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Ajarn

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Posts posted by Ajarn

    Oranges In Mai Sai

    in Chiang Mai

    Posted · Edited by Ajarn

    They look like the tangello we used to get in New Zealand. More juice in them than two regular tangerines.

    Great on a hot day, and its nice to find something Burmese that's edible.  :D

    cv

    Oh I don't know...... I found something Burmese very very edible..... heh, heh. heh :D:D

    And Ajarn 35 Boxes !!!! Man where is your shop??? I want to come and buy some or are you trying to corner the market ???? They are great though.

    nice to find something Burmese that's edible

    I had a response to that 'bait', too, but the 'good ajarn' side in me just wouldn't let me. :o

    Most of the apples were New Years gifts to some schools and orphanges in the area.

    I'm in the Chiang Saen area fairly often, since it's always a great driving outing for a day. I'd be happy to pick you up some at cost if you want to place an order. Another excuse to go back and get some more oranges, even at 35 baht per kilo :D

    Why The Need For Giant Pick-up Trucks?

    in General Topics

    Posted

    I think it's about time that a few myths were exploded: - If you seriously care about your children do NOT under any circumstances buy a pick-up truck!

    I think most of your points are quite valid but slightly alarmist so I'll make an effort to try and balance it a bit

    These vehicles whilst being sturdy are not up to normal safety standards of monocoque construction road cars;
    In so much as they dont have "crumple zones" I would agree
    in most countries commercial type vehicles are not subject to the same safety regulations as family transport.

    I dont really know but the Isuzu is on sale in the UK and has passed the EU saftey regulations

    The manufacturers take advantage of this as it enables them to avoid expensive built-in safety features and produce cheaper vehicles…
    I dont know about this, what sort of safty features are you talking about, my Izusu has dual air bags and anti lock brakes as standered.
    However, in the event of an accident these vehicles are much more likely to cause serious injury to the occupants, (especially if they are seated unbelted in back!) In the event of collision the body may well become detached from the chassis the "crumple" regions and side bar protection now normal in a car are seriously compromised by the chassis based design of pick-ups. And don't kid yourself that being in the stronger vehicle will protect you, the extra jarring you get from not having good crumple zones will be passed on directly to your body

    I think your points about the crumple zones is valid although I would'nt say "uch more likely to cause serious injury to the occupants," As for the side impact I have a feeling that the hight may be an advantage and also as they are usually wider than cars you have more actual space between you and the door. I've never seen or heard of a body becoming detatched.

    As for the extra vision this is only a higher view point, not necessarily good all-round vision.
    Yea I agree I dont think they nesseseraly have better all round vision, Its bigger though so at least others can see you :D
    The extra height of theses vehicles leads to a higher centre of gravity and a propensity for roll-over accidents, you don’t even need another car to crash with! The poor weight distribution leads to unpredictable handling, and the ride far from being more comfortable is very bouncy due to the stiff rudimentary leaf suspension designed to take heavy loads rather than absorb bumps.

    If you drive around in one of these you are lulled into a false sense of security; you are in fact considerably more vulnerable than someone in a modern sedan.

    Yes the height does give them a higher center of gravity, but saying that they have "a propensity for roll-over accidents, you don’t even need another car to crash with! " is a bit over the top. As for "The poor weight distribution" well actually they may well have better "weight distribution' than a standered front wheel drive car as they have a rear axel which will give a more even distrabution. The handling is not "unpredictable" if you drive it to the limits of grip, the back end will come out the same as any normal rear wheel car. Although if the weather is really bad, or you are traveling across very windy roads and select 4wd, you will really have to be trying to get it to lose it grip and then it just tends to drift.

    The ride is no where near as good as a modern car as you rightly mentioned due to the rear leaf springs. These springs do also affect the handling of the car and while its not "unpredictable" the back does break really quickly at the limits (which are pretty high)

    If you drive around in one of these you are lulled into a false sense of security; you are in fact considerably more vulnerable than someone in a modern sedan.
    Yes I suppose you do get a bit of a false sence of security, but I would say that cars are only marginaly safer and then not in all circumstances. One thing you did'nt mention "pot holes". If you live out in the country and need to drive in the night these can be a major hazard. I've seen cars with the front spension ripped off, in this respect the 4wd pick up definatly has the advantage.
    When it comes to 4wd, and that is largely where the height comes in there are 2 distinct types: The most common in Thailand is the modified pick-up – this suffers from all of the draw backs I mention above. The second type is the purpose built 4wd i.e. Land Rover, Landcruiser, trooper and Pajero, these vehicles are designed with serious off road use in mind and have totally different road behaviour and centre of gravity characteristics. The third generation art the SUVs, they are very much a mixed bag. For example the Ford explorer and the Ford escape – the explorer is a pick-up with a station-wagon body, the Escape is an occasional off-roader designed from the ground up, this will explain why it is more expensive than the larger Explorer.

