Slogger

McCormick is a low-end food and spice wholesaler and the world's largest distributor of spices and food flavorings. The company is headquartered in Sparks, Maryland and sells spices, mixes and flavorings under its own name, as well as Lawry's, Zatarin's, Thai Kitchen and Simply Asia. I might pick some McCormick's up if I need a dry spice where quality is not an issue. There are much better quality dry spices available in Thailand. I've never used their flavorings as I don't tend to use artificial flavors in my home kitchen.

Hi,

I was not talking about anything except the flavours - and they are not artificial flavours they are extracts. Now you have changed the topic to the dry spices - that was NOT my intention - plz read my original post.

I am not a cook, not even a bad one, and have little interest in it - my point is that the flavours I have tried taste delicious to me when added to ice cream. Like I said maybe that is a naff idea but I enjoy it. Yes, I am sure the fresh ingredients are better but I often have trouble finding fresh mint leaves and can't be bothered looking around for them - so the flavours are an option.

I am only making a suggestion and asking for other possible uses that the extracts might be added to - eg. salads and fruits maybe. If it tastes good, it's fine by me.

If you are from the UK, get a Nationwide bank account. No charges on ATM withdrawals abroad

I fully agree - they are also mutual so not open to such financial meltdown risks as normal banks. No charges by them for withdrawals overseas or by ATMs in Thailand (unlike USA), except maybe Siam Commercial bank which i think charges 20 baht with Nationwide card but can't quite remember if I was using Nationwide or some other card at the time.

Regularly take tuk tuks in CM, maybe three or four times every day. Not naming names, but I have become a bit worried about my regular driver recently. Getting more and more aggressive from lunchtime onwards, a drink thing. I'm pretty unflappable, but there's a limit. Especially as the gf is 8 months pregnant.

In Europe I would say why I was concerned straight up, and that if things didn't change, I would! But this is Thailand, there's the 'face' thing, etc. Shame because he's a great guy.

So in the meantime - at least until I've worked out how to tell him - I want to add a couple of names and numbers to my list of contacts. Any recommendations of drivers that don't think they're racing against Lewis Hamilton (F1 driver to any Americans that haven't heard of him ) each time I fancy a comfortable and (relatively) safe drive through town? I live on the SE corner of the moat. Basic English would help, my Thai is rubbish.

Thanks!

They used to double as One-2-Go pilots on their off-days.

It may sound a bit naff but having discovered McCormick food flavours (I think they are made in the USA), I thought I would recommend them. They are not expensive and can be bought at most stores in LOS in the baking section. The thing is that most are labelled as natural (alcoholic) extracts, not artificial, and they taste great.

I love the flavour of mint and orange so often add 2-3 drops to ice cream irrespective of the ice cream flavour (this is the naff part, but it really does add a nice flavour). Of course I prefer to use natural mint leaves but cannot seem to find them when I need a mint fix.

I also love the vanilla extracts and sometimes add it to coffee. The McCormick web site has hundreds of recipes but not being a cook I only use them to add to desserts.

Anyone else use these flavours for anything quick - what about adding them to salads, for instance, or is that double naff?

The Thai baht is 'tied' to the dollar within certain limits, not fixed. this means generally the both move together but not necessarily at the same rate - ie. they can still vary between each other within limits - then the BOT can step in to keep it that way.

The baht's strength against the pound results largely from the weakness of the pound and the relative strength of the dollar. The big question is not why is the baht so strong, but why is the dollar so strong? Maybe the dollar now follows the baht?

Hi, I just finished the last of my "Colemans English Mustard"

I got it from a English buddy last month but not sure if he got it in pattaya or brought it from UK.

It is the one with the inlay of a bulls head on a yellow label in a small jar.

Anybody know if I can get it in Pattaya ?

thanks

I'm pretty sure I bought a tube of Colman's in Foodland a month or so back and definitely saw it in a jar in Villa Market last week.

Definitely in Foodland

Many thanks for the suggestions - I am really after a small ice cream maker that goes inside a freezer and has its own power. I know about Swensons and eat it myself, and other quality ice creams are easily come by where I live but was looking to make my own flavours and quality. The big maker on the website a previous poster supplied - I saw it myself in Paragon but it is too big and u need all that ice and salt - not a good option and quite an expensive machine. As for the Esan solution - well I will keep it in mind if ever I am stuck out there with no way to buy ice cream, or if I ever take up teaching domestic scince to kids. But thx for the suggestions, anyway.

