lujanit

Thanks for the info guys. That Travelfish article is one I had not come across so thank you for that. I don't have an itinerary yet as I was trying to get info on whether it was better to start in the south and work northwards or the other way around. The boat trip seemed like a better idea than sitting in a bus on dubious roads for the trip from Luang Prabang to the border or vv.. I don't have any firm plans for Luang Prabang yet either. Any suggestions appreciated. Time is not an issue.

I don't think anyone was told lies if that's what you mean, maybe misunderstandings.

When they say 150 cm they mean the sum of the size of the box - width + height + depth. The 55 cm I understand you was told is probably the largest size of any one side.

Okay you are talking cubic cm, i.e., volume. To me 150 cm is a length measurement not a volume measurement.

I am thinking of taking a trip on the Mekong from Houay Xai to Luang Prabang by boat. I would need to get from Chiang Rai to Houay Xai. What is the safest and most comfortable way to do this? What about accommodation as the boat leaves about 0700. I read that might be better to do the trip in reverse, Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai. Any thoughts?

Would you please clarify the 140 cm bit and your last sentence. I visited the post office yesterday and the lady there told me that the maximum size box (or any article size) for international delivery is their size 6 box. Their size 4 box (55 x 100 x 55 cm) is only for domestic deliveries. If I wanted to send anything larger than a size 6 box it would have to go by private contractor. So who received the right info?

I also checked out the unaccompanied baggage service at the airport. No size/weight restrictions (within limits I guess). To Australia 179 baht per kilo plus a once off fee of 3000 baht. Direct phone number is 66 (0) 2 134 2308. They will pickup for 1500 baht, BKK address. I didn't ask about outside BKK.

I don't understand your question - I said the max size for int'l shipping is 150 cm, which is larger than a box 4 which is 45 x 55 x 40 i.e. 140 cm. Essentially the same info you got.

Yes, if unaccompanied baggage to AU is 179 baht/kg it sounds realistic that EU would be 250 baht/kg with the longer distance. I asked, they will not pick up outside Bangkok. They told me 25 kg max per parcel, so you'd be looking at 3000 + 25 x 179 = 7,475. At that price I think you might as well take the Thailand Post SAL option, cheaper and more convenient I'd think.

My question related to the fact you said 150 cm max size for international surface mail and I was told yesterday at the post office that the max size is 55 cm. So which one of us got told porkies?

I went to the post office today and had a few good answers.

The EMS World option is available from the Naklua Post office in Pattaya, but as I understand it it's a relatively small box with unlimited (or very high) weight. Maybe an option if you have something small and very heavy to ship, otherwise probably not.

The Int'l Parcel-Surface option is available up to a box size of 150 cm (x+y+z). They sell a size 6 box that's 45x55x40 so 140 cm and just under the limit.

Would you please clarify the 140 cm bit and your last sentence. I visited the post office yesterday and the lady there told me that the maximum size box (or any article size) for international delivery is their size 6 box. Their size 4 box (55 x 100 x 55 cm) is only for domestic deliveries. If I wanted to send anything larger than a size 6 box it would have to go by private contractor. So who received the right info?

The difference between what official figures say and what appears to actually be has to do with the fact that many people who work in cities or industrialised centres are not registered where they live and/or work. If you live in BKK this is very evident at holiday periods such as Songkran. Bangkok literally empties as people go home for the holiday period.

are you sure, because I have heard other stories that valid EU licence does not mean anything in Thailand. Can somebody verify this?

Last time I checked, if you already have a valid and current license in a farang country, than you can get a Thai license without taking a test.

You are partly right - You need to bring the International Driving Lucense, IDL from home and then get some papers, youll find a good guide here at TV - then depending on VISA you might get a license without some of the tests.

Your license from home isnt valid without the IDL in Thailand.

And one more thing stated by many: Although International Driving Licences are valid for up to one year after arrival in Thailand, after three months many comprehensive insurance policies are made void if still driving on a foreign licence.

This business about an IDL to get a Thai license is not true, at least not for everyone. I received my Thai license without an IDL. At the DLT produced my Aus license, did the reaction and colour tests. Paid the fee and received my Thai one year license. When that was close to expiry went to DLT again, did the reaction and colour tests and received a five year license.

It may have something to do with where your license was issued, whether or not it is in English and what type of visa (extension) you are on.

