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atl
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....Go to a thrift store in the states and as you are there look at all the crap people bring back from where ever, and end up giving away. Everything ends up at the thrift store. So don't buy a bunch of crap in Thailand. By the way, cloths are much cheaper at a US thrift store than any where in Thailand, and you can find good stuff...
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Yo guys,
I saw the above post in another thread and thaught it would make a nice topic in shopping. While living in LOS I had 3 christmas's, countless Birthdays of boxing up stuff (usually from jatujak) and sending back to the states. On my recent trip back did all my chrsitmas shopping for family, friends, clients etc and brought back..
Some good, relativley inexpensive, easy to carry items I have found:
Fisherman Pants - I have never gone wrong with good quality fisherman pants. I bought a stack last trip and many people (clients) were very appreciative for what they see as a unique/cool thing. Seems to work better with more laid back people..some of the Bankers I deal with wouldnt wear them 
Framed/Mounted Pictures - I found this deaf lady not far from Suk soi 4 (same side as Eden) that sold these pics of thailand (everything from Old Ahyuthia, monks, Chaoyapraya long boats to Tuk Tuks) all mounted in different sizes/shapes on very liteweight wood/hard plastic. They ranged from 250 to 1000baht depending on size..I bought 5 rectangular ones for me. I ended up giving 1 to my assistant and 1 to our accountant they commented on them so much.
and the best part I bought a nice quality big northface knock off backpack for $1,200 baht to bring all the gifts back in. I have already had at least 10 requests for more when I go back..real ones here are 2 to 3 hundred bucks..
I am sure everybody has good suggestions that may be of help to others planning on bringing/sending back gifts/souveniers that wont end up at the bottom of a closet..
atl
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:25 pm on Mar. 27, 2007
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LiamOZ
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Hey ATL,
You mentioned the North Face backpack. I picked up one a few years back & it is as good as the real thing.
I was thinking about the 'knock off' parkas they have, like North Face or Colorado, but I'd hate to be caught in a snow storm in a low quality 'knock off'...Had any experience with the parkas, or maybe some the other members have?
BTW the 'knock off' baby Levis for kids were a great success around my family back home. I always buy my jeans and casual shirts there (I think everyone does)... top quality, and inexpensive.
Cheers,
Liam
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 4:55 pm on Mar. 27, 2007
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Adventure Guy
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Excellent / helpful thread, ATL.
I go to Thailand with relatively empty bags and come back loaded - new clothes especially, for myself and others, and Christmas / birthday presents for the year. Here are some of my favorites:
Pastel painted portrits, especially of family groups/ parents/in-laws: Bring photographs of bust, as large as you can. Be very selective as there are a few masters, but lots of amateurs, and they're all the same price - VERY cheap. Make IT CLEAR that your painting will be done by no one else in the gallery other than the artist you choose. After a lot of very careful selection, the ones I had made will be cherished for life.
Custom suits, and especially overcoats and leather jackets: Be prepred by bringing measurements of others. It works best to get a measurement drawing/form from a tailor - get separate forms for male and female bodies, and fill them out either before leaving or have them faxed to you in Thailand. Ask the tailor to leave a little extra material in strategic places, so that it can be corrected by a local tailor if not perfect fit or if fit changes. Select quality fabrics. Avoid shops that put on the big hustle. Not only will you get something one-third the rack price, it will give your friends / family bragging rights to be able to say that they had that special looking suit, etc. tailor-made in Bangkok.
Oil Paintings: Beautiful knock-off oil paintings of your favorite museum pieces, same size as original art, at little more than the cost of a print in the states. Pattaya and Phuket have some of the best shops, Bangkok and Chiang Mai next.
Jewelry: I say that with great trepidation as you have to know gems or you will get screwed. Buy only from shops with a good recommendation, in little cities that specialize in gems, NOT from Bangkok, NOT from ANY tourist areas, and NOT from hustlers/large gem galleries. I have had appraisals made when brought back to the states which came out at 3 times my cost in Thailand.
