dddave

The 10 hour bus trip from Vientiane to LP is quite spectacular. The buses aren't great but OK. Bring along something to clean your bus window with as the mountain views and the passing villages are snapshot worthy but the windows can get dirty. The road is narrow with a lot of switchbacks and a LOT of trucks. They all seem to adhere to some arcane telepathic code and just manage to get out of one another's way but it can be a bit puckering at times.

LP is really a touristy town; no way around it. The boat trip up the Mekong to either the caves or the waterfalls is nice but don't expect solitude. The waterfall trail was lined with tour groups having catered banquets, backpackers swing diving from trees into the pools and waiting lines at choke points on the trail.

The caves were not quite as crowded and you can get away from the worst of it.

We rented bicycles and were happy with them. There have been many reports of nasty moto rental scams in LP wherein thrives use duplicate keys to steal bikes and hold them for ransom. I suggest you Google "Motorbike scam luang prabang" If you do decide to go ahead and rent, bring along your own solid locks.

I understand the crackdown on riverside bars and tubing rentals is continuing in Vang Vieng...not quite the party town it had become 5 years ago.

In LP, we stayed at the Mekong Villa Hotel along the river and liked it. Decent rooms and a nice terrace for the free morning breakfast. Many restaurants opposite on the river bank but we also enjoyed buying hot food at the nearby market and eating on the terrace

Nice area for walking about 10 minutes from city center.

Ohh, BTW. Visa at the border is $35 for US citizens but B1500 if you pay in Baht. Also, $2 for "Overtime". (No matter what time of day)

No, the Express Line service is currently suspended. It's Airline style cars are sometimes used to supplement the city line during busy hours but it appears the operators have been removing the airline style seats and converting most of them to City Line style cars. I doubt the Express line will ever resurrect.

Commuters between the city and outlying stations from Rhamkhamheng outbound now far outnumber airport passengers; very crowded during peak hours.

I saw a large stock of boxed wine at the food MACRO in Pattaya, opposite the Bus Station.

Thursdays used to be the big travel promotion day in the Bangkok Post; maybe not anymore. I did buy a couple of those "2 night/3day" packages to Singapore and HK a number of years ago, before the proliferation of low cost carriers made it cheaper to do it yourself. The hotels included in the advertised price were generally substandard and in outlying areas, thus by the time you upgraded to anything decent, the bargain price was out the window.

I also remember the booking process was always inconvenient. Payment in advance via ATM deposit, picking tickets up at some out of the way location and flights at undesirable times.

Not really worth it.

Location, location, location....near a university, hospital, government offices, any institution or place that has a concentration of people with regular income.

Don't oversell on "quality"; most Thais think Nescafe "3-in-1" is gourmet coffee...style over substance wins more often in Thailand. As long as your "barrista's" can make cute little swirl patterns, you'll be ok. No need to spend big baht on top-line machines and expensive premium beans.

Asus Zenphones have a built in option for a simplified home screen with large, well labeled icons.

Buy any router and regularly go and check it out on the site I gave. How hard do you want to make it for crying out loud ? The OP is concerned about SAFETY and not the exact workings of a router

This is quite good:

http://www.pcflank.com/

When I tried to open the pcflank link, I got a full page "Red Notice" from Google Safe Browsing warning me of dire consequences if I opened this page.

I think Blackcab makes an excellent point. Being Thai and used to being subsidized and bailed out, even if you do end up getting a deal on buying it all back, she will still consider it hers and be a constant thorn in your side...along with her family who want to preserve their rice bowl.

Wash your hands of it entirely.

Usually 30-35 minutes end to end. B40 correct.

Thanks for the suggestions. Turns out they booked a flight/hotel combo and are staying at the Riva-Surya Hotel. Looks good on their website but we'll see.

Nice they can't blame me if it sucks.

My 70 S/M studio is on the 9th floor of a Bangkok apartment building. I have two balconies: one South facing flat balcony ok for potted plants with strong morning and early afternoon sun and a Southwest facing rear balcony that gets strong afternoon sun. The rear balcony has a built in, concrete garden box (undrained)) on the outer wall; 2m long X 40cm wide X 35cm deep.

I'm not at all an experienced gardener but I have successfully grown Basil and some other herbs on the rear balcony and small tomatoes on both balconies though the plants on the south facing one were more productive.

Chili pepper plants on both balconies grew to about 50cm and then the leaves suddenly yellowed and dropped off with the plant totally dead. This happened several times. As I said, I am inexperienced and have a tendency to over water, though I do not know if this was the cause of their demise. I noticed a thread by another poster with the same problem.

I would like to try a little more than herbs and tiny tomatoes. I would like to try larger tomatoes, maybe plum sized. Is that a practical idea for pot plants here. Should they be on the balcony with the most direct sunlight? Somebody told me that tomatoes here need a lot of water every day. true or not?

My soil is mostly fairly chunky bagged soil bought from a local nursery.

