jcgodber

A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on!

Every night I unplug my computer and TV I also disconnect the telephone line to the modem. I have now lost 4 modems since I have been here in Thailand (4 years). Even during the day now when I am not using the modem I disconnect it. As it is right now, I am using the only modem that is for sale here in Sa Kaeo . I paid 320 baht for it and you get what you pay for. I now need to buy another better modem.

During a lightning storm we unplug every thing that we can. I too would be very much interested in information about an all house lightning suppressor. I do have a lightning rod mounted on my roof and it runs to ground.

'Jiu-Jitsu'—

Thank you for the really good tip I just sent an email off to [email protected] hopefully I can do it all by EMS

This forum has been a really big help, my thanks to all for the good advice,

Jim Godber

Sa Kaeo

Thanks for the information. The next trip to Bangkok I will take 2 of my batteries to the place there at Pantip.

Jim

I have an old Gateway 9300 laptop that had a dead battery would I have a chance of finding a replacement battery anywhere around here? I really don’t want to get into the problems of importing and duty taxes.

Also I really need to re-install windows 98 would there be any problems? I am quite sure that the thing is stuffed with every virus out there thru use for a long time without any protection.

Any advice welcome.

I would never dream of transferring anything to my CLEAN desktop from the laptop.

My desktop uses a genuine Win XP home with sp2 with Mc Afee

Thanks Jim

in Sa Kaeo

Cathyy—

A few weeks ago my wife and I were up in Khorat. I was up there looking for avocado trees to take home and plant. Any time I am in Khorat we stay at the Grand hotel and go shopping there at THE MALL.

While I was in the grocery store there in the mall I was at the check out counter and saw that the woman customer ahead of me had a discount card. I don’t have one. I was going to get one but the lady just let me use hers. Hay! I saved about 250 baht.

I maintain a continuing shopping list of what goods to be on the look out for.

Heinz relish

Tomato sauce

Whole Wheat flour

Canned butter

Vanilla sticks

Crystal brand steak sauce

Large Thai grown Avocados

English muffins

Bagels

Colby cheese

Corn meal

Pam cooking spray or similar

Electric carving knife - for slicing bread

Molasses

I am probably like most other farangs that have come to Thailand to make my home. I am always looking trying to find hard to find things. I consider it a treat to get to go shopping at one of the Villa stores. They really do have a lot of things that are hard to find. I normally buy most of my food in Patteya at Foodland, Best and Friendship markets. For me it is a 5-hour round trip but for you it would almost be an overnight stay. I take a 120-liter plastic icebox to keep all the cold things cold while in transit. I usually only go shopping once a month or so as I keep a full pantry and a stuffed freezer.

I had to laugh about the oven mitts. I never had given it a thought. When we moved here to Thailand I loaded a container filled to the max with absolutely everything we owned and if we didn’t own it I went out and bought it. Of course I brought everything from the kitchen even the appliances that were 120 volt only. I just bought transformers to use. Now I have to be perfectly honest, more that once I have plugged something 120 volts into the 220 volt outlet and the appliance instantly became a boat anchor. That is was happened to my “first” bread machine. Anytime I go back to the U.S., which seems to be about once a year, we travel with 4 empty suitcases (well almost). Coming back I have the absolute maximum allowed 40 kilos per bag times 4. This last trip I even brought back 4 dozen bagels, which once home, each one got put into a zip lock bag and frozen.

What does your husband do? Is he retired?

Well bye for now,

Jim

Cathy- Thank you for the tip about Verasu. I went to their web site and they really do have a lot of good stuff even though it is a bit pricey.

What is your speciality?

I do Enchaldas, tacos Chillidogs to die for and Beef short ribs and make killer sourdough bread.

I also bake pies and make a really good chocolate pudding.

Where do you live up North/

I live in Sa Kaeo

Jim

Thanks for the information. I too was concerened about using up another cigar lighter outlet. While my Isuzu has 2 outlets they are both being used, one by my GPS and the other with my radar detector.

I have not hardwired my GPS( garmin Street Pilot 2620) because I like to take the GPS with me when I travelback to America. I can just plop it into a rental car and I am good to go.

Jim

Hello Richard-

I have seen several of your post in the past but for some reason I didn’t realize that you live here in Sa Kaeo.

You would be very surprised to know that there are quite a few farangs around here.

I have lived here in the village of Nom Puk Tao for the last 4 years full time and the last 15 years part time prior to retiring early.

Nom Puk Tao is 23 kilometers west of Sa Kaeo on highway 33. As you go West from Sa Kaeo you would pass thru Sala Lam Duang and the Ban Kang and my village is 5 more kilos west.

I used to live in Los Angeles California (Simi Valley). We should get together some time for a chat.

Jim aka "Baron"of Sa Kaeo

"SCB must has an ABA number as it has a bank in NYC. Does anybody out there know it?"

