aarn

Not wanting to pontificate, but it may be best to NOT get a too-comfortable work-station chair. Here is an article re. adverse effects on circulatory function:

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/07/10/3542569.htm

Get off yer bum at least every 30 min. AA

check your Sent messages, too. If there is other stuff there that you didn't send, sure sign that your password has been hacked. Easy enough to change hotmail password, check the forums here or google, might be a day or so inconvenience for you. AA

Moderators - why not pin el jefe's response in this forum, please.

Also, if someone can give me some tips can pin .pdfs of bike maintenance books here. AA

My two bikes are 26" wheel folders - one an ancient steel dahon, the other (better, lighter) a noname brand. Both set up with rear carrier. I do trips with a large bag (that came with the dahon), if it is too wet or windy, or speed is of the essence, just find a bus stop, get off the big and fold it up, put it in the bag, then buy the ticket outta hereThe only scammers who have charged my for the bike have been the staff at Pattaya North (getting a bus to BKK).

If you are crossing into Cambodge, say Trat - KohKong, it is a real pleasure to leave those moto-dups standing at the border. Probably the same where you are going...AA

Hi,

I have done Petchburi to Mersing twice, bits and pieces of it more times. I ride a sort of modified MTB with rear panniers, nothing flash but reliable, over the whole day I average 18km/hr. Great cycling to be had in Thailand!

The predominant wind during the past few weeks (here in Chumphon) was from the southwest, 0-10 knots. However, I do remember July 1995 struggling into a northerly wind, doing BanSaphan to PrachuapKK. Otherwise, this/next month winds tend to be light, blowing in from the east.

A couple of tips: I must have done NakornSriThammarat/SuratThani at least 8 times. There has always been a strong wind from the south about halfway along that route. I could leave NST at 0600, be in Surat soon after midday, then push on to ChaiYa. If you push on, from NST to Songkhla (very pleasant 100 km along the coast), then SKLA to Narathiwat (no need to go to HatYai), halfway along you tend to run into a breeze from the south.

Narathiwat to TakPai used to be very pleasant, little used border crossing (by ferry) 5km south of NTWT but there are some concerns re. violence in the south. On east coast of Malaysia, roads used to be quiet (but narrow), not such affordable accommodation options as Thailand. Traffic becomes heavier going south of Mersing. Predominant wind from the east except during monsoon season (usually May). AA

need four photocopied pages, ie. each on a separate sheet. Found a p'copy shop here 1baht/sheet, acceptable quality, suggest you get more than one copy of each for future use etc., won't bust the bank

I got the one-year 'retirement' extension at the Ranong Immi office, in April.

The day before, went to KasiBank and got the letter attesting to my deposited funds of > 800kB (took 30 min, charge 100B)

On the day, I provided:

TM7 (one copy pre-filled)

p'copies (one each) of passport main page, current visa, most recent entry stamp, exit card.

two passport-size photos;

map of house location (pencil-hand drawn, took 2 min in the office, just in case there is some evacuation scare and the Thai Govt has to demonstrate that it looks after farangs...)

business card from the guest house (if you are staying with farang friend, this might be a challenge)

my (same-day updated) bank book + photocopy of bank book main page.

Fee 1,900B (single entry) (***KEEP THE RECEIPT)

Process took ~ 2hr.While you are there, remember to pick up free copies of TMs 8 + 28 (90 day report-by-mail, application for exit permit - not sure of numbers...). You can photocopy these for future use.

Later, 90 day reporting - require those 4 photocopied pages from pport, receipt for annual extension, application form (TM28? - forgot number), self-addressed envelope with 3B stamp. And this is to be posted in a registered letter to Immi - costs 18B. AA

Are you using Win7? Your post says so.... I use Win7 starter. To check, I go

>Start>Control Panel>Region and language. Then

1/. Check the Format tab, then Format box - what does yours currently say? I've got mine at English (Australian)(not compulsory)

2/, Check the Location tab - mine is set at Thailand

3/. Check the Keyboards and Language tab - mine is set on Eng..(Austr...)(actually it is English USA)

Let's know what you are using, or try putting these options in.

It is also possible to add Thai language, using these features.

If the pop-ups you describe are advertisements, I would suggest you insert an ad-blocker in your browser. Can google.

Also, maybe your browser is set to Thai? Can search in forums here how to change Chrome to English. If you use MSIExplorer, can google their help facility. AA

I furnished a 2brm house near Chumphon three months ago.

Furnishings came in ~ 40kB, internet as below, no air-con so electricity ~ 600B/month

Tesco - 'fridge with seperate freezer 7kB,

twintub washing machine (8kg capacity) 3kB

TV 14" 'InHouse' brand 1.5kB

plastic chairs (3) 500B

fans (3) 1kB

gas cooker (twin burner) 500B

Local Furniture store (~30% cheaper than adjacent store) -

double and single iron-frame beds, 8"mattresses 10kB

spare single mattress 1.5kB

wooden surface kitchen table, four matching wood chairs 5kB

computer desks (3) 4.5kB

Also had to buy 15kg gas bottle 2kB

Internet: 3BB (one year contract),

installation free (unless you break contract - have to repay ~5kB)

annual cost (12m x 630B) ~ 7.5kB

Router (Huawei) 1.2 kB

As an aussie, I gotta say go you good thing Cadel!

But might be overshadowed by developments in the Lance Armstrong saga? AA

Bike theft a problem the world over - at least here, with a cheaper bicycle that hasn't been wax polished and is locked with any sort of chain, you should be OK (drunk farangs a bigger hazard than locals).

