msg362

Toyota Vigo/Hilux are manufactured for sell in Left had driving countries which Europe and 66.1% are not (right hand). In these other countries they go by other names and are manufactured else where. As for safety issues you sound as if you ate a lemon . Also Toyota has the number 1 resell value of any vehicle in Thailand car or truck . Everyone else is in second. Toyota is imported to the UK, New Zealand and Australia. Oh, Isuzu does manufacture out a fine vehicle.

Vigo as being produced for local market cannot be exported to Europe due to quality/safety issues. A Toyota made in Japan is a different, compare an Audi produced in Thailand with an German made one, or Mercedes now being produced in China is not as good as the ones from Germany etc.

Thinking of resell value, in Thailand a Toyota might be a good choice, I did no ate lemon no Margarita either but just ask any serious and independent dealer. Friends of mine sold their new Vigo within a half year, when breaking they heard strange sounds.

My personal opinion is, Toyota including that monstrous Fortuner is not a car for 'experienced' drivers more for retired expats with too much money and little taste regarding design or pushed by their girlie to choose a Toyo, hahaha lol.

Hope you enjoy your new purchase

Sometimes I wonder why I settled in Chiang Mai, but then I read posts like this one and I think *YES*, that's exactly the talk I enjoy.

BTW: Germany is in Europe: http://www.toyota.de...ilux/index.aspx

How different do you suppose the Thai one is.. it likely has less airbags. But then just about any car has less airbags and other active safety features. Have a look at a Honda Jazz (Fit) in the USA; airbags all over the thing.

Anyway, nice talking.

(And then Mr. BangkokCityLimites put-putted off on his Honda. Honda Click. ... Because, elsewhere on the forum, today:

I got fined 350 baht for not wearing a helmet, went to police station to pay and

Yes, those Toyota trucks sure are unsafe.

Nice one well done Winnie!

I've had a 4WD Vigo from Nyompanich near the CM airport, serviced there for 5 years. No problems, reliable 10km/litre( 3000cc). I also wear a helmet ( a good one) on my motorbike, not because of the law but because i've seen too many people lying dead on the road with blood coming from their head. BKKcitylimits should take more care of his head and less worrying about Vigos.

I think you can. We've got a UBC dish. It's linked through a True paid for box downstairs so we get the channels there. The TV man ran a second cable from the same dish, to the bedroom, installed a separate box which gets lots of Thai channels. The box cost 1000Baht i think. so you should be able to use the dish, pointed as it is now and get ,I think 30 or so mainly Thai channels.

I bought a Sony one from Chai Chang in Chiang Mai about 3 years ago, haven't checked since. It work with the UBC satellite dish and records programmes. Unlike the ones I was used to in the UK, it is not possible to set for one channel and watch another, but it has been working fine.

It's a RDR-HX70 or HX910, I'm not sure. It has a 250GB hard disc for the primary recording and then you can transfer ( with some editing) onto a DVD - great for removing the tedious adverts. Probably been superceded by now.

So I suggest you try a Sony dealer

Good luck

Have you tried the IT section of seaqon square, its mainly larger vendors, BannanaIT / Hardware store etc.. but probably more likely to stock them I think - most of small stalls seems to be accessories and mobile phones. I'll have a look for you next time I pop over their usually one or twice a week.

Failing that if you know someone coming over from the UK it shouldnt be too much of a burden to bring back a 100 cd spindle (you order from ebuyer etc.. and post it to them)

thanks, I know what you mean- I used them in the UK, sticky labels, print on any printer if aligned properly and a stem thingy to locate them accurately on the CD/DVD. I looked for them in ? the big stationery store in Pantip and elsewhere, but could not find them. My Thai is not good enough to ask for such an unusual thing

If you se them I'd be very grateful to know where. If i see them I'll let you know!

Cheers

quote name='devdrinker' timestamp='1294944354' post='4149516']

Or just stick to an external hard drive. burn once media is dead, cd and dvd, and certainly hd-dvd and blueray (Toshiba didnt pull out the race because of competition). It should be cheaper to buy your gf family a 640 baht dvd player with a usb stick support than bother with lightscribe (it looks a bit naff anyway).