Siam City Bank

I went to the B of A home banking site and went to make transfer area. As you know The B of A does not have a listing for SCB but if you enter in the router box 021000021

You will be shown J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. I have now filled in the needed information (acct# & the aba routing #) and have initiated the two test transfers. I don’t know if it will work but I am quite hopeful. I will know more in 3 or 4 days

Instruction for wire transfer to our bank :

By SWIFT

SWIFT Address : SITYTHBK

ABA Routing No: 021000021 for Credit Account No.544746839

of Siam City Bank, Bangkok

Receiving Bank: SIAM CITY BANK

<Branch Name>, Sa Kaeo

THAILAND

Jim

Richard- I just now got back from my Bank of Bangkok branch in Kabinbui. The manager had no idea of what a ABA routing number is. I then had him call Bangkok to ask someone higher up the food chain that might know how to get the number. NO luck all they could do was keep showing me their SWIFT code number.

Question? What did you do on the Bank of America website in the box that asked for the routing number?

I wait your answer,

Jim, out in the boonies

Richard-

I have also been fighting trying to figure out how to transfer money. A few months ago I was in my branch in California expressly for the purpose of setting up a monthly or bi-monthly transfer. My branch suggested that I simply make my account here in Thailand a payee. Once I got back home I discovered that Home Banking did not do INTERNATIONAL payees.

I have now resorted to simply writing a personal check ($5000) and wait for it to clear and be added to my account here in Thailand at Siam City Bank. The plan worked perfectly except it took 34 days. The check had cleared B of A in only 14 days and the rest of the time S.C.B. had free use of my money.

I am very happy to read your post. I will try your way TODAY.

Once again thank you,

Jim Godber

Sa Kaeo,

[email protected]

I found that when I added film to my windows the Garmin Street Pilot GPS (ESRI BKK) could not get a signil. I added the Garmin Exteior antenna with the magnet, stuck it on the roof and Iam good to go

Ah! My first thought would be --

No oven!

Before you shell out 8000Baht go over to Makro. I saw the Sanyo stove with 3 burner and oven there 3 days ago selling for 5600 baht.

A friend of mine also just bought one.

Jim

Chanthaburi_map.pdfTim-

Motorbikes can be rented over near the Eastern Hotel.

Please see map that I have included. It is in Thai so you will have to show map to taxi driver or wife.

Jim from Sa Kaeo

The town that will soon have a new Makro

Peter-

We have no cable and no telephone in my village

I guess that I should have mentioned that I live about 25 kilometers west from sa Kaeo. I live in a very small village of 500 people. I have the only telephone here. After the village headman’s telephone went belly up, the phone company wanted him to pay the repair cost. The headman didn’t or couldn’t pay so I made the man an offer for him to sign the phone over to me. I paid the phone company to run 2 kilometers of wire to my house to get me onto the “landline”. As it turns out the “landline” actually goes to some kind of a radio transmitter and my bandwidth speed is BELOW 28.8

The only TV I get is from my big dish that has both C-Band and KU band. I get maybe 800 channels but no Fox.

I forgot to mention that 750 of those channels are of a language that I don’t understand.

Jim

"Apologies also for my ignorance, what,s your take on the area. + and -

Not being sarcastic by the way, just genuinely interested.

marshbags "

P.S.

--------------------------------------------------------

I drove down to Chanthaburi yesterday to do some shopping while there I went into the Makro. An employee there said that Casino (Big C) wanted to build a store also in Chanthaburi but was shot down by the government. Rumor has it that they will try to build the big C in Sa Kaeo instead as Sa Kaeo has nothing. Also there is now a new Makro under construction here in Sa Kaeo and every day I make a point of checking to see that the workmen are still there working. They seem to be building at a breakneck speed.

No! I took no offence with your post, I am sure that I “spoke” a little harshly, I am just anxious for someone to build something, anything, near me. I think that it will all blow over right after the coming elections.

Jim

I note that they plan an additional 170 stores, where are they going to put them all bearing in mind most larger cities already have them, along with the other companies.

This would put more than a few local businesses out of action after many years of building up a customer base and putting in personal investment along with their money.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ah! Excuse me please! The entire province of Sa Kaeo has not even one “big box” store. I am forced to make the very long 2-hour drive anytime I need to shop, wasting, fuel, time and money.

If you want to watch PBS news hour simply swing your dish over to ASIASAT-2 go to channe; 13 , the news hour starts at 5:00 p.m. week days here Thailand time

Jim

I am still trying to get Fox

'

Hi Tim- Before I retired and moved to Thailand I to used to come here for 3 months a year also. I bought a used Honda motorbike and before I returned to California each year, I would drain the gas out of it and lock it in such a way that the “family” could not borrow it. My wife asked me once if I could just let a brother use the bike while I was gone and I firmly replied ‘NO”. If I left the bike in someone else’s hands I would return to Thailand only to find a worn out and broken motorbike. I had told my wife that if the brother or anyone else really needed a motorbike that we should just buy all of them motorbikes “but they can’t have mine”. My wife then saw that it would be stupid to start buying for anyone or everyone.

