jfchandler

Houston worked for me in mid 07 for a non-imm b, multiple entry visa... All done by mail.

But, I needed sponsorship documents from folks here in Thailand who do that.

My home was L.A., and never applied there. Was told they absolutely will not issue such visas.

--John

As a single male, I've had probably more than a dozen trips back and forth between BKK and Los Angeles during the past four years. In all those episodes, I've never had my bags searched once, though I came close one time. But I've always had the feeling the customs folks in L.A. were being pretty overly suspicious because of my particular country of origin.

The only time they routed me for a search of my bags, the first question the officer asked after finally getting to me was about my work. And when I told him I worked for the state of Calif. at the time, he let me go without any further questions or without any baggage search.

Another time, I brought back the "massive" quantity of six pairs of ear rings for some Thai lady friends in L.A. who'd asked me to do some shopping for them. I declared the ear rings on my customs form. And while that didn't draw a search, it drew a lot of questions from one agent who seemed to imply I was going into the ear rings business (with six pairs????).

Nonetheless, I've heard a lot of complaints from fellow male travelers upon returning to the U.S. from Thailand. The curious part for me is, I've never once been asked anything by the Thai customs folks upon my arrival here, never even checked for anything. But when I travel back home to the States, the U.S. customs folks treat people with a lot of suspicion. You'd think it would be more equal.

Now, I really wonder what the U.S. customs folks will say when I return in the future after LONG stays here, instead of the past tourist trips. They'll probably think I'm REALLY up to something suspicious now. After all, why else would anyone want to STAY in Thailand rather than the U.S.

I had an experience with this recently.

I needed an antiobiotic that was not available in Thailand, but for which I had a U.S. doctor prescription.

I had a 60 day supply filled in the U.S. by my pharmacy there, and they shipped it here to BKK via DHL. Arrived real fast and delivered to my home address here. No problem.

The only item was, I had to pay Thai tax and customs on the retail value of the prescription, which was about $40. So that added a couple hundred baht to the cost. DHL left an invoice at my home stating the amount owed, and then I had them return the next day. They collected the tax and customs amounts from me, and gave me the package.

I ordered a larger quantity than I needed, because I didn't want to have to go through that process and expense every time. But, I wasn't trying to do 11 months worth either, so not sure how Thai customs would respond to that.

But in general, there are many medications here that seem to be much less expensive than even insurance covered meds in the U.S. But some are not, depending on whether something is available as generic or only via brand name.

Another interesting wrinkle here is many meds are available from Thai retail pharmacies without requiring any doctor's prescription. Whereas in the U.S., anything but the most basic over the counter stuff requires a doctor's visit and prescription, which can be a hassle and expense.

--John.

The Thai Consulate in LA in the Hancock Park area, which is not far from Hollywood. Six flags is maybe 30 minute freeway drive north, while Disneyland is maybe 45 min freeway drive south.

It's an OK place to go for tourist visa as American citizen, but it's not good for other kinds of visas, depending on what you need.

--John.

To the Original Poster, talk to the folks at Sunbelt Asia, who are a sponsor of this site. They have a main office in BKK and you can consult with them on the phone about your visa options. It would also help if you did a bit more of your own research. Info is widely available online, for instance, on the Thailand Elite program, including here on TV and on the Elite web site.

Regarding your plans, one route is to pursue a multiple entry business "b" visa that can be issued in the United States (by some Thai consulates there) for purposes of "exploring" business or real estate opportunities in the U.S. This also can be renewed annually, though it does also require the 90 day trips out of Thailand (just crossing any border).

That would cover you for a couple years, though doubtful that could be renewed for so many years until you are retirement age (50). Sunbelt can also advise you about the various techniques for setting up a Thai business for you that, with a bit of ongoing capital, can give you the foundation for ongoing visas long term.

There are some categories of visa where the requirement is only reporting to the local immigration office every 90 days, as opposed to going outside the country. But the the 90 day trips outside Thailand are pretty common for those with multiple entry visas. It's something that can be done easily, in one day, for less than 2000 baht when the times come. It's no big deal.

