ColinChapman

Hi,

I have been looking at this problem and concluded I need a Logitech Squeezebox, but I can't find one in Bangkok. None of the shops I've tried have even heard of it.

Does anyone know of a place that sells them or other internet radio devices?

Even power extensions break after a few months or don't work in the first place

I have tried loads of these and have found that the Electon brand sold in Central are as long lasting as in the UK, but all the others gave up after a few months. I have six of these, the oldest is more than four years old. They are all still working except for one which has one non-operational socket, but I'm fairly sure it got some water in it that caused the switch to short circuit.

Data from the old database will not be automatically migrated.

Why not?

Surely it's far easier for them to migrate the date than for hundreds of thousands of people to log and re-register? Even assuming they find out about it.

My next plan is to build 'our place'. No relatives. A plan. Follow it. Supervise it 24-7 myself. Buy all the materials. Hand out all the parts to be used that instance.

Just make sure you understand very clearly the implications of "Supervise it 24-7 myself". You cannot take your eyes off them for one second. I'm sure many people have stories to illustrate this, but this is what happened to me this week:

This is in Bangkok, in a newly built condo. I needed cabling for my western cooker running from the consumer unit, along the length of the living room, through the wall and into a breaker and then the output from the breaker connecting to the cooker. The required cable is 4 square mm for the live and neutral with an additional earth cable. It must be connected to a 32A breaker in the consumer unit.

I was recommended two electricians by the condo management. Both of them ignored my job spec and told me to plug the cooker into the adjacent wall socket (despite the fact that this would not earn them any money). I showed them the plate on the cooker which specifies the required cable and also gives the maximum power consumption as 7,000W. Using a calculator, I demonstrated that 7,000W at 220V equates to 31.8A, and thus couldn't possibly be plugged into a wall socket. Neither of these "electricians" appeared to have the slightest understanding of the relationship between amps, watts and volts or of the implications for cable diameter.

I then asked at a shop that sells western cookers and they sent another electrician. He did at least bring the correct size of cable with him and did not suggest using the wall socket. But his mate did! I heard him explaining that the electricity from the wall socket was "mai por".

He then showed me where he proposed to run the cable: out of the consumer unit, down to here (indicates a point about halfway up the wall), along the wall, etc. So I would have a cable running the entire length of the wall, bang on the middle of it. I told him that in my weird, farang way, I would prefer it if the cable was at the top of the wall. He pointed out that this would mean he had to fetch his stepladder. Assuming that this was back at base, hence his reluctance, I said that was OK, I could wait. He was back in five minutes having gone down to his truck in the car park where the stepladder was located.

He ran the cable to the kitchen wall, very neatly, and started to prepare to drill through. I asked him why he proposed to run the cable about 1m along the end wall from the corner and drill there - why not just go through at the corner? He pointed out that this was where the cooker was situated in the kitchen - about 1m out from the wall. This was indeed true, but only because I had pulled it away from the wall to give him space to work, but he considered it perfectly reasonable to want the cooker sticking out into the middle of the kitchen, proud of the other appliances, creating an obstruction and with a 1m by 0.6m dead space behind it.

He then finished the cabling, connected the cable to the cooker (wrongly, apparently he was unable to read the circuit diagram adjacent to the connection box on the cooker) and returned to the consumer unit. There is one spare 20A breaker, which he proposed using to feed the cooker. The same conversation that I had already had with the two other "electricians" was repeated with the same lack of understanding. As he had no 32A breaker, he left.

I bought a breaker and installed it myself. I connected the cable to the cooker correctly and routed it through the cable grip, which he had said was not possible. I then noticed that he had connected the black cable to the neutral terminals of the breaker above the cooker and the white cable to the live, so I swapped these over to be correct. (This is an improvement on my last condo, where live, neutral and earth cables where all a rather nice blue colour.)

And I won't even get into the washing machine waste pipe installation and the belief prevalent amongst Thai plumbers that water naturally flows uphill.

So, good luck, but I think you may go insane trying to supervise the building of an entire house...

There is the problem that in most retaurants, they will just tell you what you want to hear. I have never been sensitive to MSG in Chinese restaurant food in England, but the Thais must use much greater quantities. It makes me very restless and unable to sleep and gives me a slightly uncomfortable swollen feeling in my stomach. My (Thai) wife suffers the same way. She always asks if they use MSG, but we never know until after we have eaten and returned home whether their response that they don't is true or not.

We also enjoy ponlamai pan made with fresh fruit and not the disgustingly sweet syrup, and have several times been told our drink will be made fresh, only to be delivered something that makes Sunny Delight seem healthy and delicious. This can be spotted at the first sip and sent back, but do check they don't add it to the bill. Over the last few years, more and more places seem to be changing to the syrup, I suppose it's cheaper and easier and the fact it tstes disgusting and loses you two customers doesn't matter.

