Tammi

<snip>

Mod Edit - continued discussion on msg deleted.

I was very happy to see the report in the Pattaya People paper. Maybe something will get done about the poor, sick dogs. Did I hear correctly when I heard that one of the Chonburi guys is on the management board of Pattaya People?

Anybody know restaurants that definitely do not use MSG?

Was in a restaurant the other night and did my usual "mai cai ponjerot" and waiter didn't understand. Along came another waiter so said my piece again. No problem, immediately understood. Asked why first waiter didn't understand and was told he is from Isan!

Many folks are allergic to MSG and can get dreadfully ill. Would appreciate if next time you are in your favourite restaurants you ask if they use MSG. I'm guessing that most of the Thai/Chinese do use, but you never know. I love Thai and Chinese but can only eat if I cook it.

May I ask that MSG yes/no be added to details about restaurants on this excellent thread?

I keep looking at Grand Condotel on Thappraya Road with the thought to buy a condo there but some things concern me of which parking is one. At Grand Condo a parking space is allocated to a condo. Apparently this allocation was done way back when the condo was built. I would guess that half the parking is covered being under the tennis courts and the other have has no cover. The condo I am interested in does not have covered parking.

I have been told that the Manager issues a letter saying that the parking space belongs to the condo. Can this be right? I would have thought that parking spaces are common areas.

I have been to quite a few other condos and nowhere else have I seen condo unit numbers written on parking spaces.

Please tell me about parking at your condos.

Car parks at condominiums come under the general common assets description....sometimes called co-owned areas. Normally, every "unit" in the condominium has the right to park two cars. My condo does not allocate parking bays to each unit as the common assets are quite expansive and owners do move around from facility to facility in their cars.

Strictly speaking, the parking spaces do belong to the condo but the condo belongs to the co-owners....so they are co-owned areas.

Yes, sorry, I didn't write clearly. The Manager at Grand Condo apparently issues letters that the parking space is owned by the co-owner. I say this is nonsense, that parking spaces are common area. If a parking space was owned by a co-owner it would be on the deed that is received from the land office, wouldn't it?

White Knight on Soi VC (just after Sunee Plaza when coming from VC Hotel) serves an excellent and different buffet every evening for 2 weeks then goes back to beginning. European and Thai. No MSG. Always serves several vegetarian dishes. And the desserts!! B220. Free meal after 12 meals. Desserts and tea/coffee is B130. Sample desserts on one of the Sundays: Orange Mousse with strawberries, Sherry Trifle, Apple and blackberry sponge, Apple pie, Chocolate steamed pudding, custard. There's also a goodbye drink. Run by Tony (Brit) and Ken (Thai).

I keep looking at Grand Condotel on Thappraya Road with the thought to buy a condo there but some things concern me of which parking is one. At Grand Condo a parking space is allocated to a condo. Apparently this allocation was done way back when the condo was built. I would guess that half the parking is covered being under the tenns courts and the other have has no cover. The condo I am interested in does not have covered parking.

I have been told that the Manager issues a letter saying that the parking space belongs to the condo. Can this be right? I would have thought that parking spaces are common areas.

I have been to quite a few other condos and nowhere else have I seen condo unit numbers written on parking spaces.

Please tell me about parking at your condos.

Blackjack - as far as I can see there are no hard and fast rules as far as how high you can build, it depends greatly on location and each plot of land has to be checked out individually at the land office. Generally speaking in Jomtien, as far down as Metro (approx Soi 18) you have to be at least 65 Metres from the SAND before you build anything at all. Then, you have to go back a further 100 Metres before you can build anything over 5 storeys. The size of the actual land plot will dictate how high you can build - called the setback rule - but the rule does not apply across the board (TIT) and is often subject to change over time. Once you step foot past Soi 18 ie. past the city limits and you can do what ever you want to apparently! IMO It's inevitable that most empty beachfront land is going to be built on at some stage - lets just hope that it's not all just concrete coz I don't fancy living in Milton Keynes by The Sea!

IMO, the plot that is going to have 91 storeys (O1) looks tiny.

