jfchandler

But in all seriousness, there's just no reason to be paying such a fee(s) when you really don't have to...

????

OP was moaning about having to pay 20 baht to a Thai bank for an ATM w/d. How to avoid this then?

You can't. Their bank, they charge you what they want for the service.

Use a Thai card, you're gonna pay the 20 baht, no matter. And maybe a bit more if you use your card with a different Thai bank than the one that issued your card.

The only difference between using a US card and a Thai card is you will pay even more, maybe on both ends, for using the foreign card.

Johnny... sorry...nothing personal here, but you are just WRONG!!!!

I have both U.S. and Thai bank accounts and cards... And being judicious and informed in which ones I use and where, I NEVER pay any fees for ATM withdrawals in Thailand... NEVER.... ZERO!!! Except for a day or two when SCB caught me by surprise with their new fee....before I could drop using their ATMs....

If your own banking habits involve paying fees, and you don't mind, that's fine... But really, you shouldn't be suggesting to everyone else here that they have no choice... Because clearly, people have many choices available to pay NO fees. And doing that doesn't involve any inconvenience at all... just being smart about how you choose and use your accounts/cards.

In a lifetime of living in Los Angeles, I'd studiously managed to avoid ever going to a Hard Rock Cafe, in any city.... Since back home, they have a reputation as being over-priced hangouts for tourists who think there's something special about album/CD awards hanging from the walls.

So, I'd likewise had little interest in frequenting the HRC here in Siam Square Soi 11, (just a short walk from the Siam Paragon/Siam Square complex), but the TGF wanted to go there last night, so we went for dinner and then drinks and a bit of dancing afterward. From the experience, two things really stood out:

1. Much to my surprise, the food we had (both happening by coincidence to order American BBQ dishes) was really pretty good, a bit pricey but in line with BKK standards for such farang fare. I had their hickory smoked sliced BBQ beef brisket with french fries and cole slaw for about 450 baht, while the GF had the hickory smoked BBQ ribs.

In a year of living full-time in BKK, it was actually the first time I found myself saying the food there tasted EXACTLY like something good that I would have tasted back home in the States.... Were it not for all the 20-something Thai women hanging with the 40-50 something farang guys, I would NOT have even known I was in BKK based on the food alone. I think there are not too many western eateries in BKK where you'd make that statement, i.e., the taste alone making you think you were back "home".

Beef served in BKK/Thai restaurants, except in the higher end hotel steak houses, has tended to be pretty bad in general, tough and not so well prepared. But both my sliced beef and the GF's pork ribs were absolutely tender and flavorful...both very good presentations of basic, commercial American BBQ food.

Given that, I had a tough time NOT wanting to try their hamburgers, of which they have a whole group on the menu in 10 and 7 ounce sizes, hoping they can replicate the same experience with the burgers. But that will have to wait for the next time around. So, I'd say the food there, based on our BBQ, is to the good.

2. Then as to the music and dancing, I'd say not so good. On a Saturday night, they were staying open until 1:45 am and had the same Thai band playing mostly a mix of American rock n roll from about 9:30 pm on, while reverting to recorded music during the periodic band breaks. The individual drinks tended to be around 300 baht. But we ordered a bottle of Jack Daniels for 1,800 baht with mixers, and they will keep any unused portion for you for up to 3 months. So the next time, you're just paying for the added mixers.

I found a couple things disappointing about the music and dancing. Although the interior of the restaurant is reasonably comfortable and decorated, the space arrangement is pretty lousy for watching the band on the first-floor stage. There's a smallish center section of tables that basically line up with the band stage, but then there's two side sections, right and left, that pretty much are away, as well as some tables actually behind a wall behind the band stage itself, where anyone there might feel like they've been put in detention. Then there's a second floor area where they have some tables that look down onto the stage around an open center area... But even those views are pretty limited.

That and, while a few times during the night the band got into some hopping music that had most folks up and dancing around their tables, since there's no dedicated dance floor, they'd then promptly veer off into more standard rock music where pretty much the only thing folks could do was the standard head nodding/gesturing.... So at least on this particular night, the dancing was pretty limited, though a few unescorted Thai ladies did seem to be managing to strut their stuff together no matter what the music was.... Can't imagine why.....

On the other hand, if you're not really into dancing but just want to go and listen to some pretty familiar and standard renditions of American rock songs, and have some pricey drinks, then HRC's the place. All in all, though, I'd go for the dinner, and then look elsewhere for drinks and music afterward.

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I appreciate the humor/sarcasm of a couple of the posters above...

But in all seriousness, there's just no reason to be paying such a fee(s) when you really don't have to...

