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[Don Mega]

I need some flanged step down couplings with a 6mm keyway.

Would this be something you could assist with ?

Yes we can help.

I just posted a blog article today explaining a lot about how we do product sourcing in Thailand.

Some you can do yourself (posting in Thaivisa, DSBKK etc.) but I guess you don't find many "flanged step down couplings hobbyists" here.

If it's of interest, heres a link to the article:

https://aneasyday.com/how-to-find-practically-any-product-you-need-in-thailand/

- The buddies would need to learn more about it and they'd do most of their research phoning around hardware stores and chasing referrals for you.

- We can also get a motorbike courier to visit the store, snap some photos for you and, if you want them, deliver them to your home (in Bangkok for now).

Interesting. without any dimensional drawings you reply you can help.

We have a 30 strong team at work who's sole job is procurement and purchasing.... they have failed to find what I need (worldwide).

But please, send out your buddies and motorbike couriers to snap some pics for me.

You have a 30 strong team who can't find a step-down coupling with a 6mm keyway worldwide?

Do you know how many machine shops there are in Thailand?

What is it; helical in titanium alloy?

Even then you would find someone to machine it for you.

Off the shelf is the key word.

Yes they can be machined and infact they are being machined by a company in Australia.

Why Australia you ask well that is because Thai companies just take the piss and it worked out cheaper to have them machined in a western country at western prices and then ship them here.

[AnEasyDay]

Wow, what an amazing day. Thanks to those of you who've signed up and tested us out.

We've been:

• Working with Big C to make sure our client got his delivery on time
• Helping a family find a nanny
• Researching properties for sale within resorts
• Calling the cinema to ask about special promotions
• Researching mobile phone insurance
• Conference-calling with a Thai nanny who failed to show up 2 mornings this week so she could explain to our clients why.
• Checking a Groupon deal to see if it's genuinely good value or if Thai companies can offer comparable prices without all the razzle-dazzle.

I don't think I've had more than 5 minutes uninterrupted today which has been quite a wake-up call.

I'm taking a much needed shower, ordering in some spare-ribs and I'll be back later to make sure I reply to everybody who's been kind enough to post.

[AnEasyDay]

Off the shelf is the key word.

Yes they can be machined and infact they are being machined by a company in Australia.

Why Australia you ask well that is because Thai companies just take the piss and it worked out cheaper to have them machined in a western country at western prices and then ship them here.

Don,

If you don't mind, I'd like to steer this thread away from your enthusiasm for "flanged step down couplings with a 6mm keyway".

Perhaps your own post? or take this private? please.

[AnEasyDay]

OP let me wish you good luck with your new venture.

It is good to see somebody trying to start something new.

Only 1 question Do you answer e-mails that you receive in English?

If so you will do well.

TOo date i have never received a reply from a Thai company to my e-mails.

Thanks,

Yes we reply to all emails in English (or German if you fancy some variety).

If it's any reassurance; most emails written in Thai also go ignored so we're all being ignored equally.

Today it took 7 attempts to get in touch with a cinema booking office during their business hours because not one member of staff bothered pick up the phone!

Another example of the value we can offer though is we'll absorb all that frustration and keep emailing and calling so that you no longer have to.

[AnEasyDay]

I salute your enterprise, and hope you have success. Luckily I can call on my building manager to assist me when required for practically anything. But an essential person in my life is he.

Thanks,

We have two separate juristic bodies in our condo.

I think the hiring requirements are:

- Must speak no English whatsoever

- Must communicate complete confusion if a farang gets his Thai tones a little messed up.

- Must be deaf to the tones of the telephone, unless it's their own cellphone.

Can we come and stay with you?

[AnEasyDay]

so instead of calling your wife for free, you can call somebody not for free

makes sence

good luck ... hope your brilliant idea will not be thaicopied...or is it patented TM

Care to share your wife with us all? She must clearly be very charitable.

[AnEasyDay]

Very good initiative.

Certainly not easy to implement, but I wish you all the success you deserve.

It will also be interesting for the ones who would like to be less dependent on their wife or partner...

I like the "per minute" payment. Your customers will call with the right question already prepared and no time lost. Of course, on your side it must be done honestly too, in order to have the right answer in record time.