    Yes thats right the Isuzu D max , toyota whatever and the rest as converted pick-ups and that why they are cheaper, most purpose built ones have coil springs all round with a much better ride.

    Just a few more point of my own the engines 2.5 and 3 litre are big but not that powerful (about 120 bhp and 105 bhp) they all pull well from low rev's and offer resonable fuel consumption from cheaper diesel fuel, saying that a small car will still work out cheaper on fuel. I used to have a toyota saluna 1.5i that knocked out about 105 bhp as well, but even taking into account the fuel was more expensive it was still a fair bit cheaper than the 4wd and quicker.

    If I lived in a BKK or a city I would probably go for a car, more nimbal, cheaper to run(if you dont count the depreciation) and a better ride quality, but out in the sticks it's no contest really the 4 door 4wd pickup while not the best at everything still knocks spots of the competition, even then if you dont get out onto really bad roads the 4wd option is not really nessesary (but its nice :D )

    Cheers RC

    Another example of where balanced views provide a better education than unbalanced views :o

    Why The Need For Giant Pick-up Trucks?

    in General Topics

    Posted

    If you want more than the basic 55 watts or so, you can change the bulb inside with a 100+ watt bulb available seperately in the shops I've used..

    I also remember reading here of a couple of people who reported being fined by hiway cops for having those high-mounted spots uncovered..

    Do you REALLY need them ?

    I try to shoot for being off the road after 3pm
    The whole point of this thread was why have things you don't need.

    Trolling for a bite? :o

    Safety is a big issue for me, as I've expressed earlier. Having extra light power means better visibility at night, and a better safety margin... Driving Safety 101 :D

    Your last line makes no relevant point to anything I've written... Feel free to try again, but with something more sensible, please :D

    Why The Need For Giant Pick-up Trucks?

    in General Topics

    Posted

    I try to shoot for being off the road after 3pm.. That's when these Itans and Kwaileks start hitting the road loaded with field workers finished for the day, along with schools letting out... At 4-4:30, the Karachakans head home... 5pm, the regular folks start racing home or to their bar. After dark, the drunks are the main challenge....

    Then there are the Farang drivers... :D

    Yep, better to park it. :o

    Warranty On Camera

    in General Topics

    Posted · Edited by Ajarn

    I've had good luck with Fujifilm cameras. I just recently bought an S5500 online from tohome.com I was inspired chiefly by the beautiful Kanchanaburi photos Kan Win posted here a few months ago. He(?) inspired me to upgrade from my reliable Fujifilm 1.3 meg.

    fuji_s5500.jpg

    This is 4 megapixels. It ain't the biggest (think it's 8 megs now?) but the the quality is still superb and the price is a very reasonable 15,900. It is basically a 3/4 size SLR zoom (Optical 10x is great). Lots of bells and whistles like Digital video with sound (Excellent quality 7.7 minutes on my 512meg card) and up to a max of 3969 images @ 300kb, or at the 'sharpest'.. 229 images @ about 1.9 megs each on this card.

    A friend recently showed me his older Canon S30. Very nice camera with interesting software built in for editing in-camera. Beautiful night photos with the White Balance control, which basically allows you to balance for various light sources. His camera excelled in this aspect over mine. The newer S50 might be a good buy, it seems.

    By the way, this is the second large ticket item I've bought from tohome.com online. Both times the process went quite smoothly. I always called to do a stock check and get verbal confirmation of a delivery date from time of order before I paid (CC). Pretty strict on the CC verfication- they said because of a high rate of CC fraud in/out of Thailand. Good personal attention, in my case. I'm pretty sure some of would have different experiences :o

    I Am Cheated In Bangkok Airport Part-2

    in General Topics

    Posted

    After seeing the first message in this thread, I didn't return until now....  Kinda figured it would end badly for him here- at his own hands, too....  :o

    Too much medication, or not enough, Granny used to say... :D

    Oh, you're just too smart (and loaded with the patience of Job) for us poor unfortunates who do run into problems occasionally, and have the disgraceful tendency to get upset now and then; you superior specimen and master of condescension -- thanks for your wisdom, Your Excellency!

    You're welcome, my son :D

    Thai Sayings and Phrases Wanted

    in Thai Language

    Posted

    tum dii dai dii.  I'm told this means "what goes around comes around", as she is sitting next to me i am certain it is right.

    Very Bhuddist.  This life, next life it always comes back to us.

    Better take that library book back when i get back to the u.k.

    The first part, "tum dii dai dii", literally means, "do good, get good"

    Tge second part, "tum chua, dai chua", literally means, do bad, get bad.

    And yes, it's the same idea as 'What goes around, comes round' or any of the many variations on that theme...

    And it's one of my Mantras :o

    Turkeys

    in Chiang Mai

    Posted

    My Thai turkey came out fine and tasty. But, at 4.9 kilos, a bit smaller than what I'm used to, but that was the biggest they had...