It's difficult and expensive to post a DVD player to the UK! My wife is linked in to my network. . I agree, lightscribe is not as good as printing but much better than a felt tip! i just need something to produce adequate looking discs without having either a) to buy another printer or travel into Pantip Plaza to get them printed. I also use the 'cloud' to store and send videos, but it seems to me that lightscribe has a niche in the range of transfer systems available

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and advice

Im in Chiang Mai, you can buy mine if you like;)

Seriously I would not recommend anyone I know personally to buy one! In fact I just told my uncle not to buy one but it was too late and he picked one up last week...

Either wait for the next revision and see if they have addressed the problem or look for an alternative. Either a mac mini or mac pro with an external screen are the two alternative desktop choices.

Not sure what Im going to do...

I need a quad core for video editing, so I don't think a mac mini will be up to the job. I'd love a MacPro with a 30 " screen, but i think it will cost around 120,000 Baht ( cf iMac i7 - < 80,000 Baht). I also wonder if the big 'cinema displays' suffer from the same problem Don't fancy out of the frying pan into the fire!

I'd have to buy another printer and I've got 3 already!

I had a lightscribe burner once, took about 20minutes to print a CD, soon tired of that. Why not buy CD labels to print on, can use any of your 3 printers for that?

YES!!! I did that in the UK but have not seen the system here. Forgotten what it was called. Do you know if it's available in LOS ( preferably CM)??? If you do please let me know/ PM me. Thanks

( the lightscribe bit is accidental, I bought a LaCie 16X DVD burner and found i could print lightscribe. Useful for the occasional disc to send as draft video/ to a few people, but I agree, for proper presentations colour printing is the way. Just a bit worried about permanance)

Video is data when recorded so that was really my meaning. With HD's having storage in the terabyte rage for under 3,000 baht they seem to make sense for home use.

As for music there is a set format for old CD recordings which most software will call music and perhaps that will not record on a DVD? Most people now record music as MP3 files and they can be recorded as any other data files. Most newer players will also play them as music.

Thanks, I've got a lot as MP3 but trying to transfer an uploaded CD via iTunes and back went pear shaped.

I'll try to copy directly

thanks

Sell it is my advice as soon as you get it back. My brothers did the same after 4 weeks. Screen replaced after hassle.

Marks are now coming back in the top left corner 2 months later.

I think its related to Humidity and badly sealed LCD screens.

So this is 3rd imac i have heard off having this problem in Thailand.

oh and the Maccentre here in BKK chatting to the girl there she said they have had about 20 imac's with the same problem and most are not resolved under warranty.

The only way to do it is really kick up sh1t with customer relations not customer support in SG and secure the "Exception". I am not sure if anyone has been successful on a second "Exception"

If you do decide to buy one, definitely grab the extended warranty (apple care), which is about 6k for the imac.

Don't think that will help in this problem case and they will still blame environmental even under applecare.

I went into MacZone in Chiang Mai and asked the senior technician about this. Yes there seems to be a problem and of course he was not specific, but he seemed to be indicating that it's either heat or humidity. He asked if the room was air conditioned or excessively hot. ( well in Thailand what do you expect). I asked if Apple in Singapore would repeatedly replace screens,he said that if it happened several times they would replace the computer. He implied that the problem was a manufacturing defect, but don't hold me to that. He was trying to reassure me that it was OK to buy an iMac i7, but to get Apple Care.

More Data needed!!!!!!!!!

CD's are still being sold and used here but light-scribe has never been popular and most people seem to print full color factory type labels rather than pay for special CD's and take the time to print them. Carrefour used to have them for sale here in Bangkok but have not checked for a long while. As both CD and DVD are old technology I would just pen on information these days. Using bulk storage hard drives/USB devices seems to be a much better choice for archive material these days.

thanks,

I found more lightscribe DVDs in ITCity in Kad Suan Kaew. It's not for storing data -it's for producing videos on DVD to play on TVs etc. I tried to put music onto a lightscribe DVD and found that it won't work. I was just thinking of making up some DVDs for the car using my lightscribe writer. I've used Pantip Plaza to make full colour DVDs for me, but I'm not inclined to do that at home, I'd have to buy another printer and I've got 3 already!

think I'll just stick to DVDs

Cheers

For an extra 30 baht per month addition on the landline rental fee, you can have the last caller ID number service. This allows you to press a special key on your phone, it displays the phone numbers of the last callers. Not all phones have this facility, you need to buy a phone with a LCD display and last caller ID key button.