Yes, I could decide to only make seldom, large ATM withdrawals from SCB to minimize their 20 baht per transaction withdrawal fee... But... I don't like keeping large cash amounts at home or in my wallet... one for safety reasons, and two because, if I'm carrying more, I tend to spend more, more quickly... So, I make a lot of smaller frequent ATM withdrawals as a way to help stay within my own budgets...

In a month, I might typically do 20 ATM withdrawals using U.S. based cards. So at 20 baht a pop if I continued using SCB (which I won't), that's 400 baht down the drain, for no good reason.

That's enough to buy a decent farang dinner at any number of places around town, or a whole lot more in Thai food. Or a couple of beers...or or or.... Why would I be wanting to needlessly chuck away that money every month, when by using a different Thai bank card, I don't have to???

We're talking about the Spice Club in the parking underground of the Ambassador Hotel on Suk Soi 11... which is just a bit down the street and around the corner from Thermae on the main Suk Rd...

About the above comments, I think most people who've been to both would say that Boss is a better, more enjoyable place to frequent... though Soi 11 has a lot of things going on these days, so you can stay there and just walk from place to place... (Bed, Q Bar, Spice, etc etc...), as well as being located just about half way between Nana and Cowboy sois...

About closing times, even for after hours places, there hardly is ever any guarantee or uniformity... One night it's one thing, the next it's a different time. I've been at Spice at the Ambassador before when they closed at or before 2 am courtesy of the BIB... and then other times, they're open until the morning... You pays your money, and takes your chances..... Such is life in BKK....

WOW.... the Benson Jarreau concert is at the Queen Sikrit Center... just around the corner from my home... I guess that's the good news...

But I was there the other day for a travel expo event... I really wonder what the acoustics are line for a jazz/R&B concert in the hall of a large auditorium like that.... From what I saw, seems things would bounce/echo around a lot... But, I've not yet attended any concert there...

Capital One, while ditzy about customer service sometimes, is good in that at least some of their credit card products charge no foreign transaction fee...

As for regular banks and ATM/Check cards that charge no foreign usage fees, one good option is Salem Five Direct....and their EOne Checking Account, which comes with a Visa debit card and has a lot of nice features and pays a decent interest rate as well. Account can be opened almost entirely online...

IndyMac Bank, despite having failed lately and been taken over by the FDIC, is another that offers a free checking account, debit card and no foreign usage charges. They're likely to be sold to another bank at some point in the future, so hard to know how long the current policies will remain in force. But right now... no foreign fees.

Greg, congratulations on the upcoming non-Thailand expansion plans.... Are Vietnam and Singapore going to be company or franchise ventures? And anything new about plans inside Thailand, for example, Pattaya or other???

PRESIDENT BUSH'S AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Brit, you're certainly entitled to have and express your views...

But, I'd dare say, never before in the history of TV has such an extensive load of C**P ever been posted here as the recitation listed above... I wouldn't want to tarnish the web by re-quoting all of the above...

Suffice to say... the list has him taking credit for turning around an economy he inherited in recession.....

It's just not worth more comment than that....

HI

BBK bank do charge 20B if you dont use there own ATM, have done it for years.

Sorry... this is NOT correct. BKK Bank charges some fees when a person uses their BKK Bank ATM card either 1) in BKK when a BKKB account holder uses their card more than 3 times per month at another Thai bank's ATM, and/or 2) when using any ATMs outside the BKK area.

However, regarding using foreign-based ATM cards in BKKB ATMs, I have various from the U.S. that I have always used in BKK Bank ATMs in Bangkok and never pay any additional fee for those transactions.

And, from what I have read here on TV, I don't believe anyone has posted as yet saying that any of the other Thai banks have followed SCB's move to begin charging a fee for foreign ATM card cash withdrawals...

I like many kinds of different music, Thai and western alike, and I know who Akon is...

Having said that, I'd pay to see a George Benson concert at any age...for him or me... He's a great, first-class jazz guitarist... regardless of what era of music he may be playing at any particular time.

The age of a musician tends to mean pretty much zero when it comes to jazz performers. And Benson has decades of performing under his belt. If you listen to his work through the years, you'll find a bit of almost everything... Breezin' and Weekend in L.A. are classics...

See here....

There certainly are good U.S. banking options where you can avoid paying either a per transaction or percentage fee on ATM withdrawals in Thailand...talking about the U.S. end of the equation...

Folks above mentioned some of the brokerages... But for those without brokerage accounts, there are also regular U.S. banking options where either they don't charge such fees or they do and then reimburse them in some circumstances. There are also some accounts where they charge no international fees and will reimburse any bank fees from the other (Thai) country if they are assessed, usually up to some limit per month.

