Helpful hints and tips for Udon Thani
Getting rid of ants!
Ok this a new one I had to add as I have been battling these pests for the last 8 years and I have tried powders, the bait box granules one, i've tried burning them, vacuming them and still they persist, get rid of one type and another type move in. I found this spray called ARS MITE1 in Tesco, has a Thai name but the English name is on the back of the can, it is silver and orange. This stuff is amazing not only does it kill the ants on contact but if you spray along their routes they vanish. I have not found a good method for the big red tree ants yet but i'm working on it. Oh also while i'm on insect pests, mosquitos that hang around your front door and dart in whenever you open the door, the reason they are around the door is usually because of all the smelly foot wear, well! smelly to Mozzies anyway, so if you can break away from the Thai time honoured tradition and leave your shoes inside the door that little problem should go away.
Electric shocks off your computer
If you are getting electric shocks off your computer or any other electrical device for that matter the simple solution is to get any piece of electrical wire and expose both ends from the plastic shielding, then wind one end around any exterior screw and tighten, put the other end on the floor under a heavy object, computer desk leg usually works.
General Grocery
For general grocery shopping I tend to use Tesco supermarket, mostly because it's close by but also because it's easy to park and has most of things I need on a weekly basis. Tescos is based on the main ring road that circles Udon and is near the crossroads that lead to Nong Khai, Kon Kahn, Nong Bua. Other options are Big C(usually has a good stock of the large can plum tomatoes) or Robinson's in the City center. There is also a Macro for bulk purchases and discount items, Macro has a very good herbs and spices section and is way cheaper for the frozen veg and chips. Check any map for these places they are all listed clearly.
Meat
For chicken and pork I usually use Tesco as its convenient but for steak/ beef I will go to any good local open market/butcher and explain what I want to cook to get the best cuts, always great value at these places if you can handle the smell and the flies, also while I'm there I will generally pick up fruit and veg, always a fun experience at the market, good spot to test out your Thai also.
Household items and DIY
For Household items there is a much larger choice than there used to be, most of the places are on the Ring road again with Global Home, Home Mart, Tool Pro and a new one just opened I forget the name but if you can find Global home they are all on that stretch of Highway, I personally use Global home the most as it seems to have the biggest choice. They also have a paint mixer that is handy when you want to decorate and, a little cafe with cheap bland Thai food, this is handy as you will be worn out walking around there, it is huge. Cheapest oven i've seen is at macro, 5000 baht.
(Update! There is now an Index store on the same rank that has some very nice furniture and other items)
Pastries
Fresh pastries can be found in the big complex in the center of town on the 3rd floor right next to Robinson's super market, this a great stop to have a bite and a coffee and pick up some fresh bread. Incidentally there is a little cafe opposite the main shopping complex that is a great rest stop when you are in town and it has out door seating so you sit and watch the world go by.
(Update! This cafe has now moved and I believe it is now in the new farang bar area near the Night Market/Railway station)
Computers
I use a little shop in the main central shopping complex as above, on the 2nd floor to the left as you face the Charonsi shopping mall and past the mobile phone section there are a number of small computer shops. One of these shops I think called Nana Computers has a small round faced lady that not only speaks excellent English but also is very clued up on computers, how great is that? (I have just heard she is dividing her time between this place and another Udon computer shop near Big C) They sell all products at Bangkok prices and she will double check against the latest price listing on line. I buy mostly all my hardware from there, for cd and dvd blanks I buy from one of the other shops there very close by, there are a couple so its worth checking for the best deals. I usually end up with PRINCO blanks, cheap and cheerful. There are a few game and software stalls in this area.
Eating out
Ok personally I rarely eat in Falang based restaurants so it's not really worth me mentioning any, if you have any that you have been to and would like to recommend them you can add them to my classifieds page, add photos if you have any. Places that I like to eat out are mostly Thai places and there are so many that do the same kind of deal that I wont mention specific places but I often visit the places that have lakes and small huts around them, some offer fishing hire, I'm quite happy in these places day or night, my top tips at these places would be to bring some cushions with you and try and pick a hut as far away from the Karaoke machine as possible, ideally try and find one without those horrible noise boxes at all. Beer is cheap and the food is cheap and the atmosphere is very chilled out, take some cards or a chess set and you can happily spend a day there being waited on.
