tjansen

There is an annual roundup in Khon Khaen in July. I believe this year it is the second weekend in July. There is also one in Pattaya. I don't know what month that one is in off hand. There could be more roundups taking place as a particular area gets enough members that are interested in having this weekend celebration of sobriety.

I didn't read all of the posts, so this might be redundant. When I first started going to AA meetings in 1981 in the US, I heard someone say in a meeting, "If you don't do the fourth and fifth steps, you will likely drink again. I believed that and finally gave in and worked the fourth and fifth steps back then. I was getting more and more crazy and miserable in sobriety. I was getting desperate enough to follow the suggestion.

My analysis of this fact is that, meetings and support can work for quite a while, months and even years, but in the end, if I don't work the steps, especially the "resistance" steps, four and five, I will not change, not clear up my self-defeating guilt, and I will be left with no choice but to try drinking again, using euphoric recall, or just out of despair.

As we used to say, Don;t drink, read the Big Book, go to meetings, and eat hard candy. And later I added, work steps four and five before resuming drinking. It worked for me. My life is free and beautiful.

By the way, what I learned 29 years later was that I had stopped my growth in AA by resisting Step 11. Since coming to Thailand, I have started meditating, formally, and my interest in AA, especially the 12th step, has been reawakened.

Tom

It's the easy test to ask an alcoholic if he has done step 5. If not, he will eventually drink again.

I have friend who is in AA and came to Thailand to increase his spirituality. Isn't that what AA is all about?

I heard that AA have their annual get together in Pattaya - I really can't understand this. Could anyone in AA explain this to me.

I've been to AA but haven't done step 5. or step 4,6,7,8,9,10,11,12. Maybe one day if it get's unbearable.

Hello,

I am visiting my son in the US, Portland, OR. We want to install flashing between the house siding (composite) and the free-standing carport roof (corrugated fiberglass). He has a piece of thin aluminum sheet metal about 16" wide that we could make use of, or we can buy new material. The objective is to keep water from the carport roof from running down the side of the house.

If we use screws to attach the sheet metal to the house, can they be wood screws with a tapered head or should the surface of the screw that is in contact with the metal be flat?

Any suggestions on the simplest approach?

Thanks a lot,

Tom

I didn't read all of the posts, so this might be redundant. When I first started going to AA meetings in 1981 in the US, I heard someone say in a meeting, "If you don't do the fourth and fifth steps, you will likely drink again. I believed that and finally gave in and worked the fourth and fifth steps back then. I was getting more and more crazy and miserable in sobriety. I was getting desperate enough to follow the suggestion.

My analysis of this fact is that, meetings and support can work for quite a while, months and even years, but in the end, if I don't work the steps, especially the "resistance" steps, four and five, I will not change, not clear up my self-defeating guilt, and I will be left with no choice but to try drinking again, using euphoric recall, or just out of despair.

As we used to say, Don;t drink, read the Big Book, go to meetings, and eat hard candy. And later I added, work steps four and five before resuming drinking. It worked for me. My life is free and beautiful.

By the way, what I learned 29 years later was that I had stopped my growth in AA by resisting Step 11. Since coming to Thailand, I have started meditating, formally, and my interest in AA, especially the 12th step, has been reawakened.

Tom

What we don't know is whether the printer will work even with a new cartridge, and there is a lot of mental resistance against giving HP still another $40 or so and having it be ill-spent..

I have had that problem with the latest HP printers. All you can do is change the printer cartridge. It happens when you have reused the cartridge a number of times. You can't endlessly refill the printer cartridges like to used to on the older models.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I checked out telestial online, AT&T at a store, and T-Mobile at a store. T-mobile had the simplest and cheapest choice for my three week visit. A sim card with 1500 minutes for $30, so I got that.

Tom

This looks like what I want. A couple of clarifying questions. Do you happen to know if my Nokia 2730, purchased in Thailand, which is 3G compatible, fits the "GSM1900" requirement for this sim card?

Also, I don't see the cost per minute for local calls in the US. Do you happen to know what that is?

Thanks a lot for the suggestion?

Note: This question was concerning the telestial.

You can get a sim card here :-

http://www.telestial.com/

This looks like what I want. A couple of clarifying questions. Do you happen to know if my Nokia 2730, purchased in Thailand, which is 3G compatible, fits the "GSM1900" requirement for this sim card?

Also, I don't see the cost per minute for local calls in the US. Do you happen to know what that is?

Thanks a lot for the suggestion?