I suppose I ought to get a nationwide flex card when I next return to Blighty for a holiday - does anyone know if that can be done without proof of a UK address ?

Cheers BB

Hi BB

You do need two kinds of proof with Nationwide,usually a utility bill plus another . There was a thread last week that discusses options re this and you may want to have a read.

Hi theyreallrubbish

Its not common knowledge what value is kept in ATM's. Its sometimes surprisingly small in LOS and I think you would have fun trying to get 2000 squid out of a 'hole in the wall.' Seriously, though I'd be inclined to go into a branch and request assistance in getting your money out. this would be far quicker (& safer)

I used to have a HSBC account too but although I never got round to 'checking out' HSBC's one premises in BKK, I was under the impression that it was an OFFICE rather than a branch. I may be completely wrong but I'd double check you can obtain T/cheques there, if I were you.

Dave (happy and retired Bank Manager in Issan)

Dave, no, wrong about the HSBC branch in BKK, located near Silom Road and Lumpini Park (a 5 min walk from Saladaeng BTS station). I've been there several times, and it's a large operation. They're on the ground floor of a high rise building that also bears their name. Inside appears to be a large and full bank branch will a teller's counter and side desks for bank officers to assist with accounts and such. Outside, as I recall, they also have HSBC ATM machines. I'd assume they can sell traveler's checks, but I'm not sure about the fees involved or what currency checks would be available there.

The downside, however, is that for me as an American with U.S.-based HSBC accounts (but no Thai HSBC accounts for the reasons previously stated), they pretty much treat me as a non-HSBC customer. If I want to use my U.S. HSBC ATM card to withdraw cash at HSBC's BKK ATMs (the only location being the branch one near Silom), I still get hit with HSBC's standard 3% foreign currency transaction fee because my accounts are in U.S. $ and the local withdrawal is baht. I also had the experience of them seeming to not offer a very good exchange rate. I'd assume the same general situation would apply for Brit-based accounts, including the foreign currency fee, unless they're at Premiere status.

The lady there who was very helpful to me, and provided good and accurate information in English, was an accounts officer nicknamed named Kae, whose desk is the first one as you walk in on the far right.

--John.

I have an HSBC account based in the U.S., and originally thought I could use their HSBC Branch here in BKK for my local and international banking, but that turned out to not be true.

John, formerly from L.A.

I was thinking of opening an account at HSBC in the US just for the same purpose as your thinking.I am glad that I read your post.Saved me some time.I had figured that it wouild be an easy way to get money from the US to Thailand in my retierment.At present when we are in Thailand we use our ATM cards to get money to spend.They all have no fee for the first 5 to 10 withdrawls.Depending on the bank card that we use.

Glad to be of assistance. Obviously, I spent a lot of time going down that path before realizing that only thru getting Premiere status with them ($100,000 in deposits or loan balance) does it become convenient or worthwhile. I still have my U.S. HSBC accounts that I opened at home before relocating here. But, I don't use them for anything here or keep any significant balances there, for the reasons previously stated.

Turns out last week, I got an e-mail from the HSBC rep in BKK (a very nice lady banker) that I had met with months back, before moving. She inquired why I had not proceeded with opening a Thai account with them. When I replied about their Thai non-resident (no work permit) accounts having a raft of user and monthly fees, and that I had meanwhile opened accounts with BKK Bank and Siam Commercial Bank that are entirely free and have no user charges, I asked here if HSBC could match those kinds of offers. She said they could not.

I also have a U.S. checking account with a smaller bank that has unlimited ATM use, no fees and no surcharges, period. So I likewise get all my spending money that way (max $500 per day), and it never costs me a dime. If I ever need to move bigger money, there are some ways to do that also, without getting hit with heavy fees.

I live on lower Sukhumvit, and stayed here in hotels many times before relocating...

Agree with the prior poster... Swiss Park on Soi 11, very close to Nana BTS... is very nice and the staff is helpful and friendly. They have some condo contstruction going on nearby, but I think most of the big noise has passed. Decent buffet breakfast also. Rates vary by time of year, usually around 1500.

