CaptainSplod

Try contacting the owner of Pattaya Music Studio directly in back of Big C Sukhumvit Pattaya Tai in the ugly fluorescent orange and green building. You can't miss it.

He has a few jam sessions going, now and then - and I'm sure he'd be more than pleased to have "new blood" in, on some of the jams.

I'd be there myself, but I no longer live in Pattaya

Cheers

Oh, good! Sounds like they'll do the job - and properly, too! It's always something of a "risk" when recommending a place one has used, as one never knows if the service will be just as good - or even if the place has changed owners in the meantime.

Oh? No money up front? That's strange, maybe you're more honest-looking than I am

Do let us know if the chair is repaired satisfactorily, when you get it back!

Splod

If you do visit the shop on Pattaya Klang, then I'd expect them to keep your chair for a few days - they don't do "on the spot" repairs, as far as I know - perhaps just if there's just a minor repair that needs doing.

If you're coming by car, then I'd suggest you park at the Foodland supermarket, as the said shop isn't too far away - and parking can otherwise be problematic. If you don't want to use Foodland itself, for any shopping, then they have a car park extension just across the little soi that runs next to Foodland - you'd need to drive in through the main carpark, exit and instead of turning left towards Pattaya Klang again, just drive across the soi to their extension.

Beware of other traffic as you cross the soi, though, especially traffic coming from your right!

Cheers

Splod

To answer your question -

I (thankfully) no longer live in Pattaya, but there is/was a furniture shop on Pattaya Klang, about 200 meters further up from Carrefour (on the same side of the road) and I presume it's still there. The shop has an open front with chairs and office furniture (almost) outside.

This shop was very helpful in replacing the wheel segment of an office chair and did a VERY good job - they may be of assistance - ask and ye shall find - but take along a Thai to explain your problem.

I remember that they wanted payment up front - apparently too many people came for repairs but never bothered to pay and pick up their furniture.

Hope this helps

Hi Guys!

I seem to wear out the soft plastic foam coverings on my headphones rather quickly.

The foam pads are about 5cm (2 inches) in diameter and I used to be able to buy replacement pads

in Panthip in CM, but now they've suddenly decided to stop selling them.

Anyone know where I can buy these foam pads in or around Chiang Mai ? There MUST

be other guys out there that wear out their headphone pads.......err......mustn't there.....?

Thanks for your time

Splod

Hmm...yes, well - I suppose I DID rather expect some weird and exotic replies and this being TV, nobody (absolutely nobody!) has a reasonable kitchen scales, a liter of rice (jasmine, of course, and in any length or breadth) - and if they have, then there's no way they'd even bother to weigh the rice - would they??

As for the baffling "US Cup" measurement - this must compare with teaspoon/tablespoon measurements. Unfortunately, tablespoons (and teaspoons) come in a variety of sizes - the smaller tablespoons are usually reserved for extremely distateful and ugly stuff, such as medicines, while the larger ones are always used for lovely sweets and treats!

Now then, chaps - anyone have Thai wife, girfriend (or boyfriend, even) that could do the honours ? Oh, if you posess all three then you're obviously excused........

With all the rice that Thais eat, it must be the easiest thing in the world for them to do.

Splod

Hmm...useful enough, thanks, though as far as I could see it doesn't include rice (jasmine or other) but "merely" converts 'quantities'.

A litre of WATER would be of a different weight than a litre of RICE.

But :jap:, anyway!

Aah..yes! A ridiculous question, but I don't have access to any weighing scales, so do bear with me.

Here goes -

does anyone know how much one litre (volume) of jasmine rice weighs - in grams?

Thanks for your patience....

Splod

Hi Guys!

I seem to wear out the soft plastic foam coverings on my headphones rather quickly.

The foam pads are about 5cm (2 inches) in diameter and I used to be able to buy them

in Panthip in CM, but now they've suddenly decided to stop selling them.

Anyone know where I can buy these foam pads in CM or in the Lamphun area ? There MUST

be other guys that wear out their headphone pads.......err....mustn't there.....?