You can get a sim card here :-

http://www.telestial.com/

Hello, I have a Nokia 2730 phone that is 3G compatible. I have DTAC service in Thailand. I am in the US (Oregon) for a three week visit and am seeking the most economic option for occasional local calling. For international calls, I can still use Skype or get a calling card. Someone suggested buying a used cellphone on ebay, but my search doesn't seem to yield any results.

Is a local sim card available? Where should I buy it? How much will it cost?

Thanks in advance.

We got the monitor repaired at a local TV repair shop for 400 baht and are back in business.

Thanks for both replies. And thanks for the heads up on the refresh rate. That one sounds tricky.

Tom

Not worth repairing - for so many reasons.

Replace it with a new LED display.

Note:

most inexpensive LED displays

will not sync at >75Hz refresh rate

so prior to removing that old CRT,

set the refresh rate to 60Hz, 72Hz or 75Hz.

This got me in mid 2009 on 2 old computers

when I replace the old crt's

with LG Flatron W1943SB LED units.

Greeted with no display, except a message on the screen.

Solution was to reinstall the old crt,

lower the refresh rate, then install the LED unit.

Actually it surprised me as

I thought the OS would have installed the new display

with a default 800x600 @ 60Hz.

Your milage may vary...

Well, this is a quaint problem. My friend's 15+-year-old Samsung SyncMaster 753DFX did not light up when she turned her computer on this morning. After considering my alternative approaches to possibly fixing it and after (possibly) making some display adjustments without being able to see the screen, I decided on the desperation move first. I gave it three sharp whacks, and it lit up and is working. The new problem is a pronounced bowing in of the sides toward the middle (I think it is referred to as the pincushion effect). When I select that adjustment from the menu buttons on the front of the monitor and make adjustments, it does not respond at all. I have a feeling that whatever I jarred into place did not completely reconnect (maybe??). The monitor is probably not worth spending much money on, but if anyone knows anything simple to try (I already tried re-whacking it with no success), I would give it a go.

Thanks,

Tom

Thanks for both responses, GaryH and Dellboy. If there is a solution, this site will lead to it. Looks like HP could use a little help with customer relations. With this experience and a design weakness that killed the motherboard on my last Compaq, I hope to find some good alternatives to HP. My current laptop is and Acer, which has performed well. Up until now, I have automatically selected HP printers because the prices are good and they seem to work well., which is hard to beat even with having to put up with this customer price gouging and quality problems

Tom

Would this be of any help?

http://www.fixyourow...s/printer/44925

Not quite the same but it does seem there are issues with that cartridge if you read thru

I have an HP Photosmart 2610 all-in-one. I suddenly started getting a message "Cartridge on the right not supported". It is the black cartridge. I did not change cartridges or make any other changes. Any ideas or suggestions? I don't really need a new cartridge. I have been cleaning and refilling the old one, and I hesitate to buy a new cartridge when I don't even know if that will fix my problem..

Thanks,

Tom

Just to be sure, does that mean they will be open Monday and Tuesday, the 11th and 12th?

Thanks,

Tom

13th , 14th . 15th , 16th , 17th. April.

Great information. Thank you for the things I was missing.

One more thing, does anyone know what days the Nakhon Pahom office is closed during Songkran?

Thanks once again.

You can apply during the last 30 days of your current permission to stay. Your extension of stay starts on the day your current permission ends, so you don't lose days.

You need to copy all pages with stamps on them, not only the ID-page.

You need your bankbook (and copies) plus a letter from your bank dated the same day you go (or a few days before) confirming your balance. The bank will now what is required.

You can download the form from internet. Print it double sided, not on two seperate pages. http://www.immigrati...ownload/tm7.doc

Don't forget the photo and you may require proof of your address, like a utility bill in your name.

Hello,

My Retirement Extension expires April 25, and I would like to be sure I have current information.

I don't get an answer when I call 034318997 for the Nakhon Pathom office, so I would like to get information here.

1) What days is the Nakhon Pathom Immigration Office closed for the Songkran holidays?

2) How many days prior to April 25 can I go to get my extension?

3) I think I need a copy of Page 1 of my passport, my Departure Card, my latest extension date stamp, and my latest 90-day report.

3) I plan to copy all pages of my Thai bank account book, showing at least 3 months with at least 800,000 baht.

4) I plan to fill out the form at the office, since I don't have one with me.

Anything else that I am forgetting? I did it at Nakhon Pathom last year, having been going to Kanchanaburi prior to that, so I am familiar with the office.

Thanks in advance.

Tom

Actually, he sounded just about that emotional. I will have to bring up that possibility.

Thanks for the chuckle.

