Mekong Bob

Just called TrueVisions to ask what happened to ASN Network (Channel 110) and NFL Football. Was told that TrueVisions has lost its 2-year contract with ASN and will therefore no longer be broadcasting NFL Football.

I am in a state of shock and disbelief!!!

Can anyone tell me if there are other tv options for me in Chiang Mai?

Just called TrueVisions to ask what happened to ASN Network (Channel 110) and NFL Football. Was told that TrueVisions has lost its 2-year contract with ASN and will therefore no longer be broadcasting NFL Football.

I am in a state of shock and disbelief!!!

Can anyone tell me if there are other tv options for me in Chiang Mai?

Here is a web site that covers Slingbox and other methods of streaming. I use it since Sling Media took over the old Slingbox Forum and use it for their PR purposes

http://placeshiftingenthusiasts.com/

Interesting website, thanks.

Have you followed any particular suggestions with good results?

What are your typical streaming speeds? At least 600-800Kbps, I hope.

To my fellow Chiang Mai residents -

Is there anyone else out there who is currently enjoying SlingBox viewing at streaming rates better than my 220-240Kbps?

I am in Chiang Mai, using 3BB (5MB up, 1MB down) with a fixed (not shared) IP in Hang Dong. It is expensive (3,100 baht per month), but connection is strong and reliable. I'm consistently tested at 5MB, 0.82MB, and 50-60 ping. I believe I am getting what I am paying for.

My son is in Pennsylvania with a nice HDTV, SlingBox, and new router, using Comcast (cable) as his ISP (12MB down, 2MB up). Comcast diagnostic checks - signal connection test and Upstream Signal Quality (SNR) - are good, and the 250MB monthly cap is plenty for our usage.

The SlingBox is delivering only 220-240Kbps to my computer in Chiang Mai and to places like San Jose (California); Philadelphia; and Syracuse (New York). Picture quality is poor.

A recent call to Sling Media tech support suggested we ask Comcast to provide details on their distribution of the speed connection to our ports, adding that the speed is generally not evenly apportioned (distributed) to all ports in use. When we asked Comcast for help, the tech guy was puzzled by my question about distribution of the speed connection to our ports.

Anybody have any suggestions for me on this?

Is it reasonable to state that Chiang Mai residents with good, reliable Internet service and a friend in the USA or the UK with a SlingBox and a minimum upload Internet speed of 2MB should expect a SlingPlayer streaming bitrate speed of at least 600-800Kbps?

The minimum streaming rate for viewing standard definition tv on your computer is 600Kbps.

To achieve this minimum streaming speed, here are 6 recommendationS:

1 - at the SlingBox location (e.g., USA or UK), you need good Internet upload speed;

2 - you need a router that can handle both TCP and UDP transfer protocol (huh?);

3 - you need to use the best router port (e.g., 5001, 443, 80);

4 - you may need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for Internet at SlingBox location;

5 - you need an Internet Service Provider (ISP) which provides adequate bandwidth; and

6 - at the remote location (e.g., Chiang Mai), you need good Internet download speed.

Am I on the right track?

Please tell us where we can find your bar! We'd like to tip a few beers and admire your streaming rates!

I am told that a VPN, in and of itself, will not improve Internet speed. If true, I suspect that your selecting the appropriate data protocol for SlingBox has made this dramatic difference. Congratulations on this success. I envy your high streaming rate, and will now try to do the same.

What can you tell me about settings and adjustments which you have made on your SlingPlayer (Internet) here in Chiang Mai? What ISP do you use?

I am reluctant to blame my ISP (3BB) for shaping my data traffic because the slow streaming speed is happening at the source in USA, as I have friends at remote locations around USA to check speeds for me. Do you have any confirmation that the ISP here in Chiang Mai is capping?

As I understand it, upload speed at SlingBox in USA or UK is critical, while download speed in Chiang Mai is critical. Is this correct?

Thank you very much!

I'm a daily viewer in Chiang Mai of U.S. television via SlingBox/Internet and would very much like to start a discussion group of like-minded residents in Northern Thailand. Discussions would include Internet Service Providers in the North; Internet download speeds; routers; HDMI between computers and televisions; standard definition versus high definition; video resolution settings; streaming bitrates; and Sling Media technical support.