On the other side of the road a bit further back is the Royal Asia Lodge on Soi 8, which is directly opposite Soi 11. No breakfast available there, but they have a 24-hour free tuk tuk to take you between the hotel and the main road, which is also a nice walk on a quiet street if you like that.. The rooms are very nice, and the area is quiet. Fine for family, and usually about 1200 online.

I've also stayed at the Federal. It's a bit further back on Soi 11, an older and smaller place. No free breakfast, but they do have a coffee shop. The rooms are smaller and definitely more sparse and simple... It's a rung down on the quality level, and usually higher or similar price to the nicer Royal Asia lodge.

Another good suggestion is the area is Majestic Suites on Suk Road near Soi 4. Small hotel, but very nice rooms, and they include a cafe breakfast...not buffet. The rooms are new and modern, and the staff is great. But it's often fully booked and also is close to Nana Plaza, which isn't exactly a family destination.

Of all of the above, my favorites for all reasons are Swiss Park and Royal Asia lodge. Swiss Park costs a bit more, but has free buffet breakfast. Royal Asia costs less..but has no breakfast. Hope that helps.

Guys...thanks for all the advice and comment...

Re my bike size... yes... It's a 27 inch frame, and yes... when I said 6-8, I meant I'm 6 feet and 8 inches tall with very long legs. So...none of the traditional size bike frames came/come close to fitting me. The 27 in Schwinn was the largest I could find at the time when I was shopping long ago, and it fits me great without any major modifications re the seat or handlebars.

It's not a mountain or road bike or whatever they're called, but rather the traditional 10-speed style with (I think) 1 inch tires at about 90 psi.... Mine is all black...and I like to think pretty sleek looking. It may be made from 'plumbing pipe" as someone said above. But it gets me around town pretty fast and smoothly. Just for fun and fitness. Thanks, John.

The prospect of TB's potential arrival in Thailand, should that come to pass, is one that evokes greatly mixed feelings on my part.

As to their food, it's by and large terrible, whether you call it American or Mexican... and would be a bane to everyone except the local medical clinics, who would be treating everyone afterward for stomach sickness.

However, as I mull over that terrifying thought, it also occurs to me that no one would probably be more efficient and effective at spreading their version of Mexican food around Thailand from a marketing perspective, and thus helping build an interest and market among Thai people for it. (YIKES.... I can't believe I said that!!!)

In a similar analogy, it's hard to argue that Pizza Co. makes great pizza. But they and Pizza Hut are all around Thailand now, and Thai kids seem to love eating pizza. That, in turn I suppose, helps build the current and future market for GOOD and authentic pizza.... of which BKK now has quite a few good offerings.

But... boy... I shudder at the thought of TB invading Thailand. GGGRRRRRRRR................

On a visit to the Suk 12 location the other day, I tried the current 3 fish tacos (plus rice and beans on the side) for 189 baht special. Very nicely done, and pretty tasty, and a good price for good food.

The tacos came literally jammed into the serving basket, overflowing with nice crispy greens, a good top serving of salsa and plenty of nicely done fish. Must say, the "hottest" version of the restaurant's different salsa offerings is now beginning to register on my salsa scale, which is a good thing. And I'm really glad Greg has added the choice of frijoles on the menu. They also were tasty and fairly authentically prepared, though came out with a bit of a "sitting in the serving tray" taste.

I ended up, a bit by accident, with the soft corn shell version of their tortillas, which literally were overwhelmed by the large portions of moist food inside. Next time I'll try the soft flour version, which is also available, and hopefully will stand up a bit better to all the contents.

The new expanded menu, with a lot of offerings before the original version, also is much appreciated.

Good job...John.

Final thought from me here.... if your som tam vendor spends two hours making the dish for you, to the exclusion of all other things and customers, maybe you SHOULD give some tip.....

In my book, there's a value in this world to being polite and decent...in everything...even here in Thailand. Sure, a person can get by being cheap and ungrateful... That's their choice...not mine.

Edwardandtubs... you're right a bit...but you miss the broader point.