The soil on my rear balcony is very old, probably half of it more than 10 years old. Most of the herbs and tomatoes I've grown have been in pots set atop the soil. Would I be better off to just dig out the old soil and replace it? It stays damp most of the time (my a/c drains into it.), has a huge resident population of bugs and worms and I sure a resident population of fungus spores as well.

What edibles would be practical for this environment? I love Rosemary...is that possible to grow in a Bangkok garden?

All suggestions and tips welcome.

Not mentioned yet: Does the OP have any positive ties to his estranged wife's family? Anybody, if not family then maybe from the local community that is trustworthy and could serve as an intermediary and at least get a handle on what is going on with her?

So far, and understandably, this thread has focused on demonizing the wife but a part of me wonders if she is having severe mental health issues. Thai's are not encouraged to spill their problems and anxieties to therapists and there are very few mental health professionals available. I had a GF in the US who had a fairly rapid onset of severe, almost debilitating depression and semi-violent, seemingly inexplicable rages were a part of that.

I'm not suggesting that the OP forgive and forget...he has his son's and his own life to worry about but when something like this comes out of the blue, there is usually something behind it.

I wish the OP well whatever happens. I do hope he issues an update to his situation.

I think the same thing happens at other postal systems

all over the World,not just Thailand, but in the West too,

all they need to do now is catch the bastard that stole

the birthday card with money in that was sent for my daughter.

regards worgeordie

I worked as a postman for a while back in the late 80s and while there were some seriously delusional individuals with real alcohol problems, there was little real theft on this scale or done so brazenly. Not due to any moral qualms though, the post office had measures in place that made theft very hard to get away with in the sorting office.

On the rounds was different but anyone stupid enough to steal the mail they were delivering was soon found out

I don't know if still true but years ago I used to deliver bulk mail to central post offices in Boston and inside the sorting areas, they all had enclosed, overhead catwalks with one-way viewing windows so employees would never know when they were being watched. I got to know a retired postal inspector a few years ago and he said the amount of stuff stolen from US Mail was pretty large but the big wigs covered it up as much as they could, always making plea deals to avoid public trials so the public wouldn't loose confidence.

On the rounds was different but anyone stupid enough to steal the mail they were delivering was soon found out.

As I recall, they had a larger problem with Letter Carriers who just got lazy and didn't deliver the mail. It wasn't that unusual to read stories about Postal Inspectors going into some LC's home and finding tons of undelivered mail...mostly magazines, junk and catalogs.

Check out reviews of the TP-Link Archer series and see if one fits your needs. Both the C-7 and D-2 are reasonably priced and available locally in Bangkok at many Fortune Tower shops.

Prices varied B300-400 shop to shop so worth wandering around a bit.

Some family friends visiting in November have asked for a recommendation for a reasonably priced, mid-range (3-4 star) riverfront hotel. I've never stayed in that area so my knowledge is limited.

Suggestions appreciated.

When I needed service for my Samsung air conditioner, it took several tries with 20+ minute waits and a few cut-offs; very frustrating indeed. Even when I did finally get through and made an AM appointment (sometime between 9 & 11:30 am) the repair crew didn't show up till almost 4pm.

Two years ago I went to the Samsung Service Center in Fortune Tower, office was overflowing and my queue number took almost 2 hours to be called.

I guess it's safe to say that Samsung Service is chronically understaffed.

Thanks Rich Cor and 2008Bangkok...Helping me to understand root access and the Titanium Backup suggestion enabled me to successfully uninstall the 2 conflicting CleanMaster apps and re-install the latest version which is now working fine.

At some point I try RC's ES Task Manager suggestion.

On the ground floor of the Trendy Building down Suk. 13 there is a place that sells them - I go there every few weeks to replenish my stock of Trung Nguyen Coffee.

https://www.facebook.com/thailandtrungnguyen

Thanks!! Great to know..I'll get there this week!!

As to the grounds in the coffee question. I get a small amount that quickly settles in the bottom of the cup but it doesn't bother me at all...I just don't tilt back for the last drops.

If Win-8 was a legitimate, factory installed version then one of these methods should provide it.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/four-places-find-windows-8-product-key/

I didn't know this but apparently Microsoft stopped putting visible Product Key stickers on new computers some time ago as a security measure.

Speaking of CLEANMASTER, I have a Lenovo A936 with Cleanmaster pre-installed. Whenever I try to use it, I get a pop-up "This is a customized version for international users, please uninstall the Chinese version before using" When I try to uninstall, I get "Uninstall Failed" every time.

Any suggestions?

What an odd message. Makes one think you have two versions of the app installed. But if it came as a 'system app' then it can't be deleted, and will only give you the option of uninstalling updates. Some CleanMaster update may have created a Chinese Puzzle Box condition. Neat.

You may find the only way to clear the error is to perform a 'factory reset' (that deletes all working data and re-initializes the phone to new fresh-out-of-box, first boot, condition. If the device was/is 'rooted' (has root admin access) then you may be able to install utility apps to check and clear up the issue without needing to perform a 'factory reset'.

