jfchandler

Greg, thanks for your posting answer to all of us, and for your private messages as well...

It's refreshing to have a businessman own up to their operation's failings, and be likewise open about trying to make things better. I agree that you do need to try to make things better, particularly at the Soi 12 location. (It also reminds me why I'm not anxious to have my own business, for fear of having to deal with such stupidity as you recount above).

I certainly understand unusual circumstances can arise. But it's more than a bit amusing to hear, after the fact, that my Cinco de Mayo dinner was sabotaged in large part by a love spat among love-lorn university girls who then hit the road. So much for trying to match Coyote on that score... Really, of course, I'd wish you didn't... and instead just find competent, service-oriented dependable staff... (maybe easier said that done).

I worked in restaurants while working my way thru university (back in the States years ago), and it seems to me some things are just common sense. You don't give customers a bad or not properly prepared dish/drink. You don't serve customers food in bad/broken plates or glasses. You don't serve a group of people having dinner at a table by bringing one dish first, then another 5 minutes later, then another 5 minutes later after that. Maybe the individual Thai staff don't understand those things, but is there a manager on-site who's watching out for those kinds of things, and correcting staff as needed???...

I do have a question about the newer set-up at Soi 12, regarding your comments. The last time I went into the old original location, they didn't want to serve me and told me to go across the street to the "restaurant" location. That day, they told me the old counter is now only for delivery. Is that correct, or, is it possible to still walk in there and get food to go or to sit at the old counter???? You seemed to say there is some quick in/out option still, but not clear how to do that...

About your options for the future, my suggestions are:

1. I hope you keep the "build your own options" at the Soi 12 location. It's really nice to be able to order and get the food in a way that fits one's own personal tastes. I hope you don't relegate it to only choosing from A, B, C or D sets... But..I do understand that makes it more of a challenge for the wait staff.

2. I do think some kind of counter service model there might work, instead of or in addition to the regular restaurant service. I actually popped by your Siam Paragon location for the first time the other day....after my bad experience...and happened to try the MOS burgers outlet there for the first time. It was a BAD hamburger for my taste... But their service model was nice.... order at the counter, and get a # stand that you take to your table. Then, the waitress/waiter then brings your drink first and later food once it's prepared. If you want more food/drink, you just go back to the counter and repeat that process. It worked really well for them, and they just had kids working/serving...

I do think it would be nice/better if you can keep the real "restaurant" model and service going at Soi 12. In theory, that's something that would be nice/pleasant for the customers. But, if you cannot seem to get consistent and reliable performance from your wait staff over an extended period of time, then I think you're damaging your business reputation and customer loyalty/base by continuing on in a poor service model.

As I've always said... the food is good. It's the other things that cause problems.

Those four pretties have left last weekend along with some of the old staff, because of fighting over the attention of a guy and all involved felt they lost face and had to leave. I felt then like I was back in High School. Just immature children. So I was left going into Cinco de Mayo with six less waiters, two cashiers and a number of newbie's. UGH

Well I did have new staff even newer than those that I wrote about. Plus bad luck on your part as 10 p.m. till 11 p.m. could not have been worse timing on my end. 10 p.m. is when the staff has a shift change. So the limited "experience" staff left then to catch the bus. They already had worked 12 hours and were exhausted after serving a packed restaurant all day so it was not right to ask them to work even longer. I was left with some real newbie's at that time. Also bad luck I was told that their was a fire at Soi 4 so had to leave myself to make sure the staff at another restaurant were ok there so I was not around. As they say, it rains it pours.

I know you have a bad taste about the service other night. But I hope to see you again.

We still do have the counter for the good old days. Just more like self service. You are in and out fast.

A. Get a better trainer for the waiters. Don't think it's the pay as I'm now at 8- 10K. per month. (Plus they get tips of around 3K+ per month)

B. Have a line at the counter and nixed the waiters. The food is made in front of you like Chipotle. On fajitas or nachos it's expedited to your table.

C. Change the menu to less "Build your own" options.

I'm leaning more to option B. Even then with this concept, it can have problems with service; I went to this taco place last month in Atlanta. Great food but check out the comments on the service. They have waiting lines out the door.

