SooKee

So after the mall and other 'interested parties' make their financial contributions to help a government office provide a government function can we expect Immigration to stop charging the 500 baht for 'free' Residence Certificates. I guess that would be no.

Unbelievably bizarre setup!!! Just hard to believe it's so out of step with the rest of Thailand and certainly the Immigration Offices I've used in the past. The reasons and proposed, privately sponsored, solutions are even more surreal. Almost like it's run as a franchise outlet. Maybe an approach could be made to Starbucks or a 7/11 owner to take it over.

I've tried half a dozen entrees from Indian Gourmet Kitchens, and found them to be excellent (after adjusting expectations for frozen entrees, of course). I haven't tried any of their side dishes yet (onion bhaji sounds intriguing), but look forward to it. Someone asked about serving sizes, and I found that their serving size is a little larger than I would like for one meal, especially when you add your own rice. Generally, I keep the curry frozen until I'm ready to prepare, then microwave it (3 minutes frozen, remove and stir, then 2 more minutes), eat half, and store the remainder in the refrigerator for a day or two, until I'm ready for the second half. But I certainly wouldn't judge you if you wanted to eat both halves at once.

I had tried British Indian Curry Company (the ones sold at Rimping), and thought they were just OK. I hadn't tried Sausage King curries before, frankly because I wasn't favorably impressed with some of their other frozen entrees (Chicken Kiev, Buffalo Wings, Pork Pies, etc.)

I liked the link to Laughing Monkey that someone posted; have you tried their Italian Sausage? I want to give them a try, as well.

Do Indian Gourmet Kitchens have any stockists or is it all just online / Facebook?

These are Moo Baan managements though watering 100s of sq yds of grass. Not sure that'll be coming from deep wells. Could be wrong I suppose but if I had to take a gamble on it.....

Got to wonder about the idea of outside donations. Just think about how many times a day they collect thet 1900 Baht.

I do not know what it would be now but about 6 years ago an immigration officer told me how much was collected each day of the week as a way of telling me which days are busy and the numbers were very substantial. Perhaps the CM income is being sent to BKK?

And how many times the 500 baht for the 'free' certificate of residence.

Out at Nongkwaai today it seemed odd that several moo baans had sprinklers going full pelt watering the grass (and the roads). Is it like a vampire drought that only comes when it's dark??

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I have one and like it a lot. I live in Bangkok and it's great for city riding. It does a good job on the highway as well. It can cruise at 120-140 all day. I've ridden it to Chiang Mai and Ko Lanta both in one day.

It's a great bike for new riders since it has ABS and is quite light with manageable power delivery.

I have a channel on YouTube where you can see some videos I made on that bike.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj8UMAGT6ao5Q-Vf3kYfgMQ/feed

Cheers,

The video is excellent.. Thanks for insights... especially on the exhaust pipe issue..

Thus you have been on the bike for long rides.. I'm thinking of going to Phuket.. Travel in group or go it alone..an issues.. would hate to get stuck on a back road..

Cheers

Sawasdee Be Mai

If you have an android phone, google maps does a bang up job for navigation.

I find WAZE even better. Especially is more densely populated areas. More up to date with road closures and one way systems.

I've tried both the curry companies in Rimping and I wasn't impressed. I live quite a way outside of Chiang Mai, so getting to eat Indian food is difficult for me. I bought up a large selection of curries from Rimping on one trip to CM a few months ago, but I was disappointed with most of it.

Likewise. I filled a freezer drawer with the stuff. Won't be replacing it when they're finished (thankfully soon). They're OK, better than nothing I guess. I don't know whether it's the freezing or not but the curries seem to take on a watery texture and the sauces seem to split, at least when microwaved (from thawed). I also find the chicken a bit dry and the sauces seem to lack any depth of flavour.

That said I did try a couple of curries from here: https://www.facebook.com/Laughing-Monkey-519461268194489/?fref=ts

Excellent. The Spanish Meatballs and Lasagne are pretty darn good too. As is his home cured back bacon. Based in Mae Hia.

Not sure if it'll work with that or not but sometimes you can kick life into such batteries by plugging it into charge and pulling the plug 15-20 times. Something to do with the battery being so dead that it thanks a full a charge is any charge at all. I've used the trick with several devices where the built in rechargeables refuse to accept a charge.

Plug it in for 30 seconds or so and pull out. As soon as the full charge light comes on keep pulling it until you get a steady charge light. Might work.

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I've bought loads of rice cookers over the years. Cheap don't last and cooks crap in my opinion. Now I just buy Toshiba. Robinsons stock them. Not cheap though. Around 2,500฿. But they do last and cook a range of other things in them as well as straight rice.

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@ Xylophone. Agreed pretty much. The wine boxes only of interest to me for those times when we want just a glass but not often. Even then I wonder if it's worth it.

I've tried Mont Clair often, being the house wine of choice in a lot of the bars when my girlfriend has ordered it. Seems to be not bad. But that maybe because by the time I've tried it I would have already had several beers or cocktails or both before doing so.

