pongosnodgrass

1. How do you get close enough to a Cobra to kill it? I would run a mile if I saw one.

2.

Attached my home made snake hook which can extend to about two meters. Just pick them up in the middle and flick them over the wall. Easy!!

Rimmer - you could start a business selling those things to freaked-out farangs! Unless you're willing to share how you made it.

I've seen a few of those kukri snakes near our cottage in Pattaya. One was having great trouble eating a bat, the other made a short meal of a lizard and then disappeared into a tree.

Moonraker - you blooming genius! That's been puzzling me for ages!

I find them quite interesting to watch and the really tiny mini-me versions are quite sweet in a way. I have noticed them clinging to hair and I thought they just got stuck but now I know that's what they eat, that makes sense. I have a dog and seven cats so maybe I'm destined to keep having them. I've managed to live in harmony with them for a while and apart from looking unsightly when they amass in large numbers, they don't seem to be doing any damage. Their moths are tiny (about 3 mm) and they too don't seem to do any damage to the house or people. They haven't attacked any clothes or wool. But those tiny brown stripy furry weevils have so if you have those, get rid of them fast..

Hope you get well enough to try to follow up some of the suggestions here. There are obviously people,strangers, who sympathise enough to post for you and talking about suicide just kind of freaks people out. You have to know that there is always a way out, however desperate things might seem at times.

Thailand is a place where you can survive on very little so not enough rent money may not be as big a problem as you think. Have you any friends who can help you out for a short while or did you come out her not knowing anybody? Can you speak to someone (they should have an International Guest Relations manager or similar) at the hospital to see if they can contact anyone at the Embassy for you? And the hospital should have a responsinbility for your post-operative well-being if they performed surgery on you. Tell them you're not happy with it.

You might be an orphan but there must be someone, a friend, relative, or colleague back home in Belgium who can help you out.

Good luck and I really hope that things work out for you.

You've had two back operations already and you're 31years old?

I know i'll probably get flamed but I think many of the symptoms you've suffered could be addressed by non-conventional medicine. I have cervical kyphosis and mild scoliosis which also affects my discs and I would never go to a conventional doctor for treatment for the referred pain I experience. I know most of the advice will be pain management or eventually surgery, when nothing else works. Surgery should always be the very last course of action and not a reason for the doctors to make money. A long time ago, when I was living in London and unable to move for several weeks because of the pain, the thing that finally got me moving was a chiropractic adjustment. I was really lucky.

I really think it's worth you consulting a good chiropractor to see if he can help you before you go further and further into the surgery and post-surgery spiral. The best I know in Bangkok is Dr Don at Bioenergy Asia. He won't muck you around. Tel 02-2580350. I've just made another recommendation for him in a post requesting a good chiro, so some smart alec might accuse me of having a connection to Dr Don but apart from being a very satisfied patient of his, I have no connection to him.

If you're suffering pain from inflammation, an ice pack will help to keep the pain down.

Good luck and don't despair. Being in pain is the pits but your condition is not terminal and there is, I'm sure, a solution out there that will work for you. Hope you get your strength back soon.

I used the link provided by Londonthai - I've tried about five chiropractors in my 7 years here and the best, in my opinion, is Dr Don of Bioenergy Asia. You only see him when you need to and he won't try to sell you a long course of treatments. I wish I'd gone to him ages ago.

I've just been looking for the same materials and finally came up trumps. Yes, the shop on Ratchadamri sells a wide range of stuff - as girlx said, it's to the left of McDonalds - that one's called Sukphand. It's okay.

The best range is from a shop called 'Somjai' in "the old Siam" on the first floor (that's actually the ground floor) - there are two central halls with lots of stalls in the old Siam. One sells clothes and tat and the other sells Thai snacks and sweets. Head for that one. I think it's a couple of doors down from Watsons. From the outside it looks like a newsagents/bookshop but it goes back a long way and has a good selection of European art supplies. I bought 37ml of oil paint from Emporium/Paragon for 146 baht and the same paint costs 98 baht in Somjai. They also have Georgian range of W&N as well as the Artist Quality - and a huge range of other brands/materials to suit all budgets. I also bought an aluminium easel at Emporium for 3800 baht and the same one cost 1900 baht at Somjai. Telephone number 02 225 0541.

