dumball

HI I WANT TO PUT SOME MONEY INTO MY THAI BANK ACCOUNT IN STERLING,WOULD I GET A BETTER RATE IF I WENT INTO MY BANK WITH THE CASH IN STERLING OR IS IT BETTER TO GO TO ONE OF THE EXCHANGE PLACES FIRST AND THEN PUT IT IN MY ACCOUNT IN BAHT.THANKS.

Why do you not just check the exchange rates posted at your bank and compare them with outside exchange rates , pick the best rate and run with the money .

How many times have you almost hit a stupid lazy motorcyclist going the opposite direction on the hiway???? I see it many times a day and when they almost get whacked, they just smile.

Wife tells me that the motorcyclist has the 'right of way' in all situations when a car is involved.....even if they are at fault. can anyone confirm??

reasonably simple,which one is the Thai?

Dirty Toilets In Restaurants, Do they bother you?

they don't. i don't frequent restaurants and if i do i don't even think using their toilets.

So your wife can cook?

she can but she doesn't. cooking is done by our cook

Don't tell me you've gone and spoiled her? Snagging a good looker is easy enough, but getting one that can cook well now you're talking. Does she ever whip something up on occasions? You know cooking from the heart? Don't let her get away from proving her love in the gastronomical way.

when we got married in 1979 all the cooking my wife was able to do was heating up water, put a teabag in a cup, add hot water, sugar and milk some of the cooking she was taught (in an astonishing short period) by my grandmother and mother. later -we lived for several years in Africa- she learned a variety of cooking from our cook. when she knew everything she fired him because he was cheating 200% when purchasing food items. now she is trying hard once in a while to teach our present cook how to prepare "western" meals. not much success though

I think most of the posters here are 'Out to lunch ' the state of the toilets can be a general indication of the hygene in an eatery,new place? I order only a coffee and visit the toilet,i always talk to the staff about what i find,dirty? I do not even finish my coffee,just pay and leave,why should you take the chance of a very serious illness because people happen to be lazy.Not been sick yet? Just wait until you are,toilet attributed illness can be both serious and life threatining,not paranoid but like to play it safe,after all,it is my life i am playing with.

Is this a set up already?I never ever even let my card go out of my hand to anybody,have to have it? They lose my buisiness,there are so many ways today,not only to steal your money,but your complete identity,just a scan is enough to 'Get at you ' a secure bank number,are you kidding?Read up on this and you will find in 99% of instances of monetary fraud, the crooks have broken just about every safety measure known to man,if not today,tomorrow is soon enough for them.They have even hacked into 'Safe

'government sites and computers,CAUTION should be your one and only piece of advice.

paranoid much?

Not at all,just read a multitude of 'Ripped off 'consumers world wide,being 'Smart 'could cost you big time at some point of your future life,thinking your way,better to be paranoid than flat broke at an inconvenient time in your life .

Seriously, a kettle plug is fine.

I can't remember the dire circumstances I must have been in back then, but I shared my kettle cord with my computer for a while. (Probably as a student).

No negative effects.

The real problem here is not realy a problem at all,there is no true electrical ground in Thailand hence the need for only a 2 pin plug,just buy the correct grounded cord when you get back home and be done with it.Most modern day electrical 'Thingys' are multi voltage,so no problem there if there was a difference which there is not.

Never, no, don't do it, you should not.

Now that you know that, heres what to do.

Open an account at pay pal or some other web banking site like that and let people donate to you using their pay pal accounts.

If you can't do that, show people methods to send you email money transfers.

If you get confused, just PM me and I'll set you up. I'm good with all that stuff.

Is this a set up already?I never ever even let my card go out of my hand to anybody,have to have it? They lose my buisiness,there are so many ways today,not only to steal your money,but your complete identity,just a scan is enough to 'Get at you ' a secure bank number,are you kidding?Read up on this and you will find in 99% of instances of monetary fraud, the crooks have broken just about every safety measure known to man,if not today,tomorrow is soon enough for them.They have even hacked into 'Safe

'government sites and computers,CAUTION should be your one and only piece of advice.