Yes... the price of services...massage or other..is set by supply and demand in the marketplace... Hence, because of the oversupply of ladies willing/wanting to do the work, the market price has remained relatively low and stagnant for years, which is great for customers.

BUT... TIPPING is not something set by supply and demand.. And tipping is what the post and discussion is about. Tipping is something apart from the cost of the service itself, as a means of rewarding good service. So, as I said before, if a lady has just spent two hours strenuous work giving me a first-rate Thai massage, I think a decent tip is the decent thing to do.

If someone says they give 50 baht just out of custom, then 100 baht to someplace where you are a regular and treated well is reasonable. And, I'm NOT (and never was) talking about flirting... That was a different poster.

Living in BKK and having come from Los Angeles, I think the programming content of UBC is pretty darned weak. But, considering what Tuky said he wanted to watch, I think UBC's Silver Package that totals about 800 baht per month would fit the bill.

While I'm not a big TV watcher, especially living here, the Silver Package that I picked for home does have Cinemax, MGM, Turner Classic Movies, True Movie Hits, The History Channel, National Geographic Adventure, E Entertainment, Bloomberg TV, and a bunch of other misc. stuff.

To add CNN and a few other Western channels basically doubles the cost to about 1,500 baht per month -- which I decided against, considering I can get all the news I need via the Internet (and here on TV (ThaiVisa!) . UBC's largest package, Platinum, runs about 2,100 per month (all these prices including the small equipment charges they add each month).

Frankly, and I didn't realize this at the beginning, the BEST part of having UBC cable for a non TV watcher such as myself is that their paid packages include access to about 20 commercial free/announcer freee western music channels -- no talking at all, just 24 hours a day of your choices in music. They call the service DMX Music, and they pretty much cover everything, jazz, pop, disco, oldies, classic rock, blues, 70s, 80s, Euro, etc etc... each with its own channel you can access thru the cable tuner.

Given the almost total absence of English language radio broadcasting, and not much better in terms of Western music offerings on radio here, I have the cable radio service on at home almost constantly when I'm in the house. And, I didn't even think about that when I signed up for cable TV. But, it's turned out to be the thing I use the most.

I'm in BKK, not in Pattaya, so I can't speak to the Thai massage business market there.

But here in BKK, the massage business is tough, especially if the shop is actually doing real Thai massage, as opposed to some other things (which have their own price structure). There's a ton of competition, way more ladies than customers most times, and at most shops, a lady is LUCKY to have a couple customers in an entire day.

If they don't live nearby their work and their shop closes late as many do, they might need to take a taxi home because Skytrain and MRT are closed by then. So, if you figure a couple customers a day (and some days with none) times the lady's share of maybe a 300 baht massage, you're not looking at big money under any circumstance.

So, tips become a very important part of the lady's earnings since they basically don't receive any salary per se. If you have a regular shop and/or lady that you often frequent and they treat you well, a 100 baht tip to me is a reasonable thing. As another poster noted, it's the price of about one drink at a bar. For maybe 2 hours of real work on her part, something that hopefully leaves you feeling fine, it's a pretty small thing.

Back in Los Angeles, any Thai massage shop is charging rates between $45 and $65 AN HOUR... So, to have a two hour massage here from a lady who takes good care of you, I think paying 300 or 350 baht ($10 U.S.) including tip is a pretty good deal.

I can't think of too many better ways to spend 100 baht that are any better for you. And the lady, if she's any good, will truly appreciate it.

Thanks to MBKUDU and Mr_HIPPO for your replies...

Yes, the Schwinn is about 20 years old...and well cared for. But... I'm 6-8 and it's a 27 in. frame with special stainless steel spokes on the wheels because I kept snapping the alloy ones that came with the original bike. And...I've ridden it for years, so I'm kind of partial to it... Not sure what luck I'd have over here finding a bike to fit MY size..... Hard enough in the U.S.

But, as the the offer of routes, yes...I'd very much appreciate any suggestions accessible coming out of lower Sukhumvit. When I rode at home, it was usually in the range of 4-6 hours... 2-3 out and 2-3 back... So...anything in that range...or shorter...would be great. I'm older now....so maybe should learn to relax a bit... And..I don't want to die in the process as another victim of BKK's mean streets!!!

