Chaichara

You could try checking out Ultralingua, they have many language dictionaries for iPhone and iPod Touch.

I've been using cheap USB Thai/Roman keyboards for my Macs for years and never had any problems. I usually pay between 250 and 350 baht.

Yes, for me, 2,500 baht is totally out of the question. A wireless solution is to use a Bluetooth dongle.

if you have several Macs networked on your desk and wish to operate them from a single mouse and keyboard, try the free Teleport softwaer. It's extremely easy to install and works like a dream. It is indispensable for my work.

The official Mac service centre, which I have used several times, is situated on the ground floor of the building next to Tesco on Rama III.

The oldest and most correct of the Mac authorised dealers is UFICOM at Panthip Plaza, Petchburi Road where they have a shop and a workshop. They also have a large dedicated Mac store at Panthip in Nonthaburi. I have excellent service from them over the last 10 years and bought several Macs from them. If you go there and have problems, (unlikely) ask to peak to 'J-J' the CEO.

I was DOS in a large Catholic school near BKK at the time. I had hired a new teacher who was due to start after the Xmas-New Year break. On his CV was 'fund raiser'.

I received an e-mail from him canceling his appointment:

"I'm off to Phuket to do some fund raising; I can make more money that way..."

That, 'Naam', is bordering on flaming , and I don't consider it particularly funny. I've been building pools since 1974, and was a rep in France for Certikin for 12 years. There is so much nonsense blathered in this forum that I sometimes wonder why I even bother.

He may be even more of an idiot than you think - I've never heard of a fine white powder that should be placed on the filter assembly

No? This is what our original pool guy did - just like it says here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4453214_use-de-fil...mming-pool.html

Simon

'on the filter assembly' is ambiguous, and that article refers specifically to diatomacious earth filters - is that what you have?

You can get answers to all your specific questions in other topics in this swimming pool forum, and and from non commercial pool experts in this article - particularly about salt water chlorinators. However, depending on how the plumbing is laid out, changing over from the central water treatment system could be a costly experience.

IMHO, salt water chlorination is the most effective solution as the chlorine level is controlled very precisely by an electronic unit that also provides programmation for the pumping cycles. Once the equipment is amortized, there is no cost for chemicals. The units can be easily retro fitted. They cost from about 35,000 baht, although pool constructors and pool shops, particularly in Pattaya and Phuket tend to sell them at double that price.

Try to avoid buying Chinese pumps, some of them are already broken when you take them out of the box, or they leak through the shaft seals. They are usually a copy of the Grundfos Wave pumps. The filter units are ok though. There are some ranges of Australian pumps and filters (PoolRite) that are not necessarily expensive, but many pool builders will try to sell the most expensive brands such as Hayward. Pumps and filters should be accurately matched, and rated for the volume of the pool - no more, no less.

Excellent filtration results can be obtained by using DiamondKleen crushed silicone dioxide instead of sand. Cartridge filters are only an advantage for the seller.

Good pool practice insists that the volume of the pool is filtersd in 6 - 8 hours pumping, every 24 hours.

I have just returned from visiting a friend on a brand new luxury development on Samui where all the hoses have identical, in-ground concrete pools. Of all the houses sold so far, 25% have leaking pools. If you have a proper contract wit the builder, it should certainly be fixed under guarantee - a good builder will guarantee his work for at least two years, if not more.

The main reasons for leaks are incorrect construction - typical in pools that are built by house builders rather than pool specialists. The causes are often:

- No waterproofing agent in the concrete. hairline cracks i the concrete from being allowed to 'dry' in the hot sun rather than being kept damp and allowed to cure slowly.

- Non use of rubber 'water-stop'

- Non use of special water-barrier tile adhesive.

- Insufficient sealing around the underwater light conduit, maindrains, water nozzles, and anything else that goes through the floor and walls.

Generally, if everything else is OK, even if the grout is flaking out from between the tiles, this should not cause a leak - many concrete tanks are constructed without being tiled on the inside.

Try emptying the pool by stages and when the water level is just below any of the lights and ports, see if the water continues to dissappear. If it does, there are no easy solutions. It may mean a complete retiling job after correctly sealing the walls and floor..

