NguuMuu

I'm pretty clueless about cars, but its gotten to the point where I need one. Actually, I need it very soon so that eliminates any cars with waiting times longer than 1 month.

The car will be mostly used for Bangkok driving, but also the occasional trips up into Isaan and elsewhere. I'm looking for the most cargo/passenger space to value/quality ratio that's within my budget: 700-850k. My future in Thailand is uncertain, so I may need to sell the car in 1 or 2 years, or maybe I'll be keeping it for 5+ years.

Main cars under consideration right now:

Ford Focus 5 Dr 2.0L for 849k (seems decent. I would prefer the sedan but they have none left. Have read a lot about poor after sales service with ford)
Ford Fiesta 4 Dr 1.6L Sport+ AT for 704k (didn't seem too much smaller than the focus and could be worth the 150k savings?)
Mazda 3 5 Dr 1.6L for 869k (the peak of my price range, I really like the space inside, but I've read on here about poor mileage and low resale value)
Toyota Altis 1.6 G At for 824k (seems alright, but would strongly prefer not having a taxi)
Honda Jazz JP for 751k (They had some Japanese models available now. Long waiting period for Thai ones. I'm not sure what the difference is other than the higher price)
Used cars are also a possibility (perhaps a 5 year old Honda CRV?), but being clueless about cars, I am very hesitant to purchase used here in Thailand.

Any other cars I should be considering?

I would really appreciate any advice you knowledgable folks could add. Thanks!

Can anyone recommend some decent restaurant supply stores in Bangkok? Looking for both food and equipment. The closer to Lad Phrao / Chatujak area the better. Thanks.

I've been checking out mid-range android OS phones and I've seen the HTC aria (16000 baht), HTC wildfire (12000 baht), and motorola milestone (16000 baht). Is there anything else decent available in this price range. Would prefer a keypad and froyo is possible.

I'll probably be waiting for the motorola milestone 2 or droid 2 world edition to come out later this year, but the missus needs a phone now....

Does anyone know of any guest houses or other accommodations along route 226 (between Korat and Buriram), specifically around the Huai Thalaeng area in Nakhon Ratchasima?

My original plan is to stay at a hotel in Korat city or Phimai, but now I need to be in the Huai Thalaeng region very, very early so I was hoping for something closer. A few months ago I stayed at a tiny, unnamed place in Phayao. It was pretty far off the beaten path but the rooms were adequate for the area (air con, completely tiled bathroom in country style, hard as a rock bed, shower over the toilet, etc.). Actually, it was literally a rural short time hotel with parking bays where they could cover license plates with a wooden board, black lights over the bed (for a romantic atmosphere?), and average customer stays of just a few hours. I know that isn't 5 star quality or really even 1 star, but I need somewhere to sleep near Huai Thalaeng so, if there are no places with a name, do these tiny businesses exist around that part of Isaan? What about a bit further down the road in Chakkarat?

Isaan covers a big area so I don't expect many (if any) replies on such a specific question. If you can help I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

My wife changed her name and got a new passport. The name change paper attached to our marriage certificate is entirely in Thai. Her old passport has just a tiny red canceled stamp in the front that you can barely even see. Her new passport has no indication of her name having been changed anywhere at all. Will she still be able to use the US 10 year visa from her old passport? How would US immigration know that she actually did change her name when she presents them with both passports?

I know the US embassy website says to just carry both passports with you, but I have also read on this forum about a proof of name change stamp being put in the new passport (or something similar) and we are a bit worried about our situation now.