining like mad there, which is not much fun and bad for the rice

We should meet for a beer in Wrong Way and/or Polar Bear (never yet been to Polar Bear, not sure where to find it). Wrong Way now has his pizza oven working too....

Cheers,

Mike

Mike,

I was having a beer with Richard from the Wrong Way the other day and he is going to try and introduce a monthly social golf comp for the expats in the area. So if you are around come on and join in. And if you know anyone else who might be interested let Richard know as well.

By the way the pizza oven works well and the pizzas are very good. (not a paid advertisment either)

Sezzo

I know that the Topic title is a mismatch in words but I have a friend in Oz that would like to come here for a holiday and at the same time get dental work done. Going by what he has told me he would like to leave with a completely new smile so I dare say a fair bit of work needs to be done ie. extraction, capping, implants, etc.

Does anyone have any prior experience with this sort of stuff in and around the Bangkok area.

Any suggestion or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for that tip. No worries about the phone number. Will just drop by this weekend.

If you dont mind australian bunnies , NSW parks and wildlife can send you millions Nignoy

Nignoy,

Not Australian bunnies, they are the product of rabbits that an englishman had decided to bring over on the early ships for a bit of sport shooting.

Not our fault, just our problem,

Thanks guys for all the advice.

Will pass it on to my mate.

Cheers

I hope this is in the correct forum but if not, Mods, please feel free to move to the correct one.

I am posting on behalf of a friend (Englishman) whos girlfriend is 6 months pregnant. They would like to have the baby's farang fathers surname registered on the birth certificate/amphur registration as being the baby's surname,. This is obviously so the child can get an emglish passport and all the benefits that go along with that.

Is this possible and what process needs to be undertaken to carry this out.

Thanks for any advice in advance

There are quite a few good building companies in Ubon town itself that will send their workers up to Trakan or even have subcontractors that they use in your area. A friend of mine used a builder from Ubon to build his house in Khemarat (50 ks further north of Trackan) and the job was done very well with very good follow warranty work done. He also included about 20 extras in the original contract and it was all honoured to the letter of the law.

I will ask my friend if he has any contact details for the builder and PM them to you.

Good luck