I think you are correct that two versions are overlapping..."Chinese puzzle box" is an apt description. I think this will be the last phone I buy from a Chinese online retailer. The phone originally had a Chinese ROM and the retailer overlaid the English ROM but it left a lot of Chinese fragments. Just not worth the hassle.

The phone has a "Superuser" app icon (blue with a hashtag) I believe that has something to do with admin access but I've no idea how to use it.

If you have a superuser app icon there is a high chance the phone is rooted and have full access...

if that is the case download titanium backup free version, load it up, ( should ask for root permissions, that is how you will know for sure its rooted then when the intial ok, yes blah, blah, blah click the second tab backup/restore scroll down to cleanmaster, tap once then click Uninstall a warning should pop up telling you it is a system app, then a second message then the app will be deleted.

You can also delete any other app yu dont want juts becareful not to delete anything that yu may need to run android.

Thanks for this...very useful to know. Have you ever seen a list of what apps are essential and should never be deleted.

I have so many apps marked Android this or that or Google this or that...I never dare delete them for fear of bricking the device.

You can usually determine copy athletic shoes by closely examining the stitching. Nike, Adidas and other top line manufacturers are really anal about perfect stitching. If you look at the stitched seams between the sole and the upper, the genuine brands will be perfectly straight and flawless while knock-offs will almost always have imperfections and wavy stitch lines.

I agree that with backpacks, the zippers tell the story. If you can pull a closed zipper apart easily, it's a knock-off.

I don't know if this is true or not but I was told that with watches, top genuine brands have one minute sweep hands that run perfectly smooth while cheaper brands and knock-offs sweep hands jump second to second. Can anybody confirm this?

Found this Thai online shop in the net.

"COFFEE DELI VIETNAM"

http://coffeedelivietnam.com/shop/?gclid=CjwKEAjwnf2wBRCf3sOp6oTtnjYSJAANOfheX5ITLGZ2ZF1DCEcJnSlCBka8SxKLzq_lAQndJ94WeBoC6PTw_wcB

English:

http://coffeedelivietnam.com/en/shop/

100 Baht:

That's exactly the style to buy. Some places sell cheaper aluminum versions where the filter disc does not screw down, just rests on the grind: totally useless.

The nice thing about the threaded filter is adjusting the downward pressure affects the strength of the brew, though the more pressure, the more time it takes for the water to pass through.

When I want a really strong "Espresso" style brew, I actually use two brewers, stacked atop one another...Woo-Hoo!!!

The MaxValue close to me in Phra Khanong (Bangkok) used to be a Jusco. Aeon bought the chain and converted it to a full sized MV, renovating the entire store about 5 years ago.

I shop at Max Value regularly and find their prices to be generally in line with Foodland, a bit lower than Villa and Tops but they do not stock a large array of "western" specialty products. I can usually find what I need though.

Vegetables on promotion (especially Wednesdays when you can get a coupon for 5% of your purchase applicable next time you shop) are reasonable and usually fresh and are not usually packaged together like they often do at Foodland. It's annoying there to always find one bad potato wrapped with a good one.

Fish is fresh and they will clean and cut it any way you ask for. Pork and chicken are good but their beef is awful. For years they have sold a stringy and flavorless cut that looks like a calf muscle...never found a good way to cook it. They have recently begun to sell some fresh steak cuts but they look dry and unappetizing, no marbling at all. In the deli section, they do sell some Japanese "Snow Beef" brand frozen steaks that aren't bad and are reasonably priced.

Yesterday, Chang Beer was B53/Lt, same as 7-11.

Many of their stores are half size and I don't know if the pricing is the same as the full size supermarkets.

I really like that if I spend B1000+, they will deliver the order free to my apartment, usually within an hour...great service.

Several years ago I looked long and hard in Bangkok for the same...never had any luck. I eventually had friends visiting Vietnam pick me up a few...best coffee brewers I've ever used. I use "medium-fine" ground coffee from a hotel supplier in Bangkok and it does the job but not quite as good as the real Vietnamese beans. I've tried "very fine" & "fine" grinds but they seem to take forever to drip through; I'm impatient in the morning.

I don't know if there is a specific area in Bangkok with a significant Vietnamese community where a shop might have them. If you find one, let me know.

On one of the side sois off Sukhumvit 33 is a very exclusive Japanese "Scotch Bar"...so exclusive there is no sign or any kind of indication of what lies within. New guests brought there for the first time by an established customer are requested not to bring other friends or point out it's location.

They serve only the most premium Japanese Scotches...nothing at less than B1000 a serving and deliver as you sit there, small beautifully crafted appetizers, chosen to enhance the specific scotch you are sipping. There are Scotches on display that go for B10,000 and up a serving and wealthy Japanese businessmen have been known to rack up 2 to 300,000 Baht tabs entertaining important clients.

I was brought there by a well connected friend and really enjoyed what I had but it was truly out of my league and I never returned. It's just one of those secret gems that few know about hidden around Bangkok.