I bought some Fina di Malpicas. 799 for 4 L. Can't say I'm that impressed to be honest. Has a very harsh dry after taste with the first couple of mouthfuls when fresh out the cask which mellows only a little once it's aired. Something that you drink because it's there in the glass rather than because it's enjoyable. I actually think I prefer Mont Clair more. I'll have to try a glass of Mont Clair when we go to a place that uses it before I've had a few to make a direct comparison.

After the Malpicas I might try 2-3 more. Berri, Castle Creek and maybe Fleur de Galetis. If none of them turn out more palatable than Malpicas I'll give it up as a bad job, despite the convenience.

As to boxes in Thailand without added juice, from the pricing I've seen at all the places I've shopped I'm thinking non-diluted versions are thin on the ground.

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Man in the High Castle turns out to be excellent. Very well done, good plots and good acting. Impressed

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Bit late now but most smart phones have quite good scanner apps available that seem to do a better job of documents than the plain camera. Office Lens has already been mentioned, I use Scanner Pro by Readdle.

I use one of the cheap vertical hand pumps from Amorn. It has never failed. The guage dial is pretty unreadable now but it pumps fine. I have had many of the foot pumps over the years, they have all failed in short order and they require a lot more pumping as their cylinders are of a much smaller volume. Even the double cylinder foot pump.

Thanks for this. Picked one up from Amorn few days ago. Will see how it goes. 299฿

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Got what I wanted today. Stainless steel from Baan & Beyond. Thanks to Kaptainkrop for the info and to other posters who made other suggestions

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Our stainless steel (imported) lockable and weatherproof letter box was purchased at Baan&Beyond.

Brilliant. Sounds like just the job. Will try them first tomorrow.

As for Home Pro, certainly the one at Mae Hia had none. My Thai is good enough I don't need English speaking staff so no confusion there. Walked round and round the place for almost an hour, every aisle. No joy.

We have a 10-year-old normal painted one, I think it was from Home-pro (?), no corrosion as yet, although whenever I'm re-painting the metal gate I do give it a top-up lick-of-paint.

One tip is to mount it slightly-aslant, so that any damp/rain which may penetrate will tend to run out again, at the side.

We also find our box a popular residence forsnails, whichcan sometimes munch on the envelopes, also gekhos !

Hope this helps the OP, although I recognise that it doesn't exactly answer his search, for a non-corroding/stainless box.

Hmm. That's a point (shelter to vagrant snails and lizards). Good point about the slight tilt too. Will try for stainless if I can but I'm not holding out much hope. Just looking for something that might give a chance of mail arriving if we're not home.

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BigC also sell them so you were close.

Aaaaaarrggg. Really??? When I came out I thought I'd try Big C but thought naaa, no chance, not helped by the fact I was starving hungry. Will try there tomorrow . Thanks.

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In the stationery section.

And Global House just down the road.

Cheers Will try there too. Gadgets and toys I'm happy to trawl around for. Post boxes........one of those get it over with ASAP items

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BigC also sell them so you were close.

Aaaaaarrggg. Really??? When I came out I thought I'd try Big C but thought naaa, no chance, not helped by the fact I was starving hungry. Will try there tomorrow . Thanks.

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I find that with a lot of the Indian restaurants I've tried in LOS. Waaaaay too much salt, to the point where you can't taste much else!

Enjoyed the meal at Accha. Veg samosa a bit too crunchy though. Will give Le Spice a try.

Agree about the 'lamb' too. Chewy, fatty chunks of yuk in the places that I've tried. Looking forward to trying the Sausage King curries if that's genuine lamb. Tried the Curry Nights curries. Not bad for the price but the two I've tried to date I found a bit watery for my taste. Maybe a hob reheat would be better than m/wave.

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Nice one. Never thought about the PO as a source. Will go Monday.

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Really enjoying Fortitude. Buddy of mine just recommended 'Man in the High Castle': A glimpse into an alternate history of America. What life after WWII may have been like if the Nazi's had won the war.

Haven't seen it, but, the movie Fatherland with Rutger Hauer did it so well, that I have a feeling that the TV show could be a disappointment (if you've seen Fatherland).

Yes I saw it. But I'd rather try a show that MIGHT be good than miss out on one because MAYBE 'x' movie may have done it better.

In terms of trying to pick the best of a bad bunch from these boxes I've been told that 'Fina de Malpica' is OK, stocked at Makro and Rimping (in Chiang Mai). About 790 baht for 3-4 L IIRC. Actually went to buy some today but no stock

Also been told that Castle Creek is OK and I did see another one today called 'Fleur de Galetis', they have two reds and a rose. be interested to hear if anyone's tried them.

Looking for a stainless steel ( or at least non corroding) post / letter box to mount on the entrance gate to the house. Headed off to Home Pro this morning but no joy? Before I set off on a tour of the other DIY stores, anyone come across anywhere selling / making them, near to Hangdong would be a bonus?

Really enjoying Fortitude. Buddy of mine just recommended 'Man in the High Castle': A glimpse into an alternate history of America. What life after WWII may have been like if the Nazi's had won the war.

Thanks. Amorn I think is this general store at Big C in Mae Hia?

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