Niranut

We encountered this all the time with our kids. It starts when they are very young, usually around the 6 month mark, give or take, when they start doing (age appropriate) things like throwing things, chewing on everything, etc. We never hit so my babies never had any idea what it meant. It was happening enough that we started played high-5 with them a lot so when anyone did the fake hit, my kids smile and try to give them a high-5 I also remind the offender that we don't hit or joke about hitting and ask them for the umpteenth time to not do it again...

We lived in Northern and Central Thailand, as well as Bangkok, when our kids were at this point (babies-early elementary) and found it everywhere. At a certain point, the kids get old enough to respectfully tell the fake hitter that we don't hit and if they could please not do it, that would be great.

When confronted with a high-5 or a little kid telling them it's not nice to hit, they are always met with smiles and the occasional hug/hom.

None that I know of, but I never tried too hard-- just starting making it at home.

The closest I was able to find were the little carts along the road-- they open at 5am, but just have the warm soy milk (not usually coffee).

Replied to your other post, and sharing here FYI. BKK Kids just posted a nice listing of library and book resources here:

http://www.bkkkids.com/english-kids-books-bangkok/

This is a good listing of English language libraries and book sources for kids here in BKK.

http://www.bkkkids.com/english-kids-books-bangkok/

TK Park is the library on the 8th floor of Central World. You can do a 20 baht day pass to check it out. If you have a long-term visa or work permit, they will give you the Thai price (200/year). The non-Thai price is also reasonable at 400/year.

http://www.tkpark.or.th/eng/intro/

There is also a smaller library on the 21st floor of the Elephant Tower called Apple Tree Library. You need to call first to make an appointment. More info here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/302638859841847/

HTH

If you want a pool, then you are looking at the lopburi inn resort or the residence. Both are similarly priced, and all of the hotels in town are under the same management, and all pretty similar. I personally prefer the pool at the resort as it is a little nicer looking, but for both pools you never know what condition they will be in. Sometimes cloudy if it's almost time to treat them, sometimes you can't swim cause the water has just been treated.

If you'll be traveling with kids, the resort is the better too as it has a kiddie pool section (although there are a few chipped tiles which can scratch your feet in the kiddie section).

Food is pretty much the same at each of the hotels. Breakfast buffet at the resort is included and nice for the price. If ordering from the menu, the Thai food is decent. Western food is not so authentic, so I think a lot of the food complaints come from that.

Pricing at the resort is 800-1,200 and rooms are decent for the price. I don't know much about the residence other than the pool. You can always take a look at the pool before you commit to stay there. As for staff issues, I have seen misunderstandings since English is not so strong. But never anything where the staff weren't making an effort to help.

I've personally stayed at the original lopburi inn , the resort, and the residence 2 ( there is a smaller, second Residence outside of town) and found all three to be pretty much the same with regard to the rooms. Pricing differences reflects the other amenities you get.

HTH

Anyone done this crossing through a BKK-based service? I'm looking for options for a friend of mine who is a bit older and looking to avoid the long van rides to Cambodia/Laos/Northern Thailand.

Did an online search and came up with Siam Visa Run (www.siamvisarun.com). Sounds reasonable enough, but haven't heard back from them, so just curious if there are other outfits from BKK doing this yet?

Thanks.

Used to get mine from a local pharmacy, but then moved and couldn't find/order it anymore.

I've been ordering it online from a health food store in Phuket-- no problems, and have actually ordered quite a few other items from them since starting with the borax:

http://www.healthfoodthailand.com/miscellaneous-c-3.html?osCsid=ab39e1b416fec53f9eb41450bf22c5f9

Anyone with a location map/link of where the Animal Quarantine Station at Suvarn Airport is exactly located?

