hansnl

There really seems to be a lot of anti-foreign sentiment lately. More than usual, that's for sure.

Yes, indeed.

But, anyone's guess who is planting this sentiment?

Maybe the who is answered by later posts.

That price does seem reasonable to me. Same thing happened to us on our Altis. They actually wanted like 3,000 baht more for the second year, than the first. Why, because it was a "discounted" price for the dealer.

And here's some info many may not know: Usually on these insurance policies, they cover "anyone/everyone" that drives your car and has an accident. What you can do to lower your premium is to have only your name, or you/wife's name, on the policy, which means those are the only one/two people that are covered. In our case, only me and my wife are on the policy as we will not/do not let anyone else every drive our car (our pride and joy). I don't remember exactly what percentage or how much it lowered the premium, my guess was about 3-4,000 baht.

Like the saying goes, "you get what you pay for". If you shop around, you'll really have to compare coverages very closely.

Indeed, lowers the premium by 4000-7000 baht.

However, if someone else is driving the car and gets an accident, your own risk will go up with the same amount.

Several companies, also the banks, have a lot of different offerings.

KTB (Krungthai Panich has the "Happy Car' scheme, starts at 7000 baht.

Shopping around, including the bank offerings, will pay off nicely.

Do remember, that at the moment a lot of companies are eager for business.

The market is shrinking very much.

It is a customers market at the moment.

Asia Insurance, not a big company but trustwothy, gave me a full cover for 7900 baht.

They only asked me to spread the risk by taking out the legal insurance too.

Big deal for 645 baht.

Give them a call, preferably in Thai.

I need to buy a new printer but to be honest I'm sick of paying way over the top for ink cartridge that only last 5 mins. I know the printers are produced cheap and they get their money back by selling ink.. but I still think it's a rip off. So which printer is best to buy where I can refill myself or at least use c**y cartridge's. I know the manufacturers now control the printer with software so it's getting more difficult to use c**y or refill.. but I hope there is still a printer out there that can use refill or c**y.

Depends on what quality you want to print

Reasonable to good; Brother with Inkman inktanks, not expensive and problemfree.

Good to better: Canon, Inkman ink tanks very much possible. even foto's if not hung on the wall.

6-tank configuration gives splendid results, for foto's

Brother with Innobella cartridges.

Better to best: Canon with original cartridges, 6-tank configuration.

Mind: the inktanks and refills for the cartridges make certain thet the ink you buy is geared for the printer you use.

It must say so on the bottles!

HP nice to prime results, however, very expensive expendables, tanks are always including printheads.nozzles

Canon printhead, from most printers, can be changed

Epson has hard/software in the printer that makes refill or tanks ratehr problematic.

Although that function can be switched off.

Lexmark is a very good printer, fantastic results, but impossibly expensive to run and nearly impossible to modify.

I use Brother all the time, the service is fantastic, the printers are cheap, the printing results are reasonable.

With inktanks the printers go on and go on.

I use canon for foto's and A3 prints.

However just bought a Brother MFC A3 scanner/printer/fax.

Not really cheap, 9500 Baht, very big, but wireless and wired network, USB, it is all there.

Not yet changed to inktanks, but the results are on par with Canon.

If you have no need for Quality Everlasting fotoprinting, go for Brother.

Can always make another copy of the same picture.

Yes I think its one of their sales techniques.....TELL THE CUSTOMER WHAT HE WANTS TO HEAR, then proceed on as your normally would have.

You will notice that sort of stuff alot here in lieland....wooops I mean Thailand.

It is called, in organisation circles, the MacDonald Syndrom.

Tell the customer what he wants to hear, while f*cking him up.

Tell the lie several times, as long as it takes to start believing it yourself.

Made in the US

And if he's talking child pornography or something you free speech crusaders still want him to leave it alone? It's his business, don't get so worked up about it until you know the facts.

I agree, this filth should be taken off the internet asap.

However, several publicised websites, well known by police authorities all over the world keep on showing the filth, and all those very busy police forces are very busy arresting the downloaders.

I don't have any problem with those arrests, however, I think it would be better to do something to get the origin.

But nobody seems to be able to get the offensive filthy things off the net.