    The stuffing was delicious, too :o

    Oranges In Mai Sai

    in Chiang Mai

    Posted · Edited by Ajarn

    A couple of weeks ago in another thread I mentioned these delicious oranges from Burma, and periodically sold in Mae Sai, but still rare. Well, I found some few days ago. 35 baht per kilo (20 baht last year this time)

    I think it's technically a tangerine because of the thick loose skin, but locally they're called "Som juud" which implies a lack of sweetness- certainly a misnomer in this case.

    On the left is Som Juud. On the right is Som Sai Naam Pung (another tangerine, 15-35 per kilo in CM, 15 baht in Mai Sai)

    (note the green leaf- most of the ones I saw for sale had this leaf attached.

    orange1.jpg

    Both have relatively thick and loose skins, making them much easier to open than Som Kio Waan, in comparison ...

    orange2.jpg

    I much prefer the Som Juud because it has few seeds, is nicely sweet and flavorable (In a taste-test with these two, the Som Juud was clearly sweeter and had more flavor than the Som Sai Naam Pung, but I think I might have picked a bad Som Sai Naam Pung this time) and it peels super easy and fast with one hand...

    Also, in Chiang Saen, the Chinese apples are in abundance, along with Mali Waan and others.. Box prices (approx 8 kilos) run from 125-180 per box (around 4 baht each?), depending on your bargaining skills... Bargain hard, for with so many sellers there, they don't sell many boxes each. 10 boxes on a decent day I was told, though only 3 boxes for this particular seller by 4pm that day. I made her day by buying 35 boxes... :o

    apple1.jpg

    The Expat Way Of Life

    in General Topics

    Posted · Edited by Ajarn

    Doubts? Not a one..... Thailand has been a part of my destiny long before I up and moved here 20 years ago. That became crystal clear everytime I visited the States- I always missed home in Thailand so much, but in Thailand, I never missed my birthplace at all...

    Except for Flynt's BBQ in Oakland, Calif. :o

    I've spent the majority of my working life here, always in a Thai workplace. Lots of things here I don't like, but I love my adopted country much more than my birth country. Kinda sad to say that, but it's true. I have the life I'd always dreamed about, except for not having a family....Just the way things work out

    I sincerely credit my living in Thailand with making me a better and happier person- Part of that comes from the Thais, part of that from the farangs. I've learned a lot from the 'injured' farangs here...

    I'm one of the first to agree with the sentiment, "Love it or leave it". I'm grateful to have had the chance to leave 'it' and find my Love here. And I hope and pray everyone can find their idea of love, whatever that is to you.. If it ain't here, leave and find it. It's always been worth the move, in my experience :D

    For Your Information

    in General Topics

    Posted · Edited by Ajarn

    As for me, what am I doing, hopefully making people who can not read Thai,which includes me, more aware of the carnage caused by irresponsible bus drivers.

    Sounds to me like you picked a bad example to rant on about... There's no indication that the driver in this case caused anything except himself to flee the scene after the accident happened....

    Sounds to me you must be a Thai,no disrespect intended. Thai people in general have the "never mind" attitude.F.Y.I. a surviving passenger from this carnage who's wife was killed and his child severly injured said,"a pick-up truck in front of the bus stopped too make a turn,the bus could not stop and swerved too avoid the pick-up"..........sounds like the bus was speading!

    Rant, are you sure you know the meaning of this word?

    Yes, rant is the correct word to use.

    rant

    · v. speak or shout at length in a wild, impassioned way.

    · n. a spell of ranting.

    – DERIVATIVES ranter n.

    – ORIGIN C16 (in the sense ‘behave in a boisterous way’): from Du. ranten ‘talk nonsense, rave’.

    As you can see (but chose not to?), I made a simple statement (based on published reports) in response to part of the rant knee-jerkingly blaming the driver, and your attempt to read so much more into my words isn't going to help you on your path to understanding me :o

    Watch out for your assumptions in this case. That was my point... :D

    For Your Information

    in General Topics

    Posted

    As for me, what am I doing, hopefully making people who can not read Thai,which includes me, more aware of the carnage caused by irresponsible bus drivers.

    Sounds to me like you picked a bad example to rant on about... There's no indication that the driver in this case caused anything except himself to flee the scene after the accident happened....

    Year-end Bonus For Housekeeper

    in Real Estate, Housing, House and Land Ownership

    Posted

    Our housekeeper, who we like very much, has been with us almost a year.  I think that I remember reading somewhere that a bonus of one-month salary is normally given at year end, but I haven’t been able to find it.

    Does anyone have any information?

    Thanks,

    Elaine

    Yes....for sure. Don't forget the other people in the building: security, cleaning staff and others.

    Good points to remember! :D

    You could also include anyone who has been particularly helpful during the year.. Bank personnel, doctor, helpful shopkeeper, local postman, immigration*, etc.... These small acknowledgements go a long way here to establishing and maintaining valuable relationships, in my experience. Doesn't need be expensive... Maybe a fruit basket... or a home-baked pie :o

    *Assuming they haven't tried to illegaly squeeze you for money and then make problems when you refuse to pay...

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