Sinister dark forces resist new competition in public transportation everywhere in Thailand.

It was the red bus drivers who opposed the buses and stopped them being deployed on their more lucrative routes, or else..... They have a lot of power and can threaten strikes, road blocking and not voting for local politicians who oppose them. There has been a previous posting on this subject so do a forum search. There are special bus stops all over CM but you really need a bus map and they are difficult to understand. The main base is in the Arcade Bus station and you should be able to get route maps there.

I don't think you can do anything - just keep hiring more staff. But a previous poster querying your wife's managerial methods may be a key, having observed Thai workers especially in large farang-owned supermarkets, it is plain that they will do what they think is fit, not what is the international 'norm'. Staff in Thailand do not seem to consider 'the customer is always right' or are even slightly critical of their own performance. Their job is to suit them, not their responsibilities. I doubt more pay, better conditions etc would make any difference to most. If their job is not fun, then it is not worth doing.

Does anyone know where I can buy home ice cream making machines and if anyone has experience of using them, which type is best? Are they really worth buying compared to just buying good manufactured ice cream?

I still like Qantas & feel they are safer flying to Thailand than many other Carriers

But the return journey is something else, it seems.

Turbulence can happen to any airline, it has nothing to do with a "return journey".

Oh, I thought u only got turbulence on return journeys. Nvm, I'll try to avoid irony in future, it's a bit difficult for ozzies.

Markets down again today.

Thai's keep asking me about this crisis. My Thai isn't quite good enough to go into the details... but I'm telling them that this is gonna drag out for months and months, and it may be a year or more before the hardest effects are felt by Jo Somtum.

Interested to hear some thoughts.

I don't often praise Thailand's institutions, and won't now, but can't Thailand now laugh at the western economies? After we all scorned Thailand for having such a shit financial system with so much cronyism, corruption and unsecured loans that led to the 1997 crash. We all thought the western system was so much more sound - "it couldn't possibly happen in the US or Europe 'coz our system is so well regulated and the people who run it are so honest". Good on yer Thailand - have a good laugh at us while you can!

I still like Qantas & feel they are safer flying to Thailand than many other Carriers

But the return journey is something else, it seems.

The spelling's not really important, but, QANTAS stands for Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service. Sure you knew, just thought I'd share.

That's what it stands for and all this time I thought it realy meant...

Qualla bears

And

Nollibees

Together

Against

Sangaroos

I thought it meant Queens and Nancies Trolley & Air Services

There is one large furniture discounter in Pattaya that sells the same quality furniture as Index at 50% of Index's prices. But you need to look around to find them. I spend well over a million baht on furniture each year and 90% of that is spent at this store. Good luck finding them.

Well, thanks a lot for the orienteering clue. I won't be running around looking for other clues, but thanks.

Hi,

Anyone have experience of the cost per square meter for tiling a new condo main room from scratch - also can anyone recommend a reliable and reasonably priced contractor to do the job in Pattaya?

Hi,

Anyone have experience of the cost per square meter for tiling a new condo main room from scratch - also can anyone recommend a reliable and reasonably priced contractor to do the job in Pattaya?

"Plus"...good point. Ulysses, we dont have time to give people the benefit of the doubt. There are simply too many people for that. I like to have some idea of what to expect from a person. So the type of classification we have discussed in the thread is very useful. If I see an Isreali or Russian I anticipate rudeness and arrogance. From Indians, lying and queue pushing. From Middle Easterners its not clear cut enough. I agree that they are likely to be reckless and dangerous drivers but we need to analyse them more to identify their basic personaility types. There are others too, Africans for example and Latin Americans. I think I will simply asume dishonest and potentially dangerous in both cases as a default, until further clarification is made. I would appreciate some more input from others here. There is a lot of work to do here but I think it will be worthwhile. We havent even started with Germans yet. Nor Greeks and the Italians.

Can u add the Scotch and Ozzies bastards to the list?

Hi,

I am a newbie here and would like to know about letting condos - I want to buy a condo in Thailand and rent it out for some income. What I need to know is:

1. Is it legal to let condos if you are on a retirement visa, ie. would it be considered as setting up a business, or doing work, so would need a work/business visa?

2. If it is legal, then how would I pay tax on the income, which would only be about 100,000 baht per year?

3. Is it possible to declare the income on my UK tax return instead of Thailand - that would be much simpler but is it appropriate (re: double taxation agreement between the UK and Thailand)?

I know it's proabably a minefield but don't want to get into any legal problems, which I guess might lead to deportation.