monsieurhappy

Another letter from my brother in the UK seems to have gone missing. He posted it about 3 weeks ago. I posted one to him about 3 days later and when I rang him 4 days after he had already received my letter but still no sign of his. It's such a hit or miss service! The letter he sent to me previously which only contained blank bank forms and was sent "paper rate" arrived in 4 days. A while back, after losing 4 out of 6 six letters I got my wife to type up my address in Thai with just Thailand spelt in English. I sent my brother these labels and "Hey presto" the first one arrives - no problem. Now we're back to square one with almost every other letter going missing. Does anybody with links to the Post Office, either English or Thai know where all these letters are going? I know there have been instances in the UK where heaps of mail have been found dumped or in someones garage but how many more people are losing their letters? What makes things even worse is that the other day the phone bill arrived where they had put the wrong address on it and someone had corrected it! Maybe my brother will have to put "Bill" on the envelope to make sure I get his letter. They always manage to deliver bills!

Heinz vegetrarian beans are virtually indistinguishable from 'normal' heinz beans. I think the reason for them being vegetarian is that those in the States have small pieces of bacon or ham. I hav e to admit it took me a long time before I threw 50 odd baht at a tin, I thought it was too dear. I would now say I couldn't ever go back to AYAM, even the reduced sugar ones are foul in my opinion .

In fact I think I'll go and makes some beans on toast.................................

I've just tried a tin of these Heinz "vegetarian" beans and no way are they indistinguishable from normal ones! The normal Heinz beans I am used to from the UK have lovely red/orange tomato sause where these looked liked they had been mixed with gravy - dark sauce. So what's that about? Since when did tomato sauce change to brown? I must admitt the taste is better than the Thai brands but oh please lets have the real Heinz beans!

You can get Singha draft at the Pig & Whistle, Soi 7. I must admitt it's not a bad drink though I do prefer the Old Speckled Hen.

I've just found this thread and read the posts but don't know if anything has been resolved about posting pix. I'm in the same opinion as Thomas Merton ie. use the add attachment facility which puts a thumbnail on display which can be opened up by clicking. As I'm on dial-up and I would think many more in Thailand are it would make life so much easier. When I clck on a thread that has pix. that open up straight away I have to wait a long time to read entire thread. If I check back later to same thread, I've got the same problem waiting for pix. I've already viewed. Whereas if only thumbnails are displayed I can choose which ones I want to enlarge and if I've seen them already I don't have to view them again. Hope you understand my post. Could we not have a limit to the size of pix. posted ( say max 600/700 wide, 150kb ) Sorry if already limit I'm not aware of.

BTW does the use of ImageShack Flickr etc. just put a link on the page? If so this is OK for larger pix.

Just fed up waiting for big pix. to open without any control.

IMO the way things are at the moment with UK property it would be advisable to keep your money in the UK, even pay off your mortgage earlier. When the time comes to move, the value of your UK property will have risen much more than land in Thailand. Selling your UK property then will more than compensate you for holding back from buying land in Thailand right now. Just remember, if you remortgage your UK house to finance land or property in Thailand you will be paying UK interest rates on something that may never be worth any more than it is when you buy it. Just my 2 bahts worth.

I tried the Ayam brand ( Light ) last night, agree, less salt and less sugar, but NO taste! I don't like paying 63 baht for a can of beans but if I can get S & W, I will. I might give the Heinz veggie ones a go.

Hi, If your touring through the Mukdahan Province and looking for somewhere nice to stay for a night or a few days. Checkout http://www.thaihouseresort.com Run by an Australian David and his Thai wife Noi, its definately worth a look and even more a stay. However, I must indicate that I am writing this for self interest as David is a good friend of mine and I was his web-site developer. But please have a look anyway.

Hi,

I am very interested in this place as it seems it would be closer to my wifes family for when we go to visit - we always stay in Mukdahan. Could you tell me if the address - Nong Song is the same place as I can see on my map ie. Nong Sung, on the 2042, just before you get to Kam Cha I, on the way to Mukdahan? If it is, can you say how far it is from Kam Cha I as I would be driving? Thanks.