I have gazillions of ants around the house as well, spray them with chaindrite gives me peace for a while but they usually6 will be back. Chalk does kill ants by drying them up as far as i know but they do not carry that back to the nest. There is an ant bait available in green boxes for about 60 Baht called asr ant killer, small yellow pellets inside and this stuff is getting carried back to the nest where it kills effectively. This works best for me.

I used to use both at one time,but over a period of several years i have found the chalk to be the easiest to use,you can use it on any surface,wall,floor ,ceiling etc ,but with the ant houses you are limited to horizontal surfaces only and hope the ants come and find it.The chalk is carried on the ants body/feet back to the nest and through practise i find it very effective,because cost is minimal,use both and watch what happens,it can be almost as fascinating as reading some TV threads but truly more effective in regards to satisfaction personally achieved .

isabelle17 said,

but I think it's ridiculous that pidgeon English a huge complaint....

My boyfriend doesn't speak excellent English...and sometimes its easier if I say things to him in a less complicated way.

In my view speaking to your boyfriend in broken/baby English only reinforces poor language performance. Once this poor means of communication is established it is hard to break.

Interestingly the development of pidgin English, and other pidgins, came about mostly through colonialism. The new masters refused to speak the local dialect and the natives were forced to do the best they could. With poor education it was usually far from perfect.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, insisting on correct language is arrogant and demeaning.

The goal should be communication and understanding each other.

onzestan

Well said !!!

It is a lot easier to understand someone who speaks a language well, and learners will never learn to speak well, unless they have heard the language spoken correctly on a regular basis.

Well UG,can you please explain in perfect English,how you can expect someone to learn and understand a new language unless it is spoken perfectly to him on a regular basis when he does not understand ONE WORD in the first place !!!!!!!!

Not sure how to "tame" them ... But finding out the point of entry into your apartment and spraying it full of ant killer might be a start. Ask the apartment owner to call a "Rent O Kill" type company to come and do a proper job would be a good idea too.

Buy 'Ant chalk ' in 7/11 (or other),chalk around where they are most proliferate and be patient for a while,touching the chalk kills an ant,but most important is that it is carried back to the nest and THEY ALL die. Spraying is a quick fix for those in evidence,but there are zillions where they came from,it is estimated that there are 10 million ants in the world for each human,quite the fight we have on hand.

I also follow the ants back to thier entry point and plug the hole with a clear sealer 'UHU 'after they have died off,took me a few months to hopefully seal off most entries,but now experience practically no ants and then only in small numbers(searcher ants).I carry my ant chalk where-ever i go because i found it to be the best remover of 'The curse of the ant armies 'dum-te-dum-dum !!

I met my husband when he was a monk in Bkk, we conducted a relationship/courtship without touch or close contact and decided to marry. He asked the head monk and approval was given. When he moved in with me the same day he disrobed it was apparent we were not going to get along unless serious changes were made on both sides. After 3 months I got pregnant with our son ... a wonderful boy.

Anyway now, a thai woman to whom i confessed this story is telling me that to appease my own bad karma from marrying a monk... my son must ordain as a monk for a while and then I will be okay... as in my bad karma will be lifted if my son ordains as a monk.

What do you think?

There is no such thing as a bad karma as long as you don't believe in it yourself. Noone else than yourself can judge about that and for sure no other Thai woman.

If you believe in such things (what I think else you wouldn't post here) go and try to ask the head monk there (or if not possible another higher monk) for his advice and not just one thai woman who has nothing to do with that.

Maybe you should have taken a lesson from 'Normal ' Thai men who get married until a baby arrives,then leave for some excuse or other,only to keep bothering the wife for money and/or sex because it is 'Her duty '.Forget the karma bull,live your life for you and your son and tell the Thai lady where the door is and that it only works one way OUT!!!

<br />A dildo , it will show that you want to take care .<br />

All that will show her is that I want her to take care of herself, and I don't want that yet because I haven't even got in her pants yet, have I?

Maybe for her 25th when I'm ready for my first Mia Noi.

But I must confess, this has all along been about a Khmer girl in Cambodia and not a Thai girl, sorry.

I thought the responses would have been different if I had told the truth.