Go to the Honorary Thai consulate in Hull, England for a multi entry O visa to visit Thailand, which is good for 1 year to 15 months, and can be renewed, regardless of age. That's the best solution for your visa...and most cost effective, particularly for an EU resident.

About bringing your belongings from home, I did the same when I moved here (30+ boxes shipped by ocean freight from the USA). Do some checking and find a company that specializes in shipping to Thailand. I think you'll find they'll be able to assist you in a cost-effective manner. If you need more guidance about that, you can PM me...

It's pretty much a crap shoot.... depending on the lady's personal circumstances...

The govt. web page another poster cited gives some good indicators of the kinds of things the U.S. Embassy here would be looking for...to give some proof that the lady would be planning to return to Thailand after her stay in the U.S. That's supposedly what they focus on.

However, the application of that policy, in individual circumstances, seems to vary WIDELY... So, best bet is do all the document preparation and coaching about the interview, and then pay your/her money and take a shot...

Legally, a foreign person in the U.S. on a tourist or student visa cannot legally work. But, if there is a Thai community of any sort where you live, that can be overcome....

Ya.... right about that... That will do it.. every time!!!!

Maybe it's my deodorant.

Lop... is it our understanding that the Hull Multi-Os are available to anyone applying from/staying in Britain (including tourists), or only to British citizens/passport holders????

I'm always reading here about various people having problems with getting/keeping suitable visas... and getting turned down at various countries around Thailand/Asia.

So, if someone is a non-British citizen, and they can afford a trip to and brief stay there in Britain, would they more than likely be able to obtain such a visa...

That's a pretty simple move, if do-able, considering that it would get you an up to 15 month stay here...

But as long as a non immigrant O visa available from Hull I would take advantage of that if you plan a lot of travel.

I've been a BofA customer in the states for ages.... In the states, they're fine...

In Thailand...they SUCK.... I wouldn't have anything to do with them here. Main reason, if you try to use your BofA ATM card here (to withdraw money or make debit purchases), they will hit you with both a per transaction fee and a foreign currency exchange fee, which used to be 3% (can't say now, since I haven't used my BofA card here for ages).

Also, in the states, BofA has one of the highest international wire transfer fees among the major banks, so I'd avoid using them for that also.

BofA does have an office on Wireless Road. I've never been there, but I've been told when calling them to ask that it's strictly for commercial banking, no retail/consumer services there. And I've NEVER heard that they have zero-fee ATM withdrawals from an ATM there. I'm wondering who told you that, and if they were reliable.

Safest way is just to purchase some American Express traveler's checks in the U.S., preferably from someplace that provides them fee free.... VISA traveler's checks are OK also, but not as widely accepted here. Then you're protected against theft/loss, and can exchange them at any of the bank exchange counters. Choose the larger deonomination checks, because the Thai banks charge a small per check fee.

The USA2 Me and Earth Class Mail addresses are routinely accepted as regular apartment or condo addresses... I've never had any problem with anyone, bank or otherwise, declining to accept my (USA2Me) address or deliver to it.

There's no reason to pay a 1% international currency fee... especially if you are living in Thailand...not just visiting...

Just pick any good financial institution in the U.S. that has no fee international ATM use, and you're good to go....

There's no advantage to paying extra to access your own money!!!

Rule No.1 is never take your funds from another country via ATM ( Okay Nationwide folks ... I hear your fingers tapping )

Rule No. 2 is ignore rule No. 1

My USA bank charges nothing for ATM withdrawals worldwide, and I usually get the best exchange rates available. Like the later post by JfChandler, it differs widely among banks. Check with your own bank.

Washington Mutual in the US has a Free Checking acount that doesn't charge for using non-WAMU ATMs and charges 1% international currency fee. Back in the days i was getting the Thailand onshore exchange rate as well (does that still apply?). For day to day use I find this the cheapest way to get pocket money.

Nice idea... Noble thought.....

What country are you living in???? Surely not Thailand!!!!

If the law makers consider it fair to treat aliens in a certain way then it should also be fair to treat their own citizens the same way. Otherwise the law is discriminatory and biased and constitutionally incorrect. All people are the same regardless of race, sex etc. and should be treated so.

I looked at Earth Class Mail too when I was shopping around to select a service like this..