There is no equivalent to the UK answer call 1471 service in Thailand and no reverse or collect call charge service available.

Thanks

I use my Thai DL when checking in or anything involving domestic travel.

what are you on about?

^^Yes, if he works hard puts in the hours and has some talent, he will go far.

Apple do 15% discounts for students, but they also offer discounts to big companies, I know that all the staff at CNN and BBC get an 18% discount. So if he's not a student it's worth asking around to see if you know anyone who can get a discount.

^ I think bang for your buck FCP is a better product than Avid (and I've only ever cut on Avid for the last 17 years.) With Avid you still need to use a Break out box for it not to feel sluggish.

Don't get me started on MC5 and how Avid have f*****d up the interface to make it more like FCP.

Not as experienced as you but the new Premiere Pro CS5 is just great!

I doubt you could find a new 24 inch iMac, they stopped making them in 2009. They now come with a 21.5 and 27 inch screen size.

Speaking from personal experience I would stay clear of the iMac's at the moment. They're plagued with problems. I bought a 27 inch model and the screen had black 'burnt looking' marks appearing after just 3 months, Apple replaced the screen straight away and all was well until recently when it has happened again. This time they are trying to get out of replacing the screen citing that 'environmental damage' has caused the marks. I am currently appealing this and fighting for them to replace the screen. If you do a google search you will see this is an all to common problem and Apple seems to be trying to get out of replacements lately.

I just 'Googled' and the last comment I could find was dated Feb 2010 saying the problems had been solved. Do you have any more recent information? I'm interested as I am thinking of updating to an iMac 27" soon

Am I the odd man out? I have always been restless and eager to explore newplaces, new people, new ideas. I really started the divorce from my family at theage of about 13 or 14 years. I had won a scholarship and was learning foreignlanguages, science - a whole lot of stuff that they didn't understand or wantedto know about.. Even the kids that I had grown up with didn't want me to playfootball or cricket with them any more since in their eyes I had abandonedthem to follow another path rather than being just another brick in the wall. Igave up on schooling since nobody close to me seemed interested or encouraging,certainly not the snotty schoolmasters fresh from the Wardroom or Officers Mess,and so I satisfied my curious nature by travelling round London exploring andseeing the sights, visiting museums or satisfying my passion for steamtrains.

I joined the Navy aged 15 to get away from my family and to explore theworld. I was aware that I needed transient external stimulus to keep me tickingover and enjoyed the titillation of new experiences. I gathered experience ofnew climates, strange countries with even stranger customs, new foods,different peoples, Force 10 gales and serene calm seas, the horror of warfareand the companionship of messmates from different parts of the UK.There was never time to be bored.

On leaving the service I drifted, hating a humdrum life and then I found thecomputer industry. I loved the challenge of programming and having my mentalsenses running at pace just to keep up with new developments. After my parentsdied I emigrated to South Africaand for all the family know I am still there. It has been 40 years since I had anycontact with them and if it happens after another 40 years it will be too soon.I savoured the challenge of management and climbing into the upper echelons ofthe company. I travelled extensively and worked overseas for extensive periods.There was always something new to keep me full of vim.

On retiring I sought a haven to settle and lived for varying periods in Spain,Brittany and Floridabefore settling on Thailand.Some may say that advancing years have mellowed me but I give full credit to mywonderful attentive Thai wife and my great Thai family. They have shown me anew way to live. I live amongst friends, am at last content with what is andhave become a gentler more rounded person. No longer the search for freshsensations; I am where I want to be.

I miss nothing of the UK.I have a surfeit of football and of golf from around the world beamed into mylounge. The younger members of my Thai family gladden my heart watchingthem grow physically and mentally as they absorb the things that I teach them.When I go up country I am content to sit and watch the crops grow. I don't knowwhat I have done to deserve this richness of my life. I will never set foot inthe UK again;for a multitude of reasons it isn't my country any more.

