kamalabob2

September 10, 2012

She's like a Raging Bull! Overeager fan rushes at Robert De Niro as he arrives at premiere

PUBLISHED: 17:19 GMT, 9 September 2012 | UPDATED: 18:40 GMT, 9 September 2012

He is one of the silver screen's most iconic hard men.

But surely even Robert De Niro felt a little scared when an overenthusiastic fan charged at him as he emerged from his limousine when he attended the Silver Linings Playbook première in Toronto last night.

The woman, who wore a blue cocktail dress, seized her opportunity when the star emerged from his transport, pushing past security to get her candid photograph.

Cape Fear: Robert De Niro looked concerned as an overzealous fan bypassed security to secure a snap in Toronto yesterday

The 69-year-old Goodfellas star looked noticeably annoyed as he looked at the fan, perhaps as he was shocked at the surprisingly lax security.

However he soon pepped up once he met up with his fellow stars at the Toronto International Film Festival event.

And perhaps on he was understandable at her over-eagerness on reflection, as the method actor got in the mindset himself when he played an obsessed baseball fanatic in 1996's The Fan.

The fan: It seemed like just another red carpet event for the star but it was soon to get more interesting

You talkin' to me: The Taxi Driver actor caught a glimpse of the overenthusiastic supporter

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2200673/Overeager-fan-rushes-Robert-De-Niro-arrives-premiere.html#ixzz262c1VFb7

September 9, 2012

Do you have a new

Thai Watsadu (ไทวัสดุอุบล)

in your community? At other

Thai Watsadu (ไทวัสดุอุบล)

stores as you EXIT there are cork boards on the wall just before you exit the actual store, where in different categories they have places the business cards of local architects, builders, stainless steel contractors, window glass companies, etc.. At least you will have some local phone numbers to contact to see their completed (and not yet completed) projects. Home owners tend to be candid about experiences both during and after a home building project and face to face, they will tell you if they would use the same contractors again. Starting with an approved custom house plans, no matter what size of home, is a crucial part in a successful build in my opinion. If you have the "permit to build" from the local government office, if you have the plans that you and your wife agree upon, then whatever group of men and women who do the actual construction of your home will have a copies of the Thai language building plans to work from. So when they deviate from the plan you can politely and calmly show the foreman where on the "building plans" they did it different. He does not lose face, you do not have to yell when doors are in the wrong place, window openings are missing, drainage pipes have a slope that defies gravity or counter tops are the wrong height.

September 8, 2012

You might look at the Bangkok bank web site. You might also consider phoning them and they can tell you on the phone ALL of the fees to deposit a check from America. Below is from the Bangkok Bank web site. I've never deposit a check here, drawn on a US bank, so I do not personally know how ALL the fees work out.

Bangkok Bank advances the payment prior to
collection from the foreign bank

200 Baht plus 3 Baht stamp duty per draft

Foreign bank returns the draft as it cannot be collected

200 Baht per draft plus any additional fee imposed

by the foreign bank. Bangkok Bank will also charge

interest for advance payments to customers. The

default payment loan interest rate is calculated from

the date that the bank makes an advance payment

to the customer until the date that the customer

makes a repayment.

Bangkok Bank collects from the foreign bank
before paying to the customer

USD 10 plus 3 Baht stamp duty per draft and any

additional fees collected by the foreign bank

September 4, 2012

If you do not have a "permit to build" you certainly can still obtain all of the above. Maybe not as quick, maybe not without some extra fees. I had a yellow house book when I lived in a rental house. We had permanent electricity, permanent water at that rental since my wife had a blue house book, although her house book had a different address than the rental. House number is given when a house reaches a certain level of construction completion as I recall. I know nothing about condos.

September 4, 2012

Thailand still is a Nation that charges a government tax when you exchange Travelers checks. Crisp new series $100 USD will serve you well in opening a new Thai bank Savings account. Less photo copies done at the bank branch.

September 4, 2012

If you look at the Bangkok Bank . com web site in English you can print out exactly what the items you need to open a SAVINGS account, which you can pay a nominal one time fee for the ATM card, can do free on line banking, etc.. Bangkok Bank has a booklet published in English at most branches showing services and policies. The Bangkok Bank web site is very clear about requirements, and you can print it out and bring it with you along with the originals and copies of what they require. AEON are in most every province, certainly many locations in Bangkok, but not at all like the major Thai bank ATM saturation. Sometimes you can do better by yourself in opening an account, assuming you bring printed out what you are attempting to accomplish. It's too easy for lazy uninformed retail or banking staff to blow off a Thai spouse. You can always phone English understanding bi lingual staff at most bank headquarters from the branch if you are not obtaining the level of service you need. If you bring "the paperwork" it tends to go smoother. Good luck.