The Old Siam branch is actually branch No3. Branch No1 is opposite the Engineering School - Rongreeyun Po Chung - about five minutes walk from the Old Siam. Tel 02 222 6770. Find your way out of the Old Siam to the side with S&P and McDonalds and keep walking back until you see the engineering school on the other side of the road. Again, it's tucked away. Gessos, all sorts of oils, mediums, canvases large and small, canvas on the roll: all to be had at all branches of Somjai. That stuff can now also be had from Emporium, Paragon and Central Chidlom but the price is quite a bit dearer.

There is a smaller shop called Siam Art in the Old Siam - this one's near the hall with clothes - it's much smaller and has a different range of stuff but high quality as well. Worth a look. I mention this one because it's got a branch in Chiang Mai and several people have asked for art supplies in CM. Telephone 05 341 8 243. 41/4 Sriphum Road.

Hope that helps you all in your quest.

Well, today I was shopping for a few bits and pieces in the gourmet market in Emporium and came across a packet labelled "lavender", sold/packaged as fresh herbs in the veg/salad section.

The packet contained mostly fern/frond-like leaves, with only the odd flower head which hadn't fully developed. The leaves are indeed lavender, but I can't tell which variety. A pity they picked it before it had flowered properly.

As it is labelled "Royal projects", it would be a Doi Kham organic product and therefore grown somewhere up in Chiang Mai. Proof that it can, indeed, grow in Thailand in the right conditions and if it's a suitable variety. The fact that it's now commercially available may mean that it will soon be more widely avalable. Doi Kham products can be picked up in Villa, Golden Place and Lemon Farm, as far as I know.

I have only once found lavender as a potted plant here, which I quickly snapped up from the air-conditioned shop. The plants didn't last very long out in the Bangkok humidity.

If anyone can pick up with this lead and identify the variety of lavender this may be our best clue yet to growing lavender in private homes and gardens in Thailand!

Thanks jimmybkk - that's a pity. It looked like a really interesting concept.

I'll check out Paradise Restaurant. Thanks for the recommendation.

Are there any other ideas out there?

Hi there, I have some friends who'll be staying in a cottage in Naklua Soi 16 for Christmas and wanted to recommend somewhere they could have a nice meal on the 25th. The Art Cafe seems interesting as they dont have a car so they could walk there very easily BUT I'm not sure if this place is still going.

I've tried phoning them but no reply and their website has a Christmas Menu... for 2007!

The signs aren't good but if anyone knows of the Art Cafe's fate, I'd appreciate the news. Has anyone eaten there recently or know if it is still alive and well?

Failing that, does anyone have any recommendations for any nice places in Soi 16 where the friends could have a leisurely walk to have their Christmas Day meal?

Cheers and a bundle of thanks, wrapped up in swaddling clothes.

Stevia sweetener in powder form is available under the brand name Bio-Rich. Green packaging, handy sachets for tea, coffee, etc. I bought some at Golden Place (there used to be one in the basement of CP Tower, Silom and there's one in Rama 9). You might also be able to get it from Central Chidlom, now you know what to ask for. Or Try Lemon Farm on Ekkamai.

Alternatively, as a second best, sucralose sachets are available under the brand name of Fitne at almost any large supermarker - but make sure it's the green pack clearly marked 'sucralose' - I think the main Fitne product contains aspartame.

Hmmm, not sure how to do that and I don't drive... here's more precise directions:

Hwy 305 east of Rangsit towards Ongkarak-Nakhon Nayok, take the left turn just before Klong 15

I found these coordinates for an equestrian centre which is after the klong

E100-56-48

N14-6-11

You want the road BEFORE the klong but maybe those coordinates will get you in the right ballpark. If you go over the bridge then you've overshot the entrance to tropical plant heaven. If you discover the exact coordinates please post them up here for others to refer to. Thanks.

Good luck.

Just took a look at the map on www.papad-garden.com and that place is also on Klong 15

The chemical structure of borax acts like thousands of tiny razor blades which will scratch and cut mites and many other insects, thus killing them.