Nor are producers, distributors and uploaders ever arrested.

The police forces are scoring brownie points with politico's, because they seem to do something about it..

Of course it is much easier to weed out downloaders.

Scoring by arresting the origin, well, that is very difficult.

But score we do!

Everybody happy!

So, is there really any use to make yourself angry about offensive websites?

Take one out, 10 of the same come back.

Creating a sting operation to arrest someone in my view is the same as inciting crime.

In setting up a sting operation you tell the world that you are unable to end a crime because there are no legal grounds to do so.

More and more police forces all over the world are not able for whatever reasons to do their job.

To be able to go on they do cosmetic policework.

Make arrests of people that are only small fry, arrest downloaders of childporno and let uploaders go on, arrest mules and let the producers and traders go scotfree, arrest `free` guntraders to let the big corporations go on (including using free traders).

I am shifting to phuket and as I will be diching my home base computer for a laptop, Can you get laptops in Phuket with a english key board or are they in "Thai script'??

You want some good advice?

Don't ditch the desktop....keep it.....use it.....maybe upgrade it a little?

Laptops are designed for mobile use, the keyboards are ergonomically.....ehhh...... shit.

Most of the time parts, memory, repairs are more expensive.

By keeping the desktop and investing a little in it, you still have the desktop if your new and shiny laptop breaks down.

I have been getting a lot of mixed information about what kind of liablity the Thai gaurantor of a car loan takes on. I have heard from some that thier only obligation is to assist in finding the car if a repossession occurs, yet others claim their credit is ruined if they don't pay if there is a default, and that thuggish men make harassing calls and constantly come round the guarantors place of work demanding money or the car, and that they can also make withdraws from the gaurantors bank account.

The ultimate risk might be that you have to take over the payments, and not getting the car.

If the car disappeared (yes, it happens all the time), the one that loaned the money disappears (that too) then the finance company will go to the guarantor.

In the best scenario they will start sending letters to you after not having received monthly payments for 2 monthws, but there are cases known where the finance company only went after the guarantor after completion of the running period of the loan.

Which means the guarantor needs to pay the uotstanding amount of the loan, all original calculated intrest, and the extra intrest accumulated onf the not received payments

My brother in law guaranteed a 250,000 baht loan for a car.

The man he guaranteed died, the car disappeared.

Just as described above the financy company sent him a nice letter.

Please pay us 483,000 baht?

Due to his job (something to do with courts of law) he knew that the finance company should have contacted him after 3 months max, instead of nearly five years later.

He came away with paying only for the original amount of 250,000 minus the payments received including original intrest.

My advice, don't do it.

Also,

why does it take my thai family 30-40 minutes per person per shower to do what I do in 5-10 minutes max and 15 mins if I am having a shave in the shower.

Are they dirtier? cleaner?

I, of course, have more to wash than most, but still, what are they doing in there?

I asked my younger daughter why taking a hot/warm shower took her so long.

The answer:

I LIKE

Enough said, I guess.

However, she is always trying to induce me in using less electrics.

When I asked her if she had any idea how much electricity she is using while having her twice daily shower periodicals, using a 4400 watts heater, the answer:

I LIKE

Oh well!

Hi,

I'm thinking of taking the sleeper train from Ubon to Bangkok. Anyone done this trip? How much is a 1st class sleeper and how can I book it?

Thanks

don't do it - fly or bus it .

i did a bkk to c-mai one way in sleeper , pre-booked ticket in 1st. class (joke) cabin with double bunk , paid 400 baht extra for exclusive use (2nd. ticket) to ensure solo occupancy - <snip> and ended up sharing my night with a bottle of black label , an overload pizza company promotion and a filthy , cockroaches all-singing, all-dancing floorshow comprising , among others , a fair proportion of the insect habitat of middle to upper regional siam. scary . especially for a white boy.