Good luck !

I've made a full training lesson (for the buddies) about not wasting client's time.

We also have a purpose-built time-tracking system where we can update clients at the end of the week with a work summary for them to check.

Real-time jobs aren't an issue but research is still very time-consuming for us.

My guidelines right now are for buddies to take as long as necessary to get research done but not to track the minutes beyond what's reasonable.

They need to let the client know when we've put in more time than usual so that their efforts aren't taken for granted.

We'll be very generous when billing per-minute because I really don't want people having to mentally budget whether it's worth using us all the time - that's also why I've priced the monthly subscription so low.

Edited March 12, 2015 by AnEasyDay

[ggt]

What started out as a wonderful idea for a free service...turned into an advertisement...a startup company looking for clients...thanks...

[Don Mega]

Very good initiative.

Certainly not easy to implement, but I wish you all the success you deserve.

It will also be interesting for the ones who would like to be less dependent on their wife or partner...

I like the "per minute" payment. Your customers will call with the right question already prepared and no time lost. Of course, on your side it must be done honestly too, in order to have the right answer in record time.

Good luck !

I've made a full training lesson (for the buddies) about not wasting client's time.

We also have a purpose-built time-tracking system where we can update clients at the end of the week with a work summary for them to check.

Real-time jobs aren't an issue but research is still very time-consuming for us.

My guidelines right now are for buddies to take as long as necessary to get research done but not to track the minutes beyond what's reasonable.

They need to let the client know when we've put in more time than usual so that their efforts aren't taken for granted.

We'll be very generous when billing per-minute because I really don't want people having to mentally budget whether it's worth using us all the time - that's also why I've priced the monthly subscription so low.

what is the per minute cost of your service ?

[philw]

Thai visa at it's best...

[AnEasyDay]

What started out as a wonderful idea for a free service...turned into an advertisement...a startup company looking for clients...thanks...

Glad you like the idea,

Yes, this is a sponsored thread for a commercial business and that should have been clear in my first paragraph, right?

If you're looking for something for free:

- We're publishing a lot of very valuable information on our blog.

- You get 7 days of practically unlimited service from us with no obligations or commitment.

[AnEasyDay]

what is the per minute cost of your service ?

We have 2 plans (3 if you include the free trial)

https://aneasyday.com/thaivisa-exclusive-offer/#plans

[Beetlejuice]

Wow, what an amazing day. Thanks to those of you who've signed up and tested us out.

We've been:

• Working with Big C to make sure our client got his delivery on time
• Helping a family find a nanny
• Researching properties for sale within resorts
• Calling the cinema to ask about special promotions
• Researching mobile phone insurance
• Conference-calling with a Thai nanny who failed to show up 2 mornings this week so she could explain to our clients why.
• Checking a Groupon deal to see if it's genuinely good value or if Thai companies can offer comparable prices without all the razzle-dazzle.

I don't think I've had more than 5 minutes uninterrupted today which has been quite a wake-up call.

I'm taking a much needed shower, ordering in some spare-ribs and I'll be back later to make sure I reply to everybody who's been kind enough to post.

I have a few questions for you:

Are you a bona-fife registered company here in Thailand, complete with audited accounts, tax returns and the prescribed members of Thai directors?

The reason I ask; say for example I need some translating work done, either written or verbal, involving a financial institution or a business deal, a house building project and so on, and then you screw up the translation that causes me to lose thousands if not millions of bahts, than, do I have any legal come backs with you rather than a; very sorry, we`ll try better next time?

These are reasonable concerns most being that we are not dealing with an unregistered company answerable to no one should you make a cock up somewhere along the line.

[Ludacris]

Great idea and nice website, but I would like to point out that your website doesn't load at all if cookies are disabled (just a blank error page). While lots of sites require cookies to function properly and some won't let you in unless you have cookies enabled, it's extremely rare to get a browser generated error page rather than a website generated one if cookies are disabled.

You may want to talk to your web developer to at least allow people into the homepage without cookies.

<deleted>

Edited March 12, 2015 by CharlieH

[AnEasyDay]

I have a few questions for you:

Are you a bona-fife registered company here in Thailand, complete with audited accounts, tax returns and the prescribed members of Thai directors?

