jfchandler

Here is one good example of a very stable smaller U.S. bank that provides a very useful checking account with ATM card that has no foreign currency transaction fees at all. No monthly account fees and they even pay decent interest on your deposits. Just one example of the kind of account that makes sense for those living abroad. I believe you would need some kind of a U.S. address to open an account.

http://www.salemfivedirect.com/

PS - Having a WAMU account is absolutely nonsense for anyone living abroad. Same with BofA and others...

Lom...I believe the 30 day trial accessed via their web site is in essence a purchase. Although I did mine a year ago, I believe you order up front and they send the unit to you.

But I can't remember if they bill you up front on your credit card, and then you have the right to return if dissatisfied, or they wait to bill you. I believe they bill you upfront.

Only catch is...remember they will not ship directly to Thailand. So you need to have a mailing address in the U.S. they can send the unit to... And then, make whatever arrangement to have it forwarded onward here. It ends up being a small padded envelope (not heavy or large), just a bit bigger than a regular business envelope. So for me, it fit easily in my regular monthly mail forwarding package from back there. Had to declare for customs and pay a couple bucks duty. I just called it a telephone accessory.

A single Magic Jack unit can be installed on any USB capable computer, whether laptop or desktop, whether in Thailand or the USA.

However, you need the physical unit to use the device on a particular PC. The device will work with whatever PC you plug it into while it's plugged in. But once you unplug it from a particular PC, then that PC no longer will provide that service.

The same single unit can be carried and used anywhere in the world, provided you plug it into a single USB capable PC that meets its various operating requirements and also has a broadband Internet connection.

I did not see or hear of any True replays of last Monday's MNF debacle with the Raiders and Broncos....

AJC...thanks for that great post on the Siam Paragon theaters.... I'd never been to the theaters in Paragon before, figuring correctly it seems, that they were likely to be relatively overpriced compared to everything else in town -- pretty much the same as most of the rest of Paragon.

But, I must say, I looked at the photos of the Nokia Ultra Screens on the theaters' web site (thanks for including the link). And they look pretty darned plush, unlike any movie theater I've ever been in in Thailand or the USA.... For the right movie, and with the right lady, I actually could almost see myself shelling out 1,000-1,200 baht for a pair of movie tickets.... well....maybe just ONE time....just for the experience.

It's a shame the theaters' web site is 100% in Thai... (Yes, I know TIT.....) For those ticket prices, you'd think they could afford to build some ESL (English as a Second Language) content into the site. Frankly though, even looking through all the different Thai-only web pages, I couldn't find anything that actually listed their ticket prices for the different levels of theaters on offer there.

RE Vonage...I checked today out of curiosity.....

Their web site is showing a one-time $30 set up fee...which can be easily waived...along with ongoing monthly charges of no less than $15 U.S., and that's not for unlimited calling.

Thus, strictly from a cost point of view, it's not even in the same league as Magic Jack at $20 for an entire year of unlimited calling to any numbers in the U.S. and Canada.

If you're going to recommend a theater, how about actually mentioning what their ticket prices are????

One theater thing I forgot to mention above.....that's really annoying...

Most of the Thai cinemas have reclining seats...and also have chair arms that can be pulled up and out of the way if you're sitting together as a couple. But, when you recline both seats, the chair arm typically only recesses back part way, leaving it still jutting out between the two seats.

To their credit and my comfort, the theaters at the Emporium didn't have that problem. We reclined our two seats back all the way, and the seat arm went back even with the seat backs, so it was just the same as if we were sitting on a sofa -- without any hard plastic seat arm sticking out between the two.

Want to revive this thread a bit... Been here long enough now to have tried a variety of cinemas.... some with the regular ticket... some with the upgraded seats...

Thus far, the most comfortable, best experience, best value I've had -- for a regular movie seat/ticket -- has been at the SFV Cinema at the Emporium on Sukhumvit Road near Soi 24. It's a shame, though, they only have 5 or so screens there.