<snip>

not one of them paid upgrades - they all bought a 3rd. class wooden bench ticket (like 230 odd baht + you get the lice for free and your arse full of splinters ) and gave the purser 100 baht or a half bottle of thai whisky for cabin facilities .

mind you - the 6am final decent into c-mai was gorgeous - so beautiful , foggy , fantastic and i have to admit would love to sample again . from a car .

live and learn .

i did-you will never catch me on thai railways again . filthy , no fun and total rubbish .

and also a warning - you will not see many/any single thai females on the train b/cos of safety issues - gang rape , murder and well.....

so ubon to bkk , take the jet/bus .

much better chance of a jump .

lol .

Nearly all negatives you mention can be used on the bus too!

By air, maybe not so many negatives, but Suvarnibhumi...............

And what about the "derailment" of the buses, the disappearance of your luggage, the uncouth, smelly people on the buses....and so on, the rape of girls in the toilets of the bus(really?, yes!), the hordes of flies, musquitos and various creeping vermin on the same buses?

By the way, on most night train there is a Railway Police Patrol.

So

March or thereabouts, the systems and stations are ready for test-running to start.

Much depends upon the unions reaction to SRTs choice of operating company.

Like anything here: Why do it easy if you can do it difficult.

Found many outdated drivers in my laptop.

Tried many software who advertise free download - well they are not.

At last drivermax is free, but overloaded as they say. So only got 1 download in 1 week.

Other program that is 100% free, and download drivers relatively fast?

Look on the website of the manufacturer of your laptop.

Mostly the drivers are under download per model.

Moved to teaching forum.

Hitting students is illegal, that is why I just tickle them, but as to the article in the law.....

I just wonder.

Since a new principal started his tenure on the school where my daughter is now in Mathyom 5, some, in my eyes, very stupid things happened.

- The hair of the girls needed to be shortened to the old "military" style, while before the school did not sport any rule about the length of the hair,

- Some teachers started to clip the hair of the girls who, in their eyes, wore the hair too long.

- Some teachers started to hit the pupils.

Also since the new principal started, the new semester started, and the pupils had to spend 3 days outside the classrooms, because the rostering was not ready.

Personally I cannot escape the idea that the quality of the teaching has markedly gone down.

Any ideas about the above?

In the latest edition of Pattaya Today there is a story about a Japanese visitor to Pattaya being robbed in his hotel room by his Thai g/f, despite him previously sending her up to 50,000 baht per month for about a year.

Presumably there are stupid foreigners who send even more than this amount to Thais!?

I know this is a well worn subject but I nevertheless ask:

What possess people to send so much money to Thais here, when everyone ought to know it is generally a scam?

What strikes me is that you are asking the wrong question.

The guy is worth a lot of money and doesnt mind supporting a TGF. All I guess he asks is that he treats her well the 2 months or so he is in thailand.

What is odd to me is why a girl who has a good thing going - Bt50,000 a month for a token appearance - would want to wreck the whole deal by ripping him off. Bt50,000 a month puts her in the top 10% of earners and she doesnt probably have to do much.

He can obviously get a new chick at that price, she will be very lucky to get a new sponsor.

The idea of money coming to you every month does not seem to register a note with Thai women.

Friend of mine asked a girl what she preferred, every month 15,000 baht for 5 years or 100,000 baht now and nothing more.

She took the 100,000!

What I have now is mine, tomorrow I could be dead

Interesting. I have TOT Pattaya Goldcyber 2MB at 1000/Baht a month. I'm on Pattaya 3 road, near the X-Zyte nightclub. That's very close to TOT! As I'm reading this posting here is my speedtest result:

Last Result:

Download Speed: 401 kbps (50.1 KB/sec transfer rate)

Upload Speed: 222 kbps (27.8 KB/sec transfer rate)

Latency: 636 ms

Sunday, August 09, 2009 7:45:43 AM

Same problem in Khon Kaen between 15:00 and 22:00

Yes, indeed, when the schools empty.

All other times maximum as advertised, and sometimes much more.

However, I now pay 399 baht for the same package.

Started the package for 999 baht, then went down to 799-599-499 and now 399 baht.

Go to TOT and renew your package for the lower price.

There are a lot of promotions at the moment.

Went to the TOT office to enquire about the new 3Mb service they were advertising. (I currently have 2Mb). They told me that only certain areas could have it and my line had been tested and could not be upgraded. I asked them to retest the line but they refused, My modem has a built in line tester and it tells me the line is capable of giving 17Mb ADSL.