Please can you ask your wife what is the Thai name for Borax. I would be interested in getting the Thai, not the Farang, price!

Guys and gals, if you fancy a day of it you must go to Klong 15 from Rangsit - don't ask me how to get there, but Thai drivers know it. It's a long way out of Bangkok - probably about 60 km but worth the trek.

Vague directions once you get to Klong 15: as you approach the bridge which crosses Klong 15 there is a square of plant sellers to your left - this is okay but don't be fooled, this isn't why you've driven all this way. Turn into this market and look towards the bridge and there will be a temple entrance. Go down here and the whole stretch of klong will give all you gardeners a field day, literally! These are the growers themselves and this place is where a lot of the garden designers source their plants. For example, one grower I found doesn't just have say 'mango' trees - he has many different varieties of mango, pomegranates, oranges - even the rare BangMod orange, which I hardly find in the shops any more so I fancy growing it at home.

The plant market has all sorts and it's huge - I was able to track down both honeysuckle and tuberose plants, which I have been after for ages. Also, they have some of the most beautiful bougainvillea I've seen in LOS. Take an umbrella for shade!

Don't worry about transporting your plants back if you are going to buy loads (this applies anywhere, even Chatuchak): you can always "Maow Rot Gubba", ie hire a pickup to deliver for you. Just ask the seller, they'll know what you mean. It'll normally cost between 500 and 1000 baht, depending.

Happy gardening!

Good to hear - thanks.

There used to be a great pet shop called Shamu Shamu - I cut and pasted the following details from elsewhere on this forum

but I can't seem to find their website now - does anyone know if it's still going?

I'm Thai and my British husband has been here on a work permit for the past couple of years. As this is no longer the case, we will have to apply for the visa by marriage. I work and, luckily, my firm has a Mr Fixit who acts as legal counsel for a very senior Thai family and I trust that what he tells us is correct and not hearsay.

I have been told the paperwork I will need is:

1) Letter from my company confirming proof of income and employment

2) Salary slips

3) My tax statement for the previous year

4) Photos of exterior of my house with the house number clearly visible

5) Map to the house

6) Photos of interior / a variety of rooms, with or without us in them

7) Copy of my house registration

8) Copy of my ID Card

9) Copy of marriage certificate

To cover all bases, I will also be taking photos of us together at various stages in our relationship. In the early ones he has a full head of hair but he now has a Trevor Sorbie No2.

As the OP, I mentioned I knew nothing about cars - in fact, I don't even drive so the basic peace of mind angle was crucial for me. I suppose it was like taking a mechanic friend along but without any bias. I wasn't expecting anything highly technical or a guarantee in case I bought a total wreck. T.I.T. after all. I was quite pleased with the service I got. They gave me an honest evaluation, a basic report and even recommended that I should spend a bit more time looking at other cars. In the end, it was advice, and I was able to make a risk assessment on whether to get the car or not. I did. I'm realistic - it's a 12 year old car.

If that's what you're after, then CarTrust was worth it, for me, anyway. I'm sure TestCar would also give a great, if slightly different level of service, which is reflected in the price difference, but even new cars nowadays aren't guaranteed to be problem-free.

In case anyone else is looking for the same thing - after much searching, I found one company in BKK that does them. Right Elements in Sathorn, a distributor for a company called Blue Air... BUT, they cost 16,900 baht. That's a special promotion price. They're normally 19,900 baht... BUT they are not genuine iRobot Roomba's which sell in the UK at 129 quid - They are a Chinese OEM copy, it seems, for 250 quid (or more, depending on which way the pound's heading).

I'm not sure I'm that desperate.

In the meantime, all the visitors who come to my house continue to leave with 'mohair socks' - and they clean the floor for me in the process! Maybe it's cheaper to buy one off Ebay and pay the postage...

I think that, maybe, the OP is a Thai female that is trying to implant the idea that sending money to a relative stranger is a cultural thing, in our heads. The big one, I mean.

I especially liked the shy part. It's so typical Thai female talk. That's what gave it away to me.

I have yet to see one woman, who I have been serious enough with to consider a relationship, who did not ask for or expect money.

What a misogynistic, sweeping generalization of Thai women!