Their mail scanning option is nice, and they have several packages at different prices depending on your volume. But as I recall, it is economical only if you want them to scan instead of mailing. If you want them to scan and then mail to you here, I believe you're going to pay more than other vendors. So it depends on your needs.

Another nice feature they have, as I recall, is the ability to select mailing addresses in some different states/cities. USA2Me and a couple of the others only have their business address in one state, so you're stuck with a Texas or Florida mailing address.

I recently switched over to Earth Class Mail and have been happy. The optiion to have mail scanned rather than mailed is great. There are times when I have mail forwarded here to Thailand only to scan it and send back to the US. Saves that time and money.

I've done visa runs (through a BKK company) a couple times to Ban Leam, including the latest last month.

For me holding a multi entry B visa, there was no income requirement or proof of onward travel required. But if I didn't have a multi entry visa, I believe I would have needed to purchase the bogus onward bus ticket (as others in my group were doing).

When I go there, I don't go for the casino(s) or shopping. I just go to renew my visa and get back home as quickly as possible. For that purpose, BKK to Ban Leam is a good move. I've never had to wait more than a few minutes at the border.

There's also a reason to use one of the reputable visa run companies, so you avoid YOU getting hassled up and down the line for the various payoffs.

Ditto re what ThaiHome says above, but in regard to USA2ME....

I've had an account with them for more than a year, and been pretty satisfied. You can contact them easily by telephone or secure message from their web site. The account includes all of those features mentioned above. I also love their web interface, which e-mails me and tells me the sender and weight of each piece of received mail, and allows me full control online of what I want done...

I started out with their Just Mail account (letters only), which was forwarding my mail to Bangkok via USPS Global Priority Mail, which typically took a week or more. But then at Christmas time, my monthly delivery took two months to arrive here, because of USPS delays (not those of USA2ME). So I switched to their higher level Gold plan, which delivers typically by DHL or Fed-Ex, and everything gets here in usually 3 days. In any of their plans, you can set a recurring frequency (ie monthly) or order individual shipments on demand.

For their Gold Plan, which includes a single shipment (letters or packages) per month of 1 lb., I'm paying $33 a month (which includes their entire service of mail managing and forwarding). Additional pounds per shipment run about $3 per pound extra.... I've never had any problem with them with missing or mis-directed mail. (1 lb. of letters is roughly equal to 20 standard business mail envelopes)

Also, you get a personalized mail address with a unit # that is accepted the same as an apartment number, so no problems with it being used for shipments or as a residence address...unlike P.O. Box options.

OK... so... I'm sitting here thinking -- after a particularly atrocious Cinco de Mayo night visit -- why I am becoming less and less satisfied with the Soi 12 Sunrise Tacos locale, and the answer finally becomes crystal clear.

In the past, when they just had the counter on one side of the complex, there was NO service for all intents and purposes. There was ONLY the food, which by BKK standards of Mexican was and is still pretty good. But then, in the past few months, with I'm sure the best intentions in mind, Sunrise opened it's sit-down restaurant across the parking lot, complete with more tables, and waiters/waitresses and such...

And that, unfortunately, is where they seem to be increasingly heading toward losing me...someone who's had pretty much only good things to say about Sunrise in the past.

At Greg's invitation here on TV, I went tonight with two Thai friends to enjoy their Cinco de Mayo celebration, and partake of the special 200 baht margaritas... While the food was pretty good as usual, almost everything else about the restaurant experience there tonight was lacking or weak -- and very disappointing.

We arrived about 10 pm, and there were only a couple of other occupied tables at that hour, so not particularly busy. But start with the waitress taking quite a long while to come to the table. Then after ordering a trio of "by the yard" margaritas to start, we get one strawberry variety that has the consistency of tap water...no ice or freeze at all, and another margarita in a tall souvenir glass that has its rim bent and deformed (which they later replaced with a proper glass at our request). After complaining about the lukewarm strawberry serving, the waitress takes it back and asks if we wait to wait 10 minutes for a colder one... we ponder that question...and I wonder why the restaurant staff would even consider serving a margarita in that terrible fashion...

