HeyNow

Has anyone in the TV community had experience with an auto shop called "Ying Charoen Yont" (www.yingcharoenyont.com)? It's located on the south side of the first ring road, about a kilometer east of the intersection where the Hang Dong Big C and Home Pro are at.  It has a big black and yellow soccer ball in front. Here's a link to the site on Google Maps.

My trusty ride is getting a little less trusty with age and needs some TLC. The store apparently does custom mag wheels, window tinting, and stereo and the like. But an acquaintence also recommended it for auto repair. Not that I question his judgment, but I just wanted to hear from others before diving in.

Thanks,
HeyNow

Around town, I occasionally see Thai bumper stickers that read "This car is pink" or "this car is black." (รถคันนี้สีชมพู/สีดำ) But the cars to which they are affixed are usually of a different color entirely. Can someone explain to me what these are about? Are they a political statement of some kind?

- HeyNow

Does anyone else have trouble with certain types of fabric coming out very, um, crunchy after they''ve been machine-washed them and hung to dry? They don't come off the line stiff, per se, but my towels, t-shirts- and jeans always come out very rough and hard. That's is pretty shocking to one who comes from a land where the towels are oh-so-fluffy! Interestingly, synthetic fabrics like polyester don't seem to be  as affected. Likewise, items made of very thin cotton such as bedsheets and  boxers don't seem to be affected, either.

I've tried varying the amount of laundry soap and fabric softener we  use. We've tried gentler detergents, such as "Baby Mild." We've tried adding vinegar to rinses and extra rinses. But none of this has helped.  Ironing does seem to take the hardness out of the jeans and shirts. And I've observed that the towels will soften after being used once or twice.

My guess right now is that the problem is with the muubaan water supply; it comes from an underground well, which I believe is very "hard" - that is, the water has a high mineral content. And I'm guessing that short of buying an electric dryer, there's no way to avoid this.

Thoughts?