At the Thai end of the equation, while SCB has started charging a 20 baht per transaction fee on foreign card ATM withdrawals, other Thai banks have not followed suit as far as I know. BKK Bank, for example, if you live in/around BKK, has free ATM withdrawals from their machines and thus far no extra charge if a non-Thai debit/check card is used.

Thanks for your post and answers, John.... My prior "review" comments were not meant to be critical or offending... I hope you didn't take them that way.

You're certainly right, and I agree, on a couple of points...

1. I/we did eat pretty much every bit of our Bistro meals... except for the cole slaw with the burger... After the omelette and the burger in one sitting, it would have been too much for me... As I had mentioned, we were HUNGRY....

2. I understand you never advertised the hamburgers were freshly charcoal grilled.... When I asked on the day of my visit, after wondering about the taste/texture, I was told (staff in Thai to my TGF translated to me in English) that they were being microwaved and then heated/grilled again. My point was, for me, the charcoal grilled flavor didn't come thru in the taste of the burger... I really had been looking forward to that...but didn't find it.

3. I'm the first to admit I'm NOT in the restaurant business, so I don't have to worry about smoke from grills or the wildly different taste preferences between Americans and Europeans/Brits, or about successfully running a profit-generating restaurant... That's in part why, I was careful to point out in my comments, that one's tastes are based a lot on their background and past eating habits. (Re the chorizo, I didn't know you'd tried the other style first, before being goaded into switching. I guess I was too late in stopping by... )

Good luck with your venture. I met your wife there..that day... And you have a good staff in your shop.

Speaking as a guy, Tokyo Joe's is a great venue for live blues and R&B, but I've never yet seen solo women or groups of women there in the evenings...though the atmosphere would be fine for that. Farangs are the majority of the crowd there, every time I've been by... It's a very easygoing and comfortable place, and not a pickup joint...

Re the Japanese place, I believe you mean Koi on Sukhumvit Soi 20... Web site is here....

Out in the Ekamai area, on Soi 21, since Tuba was mentioned, there's also a very nice place called Y50 that I just recently reviewed on TV, under a thread about BKK bars... It's upstairs in an antique shop setting, good live music by a Thai band, very comfortable and cozy place... Have seen groups of ladies there... though mostly of the Thai variety... Best to have some Thais in your party...

Cathyy....speaking as a good-humored "Yank," I don't know any "Yanks" who actually call themselves or others "Yanks" ...maybe unless they've been gone from the States way too long....

As to the Olympics question, this will be my first Olympics here... so I have no past experience on this in Thailand. But I was talking about this last week with a Thai lady friend, and she said past Olympics coverage on the Thai free TV channels has been pretty extensive... (though the lady in question, while knowledgeable, certainly isn't a sports aficionado). I hope she's correct about that...

Frankly, for a lot of Olympics stuff, you don't really need an audio track in English....though that certainly would be nice. I'd think you can pretty much see the action and know what's happening by watching and hopefully from some graphics... I guess I'll find out soon...if I'm right or wrong about that.

As to the issue mentioned above of watching streaming video from the NBC web site, every time I've tried to access streaming video from U.S. TV networks since moving here, I've gotten error messages saying their online streaming content is only available to U.S. residents, i.e., their servers are recognizing and not responding to non-U.S. IP addresses... There are ways around that, but those may not provide the optimum method for viewing video streaming... as opposed to just viewing low bandwidth web pages.

PS - As a professional writer, I'd also suggest Americans hardly have a monopoly on the malady of bad writing, whether here on TV or elsewhere at large.... Sometimes, trying to decipher the postings here gives one a big headache...

I'll vote for nud_e sleeping...here in Thailand...and even before in the USA...

And..I'll confess...it's rather nice when my lady here does the same....

Anything other than my own skin feels too hot here....

I'm an American, so I certainly have an inherent right to spout off here...

Another Bush-ism.... he's glad, in the Nation interview, that the six party talks re North Korea will "bear fruition"...????

It seemed early in the interview, that the Nation reporter had to kind of remind him why he was heading to Thailand... Ohh.... 175 years together... ya.... that's right... That's why I'm going....

After all these years, I think most Americans have come to understand just who and what George Bush is... As bad as he makes the American political system looks, it remains true that other countries still have it worse. But, we in the U.S. do have a higher tradition and standard of democracy to uphold... Hopefully we'll get back to that tradition, once Bush is gone...

