dddave

I know a case of a Thai woman who was assaulted in a hotel corridor by a wealthy, drunken Thai man.

It was all caught on security cameras and she pressed charges and took him to court.

She lost and he got off. (His lawyer got the video tapes disallowed as evidence.)

He then sued her for defamation.

He won;...She lost.

Volume and reception varies so much phone to phone that it is really impossible to make general recommendations. Best thing is to ask friends about their individual phones. Most "Name" brand phones sold today are well within the acceptable range.

When you set up a new Android phone, in the "Incoming Calls, Ringtone" section you will be offered an "Outdoor" option for ring volumes. This is generally louder than "Normal" ringtone volume. Also, most phones will have a long list of various ringtones you can audition and select. If you pick a tone with some sharp, loud peak sounds, you will be more likely to hear it over street noise. Don't pick a soft, melodious tone if your hearing isn't sharp,

My LENOVO phone has a setting that senses when the phone is in a pocket and raises the ring volume accordingly. Other brands may have this same feature.

There is currently a very large selection of very decent Android and Windows phones in many screen sizes within your stated price range. Unfortunately, it is usually not possible to "test drive" a phone in advance of purchase but any decent model will probably fit your needs. If you look back in the "Internet/Mobile Devices forum on this website, you will find many recommendations for inexpensive "I-Mobile" phones from satisfied users.

Look for a phone whose size and form factor appeals to you. Try to get one with at least 1gb RAM and 4Gb internal memory. Also buy an auxiliary Micro SD memory card of at least 8gb.

If you do not have a friend to show you how to use your new phone, you can find many tutorials searching YouTube.

BTW, AIS does sell a number of inexpensive Android phones that include an AIS account starting at less than B2000.

Does anybody know what the projected price of the Surface Pro will be in Thailand?

Also, does Microsoft offer an international warranty on models bought in Thailand or just a local one. Same question for units purchased in the USA; can an international warranty be obtained?

A friend wants to buy one for use here. He's not sure whether to have a friend bring one from the US or to wait and purchase here.

I confess that after more than 20 years of computer use, I still don't understand most of the options listed when right clicking.

Can somebody post a list with simple explanations?

I bet I'm not the only one.

www.Thaihappytaxi.com Despite the silly name, they are a professional and reasonably priced service with a wide variety of vehicles to chose from and a staff of decent drivers.

Install an app called "Clean Master" available on the Play Store. It will clear out the thousands of junk files the phone builds up in the onboard memory, slowing it down. i bet your sister never clears out old messages or transfers photos to her memory card rather than keeping them on phone memory.

Doing a "Re-Set" accomplishes all that as well. Just make sure to make a list of the favorite apps you'll need to reinstall and save any pictures or data you don't want to loose.

I often wonder what the real deal is at Tukcom.  Every kiosk seems to sell the same merchandise and they all seem to display in similar fashion.  It almost appears that they all buy from the same wholesaler. 

I suspect one person controls the space and rents out concessions, the holders of which must buy their merchandise from him and then try to make a profit from it.   There are probably strict display and pricing rules in effect. Most items that have price tags say a vague B3XXX or something like that.

90% of the customers now appear Russian...they seem to love the place.

They come with a free AIS sim and one month of service but are not useable on the TRUE band.

A friend who still liked her old Blackberry but wanted to try a smartphone and have access to LINE bought one (the one that looks similar to the HTC-1) and it seems to be ok. Very plasticy build quality and limited RAM but for the money, not a bad deal.

Are the Nokia batteries removable? Most phones I've seen have a sticker under the battery that states that phones band specs.

Eva's Evergreen "Premium Economy" class was one of the first and is still one of the best. The seats are much roomier, usually in 2-4-2 configuration with added legroom.

Eva FA's are old school....very attentive.

I-Mobile seems to have been doing a great job the last two or three years upgrading their product lines and producing good quality phones with a lot of features. I seen very few complaints from buyers on this or other forums.

Don't forget; 10 to15 years ago, Samsung was a "junk" brand that only sold in discount stores. Companies can change.

A friend bought a Huawei Y600 at JAYMART for B3000. Very nice 5" device that seems to work very smoothly. Only 512K RAM so not a good choice for graphic intensive gaming. 4gb internal memory but will take up to a 32gb memory card.

The screens scroll smoothly, page loading is quick and the camera is decent. All in all a good value for such a low price.

You can find JayMarts in most larger malls.

Check out LAZADA.com for good prices as well. They delivered by messenger within 24 hours of ordering. (Bangkok address)

If you check the computer and mobile devices forum on TV you will find many enthusiastic users of various I-Mobile phablets...good value for the money.

Sounds like a pretty good example that there are police who care about doing the job they are paid to do despite pressures from all directions.

When using the Thai Royal Orchid site to manage my miles there are always long waits and frequent "Time outs"...very frustrating. Seems their website design followed right along with their old phone service which if anybody remembers was also a nightmare to use...especially their US offices.

I fly a lot and airlines almost always check for my visa when flying from Europe back to Thailand. Just because they did not ask you at check-in does not mean that they did not for check it. They are financially responsible to return you if you are refused entry so they are not casual about it.

Get a visa.

A friend had a sticker visa come partially loose so he pulled it of leaving a small tear and an obvious mark on the page. His next time thru Passport Control they picked right up on it and called it an altered passport. They rubber stamped it...I don't recall what the stamp said but he had to get a new passport straight away.

This was about 5 years ago.

Jay-Marts in many of the larger malls (5th floor Siam Paragon) have a wide selection of mainstream brands as well as several Chinese (Huawei, Oppo, Lenovo, ZTE) and even a Filipino brand (Cherry Mobile). Their prices are quite low with many promotional specials.

I have a Lenovo P780 that I like a lot, mainly because of it's 4000 mAh battery good for 3 days normal use. It's a bit heavy and short on internal memory (4GB) but is a solid performer.  About B7000.

I've used the large agency on the 2nd floor of the building over the Asok BTS entrance next to Soi Cowboy (Citibank on ground floor)

They seem to have pretty good prices and the service was good.

I'm surprised i missed that original post as I usually monitor that forum....duh.

Would a normal virus scan necessarily pick up malware such as that? Finding and installing replacement ROM's for many makes of Chinese phones is difficult. Also opens the issue of the safety of many replacement ROMs offered on the internet.

It's a minefield out there.

Nick; the owner of PRO-CORNER Computer repair on the 3rd floor of Fortune Tower is an excellent technician and speaks fluent English.

I've recommended him many times and have never had any negative feedback.

I've bought several smartphones and tablets online from Chinese websites with no problems but this really got my attention.

I've seen the phone that is the subject of this article on many Chinese online stores including AliExpress and Geekbuying;

It makes one wonder how much malware embedded on these phones has not been found...yet.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/18/chinese-smartphone-samsung-amazon-ebay-malware-google-play

There used to be an English Language news and weather program on MCOT but it seems to have disappeared with the channel realignment.

TG often fly's a 380 BKK-HKG which can mean VERY long lines at check-in. Unless you are a Thai or Star Gold or higher member and can check in through the Biz. class line, I would leave at least 2 1/2 hours.

Remember also that it can be a very long walk to the gate after clearing security and Passport Control.

Most experts say that the best prices are usually found around 3 months before departure. Prices and promotions change daily so find some search sites you like as well as monitoring the airlines own websites. Get to know the normal pricing so you will be able to recognize a bargain when you see it and act on it.