jacnl2000

Thank you, wonderful! Love watching these vids, especially when they contain well-received messages, not lifted too much out of their proper context, BUT it's exactly here I must have missed the ( probably relatve small village ) part, somewhere, the followup, next day, where I'm requested to donate some of my rice to them. Done with ( the basics ) of village life, huh? I don't think so, but, of course, I could be wrong ;-)

Sent from my GT-S6810P using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

That program's probably right. You could go to a local computershop and ask them first to inspect and cleanup the interior of your laptop.

Sent from my GT-S6810P using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

During the 2nd half of 2013 on average one firmware upgrade per month for the Minix Neo X7 and since the first of 2014 OTA firmware updates possible. Custom firmware is also available....

Sent from my GT-S6810P using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Have absolutely no idea of how to mimic the exact taste of Indonesian sambal and its influences inside whatever dish when you stick to what's immediate available around the Thai house. I guess I would start with trying to use properly grinded sun-dried chillis and stay away from nam prik as far as possible ;-)

Sent from my GT-S6810P using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

the corresponding downloadable Thailand map ( 783 MB, incl. Laos ).

I am curious as to where you got this map from or which map you refer to? As you know Oruxmaps has options for many different sources of Thailand maps including latest Google Maps and Google Earth imagery if you use the appropriate onlinemapsources.xml file.

Download link for Thailand ( incl. Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam ):

http://www.openandromaps.org/maps/asia/thailand.zip ( 614 MB )

Storage location of map:

Computer\GT-S6810P\Card\oruxmaps\mapfiles\Thailand\thailand.map ( 783 MB )

Destination for corresponding map styles:

Computer\GT-S6810P\Card\oruxmaps\mapstyles\Thailand\...

Routes ( for walking, biking or car ) created in Google Maps can be saved and loaded into OruxMaps from here:

Computer\GT-S6810P\Card\oruxmaps\tracklogs\Route Home_Airport.kml ( 73KB )

Returning to the original question of the OP:

the Android OruxMaps app is quite capable of downloading tiles from a detailed ONLINE map, such as Google Maps. Just select Google Maps as online map, and, via option Create Map, size your area of interest by positioning two dots. Then a maybe more detailed additional automatically selectable local OFFLINE map of just YOUR area of interest will be created and stored on your mobile phone. Maximum map size allowed equals 1 GB of storage space per created offline map. Switching between maps can be arranged automatically. Additional tools such as Mobile Atlas Creator ( Java ) are needed, available elsewhere, to be able to create offline maps larger sized than 1 GB.

Oruxmaps has just created an additional much more detailed local map for me to replace several local "Ban ?" villages in my neighbourhood in the northeast of Thailand on that exceptionally large but not so great offline Thailand map I'm using and was referring to in my earlier posting here above. Latest version of OruxMaps downloaded 25.711 tiles from the online Google Maps via WiFi ( which took quite some time, almost one hour or so ) but the actual size of the new additional offline map showing my local area of interest in much more detail was relative small, only 35 MB. Now, in Oruxmaps, I find much more local streets, directly surrounding our local home, in the northeast of Thailand. Since I do have a new much more detailed local offline map there's no need anymore to startup the onlinie Google Maps for a detailed check of my locally offline logged and tracked latests movements by foot, bike or car. Can do and keep it offline all together within Oruxmaps.

The option of offline logging and tracking of movements via GPS is available in OruxMaps. These routes or tracks are stored and can be outputted into .kml, .kmz ( zipped .kml ) or .gpx formats. It has become quite difficult these days to get .kml files loaded into the classic and new Google Maps. At this moment in time, when I want to see and check for lack of details, I do use the MyTrack app ( workaround ) for loading .gpx tracks of OruxMaps into the latest Google Maps available.

the corresponding downloadable Thailand map ( 783 MB, incl. Laos ).

I am curious as to where you got this map from or which map you refer to? As you know Oruxmaps has options for many different sources of Thailand maps including latest Google Maps and Google Earth imagery if you use the appropriate onlinemapsources.xml file.

Download link for Thailand ( incl. Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam ):

http://www.openandromaps.org/maps/asia/thailand.zip ( 614 MB )

Storage location of map:

Computer\GT-S6810P\Card\oruxmaps\mapfiles\Thailand\thailand.map ( 783 MB )

Destination for corresponding map styles:

Computer\GT-S6810P\Card\oruxmaps\mapstyles\Thailand\...

Routes ( for walking, biking or car ) created in Google Maps can be saved and loaded into OruxMaps from here:

Computer\GT-S6810P\Card\oruxmaps\tracklogs\Route Home_Airport.kml ( 73KB )

Tested Android app OruxMaps v.5.5.16b and the corresponding downloadable Thailand map ( 783 MB, incl. Laos ). Some villages on this map in the northeast of Thailand are still named "Ban ?", so lack sufficient detail for walking and biking. Routes planned inside Google Maps can be transferred quite easily into OruxMaps, but it seems the map itself in use on the background needs to be upgraded to more detail. Comparable maps in other apps such as Sygic do carry more detail, but here, you can end up quite easily with your pickup truck in the mud somewhere.

