curtklay

I live in a Northern Province, and the standard for a septic tank is nothing more than concrete rings sunk in the ground with no bottom. My understanding is the waste gets digested by bacteria/enzymes, turns to liquid, and then seeps into the ground. It sounds environmentally horrific, but that's the way they do it.

I have 3 tanks; 1 for 2 toilets, 1 for the showers, and 1 for the kitchen. After 4 years, the toilet "septank" was full. I called the guy who pumps them out, and he came out and pumped all 3 tanks even though the other 2 were not full. OK, so far. 2 weeks later, the toilets would'nt flush. I took the top off the tank, and it was full to the brim. The other tanks were very low. I called the guy out again, and he pumped out the toilet tank again. I asked him why it was full after only 2 weeks, but all I got was a blank stare. 4 days after the second pump out, the tank was at least 50% full. This didn't seem right, but I have no knowledge of how these things work. I added some of the "waste digester" they sell at Homepro, thinking that maybe the tank needed a "recharge". I have been measuring the level in the tank daily with a long stick for the past week, and while it's not full, it is about 75% full, and slowly rising. I noticed at the second pump out, that there was a heavy layer of sludge at the bottom that was not pumped out, and I'm wondering if that is blocking the drainage. I suspect he is only pumping the liquid out. When I put the measuring stick in the tank, I can feel a layer of muck at least a foot deep before I hit hard ground.

So, my question is: I know there are 3 layers to this so called system; sludge at the bottom, water in the middle, and scum at the top, but when they pump it out, should they be pumping out the sludge or not? The guy claims he's doing it correctly, but our neighbors are complaining about the same problem, that their tank fills up much more quickly after this guy does his job. It is only the toilet septank that is filling so fast; the kitchen and shower tanks look like they are normal, so I am ruling out rain and groundwater levels causing the problem. Are these things supposed to operate with a certain level of fullness? That doesn't seem logical.

I am stumped as to how it would take 4 years to fill up initially, then only 2 weeks after being pumped out. Something ain't right. Any information or advice from those who have gone before me will be greatly appreciated. I have searched the forums, but can't find a definitive answer.

This is more confusing than it appears. In the USA, "standard" pvc is "schedule 40" and is white in color. It is used for all plumbing applications including pools. The exception is high heat areas like going in and out of a gas heater. "Schedule 80" is used there and is thicker and grey in color. Color coding makes it easy.

Here, there are 2 grades of pipe, but they're both blue. Whether it's 8.5 grade or 13.5 grade is stamped on the pipe. In my town, the local stores only sell the blue 13.5 grade, which is why I said the Homepro pipe is fine to use. I didn't even know there was a lower grade. As long as it's marked 13.5, it is OK.

swimingpoolsthailand.com says on their website, "never use standard grade (8.5) blue pipe. Always use 13.5 grade heavy duty pvc" and then they show all blue pipe and fittings. Leave it to Thailand to complicate what is simple elsewhere.

So, to the OP; if your Homepro has blue pipe marked 13.5 (and I'll bet they do) you can use it with no problem. As far as the glue goes, I have always used standard pvc cement, but clean the fittings with solvent first.

Well, I stand corrected. I didn't mean to give you a bum steer. Amazing Thailand.

No problem. Standard schedule 40 pvc pipe and glue are used the world over. The Homepro stuff is fine.

If I could build my house again...I wouldn't.

It happened to me in Hua Hin, and it's been reported for Korat and one other place up north (can't find my notes right now...)

Those locations *do* require the 90-day seasoning for funds when using the combination method (savings + income > B800,000).

I'd be interested which location this just occurred, to see if there is now a fourth location.

When it happened to me in Hua Hin (two years ago) they offered to forego the seasoning for a fee. I think it was B4,000. I recall it was considerably more than a B2,000 Non-Immigrant O visa to gve me 90 days for seasoning, so I declined. Had it been just B2,000, I might have bitten, but their greed put me off.

I recently did my combination renewal at Nan. I specifically asked if the bank account money had to be seasoned, and was told "Yes". I know this is contrary to the official rule, but there isn't a whole lot you can do when the officer is telling you otherwise. Luckily, the money had been in there for 3 months, or I don't know what the result would have been.

One has to always keep in mind that "this is Thailand", and you will constantly find things aren't the way they are supposed to be. Arguing and quoting rulebooks won't get you very far. Yes, it is screwed up, and very frustrating for Westerners, but that's the way it is.

Arm yourself with knowledge, but always cover your butt.

The Who just have never been the same since Keith Moon died.

It seems to be a thai problem when dealing with farangs, no have.

In banphai there is a pharmacy ,each time i go in, without looking up the man says no have, hello i can see what i want on that shelf , no have,I go outside get the wife she asks for same item , he goes to the shelf and passes item to my wife 80 baht please. <deleted>.

That could be something as simple as the guy don't speaka the farang lingo, maybe the only words he knows are "no have"....Language barriers are the world over, not just a problem in Thailand...

No, it's not a language barrier. It's an attitude problem. I have had similar experience with the "no have" reply when I am pointing directly to the item behind the counter. There is no excuse for not making a minimum effort to understand what the customer wants. Thankfully, I don't encounter this attitude often.

I get mine on Ebay. Lots to choose from. Cost about $5 with fast shipping.