Interested in sharing information?

There have been no deaths of DEA Special Agents in Chiang Mai, 1970s to present. There was a daytime shooting in a Thai market area in Chiang Mai in the 1980s, resulting in death of the wife of a DEA Special Agent. Motive unknown.

There may have been an altercation or two on the Chiang Mai bar scene over the years which involved DEA Special Agents carrying handguns. No injuries, no deaths, no physical damage.

I live in Hang Dong District, subscribe to 3BB's Premier 5M fixed IP service, and (through the Internet) use SlingBox to remotely view USA television programs via this tv streaming device.

My 3BB (formerly MaxNet) download speed is 4.93Mbps and upload is 0.80Mbps and it's steady and unbroken.

In Pennsylvania, I have a SlingBox AV and SlingLink Turbo set up on my USA tv, with Internet speeds of 6Mbps, both dowload and upload.

The streaming rates showing on my SlingPlayer picture ranges between 180-240Kbps. Not a bad picture, but a bit fuzzy.

During the week of July 17-23, I enjoyed streaming rates ranging between 540-640Kbps and a very clear picture. I called 3BB to ask what's going on, but they could not explain. This week, things are back to 180-240Kbps.

Anyone know what's going on here? Can anyone tell me what settings I need to check or change? Thanks.

Anybody have a list of 2011 and 2012 Thai holidays observed by Thai Immigration?

If Chiang Mai Immigration observes same holidays as Bangkok, please confirm. Thanks.

Need a small supply of roof tiles to complete an additional mini-roof we have installed. Need CPAC tiles: Neustile, Rustiqwue, oak - to match the main roof, installed by Nopphadpn Phanit last year. Problem: only available by special order from CPAC. Been waiting three months for order to arrive. Anybody know where I can find this tile in stock in Chiang Mai area?

Can you e-mail me at [email protected] too? Thanks!

I have been using SlingBox in Chiang Mai (Hang Dong) for a couple of years, but picture quality is erratic. Need some good advice from knowledgeable ThaiVisa folks. The SlingBox and dedicated tv (with DVR) are in Pennsylvania. Comcast for tv and Internet. My Internet Service Provider here in Chiang Mai is 3BB (Triple T), formerly known as MaxNet. I have a fixed IP, rather than dynamic (shared), 5MB download, 1MB upload, 3,100 THB per month. For best SlingBox image quality on my computer screen, SlingBox tech support states that " . . . a minimum upload speed of 600 Kbps is required. The faster the upload speed, the better the quality of the picture." My 1MB upload speed should deliver 1,000 Kbps, correct? My random Internet speed tests show that only a fraction of that upload speed is running on my connection. Should I ask a 3BB technician to make a house call to check this out? Are there certain settings on my computer and within the SlingPlayer program which must be checked as well?

As far as the picture goes, it is quite good at certain times of the day and night, and I have noted the SlingBox streaming rate to reach up to .570 Mbps during those time periods when the picture is exceptionally clear. If 3BB can improve my upload speed to near 1MB, should I then expect to have improved streaming rates?

Is there a gadget or a way to somehow "regulate" and "hold steady" the upload speed and streaming rate?

Thanks!!!

The caffeine is just fine. It's the artificial sweetener. As a diabetic you have to learn which artificial sweeteners don't cause your body to react as if they were sugar. Sucralose works well for me; saccharine works for me but tastes nasty; aspartame doesn't work well for me. YMMV, because we are all different. It may be that aspartame works for you and sucralose doesn't. The best solution, though, is to drink water and avoid the artificial sweeteners. If you want the fizz, then drink soda water which is unflavored, unsweetened fizzy water. That's even better than diet soda.

Non-diet soda here in Thailand is made with sugar, like it was in the US a couple decades ago. Before New Coke to be precise. That whole thing was just a ploy to try to keep people from noticing the switch. Now they use high fructose corn syrup in the US. It's why Coke is so popular in Mexican bodegas in New York; it's imported from Mexico where they still use sugar to make it. It just tastes better.

