pilou

Oooops... I also meant to tell you all that the MSI Wind ( MSI shop is on 3rd floor of Fortune, very tiny place...) is also due very soon,the guy had a demo machine, looks very nice indeed, a bit bigger than the eee though, so for those who want to wait, it should hit the shop(s) in June, if I can believe the vendor...

Check on Internet to know more about this laptop, it looks rather interesting,prices should start at 14.000 bahts ++ according to the models.

Many other manufacturers are preparing an answer to the eee, the HP is there already but at around 35.000 bahts, it is fighting in another league...

Phil

Pilou, does your Eee 900 have a Thai keyboard?

Yes it does have a thai keyboard, 1 Gb RAM, NO BLUETOOTH as expected, but the shop wrongly told me it would be included,and I asked the shop to install Windows XP, for which I had to wait 3 hours. Also bought another 8Gb SD card,as my old Asus ( well , only 2 months old ....) eee 701 will go to my GF.

Fortune is indeed at PhraRam IX MRT station, and is indeed much more pleasant than Panthip.

I just came back home,battery is still charging, Iwill probably spend the night on it to tweak it...

Cheers.

Phil

Hi

The Asus eee 900 is here, I am using it right now, I just bought one at Fortune, 19150 bahts for the 20Gb version. It is available in at least 3 or 4 shops here, Great little machine....

The 701 is here at 10900 Bahts, selling like hot cakes (people are actually queuing in the shop , they sold 5 or 6 today...).I have seen the Gb version as well

Phil

I have been looking everywhere in Fortune a few weeks ago, no spare batteries for eee.Don't know about Panthip, I never go there any more...I just ordered a 10400 mA on ebay, it should be waiting for me in Chiangmai. I will leave feedback about it here later.

I also think that when you power off you eee and leave usb devices attached, somehow they remain powered and still drain power from your battery...

Phil

All batteries have a limited lifespan, my laptop's one died in less than 2 years and I have found a replacement on internet very easily.

If you laptop brand is mainstream, and if it is not too old, you may find one in some computer shop.

It also seems that leaving the AC charger connected all the time is not very good, better remove the battery if you are home and using main....

Phil

Hi

I do use Eeectl all the time, brilliant little program, but when you overclock your CPU, it does create more heat and reduce battery life.You can force the fan speed up or down , or just leave it on "native", which will automatically makes the fan auto-adjust.

You can tweak the settings in the .ini file associated with Eeectl, but be careful and only fiddle with that file if you know what you are doing. You can find tailor made .ini files on many blogs and forums .

Phil

In addition, if you are into serious listening, you also have to consider the actual place where you system will be installed. I believe the listening room is one of the most important link of the chain and is often neglected, hence the importance of a test in your own place, what you hear in the hifi showroom might be completely different of what you will hear in your living room . Carpets, large windows, furniture, curtains, speakers positions,all that will affect the final sound of your system.

I agree with Steve2UK, speakers evaluation is very subjective, and short of being an accomplished musician and have golden ears, or going to concert on regular basis, who can tell what the true sound of a system should be ? Not me I am afraid, I will never own a 100.000 $ system ( even if I just bought a Quad 44/405 system on eBay, an old dream..) and am happy with my modest 40.000 bahts Marantz system...

May I recommend the book " The ultimate guide to audio bliss " ( sorry , forgot the name of the author) to those who wants to go more in details into the Hifi maze ?

I am not in Chiangmai at the moment, but I would be delighted to share my limited knowledge ( and exchange ideas and tweaks ) with other enthousiasts. PM me... I also have a good collection of CD's and of single malts whiskies...

Cheers...

Phil

When I bought CD Green some speakers a few years ago ( Acoustic Energy ), I actually took 3 pairs of speakers home for which I had to leave a deposit, I quietly installed them home with my amplifier and CD player ( Sansui and CEC at that time..), played my favorites records with all 3 setups, and finally brought back the 2 pairs of speakers I did not want and got back my deposit...At least, bring some of your favorites tunes to the shop if you want to buy some speakers and take your time..

That is why I went back to them to buy my last Hifi set, they are really good and patient, you can listen and test as long as you want, definitely a great place for service ( he even took the time to deliver my components immediately after sale with his personal car and helped me rig it up..), and they speak good english... Note that you can also do that at ST Audio, I have spent hours there listening music and comparing speakers...

The difference between 2 pairs of speakers can be spectacular ( unlike between 2 amplifiers or CD player, or even cables..) , so only let your feelings decide for you ( hair rising on your arms or neck is a good sign...) Do not be blinded by flashy designs , brands, gimmicks or even prices, what really matters is the hours of bliss you will get back home at the sweet spot...