The reason I ask; say for example I need some translating work done, either written or verbal, involving a financial institution or a business deal, a house building project and so on, and then you screw up the translation that causes me to lose thousands if not millions of bahts, than, do I have any legal come backs with you rather than a; very sorry, we`ll try better next time?

These are reasonable concerns most being that we are not dealing with an unregistered company answerable to no one should you make a cock up somewhere along the line.

Wow awesome questions - Thanks,

Yes we're bona-fide registered. We registered early January to avoid having to submit to the new year audit which now affects startups.

We're being very careful not to overstep our skillset. I want the buddies to enjoy their work, not be stuck slaving over a complex legal contract and - no matter what how great our intentions - we'd be at a serious disadvantage trying to compete with the established and experienced professionals.

For complex, medical or legal translation work we'd refer you to a company with the level of expertise you can rely on (and with their own liability insurance).

We're not offering our services for business use, we're focusing solely on real people who we can help out in the same way your best friend might.

Edited March 12, 2015 by AnEasyDay

[Beetlejuice]

I have a few questions for you:

Are you a bona-fife registered company here in Thailand, complete with audited accounts, tax returns and the prescribed members of Thai directors?

The reason I ask; say for example I need some translating work done, either written or verbal, involving a financial institution or a business deal, a house building project and so on, and then you screw up the translation that causes me to lose thousands if not millions of bahts, than, do I have any legal come backs with you rather than a; very sorry, we`ll try better next time?

These are reasonable concerns most being that we are not dealing with an unregistered company answerable to no one should you make a cock up somewhere along the line.

Wow awesome questions - Thanks,

Yes we're bona-fide registered. We registered early January to avoid having to submit to the new year audit which now affects startups.

We're being very careful not to overstep our skillset. I want the buddies to enjoy their work, not be stuck slaving over a complex legal contract and - no matter what our intentions - we'd be at a serious disadvantage trying to complete with the established and experienced professions.

For complex, medical or legal translation work we'd refer you to a company with the level of expertise you can rely on (and with their own liability insurance).

We're not offering our services for business use, we're focusing solely on real people who we can help out in the same way your best friend might.

Thank you very much for your prompt response. I always ask these sorts of questions, (to the irritation of many) not for reasons of trying to be a smarta-se, but to establish whether a company has credibility and as information for possible future customers who may also be wondering the same, but are afraid to ask.

Considering as you claim to have undertaken this project in all the right ways and have created a novel idea, I personally believe this will become a success and wishing you and all your family prosperity, health, wealth and good fortune in Thailand.

[evadgib]

At a glance the majority of 'one off' events listed would be equally solved by any of the Thai language phone apps that are available. How do you expect to compete with services that are free of charge & widely used?

Edited March 12, 2015 by evadgib

[HooHaa]

What started out as a wonderful idea for a free service...turned into an advertisement...a startup company looking for clients...thanks...

that was clear from the ouset. they are SPONSORS, advertising their service. Are you familar with the concept of business. Jesus people here are misreable.

[Beetlejuice]

At a glance the majority of 'one off' events listed would be equally solved by any of the Thai language phone apps that are available. How do you expect to compete with services that are free of charge & already in use?

Because there are old ex-pats living in Thailand, some born within living memory of the big bang, that regard computers and technical gadgets as a whole new concept.. Many have not yet worked out how to boot up and boot down a computer and the installing and using of phone apps goes way over their heads, something like trying to teach a 2 year old child how to use an abacus. My poor old 75 year old dad when he were alive was the same, computers and cell phones where beyond his understanding.

Also, how can a phone app help when talking to a human at the other end of the line? Unless the device comes updated with Mr Spock`s tricorder that can automatically translate all languages, even Clingonese?

Considering that year by year more and more elderly ex-pats are plonking themselves in Thailand and also considering that not all Thai wives and GFs are fully equipped with enough grey matter to be able to translate efficiently, than I believe there will be a growing demand in the foreseeable future for the type of service the OP is offering.

[BookMan]

I need some flanged step down couplings with a 6mm keyway.

Would this be something you could assist with ?

Yes we can help.

