kandahar

ooooohhh.........

Looks like someone bought the CR forum from George and we now have a new proprietor. I didn't even know it was on the market.

Just so you all know, I asked Rob about a specific product that I have been looking for. He doesn't stock it. But he went out of his way to find it from another producer and has offered to bring some to me when he arrives next month, at cost. What a guy. I'll take him up on it but he will get something from me for his trouble.

I didn't mention to him that he needs to change his 'Americian" foods on his website to "American" foods. Maybe he writes "Americian" just for fun. We all need to have a little fun.

I'll post what I like, off topic or not.

Anyone who doesn't like it can use the report button on the bottom left hand corner and complain to the moderators.

I understand and respect that approach. But for me, if a person starts a thread and needs to be Joe Serious about it, I'll post my nonsense in another area. It is a big forum, after all. The CR forum is the friendliest little forum around. If one or two threads need to be not -so-friendly, I still have room to have fun.

BTW, I think that cow pie thing is an original Oz dish, isn't it?

That is a good thing that Barry has done. I commend him for that. Quite a surprise to see that kind of post on the forum. It gives me cause for thought.

My first burger at Barry's was a bad deal. That was about one and a half years ago. The bun had been left out so long that it was dry, brittle and it shattered like glass with the first bite. I had to ask for a fork so I could eat the thing. The server could have cared less. I decided that was the end of that place for me. Several friends insisted that it was a one-off and that Barry probably wasn't there that day. So, two different people took me there to try again, two different times. Good burger both of those times. I think I wrote about it here but I can't remember for sure.

Since then, I have written several times about bad experiences at other places. For the most part, I stick by those comments. There are two places in town that serve pizza that is of less quality than a frozen pizza popped into the toaster oven back home. But they both sell a lot of pizza to the beer drinkers. When you're out having beers with like-minded friends, pizza is good, even if it is bad. I have since found a few places that serve decent pizza. So, there is really no point in writing about the bad ones. It is a personal preference; they aren't going to change and neither am I.

But I go back to the first experience at Barry's. I wonder why I didn't make a fuss and send it back, as a friend suggested to me this morning. I should have. Better to speak up, bring it to the attention of management and see how they handle it. Give them a chance to make amends or at least to see if they agree with you that the dish wasn't up to par. If they say that the food is what it is, then you're in a bad place. If they see what you're talking about and go into the kitchen and fix the chef, then you and they have made things better for the rest of us. That may be a better approach than writing about the bad food or service as if it is par for that place.

With all of that in mind, I think it is better to at least bring the troubles to the attention of the staff and see what happens. It really isn't fair to write about it without doing the right thing yourself. Good help is hard to find here. Very hard. The management can't be everywhere, supervising everything, always. And if it is brought to the attention of management and is ignored, then that is a damning post forthcoming and probably well-deserved.

This isn't my thread. I understand that. But it could be a better thread than it is if it was handled a little more fairly. And, it could be a thread that ups the quality of those places we all wish were a little better or more consistent.

So, if this is off topic, just jump on me with both feet. I don't care. I'll post my restaurant reviews in the "Where have you eaten lately" thread. But this one is already headed towards making at least one of the local eateries a better experience. It could actually help a lot of them if we went about it right.

I once knew butcher who backed into his meat-grinder. He got a little behind in his work.

Years later, I met a Chinese chef who backed into his meat-grinder. He got a little behind in his wok.

Americans don't understand good food, probably comes from not having a national cuisine of their own.

I said this to a Chiang Mai bookshop owner once and he became quite irate and said I should try the Chinese food in San Francisco, the Mexican food in Texas and the pizzas in Noo Yawk before I made that sort of comment.

Americans can take food from anywhere in the world and improve on it. They really have a way with cooking. They do, of course, have many original dishes, most of which were born in the kitchens and over the campfires of the poorest residents. Later, people with money realized what they were missing and began to copy those dishes.

I do understand that the Aussies have a very short list of original dishes but for the most part, nobody in the UK has a desire to copy them. Go figure.

What this tread amply demonstrates is that although someone can comment on what THEY think is bad or good food, someone can usually be found in the opposite camp. Pizza being a prime example.

Since I am a Dagwood sandwich (Google it) type of guy, I actually have tried pickled beets (as we call them in the US) on a hamburger. Quite good, but I am not a purist. I do admit an occasional lust for a Wendy's cheese burger with a side dish of chili with onions. I also have to have an occasional White Castle bag of burgers..

These guys didn't say anything about pickled beets. Pickled beets and non-pickled beets are entirely different. But neither one belongs on a burger.

Where I come from, murder is a capital offense. So is putting beetroot on burgers. YUCK!!

Anyway, you two seem to have this thread confused with the International Food Group Pot-luck thread. This is the bad restaurant thread.

I do cook burgers at home; grand creations that will make you cry. But when I'm out and about, looking for a quick burger bite, I want a decent one.

I can see where the immigration thing would get aggravating. I know of some others on work permits that run into the same troubles.