Easy to get to via Phrom Phong BTS. Tons of shops and eateries in the Emporium shopping center. A bit difficult to get to, and not particularly well-signed inside, because it's hidden on the very upper floor. But the seating was the best and most comfortable I've found in BKK, and I'm a tall guy who likes good leg room. And, the overall theatre and lobby was in first-class condition.

As of Sept. 2008, their standard ticket prices are 140b for a regular seat, but 120b Monday to Wednesday before 8:30 pm, and 80 baht Monday to Wednesday after 8:30 pm. The latter two early week ticket options strike me as a very good deal. Just saw Bangkok Dangerous there with the TGF...

In the past, tried the upgraded seats at MBK that included a complimentary drink, but not as comfortable. Tried the regular and upgraded seats at Central Rama II, nothing special. Tried the regular seats at the Major Cineplex Ekkamai theaters, nothing special.

Don't believe I've tried the Gold at Siam Discovery or Platinum at the Big C complex on Rajadamri... But I don't need or want a blanket when I go to see a movie, and I'd be hard-pressed to know what would make them worth 500 to 600 baht per ticket???

Can anyone offer a better value movie experience than the Emporium???

I don't know the rules re the UK.... But I do know for the U.S.

There are plenty of people here in LOS who no longer have a traditional physical address in their home country. But they do maintain, exactly for the reason mentioned above, a physical mailing address (via mail forwarding services) in their home country, even if they are living full-time in Thailand. By doing so, you preserve all your options and flexibility re opening/maintaining banking and a range of other transactions.

Yes...I can certainly understand...why we don't want any government legislation of behavior....

--no rules against driving your car the wrong way down the road

--no rules to try to keep the airplane you're flying on safe

--no rules against dumping pollution into the water people drink

--no rules against driving while drinking.... etc etc etc

If only there were no government rules regarding behavior, the world would be such a better place.

At least they were leaving their victims with a smile on their (drunken) face.... Better than your ordinary run-of-the-mill robber....

If you'd bother to check, what's "going on" in Thailand is a law against smoking in indoors, air con venues. So I guess, you should consider taking your own advice...

I'm just fine here... I'm content to follow the law, and see it properly enforced.

GunnyD, I'm not a anti-smoking Nazi, but I am a non-smoker... And I'm never one to tell you or anyone like you that you're bad for smoking. If you want to ruin your health and/or kill yourself smoking, please be my guest. I just don't want you to take me with you, or be subjected to your smoke when I choose not to smoke or breathe other people's smoke into my lungs. As long as you don't impact other people, go right ahead.....

Like they (many others on this board) say, if you don't like what's going on in Thailand then leave.

GunnyD, I'm not a anti-smoking Nazi, but I am a non-smoker... And I'm never one to tell you or anyone like you that you're bad for smoking. If you want to ruin your health and/or kill yourself smoking, please be my guest. I just don't want you to take me with you, or be subjected to your smoke when I choose not to smoke or breathe other people's smoke into my lungs. As long as you don't impact other people, go right ahead.....

I love it whenever there is any thread on smoking. The anti-smoking Nazis always have to tell us what bad people we are to smoke etc, etc.

I say let your feet do the talking. If a restaurant, bar, club, pub was loosing a large portion of their clientele and profits because people went elsewhere to avoid the smoking don't you think that they would voluntarily go non-smoking? Capitalism is a good thing. If you give your customers what they want you make lots of money, you don't you go out of business. Governments pass laws such as these because they know private business owners would never voluntarily ban smoking especially in a bar. Going to a bar and smoke go together.

Some people just have to impose their values on others. It's too bad I can't stream the Penn and Teller Bullshit! episode on second hand smoke on the forum. There is no solid science on the subject as of yet. Just like silicone breast implants (thought they were bad, then find out they are perfectly safe) and recycling (more pollution and greenhouse gasses are created by recycling than going to the landfill). Global Warming (in the 70s and 80 pollution was supposed to cause an Ice Age) I could go on and on. When it comes to emotional subjects, like, I don't know, smoking, people can not be objective. They can only see it from their emotional standpoint. It makes them feel better that they maybe helping some poor stupid smoker quit.... No thank you we don't need it. Do you think that smokers saw the warnings and exclaimed: Holy Shit! Smoking's bad, I thought cigarettes were good for ya, and they have like vitamins and stuff! To quote Denis Leary

MJ says you need broadband, and that dial-up service will not work...