September 4, 2012

The genuine "permit to build" is a simple VERY inexpensive document, which will enable much smoother dealings with utilities, insurance, etc.. It also establishes firm OWNERSHIP of the house structure. You do not need to live in a house or condo you think you own, to obtain a "yellow house book". Obtaining the "house number" is part of the process to obtain PERMANENT electric meter, and the lower prices for PERMANENT water and PERMANENT electric service.

How is the fee for a building permit calculated?

How is the fee for a building permit calculated? It seems that no one can explain the process. Can someone from a local administration organization (OrBorTor) or legal advisers explain it? Pat, Rawai Friday, January 13, 2012 2:48:17 PM

“The building permit document itself incurs a 20-baht fee and there are other fees for inspection, depending on what the building permit is for.

The inspection fee for a building of no more than two storeys or of a height up to 12 meters is 0.5 baht (50 satang) per square meter of the total building area, combining the areas of each storey if there are more than one.

For structures of two or three stories, or between 12 and 15 meters tall – the fee is 2 baht per square meter of total building area, combining the areas of each storey.

For structures of more than three stories or of heights over 15 meters, the fee is four baht per square meter of total building area, again combining the areas of each storey.

The fees I have given here are the inspection fees for new buildings only. There are different rates used for other aspects of building permits, such as in renovating a property, not building a new one.

These rates are listed in the building permit fee section in the Interior Ministry’s Ministerial Regulation Notice 7 issued in BE 2528 (1985), which updates the Building Control Act BE 2522 (1979).

A copy is available for download from the Thai Council of Engineers website at www. coe.or.th/co15law/act_control/building/L%2007.pdf

You can also visit Rawai Municipality for further information.” Friday, January 13, 2012 2:48:17 PM Mayuree Srichuay, an officer at Rawai Municipality’s Public Works Division.

September 2, 2012

You can easily obtain these genuine TOP NOTCH blades from Amazon and have a good friend bring them over with other items you just can't find in Thailand. $2.64 each, no tax, no domestic shipping costs. I used Mach 3 for many years, thought that was a good shave, but Fusion really are a huge step up.

In the coming week, we will be shipping your Gillette Fusion Manual Cartridges 12 Count subscription order. If you would like to skip this delivery or make subscription changes, please do so immediately.

Subscribe & Save Item:

Gillette Fusion Manual Cartridges 12 Count

Quantity: 1

Subscribe & Save price: $31.44

Regular price: $36.99

September 2, 2012

If you deposit a check drawn on a US Bank into a Bank account in Thailand, you will get a terrible exchange rate, a small fee from the bank for making such a deposit, and you will wait a few weeks. Imagine of a Thai person walked into Wells Fargo, with a Thai bank check and see what rate, time and fees they would charge in America. No different here. AEON is a great ATM for those who use a bank that does not have it's own foreign ATM fees.

September 2, 2012

The Bosch Electric lawn mower model Rotak 34, that is made in Sheffield, UK I have seen at all the major chain big box chain building supply stores around Buriram. I have also seen the Makita electric lawn mowers at several of the big box chain building supply stores in our province. However we paid less money and it was delivered free and the delivery staff showed my wife and niece how to properly run the new Bosch lawn mower, when we bought this mower from a family run discount merchant called " Ruang Sang Thai " in Buriram, located directly across the street from the main 3 story office of the PEA Provincial Electricity Authority. This large shop is next door to the 2nd location of a great furniture store called I.C.E. furniture. This locally owned Buriram supplier of power tools, water pumps, water tanks, installation and service of water tanks and water filter systems, is an authorized repair station for Bosch and Makita power tools. They have a so so web site done in Thai only with some prices visible at

http://www.ruangsangthai.com 044-666-484 While the power tool shop owner speaks and understands English, only about three of his store staff have reasonable English language skills. For me the service, both before and after the sale, and the discount pricing, always lower than the supposed sales of the chain stores, make this a better place for me to shop. But I am of the opinion that every Thailand province has similar well run, discount power tool shops without the overhead of a mall rental location, without the overhead of air conditioning and without the white gloved parking lot attendants. The right family owned shop can be of real benefit to Farang since they can contact the owner directly on the owners mobile phone for service issues. Global House is a good chain retailer, and I know they were good about the refund of a lame "house brand" kitchen appliance we bought at the large Korat store.

