Valentine

I am planning on building a PC, not by myself I will have a computer shop guy do it. My normal use of a PC is for everyday things such as email, spreadsheets, Word documents but I also like to have the capacity for occasional game play of 3D games, some graphics but not really high end, plus CAD based prgrammes. The current CPU I would like to use is the Athalon X3 as it seems to have some good reviews & is reasonably cost effective.

My concern is about choosing a mother board & graphics card so that all compnonents are truly compatible & are able to work together at maximum capability. The system should also be able to be upgraded in the future which is why I do not wish to purchase a brand name PC & also be capable of running Windows 7 after it has been released for a while when hopefully some of the main bugs will be sorted out.

Any suggestions will be most welcome along with any recommendations on computer guys in Phuket as it has been a long time since I last had one built.

The maximum amount of performance is going to be obtained from the Intel i7. They have a new socket coming out; it's for lower performance i7 models, but I'm concerned that it will go the way of AMD's socket 754. I.E., it will probably be used by OEMs and that's it. It seems to be situated between socket 775 and 1366. I assume that Intel has finally settled on a socket, 1366, that they're going to stick with. Socket 775 has been around ~4 years and until they stop selling the Core2 processors will probably stay with us.

Currently AMD promotes their line-up of processors, motherboards and videocards. When you get a complete AMD system it's called 'Dragon'. And for the price to performance ratio it's hard to beat with an Intel/Nvidia setup. I've read that AMD is planning on sticking with AM2+, which allows you to use DDR3, for a while.

Right now you can get fabulous performance from the ATI 4770. US list price is a smidge over 100 USD. For processor I would definitely look for something with a sub 95w rating; this will run cooler and save you money. AMD offers some 45w processors, but only up to dual-core. With your stated work load I do question the need for more than 2 cores, but it is your money!

With the motherboard; if you're doing a lot of cad work, you want to make sure that you can shove as much RAM in there as possible. While DDR3 isn't as cheap as DDR2, it doesn't make sense to go cheap. Use a proper 64bit operating system. If you have too much (I personally have 12GB in my workstation), you can always make a RAM disk. And that's truly awesome to work off of.

I wouldn't worry about Windows 7 too much; it appears that it's not the performance bloat upgrade that Vista was over XP (or XP over 98, or 98 over 3,11, etc.).

Thanks for the advice & you are probably correct in stating 2 cores will be sufficient. Power consumption is an issue & one computer shop tech was already saying I would need a fairly heavy duty fan to keep things cool when we discussong the pros & cons of using AMD X3 along with a Gigabyte MB &Nvidia graphics card. ATI 4770 looks just fine for me after reading reviews.

There is not any intent on my part to create humour but I always thought wellies were for good Kiwi boys in case a pretty one passed by.

Why were the tanning & shopping trolly topics locked? The trolleys are a continuing source of frustrration when shopping for jandals.

Thanks for the invitation to the IBAP. Unfortunately, I'm not in Phuket at the moment, but, I would have loved to go as I believe I have come up with a good idea that I would like to put to the membership.

I've always thought the term "High Season" could have negative connotations for some members of the public.

They could quite easily come to the conclusion that Phuket is full of druggies at this time of year; a bit like Koh Phang Ngan during the Full-Moon parties. I believe a couple of Norwegians in Bangla have already made this mistake.

I think if a campaign was started to change the name to "Tall Season", this would attract those tourists that might not come to Phuket otherwise.

A beneficial side-affect of this name change, which, in my view is a positive development, would be to attract those tourists that suffer from Vertigo.

Maybe you could pitch this idea at the next IBAP meeting?

By the way.......what colour "jandals" do you wear, and do they have deep treads?

I expect they are quite high class black jandals (Ecco brand), they are certainly expensive. No deep treads but supposedly good in the rain (summertime for those of us here in Phuket). I need good support due to a dodgy left knee & dodgy right ankle resulting from my young & silly, have no fear, days.

Is there no sun or tanning shop where you are right now or are you perhaps back offshore working? Keep up with IBAP http://ibap-phuket.org as I believe next month is Legal Eagles which is always interesting considering getting a panel of legal experts to agree on anything.

Tanning salons & flip flop (jandals where I come from) fashions. What have we come to? I do not know of any tanning salons, only the great orb in the sky. I am sure that even during the "summer/rainy/green" season you can find enough sun to maintain a free, healthy tan.

Sir Burr, it appears you are a little bored. Perhaps you should attend the IBAP meeting tonight, possibly make some new acquaintances or renew some old ones, followed by a stroll down Bangla to meet some of Hi Rider's friends.

Tongue firmly in cheek although not to be confused with similar gestures down Bangla.

I have read in the past couple of days the highways dept is putting on hold all new road projects but not sure if the proposed airport road, Central overpass, Chalong to Patong, the tunnel (I believe two expensive evaluations have already been undertaken on this), etc fall under their jurisdiction. Phuket is in desperate need of a manageable road system with far too few main links & any existing alternatives or shortcuts are generally through narrow winding sois.

There are some roads which if completed properly would certainly help e.g Chalong to Patong, the road from Honda which cuts through to Kathu but grinds almost to a standstill behind PSU, completing the road from Chao Fa West through to Saphan Hin, making Chao Fa West a true 4 lane road.

Peak hours are getting longer every year & sometimes cannot even predict at any time if you can quickly get along Thepkasattri & past Two Heroines or getting around the inertsection at Central with fairly clear movement along Chao Fa. Remember how many years it took just to get the Central traffic lights correctly configured.

Many of the problems are obviously due to land requisition & the inevitable long drawn out negotiations yet they were able to make it work in Thalang after a while although in hindsight more room for expansion should have been allowed for.

Hi to everyone

I am embarking on house purchase in Sing Buri Region and would like to include a pool. Has anyone any idea of costs and/or contacts for installation??

thanks

Don

I could give you some cost estimates for construction based on Phuket priicng which are likely to be higher than elsewhere but you could use as a benchmark. Fell free to send me a message stating your specifications.

I am planning on building a PC, not by myself I will have a computer shop guy do it. My normal use of a PC is for everyday things such as email, spreadsheets, Word documents but I also like to have the capacity for occasional game play of 3D games, some graphics but not really high end, plus CAD based prgrammes. The current CPU I would like to use is the Athalon X3 as it seems to have some good reviews & is reasonably cost effective.

My concern is about choosing a mother board & graphics card so that all compnonents are truly compatible & are able to work together at maximum capability. The system should also be able to be upgraded in the future which is why I do not wish to purchase a brand name PC & also be capable of running Windows 7 after it has been released for a while when hopefully some of the main bugs will be sorted out.

Any suggestions will be most welcome along with any recommendations on computer guys in Phuket as it has been a long time since I last had one built.

Not sure if I should post this here but it may be of interest to some. IBAP (International Business Association of Phuket) will hold their monthly networking/social evening this coming Friday at 6.15pm, PG;s Steakhouse in Soi Sanasabai, Patong. This from the website http://ibap-phuket.org "Our May program (May 15th) will be a panel presentation by Phuket business and information experts addressing the world economic downturn and related consequences for foreigners living and working in Phuket." The panel includes Bill Barnett, Nick Davies, Alan Morrison, Alasdair Forbes.

It would be great to see some of you there. Fee for members is 200 Baht & 400 baht for guests which includes buffet & a couple of complimentary drinks of beer, wine or soft drink. There is no requirement for guests to be accompanied by a member.

The bunny ones, or any other funny with original number are not legit. Max fine is 1.000 baht. Should keep the original ones in the trunk in case caught.

Wait, so I understand, Thai people are making their own license plates now! Ha! I never imagined such a thing!! Sure, why not?! LOL TIT!

There is one shop across the road from the jail.

Anyway back to my original query & based on the replies I am now assuming the only legit plates are the ones originally issued with the vehicle or if you manage to get one of the blue green picturesque ones, with a special number, at a government sanctiioned auction. In other words it is not legal to have one of those shops produce plates with my numbers????

we just moved from aussie . we subscribed to UBC " which is absolute crap " i need some help from anybody to find a good experienced sat shop in phuket ..i heard there is one but i have not got a clue where??

also is it possible to get aussie tv in phuket ??

i am prepared to get a 3.5 meter dish with actuator so i can have several choices . but need to find a supplier which does not rip me off ...

any help would be good

please pm **email removed per forum rules--sbk***

thanks in advance

You can get Australia Newtwork on cable along with about 70 other channels for 350 Baht per month & a small set up fee. For sat I recently visited a shop on Thanong Kwang, almost opposite the driving range. They had a range of different sat packages available including Astro, South Africa but for Aust. Network you need to have a clear view as their sat is low on the horizon.

Thanong Kwang

where is that?? Thanong Kwang . in phukettown somewhere??? any direction and i will go and check it out this week..

It is the straight road that runs between Chao Fa East & West. If on Chao Fa West it runs off a T junction with a big wine barrel on the corner. Yesterday I just found out Astro has Aust Network in one of their packages & only requires a small dish & no need for line of site to the low part of the horizon as they take the Aust feed themselves & then re beam it back via their sat.

There is an article in the Bangkok Post http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion...s-far-from-over which is about job losses in America. The same rationale can apply to Phuket & indeed the whole of Thailand. If any promotion or scheme can help to save job losses then it is well worthwhile based on all the negative consequences which are well summarised in the article.

So tricking people into coming on their "summer" holiday to a place where it'll be raining quite often and the west coast beaches are too dangerous for swimming, is all OK with you?

Do you have a tourism related business here?

I do not have a tourist related business here but I do have a business which is effected by the worldwide recession & so right now I have a good feel for what it is like to have little or no money coming in while trying to provide for my family & I can tell you unequivocally the heartache this causes. This is why it is so tragic that so many have lost & will continue to lose their jobs which has a huge impact on society as a whole.

As other posters have stated we are in the northern hemisphere & officially it is summer which is many things to many places including rainy days. I agree that west coast beaches can be dangerous during this time but not more than a myriad of beaches around the world where thousands swim everyday & some get into trouble because they ignore signs posted by lifeguards. Maybe the website has a different meaning to you http://www.summerinphuket.com but I do not see any attempt to deceive.

I would love to have a job working on rotation (as Sir Burr does & if he has any possible contacts I would welcome a PM) & believe me I am trying. I even put my hand up for work in Southern Iraq which I really have no desire to go to for obvious reasons. If I did have a well paying job or be finacially well off I would still support any initiative to help keep people in their jobs.

In my situation it is hard to be truly objective but I am certainly not cynical & I hope this thread can come up with some positive ideas.

Well I went back on the weekend and there is still that gawdawful music blaring out. Who do think they are benefiting? Does anyone really like this noise?

Do you mean inside the supermarket as well as outside? If inside then we all should complain to the management. I am not against quiet, relaxing, background music & if done correctly I believe it can induce shoppers to buy more but this appears to be an unknown concept here.

I have often fancied getting one of those special Phuket number plates for my car, the one with the pictorial background, but have always put it in the too hard or too expensive basket as I thought they were only available for special numbers & auctioned off. In the past few months I have noticed a couple of shops selling such number plates along with others like the bunny one.

My question is, are these legit? If so should the original plates be kept? I realise I would have to use the same number as is currently on my car.

Any reviews on the brunch at les Anges as I think they have one on Sundays?

Hi

There IS a road from Chalong to Patong, well not very good but its there, my friend took that road in his car, took 2 hours he say he will never do it again

It's been there for years and years.

There was a two kilometre stretch that got washed away about four years ago because it was never surfaced and it was very steep, and the present route now by-passes that bit.

Yet, the original route would be the best if there was some levelling and surfacing done.

I believe the present governor is trying to push it through again (like quite a few previous governors), but, the forestry department that actually owns this bit of land is digging in their heels (yet again).

There is hope, though, as the Mayor of Patong has been buying land up there.

Maybe, he knows something?

A few months ago we had the deputy mayor of Patong speak at the IBAP monthly meeting & at the time he said this road was going to be completed soon & jokingly suggested we should buy land. He also said the middle road through Patong would also be completed which would solve some of the traffic problems. Economic woes & financial constraints since then could very well delay the process.

Actually, from what part of Chao Fa West does this road start?

A fairly easy prediction is Bangkok like gridlock in some parts of Phuket. The proposed new roadworks will not help alleviate the burden on the small roads within Phuket Town where only enforceable restricted parking & a well thought out extension of the one way system can help in the immediate future while at the same time acquring land in order to widen existing roads at a later date.

Also an increase in road rage with the use of guns. Last year, at around 7pm, I witnessed a black sedan trying to run down a motorcyclist after turning right from Central down Chao Fa. A couple of shots were also fired from the sedan.

I totally agree with the landslide one as it has already happened in Patong with loss of life.

If hel_l freezes over within the next 10 years then there is a possibility, albeit remote, of reforming the tuk tuk problem.

There is an article in the Bangkok Post http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion...s-far-from-over which is about job losses in America. The same rationale can apply to Phuket & indeed the whole of Thailand. If any promotion or scheme can help to save job losses then it is well worthwhile based on all the negative consequences which are well summarised in the article.

It was these kinds of policies that ensured the Democrats were unelectable for a decade in the aftermath of the economic crash with Chuan's hugely unpopular 'bitter medicine' policies.

In stark contrast with the Thaksin years where people were better off and prospered.

Chuan inherited a financial disaster as the two previous governments of kept their heads in the sand too long totally ignoring or unable to do anything about the problems in the financial sector. I am sure there are many who made huge sums of money by changing their Thai Baht at 25 to the dollar prior to the devaluation. Lessons learned since then show that the IMF may not be the guiding light it was thought to be at the time.

Inceasing the sin taxes has always been an easy but not very creative way to raise extra funds & is used by governments all over the world. Huge sums of money could be saved by streamlining the civil service & at the same time making them more service orientated as they are supposedly servants of the public who pay their salaries. Corruption is a huge business & if say 50% of the corruption money could be channeled back to the public then Thailand would be a very prosperous country.

The price of cigarettes & alcohol do not bother me as I do not partake in either but it appears the increase in alcohol tax is very selective towards certain drinks. If some of the funds generated were used on an educational campaign to get people off smoking & drinking then huge gains would be made in other areas such as increased productivity, more harmonious family relations, less strain on the health system, etc.

we just moved from aussie . we subscribed to UBC " which is absolute crap " i need some help from anybody to find a good experienced sat shop in phuket ..i heard there is one but i have not got a clue where??

also is it possible to get aussie tv in phuket ??

i am prepared to get a 3.5 meter dish with actuator so i can have several choices . but need to find a supplier which does not rip me off ...

any help would be good

please pm **email removed per forum rules--sbk***

thanks in advance

You can get Australia Newtwork on cable along with about 70 other channels for 350 Baht per month & a small set up fee. For sat I recently visited a shop on Thanong Kwang, almost opposite the driving range. They had a range of different sat packages available including Astro, South Africa but for Aust. Network you need to have a clear view as their sat is low on the horizon.

Great idea to have someone on the ground check out the scene.

I wonder if there was mailicious intent involved. We all know there are many in this fair land who keep their emotions bottled up but when offended i.e. lose face, quite drastic consequences can follow. There have been many tales related about spiking of drinks for financial gain so it could easily be done for another reason.

I hope the comments posted here will give the families heart that there is genuine concern & despite the grief they must be feeling the truth will eventually come out.

About a year ago there was a razzle dazzle promotion for an apartment complex in Poonphol Plaza which was to include a small water park. Not sure how much money they accepted if any at all. I asked them about setting up some kind of escrow type account (they do not appear to exist in Thailand but I thought something could be set up) & they neatly side stepped the issue. Up until a couple of months ago not a single sod had been turned.

Selling off the plan has always been popular amongst the developers but is inherently risky for the buyers. Let the buyer beware.

I wonder if anyone is willing to publish a list of projects that have accepted payments & failed to proceed or have halted, statements from the developers can be included. Even developers that have good intentions are having difficulties but by coming clean on what is going on & that payments can be refunded or a guarantee given then it may go some way to helping the property market which I felt was starting to mature given the previous wild west cowboy mentality which pevailed earlier & still does to a certain extent.

Good to see Villa have stopped music inside but still have speakers on their outside walls playing alongside the beer garden music. yesterday I strolled around the rest of the complex & some stall holder was blaring loud music. What is it with the mindset that believes in the value of loud music or any kind of loud noise to attract more custom?

I'm looking for my water treatment an air venturi valve and air mixing tank.

I have to introduce oxygen into my well water system to remove iron.

Does anybody knows where i can buy this valve and possible tank.

A simple way could be to use a jacuzzi jet as they have an air & water line. Only need to use a water pump as the air will suck in from the atmosphere. Another way could be to replace the media in your filter & I quote from their website "VitroClean's^® weak negative surface charge holds fine particles and positively charged iron and manganese ions that are easily released upon back washing". This is readily available in Phuket & feel free to PM me if you want more info. Iron can be more complex than it sounds as you have it in the form of both ferric & ferrous oxide with some systems only removing one of them.

Just reading some comments from Valentine and had an idea… what if the same business group put as much effort into talking with local businesses and developers and maybe general population education about waste disposal and sewerage treatment???? They could start with business friends and on and on….

Then maybe the reefs would live to the high season (not buried in hillside soils) and the beaches would be quite attractive to people who like a clean beach as well as whatever the weather throws at them…….

I agree there are many things they or others can do to improve the image of Phuket many of which have been mentioned here & in other threads. Commendations should go to people like John Gray who organises beach clean ups with school kids & others who actually might retain the lessons learned from their handiwork. Of course there are others who make positive contributions but the reality is that most people do not care as long as they have money in their pocket today or rice on the table. To continue with rubbish as an example one can see everyday the indiscriminate littering on the side of the roads from from the kid on the back of a motorbike to full truck loads on some of the back roads. Only education & raising awareness will help solve this & the myriad other problems which effect tourism & our day to day lives.

The "summer" group have picked a theme which they hope will help revive tourism in the low season & as I said before if it can help save some jobs then it is a job well done.

My condolences to the families concerned.

I realise it is unwise to speculate until all the facts are out but by reading these posts there appears to be a lot of confusion & misinformation, intentional or otherwise, & the way it is being handled or mishandled by the authorities the true facts may never be revealed. Anyway, has anyone considered this could be the work of a serial killer?