Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Computer Support In Bangkok Not Easy To Find

Computer support in Bangkok can be a difficult and frustrating experience. There are many people who claim to be capable of helping you with your computer by providing business support, business maintenance or other forms of IT support in Bangkok but most have no qualifications and can cause harm to your system.

One important thing to look for when you are thinking of hiring an IT support person in Bangkok is Microsoft qualifications. Everyone who is Microsoft qualified will have an official ID card from Microsoft. If people do not have this card then they are not qualified by Microsoft and you will be taking a chance by hiring them.

Another thing that is difficult here when you’re looking for computer repair, laptop repair, IT consultants and other computer services is dealing with Thai people who have poor English language abilities. This makes it difficult for them to communicate with English-speaking people, who make up a large percentage of expatriates who are looking for computer support in Bangkok, which can lead to problems in itself.

The biggest problem is not being able to understand explanations of your basic computer repair problem. If you can’t understand what went wrong in the first place you may end up causing the same problem again by repeating some sort of unsafe action. Also, it is difficult to ask questions about computer repair problems if you have trouble communicating with the technician who is trying to help you.

Therefore, many people, myself included, like to deal with people who are native English speakers and who provide IT support and IT maintenance plans as well as computer repair and laptop repair problems. It makes it much easier and faster and you have greater peace of mind. I have had a lot of experience over the years with computer repair problems and have had lots of problems. So when I recently found a good person who is qualified and speaks English I felt a lot better about any IT support issues I might encounter in the future.

This is not meant to be just an endorsement for this Bangkok company, IT Ready, but they do have technicians who are Microsoft qualified and are native English speakers so they fulfill my two major requirements for computer repair specialists. There may be other companies that have the same type of people; I just haven’t found any others recently that meet these requirements.

So, if you need good IT support in Bangkok, remember to look for Microsoft-qualified technicians and, if possible, people who also speak English. It makes the whole process easier and will save you time and, in the long run, money. And, with the importance of your computer system to your business or home applications, it doesn’t pay to take a chance using incompetent or unqualified people.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Introduction To Bangkok Dining Tours

http://www.bangkokdiningtours.com
Get all the basic information on Bangkok Dining Tours culinary tourism travel package.

The Ambassador Hotel In Bangkok

http://www.bangkokdiningtours.com
Find out all about the Ambassador Hotel in Bangkok's Sukhumvit entertainment and dining area.

Kalapapruek Thai Restaurant In Bangkok

http://www.bangkokdiningtours.com
See some of the great menu items of the Kalpapruek Thai restaurant in Bangkok that are part of Bangkok Dining Tours' Asian Cuisine Tour.

Ten Sui Japanese Restaurant In Bangkok

http://www.bangkokdiningtours.com
See some of the great menu items of the Ten Sui Japanese restaurant in Bangkok that are part of Bangkok Dining Tours' Asian Cuisine Tour.

Sri Ganesha Indian Restaurant In Bangkok

http://www.bangkokdiningtours.com
See some of the great menu items of the Sri Ganesha Indian restaurant in Bangkok that are part of Bangkok Dining Tours' Asian Cuisine Tour.

Blue Elephant Thai Restaurant In Bangkok

http://www.bangkokdiningtours.com
See some of the great menu items of the Blue Elephant Thai restaurant in Bangkok that are part of Bangkok Dining Tours' Asian Cuisine Tour.

Lok Wah Hin Chinese Restaurant In Bangkok

http://www.bangkokdiningtours.com
See some of the great menu items of the Lok Wah Hin Chinese restaurant in Bangkok that are part of Bangkok Dining Tours' Asian Cuisine Tour.

Thien Duong Vietnamese Restaurant In Bangkok

http://www.bangkokdiningtours.com
See some of the great menu items of the Thien Duong Vietnamese restaurant in Bangkok that are part of Bangkok Dining Tours' Asian Cuisine Tour.

Xing Fu Chinese Restaurant In Bangkok

http://www.marketingbangkok.com
See some of the great menu items of the Xing Fu Chinese restaurant in Bangkok that are part of Bangkok Dining Tours' Asian Cuisine Tour.

Red Indian Restaurant In Bangkok

http://www.bangkokdiningtours.com
See some of the great menu items of the Red Indian restaurant in Bangkok that are part of Bangkok Dining Tours' Asian Cuisine Tour.