September 1, 2012

A small electric lawn mower to consider is the "Made in the UK" Bosch models widely available in Thailand. Even Makita has electric mowers in a sensible price range. My wife was glad to see us "retire' the Talon brand electric lawn mower and she is very happy to use the Bosch mower. That Bosch mower we bought this year is really made in the UK, not just "designed" in the UK.

August 30, 2012

If your paperwork is proper, the wait time for the municipal water to install new service or switch your temporary meter to a permanent meter can be less than one week. If you already have a "permit to build", if the house is already 90% completed and if you have a "house number" document, then it is less than one week for the PEA to string wires and install your permanent electric meter.

August 30, 2012

If you have a "permit to build" the process to obtain legal permanent water service and legal permanent Electric service will go faster with less costs. Water service can be obtained with more than one size of "meter" and more than one size of service pipe. It is worth checking into your options, but the distance your plot of land is from the existing "main pipe" is a determining factor in the cost. Part is a refundable meter cost as I recall. Saving all papers is crucial. The local municipal water office has real requirements about what approved types of water tubing, do not assume blue PVC pipe will be approved TO your meter. They want you you to use good quality materials. The PEA staff might not initially install water service lines TO your meter at a depth you think is proper, but your builder sure can put pipes at the depth you feel is prudent. Gardeners in Thailand know how to puncture home water service lines that are not deep enough!!

I suggest you take photos of where water lines are laid, as you may need to access those pipes in the future.

If you are in the PEA service area then it is simple to go in person to your local PEA office with your "permit to build", house plans and land papers. They might send someone out to your plot of land the next day to determine what is readily possible, and the approved building plans with complete electric plans on that document will help them determine the MINIMUM service you need. You can often sign up for a larger level of service, but for safety they are keen to enforce minimums. Too small of a meter can cause electrical shorts that hurt the service of other customers on the same line. I have seen the explosion and power outage caused by a Farang with 2 a/c units, etc.. in his rental house that had a 5amp meter more suitable for a small Thai village house.

The prices, including REFUNDABLE deposits, are often posted on the wall of each PEA office. It is not hard to figure out what your costs will be IF your plot of land is near existing power lines of the level of service your house will require. Be sure to save the documents, including the deposit paperwork. Once you have a "house number" the PEA is swift to change out a temporary meter, with the lower cost (in terms of price per KW) PERMANENT meter. It is CHEAP for a village house to get 5 amp service, even small sensible Farang houses can obtain legal service for a small fee, and those prices are PRINTED ON THE WALL of the PEA.

If you build a home that the PEA determines needs your own transformer, then you can see a reputable licensed electrical contractor for a better price, but you will still pay fees and deposits to the PEA, as they never quite leave the transaction. With a signed "permit to build" you are not open to any bribe attempts.

If you want underground electric service to your home OR underground to your meter on your land, then the PEA is strict (for good reasons) about the exact type of electric cable (NYY is one approved type of cable) and exact type of conduit for the cable. I have personally seen three homes where the Farang allowed the builder to go ahead and install electric service cables underground and the PEA made them tear it out and pay again for the correct and safe wire and correct and safe conduit. The PEA will write it down on paper what you need for your electrical connection, even on a larger size meter.

If it appears no one understand your questions in English when you are at the local PEA office, you can phone the PEA office in Bangkok and the English speaking staff can translate your questions on the phone while you are at the office.

August 29, 2012

My wife and I have had BUPA platinum 2 million baht plan INPATIENT for four years. We bought it through an excellent broker in Phuket who sent us via e-mail, several health plans to consider. BUPA has "contracts" with many of the better private hospitals in Thailand, where if you pay attention, will direct pay the hospital for emergency or other inpatient procedures. Earlier this month my wife was in severe pain and we went to the a private hospital in Surin Province which had a Doctor for her issue who could see her in a timely fashion. We agreed that more tests were needed and she spent the night. I went to the billing department and it seems this 10 story hospital did not have a contract with BUPA. My broker walked me though the procedure, I was able to pay the bill upon her discharge and frankly the paperwork and on line form you fill out, print and mail to BUPA CLAIMS in Bangkok were not a challenge. 8 days later the full amount of her bill was deposited into my Bangkok Bank savings account, minus the very insignificant bank transfer fee. No run around, no phone calls, no waiting for a check in the mail, we just followed the instructions.

