TheScribe

Iphone 4 is almost 100€ cheaper in Thailand with same warranty, legality an it is not locked.

OK, thanks for that info. Where to buy one in Chiang Mai - mostly they seem to be with a carrier deal.

I'm going to Switzerland and the UK next week - I'm taking my new MacBook Pro and an old Nokia. I have pre-pay SIMs for both counties just for calls, but I'm strongly tempted to buy an iPhone (synching contacts from the MacBook would save a lot of aggravation).

32GB iPhone 4 in Switzerland is CHF 899 = THB 30,300.

8GB iPhone 3G is CHF 629 = THB 21,200 ( and no micro-SIM issues)

Does this seem a good idea? Will it be possible to buy a reasonable deal for the phone from AIS or True when I get back to Thailand?

China Eastern are now flying a daily return CNX to Kunming (arriving KMG at 11:00 pm).

However, I cannot find info or prices on the Web.

Anyone used this service? Do they have an office at CNX or a preferred travel agent in town?

There is a laptop repair shop at Pantip Plaza, second floor. They did a successful repair on my HP laptop for a reasonable price.

I was in Bangkok this week and found a Pix-one shop in Rangsit Future Park (skytrain to mo-chit, then 150 Baht taxi).

Prices are the best I've found in Thailand. Brochure attached.

Pix-one-brochure.pdf

Thank you lopburi3, you have given a sensible answer to my original posting.

Unfortunately, the Thai people are stuck with these rip-offs, and it won't change until the Thais find some way of changing it. As I stated in my OP, it's to the benefit of the few and the detriment of the many. As for the ex-pats, we will do well to buy back home and not support the cartels.

TheScribe.

Last week I decided to buy myself a new dSLR. In the old days I had a 35mm Pentax Spotmatic, used it till it wore out. Then I tried APS and was disappointed, and recently I have been using a Nikon Coolpix P5000.

After a bit of research, I decided a Nikon D3100 might suit me. Went to Big Camera in Chiang Mai Airport Plaza. They didn't have any in stock, should be coming next year. Their brochure show it priced at 24,990 Baht with the 18-55 zoom.

After checking out a few UK and European websites, its clear that this price is up to 20% higher than elsewhere. Check it out at amazon.co.uk. Its £438.40 with free delivery and in stock now. That's about 20,605 Baht with an exchange rate of 47. Even with the sky-high Swiss Franc, the mail order website www.pcp.ch comes in at about 22,000 Baht, delivery in 2 days.

Of course this also applies to most other electronic and computer kit in Thailand, but it certainly wasn't like this 3 or 4 years ago.

Why should this be? The rising Baht is one reason, but not enough. Thai importers and wholesalers have to buy in USD like every one else. Also, Thailand is in the World Trade Organisation, and cannot (legally or at least visibly) charge higher-than-usual import duties without risking retaliation from other countries.

The only reason I can imagine is excessive price-gouging by the importer/retailer cartel (whoever they are). Maybe there are also over-zealous tea-thirsty customs officers adding to the problem.

Anyway, I think rather than whinging, there are two things we could and should be doing.

1) Raise awareness of the problem. Excessive prices on kit benefit the few to the detriment of the many. Thailand is poorer because fewer people can afford the quality stuff. We should be writing to the press about it, and getting a lot more people to complain.

2) We could set up a friendly gift club where anyone doing a trip to Europe, UK or the States brings back one or two friendly gifts for their friends.

I tried to find a place to recycle old batteries. Couldn't. Had a plastic bag full of the things - Mrs Scribe probably chucked them in the rubbish. I think the shops (like Tesco etc.) need to get their act together on this one

There you go, 3BB "pro" 10Mbit... pingtest to UK looks ugly as can be with a straight F.

there is no more 10MB "pro" , those with the so-called pro has been downgraded to 3BB Indy

Thanks for all the responses. I just plugged in the old Hatari modem-router I got from 3BB, and there the line attenuation values are much more reasonable - 12.5 down and 5.0 up.

I'll try using VoIP again, see if its got any better.

I live in an older Moo Baan in Chiang Mai, and I have a 3BB Premier deal, giving 3.5Mbs/1Mbs. This is supplied on 3BB's own wire, no phones on it. I am unable to use the service for VoIP due to the voice connection being dropped immediately, or within a few short minutes. As far as I can tell, there are 3 problems:

1) Line attenuation is very bad - here's what the Belkin modem-router reports:

The attenuation at 126 and 167 seems to be causing many "ADSL media down" events as shown in the Belkin log. I've checked the wiring at my house, all looks OK.

2) Ping test (the one that links from the speedtest site) reports a quality of "D" for servers in the UK and Europe - Pingtest site states that this level of quality cannot reliably support real-time applications.

3) Contention seems much too high for a Premier service - access goes glacial or stops completely on occasions. Often at 5:00pm, just when I need VoIP to call the UK.

Three questions:

1) How can I get 3BB to clean up the line - at the moment they are in problem denial mode.

2) How can I find out if 3BB are giving the correct contention level for a Premier deal?

3) Are the pingtest results usual? Can someone with a 3BB Premier service please try pingtest to e.g. Maidenhead, UK and Berne, Switzerland and post the results here.

Thanks.

Most Premier subscribers were recently upgraded to 3.5mb not 4mb. I am generally happy with my service. Skype works fine, Torrents come in fast.