Meanwhile, we order four dishes for dinner, including with a specific instruction/request (which was understood and acknowledged) that we want the nachos served first as an appetizer. Five or 10 minutes later, sure enough, one of our dinners arrives, and then the second dinner after that... No nachos... Then finally the nachos arrive... But...then... no third dinner... And, another 5-10 minutes passes before the final dinner (a fish burrito) finally reaches the table. OK...so... so much for the wait staff heeding our requests....

When we get our tall "by the yard" margaritas, after some time, my Thai companions are a bit overwhelmed by the height of the tall service pitchers...so they ask for regular-size margarita glasses. One of the service staff takes the request and then disappears.... 5-10 minutes later....still no glasses arrive. So, we have to ask again of another staff, and then finally the glasses arrive a bit later...

Then, after we've been there and eating for better than an hour, and near the end of our meal, my companion who originally wanted the strawberry margarita is still thinking about the one she missed, so we decide to try placing that order again...now long after our original attempt. A few minutes later, the "by the yard" strawberry arrives, barely colder than its watery predecessor more than an hour before...and still lacking in any freeze.

I know Greg has written before about having new staff in the Soi 12 location. I hadn't seen the couple of waitresses working tonight before. But based on their performance, it's hard for me to imagine that either of them have any clue about how to do restaurant service, no matter how personable they may be... And in terms of waiter/waitress service, that seems to be pretty much the norm at the Soi 12 location since it opened its "restaurant" location.

Don't know what's going on at the other Sunrise locations at present. But for me, it's a particularly bad sign when a "Mexican" restaurant that's advertising a margaritas special for Cinco de Mayo can't turn out a decent serving on two different tries, and the staff in general seem to be clueless as to their broader lackings....

It all makes me long for the good old days where there just was the counter..and good food.

The proper answers to these questions depends on what bank(s) you're using in the U.S. to originate your funds...

There are any number of banks and CUs that provide no-fee ATM card withdrawals...which means...no per transaction fee and no international exchange fee.... or... they may charge those fees initially, but then rebate them back each month provided you meet their criteria...

I have accounts of both types. Under those circumstances, it's perfectly financially sound to be withdrawing money in Thailand direct from your U.S. bank account using a U.S. ATM card. The Thai banks (BKK, SCB, others) don't charge surcharges for withdrawals using other banks' cards, at least those belonging to the same networks they belong to, such as Cirrus, VISA, etc...)

As long as you make sure your U.S. bank is not hitting you with per transaction or international exchange fees, many expats here use ATM cards to manage their cash needs, and avoid entirely the $30+ per wire transfer fees and the corresponding transaction fees that Thai banks assess for handling incoming international wire transfers...

The only potential downside is the ATM cards have daily (and sometimes other) withdrawal limits. But again, those are set by the U.S. bank that issues your ATM card, not the Thai bank. So you can choose an account, or request a limit increase, to fit with your personal needs.

Where the wire transfers to Thailand have greater benefit is when you need to move a very large amount of money in a single transaction, such as to advance funds toward a retirement visa, or buying/building a home, etc etc... In those cases, ATM transactions would be pretty inconvenient.

From Soi 8, based on the volume and duration of the passing sirens, it sounded like the whole BKK Fire Department had been sent zooming down the street... Never heard anything like that during my couple years in BKK....

Just this weekend... found a good answer/addition to the question I raised in this original post...

Just at the foot of the Thong Lo BTS station stairs on the Soi 36 (even) side of Suk Road is a small new Isan restaurant specializing in som tam (papaya salads) called Malagor (papaya).

I mention it because

1) it's new, modern/clean and very convenient, just having been open about 2 months;

2) it's fully air conditioned with comfortable, large wood tables and benches inside;

3) it's cheap with almost every menu item in the 30-40 baht range;

4) they have their menu available in both Thai and English;

and 5) the food is GOOD!!!

The individual portion sizes are small by Western standards, but everything was very tasty.... They had probably a half dozen different som tams available (we liked som tam kai kiem with salty egg), larb salads, nam tok, khao niaew (sticky rice), sliced/grilled and deep fried meats (pork and beef), pork ribs, and various other choices...

The TGF and I ate our fill of probably 7 or 8 different dishes, and had a total bill of only about 200 baht. No room left after for the thai fruit ice cream they were offering... And, the whole time we were there, rather than luk thung music on the stereo system, they had some funky sound I'm not sure how to describe.