Sandwash, if laid correctly, should not crack. it is however not designed for heavy load bearing such as driveways. it is excellent for patios and pool surrounds. It is ideally suited for making creative patterns, and using colour pigments. It costs about 250 baht per m2, materials and labour, in Isaan, but in Pattaya they charge up to 750 baht/m2.

Specially designed for use on natural stonework, sandstone, sandwash, and earthenware products, A-100 is a fast drying gloss acrylic enamel based on pure acrylic resin which has been ready mixed for applying by brush. No thinner is needed. Ideal for swimming pool surrounds, pathways, and particularly temple style earthenware roof tile that rapidly attract black algae if not sealed.

Excellent weathering properties, chemical resistance, and withstands UV. Available in all major DIY outlets and many local hardware stores. Sold in 3.785 litre cans to cover up to 30m2 depending on the roughness, and porosity of the surface. Prices range from 150 to 300 baht per can!

There are other products too, but they will cost more - up to 750 baht a can, and will cover only 15 - 20 m2.

I'm surprised that you were not able to find the answer on the Internet. This site will tell you all you need to know:

http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/ehs/chem.htm

and your question has already been addressed at depth in earlier postings on this ThaiVisa swimming pool forum - you just need to search back a bit.

If you look more closely at yo r pool test kit, you will see that on one side it has graded yellow colours. One medium yellow is marked either with "IDEAL" or "1.0". If after adding the required number of drops of the yellow liquid int the tube, the colour of the water matches this, then it is obviously ideal. If the water is paler than the ideal colour, then add more chlorine. If it is darker, don't do anything - there is too much chlorine n the pool.

Basically, the same system works for ther pH test. There is a tube with reddish colors. One will have "IDEAL" and/or 7.6 marked on it on the right colour.

Your pool shop will advise you what chemicals to use to raise and lower the pH. Remember also that those simple chemicals are up to five times more expensive when you buy them in a pool shop.

Rice is a staple in Thailand and rice cookers of every kind really are available absolutely every where in every size, shape and form, including larger stainless steel ones for restaurants. We have a standard family-size Toshiba 520W machine purchased 7 years agao and still going strong. The model is still produced - it's probably the most popular rice cooker in the country.

I don't understand the problem...

We have 10 rai of Kow Niaow here deep in Nong Bua Lamphu province, and own the the town rice mill.

I've never seen a machine used anywhere in the area, probably because each paddy is almost too small to do a U-turn, and possibly because most of the rice is subsistence farming anyway.

Harvesting is usually an extended-family affair plus some extra local hired help at 140 baht per day per person - I guess that's a bit cheaper than forking out several million for a combine harvester.

Neunplubwaan Animal Hospital

But Pattaya is awash with vets and animal clinics - just drive round with your eyes open and you'll see dozens - particularly in Nong Prue (Soi Neunplubwaan, Soi Country Club, etc.)

Overtime mark-up?

When you consider that the clear net profit for the cleaning firm owner is around 2,000 baht per day per job...

These prices are driven high by the Pattaya farangs who throw their money around too easily without the slightest consideration that in so doing they are paying way over the odds, and causing the prices which they themselves complain so loudly about, and one of the reasons why the kingdom is no longer such a cheap place to retire to on a meagre pension.

The same is true of those swimming pool 'service' companies who visit your pool for 20 minutes once or twice a week, and charge you 2,000 - 4,000 a month for it.

Anywhere else" in Thailand, you would of course get the same full spring-clean service for around 750 baht for the day

The short answer is no.

Static water that is not refreshed may not be 'stagnant' in the true sense of the word, but there is a high risk of schistosomiasis, bilhariasis, carcerial dermatitis (swimmers' itch), and salmonella, typical diseases contracted from swimming, for example, in quarry water that has no natural stream or spring to replenish it.

Fish may thrive in it, buy you won't

I have just discovered that the staff guy at my (ex's) hotel who looks after the swimming pool has - for the past 3 years, been throwing the very fine powder that should be placed on the filter assembly directly into the swimming pool itself....

Apparently he never bothers to test the PH and CL of the water either...

and I wondered why it goes green so often

Simon

He may be even more of an idiot than you think - I've never heard of a fine white powder that should be placed on the filter assembly

I guess this is 12V, instead of 220V ?

Hi Peter,

With or without Safe-T-Cut or an extra earth wire, if it's 220V it's an accident waiting to happen. The danger is analogous to driving like a maniac and taking risks, because you now have ABS and airbags to to soften the impact when the accident happens.