I received the following directions via email from AQS and they are pretty much accurate:

Loacation Of quarantine stations : Office in the Free zone area, Custom export clearance building (CE-1), 1st Flr., Racha Thewa in Bang Phli distict, Samut Prakan Provice 10540

- From Bangkok take the Motorway (New Bangkok-Chon Buri Highway no.7) to Suvarnbhumi Airport

- See the left sign Cargo follow the direction to Cargo

- Keer to the right lane until you reach the traffic lights at the Free zone area (Cargo) trafiic intersection

- Turn right to Entrance No.1

- Keep the parking pass proceed staright for approximately 50 meters

- The Customs Export Clearance Building (CE-1) in ahead on the left

So you just park by that first building which is about 50 meters in from the entrance gate, and then go in the first door. You will find yourself in a hallway-- turn to the left and the AQS office you start in in the last one at the end of the hall.

We did our export exam there in August and I stayed with my dogs for the exam and everything. I did ask the vet about chip requirements, and he said they are not required on the Thai side. After the exam, went into the adjoining office to pay the fee. Got there right when they opened on a Thursday and there was one lady in front of me with a dog. I was done and on the way home 45 minutes later with both of my dogs.

It was a pretty painless process to get them out of Thailand-- went to AQS 3 days before departure. Brought all of our documents (they copied what they needed since I hadn't brought enough)-- total cost was 100 baht/dog. Flew Korean Air to Chicago and had no problems. Check-in with Korean was easy enough-- just showed all of the documents and paid US$200/dog. Arrival in Chicago was also painless-- the customs guy just looked at the same paperwork and let us through, no charges.

We will be returning with our dogs in January (weather permitting), and I'm hoping the return process is just as painless. Although it does sound like it will be a bit more expensive with the USDA paperwork fees and the 1,000 baht/animal fee when we leave the "Things to Declare" section.

Thanks, Sheryl.

I went ahead and called the airline (we're flying on Korean) this afternoon and they just asked if I had been in touch with AQS, but didn't ask for a number or anything. So the dogs' reservations are all set with the airline. The only bit of confusion was that I listed the breed as "mixed breed" and they wanted to know what it was mixed with. Technically they are some sort of poddle mix, but I wanted to keep it generic for declaration purposes.

Dogs got their vaccinations today and the vet said it can take up to a week to prepare the proof of rabies document, as it is done at the main branch (while I use the smaller branch near my house). But it sounds like I should still have plenty of time to finish up everything before the 10th.

Once I get the rabies document, I should have everything I need to go to AQS, and will plan on a half day or so to get it all sorted there (but hope for less). For the timing of the AQS check, can I do that anytime before I leave? I've seen a few mentions of getting the AQS check "within 3 days of departure" and wasn't sure if that meant check at least 3 days (or more) before you leave OR check 3 days (or less) before you leave...

And this USDA site has links to the requirements for each individual state-- Illinois requires proof of rabies vaccination and a vet inspection report, both within the last 30 days. So it looks like I can use the AQS health inspection form and the rabies documenation from my vet.

Will update as I work through the process.

I've been poring over the pinned thread and others related to import/export pets, and just have a few questions. Actually, I think I just need to be reassured more than anything else

We are leaving for the U.S. on August 10 and will be there for about 5 months, returning around the New Year. The original plan was for a friend to watch our two smallish dogs (poodle mixes, one 6kg and the other 8kg) while we were gone. But that fell through unexpectedly just yesterday, so I've been scrambling to find another option. And it looks like bringing them with us will be the best.

I called the airline and they have room for both dogs (they'll be traveling in the cargo hold as excess baggage). They said I needed to confirm things with Animal Quarantine here, but of course, Animal Quarantine was already closed for the long weekend before I was able to get a hold of anyone there. So my next steps are to call that airline back to confirm that I will be able to leave with the dogs-- is it alright if I just call and do that? Even though I haven't actually spoken with anyone at AQS? Once I confirm with the airline, they need a couple days to line everything up as well, so I wanted to do that today so I didn't lose time over the long weekend with them, too.

Aside from confirming the dogs on the plane, I am still a little unclear about the paperwork process, and would appreciate if someone could quickly confirm that I'm not leaving anything out...

1) Will take the two dogs in this morning to get them up to date on all of their shots. They aren't due until October, but I understand that they need the rabies for sure to be done before they go, right?