Only downside, as best as I recall, is they don't have a liquor license for beer.....

With the disappearance of some other Isan real restaurants (as opposed to stands or street shops) around BKK (including Tee Sud and Baan Lao), this is a nice, modest, comfortable addition.... and even a peaceful break from the noise outside.

Just wanted to say... had a great night out over the weekend for dinner, drinks and music at Tokyo Joe's blues music venue on Suk Soi 26, opposite the Tara Hotel... near Phrom Phong BTS...

It was my first visit there, and I was pleased and impressed for a couple reasons...

1. They have one of the strangest, most eclectic dinner menus I've seen in BKK yet... a mix of western, Thai, Japanese, Tex-Mex...and maybe some other I've forgetting... food. The TGF had a Japanese beef and rice bowl, which I tasted to be pretty good. And I had an order of chicken fajitas that was very acceptable for BKK. Interestingly, for some reason in an odd twist, the Japanese menu items there tend to run about half the price (160 baht) of many of the western choices (at closer to 300 baht). I noticed there also have been past TV posts about the quality of their beef and steaks there...

2. Caught the Saturday night lineup of music, which included the Soi Dog Blues Band (which performs there Fri and Sat nights), and they were SMOKIN'!!!!!! (And I don't mean cigarettes!!!). Great blues music, ranging from Hendrix to Pink Floyd to others. And the Thai lead guitarist was great... along with the band leader/vocalist Jeff (?).... They advertise having live music every night, with other performers on other nights. The sound quality and system also were good, just loud enough to enjoy...but not so loud as to split your ears or make talking impossible. And.. NO hip hop!!!!!

3. The venue itself was comfortable and pleasant, and the Thai serving staff were very good and attentive. Although they have a couple floors, the downstairs area where the bands play is actually pretty small...with only about a half dozen 4-person tables, a long bar with about 10 chairs, and a counter just in front of the band. So no matter where you sit downstairs, it's close and intimate.

For drinks, they're pretty reasonably priced, and have Asahi and Guinness on tap, as well as liter or half liter pitchers of margaritas... as well as hot or cold sake and bunches of other choices. But..somewhat to my surprise, as the evening got later, the place began emptying out as the band was getting hotter. By the time they finished playing a bit before 1 a.m. on Sat night/Sun morning, there were only a couple tables still occupied, including ours. We stayed to the last song!

For good food and drinks, great live music, and a pleasant, no hassle experience, Tokyo Joe's is a good choice... I'm looking forward to going back for another visit soon!!!

I think you should be careful about this, or seek out some better advice...

From my recollection, if a Thai person applies for U.S. a tourist visa and is denied, and then repeats the process again and again, at some point the U.S. Embassy supposedly will put them on a black list of denial. I remember also hearing that if a Thai applicant is denied, they should wait at least 6 months again before re-applying...

Maybe others here can opine more about this. The difficult part about these things is, and I say this as an American, the U.S. Embassy in BKK seems to do almost nothing in the public domain to document their procedures about these visa things. So, it always seems to be rumors and reports...not any solid policy or official information someone can rely on.

There are also some other options, such as her applying for a U.S. student visa... (although many are denied, I know some ladies who have obtained them lately without being rich or well-connected, though I can't quite figure out how. U.S. language schools are a common route.)

Then there also are the au pair (nanny) agencies... where the agency helps the Thai lady get a job with a matching family in a foreign country..including the U.S. I know Thai ladies with NO resources who have managed to do this to the U.S. or other countries...

Thanks. I think we're going to apply for the US tourist visa this summer even though I know there's a 90% chance she won't get it, just because it's better than doing nothing and they let you apply again if circumstances change. I'm hoping they few multiple attempts with tenacity rather than suspicion, and there's always the possibility of the fiancee visas when I get out of school.

Gee.... I can think of a few things... at least!!!!

Not to mention, free khao suay from back home...in these times of rising rice prices....

Nice post... nice story.... Congratulations on finding a good lady who is good for your life...

Thanks for the post... May I ask... how much did you spend on the house, where was it built, and how long after you were married did you do it??? And so instead, you didn't pay any sin sod at marriage time???

