jfchandler

HSBC, their U.S. account, is almost as bad as BofA in terms of charging various fees when used abroad. It might be a bit better, but not by much...

The answer here is...you don't need to give up or stop using BofA or HSBC accounts that you may use while living in the U.S. The answer is just, find and open a U.S. bank account with ATM/debit card that has no foreign currency fees... And then, when you travel abroad, simply ACH transfer your travel funds into that account and use that account abroad.

U.S. banks rarely if ever give you any advantage in Thailand. BofA has one office here in BKK, but it's not for retail customers at all. HSBC also has one office in BKK, near the Saladaeng BTS station and they have HSBC ATMs there... But they operate as a separate location from the U.S. bank, so going there offers little advantage.

You're best bet is simply using various Thai bank ATMs with your no-fee U.S. ATM/debit card. But, right now, I would avoid Siam Commercial Bank, which I used to use almost exclusively, because they recently have begun charging a 20 baht per transaction fee when non-Thai ATM cards are used in their ATMs. Most other Thai banks, at present, are not charging such fees.

The Huntsman is a public restaurant/pub that happens to be located inside a hotel, the same as about 10,000 other similar establishments around BKK. Suggesting it to be a "private club" isn't just stretching the interpretation of the law.... It's silly nonsense.

Belonging to the Landmark the Huntsman might be considered a private club and the law don't apply there.

It's stretching the interpretation of the law but I guess the Landmark has the clout to do that should it ever come to a lawsuit.

What's your problem... BKK James....??? Lighten up with the ATTITUDE....

I didn't ASK any question re the Huntsman.... I did make a personal STATEMENT.... saying simply, the fact they don't follow the current law against indoor smoking makes me less likely to go there again as a patron, since I have many other choices of establishments where they are following the law.

And, I don't think either I or Governor were complaining about anything, or talking about crusades, or writing letters to the newspaper... So I'm not sure where you're pulling all that stuff from...

The OP here (which was not me) asked a question about whether the smoking law is being enforced in BKK establishments... I and others attempted to answer his question... That's all....

It's up to your U.S. bank about whether they want to charge the foreign transaction fees or not.

For ATM withdrawals in Thailand, I only use U.S. bank accounts that either a) don't charge any foreign transaction/currency fees or charge and then refund those fees every month because of the details of my account.

If you do some checking and research, you will find there are a variety of regular U.S. bank ATM and credit cards that are fee-free even when used abroad.

I was a longtime BofA customer in the U.S., but I NEVER use my BofA cards here in Thailand. Their fees are excessive, and you're basically throwing your money away.

Keep in mind, the no-smoking law applies to enclosed air con areas.... So in BKK, I'd say, most such places, even some of the bigger Thai clubs, ARE following the law -- though certainly not all.

A number of the pubs and bars have taken to having (outdoor) patio tables or rooftop areas set aside for smokers.

I don't smoke and don't like to be around it. Last time I was at the Huntsman in the basement of the Landmark Hotel, there were a fair number of people smoking inside, which made having a pleasant meal pretty difficult. Makes me less inclined to go back there....

How does the Game Pass work in terms of access? You get a user ID and password, and then use those to log-on and watch either live or recorded past games???

So, two people could go in together on a purchase, and then share the user ID and password???? But only one use the system at any given time???

I thought the solo price was a little steep, considering I'm not that football crazy. But I'd definitely consider going halves on the deal....

I think this exchange is gonna make me BARF!!!!

Remind me of what was my dream back then ...think think think...Ahhhhh...To have a bf who look like many Hollywood actors hahahaha

Sorry Sunset, I'm already spoken for, but here's something to wet you appetite, I'm actually likened to a cross between Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, with a slight hint of Burt Reynolds and Pierce Brosnan thrown in for good measure.

<---- And look at that perfect smile, what else could any woman desire ?

speechless .....

Hmm.... maybe someone needs to get this message below to my Ex-GF, who was/is a university student in BKK, and most of her classmates/friends -- all of whom have varying forms of BFs (Thai and farang) while they are still studying....

Thai students are not allowed by the university to date, or even get married. This is probably why she didn't want to be seen with the OP.

Barry

Quite true..Thai student not allow to have bf / gf till they are graduated. many parents says dont learn to love till you have learned how to live

There have been other TV threads on this.

Siam Commercial Bank began charging a 20 baht per transaction fee for all foreign ATM card withdrawals a couple of months ago.

Most other Thai banks have not followed suit as yet... I can assure that BKK Bank is not charging such a routine fee as yet when customers use foreign ATM cards in their ATMs.

Although, BKK Bank does have other fees when you use their BKK Bank ATM card either out of the BKK area or at other banks' ATMs in Thailand beyond a certain number of uses..

fyi, updating an issue of radio broadcast streaming of NFL games....

I had no problem during the past weekend here in BKK (first of the regular season) listening to the local (home market) radio broadcasts of the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers games... No blackout or out-of-U.S. IP address problems.