The Yamaha FG700S is a very highly rated guitar and sells for 12,000 baht in Thailand. For under 5,000 baht, you can get the entry level F310.

Do buy from a reputable shop. Thailand is the Counterfeit Capital of the World.

30,000 baht for a "decent quality" guitar is insane. A lower end Yamaha will cost you half of that, and is more than decent. Look around.

what is it that only you can do in burma?

Buy a genuine carton of Lucky Strike cigarets for $3

What can you get in Burma?

Bootleg DVDs for 30 baht, (some of them actually play) counterfeit Viagra, and a whole cornucopia of pure crap.

And I seriously doubt those cigarettes are "genuine".

Back to what the OP is asking....

Omneprazole is sold as brand name "Miracid" and costs 80 baht for 14 capsules.

Naproxen is sold as brand name "Sonap Forte" and costs 55 baht for 10.

Both are available in almost any pharmacy.

I take both daily with no problems.

WOW...ask a simple question and look what happens.

The fact is as Villagefarang said. Make 2 copies of the front pages of your passport. On the Thai side of the crossing, tell them you want a VIP DAY PASS. They will take your passport, 1 copy, and 100 baht. You cross over to the Burma side where they take the other copy, and 500 baht. You go shop til you drop, come back to the Thai side, and collect your unstamped passport. I have done this several times, and they even let you skip the long lines coming back on the Burma side.

Using a re-entry permit to go to Mai Sai for the day is totally unnecessary.

Thanks for that link, Pib. But after reading all 3 pages, my head hurts. A defective breaker was my first thought, and there is some question about Square D quality control in other discussions. But because my tripping issue is only occasional, and I am not an electrician, I'm going to let it be for now. I think the most likely cause is either leakage, "overambitious" RCBOs, or Thai ghosts. I will clean up the switches and sockets to eliminate the possibility of bugs, and also will "exercise" the test button, which does work. If the situation worsens, I'll call in some pros. But I'm happy to live with the knowledge that it's offering more protection than less.

My thanks to all who replied. If I find a definitive explanation, I will post it.

Thank you, Crossy. I was hoping you would reply. You are correct; the bathrooms are on that breaker along with the bedroom lights and sockets. You have put my mind at ease knowing that the breakers are correctly installed. I assume that the occasional tripping source is elsewhere as you suggest. I am not going to search for it, knowing I am over my head. My confidence is restored, and I take back my sarcasm regarding Thai electricians.

Hi All,

Attached are some pictures of the inside of my home’s breaker box with the front cover removed. My questions are about that one oddball 10 amp breaker on the lower right side, second from the bottom. The circuits from 2 bedrooms are on this breaker; nothing heavy duty, just ceiling lights and wall sockets. During the four years since the house was built, this breaker will occasionally trip for no apparent reason. Oddly, it usually happens late at night when there is no load on it at all. It resets normally, and will not trip again for several days or even weeks. It’s very sporadic. I have turned on every appliance in both rooms simultaneously to see if it could be an overload issue, but it stays on, and as I said, it usually trips when there is little or nothing on.

What strikes me as strange is the fact that it is the only 10 amp breaker in the box. All others are 16, 20, or 40. It looks like the so called “electrician” ran out of 16 amp breakers, and just threw this one in. So, my thought was to replace it with a 16 amp breaker. But after looking closely at the wiring, I see that there is one, and only one, red wire coming into the box, and it is attached to that breaker. Now I am puzzled.

My questions are, 1. Does replacing the 10 amp with a 16 amp seem logical to solve the tripping? (the wire size looks the same to all the breakers) 2. Is there any reason they used a 10 amp breaker in that spot? (other than TIT) 3. Why would they use a red wire for that breaker. (the close up shows the red wire attached to the front screw post, a white wire on the center screw post, and a black wire going into the back.

Any assistance from the TV experts will be greatly appreciated!

I had the same exact problem. You Tube used to show a download arrow that would open Real Player, then one day it was gone. The answer is "Video Downloader Pure 1.97.1". It's a free downloader for Firefox. Now my green download arrow is back, and I can download You Tube as well as most anything, and choose the format I wish.

I had similar problems after Google Earth updated to version 7.0. After numerous uninstalls and reinstalls with no improvement, I reinstalled version 6.2. All the problems stopped, and it's been working fine ever since. A lot of people have reported similar experience. It's worth a try.

BTW, yes it's GREAT that the 15 day income letter rule was scrapped so quickly. HOWEVER, just the fact that immigration did that in the first place is a symptom of a troubling reality that in my view should be well realized by retired expats here (and those considering the move) ... we are on a short leash and we are subject to being "jerked around" with things like the 15 day letter, at any time in future.

Is that any way to treat a "guest in their country"?

I have taken "Osteo-Biflex triple strength" for many years, and it definitely helps my arthritis. It contains Glucosomine, Chondroitin, and MSM. I have not found it in Thailand, but several Ebay merchants offer it. It's not cheap, but a little searching can result in the best price with a reasonable shipping charge. Make sure they ship by post office, not courier.

Check what version you have. Google Earth updated me to version 7 without informing me, and I had terrible problems. I went to their website, and reloaded version 6.2. All the problems went away.

Thank you, gentlemen.