I know plenty of beautiful, intelligent Thai career women who earn salaries of over 200,000 baht and well into the 400,000's who don't need your money. They're prepared to work at a living. Funnier still, I know plenty who earn far less than that who also wouldn't. Just like back home, you have to look at the company you keep.

To put it into perspective, the average hard-working/ working-class Thai would send 1000 baht, probably no more than 1500 baht home to their parents or spouse and child because he cannot afford to. The rest of his Bangkok salary goes on Bangkok living expenses.

To use your girlfriend's hotel salary as a benchmark would not be helpful because she no longer has Bangkok living expenses. Upcountry, 2,000 baht is more than enough for comfort (there's very little to spend your money on - the doctor's visit is only 100-200 baht) but if you really wanted to, GungaDin's estimate of 5-6,000 baht is more than 'decent' but please, only do this for a few months, at most.

How well do you really know this girl? Be careful you don't get taken advantage of. Most Thais have a huge extended network of relatives, especially upcountry, who can take care of ailing parents. Most Thais in her situation would come back to Bangkok to earn a living to send money back home - for example, the maid at our office came back 3 months after giving birth to her child. You should try to persuade her to do the same. Living on handouts doesn't help her out in the long term - you know the old saying about teaching a man to fish and all that. Perhaps a compromise would be to do it for 2-3 months only but she has to agree to return to work.

btw I'm Thai and I'm a woman.

I'm still paying a mortgage and other commitements back in the UK so this is having the opposite effect for me.

I also remember the baht in the 40's but since living here, it's been mostly in the 70's sliding to the mid-60's. I've been sending back 1200GBP every month, it's not a huge amount but it's making a small difference. I'm, for once, "lucky" to be getting paid in Baht. I don't know how long that will last.

Does anyone know where I can get hold of a Roomba or similar robot vacuum cleaner in Bangkok?

I've seen one being given away as a premium if you spend more than 100,000 baht at SB furniture (not planning to, now or ever) so I know they exist here. I have a dog and several cats and the amount of hair they shed is driving me nuts.

If anyone can point me in the direction of a distributor or retailer, I'd be most grateful. Cheers.

Thanks for all your comments. It's very interesting to hear your experiences.

I actually went ahead and used them yesterday and thought they were pretty thorough but, of course, they don't have the same thoroughness as TestCar because they don't have access to the equipment as they come to you. That was the main selling point for me. I chose them mainly because I didn't think I could persuade the owner of the tent to let me have the car for two hours.*

Afterwards, I got a 12-page report by email and didn't get the insurance or finance selling push but I did notice that was mentioned on their website. It cost me 2000 baht, which was a special promotion for a one and a half hour check-up.

I doubt that Testcar and CarTrust are actually selling the same service but, overall, I was happy that I got what I was paying for. I'd recommend them if you want a quick check-up and peace of mind over major things but I'm only parting with 230,000. If I was spending more for a Japanese car, say, then I would probably go to TestCar.

*In the end the tent owner asked me why I didn't go TestCar which is only round the corner for me (I'm in Pattanakarn)! He also told me the reason that most dealers were reluctant to allow the vehicles to get tested wasn't because they were shady but because they didn't want to pay for the test. My assumption would be that if you make it clear that you are willing to pay for the test yourself (and I would expect that anyway, for an unbiased opinion, but this is Thailand) the tent owners would be happy for you to do it unless they've really got something to hide. In fact, several tents I saw displayed a TestCar poster. I also learned that they get a better rate if you do it through the tent. My guy said TestCar would charge him only 3000 baht but I would have to pay for it (the caveat being does this negate the independent unbiased angle). I, myself, was quoted 4800 baht by TestCar.

Cheers.

I'm about to buy a 96 Volvo 850 for a fair price. Has anyone ever used a car testing company called CarTrust?

It's basically a couple of chungs on a motorbike who will come out and check if your car is a lemon before you part with your hard-earned cash. They'll hook in a computer and check error codes - all in all, I've been told they will spend about an hour on giving the car a once over. It looks similar to TestCar but they come to you or wherever the car is on an orange motocycle.

I know nothing about cars so this seems like a great idea. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has had good or bad experience with this company.

Cheers.