Raiders games are on http://www.ksfo560.com/

49ers games are on http://www.1077thebone.com/

But even better, re televised games, was able to watch today's ESPN Monday night football doubeheader (Vikings v. Green Bay and Oakland v. Denver) at http://www.justin.tv/sportcenter3/

The latter is a link off of the broader Internet streaming site....

http://www.myp2p.eu/competition.php?&c...mericanfootball

Sorry for your misfortune... Good reminder to be cautious... 24/7.. even in BKK....

OneThailand...that looks like a very good reuben sandwich.... The portion size for the sauerkraut is clearly much different (greater) than the version I had delivered last week. And the bread looks fresher/more moist as well... Glad to see things are looking up!!!

I'm assuming the poster below was JOKING.... as in.... FIRST AID (not AIDS)....as in minor medical treatment...because he'd had a nurse as his GF.....

My friend was having a passionate relationship with a nurse for 2 years.

Last week he went for a test and was diagnosed positive for FIRST AIDS.

Was dating a maternity ward nurse some months back who works at one of the major, well-known farang hospitals in BKK. She had no problem having me come to meet her at her work/ward at the end or beginning of her shift, or introducing me with the other (all female nursing) staff she worked with.

As one poster mentioned above, the lady I was dating lived in an apartment building reserved for hospital staff, specifically on one floor reserved for female nurses where male guests were not allowed. But that never posed any problem, since we'd just come to and stay at my place instead.

The work schedules can be a bit crazy...12 hours on and sometimes overtime assignments as well. And they seem to change shifts often, meaning one day is night shift and a couple days later is day shift. So there's little consistency. But, that also means she can have whole days free or whole nights free, which can be nice.

I'm very clear she had no problem at all about dating farang. Unfortunately, she did seem to have an inordinate interest in farang's money and potential gifts. So once that became clear, we parted ways.

There's nothing going on in the Nana/Sukhumvit area regarding the PAD protests...

Are you trying to connect your problem with PAD, or just throwing in an unrelated account???

Well, if anyone should know about the complexities of handing out money to tens (???) of thousands of people for political gain, I'd certainly rely on/turn to the experts.... the PPP. They have far more experience at it than anyone else around here...

You just need to go into your wireless router settings....and configure router security... Each brand handles that a little differently, but you can often get to the settings thru the router software installed on your PC, or by using a web browser and typing in the router's IP address... typically like http://198.xxx.xx.xx. You can check the Internet or your documentation to find the correct IP address for your router brand.

The simplest and most commonly used wireless security is called WEP.... It basically involves selecting a 10-digit number as your router password.

Then, whenever any wireless device wants to use your wireless connection for the first time, you'll be prompted and need to enter that same 10-digit number on the wireless device in order to gain access. Anyone who does not do that is locked out of your wireless network.

When you view your connection under Wireless Networks, it will say "Security Enabled" and have a padlock symbol indicating it's not an open connection and requires the password to connect.

Since there are so many air con experts around here, let me pose some questions...

I have a wall-mounted Fujitsu air con unit in my 11 x 14 foot main bedroom of rented apartment - second floor of 5 floor building, pretty well insulated, no large sun facing windows.

When I run it during the night, anywhere from high to medium, it will keep my bedroom sufficiently cool, and the remote allows me to set the temperature in C...

But lately, I've been staying, visiting and around some different places -- also with air con wall units -- and their output feels like arctic blasts compared to the modestly cool air mine puts out.

So it made me wonder: Do wall unit/exterior compressor air cons likewise need periodic freon/coolant recharging and/or testing the system for coolant leaks? And if I topped it off in that manner, would that help save on electricity??? (i.e., greater cooling output for the same energy use).

Likewise, what's the most-energy efficient way of running your air con at night: a) setting it on very high fan/cold temp and then run it on a sleep switch to completely shut off after an hour or two, or just setting it on low fan/modestly cool temp, but letting it run continuously thru the night???

Thanks....

"farang living outside of Thailand"?????

umm, how do people with sexual desires but no sex lives get classified?

I have a friend, you see and, he asked me to ask............

1000 baht a day? I am amazed that many of the farang teachers have not signed up.

Wrong skin color.....

I think you people really need to losen up.... You're all a bunch of loosers!!!

Why don't Yanks know the difference between advise & advice?

Yanks DO!!!

I'd be happy to advise you on the matter. But I'm afraid, all my good advice would be lost on you.. sorry to say.

That was my original post mentioning about Woodstock, but only read about it, never went last year. What was/is your impression of the place, either as a pub in general, or as a venue for watching NFL football???

Referring to an earlier post.

Last season Woodstock showed NFL games (Sunday Night games) every Monday evening during the season and playoffs. I have contacted the owner and they will be showing the games again this season. The games are shown on the 3rd floor with large screen projector and English commentary, and no distractions since it is a private viewing room.

They don't announce the schedules due to the unreliability of True Visions, a problem we are all aware of.

John, I'm very sorry you cannot seem to accept constructive/accurate criticism....