Thanks for your advice and suggestions. --John.

I'd cast a vote here for giving Sunrise a chance to work through its growing pains. The food is really good Mexican for Thailand, and I'm sure things will settle down soon. Greg seems very committed to maintaining a quality business, and that's a good sign for the future. It's also nice to hear the menu is broadening a bit... including the fish tacos...

Does that mean one can order fish burritos also???

More broadly, I'm happy if anyone is BKK is serving good Mexican food. But, after sampling Taco Loco on Silom the other day for the first time, I was pretty disappointed with the offerings there. The owners were really nice, but the food was really weak in flavor and small in quantity.

Here was my review in a separate post:

Made my first optimistic visit today to the Taco Loco shop on Silom Road near Saladaeng BTS station. The owners there, who hail from my former home in California, seem like great guys and were very friendly and helpful.

But, must say, as a Mexican food lover who's eaten everything offered anywhere in Southern California (and elsewhere) for my whole life, the food at Taco Loco was something of a disappointment, even starting out with the clear understanding that this is Thailand and Mexican food isn't native here.

After sampling Taco Loco's 89 baht burrito, 89 baht "macho nachos," and a 55 baht side order of chips and salsa, my judgement is the food at Taco Loco, while certainly cheaper in price per item, doesn't even come close to matching the pretty good offerings at Sunrise Tacos or Charlie Browns, both of which I've given reasonably favorable reviews in other posts here lately.

To anyone familiar with California, Taco Loco is easy to spot along Silom Road because they've pretty much appropriated the logo of a familiar Mexican fast food chain from Cali, Del Taco, and made it their own with a few modifications. But, whereas Del Taco Mexican actually can be pretty good and cheap fast food (such as they use freshly grated cheddar cheese, unlike Taco Bell), Taco Loco's offerings made me long for a Del Taco burrito. And that's not a good sign.

For me, it certainly was a bad omen when my "macho nachos" arrived in a pretty tiny square paper box, and the only cheese to be found was a small drizzling of what looked like melted Velveeta cheese spread, along with very thin, limp shavings of what appeared to be lettuce. When I asked about the cheese upon leaving, the owners told me they'd started out using real shredded cheese at the beginning, but said they were asked by customers to switch to a pre-prepared nacho cheese sauce from home. In any event, the taste and texture were non-existant. To their credit, the guys offered to use real shredded cheddar next time, upon request.

The Taco Loco burrito, medium sized and certainly smaller and lighter than the more expensive 120-130 baht offerings at Sunrise Tacos, arrived absolutely plain in a plastic basket. While they did include frijoles on the inside of the burritos, as well as on the top of the nachos, both left an overall bland, pretty tasteless impression. If Mexican food is good, you can taste the different elements inside--onions, beans, cheese, chiles, etc. and they all blend together into something good. Here, everything blended into pretty much nothing, and it was hard to distinguish the taste of anything particular.

I went to Taco Loco feeling hungry and ready to eat, suffering that pang from home for Mexican food. But after spending close to 300 baht (almost $10 U.S.) on the three menu items and an included soft drink, I went home still feeling hungry and unsatisfied, and seriously considered making a side trip to Sunrise Tacos on the way home for something better. Instead, I settled for a very tasty roast beef sandwich from the Bangkok Baking Co. from my frig, since I'd already spent money for the day.

If I'm still hankering for an entire roast beef sandwich after a full meal at Taco Loco, it's a pretty clear sign something is seriously missing there...starting with the taste.

--John.

For me, I don't care a whit about Thai ladies skin color... I've had GFs here ranging from dark to light.

But, I have been AMAZED at how much Thai ladies care about this subject. The darker skin ones I've known (and none are from the bar scene) regularly talk about how they wish their skin was lighter.

And even the light skinned ladies I've known here, whose skin matches a light tanned lady from L.A., talk about themselves as having dark skin.