I don't have time to read through the entire post. I have been with a Issan woman for 8 years married for 5 and now living back in Farangland. I lived in Thailand for 6 years working. I too built the obligatory house but it took years and was not at all elaborate by Frang standards. I used the house as a bargaining chip when we got married as to not pay a Sin Sot. I mainly agreed to build the house because my girlfriend at the time was pregnant with our daughter. My future in Thailand was uncertain at the time and I had just got a chunk of money.I considered it insurance for them in at least they would have a decent place to live.

Invariably anyone who gets involved with an Issan girl will get the pitch for the house. As a aclose friend told me last year because his girl was upset she didn't get the house for the parents " Just because you are banging their daughter you got to build them a house". Even now we continue to support the "family" on a basic level. This post also goes to show its not just the P4P girls but the GTG as well. I think that the GTG are more demanding because they believe they are worth more because they are GTG.

I agree it is way too early for this sort of request. actually downright greedy or at least testing the waters.

LL

Intersting view.

Could you dispel my ignorance please and translate what P4P and GTG means.

Thanks,

Sorry,

Was in abit of a hurry , P4P = Pay for Play , GTG = Good Thai Girl. Don't normally us abbreviations.

I have a thick skin... big heart... and long....

I enjoy it all.... See you next time... --jf

"I won't comment on the implications of this (his miscalculating NPV of his spending) for someone who allegedly was a former CFO and has an MBA...and the implications for the thread... "

I know one thing for sure... I'm not hiring him to prepare my income tax returns this year!!!!!

Hahahaha...GOOD POINT... I agree...

In truth... entirely different/unrelated lady...ladies....

If you're that perceptive, you might also imagine that the first story/episode might lead to a guy looking around elsewhere....

Very sorry about that... I certainly didn't intend to be ill-mannered..... If I was, please forgive...

In fact, of the 5, only one of them actually "belonged" to me... (Well, maybe two -- if I'm lucky...) The others were friends of the main lady with me...

But a couple of the others I know are/were definitely in the market for meeting some nice guys.... When we came back to the pub after going to Soi 7 for dinner, a couple of them were looking around the pub, and talking to me about some guys there.... (not the pum pui guys, tho.... ). But they were too shy to go out and speak up... And I wasn't about to help them...on that occasion.

For the record, none of them are/were bar ladies or anything like that... They're all pretty nice, sweet, young and reasonably single... The majority of the group, including the one with me, work in accounting at a hotel out near the airport. A couple of the others are friends of theirs. Dunno if you noticed, but the one with the biggest chest was in fact a very lovely katoey.... age 20. (And no, she WASN'T the one with me....)

In truth, I felt a bit out of sorts.... I had invited my TGF to come with me, after explaining to her what was going on that evening with the football game (which she likes to see) and the TV meeting. But then she decided to invite along all her friends to my home, because they were planning on going dancing later. So suddenly we became a big group.

There wasn't a lot of space at the TV tables, and I kinda felt we'd be barging in with such a large, not really related group. But then again, who wouldn't want 4-5 pretty attractive and young Thai ladies to join the table. If we have another TV meeting in BKK and the stars are right, I'll try to do better.... But honestly, I was kind of afraid of being ill-mannered...especially on my first venture into a TV gathering...because none except for my TGF even knew anything about the TV gathering. The others were just along for the ride.

I promise... I'll try to do better next time!!!

If they are like the one in your story in visting Khon Kaen who's family ask to build one million baht house for them I see why they are interested in meeting nice guys. Please do not introduce them to my husband.

Thanks for the update on Cinco de Mayo promotions.. Those are nice...I'll be sure to swing by....for a big mango margarita to celebrate....

It's also nice to hear about the wait staff.... Some of the past ones seemed... a bit... disinterested at times...

But.. just for the record.... while some feminine eye candy is always nice.... the main thing... as I know you know... is the FOOD and DRINK!!!! Just keep on that...and everything will be good....

When I mentioned about the Coyote ladies in a prior post...I think... it was just responding to what another poster had previously said... Some Mexican food place could have poor/bad food...and the HOTTEST ladies in BKK...and it wouldn't get me in the door... (well... almost!!!!) hhehehehehehe......