TongueThaied

Any of you anywhere in the country can go to the local secondary school and ask the chemistry teacher where the local chemical supply house is located.  If you cannpt speak Thai, take a bilingual person and a local map with you,  Get the teacher's mobile number.  You'll be able to find everything you need (amonia, borax, sodium nitrate/nitrite, etc.).

popshirt, on 2012-05-27 02:35:08, said:

This has also been my experience.  However, I found some, along with some other chemicals I wanted.  First, I printed out Wikipedia sheets on each chemical I wanted (including borax, which I have also been unabe to find).  These sheets gave the name and molecular structure.  I gave the sheets to my wife, who is a secondary school teacher, and asked her to go to the chemistry teacher, show him the sheets and ask him where to buy this stuff.  He directed her to a chemical supply house in town, where I found EVERYTHING.

Although I am in Phitsanulok, every secondary school has a supplier for these chemicals, you just have to find it.  Ask at the school.  It will probably be a small obscure, out of the way shop.

By the way, the amonia, exactly like that sold by the gallon for a song in the US cost me a couple of hundred baht for a liter, so you can't afford to splash it all over the place.  The borax was a couple of hundred for one pound (453 grams) -- also expensive.

wjhall, on 2012-05-24 08:06:34, said:

The Brits are not language experts!  Don't take my word for it, ask any Frenchman.

The problem wth SWIFT of a foreign currency into a Thai bank account is that EVERY Thai bank rips you off on the exchange.  With USD, they get half a baht per dollar extra, which is quite expensive, then there are all the fees . . .

I have a friend who has had very good luck with Moneycorp, a UK firm.  They sell you the baht and make their money with a very small mark-up on the exchange (maybe 10 satang) -- no other fees.  I have just been notified that my account application with them was successful.

Here is what they say:

Welcome to Moneycorp.



Unfortunately, I have been unable to reach you by phone today, so I a writing to introduce myself as your Account Manager and provide a brief overview of the services we offer.



Firstly, there are two contract types for you to choose from:



1. Spot Contract

This is a standard FX transaction whereby you agree to buy/sell currency for immediate delivery. We would ask for the full amount to be in transferred into our accounts within 5 working days of trading.



2. Forward Contract

This contract allows you to fix an exchange rate, but not pay for or take delivery of your funds until an agreed date in the future. We do request that a 10% deposit is provided within 5 days of trading, as security against the forward position, and the balance is remitted at least one day before the agreed future date.
Forward contracts are particularly useful when looking to hedge FX exposure, manage budgets, or capture favourable prices when full funding may not be immediately available. Flexibility is permissible if your date needs revising, but do bear in mind that in some circumstances such action is not costless. Please speak to a Dealer directly for specifics.



Secondly, there are various ways in which we can proactively monitor the market on your behalf:



1. Watch Order

You specify a particular price at which you would like to be notified if the market moves to this level, and Moneycorp will endeavour to contact you at the very earliest convenience should the target be met.

These orders are most efficient during our office hours, but do allow flexibility insofar as you are not obliged to trade should the target price be reached.



2. Firm Limit Order

This order is very similar to a Watch Order except for one key aspect: if the price is met, Moneycorp will automatically exchange the agreed amount of currency at the specified price. This order will create a legally binding commitment to honour the purchase if/when the target rate is achieved. The order will remain active until it is either filled (i.e. the rate has been met) or expressly cancelled by you over the phone.



3. Stop Loss/Stop Watch Order

Exactly the same as the above two orders but designed to limit downside risk exposure by allowing you to place minimum levels at which you would be happy to trade at.

Effective risk-management is a crucial part of currency trading and stop orders can form an integral part of limiting your exposure.



4. OCO (one cancels the other)



Stop loss and limit orders often run together so you are able to target your preferred rate on the upside while limiting your downside exposure should the market move in the wrong direction.

An OCO simply means that you have two orders running simultaneously in the market. Should one of the orders be reached (Limit or Stop) the other position is automatically cancelled so you do not have an unwanted position left in the market.



There is always an element of the unknown when trading currencies and orders represent an efficient way of monitoring the market to obtain preferred rates while protecting against adverse price movement. Moneycorp will endeavour to guide you as to the best options to meet specific needs. Please bear in mind orders are flexible and the levels at which they are set can be adjusted within a moving market to make them more effective.



Thirdly, we can offer services that provide additional currency management techniques:







1. Currency Options (Vanilla Options)



A derivative contract that grants the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell currency at a specified exchange rate on a specific date in the future. For this right, a premium is paid, which will be determined by a number of variables such as duration, position size and strike price.



2. Zero Cost Options



These options do not require the payment of an upfront premium but a margin may be required as security against the position. You must also be aware that an obligation to trade may exist with these products. An explanation of these strategies can be forwarded by email if requested.