I can't even begin to count the number of times I've told lady friends here that falang ladies back home are paying serious tanning booth money to get skin just like the Thais already have here. But...I feel like I'm swimming upstream in terms of convincing anyone about the reality of this.

Watching Thai TV sometimes, though, and all the cosmetic commercials, do tell a story. I'm about as pale a pink skinned falang as they come..(Irish background) and I look DARK compared to the Thai ladies on TV. Geesh....

Guys, since there is obviously so much cycling expertise here, let me ask a question...

I'm a longtime cyclist from Los Angeles. I left my 10 speed 27 in. Schwinn back home when I moved here earlier this year. But I've been thinking about retrieving it when I go back home for Christmas....

My challenge is... I'm not sure I WANT the addrenaline of riding on BKK streets around lower Sukhumvit, and you're right that someone's idea of painting bike lane stripes along the sidewalks there is a joke.

So, question is, is there anyplace accessible around BKK where one can have a reasonably long, clean, clear ride without fear of getting run over by a bus or dropping into a two foot deep pothole??? And, if so, how to get one's bicycle there from perhaps a distant location????

At my former home in Los Angeles, all the public transit buses now have bike racks on the front to enable riders to take their bikes with them. Here, however, I've seen nothing of the kind....

So... should I retrieve my bike from home, and if so, where to ride?

Thanks, John

This is beginning to get off the original post topic, but I'm not a stickler for details about such things...

So, re maintaining a U.S. address, which I do, I use these folks, and their service has been good at a good price: http://www.usa2me.com

Basic deal is, they are a professional mail forwarding service based in Texas that caters to ex-pats and world travelers. I have parents and a brother in Cali...but I don't want to burden or hassle them with getting my stuff back home.

So, you sign up with USA2ME, and they give you a real U.S. mail address that all the express delivery services (and anyone else for mail purposes) can drop to, as opposed to a post office box, which some will not send to.

They have a variety of plans, but the one I use costs basically $20 a month. And for that price, I get a real address I can use for all my U.S. banking and business stuff, and they foward my little remaining postal mail to me (those things that the senders don't yet have an e-mail delivery option for) once a month via U.S.P.S. Global Priority mail as part of that price (up to 4 lbs. of stuff in an envelope).

They also give you online, immediate web access to the details of your incoming mail (sender and size). If you want them to send more often, they do. If you see mail when you log on to their system that you want trashed, you can order that online. If you need to see something urgent, they will open, scan and e-mail the document to you the next day for a small charge.

Re the phone stuff, I've been using AOL AIMphone...which is absolutely free and allows you to pick your own phone area code and number. To receive live calls online, you have to use AOL's crappy AIM Instant Messaging program. But I hate it, so I just use my AOL number there as a voicemail service. Anyone who calls my number goes to my voicemail, then I get an e-mail with a link that allows me to play their voicemail as am MP3 file on my computer. The only condition for keeping the number is, you have to receive an incoming call of any kind (even from yourself) at least once a month. That's how I keep a free local number in the U.S., which I then also use for listing for banking and business purposes.

I'd like to hear also, what other folks are doing. HMMM...maybe this does begin to become a different topic thread....about how to maintain inexpensive mail and phone contact addresses/numbers in the states.

John.

To the OP, I've lived at the back end of Soi 8 for months, and I think it's a great location, even for a family. And indeed, there are many falang families and couples who live in the various condos/apartments on this street.

Once you get past the first two blocks of businesses at the front end of the Soi along Sukhumvit Road (restaurants, shops, Thai massage, 7-11, etc), it's pretty much all single homes, condos and apartments for the rest of the soi. It's a quiet and friendly area, and the front of the Soi comes out at the Nana BTS Skytrain station, which is great for travel.

Yes, there is a BJ bar at the back end of one side soi of Soi 8 where the staff dress in school uniforms. But you could walk up and down Soi 8 itself for months and never even know the bar was there, unless you went looking for it. The ladies come out to the main soi to get food, and then go back to work. But as other posters said, they never bother anyone.

In fact, there's a REAL thai school just a block or two down on the soi where REAL Thai school kids in uniforms regularly go walking up and back on their way to school.

