juehoe

I got our white 2.2 L Diesel 10 days ago. It replaces our Mazda 3 2.0.

With about the same footprint, the CX-5 has a lot if more space.

The driving experience is great. More fun than the CR-V. The Diesel engine is very powerful. Fuel coma prion after 700 km (urban/sub-urban) 7.2 l per 100 km. The fuel costs are about 30% lower than with the Mazda 3 (9 l per 100 km, E20).

Hua Hin is not the location for you, when you are searching fun, nightlife and beautiful beaches. But Hua Hin is a good place to stay - for retirement or with families, like me. There is a good and even more growing infrastructure - even water and electricity supply is a little bit behind the developments. But the new major seems to be quite active for improving the things.

Hua Hin is also not too far from Bangkok. This is also a little bit the problem at the weekends, when the Bangkok middle and upper class arrives for vacation. But this - together with the presence of the Royal Couple - has also a good influence on the city.

The consequences are quite high costs for real estate - especially in several location.

I am now living for more than 2 years here (Khao Tao) and don't want to move to another place.

As of a month ago, Mazda TH had already taken over 1000 bookings for the new CX-5, so if you had any dreams of getting your hands on the first 300, I hope you got in early..

If you book now, chances are you'll be waiting until Songkhran to take delivery. If you book at the motor show, you likely won't get it until H2 2014.

Just sayin'

We have booked our white 2.2 L Diesel some months ago. Last week, we were lucky to see the first show models which arrived at our Mazda dealer.

Our car will be delivered 7.11. - so I can get the first ride, soon...!

What size have your A/C units?

According to your figures, your monthly energy consumption is 3385 kWh. This are 113 kWh a day, with 10 hours running time 11.3 kWh per hour which are about 38'000 BTU.

I assume, that the bill is ok…?

I got my new black Forza some days ago from my Honda dealer in Hua Hin.

The Forza 300 is a pleasure to ride - far more «mature» than my former PCX 125. I very liked the PCX, but it was too small for my rides to the town. WIth Forza I can travel the same speed as the cars and in their lane, with no fear to be overtaken. The bike is also very stable on a windy day.

The Forza is not as mobile in city traffic as the PCX, but I always try driving safe and not in Thai style. Fuel consumption is currently as claimed from Honda: 30 km/l in town (3.3 l/100km), up to 33 km/l (3 l/100km) cross-country (not exceeding 5000 to 6000 rpm).

The storage under the seat is enough for some stuff. I can now store my helmet plus motor jacket and gloves without any problem. Currently I don't need an additional storage box.

I like the red and white PCX, but the Forza looks better (more bold) in black.

Do you have a real credit card or use your Kasikorn debit card as a credit card (for online only)?

I had also problems this way. So I made a real credit card (Krungsri) and have no problems in the Thai iTunes store.

I also like the concept of using shipping containers for housing. With appropriate shading, it is suitable in Thailand, too. For the money, it gives you a very sturdy structure. Container houses are earthquake-proof - in contrast to the typical concrete construction.

The style is a matter of taste, of course! But there are many option; from the genuine "rusty" type until a house where you no more see the container core.

Shipping container were my first choice for our weekend house in the Roi-Et province. Unfortunately, I am not the only who decides... So we start building a more conservative house - but with steel frame and prefab walls.

http://asitespecific...or-made-prefab/

https://www.facebook.com/prefablab

Rear view cameras are only for people too fat and lazy to look over their shoulder.

Thank you for this compliment... ;-)

Especially in a long truck you can't see everything when looking over the shoulder.

The 3.2L Wildtrak has a number of spec upgrades over the top-model BT-50:

Reversing Camera

6 Airbags

It really sad, that Mazda Thailand doesn't include these options - which are available in Australia...!

The reversing camera is really very useful and for me a "must-have" for a top model in the pick-up market. The Australian BT-50 has a combo rear facing mirror which includes the camera image. Very cool! I also like the front facing cameras of the Isuzu models. Unfortunately non of the other manufactures has followed this path.

I also miss the option of the side/curtain airbags. Thai customers seems not yet interested in passive safety. Mazda also removed this option in the new Mazda 3. The 2008 top model had 6 airbags.

For me it will be a hard decision: I like the style and many features of the BT-50, but really missing the rear camera and the airbags. So what do do: BT-50 or the new Ranger...?

That front will look very good creating a bow-wave when entering a flooded piece of road!

Besides that, the new Ranger, the new D-max and the new Vigo all look more or lesss the same in the front area, so this is at least different!