In answer to an earlier question I am 37 years old but look a little younger.

Khymer lady huh,are you aware many of them do not fool around but keep themselves 'Pure '' for thier 'First' husband,when you marry her or at least betroth yourself to her,you will have one very good wife who will provide for your every need. I suggest you make no passes,but consult with her Mamma to pledge a desire for only her, after a party and ceremony she will be allowed to accompany you anywhere without a chaperon.

I left Thailand a few years ago because i met or was introduced to too many 'Virgins ', not that i was fooled,but all they wanted to do was quit working and be supported in lavish style including the family which i refused to go along with.Now they have operations to 'Return ' thier virginity,resew the hymen ends together,viginity is a bubble on the stream of life,one p###k amd it is gone,forever!!!

I have been 'Married ' to a Khymer lady for almost 3 years,met her at 25,original to the last detail,should i write a list of my wifely requirements,many things would not be on it,it may sound rediculous,but i am not allowed to even open a pack of cigarettes,i am told it is her commitment to me to look after me as my wife.

Good luck and enjoy life as it can be .

I was also referring to older 1980's non fuel injected models. Apart from some personal experience with a similar problem to the OP in outback Australia (blown head gasket) the rest has been with poorly maintained older 2wd Hilux type pickups and V8 Chevy blazers operating in Middle Eastern deserts.

Fresh coolant (does wadi water count ) helps the car run cooler, as does a clean radiator. Restricting the coolant flow is a necessity. It's also common to see the Bedouin's snip the legs of the thermostat, throw the body away, but keep the thermostat washer fitted whenever they have overheating problems.

No wish to argue here , worked on motor vehicles for 50 years , minus 50 in northern Canada to 100 plus on the island of Malta , guess i have insufficient experience or knowledge to compete on equal terms considering your resume .

....i don't want to cause controvasy but if disease can mutate and change cannot ideas follow?......when we are looking out for one disease another disease might be round the corner (sorry i'm on scrumpy)...the thing you gotta worry about is having nothing to worry about,....if you get my drift ....for instance ;,....say we went round the world publicising the aids epedemic but realistically it was not as dangerous as malaria (for reason of argument)...would not that be plain "daft",..?

SCRUMPY ? haven't heard that used in a long time , "Thar bin zumerzet zider , biner ?

i can only shake my head in disbelief reading all these recommendations on water filters/purifiers when taking into consideration that bottled water is d@mn cheap

cheap and a pain in the butt to lug around especially if you cook you got to rinse off fruit veges etc. There is however a huge upside and that is now I can carry 12 bottles of beer from villa which is also very cheap

I am in Cambodia , but after noticing the green residue from bottled water in my coffee machine resevoir , i looked into a filtration system , a full system built into the tap water supply was quoted at $500.00(in Thailand , same,same $250.00) I finally found a Korean table top system in the market for $15.00 .Seoul new model , diamatacious earth ceramic filter for bacterialogical control , next stage a cartridge containing 5 stages : silver activated carbon , zealite , silica sand , mineral sand , ion resin , with a container of mineral stone as the last stage . The capacity is 15 lts , filter change 6/8 months or after 5/6,000 liter flow through .

The change in the taste of my Colombian coffee is very noticeable , a good check on water purity , cannot find anywhere for a clinical test . Hope this helps .

Just toss the thermostat , the only purpose of a thermostat is to bring the engine up to working temperature as quickly as possible , it also resticts some of the flow .In a cold climate it could be usefull , but in Thailand ?

I beg to differ dumball.

This restriction is also required in hot climates. Without restriction, coolant doesn't have sufficient time to cool as it flows through the radiator. You end up with the same overheating problems.

The thermostat is there for a purpose or engine manufacturers wouldn't have fitted it in the first place.

If your ever stuck in the middle of nowhere with a dodgy thermostat I suggest you keep the washer part of the thermostat installed to provide coolant restriction.