I just posted a blog article today explaining a lot about how we do product sourcing in Thailand.

Some you can do yourself (posting in Thaivisa, DSBKK etc.) but I guess you don't find many "flanged step down couplings hobbyists" here.

If it's of interest, heres a link to the article:

https://aneasyday.com/how-to-find-practically-any-product-you-need-in-thailand/

- The buddies would need to learn more about it and they'd do most of their research phoning around hardware stores and chasing referrals for you.

- We can also get a motorbike courier to visit the store, snap some photos for you and, if you want them, deliver them to your home (in Bangkok for now).

Interesting. without any dimensional drawings you reply you can help.

We have a 30 strong team at work who's sole job is procurement and purchasing.... they have failed to find what I need (worldwide).

But please, send out your buddies and motorbike couriers to snap some pics for me.

then it would seem you were being a bit of a <deleted> by even asking.

but don't you feel smarter now?

congratulations on your hollow internet victory.

Yep.

Someone comes along with a decent business idea to help people out and you get smug replies trying to trip the guy up.

Sad really

[AnEasyDay]

At a glance the majority of 'one off' events listed would be equally solved by any of the Thai language phone apps that are available. How do you expect to compete with services that are free of charge & widely used?

I've drafted my review of the google translate app which was updated about a month ago.

Credit where it's due - it's pretty good. You can store the language files on your phone and use it offline, and it's very fast on my phone.

It'll be a few weeks before I get the luxury of completing the post but I took 10 scenarios from our interview scenarios and tested them out with Tik and I.

I then asked Tik to give me her feedback on how well it worked.

In many instances the basic idea was communicated well but it still lacks a lot of common sense with homophones, and it stick rigidly to verbatim word-for-word translation when it needs to recognize that the word order (grammar) should change.

Google Translate definitely has some benefits:

• It works pretty well if you kind-of know what you need to say but need a bit of a reminder
• If you're not proud, you'd be able to use it but you'll likely receive smirks from the person you're using it with or the amused thais nearby.

Here's the main problems though

• You've got no way of knowing how accurate the translation is. Use it to order a cup of tea, receive a cup of tea and you'll be fine but tell you maid that she needs to arrive tomorrow at 3pm and watch her nod her head. How can yo be certain the translation worked perfectly?

• Try 'teaching' a thai person to actually use it. I was teasing Tik's sister with it and, not being too tech savvy she just thought I was making my phone talk. It'd be great if the app had pre-recorded message introducing itself to somebody who's still impressed that a phone an speak.

• It doesn't matter if you're the Fonz, people who walk around waving their phones in peoples faces look kind of stupid. Perhaps at least though it might discourage them from holding a selfie-stick in their other hand.

Recognize too that crude pass-the-phone interpreting is just one of many services we offer. Use Google Translate when there's a need and let us spend our time helping you with everything else.

Perhaps register for our flexible plan, so you have some credit available for emergencies ... like when the guy you wave your google voice screen at grabs the phone and runs down the street.

[balo]

Maybe some single guys living here would need this kind of assistance , but I have a friendly thai neighbor I can ask if I need help with translation or need to speak Thai on the phone. And it only cost me a bottle of whiskey.

Edited March 12, 2015 by balo

[AnEasyDay]

is there someone you could call to fix it?

Working on it but to fix it would apparently screw up the images displaying in the newsletter. If you think you can help, please PM me.

[Beetlejuice]

is there someone you could call to fix it?

Working on it but to fix it would apparently screw up the images displaying in the newsletter. If you think you can help, please PM me.

AS you are new to Thai visa and a sponsor, here are a few words of advice.

They`ll try to probe for your weak spots and if they find any, they`ll come at you like a pack of hyenas in for the final kill, no mercy shown,. Some can be vicious especially if they are competitors. Also don`t give away too many company secrets in the public domain for obvious reasons, otherwise you may find a similar company calling it`s self the Acme Personal Assistant Service signing up to a be TV sponsor next week..Having everything already organized or giving the semblance that you have it altogether as a display of professionalism rather than asking for advice on an open forum Trying to hold a monopoly is better than being in competition with others., meaning this is your unique baby and want it to stay that they without others muscling in.