'

Made my first visit to Bistro Eurogourmet on Thursday afternoon, after hearing so many good (delicious)-sounding things from John here, through the last couple months. I'd been planning to stop by for some time, but the visit had been delayed by a recent visa trip back to the States...

So now, back in BKK, and having not eaten for more than 12 hours prior to my visit due to some late night celebrating the night before, the TGF and I were ready for some serious eating upon arrival.

First by way of background, the bistro's web site can be found here..., complete with a downloadable regular and happy hour menu in Adobe .pdf format. The location is in the lobby of the High Tech Towers condo building on Ekamai Soi 23, which is very close to Petchaburi Road, and very far up a typically crowded Soi Ekamai from Sukhumvit Road for anyone traveling on BTS to Ekamai... The location inside is small and simple, with just a handful of tables inside and a small patio outside.

The web site shows the bistro's hours at 9:30 am to 9 pm Monday to Saturday, and now closed on Sunday. The latter seems an unusual choice, considering folks who I'd think might be looking for a good Sunday breakfast or early lunch out... But the staff indicated Sundays had been pretty quiet before... So it seems no more Sunday brunch/lunch at Bistro Eurogourmet.

Between the two of us, we ordered three different dishes that afternoon: the "Mexican" breakfast at 140 baht, consisting of an egg/cheese omelette with "chorizo" sausage over a "tortilla," the 200g beef hamburger with french fries for 130 baht, and the GF's choice of the Thueringer Rostbratwurst with potato salad and sauerkraut for 100 baht.

As an American/Californian far from my originalculinary home, I was particularly interested the hamburger and the Mexican breakfast offerings, having lately joined the TV quest to find the best (or at least decent) hamburger in BKK. Sadly for me, on this day, I came away very filled, but less than satisfied, with the offerings.

While the portion of the hamburger was more than ample and nicely formed, and the accompanying french fries were crisp and tasty, the "BBQ over charcoal" burger came across tasting more like a microwaved burger, which I gather it was, with none of the texture or juicyness one might hope for. The reason, I was told, is that the burgers are pre-cooked and then microwaved and heated again prior to serving. So mine was a solid grey inside throughout, and had the taste and texture of microwaved meat.

As for the "chorizo" omelette, perhaps it was a case of mistaken expectations. As a native Californian, my idea of "chorizo" is the Spanish/Mexican style, typically red-chili infused and often crumbled into an oily mixture. But I learned later, after my visit that day, that there's also a very different European style chorizo that's typically sliced and smoked in flavor (and not spicy at all), which was the style served that day. Likewise, the "tortilla" was really thick almost like a serving of pita bread. Having said that, the flavor was good with nicely melted cheese. But not really close to anything anyone reasonably would call a "Mexican" breakfast.

A lot of opinion about food is based on one's own experience with eating, and from that experience comes expectations. It's clear the Bistro Eurogourmet knows what it's doing particularly when it comes to sausages and the food on its own is well-prepared. I can't speak as to how a European might view the offerings. But as an American, arriving with expectations of a reasonably "Mexican" breakfast or freshly charcoal grilled hamburger, I came away disappointed.

FYI... I was mistaken in my prior post about the price of the three Chili Verde tacos at Sunrise Tacos... Soi 12... The correct price was/is 139 for that special... not 189.... (The latter was for a different specials item). Hereby corrected...for the record.

I've just noticed in my bank account that 20 baht has been added to the withdrawal amount for withdrawals I've made since 2008-07-21.

e.g. I see "2020.00THB" in the transaction details, even though I had only withdrawn 2000, and "10020.00THB" even though I had only withdrawn 10000.

My withdrawals prior to 2008-07-21 do not have 20 baht added. I had made a withdrawal on 2008-07-07 that appears as "3000.00THB" in the transaction details.

I'm not sure exactly when this fee was introduced because I didn't make withdrawals after 2008-07-07 or before 2008-07-21.

The withdrawals were from an Australian Bank account and not a Thai Bank account. I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

I've only been using SCB ATMs. Is is just SCB who has introduced the 20 baht fee?

Does anyone know details about this new 20 baht withdrawal fee?

Do a search here on TV for SCB or Siam Commercial Bank AND fee...and you will find a couple recent threads on this subject... Bottom line... yes they (SCB) have begun charging a 20 baht transaction fee for foreign ATM card useage.... But other Thai banks, including BKK Bank, have not done so yet. So... switch your withdrawals to another fee-free Thai bank...

I regularly use Hotmail (multiple accounts/IDs) for many years and I haven't seen the appearance of any of the kind of ads the OP is talking about. In addition, within Firefox, I use the add-in Ad Block Plus to remove even the page/banner ads.... The result... ad free Hotmail.

