Mark1066

One thing I have noticed is it makes some very unusual noises for a fridge but it performs really well. Very good air circulation - a whole lot better than the fridge it replaced, in which my salad items used to go wet and soggy within a day or two.

I'm not sure I'd feel any safer buying fan-operated goods that are made in Thailand. My 4 Xiaomi purifiers have yet to catch on fire but that's a very small sample size of course. And no, I would not buy them again but that's due to my views on China's behaviour on the global stage and not their ability to make air purifiers.

A certain type of Thai lady may regard a gold wedding ring as an investment. But not all of them, by a long shot. (Whoops - didn't see the date of this post before replying to it!)

Maybe that's where he went wrong? I expect your milk would go off quite quickly if you left it in the microwave all day.

So why comment on them if you have no experience? More hearsay is the last thing we need on the Internet. My anecdotal evidence is of little use, coming from a sample size of one, but it's better than nothing.

That was the shop I was talking to - not sure what you mean? (And just an FYI: I didn't just kick off the conversation by demanding that they didn't use Kerry. That message was sent after receiving several ambiguous answers to previous messages.)

This was what I was told and it wasn't a special Lazada deal.

So they just lie I guess? In either case, it makes them an unappealing option for me now.

I specifically asked several sellers if they could avoid using Kerry and was told the shipper was assigned by Lazada so that's not been my experience. And the same with Shopee. I believe you can elect to opt out of that arrangement as a vendor so perhaps the ones I spoke to were just unwilling to do so (I do realise the nature of both platforms). I never had a problem with Kerry in the past but there were hundreds of complaints a few months ago so I know I wasn't the only one at the time. When I spoke to one of their drivers, he told me they simply didn't have enough staff at the moment. Pity that didn't stop them from continuing to accept the same level of business as before. What really p***ed me off was waiting in all day Sunday as their tracking status said it was out for delivery on that day, then to be told they don't deliver at weekends in CM when I asked what had happened to my delivery (which was a lie as I have received weekend deliveries from them before).

Okay thanks. Not sure what you mean by 'one tick wonder'? The loaves I've made with the machine she bought have been fine overall (apart from one with too much water/oil in the recipe that tasted more like a crumpet than a loaf of bread) but the space limitations / orientation of the loaf are a little annoying. If you make a larger loaf, it gets taller rather than longer, which is not what I want.

My Samsung fridge has been running flawlessly since I bought it about 5 years ago. What's your personal experience with their fridges?

Lazada has just as many fakes as Shopee in my experience. My biggest problem with both platforms in recent months was the fact they continued to force people to use Kerry Express, even as the service was falling apart. 11 days from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is inexcusable, as were the lies I was told when I eventually managed to get in touch with someone from the company.

Okay, so a dough kneader/mixer and convection oven sounds like the best solution? (My wife bought my bread maker so I didn't look into those options. I was more worried about the domestic role reversal implications at the time. ????)

What's posh about having a maid in a country where they're so inexpensive? I admit the terminology is a bit 'Upstairs Downstairs' - maybe a home help would sound better?

I'd buy both. A convection oven isn't going to knead dough for you but a bread maker will. And if you prefer, you can use the bread maker just to knead, then put the dough in your oven. A good choice if you're making larger loaves or you don't like the hole you get in the bottom of the loaf with a bread maker.

What I used to find really annoying was the constant and completely unnecessary changes to requirements, which were never advertised anywhere that I could find. Things like having to complete the forms in black ink one year then blue ink the next or demanding photos with white backgrounds one year and light blues ones the next. All designed merely to frustrate and obstruct applicants who already had to wait hours in a queue just to be seen.

I didn't think personal attacks were acceptable on this forum? It's really a shame you can't have a discussion without resorting to insults but something has obviously got your goat. I don't see why you should resent other men getting pleasure from using a straight razor. It's harmless, it's relaxing and, for me personally, has turned what used to be a chore into an enjoyable hobby (and saves money as well). If it's beyond your abilities and you need a nice, safe alternative, that's fine but if you want to call me stupid again, I suggest we arrange to meet and you can try doing it in person.

Ok'd by a Thai? Sorry, I'm honestly not trying to be combative but that's not something I'd worry about at all. I just feel bad paying someone 60 baht to ride for 30-45 minutes in the evening (and probably another half an hour empty on the way back) so I tip them an extra 20 baht. I'm aware it's probably futile because the premise (of helping people make a decent living wage by tipping) only works if everyone else does it too but it's a personal decision and I feel better doing what makes me comfortable, not what Thai people think I should do.

Having once spent a short time as a pizza delivery boy in the UK, I found it was not possible to make a living wage without customers' tips. Because of that, I tip food delivery drivers here. So do some Thai people I know.

There's no doubt that it's unnecessary to learn how to shave with a straight razor in the 21st century but apart from being basically free once you're set up, yes there is pleasure in the masculine ritual (it's unfortunate if some guys feel threatened by the activity but that's their problem). However, I wouldn't call it delusional as another poster did earlier, or certainly no more delusional than many other masculine activities such as watching a group of overweight men running around a field fighting over an inflated pigskin.

If you have Line and they can't find you on the Grab map for some reason, you could offer to share your location with them on that app instead.

You don't really have to say anything most of the time. Just give them the money (with a tip if you like) and say thank you. After the order is placed, you can check the status in the Grab app. First a driver will accept the order (hopefully!), then the status should change to 'In the kitchen' and then out for delivery (can't remember the exact message). You can then follow the driver's/rider's progress on the map and go outside to meet them when they are nearly there. They will hold the package in front of them and take a photo before handing it to you. At least that's what they do whenever I use Grab. (You can also add a local debit /credit card to the app and pay when you book if you don't keep cash at home but you'd still need to tip them separately if you do that I guess.) The only problem you might have is if they can't find your house and call you up for directions.

I'd be reluctant to use one as a weapon - I'd have to hone it again afterwards. ????

The OP was talking about shady pricing practices on Lazada, such as increasing the total cost by 20% when checking out. Where I shop has no relevance to that discussion. If it's not possible for them to make money without resorting to dishonest pricing practices then those businesses were never viable in the first place. Don't expect customers to feel sorry for them.

I do but that's hardly relevant to this discussion.