WorldwideALOHA

Try a good local shipping agent. You will pay by the square meter, they will crate it for you and handle the paperwork.

Average cost for shipping Thailand to Long Beach USA port:

- Ocean Freight - $101 CBM (USD)

- Container packing fee - BHT 250 CBM

- Pro rate port charges gate and lift fees - BHT150 CBM

- Packing service (for crating / weight distribution) - BHT 1250 CBM

- Customs clearance Thailand - BHT 2000

- Customs lodgement fee - BHT 200

- Bill of lading - BHT1250

- Express documents so no originals required - BHT 1250

- Handling fee - BHT 1000

- VAT on specific lines - BHT 250

- Made to measure crating - BHT 1850 CBM

- Compulsory fumigation of crating materials to USA standard with formal fumigation certificate - BHT 2000

There are also additional fees for local transport, etc.

Rough estimate for shipping 3 cubic meters about 10 large suitcases = 27,843 baht (about $850 USD)

If you go with the bigger shipping companies expect to multiply those costs by 3 to 4 times. Most will say that the shipment will arrive in 1 month - plan on 2 to 3 months.

There are also additional charges on the US side for customs clearance, etc. (not too bad, about $100 to $250 USD. Your shipment will be handled by an expediter on the US end who is named in the shipping documents. They will contact you before it arrives to sort any details that they need from you. You may also need to visit the customs office to get a stamp clearing the goods).

Make sure you pick-up your things within a week of arrival or you will pay additional storage fees on a daily basis.

Airline would be a very expensive option and how on earth would you handle that many bags???

Shipping via sea, weight does not matter, so you can ship everything for the same price.

Hope the info helps.

Aloha!

Are there any websites or downloadable price lists for accessories for a Toyota Hilux Vigo?

Would like to have a good idea of prices before walking into a store

Looking at Carryboy Nudge Guards (CB-727 or CB-705), Roll Bars (CB-766, CB-769, CB-733 or CB-731), Side Step (CB-764) and Utility box (CB-704).

Any suggestions for other parts or accessories would be more than welcome.

Thank you & Aloha!

Are new car prices negotiable?

Seems like several dealers like to throw in lots of free items (film, bumpers, bed liners, etc.), but no cash off.

Anyone know if the prices are fixed (ie Toyota) or can the Sales Manager - not floor person give better rates?

Thank you

Who is responsible for the costs of a rental car while your car is being fixed?

It seems to take the garages quite a while to make even minor repairs. Is the driver at fault's insurance responsible or is it covered under one's own insurance or worse, are you just stuck paying for it yourself?

Any experiences or help would be appreciated.

Thank you!

A little competition for True will be good - probably reduce the prices over time too, as many people with more limited budgets will be drawn to a-la-cart pricing or the pretty good price of 1,500 baht per month for the whole ball of wax. Throw in HD and they will have a winner.

I agree about competition for TrueVisions.... But the pricing for 1-Sky relative to what they offer is daft, and their probable eventual channel lineup doesn't seem headed toward being particularly farang friendly, apart from ASN... -- if the venture ultimately survives at all.

Via the USTVNow option described above, providing you have a decent internet connection here, you can have a 20+ U.S. cable TV lineup including U.S. ESPN for $30 a month (after the introductory $20 promotion ends)... not the $50 1-Sky price you mention above. And the regular price of $44 a month for the same plan with a digital video recorder service for time-shifting...

Their paid channel lineup includes:

ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC, PBS, A&E, Animal Planet, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNBC, U.S. CNN, Comedy Central, Discover Channel, U.S. ESPN, Food Network, FX, History, Lifetime, Syfy, TBS, TNT, and USA.

Sounds good, but watching games on the computer with everyone crowded around a PC doesn't exactly sound too great. Not to mention the internet speeds in Thailand, especially Phuket, are off and on at the best of times.

Streaming it from the computer to the TV is an option, but if you have ever streamed from a PC to a wide-screen big TV, it looks like watching a pixelated version - really bad picture quality. Not exactly why one gets a big TV.

I see they have an HD DVR version, but it is $169 USD / mo. (over 5,000 baht!!! - per month) PLUS a set-up fee of $295 USD (8,850 baht!!!)

At those prices I can keep True w HD plus the new 1-Sky for ASN and still have money left over...

My wife called 1-Sky and they will be getting everything off the ground soon.

Although the initial channel listing seems a bit sparse, they say they will be adding content continually and will have more HD next year.