Thanks for your time

Splod

OoH! - I have Word 2003 and everything is also in Thai.

Anyone (maybe even jayhawks09) have the same directions to change to English?

Thanks

"you're probably using DHT so that makes it a public torrent which most people said has never been a problem. Problem relates to private trackers."

Wrong! - also relates to public torrents (at least here in the CM area) - where torrents are off/on every few hours. Too, normal internet browsing appears to be grotesquely slow in periods.

Last "normal" traffic was around 7:30 - 9am this morning - since then things have been VERY erratic.

Cheers

Same for me before - replacement cards were at first sent by ordinary post, then later on that ceased and it arrived by courier (DHL or some such).

As far as I was aware there was never any problem in receiving the replacement cards - though perhaps the bank would never actually admit that a card "went astray".

Well, maybe the new Metro Bank (with the slogan "Love Your Bank!") will eventually extend their services to cater for expats. They seem to already have caused something of a stir on the UK High Street, proclaiming to be a "service for customers" bank, ideal for those that are fed up with the "non-service" attitude at their existing bank.

Perhaps at least the appearance of this new (and apparently more to follow) bank will shake the existing banks up a bit - one can only hope so.

Cheers

PP - good luck with your Debit card - but maybe in the meantime you should be looking at other alternatives than using a card.

Hi!

Just some general information for you that may have a Barclay's Offshore Account

and maybe you need to be forewarned about the following :

I've just received a written reply to a query I made to my bank, after NOT receiving

a replacement "Connect" (Debit) card from them after the old one expired.

I advise due to strict regulatory requirements we are no longer able to dispatch

sensitive items such as Connect Cards to certain countries. Unfortunately, Thailand

falls into this category".....

Strange.....as previously I've received replacements cards without (too much)

bother. I will add that the last time my card expired, it was necessary to call

the bank before a new card was finally sent - previous to that a new card arrived

automatically, at least as far as I remember.

Too, it would certainly have been nice to have been informed by the bank about their "regulatory requirements" - well

BEFORE the card actually expired.

Ah, yes, British bank service has certainly changed from the "friendly bank manager attitude" from many years ago....

Check your Connect card for the expiry date - maybe you'll need to make other arrangements in future !

Cheers

Hunlikea : Absolutely!

My inference was to opening a new account - whereas existing accounts are a different kettle of fish...... Still, I don't doubt that there are people

that have managed to open a UK onshore account without any UK address and without ever having set their toes on UK soil - such is life.

Tee208 : Not so much to be confused about, really. Yes, I do have a Barclays Offshore account - which is UK based.

However, I'm looking around for a different bank, that's all - and it's natural to hear of other member's recommendations or suggestions.

Nationwide ALSO deals with offshore accounts - and they are also UK based. (Thanks for your input, too!)

Cheers

Hmmm......

Maybe I didn't make myself clear, Tee2008.

Naturally, I expect to be charged for making international transfers.

Many offshore banks charge a monthly or yearly fee just for the privilege of having an account with them - some account types can be cheap, while other account types can be more expensive.

"If anyone can suggest or recommend a suitable bank with minimal monthly charges (or - dare I say it - FREE!) ......." referred to the above-mentioned monthly/yearly charges, and most certainly NOT to individual transaction charges.

What laws ? - I believe that if you are not a resident of the UK, do not live, work or set foot upon the land of plenty, then you are prohibited from having a UK bank account.

Such were the words bestowed upon me many years ago - whereupon I was directed to the offshore department.

Mind you things may have changed since then.....

Cheers

Oops, sorry totp, forgot to include an answer to your query.

I think it's the normal procedure if you don't use online banking.

Be also aware that even with written instructions, you can risk them writing back for proof of identity.

I try to overcome this by including a photocopy of some personal documentation when writing the first time - it's worked fine until now - though that in itself probably breaks a normal "security" situation..............

Cheers

./ Edited for spelling mistake

Well, yes, I do tend to agree with topt - at least to a certain extent.

