yasmarbi

What I have noticed -

Waitress brings menu and stand there waiting till you give them the order.

Answer - order drinks and send them on their way.

If only my gf and I at table - then often we not share dishes but if I am with a group quite often most dishes are shared by all.

Since I struggle with spicy food - quite often I wait a while till a dish arrives on table that I'm prepared to consume.

Such is life.

If I want more than 1 dish for my self - I will order only the first course so that the cook cannot confuse the order of delivery and / or timing how far apart I want them.

Normally when I recieve that first dish then I will usually order the second.

It frustrates me at times when waitress comes to clear part of table - eg... my gf's dish whilst I am still eating.

To me, there seems no urgency in clearing her plate but my experience is that this happens at a lot of eateries.

A good Chef understands the time it takes to cook different foods and can serve dish at the same time, George Orwell in his book Down and out in London and Paris writes about working in the kitchens of Paris restaurants.

Thai restaurants don't have the same attitude towards occupied tables, during peak periods you need to get people served quickly and free the table up for the next group of customers. During the lunch hour in London, slow service can break a restaurant.

A good chef - Hmmmmmmm..

Am thinking most here i Thailand who work in so-called bars / restaurants / coffee shops are just short order cooks with relatively little formal training.

Ther are a number of very big Pine Trees in our Village Temple, were planted about 20 Years ago I believe, Pine Forests in abundance in Queensland (All Over) also a number scattered around all areas of Thailand.

A Guy makes the Thai Huts close to us, not cheap but he uses Pine extensively in the Construction, he get the Timber from Laos, So I am thinking if can get seedlings or Cones will try and grow some and see what happens, as they are quick growing it will not be long before can see results.

As they say, "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained" What do you think Guys?

EDIT: Just read some of the other posts above, and many folks will mistake a cedar tree for a pine tree. There's lots of types of pines...Dad grouped them according to market value, as in "slash pine, swamp pine & yellow pine".

Yellow pine grows on a hill & is the best for lumber. Slash & swamp aren't worth a hoot.

ALL pine needs to be pressure treated, which is a process where the cut, green boards are put into a vacuum chamber & most of the sap is withdrawn, and then chemicals are introduced to replace the sap, which prevents termites from eating it.....GOOD LUCK finding that in Thailand!

Teak (being a hardwood) is not as tasty a treat to termites as a softwood like pine, and grows quite well in LOS.

If you want to talk about lumber - using the latin botanical name (eg. thuja plicata = western red cedar) makes identifying and describing subtle differences between the country cousins more relevant.

There are numerous types of pines grow in the USA/Canada similarly there are over 800 species of eucalyptus in eastern Australia.

Not all pine needs to be pressure treated. Sure, the treating of timber against fungal and/or insecticide attack is desirable if certain species are used externally.

There are may forms (over 50) ways to preservative treat lumber and not all require being impregnated by pressure - eg. LOSP is a surface based process.

NB> Only the sapwood (living part of the tree) can be treated and ALL sapwood is not durable.

The treatment level is normally referred to its (H = Hazard) level

See - http://www.timber.net.au/index.php/outdoor-timber-naturally-durable.html

In Australia, AS 5604 is a standard that states the durability for most most commercial species.

NB> Some species may have a higher resistance to insecticide but have a lower durability for fungicides. ( EG> Brushbox)

Yes, whilst most commercial species grown in the tropics are hardwoods there are softwood (conifers) that grow too.

Some examples are -

I am a bit confused now and request a specific answer to my situation. I am 62 with a current multiple entry Retirment visa. It will expire November this year. Said more correctly it has an "enter before"date of November 2914. I am in Thailand now for a few weeks. I will be in Mae Sai and CM in the next few weeks. Here is the question.....what if anything, can I do while in Thailand to extend this visa. I will return for a few months in Jan and would hate to go through the full application process again In the States. Thanks in advance

When did you last enter Thailand?

What is the date immigration put with that stamp?

The date should be 12 months from the date that you entered.

If so, you can er-enter in a few months.

Then, because your visa will have actually expired, you can remain in the country until the last date on a stamp OR get a re-entry or multiple re-entry permit to allow re-entry until approx mid Audust (thinking that is when you last entered prior to visa expiry date).