Another advantage, Soi 8 deadends at the back of the soi, meaning there is NO thru traffic on the street, something that's hard to find in BKK. So, when I'm home at night, there is virtually no traffic or noise on the street outside. And that's a true blessing in BKK.

For me, I found a very nice, large two bedroom, two bathroom apartment here for 15,000 baht, which also was the best price I found on the soi, with other places (smaller but more modern) ranging from 18-22,000.

The Soi 8 location is just two BTS stops to the whole Siam shopping area in one direction, and one stop the other direction to the Asoke MRT subway line, and just a couple stops more the same way to the falang-oriented Emporium shopping and eating complex.

I'm sure there are many good places around BKK for a family to consider, with varying rental prices depending on the area. But speaking from personal experience, Soi 8 is a great place to call home, even if you NEVER go looking for a bar!

Re the comments above, BofA and HSBC now both charge 3% foreign currency transaction fees on ATM withdrawals if you are using their U.S. ATM cards here in Thailand. BofA also charges a couple bucks in a flat fee per transaction in addition to the % fee. Anyone using their BofA ATM card regularly here in Thailand is throwing their money down the drain.

Re SonicDragon's post, the BofA $3 transfer fee is not for a WIRE TRANSFER to any bank, but only an online banking transfer that their U.S. customers can do, by linking to Bangkok Bank's New York Branch, which happens to have its own U.S. ABA #. No other Thai bank has such an ABA number to the best of my knowledge, meaning that other Thai banks (Siam, Kasikorn, Ayudhya, etc) can't be linked to in that way via U.S. online banking from BofA or any other U.S. bank.

The downside of this approach, as has been reported by other posters, is it's apparently a bit of a back door route. Smallers transfers under $5000 seem to go through OK. But larger attempted transfers have resulted in BofA customers having BofA freeze their transfer function and/or cancel the online link to Bangkok Bank in their online banking set up. So yes, it is possible, but it's a bit less than secure or reliable, particularly is someone is trying to move more than $5000.

In addition, beyond BofA's $3 per online transfer fee, BKK Bank's New York branch charges a couple bucks handling fee, and then BKK Bank in Thailand charges a percentage rate that's capped at no less than 200 baht and no more than 500 baht.

John.

Made my first optimistic visit today to the Taco Loco shop on Silom Road near Saladaeng BTS station. The owners there, who hail from my former home in California, seem like great guys and were very friendly and helpful.

But, must say, as a Mexican food lover who's eaten everything offered anywhere in Southern California (and elsewhere) for my whole life, the food at Taco Loco was something of a disappointment, even starting out with the clear understanding that this is Thailand and Mexican food isn't native here.

After sampling Taco Loco's 89 baht burrito, 89 baht "macho nachos," and a 55 baht side order of chips and salsa, my judgement is the food at Taco Loco, while certainly cheaper in price per item, doesn't even come close to matching the pretty good offerings at Sunrise Tacos or Charlie Browns, both of which I've given reasonably favorable reviews in other posts here lately.

To anyone familiar with California, Taco Loco is easy to spot along Silom Road because they've pretty much appropriated the logo of a familiar Mexican fast food chain from Cali, Del Taco, and made it their own with a few modifications. But, whereas Del Taco Mexican actually can be pretty good and cheap fast food (such as they use freshly grated cheddar cheese, unlike Taco Bell), Taco Loco's offerings made me long for a Del Taco burrito. And that's not a good sign.

For me, it certainly was a bad omen when my "macho nachos" arrived in a pretty tiny square paper box, and the only cheese to be found was a small drizzling of what looked like melted Velveeta cheese spread, along with very thin, limp shavings of what appeared to be lettuce. When I asked about the cheese upon leaving, the owners told me they'd started out using real shredded cheese at the beginning, but said they were asked by customers to switch to a pre-prepared nacho cheese sauce from home. In any event, the taste and texture were non-existant. To their credit, the guys offered to use real shredded cheddar next time, upon request.