Just what is the workable low-end of broadband for MJ, though, I'm not sure...

They do have a free 30 day trial for new users... But that is complicated a bit by the time and expense of having the unit forwarded from the U.S., since MJ won't ship direct to Thailand.

John, I was wondering about your ChefsXP menu....and a question related to the Reuben...

In looking now, I noticed you also have the Reuben beef burger (with saurkraut and cheese) listed on the delivery menu.

The ChefsXP listing indicates the burger is actually larger (250g) compared to your other burgers... And the listing also indicates it comes with french fries and cole slaw... all for a very reasonable price of 193b...

Is that menu description correct, as to including french fries and cole slaw? Or is that a misprint also, similar to what happened yesterday with the regular Reuben??

Thank you... John.

Re a couple of the replies just above....

At least in BKK at Villa Markets, they are well-stocked in items such as baking soda, olive oil (virgin and regular), and sea salt. I buy those products for my home use all the time. Baking soda and sea salt are pretty cheap, nothing special about the price at Villa. But when I looked the other day, the olive oil was pretty pricey compared to the U.S. rate....

There are U.S. banks that charge similar fees like that, including the huge Bank of America outfit... And they are not the only one. Quite a few of the MAJOR U.S. banks are now at 3%... Fortunately, there are still alternate choices available where the fee is 0% or even 1%..... Nothing special about the U.S. in that regard.

The MagicJack unit costs $39.95 plus S/H (which includes the first year of calling service).... So the total price to deliver to my U.S. address was around $45...

Then, I simply had it forwarded to Thailand with the rest of my regular postal mail in a monthly package that I already do regardless. I had to declare it for customs, since it was a non-document item. But the unit itself is very small and light, and fits in a small padded envelope. And the $ value is pretty low. So I may have paid another $5-$10 (10-20%) for customs.

In terms of ordering, Magic Jack will ship the units directly to addresses in the U.S., Canada, and U.S. territories. So you'd need someone or some service there to forward onward to Thailand.

Interesting to read the post above, and the web site it refers to.... I'll respond to that...

I've had my Magic Jack here in Thailand for almost 1 year now, and am very happy and satisfied with it.

The comment in the web site mentioned above about MJ using lots of PC system resources and a user needing to run a separate PC is ridiculous and silly. With the MJ software launched and running in the background on my Vista machine, it uses 0% of my CPU resources and about 50 MB of system memory (because the MJ software runs in memory) compared to Firefox using about 115 MB of memory.

Regarding system security, a user should have no problems at all provided they do the normal things to secure their system: turn on Windows firewall, preferably run behind a router, and use a good anti-virus program. In a year of constant use, I've never had a security problem with MJ.

Regarding the quality of MJ phone service and calls, yes, I would agree that it is not as reliable as a wired phone line because, of course, it's VOIP relying on the Internet to carry international calls. So there have been times when, because of the strained connections between Thailand and the outside world, that the call quality is bad (particularly during peak use times here). But those times are more the exception than the rule. Most of the time MJ works fine. In that regard, it's pretty much the same as Skype or any of the other VOIP services.

Regarding customer service, yes, I know MJ has had some problems with that, pretty much to be expected with a start-up company and, in addition, one that's charging a VERY low price for it's service. But now they have a pretty good FAQs and help section on their web site, and functions for live online chat with their staff.

Anyway you cut it, as long as they stay in business, I consider it a great deal. For my second year, I'll be paying the grand total of $20 for another year of unlimited calling back to the United States as well as getting to keep the U.S. local phone number of my choice, so my friends and family there can call me here by making a local (non-toll call).

That's a hard deal to beat.

I have no idea what you are talking about John...