Sad that most only live for today without planning for tomorrow.

Thailand and planing? I don't think there is a connection

they did plan a few years ago, they bought a hovercraft for 25 million baht for to help where has this gone?

Hovering overhead, wondering where to start?

It may not be the map but it is the territory

There are 2 basic criteria for window efficiency.

The first is what is called SHG (Solar heat gain) and the second is the U (insulation) value.

NB> It is a combination of the frame and glass used. Little point using good glass in a shitty frame.

Frame wise - timber is better than aluminium. If using aluminium a commmercial type frame provides more insulation than a simple domestic 1.

There are many different types of performance glass in a single glazed used in a single glazed application that can be more beneficial than double glazing - depending on your actual requirements.

In regards to double glazing - the gap between the 2 glasses is also important - but basically - the further apart the more it is suited for sound and the closer for insulation.

Here's a few links to get you going down a proper research route - research professional organisations is my tip.

http://wadic.org.au/timber_manual/WadicMain/ - see page 94 about glass.

http://wadic.org.au/?page_id=123

http://glassguide.viridianglass.com/Pages/Viridian-Architectural-Glass-Specifiers-Guide.aspx

Am I a professional in this area - to a degree, yes. Part of my customer base for last 18 years in business were both timber and aluminium window manufacturers.

Most good quality glass manufacturers should list the SHG and U levels for their glass on their website - the link to the viridian site gains access to these levels for their glass types.

Once you decide what's best for you - ask a manufacturer to quote accordingly.

You can teach anybody job specific skills.

Attitude is a very different matter altogether and, for me anyways, cannot be taught - They either have it or they don't.

Hence, I have always only ever employed people based on their attitude.

Probably strengthens, possibly does not.

the big unkown factor is Burma Myanmar. will they invade Thailand again?

Am nervous about investing in Thailand as am thinking Thailand will continue to slide downhill as China takes a firmer grip on the nation whilst the Thais just carry on thinking about today - and not about tomorrow.

Not sure what effect this would have on value of Thai baht in future.

Thais can register vehicles in any province so there is no need for new plates for the transfer you describe.

If sold to a farang, however, they can only register vehicles in the province they hold their certificate of residency and new plates would be issued.

Troll.

If u had 1 million u can make 50000 dollars on interest, it s around 150000 bahts a month.

I would say 7 times more than 1 person need to live simply in thailand. And you still keep your capital, the rest of the interest saved are compound interest and bring you more money.

For me you are trolling.

50000 dollars is considerably more than 150000 baht. Better add a zero at the end of that ... and then a bit more, based on the current exchange rate. A beginner's mistake, you are forgiven.

5% interest per annum on $1 mill = 50,000. Assuming we talking US$'s here - it is equivalent to approx 150,000 baht per month. The zero and a bit more you refer to is based on there being 12 months in a year. You are also forgiven, TJ.

i´m wondering is that not okay to have an internatinoal driver lisense just asking

A thai licence or an international licence.

your pommy or US or wherever licence not good enough.

"I had to have a certificate of residency and a doctors certificate - easy to get."

And residence letter is not available if you only have a Tourist Visa or 30 day visa free entry.

If you here only under a tourist visa or 30 day free visa - you probably don't require a Thai licence as your international licence covers you for 3 months from arrival date.  

If a multiple entry tourist visa - the 3 month period starts again  upon each fresh visit to LOS.

 

Driving without a licence - you're as bad as some Thais.
Good luck with that - the penalties can be HUGE.
 
To get mine - 
I had to have a certificate of residency and a doctors certificate - easy to get.
Then showed current Australian licence and international licence.
1 hour later - and 550 baht - I have a Thai licence.

So you didn't have to take the test and all of that because you had an intl license already, yeah? I'm in the same boat.

 

The only test I had to do was a peripheral eyesight type test.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

 

ok guys, be nice to me now, cuz i do not know, does an international license cover you in thailand? and if you rent a motobike, how or where do you get insurance for it???

 

Also i doesn't take 15 minutes to get a driver's license in thailand it took me 2 days and about 2-4 hours each day.. that did not include the 30 minutes to get to the license station and it did not include the 45 minutes to go to doctor and immigration to get the paperwork to do..