Sounds reasonable, as they charge per package: 1-Sky 1 - Movies / 1-Sky 2 Sports / 1-Sky 3 Family

They say the service will also be available in Phuket (no service center, but if you get the dish set, or already have a dish, it will work - probably the same for the rest of Thailand).

The website for 1-sky: http://www.1skytv.com/site/index.html

A little competition for True will be good - probably reduce the prices over time too, as many people with more limited budgets will be drawn to a-la-cart pricing or the pretty good price of 1,500 baht per month for the whole ball of wax. Throw in HD and they will have a winner.

Aloha

Hawaiian Kona Coffee!!!! = ONO ONO (Very delicious)

Ground fresh and brewed strong, can't go wrong.

I also like the beans from Vietnam that are roasted in butter... the film of butterfat that forms on the top of the cup is awesome!

Aloha

BUPA Thailand is nothing short of the worst company I have ever dealt with.

I held the BUPA Platinum plan for 3 years until I had a nightmare dilemma with them. After a head injury left blood pooling behind my eyes a doctor at Bumrungrad said I needed an immediate CAT scan to determine if there was bleeding in my brain. This was on a Friday evening. After Bumrungrad put together all of the paperwork, sent it to BUPA Thailand, and followed up for confirmation of the emergency CAT scan, they were told that "No, the scan and treatment would not be paid for by BUPA. If the treatment was to be done, I would have to pay for it, then try to claim back at a later date, which would be very hard to do as all CAT/MRI scans MUST be pre-approved to be covered." The doctors and staff at Bumrungrad were infuriated and continued to stress to BUPA that this should be a covered procedure. I contacted BUPA and was told that since it was a weekend there were no senior level managers available to review the situation and give approval - approval would have to wait until Monday.

I spent the next 6 hours working my way up the organization chart until I was finally able to get an executive manager on the line on the weekend, which they admitted was outside of normal protocol. The manager agreed that the CAT scan was necessary and would be covered.

After the incident I followed up with BUPA that week and spoke with one of the VP's and was told that this is an isolated problem with BUPA here in Thailand, as people working under managers do not want to disturb managers outside of normal working hours. There are also no 'on call' senior level managers during weekends and holidays. As she noted, this was an issue that they were trying to change to make problems like the one I experienced never happen again. In the meantime, I was given her personal contact details in case of future emergencies.

Although I appreciated the admission of the problem within the company and the reassurance that she would be available 24 hours in case of future problems, I nevertheless cancelled my policy with BUPA Thailand. One pays for insurance for security and peace of mind, not to have to fight for coverage during emergency situations.

I have no idea whether or not things have changed within the company, but if you do read the fine print of the Platinum policy there are a lot of exclusions and vagueness that could expose a policy holder to being excluded or not covered.

I believe the best coverage is with an International company based outside of Thailand. I highly recommend Goodhealth, which is an Aetna insurer. With the exchange rates the way they currently are the coverage levels that are available by going outside of Thailand are much more advantageous.

Take your time, shop around and ask to view the full policy wordings before putting down your money.

Aloha

The Sydney Morning Herald just published a story about the problems tourists are facing with the Tuk-tuk's in Phuket.

"fair use"

Phuket rip-off: the trouble with tuk-tuks

February 6, 2010

Tourists in Phuket are being taken for a ride, writes Alan Morison.

Most of Phuket's tuk-tuks are red, which is the colour tourists are seeing when they encounter extortionate fares and sometimes gruff and thuggish behaviour by the drivers of these strange local taxis.

The quaint open-sided vehicles provide a ride that's about as comfortable as the back of a ute but visitors are charged a five-star luxury price for the privilege of being bounced all over the holiday island.

Read the whole story on the Sydney Morning Herald

It would be great if the transportation issues the island is facing could finally be worked out before any more damage is done to Phuket's international image.

Aloha

Best Burger in Thailand - Burger House in Pai!!!

The owner Ed does a burger right - they are huge and tasty. My favorite is the Juicy Lucy!!! (well, that one and the Chili Burger)

Another one of my favorites at the Burger House is the pork chop. Ed cuts them himself and they are mammoth! Pan fried in a little butter, so they get that thin crust on them :)'''''

Ed is pretty good for some witty banter and great source of info for the area.

Aloha

Why has it taken a week to mass a search?!?!

What about a little something for the Forum Moderators...

The latest from NOAA

000

WEIO21 PHEB 301131

TSUIOX

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 002

PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS

ISSUED AT 1131Z 30 SEP 2009

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.

... THE TSUNAMI WATCH IS CANCELLED ...

THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY

NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE

DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND

ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME - 1016Z 30 SEP 2009

COORDINATES - 0.9 SOUTH 99.9 EAST

LOCATION - SOUTHERN SUMATRA INDONESIA

MAGNITUDE - 7.6

MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY

GAUGE LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL PER

------------------- ----- ------ ----- --------------- -----

PADANG ID 0.9S 100.4E 1046Z 0.27M / 0.9FT 20MIN

LAT - LATITUDE (N-NORTH, S-SOUTH)

LON - LONGITUDE (E-EAST, W-WEST)

TIME - TIME OF THE MEASUREMENT (Z IS UTC IS GREENWICH TIME)

AMPL - TSUNAMI AMPLITUDE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.

IT IS ...NOT... CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.

VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).

PER - PERIOD OF TIME IN MINUTES(MIN) FROM ONE WAVE TO THE NEXT.

EVALUATION

SEA LEVEL READINGS INDICATE THAT A SIGNIFICANT TSUNAMI WAS NOT

GENERATED. THEREFORE THE TSUNAMI WATCH ISSUED BY THIS CENTER

IS NOW CANCELLED.

THIS WILL BE THE FINAL BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI

WARNING CENTER FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FOR THIS EVENT. IN THE CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION...THE

MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.

000

WEIO21 PHEB 301131

TSUIOX

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 002

PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS

ISSUED AT 1131Z 30 SEP 2009

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.

... THE TSUNAMI WATCH IS CANCELLED ...

THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY

NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE

DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND

ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME - 1016Z 30 SEP 2009

COORDINATES - 0.9 SOUTH 99.9 EAST

LOCATION - SOUTHERN SUMATRA INDONESIA

MAGNITUDE - 7.6

MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY

GAUGE LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL PER

------------------- ----- ------ ----- --------------- -----

PADANG ID 0.9S 100.4E 1046Z 0.27M / 0.9FT 20MIN

LAT - LATITUDE (N-NORTH, S-SOUTH)

LON - LONGITUDE (E-EAST, W-WEST)

TIME - TIME OF THE MEASUREMENT (Z IS UTC IS GREENWICH TIME)

AMPL - TSUNAMI AMPLITUDE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.

IT IS ...NOT... CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.

VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).

PER - PERIOD OF TIME IN MINUTES(MIN) FROM ONE WAVE TO THE NEXT.

EVALUATION

SEA LEVEL READINGS INDICATE THAT A SIGNIFICANT TSUNAMI WAS NOT

GENERATED. THEREFORE THE TSUNAMI WATCH ISSUED BY THIS CENTER

IS NOW CANCELLED.

THIS WILL BE THE FINAL BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI

WARNING CENTER FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FOR THIS EVENT. IN THE CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION...THE

MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.

...SP...

000

WEIO21 PHEB 301026

TSUIOX

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 001

PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS

ISSUED AT 1026Z 30 SEP 2009

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.

... A REGIONAL TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT ...

A TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR

INDONESIA / INDIA / THAILAND / MALAYSIA

FOR OTHER AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION...THIS MESSAGE IS FOR

INFORMATION ONLY AT THIS TIME.

THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY

NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE

DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND

ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME - 1016Z 30 SEP 2009

COORDINATES - 0.9 SOUTH 99.9 EAST

LOCATION - SOUTHERN SUMATRA INDONESIA

MAGNITUDE - 7.7

EVALUATION

EARTHQUAKES OF THIS SIZE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE A

DESTRUCTIVE LOCAL TSUNAMI AND SOMETIMES A DESTRUCTIVE REGIONAL

TSUNAMI ALONG COASTS LOCATED USUALLY NO MORE THAN A THOUSAND

KILOMETERS FROM THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. AREAS FURTHER FROM THE

EPICENTER COULD EXPERIENCE SMALL SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR

UNUSUAL COASTAL CURRENTS.

HOWEVER - IT IS NOT KNOWN THAT A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. THIS

WATCH IS BASED ONLY ON THE EARTHQUAKE EVALUATION. AUTHORITIES IN

THE REGION SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS

POSSIBILITY. THE WATCH WILL NOT EXPAND TO OTHER AREAS OF THE

INDIAN OCEAN UNLESS ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED TO WARRANT SUCH

AN EXPANSION.

ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS

WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL

ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE

LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN

SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

LOCATION FORECAST POINT COORDINATES ARRIVAL TIME

-------------------------------- ------------ ------------

INDONESIA PADANG 0.9S 100.1E 1022Z 30 SEP

SIBERUT 1.5S 98.7E 1103Z 30 SEP

BENGKULU 3.9S 102.0E 1125Z 30 SEP

SIMEULUE 2.5N 96.0E 1136Z 30 SEP

BANDA ACEH 5.5N 95.1E 1227Z 30 SEP

BANDAR LAMPUNG 5.7S 105.3E 1251Z 30 SEP

BELAWAN 3.8N 98.8E 1531Z 30 SEP

INDIA GREAT NICOBAR 7.1N 93.6E 1236Z 30 SEP

THAILAND PHUKET 8.0N 98.2E 1400Z 30 SEP

KO PHRA THONG 9.1N 98.2E 1444Z 30 SEP

KO TARUTAO 6.6N 99.6E 1512Z 30 SEP

MALAYSIA GEORGETOWN 5.4N 100.1E 1546Z 30 SEP

PORT DICKSON 2.5N 101.7E 1918Z 30 SEP

ADDITIONAL BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI

WARNING CENTER FOR THIS EVENT AS MORE INFORMATION

BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FOR THIS EVENT. IN THE CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION...THE

MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.

Westin Grande's Thanksgiving buffet spread - Awesome! They have it all, the traditional fare, plus seafood, Thai food, Mediterranean cuisine and more!

A few years ago they had a Michelin star chef doing the turkey!

Also, not even close to the river, but equally awesome is the Tuesday all you can eat Mexican buffet at Bourbon St. (www.bourbonstbkk.com) only 299 baht!!! They also do all you can eat Creole food for their anniversary, Christmas, etc.

Aloha

Used to be a loyal FireFox user - tried Chrome and never looked back.

Light, fast and unobtrusive - Not as many bells & whistles as FF, but I like it simple and clean.

Also, Chrome is consistently tested to be the most secure browser by leaps and bounds. It will probably be exploited more as more people adopt it, but for now it's great.

Love the new themes in v3

Aloha

150 baht plastic chair

cut hole in the middle - viola, instant toilet.

Place it over the squatter when you need it and everyone is happy.

Aloha

<deleted> HO AH YUNG Abalone Restaurant in Macau at the Rio Hotel

Definately worth a stop! Awesome Abalone!!! The prices make the Abalone Farm on Phuket look bargain basement - one single stewed abalone (sm-med) is about 3,500 baht!!!

Prices go up from there - large abalone are hundreds of dollars each.

Amazing taste and texture though. The Chinese style of cooking them is totally different from here. They buy them dried and then reconstitute them in a secret broth for 1 week while being attended to 24 hours a day by a team of chefs.

I liked the Abalone Farm in Phuket. Never had any rubbery ones as described above. The sizes are very small, but the prices compared to other places I have had abalone are very reasonable.

Aloha

I thought that was what the disinfectant lotions were for at the banks and movie theatres...

Update:

New rules for new licenses and renewals:

If you have an English Language website you are required to obtain the INBOUND license (100,000 baht deposit).

If your website is in Thai language ONLY DOMESTIC license (50,000 baht deposit).

All licences are now to be displayed as OTD lic. no. **/***** NOT - TAT Lic. No. **/*****

Aloha

Anyone tried Mobile Maps SE Asia (voice guided) from the app store?

There's a pretty hefty charge of $79.99

Their website looks great and it appears to have almost all of the POI's and details that are on my Garmin.

If anyone has this app, please post what you think of the cost / benefit and is it Better / worse / same as Garmin or similar.

Aloha

Clear - Aow Sap Sap!!!

Sometimes I add a touch of coconut milk, but its clearly not as good...

Aloha

Just back from the Ministry of Labor. Apparantely there is a new rule. The work permit and visa expiration dates are not tied together. Meaning if your work permit is for two years (1 year, etc.) you do not need to come back to see them before or after any trip out of the country for any updating / stamps, visa renewal, etc. They just reminded me to make sure I come at least 7 days prior to the expiration of the WP at which time they will check the visa to ensure it is valid. Of course, re-entry permits are necessary to ensure your visa isn't cancelled, but that is an Immigration issue.

Finally, a streamilined process that makes total sense!!! Things are definitely getting better!

I'm glad I went and checked though and I would recommend the same to anyone else, just in case.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!

Aloha

Mahalo! That's what I was thinking.

When on a Multiple Non B visa, do you have to report to the Labor department after every trip out of the country to have your WP details updated?

Previously I have been on extended visa, so I haven't had to deal with this stuff in a long time...I've forgotten how it all works.

I searched, but couldn't find anything (I should say, I found about a thousand nonB or WP threads, but none relevant). I'm sure this has been answered before if anyone has a link.

Thanks for the help!

Aloha

ooops - delete this thread...

Aloha