I hope you will let us know about your choices later.. Good luck and happy listening..

Phil

Hi...

Chiangmai is not the best place for Hifi freaks... Try CD Green, they stock Marantz and Mordaunt Short, not Hi end stuff, but the system I bought them last year is still surprising me, specially the small MS 902 i speakers. They have moved to the street immediately after Lanna Hospital, about one kilometer down that street, on the left side,they also have a small restaurant and a wine shop...

If you are into 2nd hand , try ST Audio on Mani Nopparat, near the Samsung service center, they sometimes have good items... Neo has more expensive equipment, and they have always been nice to me, even I never bought anything from them. Conice stocks NAD and are on Sriphum road. Niyom and Saha also have showrooms, but I have never found any qualified sellers who can really advise you..

Hopes this helps.

Phil

Hi

I have never seen the 8 Gb eee version in Bangkok ( which does not mean it is not there ...), a few vendors told me it would not sell ..

I have not seen it in Singapore either. I have bought a 4 Gb a few weeks ago at Fortune, I switched to XP after 3 days and upgraded it ( 2 Gb RAM and 8 Gb SD card ), and so far so good, it is with me right now on a business trip to Vietnam, and I love it.

The 900 version, with a bigger screen and improved features is announced soon, there is little doubt the 701 will go to my GF and that I will buy it as soon as it is available....

Phil

Hi

I have been personally involved in 2 seismic surveys around Chiangmai, and we did have lines around Mae Jo, that was a few years ago, and I have worked around Fang and Chaiprakan as well, so it is very possible that the area has some reserves.. But I don't think it is a new Saudi Arabia and I would not worry too much about forests of rigs around...

Phil

Hi everybody

I do not post much here, but being French , living in Chiangmai and liking my food, this is the topic or never....

Le Crystal is in my opinion the best French restaurant you can find in Chiangmai. It is expensive and is not the kind of place i can afford very often, but on every occasions i have been there, the food was excellent, the wine list very extensive and the service impeccable.

However the best meals I have had in Chiangmai was in a very tiny and unpretentious restaurant called " Le Soliles", which is unfortunately closed now.

I used to be a regular customer at Le Coq d'or when they were still on the moat near Tapae, that was was quite a few years ago, and only went once to their new location, I was very disappointed by the food and never bothered to return. maybe i should try it again.

I also used to go very often "Chez Daniel" when he was still on Sukumvit, his restaurant in Chiangmai does not match the one he had in Bangkok. Daniel is a good cook and a colourful character, but I found the food to be lacking something...

St Germain des Pres: very good for the price, but there was always something wrong, at least on 4 occasions I have been there. But I will certainly return to eat there, they often change menus and some of their dishes are actually excellent.

I have never tried the Creperie on that small soi near John's Place, but the restaurant next to it ( the name is "Cote Jardin" ) has some nice items on its menu too. I agree that the board menu is not a very great idea, and it is poorly lit, but the food is great.

I also want to mention the " Mayflower", on Loy Kroh, inexpensive and really nice ( they have some Andouillettes that are worth the visit..)

If you like cheese, the Fondue House ( which used to be called le Coq au Rico ) has great fondue and raclette...

Cheers.

Phil

Thanks Crushdepth, I will try this asap.

Phil

Hi everybody

Reading this thread, it looks pretty easy to use a PDA as a modem to access internet on GPRS / Edge.

The only problem is that I still have not figured out how to do it. My phone is a Asus P750 with an AIS GPRS card ( Windows Mobile 6 ), I have ActiveSync 4.5 installed on my laptop.I have tried to find tutorials or help on internet, but to no avail..

Can anybody explain me how to do it please ?

Thanks.

Phil

Or have a look on this forum, maybe you will find answers...

forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?pid=174232

Phil

Hi

I was in Fortune this afternoon, there is a new Fujitsu, U1010 model, very neat and vey tiny, but at almost 40.000 bahts...

I bought an Asus eee 4G a few weeks ago, I am very happy with it, I swapped Xandros for XP and it does everything like a regular laptop. Small screen, small keyboard, no hard disk, a bit slow but really portable at less than 1 Kg... And upgradable. You can add more RAM and a decent SD card ( I have a 8 Gb and a 1.8 " 20 Gb hard disk), and there you go...

I would say that most probably you can run Photoshop on it, but do not take my word for it as it is not a program I am familiar with. Both models are available in Panthip Chiangmai, and the prices are similar...

Hopes this help a bit...

Cheers

Phil

Can anyone tell me where I can learn to play the drums - via private tuition and/or school - in Chiang Mai?