2) Form 1/1 and other documentation needs to get approved by AQS before we leave. Is it better if I take everything over there myself? Or worth a try to do things over email/fax? I'm planning to prepare my ID, the rabies/vaccine paperwork, a brief information page about the dogs, the airline itinerary, and form 1/1-- am I missing anything?

3) I am a bit confused about the health certificate-- is this something the AQS vet does?

Thanks!

You have two options.

Option one works if the non-Asia market Tritons come with anchors. If that's the case, Mitsubishi Thailand should be able to order them for you from abroad. You will need to be persistent and make sure they follow-up for you.

I tried going this route with our Chevy, and after 10 months they finally figured it out and were ready to order for me. This was after months of insisting that such a part did not exist Sadly, when they did work it out, the cost was exorbitant (almost three times what I paid for option 2 below).

Option two is to order a EZ-On floor/tether mount. Product information is available at the EZ-On site. But to order, you need to do that with one of their distributors. I used Midwest Bus Parts. It was a few years ago, but I remember the international shipping being around $45. If you go this route, the mounts should come with directions on where and how to install. Installation is easy, but you will probably need to go to a local mechanic to have them make the holes for you. I highly recommend telling them exactly where you want the hole and then watch them do it, to make sure it's done right. Also be sure that the installation site is properly sealed with silicone or something similar to prevent any exhaust and such from getting into the cab.

I'm also attaching information about locating where to install tether points in your vehicle.

One last suggestion, would be to post specifics over at the http://www.car-seat.org forum-- they have an international sub-forum and are very knowledgeable about this type of thing.

HTH

Heavy Duty Tether Installation.pdf

Yes, I had a hard time finding an answer. I did find this (in Thai) that also clears things up a bit. I don't have time to translate all of it now, but I'm sure Google can help those who are interested in the details. Suffice it to say, that as of March 2013, the Chaengwattana, Pin Klao, and Central Bang Na passport services branches are open on Saturdays from 9.00 to 15.00. If you apply on Saturdays, your passport will be available the following Friday if you want to pick it up yourself (a bit longer than the usualy 2-3 day turnaround if you apply on a weekday), or you can pay 40 baht for them to mail it to you.

Declared open to the public on Saturday ***************** I have a passport in order to facilitate the public who wish to have more passport Surapong. Appreciation Chai Pong in Thailand. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Consular Department of the policy to accommodate the increased population. Open to the public with the ability to have a passport on Saturday and Sunday. Beginning Saturday, January 12, 2556 onwards during 09.00 - 15.00 hrs and will only open for the following Office of Consular Affairs building facilities · Privacy Policy · Bangkok Pinklao temporary passport office building. Thana Chulalongkorn Tower (Basement) Bumru Phlat district, Bangkok 10700 · passport office temporarily. Central Bangna 5 for those who request a passport on Saturday. I can get a passport in next Friday. Those who request a passport in the normal public can get copies in three days, as the common way to save energy, time and cost of the public service. Consular Affairs invite a passport book received the mailing. That is safe, timely and insurance loss. The fee is $ 40 per book, it is declared to be informed accordingly. January 11, 2556 ------------------------------- Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Finally got through to a person on the phone and she confirmed that the passport division is open every Saturday from 9.00 to 15.00.

In case anyone else was wondering...

I am needing to get my children's Thai passports done, and am trying to figure out if the passport division in the Consular Affairs office on Chaengwattana Road does, in fact, have office hours on Saturdays. A friend of mine had mentioned that they did, and I saw a blurb online somewhere. But now that I'm ready to actually go, I can't find any info on it.

So does anyone know if they are open on Saturdays? Couldn't find anything on the website, have tried calling (no one answers) and emailing (no reply yet), so just curious.

Thanks.

Agreeing that it can and should be changed. There have been typos on two of my three children's birth certificates here. For one they wrote in the correction in red and signed where they corrected it. That was almost a year after we got it.

For the other they printed a new one, and had to reprint it twice because they made a new mistake after the first reprint. We did notice the errors right away on the second child's, so I'm not sure if that was why they could just print a new one or not.