Tim- I have to drive down to Chanthaburi this morning to see my doctor at the Chanthaburi- Bangkok hospital. I will have a look around the town and see just what the deal is with renting. As you know, there is not a lot of tourist there so probably not too many place are set up for rental. I do have some Thai friends there so I will ask them and get back to you in a day or two.

Jim

Like in any country-

Don't loan money.

If you must, make a gift of the money.

Jim

Where can I find the Fox News Channel? I used to be able to get it ,but now the network that I probably can’t mention here, no longer carries it.

Does anyone know just where I can once again get it, from here in Thailand?

I have sent emails to Fox and to the satellite company that no longer carries it.

Why buy cats??

I daily take food and feed 25-30 unwanted cats that have been just dumped at the Wat near my home.

You can have any of these cats for free!

Jim

Tommy's World Famous Chilidog

Original Tommy's World Famous Hamburgers

This clone recipe may be for the whole hamburger, but anybody who knows about Tommy's

goes there for the chili -- and that's the part of this clone they really want. That's also the part

that required the most kitchen sleuthing. Turn out it's an old chili con carne recipe created back

in 1946 by Tommy's founder, Tommy Koulax, for his first hamburger stand on the corner of

Beverly and Rampart Boulevards in Los Angeles. Adding the right combination of water and

flour and broth and spices to the meat we can create a thick tomato-less chili sauce worthy of the

gajillions of southern California college students that make late-night Tommy's runs a four-year

habit. And if you don't live near one of the two -dozen Tommy's outlets, you can still get a gallon

of Tommy's famous chili shipped to you. But I hope you really dig the stuff: You'll shell out

around 70 bucks for the dry ice packaging and overnight shipping. And don't expect to see the

ingredients on the label since the chili comes packed in a gallon-size mustard jug.

Chili

1 pound ground beef (not lean)*

1/4 cup flour plus 1 1/4 cups flour

1 1/3 cups beef broth

4 cups water

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoon grated (and then chopped) carrot

1 tablespoon white vinegar

2 teaspoons dried minced onion

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3 pounds ground beef

8 hamburger buns

16 slices Kraft cheddar cheese Singles

1/2 cup diced onion

32 to 40 hamburger pickles (slices)

8 slices large beefsteak tomato (1/2-inch thick)

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1. Prepare the chili by first browning the meat in a large saucepan over medium heat. Crumble

the meat as it browns. When the meat has been entirely cooked (7 to 10 minutes), pour the meat

into a strainer over a large cup or saucepan. Let the fat drip out of the meat for about 5 minutes,

then return the meat back to the first saucepan. Cover and set aside.

2. With the fat from the meat, we will now make a roux -- a French contribution to thicker

sauces and gravies usually made with fat and flour. Heat the drippings in a saucepan over

medium heat (you should have drained off around 1/2 cup of the stuff). When the fat is hot, add

1/4 cup flour to the pan and stir well. Reduce heat to medium/low, and continue to heat the roux,

stirring often until it is a rich caramel color. This should take from 10 to 15 minutes. Add the

beef broth to the pan and stir. Remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, back at the other pan, add the water to the beef, then whisk in the remaining 1 1/4

cups flour. Add the ro ux/broth mixture and the other chili ingredients and whisk until blended.

Make sure your grated carrot is chopped up to the size of rice before you add it.

4. Crank the heat up to medium/high. Stir often until you see bubbles forming on the surface of

the chili. Turn the heat down to medium/low, and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or

until thick. The chili should be calmly bubbling like lava as it simmers. When it's done cooking,

take the chili off the heat, cover it, and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour before using it on the

burgers. It should thicken to a tasty brown paste as it sits.

5. To make your hamburgers, you'll first divide 3 pounds of hamburger into 16 portions of 3

ounces each. Grill the burgers on in a hot skillet or on an indoor griddle for 4 to 5 minutes per

side or until done. Use some salt and pepper on each patty.

6. Build the burgers by lightly toasting the faces of the hamburger buns. Turn them over into a

hot skillet or a griddle on medium heat.

7. Place one patty onto the bottom bun.

8. Position two slices of cheese on the meat.

9. Place another beef patty on the cheese.

10. Spoon about 1/3 cup of chili onto the beef patty.

11. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of diced onion onto the chili.

12. Arrange 4 to 5 pickle slices on the onion.

13. Place a thick slice of tomato on next.

14. Spread mustard over the face of the top bun and top off your hamburger by turning this bun

over onto the tomato.

Makes 8 burgers. (6 cups of chili.)

*Tidbits

Make sure the ground beef you use has a fat content of at least 20 percent. This way you'll be

sure to get enough fat to make the roux.

Jim