There's a flyer with today's Bangkok Post that VT Marina Beach Condo will be 30 storey cereal box and is affiliated with Sandy Spring Hotel. So looks as though they will do the same as on Dongtan Beach where affiliation was with Avalon.

Dongtan Beach has buildings much, much closer to the sand than 65 metres. 3 - 5 metres more likely. There's just the width of the walking road between the sand and the buildings.

Of course, it's all going to be concrete. I don't know of City Hall buying land to make into parks. There seems to be no plan for Pattaya and Jomthien. Everybody just builds higgledy-piggledly.

I've used Velcro. Buy at Home Pro. One piece sticks on the wall, the other on the picture.

Another cereal box? This place is beginning to look soooo ugly!

This is the first "cereal box" that far south.

Most folks would be going out of their way to accidently pass this one, I think. For the time being, of course. There are several more plots on Jomtien Beach Road in that area still ripe for development.

Went to have a look at Le Royal. Sharkey's on the south side is now closed and on north side is vacant lot. I would be scared to buy Le Royal in case View Talay buy the land and build 2 more cereal boxes. And VT will build as close to boundary if they have to to get the cereal box in the space. What if they build one on each side of Le Royal? Also, City Hall can change the law every 5 years (so I have been told) with respect to how close a new building can be to the beach. Its a nightmare!

On 2006-12-17 Viking wrote "But I have done my far share of contribution in silence".

I need a handyman/builder to take out a glass panel and frame. About an hours work.

Try Bo at 0876038556.

If you are serious in your support these unfortunate children I strongly suggest that you and your wife adopt one or more of them! Lots of fun and merit in the future. Good luck!

Viking

Viking, It would be absolutely the best if we could each adopt one of these children. But circumstances often don't allow. So, I, like you, will continue to help in other ways. Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2007.

When wlking round Pattaya you will find dozens of little kiosks advertising taxis. These are really private saloon cars. Pick up business cards at each, note the phone numbers on your mobile and you will find that the person at the other end will almost always speak good English. Short journeys or long - within Pattaya or going to airport, Nong Nooch, Sri Racha Zoo, Sattahip, doesn't matter. They will quote a prce and you can take it or leave it.

I find it's better than buying my own car.

At the moment I am using Ann for 3 hour shopping trips within Pattaya. She advertises new cars but they're not but mai pen rai. This morning she sent an old clunker with no seat belts but nice driver. We went as far south as Le Royal (do you want to know my impressions?) and as far north as Mr. Paint on Sukhumvit. B400 for 3 hours. Not bad. Of course, a lot of the time he was sitting still at le Royal. Tel 086-7951181, 086-0061618, 086-3747274, 085-9995607.

A friend does the trip occassionally and says it's great!

May he rest in peace. Not good to die alone. Perhaps we should have an expat help centre.

With the increase in crime and drugs, maybe a cottage industry will spring up like I found in Bogota in the 70's. Any in home problems were handled personally by your self, and then a call to a number brought a crew early the next morning and in a few hours you would never know anything had taken place in the house. The cost was an ecconomical $50. I found this out after being almost assisnated by a robber I had tied up after show him my best Brue Lee Num Chuck immitation, and called the police to haul away....3 weeks later he came back with some friends.

Well no more Mr. Nice Guy after that.

I really look forward to a peaceful retirement in Thailand, but will prepare for the unexpected.

Bogota sounds like South Africa in the 70s. Shoot the intruder in the garden whenever possible, put him on a tarpaulin and drag the body into the living room, and then send for police. Think it would work here?

Don't put a lot of money in a Thai bank with an ATM card. I keep little money in my BKK Bank account. Most of my money is in my US accounts. They are both insured. Any problems, the bank fixes it. My sister visited Bali and got her card copied and just had to show the purchases were made when she wasn't in the location of the purchases. She wasn't charged. Visa will also insure any transaction of a check card.

Main thing: don't put large sums of money in Thai banks with ATM card. Oh yeah, don't put more money than you have to in a Thai bank. With a foreign country, there is always the chance of expropriation. Unlikely, but might as well not chance it especially with a country having coups every 5 or so years.