I have some love-hate feelings with the the new BT-50 design. I also like thats it is quite different to the competitors. The new Ford Ranger looks very good. Both are technical the same. The BT-50 should have a smoother back axle. I will decide when comparing interior design, accessories and price.

We already own the Mazda 3 and also looking for the future CX-5. I am very satisfied with the Mazda brand.

What do you mean by OnNut sinking, isn't the water just rising

Bangkok is also sinking several millimetres per year because its is built on a swamp area, like Venezia. If nothing is done, Bangkok has to abandoned within the next decades. So the country is thinking about a huge dam (like the Netherlands have done) - or moving the capital to another place...

We use arround 2300-2500 kwh per month. We have a huge swimming pool and a lot of electrical stuff running all day. We are not going to reduce our consumption. [...]

Reducing consumption doesn't means reduction in comfort. I try buying only energy-saving equipment. Our resort has a large pool, too. We now shut-off the pumps during night-time, which saves 25% of energy/cost without any influence on the water quality.

I also think that it is the best way, carefully entering the roundabout. Then steadily move-on. It is easier with a bigger car, because you have then more "right". Always check all your mirrors for the scooters which will "zip around".

I always try not to block the other traffic and give way if it helps the clear the situation. But it have to be done carefully (only one care) because it could end that you will be locked... ;-)

i'm tired of the 10.000 baht electric bills every month

How you can get such a high bill...? What is your monthly power consumption and what you pay for the kWh ("unit")?

Perhaps it would better to start with reducing the power consumption first, before investing in sustainable energy. It would be cheaper at the end.

The foam has an R Value of 9.09

Which dimension has this R-Value, [sqmK/W] (ISO) or [sqftFh/Btu] (USA)?

For R-ISO = 9, you need about 25 cm of PU foam, which would be perfect and would fulfil the highest building standards. For R-USA = 9, you need only 4.5 cm of foam.

I asume that it is the R-USA value. In Thailand the foam is generally sprayed in a thickness of 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm).

Note! Beware of their special offer of becoming a member. For a fee of 5,000 baht they would give you 5% discount. I typically go for a massage twice a month and with a fee of 450 baht per session it would take me eight years before break-even. I suggested to the owner to redo the calculation.

This is not a fee! You pay in advance and receive a 5% discount for every massage. So for THB 5,000 in advance you have about one 450-massage for free.

I also can recommend their service. The personal has really some medical background and can apply special massages for healing special pain. If you don't see the AXA sign - the spa is just near the Bank of Ayudhya. There is a parking lot near-by (south of the bank).

Have a look at Lindab Aqualine range (unless these where the ones you said were ugly!). I installed on our house last year and blends in really well. Loads of colours too but not too that cheap.

Here is a thread when i was searching - http://www.thaivisa....ing-accessories

We also have Lindap gutters and they work very well. And they aren't ugly at all...

Or try the new Mazda 3 2 litre, which has a 5-speed automatic transmission and shift paddles at the steering wheel.

We drove the old 4-speed Mazda for 3 years and 95'000 kilometres and were very satisfied with smooth and responsive transmission. The new Mazda 3 is even better.

Very good and nice-looking solution!

What about dust? How often do you have to clean them?

I also had to replace my CFL's too often. The cause might be the heat combined with high humidity and perhaps lower quality of the products sold in Thailand.

Therefore I started to convert my house to LED lighting...!

I have some experience with AIS (EDGE) near Yasothon with the iPhone as a mobile hotspot for my Macbook. I am using the 799 THB/month unlimited Internet access package from AIS because I am always onlime with my iPhone. But AIS has also other, cheaper packages.

The Internet connection is quite slow but enough for reading and sending e-mails and browsing simple website.

Put bars on every opening since your gone for long time and don't have a guard in your complex.

These bars are often more decoration than a really protection (bad quality, week connection to the walls). Additionally you block your escape ways in case of a fire.

A good but expensive option are the security screens from Majestec

As in many other (Western) countries, your wife will get 50% of your stuff. If you buy a car, it will probably on her name as the land you bought.

So - the best solution is to make a pre-nuptual agreement which separates the assets. This had to be done before the registration of the marriage and cannot be changed later!

A Diesel engine would also be on my wish list for the new CR-V - and every SUV...

Which apps to people reccommend for fuel monitor and calculations???. I just tried 'gas cubby' ...

I am using AccuFuel on my iPhone for quite a long time (April 2008) now and I very satisfied.