Mobaan

This seems all a bit hush -hush , but something is going on .

There appearently are 2 farms -independent from each other -on the Northern and Southern end of the Phu Foilom mountain range that have planted coffee (Arabica) at low altitudes -new varieties seem to make this possible .

Now the word is out ,that there is a company who will pay for plants , fertilizer etc ( no cost to the growers) in return for a commitment by the farmer to sell all his coffee to them .(Poor farmer -you will be screwed again )

They supposedly are pushing "Robusta" to be planted between the rubber trees -to provide shade-.

What is the deal ? Does anybody know anything about this ? Has anybody heard similar reports ?

Done that -bought that T shirt.

Brough 3 different Raspberriy and Blackberry varieties last June . Some root cuttings had new shoots coming out already .

The entire bunch died a quiet death within 2 weeks -and not because we do know how to takle care of plants .

We have light sandy soil , no waterlooging ,plants were set on a 30 cm high rige -together with Muscadines (!) -which are not dead ,but seem to need 2 years adjustment to really start growing .

This is in Issan -Udon Thani area

Ford is selling the "NEW" Everest now .

Is that the long awaited follow uo of the (old-regular) Everest? There was talk late last year and early this year about potential great expectations and changes -and perhaps a completely new name .

Is that the best Ford could come up with -the "New Ford Everest.

Has there been a review posted of the new SUV here on this forum or elsewhere ?

Do the insurance companies talk to each other-or is there some sort of central information bank in Thailand ?

This gets to the question of pre existing conditions. If a person (Thai) had medical care and/or a hospital stay in one part of the country and now , many years later lives in another part of Thailand and now wants to apply for healthinsurance coverage. The potential insurer will want to have a health report dine by a doctor or hospital , which is fine .

The question is : does the insurance company have any way and means to find out about previous hospital stays (if any ) ,just in case those visits were not mentioned on the insurance application?

If you want a new vehicle what someone else suggests might not be to your liking, me thinks IMO, trudging around dealers, having close look and test driving the ones you like is the best way to go, saves any disappointment.

your right but having feedback from someone who owned and driven a car for some time is better than a quick test drive, also if i have short list will help

I spent a few weeks with the new facelifted Fortuner a short time back and whilst it was generally OK I found the interior very dated.

Also spent a reasonable amount of time in the Mistu PJS 4WD GT and generally liked it, found that it drove OK, but was a bit annoyed by the vibration from the shifter for the transfer case which basically drives into your leg. Then tried the Mistu PJS 2WD GT and found that it drove significantly better than the 4WD, and given that I had just spent 9 years with a 4WD SUV and probably used 4WD only 3 or 4 times I went for the 2WD GT which I have been very happy with. Also very good value when you look at functionality for the price.

If you are waiting for the next gen Fortuner then the Ford Everest replacement should also be available in that timeframe and could be promising.

The Ford Everest has been mentioned a few times -and we had a lively discussionabout it ca 6 month ago.

What can tyhe car experts among us tell us about the timefarme for the new Everset release in Thailand and the features we might expect.?

I have a bug that is eating and killing my cocnut trees and the ornamental bamboo plants .

Supposedly something like that caused several thousand Rai of trees to be cut down in the South .

Looks like a leaf / stem borer that is attacing the leaves , which turn brown and die off.. Is there anything I can do to kill that pest ?

SMALL gifts - TBH 1000 for the headmonk and 500 each for the luang pi's(for 2 minutes of chanting- --something is definately out of wack here in this village.It is definately a paycheck .

So who is the man in white -the Pram ?

I attended a wedding ceremony in Issan . There were no monks present , but a man called a "Pram ?"who conducted the ceremony . I was told , if I understood that correctly ,that a Pram is something like a Hindu priest ? He was wearing a with suit .

How does all this work together ? I am aware of Buddhisms roots in Hinduism , but how does this mix in these days and age ?

A few days later I attended a ceremony where the ashes and bones of a dearly departed where moved to a new housing ( something like a stupa). Here again one man had to officiate , althou 3 monks were present as well , did some chanting , collected their paycheck and left in a hurry. This man supposedly was a lower ranking "Pram" , since he wore regular street cloth and not a white suit .

Any help understanding these rituals will be greatly appreciated .

Hi Peter,

I was in the same situation .

Last June I brought first quality

Earthquake" mashine with an 8 inch (30 inch long ) auger from the US . Planted my trees and the fenceposts and do not have too much use for it anymore .

PM me and we can discuss this further .

Here is a question to the local boys :

I have friends in Hua Hin who advise me not to travel to the islands at this time because of inclement weather , rough high seas and torrential rainfalls .

What is the real scoop -at present and maybe the outlook for the next 2 weeks ?

Will appreciate you first hand accounts .

I am under the impression that the new Thai DL (I have a 5 year) are valid in all ASEAN countries -thats at least what a large 4foot by 8 foot sign says in the DL office.

Since I wanted to fly out of Vientianne anyway ,I went to the Vietnam embassy there .They open at 10 am . I put $50 on the table for an express visa and had my passport stamped quicker than I was able to fill out the application form .

Quickest visa I had in my lifetime .

Well guys , thanks a lot for this fruitful discussion .

I think I wait till next Summer to see what Ford is offering as a new version of the Everest.