If you're saying your post above about having money refunded and a free sandwich was in response to me, that's not correct. I didn't have anything refunded or free for my order.

And, I today had no complaints for your or you restaurant, other than stating two simple facts: the ChefsXP web site as late as tonight did list/include fries and cole slaw with the Reuben sandwich, and those side dishes did in fact come as part of my order last week, consistent with the web site.

If you construe those statements as complaining, maybe you need some additional lessons in English.

My Reuben sandwich order, made last week thru ChefsXP, DID arrive with both french fries and the tiny container of cole slaw, and the ChefsXP menu does in fact list both as accompanying sides with the sandwich.

Former premier Samak offers to serve again as PM

BANGKOK: -- Former premier Samak Sundaravej on Thursday offered to return as Thailand's prime minister to head a six-party coalition government if a majority of MPs choose him again for the top post of the executive branch on Friday.

Mr. Samak, who only two days ago lost the premiership due to the Constitution Court's ruling against his activities pertaining to charges over his culinary TV shows, was quoted as saying he would gladly return as premier if a majority of MPs voted in favour of his renomination during Friday's special parliamentary session.

The ex-prime minister was quoted as saying he remained undaunted by any out-of-parliament pressure as well as lawsuits in which he may have been found guilty. The embattled Mr. Samak told the People Power Party (PPP) rank and file Thursday that he was determined to fight for justice and maintain democratic rule.

Mr. Samak's latest position emerged at a time when the six coalition parties, led by his own ruling PPP, resolved to remain together as before and to allow the PPP to nominate a senior party member as premier for whom the House of Representatives will cast a vote of approval Friday.

The leadership of the respective coalition parties met shortly after the PPP MPs and members had held a meeting at the PPP headquarters to discuss the imminent naming of a premier from among the party's rank and file. No joint resolution was reached during the coalition parties' meeting, pending subsequent decisions to be made by each of the coalition partners.

Other than Mr. Samak, several other PPP executives may be nominated for premiership Friday, namely Education Minister Somchai Wongsawat and Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat.

Meanwhile, the Isan Pattana faction inside the ruling party which reportedly has 23 MPs in one voting faction disagreed with the idea retain Mr. Samak as head of government.

MP Paijit Srivorakhan said no resolution had been made during Thursday's PPP meeting to the extent that Mr. Samak would be nominated premier for the House of Representatives to endorse Friday.

MP Preecha Rengsomboonsuk said over half the total of PPP MPs, or over 100 of them, no longer welcomed Mr Samak as premier.

In particular, he added, none of the MPs in the Isan Pattana faction would vote Mr. Samak for premier again.

-- TNA 2008-09-11

I relocated here permanently a year ago, and every time I go back to the U.S., I have some regular things I bring back....

Vitamins and U.S. Over the Counter medicines - either not available here or overpriced

Quality Bed Linens - the common stuff here is crap, and the decent stuff tends to be ridiculously overpriced.

Casual clothing and shoes for me, a tall man (though it's not expensive to order from U.S. specialty catalogs and then have mailed here if you need to).

110/200 Power converter units, different choices with varying max. wattages for different kinds of uses (to power the various 110V appliances I brought over rather than re-purchasing here).

Solutions for hard contact lenses. They are available here, but harder to find. Solutions for soft contact lenses are widely available, since most shops here dispense them.

Agree about silverware, knives and dishware. Most I've seen here are pretty low quality compared to the good ones I brought over.

Personal computers and other electronics devices. They are widely available here, but a good shopper will certainly find better electronics bargains in the U.S. market. Just be careful about devices other than PCs themselves. Most PCs have switchable 110/220 power supplies. Check to make sure your accessories have power bricks that can accept 110 or 220 volts.

Anything non-perishable you like from Trader Joes....

To anyone who's paying attention, the move to re-nominate Samak was that of the PPP only.... His nomination, at least as of today, does not have the support of any of the other current coalition partners. So I'd say, it's a fair bet that the Samak nom is just an appetizer to the main meal still ahead.