My friend is in LOS on a 30 day entry stamp. Although he and his Thai wife own a house here, he only stays for a few weeks so has not been able to get a Thai driving licence. On a trip to Issan he was stopped at a police road block on the 304 between Kabin Buri and Korat. When he produced his UK driving licence the police said it wasn't acceptable, that he should have International licence and fined him 300 baht. I think they asked for more at first but dropped it down to 300. About 30 hours later they were returning to Pattaya again on the 304 when they were stopped almost in the same place. His wife spoke to the police saying they only stopped them the day before for the same problem ( UK driving licence ) The police said that was more than 24 hours ago so you have to pay again. This time 100 baht after a bit of banter. I told my friend that as far as I knew you could drive with a UK licence providing you were on a tourist visa and these cops were just after some tea money. Does anyone know if this is correct?

I usually buy S & W brand baked beans because I think there're closest in taste to the ones in the UK ie. not too sweet. But for the last couple of weeks I haven't seen any on the shelves at the supermarkets. Even the Ozzie ones have gone. All that's left are the Thai brands that have too much sweetner in them. Where they gone? Have all the American sailors been buying them or have they just cut the supplies? I have seen Heinz Vegetarian baked beans - No Meat!! does that mean the usual ones contain meat? In any case, if they can import Heinz Veggie beans, why can't we get the normal Heinz baked beans.

30 meters wide with six lanes.

Thats bloody huge so each lane is going to be 5 metres wide? what are they expecting to drive down there, jumbo jets? An average lorry is just over 2 metres wide so what are they going to do with the other 3 metres?

Don't forget the double parking will take up 2 lanes each side, that leaves just 10 metres for driving - sounds about right.

Come on guys, you're being a bit hard on the one chap who's keeping this sport alive. Without Schumi, yesterdays race would have been nothing but a procession. Not much better anyway, around a track that does not allow overtaking. What other racing sport is run on a track that doesn't allow someone to come from behind and get past the guy in front ( only sensible answers please! ) He only wanted to make sure that at least there would be 2 cars racing at the front. And as for cheating! Professional fouls are 2 a penny in football but you don't get complaints about those! OK, you can argue that Kimi was on track to take Alonso until his engine blew. Maybe! But the outcome was that Alonso finished the race one lap ahead of nearly the rest of the field. Good race innit! IMHO Schumi should have been 10th. on the grid, afterall he had qualified in the last 10. That would have livened the race up a bit!

One last thing, I do think Alonso is a good driver and take nothing away from him. Kimi too is well qualified to win races as are one or two more drivers. But lets put them on tracks that allow them to use others mistakes to get by not where a stopped car blocks the road. At least when we get to Silverstone the track and run-offs are wide enough not to let this happen.

Where did you get the best Thai, Oil or the Other massage?

For service, a massage place almost opposite the Passinee Cafe in Korat is good. I've tried the 2 hour Thai massage costs 200bht,but the 2hr oil massage is 600bht and that seems over the top?

One the other hand, a massage at home from my little lady comes close. I have to hand it to her if you know what I mean.

The Thai massage can be abit severe on a creaking body,so I sometimes buy some body lotion and ask for a body lotion massage for the price of a Thai one. The best one of those was in Chaiyaphum. She put me to sleep and when I woke up I knew every inch of my body had been attended to.

Your most memorable massage?

You know you're getting past it when you fall asleep on the job!!

Why bother using this service as its 41 us cents which at current forex rates is approx.15 baht a minute, while if you were to dial 008 or 007 as a prefix from a mobile or landline in Thailand to the uk then its a flat 7 baht.

You're quite right, I really need some glasses, I thought it said $0.041

http://www.ourfavouritecompanies.com/Peak/...4-4450204.shtml

Would you mind telling me precisely which part of that site I am supposed to find cheap rates from Thailand to the UK?