WOW-I did not know all this . Its been a long time since I rented a car .

Certainly "Thank you very much " for this info . I will act accordingly.

whats cdw ?

Like in "Collision Damage Waiwer"

If I rent a car in Europe or the USA and use my US issued Visa or AX card ,I do not pay for CDW -its taken care of by the CC company.

Now, if I want to rent car in Europe and use my Thai Visa card issued by Siam Commercial Bank - will that card take care of CDW coverage as well ?

I am not in Thailand right now and as you may know to get an email answered by a Thai business )or bank in this case )is a rather trying issue , since I would like an answer during this lifetime , if possible.

Does anyone have personal experience?

Mike,

Most Thai rental outfits include First Class Insurance in the rental, or should do. If they don't look elsewhere! First Class Insurance is the equivalent of Fully Comprehensive Insurance. With the likes of Budget and Avis you need to take out their add-ons to make it comparable. Usually in addition to First Class Insurance there is an "excess" which is typically 5,000 baht which id the amount you will have to pay upto in the event of a claim for an accident or if there is damage to the car when you return it that wasn't present when you took delivery - so check it carefully, make sure any existing damage is marked on the hire agreement and take digital pics as an added precaution. You can usually waive that excess for an additional daily fee which depending on the length of your hire makes it worth it or not. In the UK you can take out an annual worldwide policy that will cover you against this and also, importantly, underbody and tyre damage which rental CDW does not usually cover for about £50.

Forgive me if you already know this but the most important requirement of hiring a car in Thailand is that you MUST have an International Driving Permit issued in your own country in addition to your own country's driving licence. In all probability the hire company will not ask for this IDP as a condition of hire but without it in effect you are driving illegally and in the case of an accident your insurance will be invalidated and you will be in trouble with the police, both of which can have disastrous consequences.

I hope you find this useful.

Would I need the International also if I have 5 year Thai Drivers licence ?

I dont think so -- but TIT ???

Is there any news on the new ford escape (being discontinued?) / ford kuga being introduced into the Thai market? I understood something like the European kuga would be introduced here.

No updates from what's been previosuly posted here - the next-gen Escape is still earmarked for Thai release next year but being based on the Focus platform, it'll have to be following the Focus launch, so I'd expect it to be mid-late 2012.

The next gen Escape is also the next gen Kuga (both models are being merged uner the One Ford policy), so yes, that bit is right It's sure to be a sharp looker.

Thanks mate, need something a little more elevated than my civic:) Not sure about my wife being able to handle the size of a ranger

So this escape would have a 2.o petrol engine from a focus or similar? No diesel option? I'd also consider the mazda cx-5, would that be a bit smaller? Basically I want something smaller than a pjs (only 3 in my family) but still quite raised.

The next gen Escape will more than likely share all of the Focus engines, so a 2.0L TDCI with powershift option is expected, but lacking the special PPV excise tax that the next-gen Everest and Trailblazer will qualify for, expect prices to be into Captiva territory..

BTW, the production line for the new Focus at AAT Thailand has now spat out it's first testers, so Job One can't be too far away..

So MoonRiverOasis , you seem to be the expert here.I am asking for your input , please.

I read some of your comments from late last year when you also bought a Pajero . Looking towards this Winter as a time to buy a new SUV-upper end - what would be your choice ? Still a Pajero?

Or better to wait a few month for the new edition of whatevr comes out next year ?

I currently have my car in my name . To be able to purchase I had to go to the vehicle reg . office and the Immigration office to get required doc's.

Now if I want to sell , can I do this w/o any "approval" from government agencies or do I need to get any special paperwork done beforehand?

No problem shipping, I have imported Deka batterys before when the Thai and jap batterys where to large and under powered for their size.

I am sure shipping can be arranged , but how about the cost of shipping and the import duties?

Everything coming from the States the UK and Europe etc is the bestest is becoming a bit boring.

The battery in my Honda scoot is a sealed Japanese one sold in Thailand came with the scoot it's nearly 4 years old and never been a problem.

My Mrs Yam scoot 5years old had a battery in it every year until after 2years we upgraded to a sealed Jap battery and 3years on it's still OK.

I think what I am trying to say is, sealed batteries bought in Thailand for me anyhow seemed to be OK.

You misunderstand . I am not at all hooting the horn for stuff from USA . Its the only one , I know how to compare to . If I can get a truely sealed GEL battery in Thailand I will be entirely happy .

The motorcycle batteries I have had so far mostly do not not last longer than 2 years -and perform miserably . I can not (easily) bring a gel motorcycle battery from the States-i use those here for years w/o any problem.

Are true gel batteries available in Thailand ? if so , where can I get one ?

Is the Ford Everest build in Thailand ?

To which US model of the Ford line up does it closest compare?

How does the Everest fare in a comparision with other SUV's available in Thailand?

Where in Pattaya/Jomtien can I buy essential oils. Not the small 5 ml bottles sold by OTOP outlets , some a little larger?

Can I please jump this thread!

I posted this question on the Cassava thread , but answer so far .

I planted a local cassava variety (in July -when nothing else was available) called " E-daeng noi" (spelling is everyones guess ) . There is no such name in the official list of varieties from the Rayong research station . Has anybody any idea what this might be ?