Thanks in anticipation.

Tony

Hi

I once went to inquire ( a few weeks ago ) at a music school on Prapoklao Road, 200 meters before the Thai Airways main office, near Queen Vic, they quoted me 400 bahts an hour for private lessons...

Hope this helps, good luck.

Phil

Hi

Finally went to Mad Dog, thanks to the map posted by Blinky Bill. Difficult to do better than that for 125 bahts. But I agree with another poster, the staff is not very cheerful...

I live on Nimanhemin, and I am surprised nobody mentioned Smoothie Blues ( they are closed at the moment for renovation..) , which has a very extensive menu, but tends to be a bit expensive... Always see a lot of expats there. Bake and Bite on Nimanhemin is also quite good.

Good day to all..

Phil

Try the Robertson Quay Hotel - location is pretty convenient. I stayed there once and it wasn't bad.

Don't know about instant confirmation, though. You might try Expedia and see if they have instant confirmations... booking.com you can just book and guarantee with a credit card, then pay at the hotel.

Hi

Robertson Quay is alright, I have also stayed there a few times. Basic room, not too big, close to the river, very quiet.

They have a website: http://www.robertsonquayhotel.com.sg

have a nice trip.

Phil

Les Soliles, was this the french restaurant in a small soi, when walking down Tapae Rd coming from the Tapae gate, on the left hand side?

Yes, that was the one..

The last time I tried to eat there, it was only open for dinner. But I'm not surprised. The low season this year was very hard for everybody running a bar or restaurant. And in the case of Les Soliles, although it was rather hidden, they didn't make any promotion for it.

They have closed for many months now. It was , to me ( and I believe I have tried them all...), the best French restaurant in Chiangmai. Even the french fries were unusually enjoyable...

The St Germain is another nice place, not quite a match yet, but close enough .

Of course, Le Crystal and Le Coq d'Or are also serving very good food, but they play in another league

Phil

If you like French or gourmet cuisine, but think that in Chiang Mai it is vastly overpriced for the quality available, try St. Germain des Pres which is almost across the street from the original Mike's Hamburgers (4/1 Ratwithi Road, behind the bank on Moon Muang Road).

They offer a choice of several set items on a menu that changes completely once a month and if you want a starter, main course and desert, it works out to just below 500 baht.

I've eaten there twice and everything that I had ranged from good to excellent.

Personally, I will skip The House and Mi Casa for food that is just as good, but about 1/2 to 1/3 the price!

I was there last night for the 2nd time, and yes, the food is very good indeed ( I have tried the "Magret de canard" and the " Boeuf bourguignon"), traditional French food for a reasonable price. Service was also very good and the owners are very friendly...I just wish they had a wider wine choice, but I guess that will come with time.

Try it... Almost as good as the "Soliles" was, but unfortunately they closed a few months ago...

Phil

Hi

Sorry if it has been indicated here before , but you can go to Nakorn Ping Hospital, on Mae Rim road. The blood donation room is # 104, the only problem is that it is always extremely difficult to find a car parking place..

I go there every 3 months, they send you a letter to remind you when you can go again.

I am A+, quite common blood type, but they take it anyway...

Hopes this help and that many of you will find the time to go...

Phil

Hi

I just did it last month, if you can, avoid driving by night, some parts of the road have no horizontal markings , quite dangerous when it is pitch dark...

We stopped on the way to visit Sukhotai old city, a bit off course, but it was worth the detour.

Take it easy and make regular "pitstops" , and beware of all the loonies out there.

Be safe, have a nice trip.

Phil

Sorry,the number I have given you is not valid anymore, the hotline for Buddy broad band is now 02 271 9111 from 9.00 am to 12.00 pm, and they actually have a website in English...

Phil

I have just moved to Chiang Mai and am looking to set up my ADSL connection.

I would be grateful if you could suggest the best service/company. I am not concerned with price, only with reliability and speed.

I have a TOT telephone line.

Thanks.

Any help appreciated.

Many thanks.

Hi

I have been using Buddy Broad Band for over a year now, on a TOT phone line, and have no real complain about it, a bit slow and sluggish sometime, but it is OK. The setting at the beginning has been a bit complicated, I had to go a few times back to the shop who sold it to me, but since then it has been OK.

I pay 700 bahts a month for a 512 Mb connection ( you can pay online on their site , which you can only access through their modem...) You can check if your phone number can be used on http://www.buddybb.net/checkarea/ (but it is all in Thai ) or maybe call their hotline assistance number at 02 640 4888.

Hopes this helps, good luck...

Phil