Please note that FX options are regulated products. These products can carry a high level of risk to your capital and are not suitable for everyone. You should seek independent advice if necessary. Therefore, the products explained above (Vanilla and Zero Cost Options) can only be discussed with, and traded by, FSA approved persons at TTT Moneycorp Ltd. You must have completed our Foreign Exchange Options Addendum, which can be forwarded to you by email, post, or fax.



Finally, we are pleased to provide currency services, which have been specially designed to assist people who may be looking to move smaller amounts of currency on a frequent/ad hoc basis or make regular payments:



1. Regular Payment Plan (RPP)

The Regular Payment Plan is fully automated and takes the hassle out of regular overseas transfers, such as pensions, salaries, rental income. We collect your sterling by Direct Debit and automatically send the foreign currency abroad. You can elect to either fix the rate for a specified period or have a rate that fluctuates with the market each period.

2. Moneycorp Online (MO)

MO is our secure, convenient and cost-effective way to make your international payments online. It is designed to complement our telephone dealing service for those who are happy to trade on the internet. MO is free to set-up, there are no monthly or annual subscription charges and there is no obligation to trade. The system has been built with security in mind.

You can now call the Private Client Dealing Desk anytime between 7.30am and 9.00pm Monday to Friday and 9.00am to 1.00pm on Saturdays to get quotes on Spot and Forward contracts or to discuss your currency requirements.



Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions. Furthermore, feel free to pass my details to family, friends and colleagues who may also benefit from using our services. We would be happy to help.



Kind regards,





Vaughan Atton IMC CFTe MSTA
Private Client Dealer


MONEYCORP
Commercial Foreign Exchange
100 Brompton Road
London
SW3 1ER
United Kingdom

T: +44 (0)20 7589 3400
F: +44 (0)20 7235 4250 http://www.ttt.co.ukhttp://www.moneycorp.com

MONEYCORP is a trading name of TTT Moneycorp Limited
P Please consider the environment before printing this email

This email and any attachments are confidential and may be privileged and are intended solely for the use of the named recipients. If you are not the intended recipient, it is prohibited and may be unlawful to use or copy this email for any purpose or disclose its contents. The views expressed may not be the views of TTT Moneycorp Ltd and should not be relied upon. If you have received this communication in error, please notify TTT at disclaimer@ttt.co.uk immediately by email or by telephone (+44 20 7823 7700) before deleting it. Please note that TTT Moneycorp Ltd monitors e-mails sent or received; further communication will signify your consent to this. Please be aware that emails and attachments may contain viruses. Thank you for your co-operation.

TTT Moneycorp Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority for the conduct of designated investment business and for the provision of payment services. Unless expressly stated otherwise, none of the information contained in this email constitutes or should be construed as financial advice. TTT Moneycorp Ltd is also required to maintain compliance with the Payment Card Industry Security Standards. No payment card information should be transmitted by email from or to TTT Moneycorp Ltd beyond the first six and last four digits of any payment card (credit or debit card) and the card security code CVV (3 digit number on the reverse) must never be transmitted.

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I'll post my experience when a transaction is completed.

I have never been burgled, but have thought about getting an alarm.

Here are methods used by theives for braking and entering into some of my Thai friends houses:

Sister-in-law:  This one takes the cake for consequential dmage.  She had bars and heavy duty security doors.  The back door was a metal security door, padlocked on the inside and one of those heavy duty barred screen doors, also padlocked on the inside.  She had a wall at the back of her house with an empty field behind the wall.  The thieves apparently came over the wall and had some kind of power saw that they used to cut right through all the metal and bars of the two doors.  They just cut out a big chunk around where the locks were, reached in and pulled the top and bottom bolts and came on in.

Thai friend:  He had a brick house with security doors and bars on the windows.  The thieves ignored the bars and apparently used a sledge hammer to simpy knock a hole through the brick wall, then came on in.

Wife's friend:  Had security bars, etc.  The thieves broke out roof tiles and came in through the hole.

Probably only an alarm with a lot of loud noise will deter these burglars.  My theory is that the more bars and strong doors you put up, the more it looks like you have something and the more damage you will sustain when they break through.  If you are married to a Thai woman, every Thai KNOWS she has some gold somewhere, because you have to give her some when you get married.  A thief will hunt until they find it.  So another strategy is to put a cheap dummy necklace (real gold -- they may be stupid, but not that stupid) in a plausible place for the thief to find.  When you stash your stuff, think like a thief.  If you use a safe, it had better be anchored into concrete with steel reinforcement or they will simply break it out and take it.

You could wire your door knobs to 220V.  The thief would get a real charge out of it (-: and you would go to jail instead of him.