You are correct in regard to later models , especialy fuel injected engines , because they are required to run at higher temperatures for increased efficiency , also the rad caps(dependant on manufacturer) have a lower blow off pressure , somewhere between 5/20lbs . However , we were , i believe , discussing and old model with high mileage in which the coolant has most likely not been changed in a long time , by deterioration , this allows electrolosis to cause partial restriction in the radiator tubes , henceforth , increased flow will assist in keeping the temperature at an acceptable level . Your later model also has fuel feed metering , which changes the amount of fuel delivered to compensate for temperature changes . Apples and oranges anyone ?

dave boo and RichardBKK were joking about a battery for a tiny electric scooter, but it brings up two questions about batteries.

I finally replaced my CBR150R's battery after 4.7 years and 53,000 km. It was starting to get cranky about cranking the motor in the morning. It seemed to be running the headlights dimmer at idle, too. The new replacement Yuasa cost 1550 baht, and looks identical to the OEM: almost a cube, and sealed, with no vents or openings for water to get in or out. It came in one week after we ordered it, using a private mechanic out by San Kampaeng.

My partner made a big deal about the battery being sealed, or as he keeps saying, "dry." I insisted it was wet inside, not a true dry battery. The new unit does spin the starter motor faster, but the headlights are still noticeably dim at idle speed. That may be due to the alternator system more than the battery (?).

Are other motorcycle batteries sealed now? How long do batteries last in Thailand? Would the CBR150R and the Phantom have larger capacity units than the little bikes, or have the dual headlights and starter motors made most bikes have stronger units now? Last question: are the old style batteries (or the new ones) shipped so that they must be charged for several hours before being mounted in the bikes

'Wet' batteries are shipped dry , they need to be filled with acid and allowed to set for a few hours , then charged for the time specified by the manufacturer , failure to do so can drastically reduce the life of the battery , they should be kept up to the level indicated on the side , with distilled water . Normally , the larger the engine , the more capacity the battery needs to crank the engine .

Hi

If thats as high as the needle goes, you got nothing to worry about, its still in the normal section of the guage.

The sudden change in needle position could just be the temp sender on the head giving up the ghost, so the resistance readings have altered.

Check to see if the fans turn on and off with there thrmostats on the radiator, if so the water isnt getting that hot, because if it was they would be running all the time (Check this with air con off as turning on air con turns on the fans)

If it was head gasket problems this would increase pressure in the water sytem and the temp would just continue to rise as exhaust fumes enter the water, squeeze the hoses to see if they feel hard or not, indicating an increase. If they feel hard take it to a main dealer, they can put a a syringe device over the expansion vessel and check for CO in the water.

Thermostats generally work or they dont, resulting in a needle going into the red.

If it was my car I wouldn;t panic I'd just keep an eye on it over the next few days to see if the needle settles in its new position.

hope this helps

When a cylinder head gasket leaks , it is engine pressure that enters the coolant not exhaust fumes , the coolant can only rise to a certain pressure as the rad cap blows off at 28lbs , that is why you have an overflow container .Should it be a head gasket . you should have it replaced , because , should anti-freeze leak into the oil(which it often does) it will eat the coating on the con-rod and main bearing shells giving you a problem you do not want to know about . Squeezing the top hose realy hard , you should see coolant going into the overflow container because you easily over-come the rad cap 28lbs , replace the cap if you cannot do this . Radiators should be back flushed and coolant replaced every 2 years maximum , as the coolant deteriorates and can restrict its effectiveness .

Sound like the termostat to me - To check. Take out the termostat - get a bowl of boiling hot. Put it in - if it remains shut then a new one is in order!

Just toss the thermostat , the only purpose of a thermostat is to bring the engine up to working temperature as quickly as possible , it also resticts some of the flow .In a cold climate it could be usefull , but in Thailand ?

from what I experienced:

Kasikorn - account w/o resident permit, web access, web cc on demand

TMB - account with resident permit

other probably same - you can open account with forreing passport and resident permit

I opened an account with bank Ayuthya on a tourist visa with no questions asked , but not in central bangkok , no charge to open the account , free ATM card and a credit card if i so desired after one month . Could not believe the rigmeral on Rhama4 to do the same thing , you have to pay this , you have to have a business , you need a tax card , all B######T dependant on the manager .

Craks me up. Its a 2" gap at the most.