But we have to have our 800,000 bahts for our retirement visas in an Thai bank account and now have to show that it is there for 3 months prior to getting visa. And, I would guess, most folks have it in a savings account and have an ATM card on the account.

I must say, so far and touch wood, have had no problem with Kasikorn. The two times ATMs didn't work properly, phoned them up and spoke with someone with excellent English, and problem fixed immediately.

And I aways know how much is in the account. Easy to keep tabs with Quicken.

The answer is in your own text, you need to keep the money in an account for 3months, why then would you put it in to a low interested rate ATM account, I wouldnt, and thinking about it now, would you ?

I have it in a Savings Account that pays almost b/a interest. I've had large expenses this year so lots of money coming in. Bank has paid me B4,945.73 in interest. If I put 800,000 into deposit account will I get more interest? Will Immigration accept deposit account? Even though bank writes a letter to say I have the money, Immigration always ask for bank book.

I wade through endless Russians to get to the water. This year the beach is noticeably less littered with them than in previous years.

Talk about national prejudice on this forum. You consider Russians as litter? Why? What SUPERIOR nationality are you?

Not a national prejudice at all. Saying that a beach (or a park, or anywhere) is littered with people is not in any way a demeaning statement towards those people, it just indicates that people are scattered over the area. On Dongtan beach these people happen to be Russian and I was merely observing that there are less of them on the beach than previous years.I do not consider myself superior to anyone, neither do I consider where I happened to have been born to be of any relevance to the person that I am. But to answer your question; Chechnya

Maybe there are less Russians than usual because if they want a clean patch of beach they have to clean it themselves. One morning I came across a Russian lady clearing an area for her party of friends. She had borrowed a rake. Problem is on Dongtan Beach that if you don't want to sit under rows of umbrellas with old men and gays you have to use part of the beach where there are no umbrellas and it seems that nobody is detailed to clean those parts of the beach. I feel very sorry for the tourists standing looking perplexed among the garbage. Also, Thai men sleep on the beach and at every tree there is wet. ? urination. Toilets don't open until 8am. Around the toilet areas the mess is deplorable. Garbage bins are too few and never washed and areas round bins are filthy. The place stinks! If I was a tourist using Dongtan Beach I certainly would not come back again.

Let's hope a new mayor will get this place into shape.

Ever considered that a Bar Owner has to pay for...

Power

Staff

BIB

Rent

etc etc

If they only made say the profit on beer,they would probably go out of business.Just a thought.

What's BIB?

local cops

OOOPH! Etiquette problems, ATM problems, now paying the local cops.

Don't put a lot of money in a Thai bank with an ATM card. I keep little money in my BKK Bank account. Most of my money is in my US accounts. They are both insured. Any problems, the bank fixes it. My sister visited Bali and got her card copied and just had to show the purchases were made when she wasn't in the location of the purchases. She wasn't charged. Visa will also insure any transaction of a check card.

Main thing: don't put large sums of money in Thai banks with ATM card. Oh yeah, don't put more money than you have to in a Thai bank. With a foreign country, there is always the chance of expropriation. Unlikely, but might as well not chance it especially with a country having coups every 5 or so years.

But we have to have our 800,000 bahts for our retirement visas in an Thai bank account and now have to show that it is there for 3 months prior to getting visa. And, I would guess, most folks have it in a savings account and have an ATM card on the account.

I must say, so far and touch wood, have had no problem with Kasikorn. The two times ATMs didn't work properly, phoned them up and spoke with someone with excellent English, and problem fixed immediately.

And I aways know how much is in the account. Easy to keep tabs with Quicken.

Ever considered that a Bar Owner has to pay for...

Power

Staff

BIB

Rent

etc etc

If they only made say the profit on beer,they would probably go out of business.Just a thought.

What's BIB?

I did the mistake of pouring a drink palm up once, and got summarily told that it was extremely unpolite.

I was told off for using my foot to point at something on the ground. Now we have this guy being shot for exposing his palm while offering a drink.

Are there any other Thai etiquette rules we should be aware of? Internet sites and travel books usually only mention not touching a Thai's head, and not using one's foot to stop a rolling Thai coin, and, of course, not getting angry.