I can only assume its pot luck - how far one is from the ADSL concentrator, physical line quality, how much user contention etc. etc.

VoIP does NOT work for me, and I'm looking for a solution. I've complained to 3BB, to no avail. Any comments about the wisdom of switching to True?

Thanks,

The Scribe.

I am on the premier package, and very unhappy with the quality of the connection. I supposedly got upgraded to 4Mb/1Mb and pay 1090 baht p.m. However, my Belkin ADSL router reports something rather different:

3584Kbps is not 4Mbps. But what's worse here is that the attenuation is so poor that I cannot use VoIP any more - calls drop out within a few minutes. (When the ADSL was on the phone line, it was fine). I've checked my end of the wire, it's OK. I assume 3BB are connecting lots of subscribers over one wire (not possible if POTS subscribers are on the wire). The loss of usable VoIP is darn costly for me.

I don't need torrents or video or games, but I need VoIP. Am I likely to be better served by True?

Can anyone recommend a nursery school in Mee Chok / Thanawan / Suan Non Si area?

I used one of the companies at Kamtieng and was sorely disappointed.

I specified new topsoil, proper ground leveling & piped drainage. They showed me a PC graphics set of piccies with nice big trees, herb borders etc. etc.

The topsoil was rubbish, there were no drainage pipes, the level of the lawn is wonky, the trees are stunted, and I was ripped off for 40K Baht.

I absolutely advise the OP's friend to DIY as far as possible. As with building work in Thailand, you MUST micro-manage and supervise EVERY step, and be actively involved in EVERY purchase of soil, plants, pipes etc. And don't pay in full until you are really, really satisfied.

I am in an older moo baan in Chiang Mai and have this problem on a recurring basis, and its bloody awful when they get out of hand (like tonight). I am trying to get the lids and vents to the system sealed against mozzies, but its not yet been effective.

I have one 1000 litre black plastic septic tank ("tang-kee") buried in the garden but the locking rim of the lid has now come loose. Should I use silicone or cement to fix it to the concrete collar of the tank?

Also, there needs to be some chemical product that kills the larvae but does not stop the septic process - I can sometimes get blue sachets from a garden supply shop that works (sort-of) but there has to be something better. The usual septic tank powders and tabs aren't effective. Ouch, just got bit by another *&^! mozzie!!!!!!

TheScribe.

I am a Brit living in Chiang Mai on a retirement visa. This was issued on 23 June 2009 and valid until 23 June 2010. I have to report to the immigration office every 90 days, and have a slip stapled in my passport showing the first date to report is today, Sunday 23 August 2009. Went there, but the office is shut. Pity that the nice colourful leaflet that they give you shows opening hours but not opening days.

I'll be there again on Monday, but what should I say if they tell me I'm in trouble?

I am 58 and have just retired to Chiang Mai. I am looking for health insurance for Thailand and occasional visits to Europe. It looks as if all the offerings through Thai Visa stop at age 65, but I was hoping to live a bit longer than that. Are there any other options? Steve.

The property-ownership laws are irksome to us foreigners, but what would the alternatives be?

Anybody can buy property in Spain or Portugal or the UK, and what happened? Price inflation that put so many local and young people out the market that its resulted in a nasty 2-tier society: owners and have-nots.

Spanish property has boomed and boomed, the whole of the coast is now horribly (over)developed, and Florida is a similar story. Would we want Thailand to follow that path? Don't think so.

It is hard that the rich Thais can buy in Switzerland, USA etc. but we can't (securely) buy in Thailand, but that's the price we pay to be here. Many falang residents are (semi)retired males with a Thai partner, and these property laws give her the power. So all you can really do is choose that woman wisely.

If that doesn't suit, you should be making plans to move to Malaga or Ft. Lauderdale.

Steve.

I have been looking at the Internet banking offerings from SCB and Bangkok Bank, and I'm a bit surprised at what I'm seeing. I'm not an expert in computer security, but...

Both banks have login screens that request username and password in full. Both are using 128-bit encryption, and that's fine, but it seems that there is no protection against key-loggers etc. Snooping your username and password in an internet cafe is easy, snooping on your home PC is not difficult if you don't have all your anti-virus & anti-spy stuff well set up. I've used inet banking in Switzerland, Netherland and the UK, and none of them use this system any more.

What needed (at least) is a system to interrogate you about you password (enter the 4th, 12th and 15th character etc.) so that the password is never keyed in full. Better is giving users a hand-held device with a card and PIN - the login process send a code, then the device gives you a one-time-only password. The PIN never goes on the 'net. A cheaper solution is to send an SMS one-time password for every login. Would-be thieves need your username, password AND mobile phone.

As things stand, it's easy to see why the services are pretty restricted - i.e. can only transfer to accounts that you've registered in person. Both SCB and BKB only let you transfer monies to accounts with themselves - someone mentioned that Kasikorn allows transfers to other banks, but that also needs to be registered beforehand.

In short, I think the security is not high, and it's use these service with care - inet cafes could be especially vulnerabl places to do business.

Steve.

.... Not all Thai banks have good online banking, I suggest Kasikorn Bank, forget

Siam Commercial for online banking.

Naka.

Hi Naka - what's wrong with SCB online banking?

I have a savings account with them and as I'm planning to move to Thailand this year, its a service I'm going to need.