Thai silk scarves: Always a very cheap but highly appreciated gift/accessory for all your lady friends/family. Buy larger than the small size sold at most touristy stores.
DVDs: Leave your list at Panthip Plaza and come back the next day. They can get EVERYTHING imaginable, movies or full-season TV serials. Be sure to get a format compatible with your system.
CDs: Also at Panthip and at Khao San Road for best selections.
Computer Software: If you regularly use expensive applications you can pay for annual trips to Panthip Plaza (and Bangkok) just with the savings.
Now I know that the last three will draw some justifiable criticism for buying pirated/knockoffs at only $1.50 US Dollars per disk, but I take a pragmatic approach in justification. I believe that the major entertainment and software companies generally have outrageous markups. Knockoffs have already positively influenced many to sell at more honest markups.
Do not go through Customs however with multiple copies of any disk, and do not list their value at your knockoff prices or you will be nabbed. And be reasonably accurate with your Customs Declaration to stay within their limits.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:58 pm on Mar. 27, 2007
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Mr Alan
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Northface and many other companies have their products manufacturered in Thailand (and other countries). So a baht 1200 backpack you bought in Thailand is probably not a knock-off. It might be a "second" (slight cosmetic defect), a manufacturer over-run, or a discontinued model.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 8:13 pm on Mar. 27, 2007
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atl
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I was recently in North Carolina and a buddy I was with needed to borrow a T-Shirt and I gave him a Beer Chang T I had in my bag....
he wont give it back...its been over a month and he says its his fav T-shirt and has gotten 2 or 3 remarks from Thai people back in the atl.
I am gonna load up on those on my next trip for my closer clients.
Just wanted to throw that out.
This trip I am packing very light and will do the Northface backpack load again coming back.
atl
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:28 am on April 6, 2008
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James Velvet
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If you got to much to carry on your flight home it's easy to send the stuff home.
We use on of the several shipping agencys around Indra hotel in Pratunam. They are really proffesional and handles shipping as effency as McDonalds.
A 50Kg box to Sweden ships for 10.000 baht - way cheaper than 50Kg overweight charges at the airport check-in!
A box to Sweden ships in 3-5 days.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:51 am on April 6, 2008
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LastSurvivor
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They never weigh carry on luggage. I carried two huge bags of rice in my carry on for the wife. I almost got a hernia lifting it into the overhead bins every flight. I think that small bag weighed more than my much larger checked bag. Supposedly it's this new type of rice in Surin or red rice. Just tasted like rice to me! 
LS
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 2:59 pm on April 6, 2008
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CalEden
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The taylor may be able to use old clothes as a pattern, when having clothes made for a friend.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:01 pm on April 6, 2008
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CalEden
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Quote: from LastSurvivor on 3:14 pm on April 7, 2008
They never weigh carry on luggage.
In London they do. I had 3 bottles of Mumm Champagne which I had purchased at the Champagne Cellars in France (2 regular and 1 magnum bottle) in my carry-on. This was before the fluid restrictions. I had 2 carry-ons and they asked to weigh them. One bag was at the limit the other was over the limit. She told me I had to comply with the weight limits. I took the magnum out of the over weight carry-on and packed it in the other. After she finished the next person I gave her the carry on that previously had been over weight, which now complied with the weight restrictions. She never reweighed the other bag. I went on my merry way happy I skirted that problem.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 6:23 pm on April 6, 2008
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thailife
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after blowing a ton of money bringing perfume, clothes and almost anything else bought in the U.S., I now bring things like smoked salmon, pepered beef jerkey, BBQ sauce, fish and meat seasonings.... things like that.....This is for my trips upcountry so the locals all gather round and when we cook chicken or pork and use the store bought U.S. seasonings they always love to try them.... funny thing is, about the only things they like are the smoked salmon and peppered beef jerkey......
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:24 am on April 7, 2008
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