TOT just don't want to offer a better service when they are already getting your money!

Chris

Maybe the number of complaints about oversubcribing/overconnecting was getting so much that TOT.TRUE, CAT, TT&T, & all are getting a little more careful.

Did you see the news this week about the higher capacity drives ready to hit the market? 1TB laptop drives! I can't wait to pick one of these up. I'm sick of lugging around my 3.5" external drive and trying to find places to plugin.

Hitachi is releasing a 2TB 3.5" 7,200RPM drive too.

I also wonder what kind of data people have on their HD's, and why so much?

1TB, 2TB, 3TB,..........I have a 240 something GB HD, plenty of room, use about half, even making programs/

And what is the craze about laptops.

Even people never using it outside the house want a laptop.

As for an external drive, got me a HD in a small format enclosure, USB 2.0, size 11,5 cm x 6,5 cm x 1,4 cm, 500 GB

"Lugging" that around means I put it in my pocket.

Forget the hubs!

A City as Bangkok has a need of a domestic Airport,or will have if the economy starts again.

Look at other Countries!And ,of course,some midrange routes would benefit too.

MHO only,but do really think everyone is happy to land in Swampy?

Any town of the same size in the world has more than one airport.

The idea to make Don Mueang the domestic airport for Bangkok would be a very good one.

It would indeed save the loss of much investment done into DM.

And create a lot of possibilities in Suvarnibhumi.

What would be needed is a fast raillink between both airports to make the whole thing workable.

In fact, the rail connection is already there at Don Mueang, the Eastern line crosses the Northeastern line, that line comes withing a few miles of the new airport, and a branch line to the airport can be built in a short time.

In fact, one of the former governments did already order a connection between the two airports.

I guess the Japanese recognise the possibilities very well indeed.

<snip>

"How could this happen? I really don't understand. I feel very uneasy that a non-senior person becomes acting police chief. I am the senior most officer and used to be acting police chief on behalf of Patcharawat for 22 times," Priewphan said.

-- The Nation 2009/07/08

That says it all. It clearly shows the a general problem with Thai politics. Common folks and politicians belief is "the more senior the better someone must be".

young bad - old good!

One reason why never the young blood got a real chance! Sorry for being a little off-topic but look at the acting PM. Not accepted by the "old guard"

Its not "the more senior the better someone must be" its the bigger the uniform the more you must respect that uniform.

One reason why never the young blood got a real chance! Sorry for being a little off-topic but look at the acting PM. Not accepted by the "old guard". Are you real with this comment. Abhisit has been groomed for this job by the 'old guard'

Now back on topic. Every politician, senior police officer and army general, in this country has absolutely non of the skills or experience required to hold their post. They buy their way in with money or family ties because these are the jobs with the best pay back.

What is more important is that the nationality of these post holders is not pure Thai. You work out their nationality! And in your answer is the reason for every problem that Thailand cant or wont cure. Its just pure f---ing greed

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And it is not a question of race, colour or whatever.

Thailand has a tourist problem?

Maybe the powers concluding that Thailand has a tourist problem could have a look at the surrounding countries how they lure away the tourists?

Maybe the powers concluding that Thailand has a tourist problem should amend the latest constrictions on tourists, take away the double pricing, allow would-be residents to get a visa for 5 years after the initial 3x1 year extension of stay, allow long staying residents to buy a little plot of land for a home, etc....etc....etc....etc......

, Shinawatra said he had received numerous phone calls from people, soldiers, and police

so what is the phone number you ring to have a personal chat ?

Ferwert ?

Oh no, not Ferwert?

My signature will need to be notarized on a USA property deed and it sure would be nice if there is a notary public who can do that for me in Khorat. Otherwise, I know, it's the American Embassy in BKK.

I guess that the Thai notary seal/signature must be legalised with the Thai Ministry of Foreign affairs and the US-Embassy.

At least, that is how I had to do it for a deed validation for the Netherlands.

So maybe the Thai part can be eliminated to go to the US-Embassy directly?

Makes me wonder why Thailand doesn't want the prestige of acknowledging such a man was apprehended and arrested here in Thailand. What are they scared of? Repercussions?