Suda Thai Restaurant In Bangkok

http://www.bangkokdiningtours.com
See some of the great menu items of the Suda Thai restaurant in Bangkok that are part of Bangkok Dining Tours' Asian Cuisine Tour.

Arirang Korean Restaurant In Bangkok

http://www.bangkokdiningtours.com
See some of the great menu items of the Arirang Korean restaurant in Bangkok that are part of Bangkok Dining Tours' Asian Cuisine Tour.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Mediterranean Restaurant At The Swissotel Nai Lert Park In Bangkok


A Mediterranean restaurant in Bangkok is not a common sight but there are a few and the best one may be La Dolce Vita at Ma Maison. This restaurant has an interesting pedigree, starting out in the early 90s as a high-end French restaurant that for years was considered one of the top two in the city. Its present incarnation draws on that heritage as well as a strong Italian influence – hence the Italian name – to produce a dining spot that serves a mix of cuisines with the common thread being ingredients from Mediterranean countries.

A survey of the menu reveals exactly that: rabbit and truffles and gorgonzola cheese mix with olive oil, mussels and yellowtail tuna to offer diners an eclectic mix of dishes that is as varied as it is interesting to people with a real passion for fine food. The dishes themselves are mostly fusions of Italian and French dishes that are contemporary and innovative. There are also sections of risottos and pastas that are primarily Italian in nature.

On a recent trip I sampled four dishes that ran the gamut of the different styles and ingredients presented here. From the appetizer menu I selected a Caesar salad, even though there were many other interesting dishes in this section, primarily because I wanted to see it made from scratch at the tableside. This is something that few restaurants do anymore and it takes a good bit of training for a waiter to be able do it properly at the table. The waiter here was very knowledgeable and quite accomplished, creating a Caesar whose dressing had just the right amount of garlic, anchovy and mustard, at least for my tastes.

A black truffle soup, which leans far into French territory, was topped with a cannellini bean foam and a couple of slices of truffle, giving it both a lightness and yet a very rich flavor to top off the delicious essence of the soup. A spaghetti dish with Maine lobster and a tomato cream sauce was also successful, most likely because the acidity of the tomato sauce was softened by the cream and didn’t intrude upon the delicate flavor of the lobster as much as it might have otherwise.

My final dish was a veal loin topped with foie gras and, again, some black truffles that displayed the true richness of French cooking at its best. The thick, perfectly cooked loin was served on a bed of spinach with some other vegetables also. This dish represented the true roots of the restaurant – a pedigree of fine French cooking – that manages to co-exist with the lighter fare on the menu that uses Mediterranean ingredients in different styles of cooking. Uniting these styles together into a consistent menu is not an easy thing to do but La Dolce Vita at Ma Maison seems to have accomplished it easily ad gracefully.

Drinking Cider In Bangkok

Tom Aikins samples Stowford Press and Weston's ciders at the Queen Victoria Pub in Bangkok.

Roadhouse Barbecue's 3rd Anniversary - July 16, 2009

Tom Aikins reports on the 3rd Anniversary party at Roadhouse Barbecue on July 16, 2009


Chili Cookoff At The Annual 4th of July Picnic In Bangkok

Tom Aikins reports on the chili cookoff at the annual 4th of July Picnic In Bangkok.

How To Make Great Smoked, Barbecued Ribs

Chef Dana Edward Caron shows how he makes great smoked, barbecued ribs at Roadhouse Barbecue in Bangkok.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Bangkok Nightlife At Its Best At The Bank

Check out Bangkok's best nightlife at The Bank with Thai girls, karaoke, massage, entertainment and more.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Don Giovanni Italian Restaurant In Bangkok

Don Giovanni, the Italian restaurant in the Sofitel Centara Hotel, is indeed named for what may the greatest opera of all time. At least, that’s what the menu introduction here says and not being an opera buff I can’t comment on that one way or another. However, I do know that they orchestrate some very nice dining experiences as I’ve had dinners and lunches here on a number of occasions over the years and have always been satisfied with the food and service.

Some parts of the menu have changed over the years and some have stayed the same as different chefs have come and gone. However, the basic philosophy has remained in place and that involves serving top-quality food and wine with formal service and attention to details. Also, the menu always has always had many traditionally-based dishes as well as some updated versions of classic dishes from the chefs’ own repertoires.

