Hi, for two years I (tourist) haven't bought any records of my favorite 12 Thai music performers. I'd like to buy in Pattaya their last two years' recordings. (Won't come to Chonburi, Rayong or BKK and am not fanatic about getting a complete stock.)

Usually I go to a record store, mention the names of the artists and the years I need (Thai years). It used to work well. Also I get those years' "Grammy Superhits" and "Non-Grammy Superhits". I depend on a sales clerk who wants to fish for the right CDs (sometimes I can control if the year is proper, and often I cannot even say if the CD contains the artist I asked for). For CD covers that are in Thai only, we have to write the artist and probably CD title onto it with a pen that writes on plastic (actually I have one in my luggage) (or we use a sticker).

I am aware that I probably could buy (legit?) huge MP3 song collections from street vendors or in electronic malls. But these contain old and new albums often in 128 kb/sec. But I have all the old stuff already nicely sorted and tagged and would like to avoid getting double tracks. And in the end I want hq MP3 tracks (from 160 kb/s, Joint Stereo, VBR up for me), but it seems that I have to buy audio CDs, convert them to MP3 myself and then gift the physical CDs to any nice Thai (like I did several times already) (I carry a laptop and a CD drive).

So my questions:

- Where in Pattaya would you buy Thai music CDs specificly of the last two years? (I used a record store in the basement of Central Festival once, but it was small, and they seemed scared of a westerner buying Thai music.)

- Is there a habit to order CDs that are currently not in stock?

- Where are helpful, patient clerks, probably anglophone? (I do speak quite some tourist Thai, but am not sure how far it takes me in a record store.)

- Is there a service that gives me hq MP3s of the newest recordings straight away, perhaps even straight onto my high capacity USB stick?

Thanks!

Buy online from www.ethaicd.com.

In Central Festival Mall, both Boomerang on the 3rd floor (www.boomerangshop.com) and B2S on the 4th floor (b2s.co.th) sell new Thai music CDs. I think the Big C on 2nd Rd close to North Pattaya has Thai music CDs upstairs as well. ethaicd.com prices include international shipping, so if you decide to buy from them, send them an email with a list of what you want and ask for domestic pricing as you'll get a discount.

Pineapple and Starrdog, thanks for suggestions! Starrdog, thanks for good details!

Hi, for several reasons the easiest thing for me would be to go to a shop or three, give them a list with my favorite artists and say "I need their CDs from the last two years". If that way not enough comes up, i would still use ethaicd.

Starrdog and others, should you have an opinion which shop has the most

- patient

- helpful

- anglophone

staff and the widest selection, i'd like to know. I will take up some of their time and i note that Thai clerks in "modern" places like aircon coffee shops or perhaps record stores can be very cool. Thanks!

I do speak tourist Thai good enough for restaurant, hotel, directions and small talk, but am not sure how useful it will be in the record store.