Isn't about a cute sales girl who smiled at him and he can't stop thinking about her is it?

Thanks a lot, Richard. I will have a Thai friend call and get the information I am looking for.

Tom

If your friend can speak Thai then let him call +66(0)2-725-4000 they can tell him everything about dealers, location, stock info, telephone numbers and contact person...

Unfortunately, I don't personally own a Honda or a book. But, come to think of it, that would be a good place to start. I know a few Honda owners, so I will ask them (and fortunately they read and speak Thai)

Thanks a lot for that good tip.

All of the authorized dealers are listed at the back of the service book that comes with all Honda bikes. The numbers are listed but the dealer names are in Thai. Good luck.

Hello,

I am looking for contact information, mainly a phone number and maybe an address or email, for a Honda Motorcycle Dealer for a friend who recently visited Thailand. He stopped at a Honda Motorcycle dealer and was interested in a bike but failed to get contact information for the dealer. He was on a bus from Suvanaphumi to Pattya, and this dealer was on that main road. He doesn't recall how long they had been traveling from the airport.. I am not familiar with that route, so hopefully someone will recognize what he is referring to.

Strange request, but any help?

Hello, and sorry for the delay in responding. I just got back from two weeks in India, my first trip. I stayed in Junagadh, Gujarat.

Thanks for the informational replies. I did try some local places and found some good dates at a 'health' food / herb store. Expensive, but not preventive.

If anyone is going to India for the first time, I can give some useful and time-saving suggestions about Internet access, sim cards, and maybe a few other things. Just send me a PM or reply to this post.

Thanks again to the responders and to TV.

Tom

Hello,

I am on a raw food diet and would like to add dates to my menu. I live in Ratchaburi Province and would like to know where I can get a steady supply of dates and possibly figs. Organic would be good but not necessary. I haven't done much looking, but I am under the impression they are not readily available.

Thanks for any help.

Tom

I am back to give an update and to thank everyone for the replies to my request.

As I mentioned above, I ended up with DeeDial. Instead of 7 11, it is Se-Ed bookstore that handles the top up in my area. When I first tried the card, it was unusable because of being garbled. After a couple of calls to their customer service line, they did something to straighten it out. I just tried my first call, and it worked great, a slight echo on the other end, but really quite acceptable. It is 0.7 baht per minute with no other charges, which would come to a little more than $0.02 per minute

I just now saw the post about Onesuite. I might look into that just out of curiosity. I suppose my account is still alive.

I am glad someone mentioned that the callback feature eliminates the use of DTAC air time. I wasn't astute enough to catch that point, but I have been using it cause I think it is neat.

Tom

Thanks a lot for the quick replies. I settled on DeeDial, mostly because it was the first one I could figure out. When I started to go to what I think is the CAT website I got a warning from Norton that they could not verify the safety of the site. Being a bit paranoid about these things, I did not proceed to the site. When I followed the thaitelephonenet trail, I got to a page that told me to register for something that did not seem like the provider, and it did not give me an option. As for kokesaat's suggestion, I assume a 'phonenet' card is the CAT option. Is that correct? And I don't know what the international phone office is. I don't live in Bangkok, so maybe I can use that as an excuse for being unknowing in these matters.

As for the magic-jack, it looks very intriguing, and I might give it a go down the line, but I wasn't patient enough to dig into it at this time.

So, I signed up for DeeDial for what looks like 0.7 baht + VAT per minute calls to the Us, and their Customer Service desk told me to go to 7 11 to top up.

Thank you again for all of the help.

By the way, in case this is helpful, I discovered something useful about Skype, if it proves to be consistent. I use DTAC to connect to the Internet from my apartment. Skype to a cellphone is usually very choppy and not usable, but tonight I made a Skype to Skype call which was quite acceptable in quality (immediately after the choppy Skype to cell call.) This has happened twice, so I am hoping Skype to Skype will be an additional calling option for me.

Hello,

I would like to use a cheap calling card that I can purchase online without going to a store, getting a SIM card, etc. I would be calling mainly from Thailand to the US. Right now I pay about 4 baht per minute with DTAC. I am hoping I can use a calling card with a local access number that would make for cheaper calls, including the pre-paid charge for using my cellphone, which I don't think is too bad for calls inside Thailand, for the access number.

When I lived in the US, I used Onesuite. I would dial an 800 number, enter my pin, then dial the number I was calling. It was a bit cumbersome, but worth the effort to save the money.

Thanks for any suggestions on this. (I had a previous post along this line, but I am still hoping for an online alternative.)