jagi00

Wood chips are not good for long smokes as they burn too quickly and tend to flare up which makes your food bitter. Better to use chunks. I suggest asking someone with a longan (lamyai) tree to give you some branches after they prune them. Season them for at least 1 month. Another good wood is jack fruit very light flavor. Pretty much any fruit tree except for mango works well. Why pay 100-250 baht a kilo when you can get prunings for free.

You also might want to wait a few months. I am certain that the shops will have them again. Not as much smoking during rain season.

Yes longan wood gives good results and is free. Also, you may like to try using coconut husks which are great for smoking seafood.

15% Hydrochloric acid is the best concrete cleaner, as long as you don't wash it off onto your lawn.

Hardware shops on Sidonchai have it as do swimming pool companies.

Yes, hydrochloric acid will work but I was hoping to find a cheaper solution - if you have any more of that 'vintage' wine that might do the trick......

Can anyone recommend a locally available chemical solution to clean a large driveway and pavement which is covered in black/green mould. I could use a pressure washer but it would take forever.

Once our kids school one is up and running i will let you all know, and try and get one off the ground.

In the meantime i am trying to find out if normal folks (not sure how Thai Visa qualifies there, lol) are able to join the school one.

Watch this space.

Thanks DaamNaam, that would be great if we could join the school one.

Does anyone know if there are First Aid courses available for individuals in CM?

Thanks for the detailed report  I did say that they might be better suited for paint stripping, but a fun exercise none the less. I trust that you are still hale and hearty after the experience

Yep, it was fun and I'm still soberish....

Apologies for the delay in sampling the wines kindly donated by Maejo Man. A brief report on findings below.

1. CUVEE IMPERIALE Vin de Table 11%

About 10% of volume lost due to evaporation.

Cork rotted.

Brownish red colour.

Not quite paint stripper but close.

1. BORDEAUX Grand LISOS 1996

About 10% of volume lost due to evaporation.

Cork rotted.

Brownish red colour.

Again, not quite paint stripper but close. Unfortunate as this could have been a nice one.

1. CUVEE EXCEPTIONELLE Vin de Table

Cork stuck and rotted.

Brownish red colour.

Paint stripper.

1. BARON DE LA CONSTELLE 1999

Cork stuck and rotted.

Dark brownish red colour.

Slightly sour but possibly well received on the Thames Embankment after midnight.

1. LES VIGNAUDS CEPAGE SYRAH Vin de Pays 1996

Cork rotted.

Brownish red colour.

Taste as per 4.

1. CHTEAUD’ARMENS ST EMILION 1996

Cork crumbly and stuck.

Brownish red colour.

Decanted and left to breathe as this was likely to be the best of the bunch.

Not sour but a rather flat taste and would go down well on the Embankment.

Thanks again Maejo Man!

jagi, that is one big spider! We have a hole that size in our yard and have been trying to figure out what lives in it. Might be giving that hole a wider berth now!

Just squirt in some bug spray and stand well back.......

A type of tarantula, can you give us an idea of it's size. It looks too big to big the local version, but it might be smaller than the picture makes it seem.

Body length , not including legs was about 120mm! Not sure how it managed to squeeze into that 50mm hole.

Anyone know what this one is? Found it in a 40-50mm diameter hole in the lawn this morning!

You could try ordering the parts from the Samsung Repair Centre located on the outside of the North leg of the moat approx. 200m past the Ford Dealership.

Bill,

NancyL is a well respected figure in Chiang Mai and, if I were you, I would heed her advice particularly in regard to the cost of local health services. There are many elderly people here that are caught in the 'poverty/ill health' trap. Sure, its a great place to live if you have sufficient funds, good health insurance and be lucky or wise enough to find a good Thai lady.

Anyway, please consider all aspects [lots of topics on this Forum] before you make a final decision.

Good luck,

OK, thanks for the leads guys.

I've been looking all around CM for a gas blowtorch that fits on a cooking/camping stove gas canister but no luck. Any suggestions [sensible] where to find one would be appreciated. 

 

A very generous gesture on your part, however from what I can make out, apart from one South African wine, the rest appear to be around the "table wine" category of French wines, which would not usually last past a few years.

 

 

Correct, and better suited for rust removal, but the St. Emillion might be the only one in with a chance. There is a member on the way to collect them as I write, anf he, no doubt will pass judgement

 

Many thanks Maejo Man, it as good to catch up with you. I have not sampled any of the wine as yet but the port was excellent thanks and went well with a big chunk of ripe stilton that I had handy! Reports on a bottle by bottle basis to follow........

Charoen Muang Road (The part between the Trainstation and Super Highway) on your right hand side (facing SH) is a store that sells Iron, Copper, SS, and so on. If they don't have stock they can order for you. Have to talk to them....

Sure there will be other shops like this if this area is out of your way. Just look for stores that sell iron and steel.

OK, thanks KhunVee. I'll check them out.

Does anyone know where I can get some 40/60mm stainless steel rod or bar? Only short lengths required approx. 1m.

I get my beans from Kasem store, they have a good turnover so always fresh unlike some other stores. They have various types/roasts but I usually go for the Arabica dark roast [red label] @ 400B for 1kg.

We ate there on Friday night - some nice NZ lamb chops with mash and gravy and the ladies enjoyed the thai food too. What was Bistro 1 in the airport Rimping complex has been taken over by a cheerful Aussie guy, Buddy. It's next door to Wine Connection so easy to have a slurp of red too!

Global House has a good selection of wood so you should find what you need there. They can deliver too for a very reasonable price.

Rimping usually has both. The sherry is in the usual alcohol section next to the wine and the rice wine is in the Japanese food section.

My wife had the same problem a few months ago and went to a local phone shop. The guys there activated a software Home button on screen for her and she thinks that they just selected an option from the Settings menu but possibly it was downloaded from the Apple store. It was done for free so maybe check out some of the phone shops in your area rather than getting a hardware fix.

OK, thanks to all.

Can anyone advise the typical cost of having a good quality cotton, long sleeved shirt made here in CM and also any recommended suppliers.

O-B-ONE in Nimman Soi 9 - shampoo, scissor cut, shampoo again + blow dry is 200B for gents! Good deal and good staff but busy!