The Taco Loco burrito, medium sized and certainly smaller and lighter than the more expensive 120-130 baht offerings at Sunrise Tacos, arrived absolutely plain in a plastic basket. While they did include frijoles on the inside of the burritos, as well as on the top of the nachos, both left an overall bland, pretty tasteless impression. If Mexican food is good, you can taste the different elements inside--onions, beans, cheese, chiles, etc. and they all blend together into something good. Here, everything blended into pretty much nothing, and it was hard to distinguish the taste of anything particular.

I went to Taco Loco feeling hungry and ready to eat, suffering that pang from home for Mexican food. But after spending close to 300 baht (almost $10 U.S.) on the three menu items and an included soft drink, I went home still feeling hungry and unsatisfied, and seriously considered making a side trip to Sunrise Tacos on the way home for something better. Instead, I settled for a very tasty roast beef sandwich from the Bangkok Baking Co. from my frig, since I'd already spent money for the day.

If I'm still hankering for an entire roast beef sandwich after a full meal at Taco Loco, it's a pretty clear sign something is seriously missing there...starting with the taste.

--John.

Made my first optimistic visit today to the Taco Loco shop on Silom Road near Saladaeng BTS station. The owners there, who hail from my former home in California, seem like great guys and were very friendly and helpful.

But, must say, as a Mexican food lover who's eaten everything offered anywhere in Southern California (and elsewhere) for my whole life, the food at Taco Loco was something of a disappointment, even starting out with the clear understanding that this is Thailand and Mexican food isn't native here.

After sampling Taco Loco's 89 baht burrito, 89 baht "macho nachos," and a 55 baht side order of chips and salsa, my judgement is the food at Taco Loco, while certainly cheaper in price per item, doesn't even come close to matching the pretty good offerings at Sunrise Tacos or Charlie Browns, both of which I've given reasonably favorable reviews in other posts here lately.

To anyone familiar with California, Taco Loco is easy to spot along Silom Road because they've pretty much appropriated the logo of a familiar Mexican fast food chain from Cali, Del Taco, and made it their own with a few modifications. But, whereas Del Taco Mexican actually can be pretty good and cheap fast food (such as they use freshly grated cheddar cheese, unlike Taco Bell), Taco Loco's offerings made me long for a Del Taco burrito. And that's not a good sign.

For me, it certainly was a bad omen when my "macho nachos" arrived in a pretty tiny square paper box, and the only cheese to be found was a small drizzling of what looked like melted Velveeta cheese spread, along with very thin, limp shavings of what appeared to be lettuce. When I asked about the cheese upon leaving, the owners told me they'd started out using real shredded cheese at the beginning, but said they were asked by customers to switch to a pre-prepared nacho cheese sauce from home. In any event, the taste and texture were non-existant. To their credit, the guys offered to use real shredded cheddar next time, upon request.

The Taco Loco burrito, medium sized and certainly smaller and lighter than the more expensive 120-130 baht offerings at Sunrise Tacos, arrived absolutely plain in a plastic basket. While they did include frijoles on the inside of the burritos, as well as on the top of the nachos, both left an overall bland, pretty tasteless impression. If Mexican food is good, you can taste the different elements inside--onions, beans, cheese, chiles, etc. and they all blend together into something good. Here, everything blended into pretty much nothing, and it was hard to distinguish the taste of anything particular.

I went to Taco Loco feeling hungry and ready to eat, suffering that pang from home for Mexican food. But after spending close to 300 baht (almost $10 U.S.) on the three menu items and an included soft drink, I went home still feeling hungry and unsatisfied, and seriously considered making a side trip to Sunrise Tacos on the way home for something better. Instead, I settled for a very tasty roast beef sandwich from the Bangkok Baking Co. from my frig, since I'd already spent money for the day.

If I'm still hankering for an entire roast beef sandwich after a full meal at Taco Loco, it's a pretty clear sign something is seriously missing there...starting with the taste.

--John.

Thanksgiving buffet dinner at the Landmark Hotel, which I just enjoyed, was very nice. Excellent service, comfortable upscale setting, and a great selection of foods. I'd assume their Christmas would be similar.