We're nearly all painfully aware of the "security thing" when talking to a bank, especially when it's from Thailand.

I don't blame the "Customs Relations Adviser" at all for refusing to discuss any intimate details about my account, if the CRA felt I wasn't who

I was supposed to be. That is their prerogative and it's really quite understandable.

However, I never once tried to discuss the specifics of my account, nor was there any need to (seeing as I already knew them) - but wanted to ask about some "general" information and advice, referring to the said letter I'd previously sent.

Unfortunately, it seems that once you've failed their tests, then there's apparently nothing that will persuade them to even talk to you any longer.

The one thing I don't always quite understand is, why is it necessary to go through "security" before you've even stated what it is that you want to enquire about ?

Cheers

Steve187 thanks for the link, interesting....

I may be quite wrong but I think the info in the link mostly refers to Brits that still have a UK address.

(Un)Fortunately, I'm not in that category - and I'm really just looking around for a UK based bank (has to be offshore due to the UK laws), where I can make online transfers of funds to my Thai bank.

I don't have other online banking bills to pay, don't have a mortgage - nothing, in fact, which might require anything but a very simple account involving just a few transactions every year.

Among some of the suggestions I've received - and that I'm still considering - Rodentwarrior's info was most excellent.

However, I don't wish to get raped by the extortionate monthly/ yearly charges that some offshore banks expect - for an account where I do most or all of the work myself.

Really, if I could find such an account, then a UK ATM card wouldn't be necessary - at all.

If anyone can suggest or recommend a suitable bank with minimal monthly charges (or - dare I say it - FREE!) - then I'd be most grateful

Cheers

Hi Rodentwarrior - and many thanks for your interesting info.

>Your suggestion sounds very good - I've already been spending some time trawling through various offshore banks to see what I can find of alternatives. Plenty of good account services - though some banks tend to charge the earth for the privilege.

I've just visited the NW site but they don't appear to list any monthly/yearly charges for their various accounts, or at least I'm not able (yet) to find them. Maybe you can help me out there - pm me if that's more practical, thanks.

Too, it would be nice to know if their accounts require a minimum account balance (ie GBP1000, 5000) - they don't seem to specify anything for most of their accounts. Mind you, navigating around can be slightly hazardous and frustrting, and<i> most</i> banking websites are an enormous maze of links and popups - sometimes enough to make you go cross-eyed.  <img class="bbc_emoticon" alt="" src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif">

Cheers<br>

./ Edited to get rid of those naughty <br><br> things...........

Just got an email from Barclays which will no doubt please everybody that has a debit card with them -

The foreign exchange charge on your debit card is about to change

If you use your debit card abroad - either to make a purchase or to withdraw cash in local currency from an ATM or over the counter at a bank - you pay a foreign exchange charge. From 1 October 2010 this charge will increase from 2.75% to 2.99%. You can close your account at any time without charge and there will be no change to any other debit card charges.

No doubt other banks will soon follow suit - if they haven't already done so

Wonder if people are generally using their cards less frequently than before - due to the economical slowdown, fewer holidays abroad, "pitiful" savings interest rates, etc - the banks need to increase their rates to make up for it........

Yeah, well - judging by your replies it maybe looks like online banking offers the best and easiest choice in the long run - and I presume I'd be able to set things up at a later date so that I could make a SWIFT transfer (or similar) at any time. Still, it all rather depends on what possibilities my bank offers, in the end.

Nope, don't want to CHANGE my bank - it would entail a whole lot of screwing around at various government institutions for months on end, which I'm not prepared to undertake just at the moment. Besides, I'm not a resident of the UK, which can make things slightly more "difficult".

Anyway, thanks to your input I'm starting to get an idea of things (I hope)!  <img class="bbc_emoticon" alt="" src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif"><br><br>

Thanks

Splod<br><br>

'/Edited to try and get rid of those irritating <br> <br> that seem to attach themselves to posts!

Hi Again!

Some quick replies, so thanks.