First thought entering my mind ( after reading the title of this thread ) was that this title is not only too long in length for the app on my GT-S6810P, but also for most human heads of today, just as this sentence I managed to post in here...

Sent from my GT-S6810P using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

In case of Win 7 Pro OEM go for 8 GB memory (so, 64 bits ) and let them place that OS on a SSD. Inside smaller laptops an internal DVD drive can be replaced by a caddy for holding the SSD and an external USB driven DVD drive. A Samsung SSD 840EVO 250GB is an excellent choice.

Last time something simular happened to me I was at the international airport in Bangkok. Wasn't allowed to fly tourist class. Had to buy an exactly same sized business class seat behind the curtain in order to fly as quick as physically posible to Udon Thani on a Friday evening. Who does not want to go home after having worked for a week ? Quite understandable. However, later in time, at the gate, I talked to a relative young looking German/Thai boy who asked me how to drive from Udon Thani to his girlfriend in Kalasin. I understood he was traveliing tourist class and had bought his ticket a few hours after I bought mine and received my ticket. He told me I was a falang and should know I will always be treated that way. The ATM machine I used already cost me more money than I had gotten used to in the past, apparently due to new rules applied. That was the start of my very first day back in paradise ;-)

Update ... posted at Thaivisa on Sunday the 20th of October 2013 09:45 ( CIT ) ...

First, a small youtube video containing background information about Naga Fireball Festival:

Yesterday, on Saturday the 19th of October 2013, visited the Mekong River, in the late afternoon ( later than planned due to the expected traffic jam ), close to Rattanawapi, close nearby Wat That Chaisi and Wat Rat Pho Ngoen, for watching the locally rather famous Naga Fireballs. And, yes, we were lucky to have seen quite a few Naga Fireballs, sometimes in short sequences, in the early evening of Saturday, red colored lights, relative fast shooting into the sky, starting at or just or somewhat deeper below the watersurface ( who knows ? ).

Reminded me of a much more modern computer game, called "Feeding Frenzy 2" ... lol ... Asked myself following question: where exactly do ideas come from ? What exactly is the origin of an idea and / or common ideas ? Take a quick look at this relative small computer game ( following youtube video ) and learn to speculate about what's possibly going on underneath a watersurface:

IMO in practice both 1 bar of outlets containing a surge protector (relative cheap) and 1 UPS of approx. 1.700 BHT are required for each desktop in use to protect a desktop as locally as possible against the possible consequences of all kinds of electrical in-house problems elsewhere.

Where it says select TT Rate for the ATM rate, they only say that because a bank TT Buying Rate (use for incoming wire transfers) will be pretty close to the actual Visa/MasterCard rate...plus or minus a few stang....maybe up to 0.25 baht difference on days when the FX market is volatile....or at least that is what I have noticed. And for a person who uses several of his no foreign transaction Visa fee debit cards all the time in Thai bank ATMs...usually just AEON ATM to avoid the Thai bank foreign card fee of Bt150/Bt180...I get the exact Visa exchange rate. For folks with no foreign transaction fee debit cards they will get the MasterCard exchange rate...now some banks who provide a no foreign transaction fee MasterCard may still allow a MC 0.2% currency exchange fee to pass through to the customer instead of absorbing it....then of course it really not a no foreign transaction fee card because the card issuing bank did allow a pass-thru fee instead of absorbing it....but its still pretty close to a no foreign transaction fee card. It may also apply to Visa cards but in the 0.15% ball park...all depends on what your card-issuing bank passes-thru or charges you.

But using above site will get you pretty close to the no-fee Visa/MasterCard exchange rate if a person don't want to use the Visa/MasterCard exchange rate pages to determine the actual rate. And remember, never accept an ATM's offer to process in your home currency...that's DCC in disguise...and you will get a several percent lower rate.

If you want to see an example of how much lower the DCC rate could be, go to this Siam Commercial Bank Exhange Rate page, take a look at the TT Buying Rate for your currency of interest (remember the TT Buying Rate will be close to the Visa/MasterCard exchange rate) then go to the bottom of the page and click on the link titled "For Credit Card (Dynamic Currency Conversion) and see how many percent that rate is below the TT Buying Rate. Although the link says its for credit card DCC it probably applies to a debit card DCC transaction also if by chance the ATM does offer a DCC rate. DCC bad, very bad for the customer; DCC good, very good for the bank/merchant. And remember, you need to know what, if any, foreign transaction fee(s) your card issuing bank applies to your debit or credit card....that is the card-issuing bank applying a fee which has the effect of giving you a lower exchange rate when the actual charge(s) hit your home country bank acccount; not Visa/MasterCard or the local Thai bank giving your a crappy exchange rate.

