wpcoe

Forgot to add, to answer Shagwell's questions: Yes, I'm on a six-month package, and get a small discount (3%?) for prepaying six months at a time. There is a larger discount (5%?) for prepaying a 12-months.

TT&T has different promotions at different times. When I signed up, I had to agree to a 12-month package to get a free USB-modem. If you have an ADSL modem you can use your own. TT&T gives you the particular settings you need to make.

I can't recall any start-up fees, but if there were, they must have been minor. TT&T only required a copy of my passport. At the time I was in Thailand on a 30-day visa-waiver stamp. When I had called TOT at the time to compare, they would not issue me an account without a work permit, or so they said.

TT&T Maxnet doubled the speed of its cheapest home packages this month.

e.g. My MaxNet for Home 1024/512 (unlimited usage) package was B1000/month. It is now a 2048/512 package for the same B1000/month.

I'm *assuming* (a dangerous act in LOS, I know...) that the next level down, which used to be 512/256 for B790/month is now 1024/512 for the same B790/month.

There apparently was an insert with the last TT&T bill (in Thai) that announced the change and advising that the upgrade would only be made upon request, but mine was automatically upgraded with no input or action on my part.

This is coming from left field and may not apply, but I will throw it out as a "possibility."

When I subscribed to TT&T's cheapest ADSL package for home use, one of the restrictions written on the brochure was that it could not be used with VoIP or file-sharing apps.

Maybe that could be the cause of the service drops? If it detects restricted usage (port usage, etc) it drops the connection?

Maybe you could ask TOT if there is any such usage restriction on your type of ADSL account.

Whichever insurance carrier you go with, choose carefully and be aware that as time goes on it will be less and less likely you'll be able to change to a different carrier.

The Thai insurers are VERY big on excluding pre-existing conditions. The longer you use your insurance, or even just visit a Thai hospital without insurance, you create an ever-expanding list of things that will be excluded from coverage if you change to a new insurer.

I'm "locked into" BUPA for that very reason because they've covered a number of my maladies in the 3 or 4 years that I've subscribed to them. That said, other than one bristly "pre-existing condition" episode I had with them, I'm pleased with their service and coverage. My experience has been with major farang-oriented hospitals (BNH, Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital-Pattaya) and at each place's cashier desk, it has only been a short wait (5 to 10 minutes) while the hospital cleared the charges with BUPA.

When I was a member of Fitness First several years ago I had to get a "passport" of some sort before I left Thailand, to be able to use FF facilities overseas. I can't remember, but I think there was a charge for the passport, and certain of the overseas FF clubs still charged a small entrance fee. Is it similar for California Fitness?

Virtually all of my arrivals and departures at Suvarnabhumi are at nighttime or early morning (before sunrise). The lighting in the terminal seems to be inadequate -- it's too dark and combined with the exposed-concrete design produces a gloomy effect. In particular, above the shops they should put some upward facing lights to brigthen up the scene by shining toward the white (well, kinda white) roofing fabric.

I have met visitors arriving in day time, and at least the main terminal (not airside) seems bright and cheery, whereas it doesn't at night. How is airside during daytime with natural lighting?

An additional problem that I think is intensified by inadequate lighting is the condition of the flooring. With darkness and shadows, the unevenness and uncleanliness of those poorly chosen floor tiles is amplified. I would think under brighter lighting it would be less noticeable? (Why are so many of those tiles already cracked and chipped, anyway?)

To compare and contrast, all of my arrivals and departures at Singapore's Changi airport have been at night time and that place is so bright and cheerful. In addition, all the orchids and potted palms give it a feeling of life. Suvarnabhumi is just dull, drab and gloomy.

Thanks for the feedback.

My original enthusiasm has been dampened a bit, as it appears the Bank of Ayudhya account *is* a time deposit account. It still might work to my benefit, but I'm more inclined to stick with my current arrangements with SCB.

My plan has been to SWIFT transfer to Thailand one time per year the funds I anticipate I will need to live on for the next year, and to coordinate the timing of that transfer so that it also satisfies the bank deposit requirements for the retirement extension. Due to the low THB-USD rate now, maybe I'll transfer in only what is needed to meet the retirement extension. Who knows. I've often heard you can never win when playing a game with foreign currency exchange rates.

I recently read on another forum that Bank of Ayuthya offers foreign currency savings accounts (including US$, which is what I would be using) that bear 4% interest and permit on-the-spot THB withdrawals (i.e. not a term deposit account that must remain untouched for a set period of time).

If that information were true, it would make my upcoming annual SWIFT transfer of funds to Thailand much less painful, in light of the low USD-THB exchange rate at the moment.

Would such an account be acceptable by Thai Immigrations to qualify for retirement (or Thai wife, though that's not my case) extensions in Thailand? All the regulations I've read mention THB only, but I wonder if a USD equivalent would be acceptable. Has anybody successfully (and recently) used a foreign currency account in a Thai bank for a visa extension?

First one is next to the Hide-Away Bar, what used to be 'The Chippy' has now been renamed 'Tikka Centre 2'.

Ah, so The Chippy finally bit the dust? I used to eat there frequently a couple years ago, then the quality and quantity of food started to vary so much, I stopped going. Sometimes the chips and peas would almost not fit on the plate, other times there were only a small spot of peas and half the normal amount of chips. Same-same for consitent quality. I miss the *old* Chippy.

A vegetarian friend is coming to visit this weekend and staying in the Jomtien Complex area, so maybe we'll try the Cafe India.