One thing that is definitely classic at Don Giovanni is their strict adherence to the traditional way of making a Caesar’s Salad. This is, I believe, the only place in town where you can get a Caesar’s Salad made at your tableside. This may not seem like a big deal but to some purists a Caesar is not a Caesar unless it’s made at the table. I’m not that strict about it personally but I do think that the original recipe should be followed or it’s really not a Caesar Salad is it? Many times I have eaten in a trendy Italian place, or others too, and the chef in the restaurant decides that his interpretation of a Caesar Salad is superior to that of Chef Caesar Cardini who originated this creation in his Tijuana, Mexico restaurant in 1924. The results sometimes are ludicrous with the chef throwing in everything but the kitchen sink in a vain attempt to put his personal mark on this signature dish. They should just do themselves a favor and follow the original recipe as they do at Don Giovanni’s. It will taste better, the purists will be happy and the gastronomic gods will smile upon them.

There are other dishes here, though, where the chefs have used their own ideas as to how certain dishes should be presented. I don’t always agree with them: carpaccio, for example, should be made of beef and not tuna or veal, but usually we’re on the same page, so to speak. In the appetizer section there’s a great example of mixing top-end ingredients when they serve a goose liver creme brulee with pan-fried foie gras, apple mousse and black truffle sauce. The richness of foie gras and truffles together is just plain delicious and only on the edge of overdoing it.

The rest of this ample menu contains enough choices to keep anyone happy whether you want something simple like spaghetti with an oregano and tomato sauce or something a little more elaborate like a baked rack of lamb with black pepper crust and tarragon-infused lamb sauce. My own favorites include the deep-fried seafood plate, the Australian sirloin and the pan-roasted tenderloin wrapped in pancetta bacon with foie gras. There are many more that I like from all the sections of the menu – risottos, pastas, soups, appetizers and the meat and fish entrees – but these are the ones that have left the deepest impression.

There are plenty of good wines to accompany your meal here as well in the enclosed wine cellar inside the restaurant. These, along with the service and the food here, will have you singing Don Giovanni’s praises yourself, perhaps not in an operatic style, but joyously nonetheless.

Bangkok Nightlife At Its Best At The Bank

Check out Bangkok's best nightlife at The Bank with Thai girls, karaoke, massage, entertainment and more.


ISO International Restaurant In The Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel

Tom Aikins visits the ISO international restaurant in the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel in Bangkok.


La Dolce Vita Mediterranean Restaurant At Ma Maison In The Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel

Tom Aikins visits the La Dolce Vita Mediterranean Restaurant at Ma Maison in the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel in Bangkok.


Tom Aikins Reporting On Retirement Mutual Funds In Thailand

Tom Aikins interviews Mr. Chatrapee Tantixalerm, CEO of Ayudhya Fund Management in Bangkok about retirement mutual funds in Thailand.


Saturday, July 18, 2009

The Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel In Bangkok

Information on the great facilities at the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel in Bangkok.


The Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel In Downtown Bangkok

A five-star luxury hotel in Bangkok, Swissotel Nai Lert Park offers a unique city retreat in Thailand’s bustling capital with award-winning restaurants and a beautiful eight-acre lush tropical garden. A few minutes’ walk from the Skytrain station and all main shopping malls, with easy access to the business districts and Bangkok’s famous nightlife, the hotel is the perfect choice for both business and leisure.

It’s 338 luxurious guest rooms feature private balconies overlooking the pool and gardens, while the Executive Club and exclusive suites serve the demands of even the most discerning traveler. Additional facilities include spa and fitness centre, five dining venues, two bars, seven meeting rooms, a grand ballroom and a large, free-form swimming pool that is surrounded by lush vegetation.

Swissotel Nai Lert Park's eight restaurants, bar and cafe offer a deliciously diverse array of cuisines ranging from French to Cantonese and Japanese to international, with hints of Thai local specialties. The hotel also features an alfresco dining terrace. Whether it is an elegant special occasion or an informal relaxed meal, there is a cuisine and setting option for you. Live entertainment is available in the lobby from 5:30PM daily except Sunday. The resident band takes the stage at the premier bar at 9:00 PM.