Thank you for your explanation ( and time ).

In this case I used a Dutch ING MasterCard.

Went to this Siam Commercial Bank Exchange Rate internet page and found a rate of 40.37012 for today, a value, which is not on the chart I have shown, and, very different from the actual rate of today found on many internet sites, mentioned on the right side of that same chart. That explains the relative large difference I noticed for the very first time in August 2013.

Decided not to use ATM machines anymore as long as apparently other more cheap methods of money transfer exist elsewhere which quite strangely involve more manual labor. It'll require planning a[ ]head which is always better than to loose one ;-)

At some places the logic applied locally is quite difficult to understand. First, take a look at this chart:

Was charged € 503,41 for BHT 20.000 at the 20th of August 2013 ( withdrawal at the 16th of August 2013 13:07:04 SCB/SAMUTPRAK ATM 006 540204 ) which is equivalent to approx. 39.729 BHT per EURO, and, that is, in my opinion, too much. So, I do not trust the firmware inside these handy ATM machines anymore, so immediately adjusted my behavior accordingly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2c0m_vCBxw0

"Packup your troubles" (1932) is one of those jewels I can keep on watching repeatedly. High level of craftmanship.

Laptops containing a Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter can be positioned as usefull wireless extenders somewhere between your regular access point and WiFi devices of customers.

In practice relative old laptops may be much easier to connect to WiFi hotspots in other houses having poor to good signal strength WiFi signals than especially relative more cheap much slower modern tablets having e.g. less quality connections between their antennas and motherboards, both packaged inside cages which most likely have not been perfectly optimized for long distance WiFi signal reception ( weak signals ). Sometimes it helps when the owner of such a tablet first takes a walk to the front door of a home made of stone to pickup a relative weak WiFi signal ...

More information can be found here: https://virtualrouter.codeplex.com/

For some locals and myself โคตรฮิต is an excellent internet source for broadening my apparently quite limited knowledge and scope of presently available mainstream movies and for finding other movies you may like and want to see together with friends and family.

After having watched too many Disney cartoons me and my kids became quite quickly addicted to the stylish little bit different Japanese Ghibli cartoons, such as e.g. "Castle in the Sky."

7am or pm until midnight???

Given that choice, brilliant physicists may prefer 7am, but on this special day I will be following my wife and children, so do not expect to arrive and settle down somewhere at the Mekong river before 12am ( noon ).

http://wikitravel.org/en/Phon_Phisai

throw-away society and quo vadis ...

Connected an outdoor waterproof WiFi speaker system ( Electo DSS-35, max. distance 150 meters ) to a laptop. Maybe they're also available somewhere in Thailand. Did not pay more than € 20.

One requirement or factor which is not discussed yet is the availability of sufficient water. A relative old looking Haier AWT-120LI Twin-Tub washing machine keeps on running under extreme circumstances, whereas a Samsung WA90F3 washing machine having a much modern look will simply stop functioning. Both top-loaders.

As far as I am aware all automatic washing machines have a pressure switch be they top or front loaders. The cycle will not continue until such time as that pressure switch indicates that sufficient water has been loaded. No point in agitating if there is no water in the drum. The twin tub I presume is purely manual so the makers will presume you will not continue unless there is sufficient water.

More accurately: sufficient clean water ... Haier advices the following inside their manual AWT-120LI: "Do not store water in the tub for a long period. Discharge the water immediately after each using." The unconventional method of repeatedly using scented water will for example apply to a sweaty environment where clothes start to smell but did not get the chance to collect dirt too much by simply keep on changing all clothes at least once a day.

One requirement or factor which is not discussed yet is the availability of sufficient water. A relative old looking Haier AWT-120LI Twin-Tub washing machine keeps on running under extreme circumstances, whereas a Samsung WA90F3 washing machine having a much modern look will simply stop functioning. Both top-loaders.

Speaking about donuts (doughnuts):

Did you know that the donut is actually of Dutch descent? The old Dutch donuts of the first settlers in America were the basis for the current trendy donuts.

Mmmmm Olliebollen in Thailand - Yum yum!

http://www.memock.com/tag/oliebollen-in-thailand/

"Oliebollen" do remind me of my own far away past, in which the Dutch term "Oliebollen" was in use in our local semiconductor industry by a project leader to refer to other perfectly shaped all-round characters at work in other research departments, all being capable of accomplishing many smart things, except reducing friction. Btw. I do have an interesting looking picture too here of some home-made Dutch oliebollen. Indeed, not perfectly shaped, but I guess this is how they should look like:

And, of course, I wish that lady a lot of success too with running her business ...

an atypical water container, such as for example the extremely rare water bottle on the left, simply does not feel right, so requiers more attention and care than others: