pianoman

If you take the first Exit coming from Yang Talat / Khon Kaen. the first Garden Shop you pass on your Left sales Sod...     Check what they have on hand and if it does not meet your wants, then ask them and they can / will order fresh shipments from their supplier...  They also can supply people to do the installation for you  if you are not into "Yard  Work"......

Pianoman

Can I / anyone pay your Power and Water bills at 7/11s???

pianoman

We were stopped at one of the ever present Thai Police Road Blocks just outside of our home city of Kalasin...  He checked my Thai Drivers Lic., Owners book for the Truck, then told my wife that it was now (like it was a new law) illegal to Smoke a cigarette while driving in Thailand...   He was nice, polite and offered to let me go with a "Warning" for this time????

Anyone else heard of this "New" Law????

Pianoman

O.K., a little more information regarding this Cult / Situation...  Individual involved is a friend and I do not want to add to his problems by "Outing" him, but feel that this is serious enough to warrant trying to find more information regarding this "Group"...

"5 years ago my wife joined a religious cult, they took over her life and finances. _______then informed me that she belonged to the guy in the sky ___________________. I then joined the Taiwan run group to try and make things work. I became a vegetarian and went to a couple of their meetings, I stopped when I realised what was going on. People had to recruit others, by force or fear and also pay large amounts of money to get a front row seat in the sky. We built a nice house on the farm, when it was finished I was told it was for the cult to use, I took it back by force. Then a temple was built on the farm for their use and a large sum was paid to bless it. _______"

I am worried about my friend and also others who might become involved with this group, as they seem to be really trying to spread their "Word" /Bullshit...

Pianoman

Wondering if anyone has heard of any religious cults in Thailand???   Someone I know seems to be having problems after his wife joined such a group...

Pianoman 

Does anyone have a valid E-Mail Address for Thai Immigration HQ??  I have tried the "Contact Us" form from their website multiple times and it does not send after completing the text and hitting the "Send" button...  I can not imagine that they not concerned nor have not noticed that they are not receiving E-Mails from their website, but then this is Thailand...

This is related to my wanting to politely question the fact that there are now, or very soon to be, 3 Immigration Offices within 20 minute (Maha Sarakham) , 35 minute (Roi Et) and a 1 hour (Khon Kaen) drives from Mueang Kalasin, and yet we still have to face the 2+ hour drive  each way over dangerous winding, 2 lane Mountain roads to get to and use the Sakon Nakhon Office...  

Pianoman

23 hours ago, pianoman said:

I am off to Immigration Sakon Nakhon tomorrow morning to do a 90 Day Report, even though the last one was mail EMS and the Tracking showed that it was delivered 5 days before it was due, because I never received my form back from the Immigration Office...  They told me after 3 phone calls regarding it's where a bouts, that I used a 3 baht stamp instead of a 5 baht stamp on the return envelope, so the Post Office just "Lost it"...  And that I would have to come into the Office to do my 90 Day Report this time...

 

Needles to say, the Local Post Office personnel where not happy to hear that Immigration was telling people that the Post Office was not delivering mail with 3 baht stamps...  Especially since it was there Office who sold me the 3 baht stamp saying it was enough considering what was going to be inside of the envelope...

 

As Lamkyong mentioned, it's not just the 2+ hour drive each way, but also the really dangerous winding  two lane road that you need to drive to get there...   Hopefully they will offer some "Good News" regarding us from Mueang Kalasin using either of the New and much closer Immigration Offices...  If not, I am afraid that I will be sending  e-mails to the Immigration HQ requesting an explanation as to why we are not only being "Punished" financially and time wise but also put at a far greater risk by having to continue to  drive such distances and further risk our health and well being...

 

Pianoman

O.K., made the drive, safely I might add,  go there and the office was busy, but after about 8 or 10 minutes waiting the Head (Lady) Officer came out of her office and asked what I needed...  After explaining my situation with regards to not receiving my return 90 Day Report and showing her both my EMS receipt and the copy of the Tracking Report showing that they received it prior to it's due date, she had one of the lower officers look it up and said that it was sent back to me 6 days after they received it, and as an office had told me on the phone before, "You should have put a 5 baht stamp on the return envelope rather than the 3 baht stamp that the Post Office placed on the return envelope...   I told her that the Head Man at the Post Office in Kalasin was not happy to hear that an Immigration Officer believed that the Post Office would just ignore and not deliver mail due to difference between the 3 baht and 5 baht stamp when the 3 baht was all that was needed on a single envelope..  She then just ignored that comment and said that I did the right thing by coming in personally to do my current 90 Day Report...

I then asked her if living in Mueang Kalasin, we could use either the New Office just opened in Roi Et or the soon to open New Office in Maha Sarakhom???   She said "No, your office in this office in Sakon Nakhon"..   I told her that making the 2+ hour drive each way, over winding, dangerous, 2 lane roads was just crazy when there were two New Offices within 30 minutes of our home in Kalasin...  She then said that they would be starting to have someone available to come to Kalasin when needed so that we did not have to make the trip next time...  My Thai GF asked her in Thai, why not have an office in Kalasin and she told her, again in Thai, that they would have an office in Kalasin, but not soon...  She gave my Thai GF the phone # to call before our next trip, to have someone sent to Kalasin...  

The interaction was just a bit confusing, but then most conversations with Thai's can be just that, "Confusing"...    I did tell her that I have an Old Farang friend who does not drive and needs to do his yearly extension the end of Sept. or first week in Oct.,  She said to have him call at least 15 days prior to his extension deadline...

Basically it sounds like they have been told to accomidate  Mueang Kalasin residents in some way, but that exactly How has not really been worked out as of yet...  Possibly Monthly visits to the area, or as needed visits when needed, or who knows...

Pianoman

I am off to Immigration Sakon Nakhon tomorrow morning to do a 90 Day Report, even though the last one was mail EMS and the Tracking showed that it was delivered 5 days before it was due, because I never received my form back from the Immigration Office...  They told me after 3 phone calls regarding it's where a bouts, that I used a 3 baht stamp instead of a 5 baht stamp on the return envelope, so the Post Office just "Lost it"...  And that I would have to come into the Office to do my 90 Day Report this time...

Needles to say, the Local Post Office personnel where not happy to hear that Immigration was telling people that the Post Office was not delivering mail with 3 baht stamps...  Especially since it was there Office who sold me the 3 baht stamp saying it was enough considering what was going to be inside of the envelope...

As Lamkyong mentioned, it's not just the 2+ hour drive each way, but also the really dangerous winding  two lane road that you need to drive to get there...   Hopefully they will offer some "Good News" regarding us from Mueang Kalasin using either of the New and much closer Immigration Offices...  If not, I am afraid that I will be sending  e-mails to the Immigration HQ requesting an explanation as to why we are not only being "Punished" financially and time wise but also put at a far greater risk by having to continue to  drive such distances and further risk our health and well being...

Pianoman

Let's see, living in Mueang Kalasin, we were not included in the use of the Khon Kaen office, which is about an hours drive from Kalasin, when they openned that Office...  Now there is a new Office supposedly open in Roi Et, which is about a 35 minute drive from Kalasin, and Now you are telling us that there is a New Office in Maha Sarakham, which is about 20 minute drive from Kalasin, and we will still have to make the 2+ hour drive to Sakon Nakhon for our Immigration Services...

What did someone in Kalasin due to Totally Piss Off the Thai Immigration higher ups???

Pianoman

Thanks to all for the thoughts and Ideas.... Nice to know that I am not the only person who prefers using a "Flat" sheet rather than sleeping under a Comforter... I had not thought about taking a Comforter Cover and having it cut and a hem sowed on it.. Also I will check Makro as I never even considered that they would have something like that... Yes, I have tried Home Pro, Index Living Mall, and Robinson's... Also tried the Big C in both Kalasin and Roi Et, but did not check either the Big C, nor new Baan And Beyond store at Big C in Khon Kaen... Lazada and all Hotel Supply websites that I checked only listed "Bedding Sets" which they say are "4 Piece," "fitted Sheet, Comforter Cover, 2 pillow cases....

I will continue my search, and if nothing else buy a Quality Comforter Cover and have it cut apart... Thank again...

Pianoman.

I am looking for anywhere in Thailand where I can purchase a High Quality Kingsize "Flat" bed sheet... I have lived here in Kalasin / Issan for the past 15 years and have always slept under a single sheet while my wife sleeps under the Comforter... In the past I have always been able to purchase Quality "Flat"" sheets at both Index Living Mall and at Robinson's, but now neither one stocks such items... I am hoping that there might be somewhere in Bangkok that I could order "On Line" or have a friend down that way go in to purchase for me... When I say "Quality", I would like something 100% Cotton and with a "Thread Count" for at least 350 per inch or higher, hopefully in the 400 to 500 range, but would settle for just about any Decent, Kingsize, "Flat" sheet....

Any and All suggestions or Advice will be Gratefully Appreciated...

Pianoman

I have never really been a Fan of the various "3 in 1" type Instant Coffees, but a few years ago a friend's wife served us some that was really enjoyable, at least to my taste... It is "Super Coffee" in the Green package.. They call it "Coffee Rich", and it is, with Excellent semi-strong Coffee flavor and slightly sweet, with just a hint of a Chocolate flavor to it...

Pianoman

12+ years ago when I first tried for my Thai Bike Lic., here in Kalasin, I showed up on my New Honda Phantom and when I saw all the Thai's waiting for the drive test with their small bikes, I got a little nervous about making it around the extremely small course... My Thai GF said "Just watch the Thai Men and do the same as they do",,, When it came time to ride the course, I was the first one called up, so did not get the chance to watch anyone eles drive it, and just went for it... They had an official walk / run ahead of me to show me where to go so made it simple until the Balance Beam... I stopped and he told me to either drive the beam without stopping end finish the test, or I could continue to drive around the Track again without riding the beam and that would be "O.K.... I just went for and made it across and came off with all the waiting Thai's cheering as I came off...

Pianoman

The Link to the orginal article does not bring it up and I have not found it on their website... Would like to know if there is any additional information other than what is above...

Pianoman

When you are making a sharp turn (u-turn) and you hear squeals from the tires, providing you are not going too fast and your front is aligned, You need tires. They are too hard and do not grip.

Having that problem now. In the market for tires but I think I will be going back to Bridgestone. 180,000 km am still have lots of tread.

I had that problem on my Toyota Prerunner when it was brand new, and the dealership just upped the tire pressure to correct it... My truck is now almost 7 years old and still has the orginal tires in place, but I do plan on replacing them soon as the treads are looking a bit thin...

Pianoman

Having lived in Kalasin 13+ years I have never seen nor heard of anywhere to Rent a Car in the Kalasin area... I even asked several years ago at the Toyota Dealership if they offered such or knew of anywhere that did when having my vehicle repaired and having to be without it for 3 days...

I think that your best bet would be the Big Company's at the Khon Kaen airport, or the smaller shops around the Pullman Hotel in Khon Kaen... As to a driver, I have twice (although years ago) found a driver by asking at the Rim Pao Hotel in Kalasin... Back then I paid him 400 baht per day...

Pianoman

A bit late, but just found the Super Bowl on Truevisions Channel 2...

Pianoman

Unless you are looking for a 4 or 5 Star Hotel, I would suggest that you leave hyway #2 and head east towards Maha Sarakhom, then continue thru Kalasin, turn Right at Som Det. and on to Mukdahan... Both Maha Sarakham & Kalasin have decent Hotels and are nice small cities... Just asking in either one and the locals will direct you to the better hotels... From either Maha Sarakham or Kalasin to Mukdahan is only about a 2 to 3 hour drive... If you are in a hurry, you will want to get over the bridge in Lao early morning to submit your paperwork, and lately they have been returning the Passports the same afternoon around 3:PM...

Pianoman

Every three months TRUE removes or changes my channels around. Last year they dropped CNN and kept BBC. Didn't help me for USA News. They even changed the History Channel and the wildlife channel to Thai. Now I am down to three channels I can understand but pay over 30,000.00 annually. Thinking of a dish and dropping TRUE.

Bakeman,

You need to learn how to navigate thru the channels and set up a Favorites list with your set top box.. True has always offered CNN plus a couple of other US News channels, History & History 2, plus many more than were available just 2 years ago...

Pianoman

I know that last year True offered American Idol on one of the Thai channels since they no longer offer Star World in their channel line up...

With the new season kicking off tonight I can not find any listing of it being available on True... Any suggestions or help appreciated...

Pianoman

Nice to have such a nice choice for such a small western population. Kalasin, to my knowledge only has three western type restaurants, and only one has a decent selection of food. Mukdahan doesn't have any that I know of, so be happy that you have a choice.

George and anyone else interested, Amadeus (Kalasin's only true Western restaurant) is now Closed and will probably not reopen anytime soon or ever again... The Owner has once again given in to the habit of drinking on a daily basis and has broken up with his wife...

Pianoman

Khon Kaen, is going to become the crossroads of the North South double track railroad and East West double track railroad. I could see Khon Kaen becoming the second largest city in Thailand. In ten years people will be wishing they bought land today.

Khon Kaen has always been the second largest city in Thailand

I thought 4th largest

If you check it out on line, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Thailand Khon Kaen is 10th...

Pianoman

I was not able to load your website... the only thing that came up was the header.... Possibly due to the fact that I am an Old Guy with an Old Guy Computer (XP w/ Explorer 7)

Pianoman