Whilst an international drivers licence may come with a 12 month expiry, it is against the law to use for more than 3 months when in Thailand.

After 3 months there - if police check your arrival date in passport - you can be fined.

And also don't forget about the numerous photocopies they want of all the documents too.

Yes, mine was spread over 2 days as well. On the second day, because it was after lunchtime, they wanted me to come back the following day for the brief visual test however persuaded them to do the test there and then.

Did not receive a copy of the road rules - but that maybe because I already had a licence in another country as well as the international licence.

Driving without a licence - you're as bad as some Thais.

Good luck with that - the penalties can be HUGE.

To get mine - 

I had to have a certificate of residency and a doctors certificate - easy to get.

Then showed current Australian licence and international licence.

1 hour later - and 550 baht - I have a Thai licence.

I live 1/2 way between Bangkok and Chiang Mai (close to Phitchit / Phitsanulok border) and would prefer treatment in CM in preference to BKK.

Even closer to home better.

Am looking for options on where I can have all the amalgam / mercury fillings removed and replaced with a more environmentally friendly substance.

Thanks in advance.

It is important to know which banks have direct dealing with overseas banks otherwise money is sent from OS (charges apply) to their reciprical bank in Thailand (who take charges) then transfer to the bank in question.  Got caught this way before so opened an account with the reciprical bank and now only the 2 charges. - not 3 lots. 

I live in a small place with my Gf and her family. I can relate to some time and space away from the house as the extended family seem to come and go at all hours of day and night. I went for a ride to the nearest large town and squatted a few hours - eventually I saw another farang and after a few weeks met some more. Whilst some are not worth the trouble once a week I feel the need to communicate in English - but don't want to or be around people who drink. At times it seems one sided however I persevere

I'm used to standing out like a spare dick at a wedding.   I just smile and look at the girlies.  get up and dance with em too.  My GF actually encourages it.

Was using soya bean oil instead of palm oil but since researching ideal diet for my cancer have read Soy Bean oil also bad.

In fact, all Hydrogenated oils are bad.

Since I now don't use oil, haven't researched which ones are OK - but intend to do so. Important vs. urgent, in my case.

Just been diagnosed with cancer - found out accidentally while having an ERCP to remove a blocked gall stone in bile duct.

not surprisingly, most of us have had cancer but our immune system keeps killing it.

Cancer loves sugar - so a big start is to reduce / eliminate it.

Bear this in mind - 

The medical and pharmecutical capitalistic wheel wants to treat you.

The average physician spends only 10 hours during their 4-6 year course on nutrition - so what do they really know about nutrition.

They know how to write prescriptions so you can buy drugs. 555

They deal with symptoms - but not the cause.

The cause - is diet.

After reading lots of research - 

Fix the diet.

Out.

Cigarettes, sugar, alcohol, processed foods, coffee, Hydrogenated oils, Artificial colourings, Preservatives, MSG, Bleached white flour, Aspartame, GMO, Food enhancers, PLASTICS, acidic ph level, chemotherapy, vaccinations, toxicity, deficiencies.

In / considerations.

Reduce inflammation, exercise, Vitamin D3 supplement, Zinc, organic plant based diet, intravenous Vitamin C injections, Baking Soda, increase cholesterol level to help re-build cells???, a healthy and positive attitude.

Baking soda - helps get PH back to just alkaline

Cholesterol - check these out regarding the myths out there.

http://www.whale.to/a/cholesterol.html

http://www.thincs.org/WAPF2003.htm

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133685.The_Cholestrol_Myths

http://www.ravnskov.nu/uffe.htm

Oh, and palm oil is extremely bad for you - but is used extensively.  WHY - because it is CHEAP.

Hi all I'm in the same position in November....Thanks for the great response.....

Question::: what happens after year Two if you want to stay long term ??

Slainte.

Seems like, from a response earlier in thread, we can renew our visas in Thailand prior to the expiry date of the last 12 month date stamp in our passports.

I read a book whilst in Vietnam last year which spoke about many languages and their differences.

It certainly helped me understand something.

'whilst' and 'which spoke' - This is what happens when you post right after a series of grammar corrections.

Who the hell ever speaks English like this other than the pompous?

Me - I failed English in high school.