I just finished 'working' on a friend's bike. "Super X Turbo' - presume he bought it in BigC (???). 26" double-rim wheels, Vbrakes, 2" knobbly tyres, 3x7 trigger-shift gears, bottom-end front suspension, only ~11 kg. A few adjustments were needed (gear range etc.) but this is the sort of thing you pay 5kB in BigC. Get a set of mudguards and always use a helmet, can't go wrong. AA

Hi folks,

I am heading up that way for 2-3 months. Normally stay at Siripong GH. I wonder if anyone could suggest alternatives - thinking along the lines of single fan room, no TV, within 400m of beach, wifi would be good!

Thanks, AA

Hotel 27, Sukhumwit soi 22. Walk form Suk. ~ 150m, the second sub-soi on the L/east side, walk 50m down there and you can see H27. Used to be 350B/night - all you get is a window-less concrete box with double bed, aircon, cable TV, hot water ensuite, daily service. 7/11 back at Suk, food/grog 24hr/day on the soi or in-house. AA

I have transported bicycles for touring use, back and forth to Thailand, over the last 17 years. Now we just live here... If you don't want an upmarket/pricey velo from www.probike.com (big shop off Lumphini Park, good for window-shopping), I would go for one of the local LA-bicycle brand machines. There is a (franchise) store on Sukhumwit, near Ekkamai (soi 44, long way out). Plenty of advertising on exterior of store.

Here's a link to start googling https://foursquare.com/v/la-bicycle-shop-pakkred-%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%94/4f01e79e722e0f0773e6d8cb

Most of the supermarkets (Tesco, BigC etc) sell bikes. A 24-gear, basic front suspension, 26" wheel costs 6-8kB, less for 24" wheel etc.Good luck AA

I have a friend who has just changed from marriage visa to Ed visa (D I V O R C E) valid for a further 12 months.

He has to fork out: 25kB for thai language course:

4kB to change visa;

and report every 90 days to Immi.

So, you are better off approaching a language school, be prepared to pay ~ 25kB (for at least 120hr of language tuition), and a bit more for visa change to12 m Ed visa - all legitimate!AA

All above is good info. If worse comes to worse, don't chuck your comp out. You can recover all data, save to an external hard drive, using various methods. Easiest is to get someone to put a linux distribution on a usb stick, insert the stick and start comp holding down F12 to get into your BIOS, opening the sytem from the usb stick, then finding and copying all your data.

But hope you get simpler advice than this! AA

Does anyone know, can I link my Kasikorn Bank ATM/Visa card to my paypal account, and thus make payments through paypal? Thanks, AA

There are 35 baht mini-buses linking MohChit/Ekkamai/SaiThai bus stations, surely there is a miniB going MChit to swampy. Minibuses from MohChit leave same level/area where long distance buses to MChit drop passengers off

Another option may be to get the latest Zorin, a linux 0/S that is free and looks very much like win7 (or you can use the linux or xp 'look'). Look for Zorin in www.distowatch.com - it is 1.3Gb, takes ~ 3hr to download, then put it on a usb stick using unetbootin, and only took 20 min for me to install on my old toshiba netbook.

You can have a play with it on the usb stick beforehand, but of course it will be slower than if installed on your HDD.

No need to send any more of your Baht to MS. AA

Now if this was for a valued friend, you'd be going for a silver twin retractable tooth/ear pick. I had one (from China), but a less-valued friend took a liking to, and 5-finger discounted, it. AA

The public hospitals in larger towns in Thailand (at least, Chumphon and Uttaradit) have a red cross centre where you can donate blood. Some hospitals also have the facility to donate plasma - which takes about one hour, rather than 20 min for blood. Just rock up to one, register, and donate!

0 neg blood/plasma is particularly useful - 'universal donor'. Unfortunately for our friend in need today, I gave whole blood three weeks ago (you normally wait 90 days between whole blood donations, only 14 days between plasma donations).

In Thailand, you need to take ID (passport etc.). You will be asked the usual things re. sexual partners, concurrent medication. I was not asked about residence in the UK (which did not apply, anyway). You must not drink grog for the 24hr before your donation (which does not apply in Australia). You should drink/eat in the morning, before donating.

The two places I have donated at did not put local anaesthetic in the needle site (which I don't like, in any event). I was treated like royalty (not many farangs donate blood here?), given a new towel (donation from Tesco) each time, and a money box! Plus some snack foods and iron tablets. Anyone need half-a-dozen unused towels? AA

Check these out, keep Alzheimer's at bay:

http://cscircles.cemc.uwaterloo.ca/

www.udacity.com.

AA

PM me can email you a number of bicycle maintenance .pdfs, all well illustrated. AA

So maybe it would be opportune to now make a bootable image of your system, grab the free Win 8 download preview, install (with the 320+ updates), and create a space/drive on your system to install it alongside Win 8 (although I don't think win8preview likes to be installed alongside xp or 7). That way at least you can have all these goodies at hand - before upgrading your comp. to a win8-dedicated machine. AA

That border used to be (3 years ago) open 0700 - 1700. You can stay at Had Lek, 16 km on the Thai side of the border- at least two hotels (150B+) I have stayed in there, just take songtaw from Trat, but they might be few/far between after, say, 1800.

First thing in the morning, walk 200m from hotel to market, plenty of songtaws going to border. Be prepared for big hassle at border unless you already have a visa - Cambos will ask for 1500B. Various mini/bus services run most of the day to Snooky via KKong, beware people selling tickets actually do sell you valid ticket. AA