Hi All,

A couple of additional points - you really don't want water inside the car, especially floodwater. Even if the engine is fine, the car will smell really bad and you'll probably have to remove, wash and dry all the carpets and they never go back quite the same way! This is based on UK floodwater, I can't see any reason why Bangkok floodwater would smell better (and probably worse).

Second point - never drive through a flood that you haven't waded through first, shoes and trousers are cheaper than engines, if possible have a stick to probe ahead of you and aid your balance, even slow flowing water at nearly knee level (such as on Srinakharin Road recently) can make it difficult to balance, especially if you step into a hole. The wading thing isn't necessary if you can watch cars similar to yours going through and learn from them. Also, remember that most roads are cambered and the water can be considerably deeper at the edges than at the crown, so don't assume that if you can drive along the road it is safe to turn off. Again on Srinakharin Road a couple of weeks ago, I was wading in the middle lane (the cars were driving in the outside lane where it was shallower) and the water was halfway up my shins, but when I turned in to my condo, the water came over my knees at the deepest point.

Does anyone know where to buy rubber waders in Bangkok?

Anyone know where I can find thigh length, rubber boots in Bangkok so that I can wade out from my apartment through the knee deep water without worrying about what diseases and / or electricity might be in it? Ordinary below the knee gumboots are not adequate (and they now smell very bad inside, even though they're dry).

I asked the lady in the embassy about the "Letter of Validity" and she said that it is not required in Bangkok (where I live), so probably best to check with the immigration office you will be going to.

I obtained a new passport from the British Embassy earlier this year and they only cut off the corner of the front cover, back cover and picture page, so there was no risk of damaging any immigration stamps.

I can't find a thread about this restaurant, so I thought I'd post my experience.

We went last night and were generally impressed. It's an old Thai house on a right hand sub soi of Suk 33, easily walkable from the BTS. There is a big, illuminated sign at the mouth of the sub soi. The decor is nice, and despite being very busy, the service was good (and there is no compulsory service charge, although 7% tax is added). A pint of Heineken was THB150 and cocktails were THB180-200. I had an excellent salami based Dagwood sandwich (THB200) and my companion had beef stew (THB400). From memory, the menu included quesadillas, bruschetta, pizzas, salads, sandwiches, wagyu beef, lamb shank and osso bucco and a lot more.

They have a range of cakes and ice creams. We tried a brownie and a nutty coffee cake, both delicious and only THB40.

So, an excellent night out, right? Anyone who has been here for more than ten minutes can probably guess what I am going to say next! The whole thing was spoiled by the ridiculously loud music. Initially, we chose a table inside, but it was so loud that conversation was impossible and we had to shout across the table. We then moved outside, where external speakers ensured that it was still too loud, but conversation was possible in a raised voice, but this would obviously not be practical if it were raining.

It's called a bistro - so why have music like a nightclub? But I can thoroughly recommend the food.

Hats off to the Immigration Department!

I arrived half an hour early for my appointment and was seen immediately, did not have to wait until the appointed time. The entire extension process, including photo and fingerprinting, took less than 30 minutes, so I was finished before the official time of my appointment.

A great service from Immigration. An enormous improvement over the normal rising at sparrow's fart, fighting through the rush hour to get there and then waiting four or five hours to be seen. Let's just hope that moving offices doesn't bugger up the system!

Great photo. I was watching the storm the other night, including the amazing horizontal lightning (we don't get that in England), and I was thinking that it was a shame I couldn't photograph it. As a complete novice with a small digital camera, is there a way or do you need some special piece of kit? Or were you just really lucky!

(Partial) success!

A few days ago, I successfully got a queue date (I've been trying once a week). Note that although you press a "Save Data" button, I cannot find any way of redisplaying the filled in page once you have navigated away from it, so make a note of the date, time and reference number and / or print the page.

This morning, I received a call from the Immigration Inspector who I have to see, confirming the appointment and giving me her name. So it all looks quite hopeful so far. I will keep you all updated.

Could someone tell me if the sugar free teas are like diet coke etc., i.e. laden with artificial sweetener, or if they are free of any form of sweetening?

Personally, we tend to make a jug of green tea and keep it in the fridge, but it would be nice to be able to get one when out and about.

I just tried this, but I too keep getting the "Data Not Found" error when I try to get a queue date. Has anyone got past this point?

Mission update!