If you are safety conscious, and you obviously are, the only solution is to use an external pump that is correctly designed and rated for swimming pool water features.

That doesn't include crippling the whole nation by shutting down essential services and preventing the government from functioning normally.

The French do it all the time - they are statistically the world masters at destroying their economy through disruptive political and industrial action...

The other day we were called by a new customer who wanted to know why there was always soap in his pool. Lo and behold, the maids were draining their mop buckets into the surge tank! Yes, we now maintain that pool.

G

Obviously a pool designed and built by an idiot. Certainly not one of ours...

That's interesting because I certainly don't have any alarms round my rather large pool in Sauveterre , and nobody has been around from the mairie to tell us about any new laws.

But nobody has ever fallen into it and drowned yet either...

Wineaux,

to get back to your original enquiry, in 36 years of messing with pools I have never come across any alarm equipment specially designed for pools. There is an extremely sophisticated piece of electronic equipment that detects motion in water that is used in the fishery industry, but the cost would probably be prohibitive. Most people with domestic pools just make sure they can keep an eye on the thing from the kitchen window, or put a stainless steel patio type fence around them.

The easiest solution which some people use to keep strangers from free skinny dipping by moonlight, is to mount some motion detectors on the steel fence. This would work for kids too, but it is no substitute for the moral obligation of any pool owner to keep a watchful eye and personally ensure that non-swimmers keep out of it and that young children are not allowed near it without adult supervision.

That said, we are living in a country where nine-year-olds drive to school on their own motorcycles...

The water does not lookvery appetising, but a normal swimming pool pump and filter combination together with a couple of doses of clarifier would have that water sparkling clean within 24 hours.

It is probably unlkely that the three basins are part of a pool filtration system, and at the low cost of clean water either from the mains or delivered by tanker, nobody would fill a pool from a nearby river or lake.

It certainly does look as if the whole thing was part of a fish breeding system.

You say the pool is 'huge' but adjectives like this tend to be rather subjective. To a constructor, an olympic pool might just be bordering on huge, where as a standard domestic 4 x 10 m pool is in fact quite small and very manageable.

Knowing the true dimensions, would enable you estimate roughly how much you would need to invest to turn everything into a decent pool. Generally there is no workaround for proper pumping and filtration equipment, which for a pool from about 32 => 100 m2 surface area would cost no more than 25,000 - 35,000 baht By reading all about pools on this forum and then going to this super article about building pools in Thailand you will be be able to calculate again almost exactly.

^ Biggest city to me is Korat. I also spoke with Opal, and yes she is very helpful. It would be no problem carving a gasket out of a piece of rubber, but one side has a center bevel, which skims the bottom of the 5 chamber valve, and my carving skills are limited by this. Shelled out the 1800, but enjoyed it like I would a stick up.

I've said it many times on this and other forums - if you want a swimming pool, you are going to get stung every inch of the way. Swimming pools are supposed to be for rich people who don't give two hoots about the price they pay for their pools, or for subsequent maintenance and repairs. I fell into a similar trap 20 years ago when I opted to become a dedicated Macintosh computer user. of course, even though prices have now come down and are actually cheaper than PCs on a baht-per-baht comparison, a new battery is for a Mac notebook going to cost 4,500 to replace, and a power transformer 2,800. these two items a guaranteed to fail after 2 years (happend to me to both items last month).; they cost only a few hundred baht each for a generic PC laptop, but Apple knows what the best operating system in the world is is worth, and they screw yoiu on the spares.

Fazit? Don't join the jet set if you cant't afford the fuel.

And yes, Opal is very helpful, but the comminications break down every time she is away at the Emaux HQ in China.

Naam is correct 350 baht max I bought one last week.

You can buy larger refill bottles 1000cc for 200 baht, from pool warehouse Theprasit Road Pattaya, ok for the chlorine, but the refill for PH is never the same colour as the original

This is good to know. Thanks.

I know of at least 6 pool shops in Pattaya that sell them from 650 baht, so someone is really on the make.

It's a bit like the 50 Kg bags of salt if you a re using a saltwater chlorinator. I k now of two places in Pattaya less than 1 Km apart. one sells them for 500 baht a bag and the other chrges 200.