Genji’s cool interior hits you long before you enter. The doorway to this Japanese restaurant is framed by cool, blackened stones and ceiling-hung flamingo flowers. It’s a promising beginning to a journey of authentic Japanese cuisine and glorious garden views. The highly-rated lobby-level restaurant includes a sushi bar, two teppanyaki rooms, public area and private tatami dining rooms. An All You Can Eat Buffet Lunch and special lunch/dinner sets are ongoing promotions.

Refreshingly different in style, Noble House brings together the best in traditional Cantonese tastes and showcases them against a background that is undeniably avant guarde. Turquoise corners provide relief against the more traditional reds/golds, while the ubiquitous round tables have been replaced by square ones. It’s a setting that attracts both large groups and small. Most popular for its Dim Sum lunch and one-priced dinners, the restaurant has become a popular draw for locals seeking quality, ambience and value for money.

With soaring panoramic views of our lush garden and pool, ISO is the ideal venue for any time of the day. Whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, ISO features the best of Eastern and Western cuisines. Weeknight buffets start on Thursday with an international spread, then get fishy in time for Friday’s Seafood Carousel buffet. On Saturday night, there’s a BBQ night, and Sunday, it’s time for a family Sunday Brunch Buffet..

A total of 10 meeting and conference rooms on the ground and lobby floors provide Swissotel Nai Lert Park with 17,150 square meters of prime meeting space, and a variety of excellent venues for meetings, seminars or product launches. With magnificent views of the garden, the 652-square meter ballroom is the ultimate choice for any celebration, seating up to 800 people.

The event management team is on hand to assist with room selection, layout and services. From refreshments to audio-visual support, guests enjoy seamless efficiency and heartfelt services.

And in addition to the wide variety of event space on the hotel premises, Swissotel Nai Lert Park’s catering department also puts on parties and other celebrations outside the hotel. Numerous VIPs are counted on their list of companies and individuals who have enjoyed the hotel’s outside luxurious catering, not least His Majesty King Bhumibol himself, for a variety of events.

So no matter what you need from a hotel, the Swissotel Nai Lert park can provide it. It’s a quiet, luxurious retreat in the center of a bustling metropolitan city that provides excellent facilities and hospitality.

Genji Japanese Restaurant In Bangkok

Japanese restaurants in Bangkok are plentiful but ones that combine great attention to detail, authentic surroundings and good value are not so common. Genji Japanese restaurant in the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel is one of those Japanese restaurants that combines all of these attributes. Along with attentive service and high-quality ingredients – a must for a top-level Japanese restaurant – Genji offers its guests an inviting place to eat good food.

I’ve eaten in many Japanese restaurants in Bangkok over the years and yet am still impressed each time I visit Genji. It’s an unpretentious place and yet elegant at the same time which creates a calm and serene atmosphere. The main dining room presents a more formal atmosphere than some Japanese restaurants that have sushi bar seating and teppanyaki grill tables, with its sushi bar separated as well as two teppanyaki rooms. There are also a number of private rooms with traditional tatami seating setups.

There is a large menu here that includes both ala carte items as well as set lunches and dinners and a special all-you-can-eat lunch buffet that is quite popular. On my last visit for lunch here I tried several items that were new to me, the most notable being a soft-shell crab tempura. I’ve had many types of tempura over the years but this was the first time I’ve had soft-shell crab and it was a welcome addition. Soft-shell crab has to be cooked with a very high heat to get the right amount of crispness and the chef did it perfectly here. I also enjoyed some salmon and scallops from the teppanyaki grill, miso soup and a sushi California roll set.

I could have ordered one of the set lunches which offer a variety of Japanese cuisine styles including grilled fish, teppanyak, sukiyaki, tempura and others along with the traditional Japanese Bento box lunch that is also on the menu. And the prices of these punches are all quite reasonable.

At dinner there are more set menus covering different specialties such as yakizakana and yakiniku as well as more teppanyaki items including Kobe beef. There are also, of course, a large selection of ala carte items covering all of the cuisine styles mentioned above. Basically, Genji can cater to just about every taste in regard to Japanese food.