My wife has just spent 15 minutes on the phone to Mission (02 598 3812-3). They are no longer going to sell jars of PB in shops, but they are still making it in 1kg bags for sale to factories. I assume these are food factories making PB based products and not that PB has been discovered to be a miracle lubricant for machine tools.

They still have some of the jars in stock and you can ring up and order them in boxes of six and they will post them to you while stocks last. I don't know if they will do the same for the 1kg bags when the jars run out.

As from next week, they will be selling PB from a booth at the Ekamai International School of Seventh Day Adventists, 57 Soi Pridibanomyong 31, 37 Sukhumvit 71 Road, Vadhana District Bangkok, Thailand 10110. Map: http://www.eis.ac.th//index.php?option=com...6&Itemid=73

Hope this helps. Happy eating!

P. S. What is Miracle Whip?

Mission produce loads of variations. I always eat Mission Crunchy PB, ingredients (small print, back of jar) are Roasted Peanuts 99% and Salt 1%. No crap! For those of you whose eyes aren't quite as good as they used to be (or is it just that my arms are getting shorter?), you can identify the jar from the bigger print on the front - it says Natural at the top left and then in a wavy line at the bottom: No Cholesterol - No Preservatives - No Sugar Added.

It was available in the Central Food Hall in Central World last time I looked. The nearest substitute I have found when they are temporarily out of stock is Healthy Mate Unsweetened Extra Crunch, this is just as good but more expensive. Also, it is NOT IN THE PB SHELF AREA! It is on the Organic shelves.

I'll have a look next time I'm in the area and update the availability. I do find I get quite a lot of exercise running round different shops trying to eat healthily!

What does "we will revoke title deeds" mean?

Does this mean that the land will revert to the previous owner? What about the payment - I assume there will be no compensation and no refund?

Assuming that the land reverts to the previous owner when the title deed is revoked, then anyone who has sold land to a Thai husband or wife of a foreigner will now immediately go to the Land Office to have the land returned to them.

Is this a correct summary or have I misunderstood something?

Is there a country in the world that does not have either a holiday or a monument commemorating a victory over the French?

I thought it was just the UK until I came to Thailand and saw Victory Monument and now we find that the Mexicans have a holiday!

Planing a New Year Eve menu at the Bistro at B 750.00 per Head consisting of a selection of different pate's and terrines as starter

Wild Boar Terrine - Duck Terrine - Mushroom Terrine - Chicken Liver Pate with Grand Marnier - Foi Gras - served with Onion Marmalade, Melba Toast - Rocket - (all out of our 5 star Hotel production for their Buffet's) followed by an individual Beef Wellington with vegetables and roast potato or french fries - baked Apple with a whiskey custard sauce for desert

Dinner will be served from 6:30 pm until 9:00 pm

Pre booking is required for this as well by Monday evening the 28th of December

John

Hi John,

Can I book the New Year's Eve menu for three people at 8:00p.m. on New Year's Eve?

Thanks.

Hi John,

Just wanted to say how much the wife and I enjoyed our turkey sandwich and smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel yesterday. The walnut bread and the bagel were both delicious. Sometimes, I find bagels so solid that they're too much like hard work to eat, but yours was just right!

See you next week if we don't go to the Ploenchit Fair.

OK, it's back now and the radio works too.

I haven't been able to access any of the BBC web-sites today or listen to the radio. I have tried the link posted above, but it doesn't work for me.

My ISP is True - what are your ISPs?

Could it be something to do with the 500 million baht firewall? They are still prosecuting Jonathan Head for lese-majeste aren't they?

Just tried the sauce with olives - delicious, by far the nicest sauce I've ever had out of a bottle, and very reasonably priced. You can really taste the olives and the tomatos. My wife also enjoyed it, it took us back to our holiday in Italy earlier this year. We shall be trying the other flavours soon.

Regarding "nana", it's a common (widely used, not low class!) term for grandmother in the east midlands / north-east England where I come from. Usually spelt "nanna" I believe. It's always amused me, as it makes me think that Nana Plaza should be full of bijou teashops and little shops selling knitting wool, and maybe a post office for collecting your pension.

Hi John,

Sorry for the delay, been a bit busy, just wanted to say how much the wife and I enjoyed our lamb in pitta the other Saturday.

Can't wait to try the mince pies and the cheesecake with a base. And the new breakfast looks good too, so maybe that will be my lunch on Saturday with two desserts. And some weissbier.

Sadly, the wife can't make it as she has to go to a an all day and half the night tam boon session, involving listening to three hundred monks praying. She did say I could go if I wanted, but I selflessly turned down the opportunity to detarnish my immortal soul in order to come and support your business! I'll probably come back as an ant and it's all your fault.