Afraid for a further decline in tourism, maybe?

I have to be honest and say I am not surprised, as a similar thing happened to me, although not so serious.

When I was away on business my wife drove the car a little fast over a speed bump and the protective cover from underneath the engine fell down and was scraping on the ground. She took it to a Toyota garage who insisted that it could not be fixed and needed a new one, this was at a cost of just over B3,000.

My wife kept the old part and I took a look at it when I got back home and noticed that the only issue was that the hole in the plastic had become slightly enlarged so that the screw would no longer hold it in place. I could have fixed this with a 2 baht washer, the whole new part was completely unnecessary and just a rip off. They really do take advantage, in the long run they will lose out because I will never ever use their garage for anything again. I should have gone there and asked them why they cheated my wife but I will just vote with my feet and go elsewhere in future.

They are scum, subhuman scum.

I understand you are angry because of the 3000 baht you spent on something that could have been fixed with a washer.

However, sometimes the Toyota manual decribes how to repair things, and maybe they simphy had to follow the rules laid down by Toyota.

Do try to remember that any marque of cars tries to get some profit from selling you the car, but also to sell you spare parts for hugely inflated prices.

Why do you think all carproducers void the guarantee if non-original parts are used for repairs?

Definitely not because all the non original parts are bad quality, there are replacemnet parts that are much better as the original.

In your case, the pan's attachment to the engine might be possible by placing a new washer or a nonstandard attachment, or maybe using industrial strength glue, whatever.

But maybe the integrety of the pan was also damaged by bumping into the speed bump or grating over the ground, who knows?

Toyota will have advised the garage through the manual to install a new item.

Maybe they are not scum, subhuman scum?

Maybe just being a dealer, following the rules laid down by the factory?

Mind you, I know very well that scams in the car repair business are "accepted"

But I do know very well too, that being a dealer means investing heavily into stocks of spare parts, and doing repairs in the prescribed way, using the prescribed and stocked parts.

Last week, I got into my 20 years old Vigo(25000 kms) outside my hotel in Sri Racha. Fired it up and it sounded rough as hel_l. Driving to Pattaya and it was coughing, then cut out at lights in Sukhumvit. Fired up again, cut out more than 30 times on me, yellow warning light on dash was translated as "drive slowly to Toyota dealers". Then gf lets it slip she took to Toyota in Sri Racha for a service without me knowing, I was in hospital. As she is going through the driving lessons/test thing, she took it in for a service as we were driving to Isaan next day. Apparently the instructor has said always check your vehicle before going on a long journey.

Anyway, I felt better at that, thinking something had been left loose somewhere. I asked her for the service sheet and she said she didn't get one as the Manager had suggested they could do her a deal as long as it didn't go through the books. I asked how much she paid and she said 3000 baht, but no receipt. I must admit to going apeshit at her and we took it back next morning. I showed her the last 10,000 miles service receipt which was for 1080 baht and now she got mad too. She went to see the guy and told him that I was hoppping mad and needed a service sheet and receipt, before they fixed the car. Anyway, they said a plug had been left loose from the engine management system, and eveything was OK now. They also gave ger a receipt for 5800 and a service sheet for a 40,000 kms service. Not being there, I can't really say what was actually done, if anything, but it sure didn't need a 40,000 service. The engine compartment hasn't been washed as it usually is when I get the 10000 service done. I normally take it to Au Udom and they are first class

Since then, the car has been in a different Toyota dealer twice for starting problems, I am sure as a result of more bodged work, but the cheating and lying in a Toyota garage has really surprised me.

Sorry about the typo, it should read 20 months old[/b][/size] in the first line

[i]You may want to teach your GF, a Toyota service starts with a written estimate on job, price and time, and the vehicles conditon (accidents and fuel) All in a computerprint. Then you avoid beeing the next scam victim. Anywhere in the world[/i]

Just go to another Toyota dealer and never agree to anything else as written above, and dont open yourself for a scam.

Just a small hint, check all electrical connections to and from the engine management system.

Most of the time there is an ingress of oil, albeit very little, but enough to disrupt the right functioning of the system.

All plugs and leads should be free of oil!