So although there are many choices in Bangkok when you’re thinking about good Japanese food, Genji offers an attractive place to enjoy high quality food in an authentic setting with very good value for money.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Ayudhya Fund Management And Investments In Thailand

Asset management companies in Thailand are plentiful but few companies have as good a track record as Ayudhya Fund Management (AYF). The prestigious international Lipper Group Awards (an international industry evaluator of fund managers around the world) that this company has received in the past few years are evidence of this, as they are given to companies who provide the best returns for their clients.

AYF specializes in several areas including mutual funds, the Thai stock Market (SET), RMF and LTF investments, asset management, equity funds and fixed income funds. For more than a decade, AYF has offered this full range of investment products and services to their clients.

AYF was founded in 1996 as Ayudhya Jardine Fleming Co., Ltd. (AJF), a joint partnership between Bank of Ayudhya PCL and Jardine Fleming. In July, 1997 AJF successfully launched its first fund, the AJF Star Capital Fund, amidst the Thailand economic crisis. In 2001, the company changed its corporate name to Ayudhya JF Asset Management Ltd. to reflect a change in the shareholding structure of Jardine Fleming Asset Management Holdings and Chase Manhattan Corporation. In October, 2006 the company changed its corporate name again from AJF to AYF to reflect a change in the shareholding structure as the company is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Ayudhya PCL, the fifth largest commercial bank in Thailand with over 560 nationwide branches and more than 8,500 employees.

AYF’s stated commitments to their clients include offering the most appropriate investment portfolios that best suit each client’s unique objectives and risk appetite. Working with their Operational Risk Department and Compliance Department, the company’s fund managers gather to set up each portfolio's specific requirements (Risk, Return and Liquidity) and feed them into the highly sophisticated Charles River Investment Management System (CRIMS) to complete the client’s portfolio.

The company is led by Mr. Chatrapee Tantixalerm, its CEO. It’s been under his three-year tenure as CEO that Ayudhya has garnered its prestigious Lipper Group Awards. And it seems that his own personal philosophy towards his job is one of the reasons for the company’s success, “For me, the most satisfying feeling is returning benefits to our clients.”

Whatever the reason, AYF is one of the most successful asset management companies in Thailand and one of the most knowledgeable when it comes to investing in the Thai stock market and Thai government bonds. And, as their past record indicates, they are internationally recognized as one of the most effective companies in the country in delivering value to their investors on an ongoing basis, the most important trait for any asset management company to possess.

Tom Aikins Reporting On Long-Term Equity Funds In Thailand

Tom Aikins interviews Mr. Chatrapee Tantixalerm, CEO of Ayudhya Fund Management in Bangkok about long term equity funds in Thailand.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Party In Bangkok At the Bank -- Bangkok's Hottest Entertainment Option

If you want to party in Bangkok – really party – where would you go? There are lots of clubs in Bangkok but not many have what The Bank has. The bank is Bangkok’s hottest party club no matter what the occasion. Whether it’s live music and dancing you want, or karaoke, or special shows or a place to throw a wild bachelor or birthday party there’s something for everyone at The Bank.

The Bank is three floors of entertainment facilities so that you don’t have to go anywhere else to party in Bangkok. Live music, beautiful hostesses, the best karaoke rooms and the monster private party room offer all the alternatives you need to party in Bangkok.

And don’t forget about the special shows that The Bank presents on a regular basis. Whether it’s a concert by famous Thai bands like Carabao or sexy lingerie or fire shows, The Bank knows how to offer you the finest entertainment available. There are other gentleman’s clubs in town and other karaoke bars and also many clubs that have live music but none of them offer everything that The Bank does under one roof.

You can start off with some relaxing games of pool in the lounge, check out the live entertainment starting at 10 PM and then go to a private karaoke room for a great private party with some of the hottest women in Bangkok. What a great way to party the night away and at The Bank you can do it until late, late, late.

Come with your friends or impress your business associates. Have a great day out on the golf course? Top off the day with a fun night at the best party bar in Bangkok. Come to The Bank and let the party experts show you how to have a good time in the party capital of Southeast Asia. On your next trip to Bangkok, visit The Bank and see what all the excitement’s about. Or if you’re already here, then don’t wait. We’ll see you tonight for a wild party.

Bangkok's Hottest Party Place -- The Bank

See the beautiful women and great facilities at Bangkok's hottest party place -- The Bank.