No charge and no questions asked in either situation.

I think I'd prefer a type of half half situation. Half taught at home using Western curriculums, and half at school for things like P.E., Art, Thai history etc. and also to be social and not feel like the odd one out.

Slightly delayed reply, as my TV notifications are apparently not working. If you go this route, with some at home and some classes at a school, then you just need to work it out with the school about what you will do with them and what you will do at home. Most people I know of who go this route do not register anywhere else. But when you are at this point, will probably be a good idea to check on the current regulations with the Thai Homeschool Association.

https://www.facebook...eschoolnetwork/ in Thai,

In addition to the Thai Homeschool Association, this group is also a great resource. It is comprised of Thai families homeschooling here, and you can easily connect with other homeschoolers in your area through this group. The expat homeschoolers can be reached via their Yahoo group "Bangkok Homeschoolers"-- the involvement varies with this group, as families are often coming and going.

Yes, there are plenty of homeschooling families here in Thailand, with most of them being Thai, although there are some expat families as well.

Here are a couple of homeschool threads that I've replied to in the past:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/237246-home-schooling-in-los/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/343714-anyone-homeschooling-their-kids-in-thailand/

Are you interested to homeschool your own children? And if so, are they Thai or non-Thai or both?

If they are Thai, they will need to follow homeschool laws in Thailand which means they follow one of the following paths:

1) they register with the Ministry of Education (MOE) directly; this is free, but families must present their scope and sequence of study as well as other details to their local MOE official. The process varies greatly depending on where you register and who you are working with at the MOE where you are, as requirements vary widely.

or

2) you register with a Thai umbrella school. This costs 2-3,000 baht/term/child. When you register with the school, your child is in the system as a student at the school, but you are free to determine the curricula, materials, etc. You simply report grades and such to the school; reporting requirements vary depending on the school.

If the children are non-Thai, you simply need to follow the requirments for their home country and/or any country they may move to in the future.

Most families do much of the teaching within the family (there are legal limitations to homeschooling other people's children). Homeschool groups often get together for extra curricular things like music and art and such.

If you can give more particulars about your situation, I am happy to answer specific questions.

My wife insisted that we wanted to breastfeed after a natural birth (on saturday just gone), but they did not listen and stuck him on the bottle. She tried again when they brought him back to us, but he was have difficulty taking it, but my wife persevered and all was good.... The following day however he had Jaundice, and we were told he had to stay in the nursery under photolight treatment, and my wife was sent home and not allowed to stay with him... In the mean time they fed him the bottle and my wife has now been as I see it ROBBED of being a natural mother...... I really don't care what the thais do to their bodies(most have cesaerians and bottle feed), but my wife is now distraught as our baby will not take her breast....

I think it is unethical to do this

Sorry to hear about the issues with breastfeeding. I was in a similar situation with my oldest-- he had trouble latching and was jaundiced. In my situation, there was one nurse who was helpful and came to get me when he was hungry so I could breastfeed. When she went home for the day, I just went down to the nursery where they had my son and sat in a chair next to his little bed (I never did figure out why they couldn't bring the little bed and light up to my room...).

For your own situation now, with your son having gotten bottles against your wishes, there are still some good breastfeeding resources available in Thailand that I recommnend you get in touch with to help get him back to the breast. It won't be easy, but it is certainly possible if your wife is committed to doing everything she can to re-establish a breastfeeding relationship.

There is a Lactation Clinic at Samitivej hospital (the only one in Thailand, I believe). Sorry, I didn't see where you are in Thailand, but if you can go to the hospital, you can make an appointment and meet with a certified lactation consultant at the clinic. In the short-term, you can contact the breastfeeding hotline at anytime, from anywhere in Thailand.

Contact info for the Samitivej clinic:

"If you have any problems breastfeeding and need further advice, please contact:

The Lactation Clinic – open Tues, Wed 9am-12am at the Well-baby Clinic, 2nd Floor, and Building 2. Telephone (+66) 2 711 8238

Or Breastfeeding Help line: (+66) 2 7118345 (these’s 24/7)"

You can also get in touch with the Bangkok chapter of La Leche League. Contact info for them is here. They do phone and online support (anywhere in Thailand), as well as in-home consultations in BKK (all free of charge).