I note all the negative things about Thailandthat others have stated in their posts and am of the same mind. I am contentthat many Thais feel the same way and that the first small steps are beingtaken to eliminate the wrongs and injustices of the past.

What a great life and a great story, you clearly have inner happiness and I am pleased for you. I too am content here with my lovely Thai wife and her supportive family.

Not sure which forum to post this question in.

I've found Lightscribe DVDs in Computer Plaza in Chiang Mai ( at a price!!) but i cannot find CDs. Does anyone know if they are available in Chiang Mai?

I'm willing to pay postage from BKK but not from the UK!!

Any advice welcome

( For info - Lightscribe discs allow you to burn a title on the upper side of the disc if you have a Lightscribe enabled DVD writer)

In the UK with good old BT, it was possible to call, I think 1471 and find out what the last number that called you was. There were other services, like witholding your number, an answerphone service etc. By now I am sure there are more.

Are there similar services available on a TOT landline? I know there is no telephone directory but is there a directory enquiries ( in English!)?

A list of these, if they exist would help me ( and others, I'm sure)

Thanks in advance if you know and post

50 USD is 77.50 GBP. Which is it?

Clealy maths is not your strong point!

Don't think I'll ask you to exchange money for me!!!

The OP wasn't sure if what he saw was in dollars or pounds.

I'm presently using a 3 year old 24" iMac, 2.8 GHz core duo. and Adobe Premiere Pro. Most of my edits are for short pieces , no longer than 10 minutes.

Premiere Pro is MUCH easier to use than Final cut i found. My camera is AVCHD ( writes onto SD cards, not tape) and PP can 'see' these without having to render first ( rendering changes the codes so that final cut can edit it) This is working fine for me.

That said, as the iMac is three years old , I'm, planning to upgrade in the next few months.

Ideally a Mac Pro, but you need a mortgage to buy one. They are the fastest, but iMac i7 is a good choice

My plan is to buy a 27" iMac i7, 1 TB hard drive and add extra RAM ( it comes with 4 GB) Apple RAM is expensive, but other makers like Crucial will sell 8 GB RAM for about £70. It better to get a lot of RAM, at least 8 GB for editing.

I live in Chiang Mai and use the iMac shop - excellent service, very professional. I have never seen Macs for sale in Pantip here. I have seen an online Apple store for Thailand where you an browse and price your computer. Nowhere offers discounts and prices in the UK seem broadly similar to here, an iPad I bought was cheaper here than the UK. You may have trouble bringing it into Thailand .

If it's a laptop he wants ( andI wouldn't recommend it, a big screen is great) then it has to be a macbook pro.

Best of luck

Thank you for this. i've been in Thailand for about 6 years now from the UK and am/have gone through similar emotions. I too think i can't go back , nor do I want to. On my last trip, like you, i can't get over how preoccupied with trivial matters they all are. As an example, I'd taken a new camcorder there and was practising by filming a VERY large ground with about 6 5 aside football fields on. I was maybe 100 metres ( sorry yards!!) away. Kids of i guess, 10 to 15 were playing. DON'T i was told ,they'll think you are a paedophile and you haven't asked permission! What on earth is happening to a country that once fought the Nazis ? what are they on about?

Give me the chaos of Thailand every time

If you need stronger than that then it's a case of asking around local garages/auto suppliers for conc. battery acid (sulphuric) or plumbers suppliers for descaling acid (hydrochloric)

If you look at the toilet cleaners you will see that they are either HCl ( strong) or citric Acid ( weak)

Neither are acetic acid. Don't go for sulphuric acid, it's lethal!

not quite sure what the isopropanol is doing??? it's simply an alcohol and won't descale

Grow a beard but keep it short!

It's essentially 5% acetic acid, have you tried a pharmacy?

He probably already had the latest model !

Not funny

Red cow.

Clearly an intelligent and well thought out response to an interesting article, succinct and to the point and offering an insightful analysis of the problems that Thailand faces. I think we need more of this type of in depth analysis