A lot of the things OneThailand said are dead-on... I did try your restaurant a second time because I want to like your food, and hope you get better. I would have loved to have written a great review, but your food on this latest order wouldn't let me.

I think quibbling about the quality of photos is silly and off-point, and that may suit your purpose rather than responding to what the photos in fact show. But for the record, the bread color depicted is exactly what I received, very dark and not anything close to your web site photo. And phone camera or not, the photos accurately showed the relative thickness of the reuben bread vs. the content of the meat. I assure you, I could have taken the same photo from any side angle, and the impression would have been the same. Unfortunately, it is your web site photo of the reuben that is VASTLY misleading relative to what you actually are serving. It is tantamount to lying to your customers.

About the pork sandwich, I don't know what other thing was in my meat. I know, those 5 bits were thin and dark colored, as I said, like shavings or shreds of something. But... very hard, not anything with a meat texture that could be chewed... I don't know if it was bone or cartledge or what. But, those small pieces were VERY hard. And, I included a photo of them for the record.... If you think I'm making such things up, it's pretty sad...

And, the fact is, for some reason, you do automatically send ketchup and mayo with all your french fry orders, but you don't send any extra mustard with your reuben. And the fact is, your Cajun sausage order is just one piece, even though your menu doesn't say that. While confessing to be a tall guy with a good appetite, I would simply say, one sausage and a handful of french fries doesn't make any kind of meal for me.

And, the fact is, in my previous post, I had a lot of positive things to say about your meal: the corned beef tasted great, the cheese on it was good, and the BBQ pork was very tasty, except of course for the things inside. And as I said, the Cajun sausage was very tasty as well. Now, if you'd just fix the problems with your food, I'd only have good things to say. And that's what I'd prefer.

PS - It's good of you to inform folks about the ability to call ChefsXP when there is a problem and request a replacement item(s). I wasn't aware they and/or you had the policy. If I had known that, I would have done so both for the reuben and pork sandwich I received.

After an original eat-in experience at Bistro EuroGourmet that was decidedly mixed based on their hamburger and Mexican breakfast offerings, I decided to give the bistro another try the other night and take advantage of their new listing for delivery service with ChefsXP.com.

As usual, ChefsXP was dead-on with an accurate order, delivered on-time, in less than an hour to my door. My order for the night included the Reuben sandwich with fries and cole slaw (262 baht), the Carolina pulled BBQ pork sandwich with cole slaw and fries (150 baht), and the Cajun Adouille sausage, french fries and cole slaw (128 baht) -- all of the above ChefsXP prices including VAT.

As much as I wanted to have a good experience with the food, for the reasons explained below, once again, it just didn't happen and left me once more disappointed. First, as an aside, and I'll be the first to profess that Bistro EuroGourmet is hardly alone in this, the menu item photos and the actual meals delivered are fairly far apart in resemblance, as the photos below can attest.

Menu Reuben

Delivered Reuben

Regarding the Reuben sandwich, it's great that John has added it to his menu.... The corned beef certainly was tasty, as was the melted cheese. And as others have attested, the sandwich is huge and a good value for the price. Mine came actually as two separate sandwiches on bread baked-sliced in the usual sandwich-bread shape.

However, the rye bread was sliced fairly thick and cooked pretty dry/hard, so by the time it arrived for eating, the overall taste and experience was VERY BREADY and DRY....pretty much overwhelming the corned beef taste. That and, while the sandwiches had a modest spread of mustard applied, the order came with not a single little cup of extra mustard to add, even though all the french fry orders came (without any request) with cups of mayonaise and ketchup. Add to that the side order of cole slaw, which actually tasted great, but came in such a small cup (one or two forks-full portion, the same for all the menu items) as to barely qualify as a menu item listed side-dish.

Thick on bread and thin on meat

Barely a Forkful of Coleslaw

In contrast, the BBQ pork sandwich arrived on a hamburger-type bun that was very soft and moist, no complaints there. The meat tasted great, tender and full of BBQ flavor. But my hopes for a high rating were dashed when in eating the meat of just one sandwich, I ended up much to my surprise biting down on 5 different hard, little pork bone shavings/fragments inside the sandwich -- not a big deal, except that they'd be enough to crack a tooth if you bit down on them hard in the wrong way. And I wondered, how'd they get into the midst of my sandwich, in the first place???

BBQ Pork Sandwich

Bone Shavings Found Inside

Lastly, the Cajun sausage tasted great, although there was only a single good sized sausage included in the order. But, for the price, which again included a small side of french fries and the miniscule cup of cole slaw, it'd be hard to complain about the value. Rather than a meal, though, it ends up being almost like an appetizer snack, albeit a tasty one.

Unfortunately, the one well-executed sausage wasn't enough to save the overall disappointing experience left by the overly dry and bready Reuben sandwich and the bone-shavings-filled BBQ sandwich. Add to that the tiny cole slaw servings and the missing extra mustard on the Reuben, and it left me once again searching for a better experience at Bistro EuroGourmet.