Burgers. Even in the USA, there are different styles and most of the "biggest and best" aren't all that great, whereas some of the everyday "normal" ones are outstanding. If you ever want a first class "normal" burger, stop by a stockyard sales outfit on sale day. Salebarn burgers have been the best for years but you have to put up with the smell of the livestock.

I know of one bugrer there that is free if you eat the whole thing. Hard to do. But it is good. From the website- "If you're in the mood to test the limits of your stomach and your waist, try the Premium Ethyl. Named for a type of gasoline available at the Amoco station next door, Ethyl is a two-pound freshly ground hamburger loaded with toppings and served on a homemade bun. It costs $17.95 and is served with a timer. If you finish it in less than an hour you get it for free and your name gets put on a plaque that hangs on the wall."

I also know of a steak that is free if you can eat the whole thing. Link- http://www.bigtexan.com/free72.html

From the website- "Our World-Famous FREE 72oz. STEAK DINNER (if eaten in 1 hour) is only for the very hungry.Many have tried. Many have failed."

I have eaten at both places many times but have never attempted those two dishes.

Anyway, in CR, the best burger I have found is made by a Thai man and wife. A lot of the Farang owned places just can't seem to get a simple burger right for some reason. The Nice Kitchen on Jetyod does not try to put on airs about their burgers. It is just a simple burger, larger than most in CR, but does have a bit of Thai added to it in the way of green peppers and such. Still, it is very consistent. Whenever I go there, they don't ask what I want to eat. They ask "One or two?" The answer is usually "Two." They do excellent Thai food as well. As for an American breakfast, I have yet to find a decent one in CR. I haven't tried Don's yet. I will one day. Maybe there is a surprise waiting for me there. The problem is, the place is always in the wrong direction for the other tasks that I need to accomplish in the morning. I just can't bring myself to drive out there to eat and then double back past my house to go take care of my other business.

Wow, L man. Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed today?

In my home country, I tend to see out "other" foods, maybe once a week; Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Greek, Polish ect. Here in Thailand, some of us tend to seek out the "home" foods once a week. What is the trouble with that? I like a good burger now and then. Isn't there room for a little of everything here?.

Are there barbecue facilities there or do have to buy one of Kandahar's barbecues

I don't recall anything a westerner would consider a BBQ pit. Since it is for Thais I assume they would bring the little clay things or the 55 gal. drum type with them.

Everyone needs one of Kds BBQ pits although I am still trying to talk him into a smaller version.

If he comes maybe he will bring one for advertizing although it may take 4 grown men to lift it into a PU. Built to last.

I may bring a little portable LPG camping grill, just in case.

If anyone is going to be in need of a BBQ grill for heating their dish or cooking, let me know. I can bring a grill and charcoal for that purpose.

I'll be there but I think the wife is going to skip this one.

I'll be bringing pulled BBQ beef and buns for southwest style BBQ sandwiches, maybe another dish and I will bring a couple of two litter bottles of soda.

My sinuses went crazy last night and still are giving me fits.

I don't have anywhere near as much trouble here as I have in other countries, though.

toybits, you're probably never too old to get hay fever. I didn't have any allergies until I was nearly forty. After that, I was on shots for most of the year to help me deal with it.

I thought these buses left every full-thirty...

I'm pretty sure you're right about that.

I thought these buses left every full-thirty...

I'm pretty sure you're right about that.

In Mae Sai Khanthongkham Hotel is very near the border, on the left just after the last U-turn. Friendly, helpful staff and comfortable, wi-fi in reception and OK in rooms nearby. Low season rates were 700/800. Phone053-734222, wwww.ktkhotel.com

Yes, that one is definitely more central to the shopping area and the crossing. Never stayed there but always wondered about it.

This one occurs so often that it might be better off as a pinned topic, with a link, such as Sven's Google map, for folks to add hotels, prices and experiences to. Maybe could even get a local sponsor for that particular thread, such as a travel agent or such.

I haven't been on the forum all that long but I sure see these same questions come again and again and usually, the same answers are given again and again.

McG, if you have an interest in this, let me know. I'll beat around town and see if I can get a sponsor specifically for the thread. If I can't find one, I'll just borrow and then rent out jubby's four-wheeler once a month to pay the sponsorship fee.

I really can't bring myself to name all of the bad places and bad experiences I have had. I know a lot of these people have dreams and try hard.

Now and then, I do get upset enough to type something about a bad experience. But others remind me that it is all subjective. What I find inedible is the best in town to another person. What I find is unacceptable service is perfect for another just because the server is likable. Limbo and I are so far apart on pizza that I question his sense of taste. So, these days, I just try to write about the good ones and leave the rest to the people who enjoy them, for whatever reason they have to enjoy them.

Tex, what happened? Success or no?

When you're hitting town, let me know. I can take you to several hotels in that area and you can check out the rooms before you commit. For the 2,000 baht range, I would suggest the Wiang Inn. I used to stay there a lot until I discovered the Wang Come would give me a much better rate and about the same service. The Wang Come has spotty Wi-Fi in the rooms but good reception in the lounge area.

http://www.wianginn.com/

http://www.wangcome.com/

I wouldn't fret about being close to the bus station. It is on the edge of town and it is a small town. When you arrive in Mai Sai, there will be little red bus/trucks waiting at the bus station to take you into town. When it is time to leave, it is the same story, almost. Those little red trucks just go round and round, from downtown to the bus station and back. So, just walk out of the hotel and into the street and get on the first one you see. You'll go to the bus station. If you choose a color other than red, you probably won't end up at the bus station.

There are decent hotels near the shopping area and the immigration office. I stay at one that is within walking distance of immigration but is at the beginning of the bazaar-like shopping area. The place is called the Piyaporn Place Hotel. It runs about 1,000 baht a night but the wife gets a discount for that rate. I dunno about wi-fi. We always take our wireless with us so we don't use wi-fi.

http://www.asiarooms.com/en/thailand/chiang_rai/177715-piyaporn_place.html

http://www.thailandehotel.com/Thailand/Chiang_Rai/Mae_Sai/Piyaporn_Place_Hotel.htm

Your current gates cannot be too heavy for a decent opener. The support posts or hinges can be too light. Typically, the smallest of openers will open the largest of gates. Getting the gates to open and close isn't a problem. The problem comes in getting the gates to stop when they reach their limits. A heavier gate will take out a smaller operating mechanism because of the momentum it has. You can overcome this by installing stops where you want the gate to stop or slowing down the rate of travel on the operator. The better solution is to install the heavier operator to go with the heavier gate. Also note, the cheaper operators do not have an adjustment for rate of travel.

Also note that automatic gates are not necessarily a boost in home security. Many can be unpinned from the operating mechanism and opened by hand in about two seconds. Others have a control box that is unsecured and any small piece of wire or a good ink pen will allow bad guys to jumper the controls and open the thing automatically. There are electronic locks that you can install that will release the gate when it is commanded to open. That will defeat the unpinned operator ruse. But the control box needs to be locked so it cannot be commanded manually to open. If you're serious about the security thing, the cables need to be in conduit as well.

In the past, I have had guys call me who had their entire gate operating system stolen in the night or over a weekend. The only thing the thieves don't get is the remotes and those can be purchased easily. So, the automatic gate does provide limited security but someone who is out to defeat it, can defeat it. It is always a good idea to install cams or the fake cams, in places where the bad guys will see them and know, or think, that they are being watched.

Edit: The real message here is that your gates are not too heavy. Don't let the guy sell you a new set with the story that they are too heavy or big. If all else fails, just buy the operators from him and install them. Re-working or replacing the hinges isn't a big deal or cost.

Gate openers. I used to sell them, install them and service them. Built a lot of the gates that they went on, also. With that in mind, think about the following-

Get a DC operator instead of an AC one. The DC models runs off of a battery that functions hundreds of times without a re-charge, depending on the size of the opener, weight of the gates/gates. A solar panel will charge the battery sufficiently, if running an AC line to the charger is too expensive. DC models also typically don't have the power to kill someone if the safety sensors fail. An AC gate will kill. An AC gate has to be opened manually if there is a power failure. DC opens during power failures.

Lightening loves gate openers. It fries the main board even if the strike is only close.

Get a keypad installed outside of the gate so friends, servicemen and such can get in when you're gone or if you've forgotten your remote. You can give one time, one use codes and then change them and you can give permanent codes to people you trust, like jubby's in-laws.

Swinging gates are less trouble and less maintenance than sliding gates. Typically, swinging gate openers are much cheaper than sliders as well.

Install an exit wand on the inside of your property so the gate opens automatically for anyone leaving the property.

There are quite a few sales outfits in Thailand. I don't know anything about them, as far as good or bad.

Here are two phone contacts. The first is CM. 086-4310-133-6 Also, you can check their link, which is www.026816789.com

Another is 02-938-0260-1. Their link is www.hp1990.com and you can e-mail them (laugh here) at [email protected]

Openers are very easy to install, if you're at all a do-it-yourself kind of guy. That's how I got into the business. I bought a dual set, installed it and started installing for neighbors and friends that wanted gate openers. If you decide on a DIY job, let me know. I'll give you a hand.

You may want to import from elsewhere. GTO, in Florida, makes some decent products. There are some other good brands out there. I have checked the brands offered by one of the contacts I listed above and I am not familiar with those names.

You can get remotes that open gates from only 50 or 100 feet away and you can get remotes that will open them from miles away.

The success and lifetime of any type of opener you decide on depends on a gate that opens and closes easily. If the thing is built wrong, hinged wrong, has crappy rollers on the slider or is not maintained, you'll run into problems sooner instead of later. So, don't go cheap on the hinges or rollers or the installation of the gate or gates. You'll just end up aggravated with the opener.

Let that be a lesson to you, Scea. We'll be keeping an eye on you in the future to see if you step out of line again.

Stop by if you get a chance. Been a while.

When you turn off of the street that houses the Wiang Inn, Pizza Company, etc, and head towards the old bus station, you will see a small shop on your left about 75 or 100 meters from that traffic light where you turned. The shop is before the bus station. Check with them. They seem to be the most stocked, knowledgeable shop in CR. I would guess they have such pumps. If not, they will know who does.