Heres why.....................

Warning..........dont click on link if you are of sensitive disposition!!!!!

http://poetry.rotten.com/mind-the-gap/

A picture is worth a thousand words , you make a good point , loved it .

I just registered to this Thaivisa,but most things I read are against Thailand,may I remind the farangs here that we are still a guest in Thailand,and that you should behave that way if you not happy here and want to back to Texas to fight the tomatowar why you don't go back and sty there or stay in the philippines.

This forum is made up of various nationalities and multiple slants on general life in Thailand , I do not believe the majority of posters are 'Anti-Thai' , just ordinary folk doing what ordinary folk do in many parts of the world . Taking these posts as anti anything will drive you up the wall and you will miss out on some of the irony and hidden humour sequestered in the ramblings of otherwise normally sane individuals , relax and enjoy . Some excite , some inform and some incite , read between the lines and you will survive more often with a smile on your face than feel the need to just tell all to "Go Home " expats are needed here to keep things a little in perspective and the economy of Thailand rolling merrily along .

A small gesture towards restoring sanity and politeness to an already much abused holiday to amuse the stupid drunken tourists and sanooking Thais is appreciated, but i'll doubt if it will have any effect at this late date....especially when the powers added another day to the insanity.

Another suggestion would be to ban the throwing of full buckets of now stagnant, poluted klong water full force at motorcycles.........all in good fun as the motorcyclist goes down with a kid or 3 on the back.

all this, just to amuse the tourist and bring them up to CM to join in the insanity and spend their tourist $$'s for a few days. never mind the accidents and eye and ear infections that always occur....CM is desparate for that tourist $ at any cost!!

Bah humbug to songkran!!!!

CM and LOS has sold out to the tourist $$!! and forgotten the true tradition of songkran.........

And, why is three new years celebrations necessary?? falang, Chineese and Thai?? one is enough!!

You only mentioned all 3 new years celebrations , Westerners get 1 day off for this , have you not noticed all the other alien holidays celebrated in Thailand , Thais are lazy and will take any excuse for a day off , even at work they watch tv or just loll around most of the day .

Thai Tourist police. What a joke.

How many of you people in your home country have a tourist police?

We do not have tourist police , the regular police force do thier job 24/7 for whom ever you may be , pick up the telephone and you can be spoken to in any one of 24 languages 24/7 , and there is NO TEA MONEY !!!!

Well if they 'develop' it in a way similar to Angkor Wat it will remove any reason to wanting visit it!

Angkor Wat is just a huge tourist site with absolutely no atmosphere left - the only thing being whordes of japanese tourist pushing everyone out of their way!

Thats a bit contradictory, if there is no reason to visit then there cant possibly be hordes of japanese tourists.

I take it youre one of them tourists who dislikes other tourists and tourist resorts.

Give credit where credit is due they are taking the gamble investing in the local infrastructure in the hope that the temple will become a major tourist hotspot, and add another string to the countries tourism industry, cant see any reason to be negative about it. I just hope someone will put a Starbucks and a Mcdonalds there.

I guess you are both correct in your own way of thinking , other pushy tourists can detract from the attraction of any site .Investing in the local infrastructure would be great , but where else has the powers that be in Cambodia done that ? Infrastructure translates into hotels built by outside money whilst the local effort is to bring in more poor people to polute the area with thier discarded garbage , oh , and please do not forget the importance of pumping out ground water to destoy the temples foundation , need to keep things in perspective here .

Tourists bring money and maybe the opportunity for a sexual encounter. I wonder how many muggings and attempted/successful rapes of tourists take place that go unreported?

Unfortunately, Thais seem incapable of forward-thinking! It seems to be a case of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Simon

A few months ago (perhaps weeks even) I'd say that you're taring them all with the same brush, but sadly now I'm closer to agreeing with you.

Put your clothes back on, stay in an expensive hotel and visit a few spas and temples is the best way for tourists to stay safe.

Well in that case, 90% of the tourists shouldn't come.

Well Thai at heart , i think that is the most intelligent answer in this thread , when are you going to commence communicating with travel agents world wide to that effect , would that be the day after your flight out ?