I drink a lot of sugar-free Pepsi. When I'm in the USA, it's Diet Pepsi; in Hong Kong and Singapore, it's Pepsi Light (very similar in taste to Diet Pepsi). When in Thailand, I find only Pepsi Max (uggggh! Sweet and heavy taste!) On the Pepsi Max cans (11 oz, 325 mL) in Thailand, it lists the sodium content as 25 mg, as compared with 35 mg in a 12 oz (355 mL) can of Diet Pepsi in the USA. However, it does not show the amounts of aspartame, acesulfame potassium ("acesulfame K"); phosphorus; caffeine; sucralose; etc. - all those wonderful chemicals within! Pepsi Company headquarters website has a "product info" page for its USA products, and lists all these ingredients for USA customers. Does anyone know where I can find such details for Thailand's Pepsi Max (English or Thai)? Love to know. Also, do you Pepsi Max drinkers out there pay attention to the "BF" (before stamp on the bottom of the cans? This stuff is only good for about 100 days before its taste goes flat. Most retail stores in Thailand don't know or care about this, but you should.

Does anyone have experience in sending small packages (well under a half a kilogram) to USA by UPS, FedEx, or DHL?

Is service reliable? Do you use company's shipping boxes or do you box it up yourself? Are weights and rates posted on websites? Thanks.

I do transfer monies every month from Bank of America to Kasikorn with no problem.

One time I transfered over 20000 USD and I had to wait a few days but that was only because the bank manager was not very helpful.

If the transfer is over 20000 USd go to the bank manager after the transfer and let him know, you will have to sign a piece of paper then he will call Bangkok and the monies will be released.

I am not aware of any sister bank or an issue as you stated in your question.

To execute the transfer you neem the swift number, account number and address of bank.

I just opened an account with Kasikorn in Chiang Mai, and I intend to transfer funds from my Bank of America account in USA to this bank on a regular basis (monthly). Anything you can suggest to me? Are there Kasikorn banks in New York as well as Los Angeles? Thanks.

<email address removed>

Can we also discuss the current Thai bank loan situation for expats with Thai wives who want to build a home?

If a discussion is already underway on this forum, I have not found it.

Where are the best home loan rates at this time? Bangkok Bank? Krung Thai Bank? Looking for a 5 million baht loan, repaid over maximum of 10 years, to build a home.

A crash course on MRR versus MLR calculations would be most appreciated, along with comments on how much these rates have fluctuated in recent years, and how much they can change during the life of my loan. I guess there's no such thing as a fixed-rate mortgage loan these days in Thailand.

Labor Day Weekend 2006. NFL Football and College Football ready to kickoff their seasons. My UBC package in Chiang Mai includes UBC SuperSport (35), UBC SuperSport Action (36), and ESPN (39). I have bookmarked ubctv.com for program listings, and I subscribe to the Bangkok Post and The Nation. Have I forgotton anything?

How come there's no schedules of American football on Thailand tv?

Appreciate any tips.

Bob

Thanks Tomissan for you contribution. I tracked down an Architect/Builder/designer with a shop front in Hua Hin who also does the same work and gets the plans appoved at the planning department as part of the deal. Does the whole lot electical/drainage furniture etc All aspects of the plan and uses AutoCad. (Need to check if autocad is 3D) Asking price 250 Baht per Square Metre. Also supplies many references in the area, portfolio shown also. This is quite a bit cheaper.

Let you know how I progress

Please supply name and phone number of Architect/Builder/designer with a shop front in Hua Hin who will do CAD drawings.

Thanks!

Plan to build a small, 1-story house in Chiang Mai, with basement. Concerned about dampness and tree roots, need for vapor barriers, sealants, double (Q-Con) walls, drain tiles, etc. Want to do it right. Any experience or advice for me?

Looking for a local (Chiang Mai) architect or architecture student who can convert my MS Visio floor plans into a 3-D software graphic. Simply wish to see what my plans look like from a 3-D perspective, and do not want to teach myself how to use the software. Is there any such service available here in Chiang Mai? Thanks.

Where can I go in Chiang Mai to see energy-efficient windows (double pane, glazed, etc.)?

How about seeing homes built with the Q-Con building blocks in Chiang Mai?

I have the land, now I want to design a small home on the outskirts of Chiang Mai.

With a basic design in Microsoft Visio, can I find someone to create a 3D CAD home design?