Earlier when I suggested that you deal with Apple directly you replied that you were. From your latest posts it would appear that you are dealing with iStudio, an authorised reseller. If the latter is the case they will give you the run-around forever. They sound like they do not want to admit to the fact they did you and are now trying to save face.

I am really confused here. Who has to sit the theory/practical test and who doesn't? There are numerous posts here of people sitting the tests and some saying they never did outside the colour/reaction tests.

I am moving back to Australia in the next month or so. I have a bit of a dilemma. I mainly have personal effects, e.g., clothes etc. However I also have a small amount of tools (drills x 2, electric saws (drop and crosscut), grinder plus the usual hand tools) and a small amount of kitchen stuff (electric mixer, crock pot, small oven, electric smoker etc). Also I have some framed prints etc. My guess is it together volume wise would be in the 3 to 4 cubic metre range and about 350 kilos in weight. As the electrical items are more than 12 months old I should not get hit with duty according to the Aus Customs site.

However it looks like Istudio are taking responsibility, and will change the Ipad for an other. But this has not been done yet. The old Ipad has to be send out first (no idea why) and then wait for an other. Will see if they keep to their word, it might take a while.

This is normal. iStudio are not an authorised repairer so the unit has to go to one for evaluation. My Apple TV went kaput and iCare, not iStudio, at Seacon Bangkhae did the diagnostics and then Apple replaced the unit with a new one. Took about 2 weeks from memory. Remember to chase them up though.

I had a warranty case a while back. My advice is to deal with Apple directly. Resellers here only sell. My case was solved to my satisfaction only after I dealt with Apple directly. Just don't take no for an answer. You have the proof in the receipt.

A lot of Thais I know have no faith that the BBC reports events objectively. They have a particular loathing for the reporter Jonathan Head.

From the BBC just now "Military leader General Prayuth Chan-Ocha - who has appointed himself the new prime minister - said troops were taking power "in order for the country to return to normal quickly"".

If you are using a system that incorporates UV make sure you change the light once a year. UV lights degrade over time and consequently loose the ability to kill bacteria. It's all to do with the light spectrum/wavelength that UV emits at. The same goes for physical filters, change them once a year. Particulate filters get blocked, ion exchange and activated filters get saturated and become useless.

I think Super Rich will change Baht into dollars at up to $5,000/day at probably the best rate in Bangkok. Depending on how many days at $5,000/day

I am in the same boat, leaving Thailand soonish. Say I go and get myself USD10k (2 x 5k per day) can I then fly out legally carrying the USD10K? Now I am not taking out THB.

Jetta only shift goods from Oz outbound. They have some affiliates who move stuff to Oz although they have no affiliates in Thailand

I was doing that as you wrote. Uninstalled Flash using their uninstaller. Installed the correct version for OS10.9 as per the site you mention. Still no luck. Safari, Firefox and Chrome all tell me to update Flash and download that setup.exe file. I need to do some more digging I guess

I have just installed Chrome and I get the same message as I do with Safari and Firefox. Still cannot access Youtube because it says my version of Flash is outdated and downloads that setup.exe file. Where to now?

works fine with Chrome 34.0.1847.131

Firefox has more-less become the new IE .. so i do stay away from it ..

specially every time i do start it (about once a month i been forced to update it .. not exactly my style)

anyway for the osx flash player click here: https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/download/?installer=Flash_Player_13_for_Mac_OS_X_10.6_-_10.9&os=OSX&browser_type=KHTML&browser_dist=Safari&d=Adobe_Photoshop_Lightroom_for_Macintosh&dualoffer=false

Thanks. I have the latest Flash Player for OSX installed. I even uninstalled it and reinstalled it. No difference. What I cannot understand is why Youtube cannot work out I am running OSX and not Windows. Why download an .exe file?

Go to System Preferences/Displays. Toggle the Optomise bar to whatever you TV make is. Also check the box in the bottom LHS to show mirroring options. If you play with the resolution settings some resolutions will not fill your TV screen.

Over the last few days it has been impossible to access Youtube with either Safari and Firefox (latest versions installed). I get directed to a page asking me to upgrade Flash with the options of Install or remind me later. Clicking the latter just downloads a file 'setup.exe' which obviously is not a Mac OS application.