I say this as having worked over 35 years as a public relations manager and have witnessed some of the fatal errors companies have made on inception . Start off in the right direction, don`t trust anyone else in business, operate efficiently without going into too much detail of the ins and outs of it all and then hopefully this will succeed.

Whatever you do, don`t admit to having uncertainties about any of your projects and and always come across and being confident and reasuring, plus suggest that those who make criticisms. should try this out themselves and then give their reviews later on. The old saying; the proof of the pudding.

[kinmaew]

For a short term person or starting up this may be ok but if you want to stay in LOS long term, you gotta learn the lingo and not rely on someone at the end of the phone.

[AnEasyDay]

AS you are new to Thai visa and a sponsor, here are a few words of advice.

They`ll try to probe for your weak spots and if they find any, they`ll come at you like a pack of hyenas in for the final kill, no mercy shown,. Some can be vicious especially if they are competitors. Also don`t give away too many company secrets in the public domain for obvious reasons, otherwise you may find a similar company calling it`s self the Acme Personal Assistant Service signing up to a be TV sponsor next week..Having everything already organized or giving the semblance that you have it altogether as a display of professionalism rather than asking for advice on an open forum Trying to hold a monopoly is better than being in competition with others., meaning this is your unique baby and want it to stay that they without others muscling in.

I say this as having worked over 35 years as a public relations manager and have witnessed some of the fatal errors companies have made on inception . Start off in the right direction, don`t trust anyone else in business, operate efficiently without going into too much detail of the ins and outs of it all and then hopefully this will succeed.

Whatever you do, don`t admit to having uncertainties about any of your projects and and always come across and being confident and reasuring, plus suggest that those who make criticisms. should try this out themselves and then give their reviews later on. The old saying; the proof of the pudding.

Thanks Beetlejuice,

This is a new ThaiVisa account for the business but I've been a member and contributor to TV for about 14 years now, starting shortly before I founded the first of my businesses here.

Yeah it can get a little toxic here but what a great opportunity to hear critical feedback and make improvements. Maybe not as endearing as posting in a thread full of well-wishes and hello kitty avatars but I know we're off to a great start if we're still attracting valuable and positive comments 3 pages in.

You won't believe the work that’s it's taken to get us here today. The battle for the work permit, the PBX setup, over 40 hours of staff training materials, building the admin system and hiring the right staff with the right mindset.

My first business in Thailand was a telecom company. What got me through every struggle were 2 thoughts:

- Every obstacle I overcome will still be there for my competitors to overcome too.

- The harder I work now, the smugger I'm going to feel when I'm on my luxury yacht in 10 years time.

I have no uncertainties whatsoever about the potential of the business, it's direction and where we're moving to. I'm also very aware that this is a brand new concept where most of the hard work will be in teaching clients how to make use of us. The business model has been applied successfully in other industries and with the benefit of hindsight there's a lot of great ideas we can take from there.

Projecting a friendly, approachable and open-minded image is far more important to me these days than putting on some façade about knowing all the answers from day 1 though. If I'm going to be putting in 18 hour days for the next few months then I'm going to make things fun, friendly and exciting and I'm going to enjoy making friends with you all.

[AnEasyDay]

For a short term person or starting up this may be ok but if you want to stay in LOS long term, you gotta learn the lingo and not rely on someone at the end of the phone.

There's actually a far larger market than you might appreciate and far more services that would benefit people, even if they already speak excellent Thai.

I'll address the services:

We're finding that a lot of work we're helping with doesn't even require our Thai language ability.

Remember that most companies here have that "Press 9 for English" option when you call them but damn it can be a headache getting answers you need. Yesterday Thomas telephoned the cinema at Central Rama III 7 times during their office hours with an inquiry. It took that many attempts just for 1 member of staff to pick up the phone.

We're saving people having to take time out of their lunchbreaks making these type of inquiries themselves, assured that if there's a long queue or the company needs to call us back later we're happy to put the time in for you.

Errand-Running Service

We caught a lucky break by partnering with a blossoming courier network in Bangkok. Our buddies work directly with the couriers to help them go beyond just moving a package from A to B.