For a bit more action I go to one of the MC Korean type places, I use the one further up the road from Tesco on the other side of the road. These places are superb IMO, not only is it super cheap like under a 100 baht all you can eat, they have live music and such a huge range of food to choose from the buffet, my local one has just started doing French Fries and chicken legs. But really what I like the most is the buzz of these places, they are always packed with people around 6-8 pm its like a family meal/party atmosphere. These places have a hole cut in the table where they put a pot of hot coals and a metal dish grill to cook on, you put your meats on the high part and your veg and what not in the lower moat part. The idea is you create a stock from the meat as it drips down into the soup. These places are not pretty or scenic or even hygienic lol, but great dining experience, I do it at least once a week, oh also look out for the visiting elephants.
Noodle places on the sides of the road that do 2 dishes, noodles or Kao Ca Moo, what a winner these places are, if you have ever had a good Kao Ca Moo you will remember it, the pork is so soft and tasty it reminds me of eating lamb back in the UK, it comes in a great sauce with some veg on rice, insanely cheap and delicious.
Oh I will just mention Bella Italia as my fave Italian restaurant, this family have been in Udon for like forever, they used to be based near Nong Prajak Park and made a very ambitious move to the city center. Enrico and his Thai wife Promphan work incredibly hard and always make time to have a chat with you, their food is superb and very authentic Italian. You can find them near the main shopping complex in the city center, there are two Italian places there, one is a franchise rubbish plastic Italian, the other, Bella Italia is right next door to the large Charonsi hotel and has outside seating.
Bars
Sorry I don't go to many bars in Udon Thani anymore so again if you want to promote any of them add to the classifieds section. A place called High Tech seems to be popular with the Thai youth, like a park full of bars and nightclubs. Also if you go past the main shopping complex on your left in the center and go to the very end of the road there is a club there that always has a lot of Thais cramming to get in, I think it does live music, sorry don't know the name. Directly opposite the shopping complex behind the row of shops is an area referred to as Falang alley, this is like a little stretch of Pattaya with scores of tiny bars.
(Update! That whole section of bars opposite main shopping complex have now been removed and seem to have relocated near to the Night Market/Railway Station, there is in that area a bar complex and Mr Tongs and The Irish Clock)
Internet
When I first came to Udon the best you could get was these cards that allowed you to access the internet from you home phone, the connection was awful barely able to get emails. In the last few years adsl has arrived and things have improved greatly. The choices seem to be TOT, TT&T for direct phone line internet or a satellite connection. I have never tried the satellite but have heard it is the worse choice of the 3, more expensive for less bandwidth basically. The problem is it can be very difficult to get phone lines in a lot of places in Udon, mainly places outside the ring road, so for some people a dish is the only option. I have TOT and that seems fairly stable in the last year and I think TT&T is about the same, I now pay about 500 baht a month for a 1 meg down half meg up connection, 2 meg connections are available now if you are near town center and that is about 1000 baht, I was told im too far out of the city to get it. Anyway 1 meg is ample for normal internet use but strains a bit under any kind of p2p or cam chat. So really the biggest remaining problem for Udon is its lack of phone lines outside of the ring road, fingers crossed that will improve. I've not used any internet cafes for years now but I would guess they should be much better now than they used to be.
(Update! I believe 3 meg connections are now available from TOT at 560 baht a month)
Building work/repairs
ARRRGHHH! lol this is always a nightmare area and I have discovered that really it's best to try and learn what you need to do yourself. The problem is that its very hard to find specialist in any area, luckily we have found a good electrician but otherwise the general situation here is odd jobbers, these are guys and gals that can turn their hand to anything and do any job you like badly, I have used so many different teams over the years and almost without exception the work is poor quality and they have no regard for a nice finish and they always leave mess everywhere, plus you really do have to watch them because on the whole they will make big mistakes and even when they realize the mistakes they will just carry on. Please don't misunderstand I am not having a go at the Thai workman i'm just telling you like it is so you will be prepared. To understand why this happens you need to realize that Thai workers do all their own repairs as cheaply as possible and that is how they are used to working, also aesthetics are rarely considered as long as it works, now add on to that the amount they get paid and that we as Westerners will always be looking to get the best deal possible money wise, recipe for disaster. So top tips are, make sure you buy the products to be used, you do a very througher plan of exactly what you want done and how you expect it to look when its finished, provide plastic sheeting and instruct the worker to place it where ever he is working, ensure that the worker has the correct tools needed for the job and lastly keep checking up on the work. Like I said really the best option is to learn to do it yourself, Google is your best friend for such things. Personally getting plumbing work done has been my biggest headache so now I do it all myself and have the proper tools for it.
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