So not only has BUPA paid all our hospital bills at the "direct bill, have a contract" more famous hospitals, I have seen how BUPA will promptly pay me back if we have treatment at a private (or Government) hospital that is not part of the BUPA system. BUPA, in my four years experience has been professional, never once jerked me around in anyway on a claim. Even though the Surin hospital did not have a contract with BUPA they handed me a completed BUPA form for the claim, and "it is not their first rodeo" those women in hospital billing give you all the signed and stamped paperwork to make a correct insurance claim. EMS takes one day for the claim to arrive at the BUPA claims department in Bangkok and I recall you can walk into some BUPA offices with your claim if you elect to do so. BUPA Platinum does cover you fully for a motorbike accident, but will only pay 50% of the death benefit if you are on a motorbike as I read the coverage. Your age will enable you to obtain excellent inpatient health coverage in Thailand for a fair price. A private hospital in Thailand does not care if you are 27 or 77 when they tally a bill for treatment.

I'm not so sure I recall the box for "active and healthy lifestyle" on the BUPA application, but they did take note of pre existing conditions, etc.. It does not cost you a single baht more to buy health insurance through a bilingual LICENSED insurance broker, one who might even be a native English speaker. But it sure is handy to phone that broker with a question and realize the broker does in fact understand your question.

August 26, 2012

Google might be a good source of information. RICE might play a roll in drying out your phone.

August 25, 2012

Any comments from actual Thailand owners of the Huawei Ascend G300 OR the slightly older, slightly less expensive Huawei Ideos X5? Both appear great on paper, a good value in the local phone marketplace, both have good reviews, and both appear in favorable Youtube clips, and seem to have authorized warranty service possible even in Buriram. Thanks in advance for sharing your recent experiences with either of these two models of an android phone.

August 21, 2012

When you go in PERSON to a real office (not Big C / Tesco mini office) of 3BB bring the GPS coordinate, or a good map, or copy of land paper, or the "house book" to show the LOCATION of the house you desire 3BB service. While you might easily afford the monthly fee for a "better faster package", depending on your exact location, you can or can NOT receive the level of service package. At least my experience in Buriram, they were HONEST about what speed was and was NOT possible in our small nearby town. The 3BB customer service operator from Bangkok would gladly have me sign up for the fastest most expensive package, but the staff in Buriram, while they did not speak much English, it became clear via some pointing and rough translating, what REAL level of service was in fact possible for our location. By and large a very DEPENDABLE ISP in my opinion. If you phone them about a problem (rare we have had problems since they installed their OWN lines and ditched the TOT sharing of lines) they actually phone back with seemingly honest and helpful answers. It has been YEARS since a service tech from 3BB was requested to come to our home. They also offer a small discount if you pay one year in advance. 3BB is one of the better firms in Thailand in my experience.

August 17, 2012

Looks like good proper conduit and yes NYY is the electric cable best for under the ground.

August 17, 2012

The name on the "permit to build" is the one person who OWNS the house. The "permit to build" is important if you would like to avoid paying bribes for water service, electrical service, for a house number, etc.. That 150 baht might be a worthwhile investment of your time and money. The signed building plans and actual "permit to build" come into play if you ever make a house insurance claim. That is PROOF of what legal size your house is (was in the event of total loss) and it leaves the house insurance company no "wiggle room". You do not "need" a Thai drivers license, but it is worth the effort. The "permit to build" cost far less than 12 years of a Thai auto Drivers license. As the Thai village people say "up to you". Good luck on your electrical hookup being that far away from the main Government road. Hopefully the existing village electrical supply will serve your household needs.

August 16, 2012

Every city of any size has several Thai LICENSED Architects. Buriram City has six architects with offices, some large, some small and they all charge for house plans based on the SIZE in square meters of your building. Prices vary, but it can be very inexpensive for custom plans, which also have a licensed structural engineer and draftsman all sign prior to submission to the proper "Permit to Build Office". Same plans can be given to the village official to be signed off on. The price for the LEGAL permit to build is as follows, and once you have that signed "permit to build" getting a house number, getting PERMANENT UTILITIES, is way way easier and no chance of corruption, You can obtain "free house plans" at any HomeMart and most any "Permit to Build" office. Great house plans for many Thai people. Door heights might not suit all Farang on those free house plans.