Here's some examples of how we're adding value to

• I ran out of print toner last week. I asked one buddy to send a courier to Powerbuy to get me a replacement. When he got there he took a photo of the box for my buddy to check, he paid for it and dropped it off with the condo security guard. I had credit in my account to cover this so I didn't even have to leave my room.

• A friend recently came out of hospital and was very frail. Rather than send him a gift basket, we arranged for a courier to go to the local street vendors each morning and buy him 60 THB of fresh fruit and drop it off at his condo every day for 2 weeks.

• Tik has a habit of leaving her phone at home. When she calls fro her office I just take the phone downstairs, leave it with security and get a buddy to organize the courier to get it delivered to her office.

Your Thai's probably not Perfect

No matter how great your Thai may be, you're going to have gaps in your vocabulary, especially for occasions you have no experience in. It's possible but usually a huge headache explaining a computer problem by phone to a Thai engineer, explaining to a physiotherapist that you've got a history of ham-string issues caused from a hereditary medical condition etc.

We can help you improve your Thai.

I mentioned somewhere else that I'm making more calls in Thai now I have the 3-way calling. I'm trying my best to make calls and get things done, but Tik's usually listening quietly in the background, ready to jump in if I get stuck with a word or I don't understand the persons reply.

There's a big learning curve with Thai. When I arrived here I was fearless and travelled everywhere on my own. As I started to learn Thai I began to appreciate just how much I didn't know and I'd stress myself on the bus because I didn't know how to ask if my stop was close. As I started to learn Thai I actually became more dependent on my girlfriend because steeping up from the basic 2-word phrases to actually communicating something of value is a huge leap.

________

Also remember that people have many legitimate reasons for NOT learning Thai here. I'm sure the forum's full of discussions about it. Perhaps somebody will use our service as a substitute for taking Thai classes and dedicate their time to something they consider much more rewarding for them.

[dragonfly94]

Might be alright for a single guy but most members have a wife or g/f who are perfectly capable of doing the service you advertise for free (well sort of)

Assuming the lady in question is talking to you! I think this is a great idea and would be useful in divorce cases, which is what a lot of members seem to have as well sooner or later. Learn Thai? no thanks it's just not worth the bother.

Edited March 13, 2015 by dragonfly94

[Neeranam]

I need some flanged step down couplings with a 6mm keyway.

Would this be something you could assist with ?

Yes we can help.

I just posted a blog article today explaining a lot about how we do product sourcing in Thailand.

Some you can do yourself (posting in Thaivisa, DSBKK etc.) but I guess you don't find many "flanged step down couplings hobbyists" here.

If it's of interest, heres a link to the article:

https://aneasyday.com/how-to-find-practically-any-product-you-need-in-thailand/

- The buddies would need to learn more about it and they'd do most of their research phoning around hardware stores and chasing referrals for you.

- We can also get a motorbike courier to visit the store, snap some photos for you and, if you want them, deliver them to your home (in Bangkok for now).

Interesting. without any dimensional drawings you reply you can help.

We have a 30 strong team at work who's sole job is procurement and purchasing.... they have failed to find what I need (worldwide).

But please, send out your buddies and motorbike couriers to snap some pics for me.

Have you tried asking if anyone can make them for you?

I can help if you want - maybe i should charge a fee?

Seriously, I'd try the Thai language forum, where there are many totally bilingual members. I think that's what a forum is all about - helping fellow members.

I work as a translator and trust me, translation is an art that can't be learned in a couple of months.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Neeranam

[Neeranam]

Might be alright for a single guy but most members have a wife or g/f who are perfectly capable of doing the service you advertise for free (well sort of)

Assuming the lady in question is talking to you! I think this is a great idea and would be useful in divorce cases, which is what a lot of members seem to have as well sooner or later. Learn Thai? no thanks it's just not worth the bother.

Bother? I found it really fun and assure you it was well worth it. I can't even imagine having to hone someone to ask how to say"I want my LPG calibrated, change all fluids, and change the thing that's fixed to the axle before the left wheel". Or even worse, having to take my wife with me or one of my kids.

Speaking the language of the country you are living in is common sense - I'd hate to phone someone to ask, "how do I say please don't gyrate so quickly, I want the moment to last"