And, here I thought this topic would be about an Ebonics version of Google.

I seem to recall that there was some irresponsible reporting mixed in with the now-apparent accuracy of reporting runway cracks. There was front page hyperbole about American experts flown it to evaluate the extent and danger of the cracks, and later it was admitted that no such foreign experts were involved.

I have no doubt others far more plugged into this issue will correct my memory. What exactly was the reason given at the time the reporter was sacked for his dismissal -- inaccuracy as to the existence of cracks, inaccuracy of reporting the involvement of foreign experts, or something else?

Having said that, the local lamb at Carrfour yesterday made excellent scewers for the BBQ!

Did it take long to explain to the lamb how you wanted the skewers made? As it was a local lamb, did you have to speak Thai to it?

Advocates for getting non-imm-OA outside of Thailand when it is so easy after you arrive in Thailand just seem to me to be out of touch with reality or gluttons for punishment or both. Perhaps they feel more secure getting the non-imm-OA before traveling?

Or... perhaps they are reluctant to transfer a large chunk of money to Thailand at present, as the OP posted in bold print?

He didn't mention it, but there may also be a three-month wait and accompanying visa dance that accompanies it. (With a 90-day visa, it could well expire before the three-month money seasoning has ripened, requiring more effort that's unnecessary with O-A obtained overseas.)

Many retirees have high-yield bearing investments in their home country. To withdraw funds (perhaps with penalties) to put in even a 4% interest account in Thailand is something they may wish to delay. They can delay that by up to two years by getting the O-A visa in their home country.

There's often two sides to a story, if not at least pros and cons.

I just checked via my modem/router's software, and my MaxNet 1Mbps has been upgraded to 2Mbps. Not bad for B1000/month! (Upload speed still 512Kbps, but that's fine with me.)

Anything you’re hoping makes it in that’s not listed here?

Yes, the return of IEEE-1394 (FireWire) networking that worked so well in WinXP.

Moving from Oz (50Hz) to Japan (60Hz) causes fewer issues than going the other way, it's all down to the amount of iron in the transformers and motor cores, 60Hz units can be made slightly lighter (cheaper), these MAY overheat when run on a 50Hz supply.

FYI, Eastern Japan (including Tokyo) is 50Hz, and Western Japan (including Osaka) is 60Hz.

Also, Japan is 100V, and not 110V.

Yes, I had my (congenital) deviated septum corrected in Thailand a couple years ago at Bangkok Nursing Hospital (BNH) on Soi Convent in Bangkok. I have *HIGH* regard to the ENT doctor, Doctor Pasakorn, who performed the operation.

I was kept inpatient for one night. I was told I could stay two nights, but that if I wanted to check out after the first night it was okay, just to be sure to return for the post-op checkup on the next day, which I did. I'm not fond of hospitals, even when they are like five-star hotels, and preferred to convalesce at home.

I don't have the medical receipts here on hand now, but will try to locate them. I have a combination of local Thai BUPA health insurance and Blue Cross/Blue Shield-administered insurance with my employer in the USA, so in the end I ended up paying next to nothing, hence I can't even make a guess at what the costs were right now.

I might add that my admiration and repect for Doctor Pasakorn is not from just that one procedure. I also have chronic tinnitis, and had several consultations with him about that, and also about some chronic ear infections i had more recently.

[edited for typos...]

by the way, an old trick to keep evaporator coils rather clean and assist good drainage is to stick a few small pieces of soap (from left overs) between the fins of the heat exchanger which reduces even the low surface tension of condensated water.

Do you mean a sliver of soap between each vertical fin toward the top? I could see where that would work, but sure would be tedious work. :-)

With that technique in mind, there should be a retail market for some sort of spray-on solution that would coat the fins and achieve the same effect -- a slow melting, "slippery," antibacterial coating. Or, are modern a/c units' evaporator fins pre-coated with such a substance? If not, sounds like a decent market for an inventor.

Sounds pretty grim to me. That must be a very uncomfortable half hour...

Unless it's like my RK (radial keratotomy ... old-fashioned cutting of the cornea with a knife) some 20+ years ago when they doped me up pretty good with valium. If it were physically uncomfortable, I sure didn't care. :-)

Unless you a Thai group in which case I think the max is about 8

I didn't realize there were moto-sai taxis at the airport!

For those of you not up on some of the jargon/lingo, it's called "bug chasing" and "bug giving."

Oops. I meant: It's "bug chasing" and "gift giving."

If you use the taxi queue on the ground floor, and are prepared to wait a bit, they will ask you to stand aside until the next "station wagon" taxi arrives. Then you could still have four adults and (not an excesive amount of) luggage in the back of the taxi.

Also, I think the official AOT "taxi" counters on the arrival level offer minivans which would accommodate more than four passengers, but I don't know the price.

Any report of WHEN they might do this? I really, really miss youtube.com ... it's my way of reliving my disco days with all the 70's and 80's music videos.

Be careful reading the credit card use statement as it says "Thai" so it probably does not include foreign cards.

I don't want to cause serious thread drift, but the issue of Thai credit cards raises a question I hadn't considered: Can a farang retiree obtain a credit card from a bank (or department store?) in Thaliand, assuming no work permit/no job?

Also, a year ago I (an American) entered Thailand on a visa waiver stamp, converted to an O visa as lopburi3 mentions, and ended up with a one-year extension for retirement. My experience is detailed on The express lane to a Thai Retirement Visa within Thailand and I know the process still exists and works today.

That said, however, Lite Beer has a good point that retirement in 2011 could be completely different