To accomplish this, within Ad Block Plus, just click the "block" tab next to any particular ad on a web page... That brings up a pop-up window with the web address for that particular ad/image. Then choose to block that ad, but replace the end part of the ad address with a simple /* That * serves as an all characters symbol (remember DOS???), meaning the program will block any content from that ad server (everything before the final /) no matter what more detailed address/filename follows it... That works nicely because in Hotmail for example, the ads all come from particular servers. Once you block the address for that server, no matter how the individual ads and their filenames change, you're still blocking content from that (ad) site.

Been back from the USA for a couple of weeks, so my Mexican food tank was running low... Thus I decided to mozy on over to Sunrise Tacos near Soi 12 this afternoon for a late lunch snack. It was the first time I'd been there in more than a month, after some pretty mixed experiences (very bad and pretty good, both recounted here previously) around Cinco de Mayo season. So it was time to give Greg's place another look-see and tasting.

There's been a lot of comment here about Sunrise lately.. So let me chime in with my latest. Walking in the door this afternoon, they had a daily special of 3 chili verde tacos for 189 baht... which sounded pretty darned good and diverted me from my original ordering intention. So I had that special and an order of 99 baht tortilla chips and guacamole.

With the caveat that this visit was mid-afternoon on a Tuesday and the place wasn't too busy and in fact had a surplus of serving staff on hand, my order was taken promptly and correctly. My drink and chips/guacamole brought promptly, and the trio of tacos followed not too long after that. Everything was in order and prepared properly, and tastily, I might add, as in their usual custom. (I've never had any complaint with the flavor of the food at Sunrise....)

My waitress even remembered without prompting (kudos to her) to bring over a bowl of their John's extra hot salsa that I had originally requested when ordering... And that reminds me today to say, for those who like it spicy, I'd venture it's probably the best chili salsa to be had in Bangkok.... very satisfying, good blend of flavors, enough to break a sweat and clear your stuffy nose... Likewise, the chili verde tacos were well-prepared, tasty and satisfying... though they automatically came a bit surprisingly with hard corn tortilla shells (and no query about whether soft corn or flour would have been preferred).

In general, I think, the knock most regulars have had about Sunrise Soi 12 in the recent past has been the sometimes haphazard and othertimes downright lousy quality of their serving staff. Today, I saw a couple familiar faces from the past and 3-4 more new (and quite comely) faces I hadn't seen before at all. So it appears there's been some turnover in staffing. And I must say, at least based on today's experience, the changes have been for the good. Service today was just fine. I just hope they can replicate that during the busier night times and keep the ship on course...

189 baht trio of Chili Verde Tacos

Had a very fun night out last night at a medium-sized Thai pub called Y50 on Ekamai Soi 21, pretty much right at the corner of the main road. Went with Thai friends for a birthday party and was the only farang in the place, but no one much seemed to mind, including me...

A very nice bottle whisky place with beer and cocktails and food snacks to be had. But, the live Thai band was really good, playing a changing mix of music throughout the evening, both Western (earlier) and popular Thai (later). Can't remember ever hearing a Thai band here play a good version of The Crusaders/Bill Withers' classic "Just the Two of Us" before. Was pretty shocked to hear it, but it was great. Got there about 11 pm and the band was playing almost non-stop until 2 am...

Has a reputation as something of a place for youngish hi-so Thais, and indeed, my friends said a group who regularly make it into the Thai newspapers was having a party behind us. Best thing about the place is the cozy atmosphere, with very comfortable and intimate couches and chairs for chilling in a busy but relaxed, not-crowded setting... Not a pickup place, but a great place to enjoy an evening with a Thai date/spouse. No dance floor, but as the night gets later, folks start shaking at their tables and elsewhere. It's upstairs from an antique store.... See the enclosed link for more info...

Jeez.... I like sleeze and hookers occasionally... and can even stomach ex-pats and backpackers now and then...

But, I've never quite understood the appeal of CC's... and yes... I've been there...done that...because the place is in my backyard...

Why does it get written up so much is western guidebooks for BKK??? Maybe because it's the totally un-Western notion of a bar that consists pretty much of a wood shack with a few stools plunked down along the side of a small street???? Hard to find that in Los Angeles...

Gotta admit though... No one ever has said to me there... Hey handsum man.....Used to have to walk across the soi for that....

Ya... We 4 You bar... a small open shophouse bar with generally cheap beer and a familiar lineup of "experienced" working ladies there seeking drinks and compansionship.... A very low-key, no frills place... but drinks only... no food.