If, in my home country, I met a Thai (or any other foreigner) who made a mistake in etiquette I would hesitate to roundly tell him off.

Maybe Asians are more touchy than Westerners? I recall another gaffe I made in another Asian country. I had to host a dinner for government officials who were visiting the area. After dinner we were relaxing with drinks when the chief guest abruptly got up and left with his entourage in tow. After a few days I was told that I had turned the sole of my foot towards him! Anyway he is now dead and gone and may he be resting in peace and not walking out of dinner parties given with the best of intentions by someone who unknowingly shows the bottom of the foot to him.

Had 6 weeks treatment back in the UK for a shoulder injury and mentioned to mr bakc doctor I was heading off to LOS for 4 weeks holiday and about the mass-aaaaage available, he said that some do more harm than good, especially if they dont know what they're doing? Not too sure how true this is though....

That said, the old 'neck cracker' you get whilst taking a wee is very refreshing once you learn not to jump and spray 2nd hand Chang all over the falang next to you

You should not allow a masseur to put pressure directly on the spine. And toilet attendants cracking elderly necks! I cringe at the very thought.

One thing you can do at home that might help a bad back is to hang by your hands from a door. The weight of your body will stretch the spine and maybe things will click back into place. Another thing you can do carefully is to put your feet on either side of the door while grasping the door knobs. Lean back. If you have pain stop immediately and turn around. Grasp the door handles again and lean forward. In one of these positions you probably won't have pain and will stretch your back and things might slip back into place. But gently, gently! But maybe better to have Dr. Pack do a manipulation or physio at BPH.

Killed for pouring whisky the wrong way

The Banglamung police were informed at 2 am on 26th December that a Thai man was shot, sent to Banglamung hospital, and died not long after since the wounds were too severe.

Police Colonel Noppadon Sonsumran, Chief of Banglamung Police, went to investigate at the hospital together with his team to find a Thai man – aged around 27, name unknown because he did not have any ID. In his wallet 3 cards from a pawnshop were found – under the name of Mr. Thepphitak. However, the police are still unsure who the man is since there is no clear evidence.

The police questioned Mr. Wisanu, aged 26 – who came to the hospital with the deceased. He said that all he knows is the dead man’s nickname is Jack. They knew each other from a gang in Naklua but nowadays they worked by selling things at weekend markets.

Mr. Wisanu told the police that earlier he and Jack went to a friend’s wedding celebration. They drank and had a good time and everyone got drunk. Mr. Wisanu then explained about the rule about drinking in Thailand; when you pour whisky or mixers for anyone in Thailand – never ever do it with your hand facing up – it is an insult as this gesture is used when one traditionally sprinkles water on a dead body.

On that night that was what Jack did; he insulted many at the party and one of the guests using a shotgun, shot him 9 times in the chest. People at the wedding quickly helped send him to the hospital and the gunman fled on a truck.

The police are now searching for the gunman and trying to find if there are other reasons why he had to shoot unfortunate Jack.

-Pattaya People

26 Dec 2006

May Jack rest in peace.

I got into trouble for using my toe to point at something so would like to know more about this Thai no-no about palm up when pouring drinks. Can you guys with Thai wives find out how drinks should be poured and presented. From the above post it is presumably wrong to 'cup' the bottle while pouring? So its also wrong to present the glass with hand cupped underneath the glass? How do your Thai wives do it?

Can somebody tell me at what age a Thai person is eligible for a Thai Identity Card? I am being told all different ages from 15 to 18 years.

Why do I want to know? Because workmen working in this condo for renovation companies are supposed to wear a worker's card showing that they have been seen by security or reception and that condo is holding ID card until they leave the building. I often meet them in the elevators not wearing a card so I take them to reception. Receptionist says one age , deputy manager says another age - too young to have ID. One young man questioned about his age said he was 15.

Thank you for your replies. One more question: By law, are Thais supposed to carry their ID at all times? I ask because other excuse I get from condo reception why a workman has no ID, is that he doesn't carry ID in his working clothes!