HTH

Did you get this problem resolved? We're in Lopburi, and I'm just seeing this particular post. If you didn't have any luck at Home Pro or Thai Watsadu here, there is one well known hardware store that many people use. It's called "Siriporn" and is located just past Lotus and Muang Narai Hospital (on the corner at Thasala Soi 18 ). If you're still needing help, you can PM or reply here and I can get the Siriporn number for you.

Hmm-- there's a reason I don't normally post in this particular forum I do believe iHome can do a simple survey like that-- you'd need to call for pricing and such. There are also plenty of private engineering companies and government engineers at the amphur offices that can do it for you as well. But I get that you're looking for specific references and people to call, so I'd suggest checking over at the Cool Thai House forum-- they are pretty knowledgeable about this kind of thing and should be able to help if you don't have any luck here.

Agree with Kinokuniya and Scholastic. The Kinokuniya at the Paragon has the biggest selection of children's books, while the Emporium branch has a nice selection (just not as much as the Paragon).

Other books store chains like Asia Books, Se-Ed, and B2S also have children's sections (the larger branches have the best selection), but IMO the selection is much more limited than the large Kinokuniya branches.

I also highly recommend the Nielsen Hays Library, which is located just behind the British Club. You can spend all day looking at books there for free, and if you become a member you can check books out to take home. They also have crafts and other activites on the weekends. There are other libraries around BKK, but the Nielsen Hays is the best fit for the preschool crowd.

And if you do end up ordering some, I also recommend Book Depository, as their pricing is comprable to Amazon but they offer free shipping to Thailand.

HTH

I know a couple people who have use "iHome Engineer". And we are planning to hire them to inspect our house before we officially sign off with the developer.

As far as I know, they do not speak English, so you will probably need to have a Thai speaker along. They offer a few different levels of inspection depending on the size of the home/property. They are based on BKK, so you'd have to check to see if they'd be able to help with any Pattaya area properties.

They check it once and will give you a detailed report of any problems they find. You can then determine how much to fix any issues, and if you do fix them, iHome Engineer will come back and check a second time to make sure the problems have been fixed (there's no charge for the second check, as it's included in the fee already). The inspections are pretty detailed-- my friend used them to check her small (104sqm) townhouse before the signed off with the developer, and the iHome guy took 3.5 hours going over everything-- water, electric, structural things, and all of the detail work in the house.

Of course, there's no guarantee they (or anyone, really) will catch each and every issue. But if there are major issues, a company like iHome will most probably catch them.

Not sure what happened to them, but they've definitely been gone for a while. We started going a few years ago, and have never seen any kangaroos. They've just got deer and some goats for you to see/feed from that little elevated walkway you take when you first get into the zoo.

We always had cocker spaniels growing up and used a vinegar/water mix (1 vinegar: 3 water) which worked great.

Fast forward quite a few years and here in Thailand we have 2 poodles. One has no ear issues whatsoever, the other is just like the OP described-- always dirty & stinky. Initially, I went with the 1:3 vinegar to water mix which didn't do all that much. The vet recommended a variety of things ranging from 90-400 baht, and none of them did much beyond cleaning the ears out initially. Then a neighbor recommended Neo Ear Solution (it's only available at Lotus here in Lopburi, but may be available elsewhere). And the Neo stuff worked great! Used it every day and things cleared up within a week or so. But eventually the ear junk was back, and I found that we needed to use it every 1-2 days. With the frequency, I found that we were going through the little bottle pretty quick and it was adding up (it's 89 baht/100ml bottle).

So I looked back into the vinegar/water option again, and found that I could try it a bit more concentrated. Same as a PP, we went with a 1:1 mix every day and it worked like a charm. It kept it up at that concentration for a month or so. After that switched to 1:2 (vinegar to water) mix every 2-3 days and the dog has been fine. Going to stick with this as it seems to work well.

Good luck!