Making a personal visit to my bank could be difficult, as it's in the Channel Isles

and I'm in Thailand. Actually, I generally have little contact with the bank, even though

I've been a customer for decades. If it's of any help - Barclays, so USA banks don't

apply here - which by the sound of things is just as well.

I appreciate that many banks have their own end rules as to how to make transactions,

but I figured there'd be a sort of general or standard procedure in setting up an

initial SWIFT arrangement - though maybe that's just not the case.

Wildoates:

Yeah - I DID contact my offshore bank by mail, giving them the Swift details of my

Thai bank and enquiring as to whether the info was sufficient if I wanted to make a

SWIFT transfer at a later date.

The result? I was eventually called by some aggressive "Customer Relations Adviser" who

flatly refused to give any details about anything whatsoever on the phone, after I failed

some of their security questions - their computer info didn't match up with my

answers. Tough luck - on me!

Maybe this info will help you to give me some further advice

Thanks

Splod

Hi Guys!

I'm reading with interest about people making SWIFT transfers from Europe, USA or

wherever - to their bank account in Thailand. The posts contain a lot of advice

about what bank is best (or worst) to use - plus what limits they may have, charges

for transfers, et al. All very good and useful for many people. Only one thing that

bothers me (in particular) - apparently all posters already have some experience of

SWIFT transfers.

I'm in the position of not knowing anything about SWIFT transfers - apart from the

fact that they exist.

In an easy way, is there anyone that can explain for a complete beginner (me) -

How the hel_l do I, from A to Z, set up a SWIFT transfer?

The facts :

I have an offshore account (Jersey) and want to make a SWIFT transfer to my bank

account in Thailand - not a large amount, either. I have the SWIFT details of

the receiving bank in Thailand, on paper. Great - but now what?

How do I start ? What do I need to do? For example, can I just send a letter to

my offshore bank requesting an amount to be transferred to my Thai account?

Do I need to fill in any forms - if so, what forms?

No, I DON'T have online banking facilities.....and no, I don't want to

change my bank or sign up with other banks, thanks all the same.

Any info would be appreciated :jap:

Thanks, guys

Splod

Hrrrrmphhh!

Went to the local TOT office to try and get the said update from 2 to 4MB.

The conversation went something like this :

Oh, you live at <this> address. Hmmm..that's not so good, as you're too far away from "the tower" to get any benefit from an upgrade.

Residents near(er) to the tower get stronger signals and can get upgrades, but you're not in that category. However, should we make changes to our equipment installed on the tower, then you ought to be able to get an update.

We have no present information as to whether we will make any changes to our equipment.

If we gave you an update now, then you'd just experience fall-outs and constant disconnections.

- end of conversation.

Personally, I'm not too bothered about not getting the upgrade (would have been nice, but it's no sweat).

One thing bothers me, slightly - and that is that before signing the 2MB contract, we were told that we live in a really

"good" reception area and there oughtn't to be any problems using the internet. Too, there was a long list of

various sized packages we could have chosen from - and at no time were we told that there would be any

problem choosing a larger package.

Maybe there's a big difference between choosing a large package - and being "upgraded" from a smaller package.

I wouldn't know - I'm not tech minded. Maybe you guys know more about that sort of thing.

Splod

The g/f has already talked to TOT on the phone - things aren't always so easy...

The guy she talked to advised us to go to our local office to try our luck.

His opinion (which might differ from the local office) was, that our contract was perhaps too "new" to expect an

immediate upgrade - though the g/f got the impression that it's the local office that will decide in the end.

Whatever, he reckoned that we'd have to try and "cancel" our existing contract and make a new

contract (with the upgrade included).

Again - this would no doubt be decided by the local office.

We have to go to the local office at the end of the week, so we'll see what happens. We're not really sure if getting an upgrade will

improve our down/up speeds, anyway, as the most I've seen as yet for our 2MB package deal is around 225/60KB - or around 10% of the package size - though that's probably a lot faster than many other people are getting.

Splod