I typed Google and everything went like this:-

Why don't you just buy skype credit and use it to call landlines anywhere in the world, including the UK? I'm thinking of doing that as the rates are reasonable and at least I know Skype is proven and tested.

With the service I mentioned, once you have registered over the internet you don't need to be connected to make a call. All you need is your mobile and you can call from anywhere. I am not an agent of this company, I just want to know if anyone has used it and found any problems, especially with payments.

Condoms for beer!

In Pattaya there is a shop/stall behind Big C/Festival Centre that sells hardware, cups, saucers, plates, glasses etc. We bought these condoms from there but I don't remember the price - cheap, maybe only 10 baht or so. These are the sponge type, not the polystyrene ones! Big C is on 2nd. Road. The shop is across the road from the back of Big C. 2 sizes, one holds a big bottle of Chang, the other holds a coke can.

I don't like the idea of having different size tyres at the back than the front!

I've just been Googling for a phone service to call the UK from Thailand - cheap! I have found this one which on the surface looks OK as you don't have to be at your computer to use it and the calls are reasonably cheap. As anyone used it or know anything about it that would give useful info before signing up? The company is http://www.atlantnet.com/index.htm Thanks.

Never had a proper massage in my life, i fancy trying - any recomendations in Bangkok? not too pricey but not too cheap and nothing naughty please.....

The very first time I was in Bangkok - 7 years ago, my package tour took me to Wat Po where outside the School of Massage they demonstrated to our party the type of massage available. I too had never before had a "proper" massage but we didn't have the time then so the guide said you can book a massage at your hotel, which I did. I asked for a young lady and told them where and when to send her. At the said time the young lady arrived, not overly pretty but very pleasant and proceeded with the massage starting at my toes and working all the way up. I will emphasize "this was NOT a naughty massage" although at times I did get an erection! The girl did a first class massage for 2 hours and left me feeling very relaxed. It was by far the best massage I've had in all my time here and I wish I could find the same girl again. At that time the price was 400 baht per hour, not cheap but well worth it.

Try www.WRC.com. for the top stuff.

Also http://www.thailandrally.com/ and http://sr-motorsport.com/setframes.html?./srmdox/events.html for ralleying in Thailand. I've been trying to get some info about the local rallies ie. Rayong but can only find the dates. I want to know the routes and spectator facilities, so if you get to know, please post on TV.

Not Maprachan, but only a 15min. drive away. Name - Sure Park. Phone - 017420625. If you start at the bottom end of Soi Nung Plabwan ( I can never spell that ) at the temple and go towards Sukhumvit for about 1 km. On your left there's Soi 24, m/c shop on corner. Turn left up soi 24 and drive for 1 1/2 kms. Sure Park is on the right. They have sign and carpark at front and a big overspill c/park at rear. Owner is Thai and speaks good English. Food is farang and Thai. Inside and o/side seating. Great Sunday roast.

I am not connected to this place, but eat there often.

Does she bring her own Horeradish Sauce?

Hi guesthouse re-"Moreover, if you are married to a younger wife, she gets a pension at the increased rate for the rest of her natural.".. Does this apply to a Thai wife who has not lived in the UK and therefore does not have a National Insurance no?. My TW is much younger than I and I have been thinking about ways of ensuring her financial security after my demise, although I hope this is some way off. I am also receiving a teachers pension from the UK and know I had been paying contributions for widows benefit so perhaps she would also be entitled to some pension from them. This would be really great for her. I suppose I should contact them on my next visit to England, but any info. would be appreciated.cheers

I have always been under the impression that if you are married when you are 65 you would get a larger state pension than a single person but I don't seem to be able to find anything that substantiates this. There is something however ( married couples allowance ) that allows someone who was born before 1935 to claim extra tax allowance. Does anyone know for sure if the UK state pension is increased for married people when the wife ( Thai ) has never been to the UK or in my case only for a couple of years? My wife does have a UK NI no. but only worked there for less than 3 years.

I thought the ones made in the Phillipines were called Phlip-phlops!