Expat guide-Paying your Thai electric bill

Our bills were so confusing when we first got them. In fact, we didn't even know they arrived to our house in the first place. We actually got our electric turned off. When the company comes out to read your bill, they print out a ticket and put it into a small box that is zip tied to the fence. We had no idea until my husband luckily spotted it while outside. Be aware of this. Your bill will come. So, lets decode this bill.
This is how I decode it and what I know of it:

1. Look at the third box from the left on the second row of boxes from the top. It shows 22/11/57. That is the date it was printed and put in your box, which is November, 22nd 2014.
2.  The box to the right of that is the time it was printed.
3. Skip down to the red box. That is what you owe. 2,189.95 Baht. This is a large bill. It has a previous amount on it. I'm not exactly sure how to read the previous amount but I am only really interested in what I owe total. The 143.27 right above the total amount looks like a tax.
4. My main goal. How much do I owe and when is it due? Oh and where do I pay this thing? Look at the first bar code. It has numbers. 25-29 and 2557. Translation: You can pay your electric bill between November, 25-29th 2014 at any 7-11 store. If it is after that date, you will have to find the PEA Mobile Center to pay it. I believe that second bar code is for them. If you wait after that date, you are risking having your electric bill shut off. They don't play around and will not wait around for you. They don't give grace on these. 

The mobile unit was not that hard to find. You just have to show your bill to someone and point to the date and usually they can point you in the right direction. We went to 7-11 first and then we ran into one of our American friends. He told us to go to the old Serthai Complex in Mahasarakham. The mobile unit  should be there until 6. Well, the mobile unit was not there and we came back the next day. Sure enough, it was there and we paid the bill no problems. They turned on the electric the next morning.

Be very vigilant with checking for the bill. We received 3 bills in one month. I have no idea why we got three so we made a habit of checking for bills every time we left the house. That way, we were on top of things. I hope this helps. Thanks for reading!

Monkeys!!

Kosamphi Forest Park, Thailand

Thanks to a wonderful friend, we had the chance to see the monkeys who live in this beautiful park. This was the truck passing us on the way out. They must have spotted the bananas. These little guys were hungry and so very active as you can tell. They were running every which way and were so funny to watch. I am so thankful and glad we were fortunate enough to experience this. It was truly amazing!!

 

Post Office in Thailand

Our relatives had sent us a box full of goodies for the girls. So we set out in search of the post office. It wasn't to hard to find being that it was in the center of town. When we walked in, we saw a few different service windows. I guess they just knew we were picking up a package because when we walked in, they pointed us to the correct window right away. We signed some forms and paid 600 baht and that was that. We were a little upset at the 600 baht only because our relatives paid 60.00 USD to send it. As you can see, it's not that big of a package. I really feel cheated by both post offices but then again, they have to pay their employees somehow. Here are some pictures of the out and inside of the post office in Mahasarakham, Thailand.

A lady who sells her handmade goods and other items inside the post office

Care for cut flower arrangements

 Happy mothers day!!!

When I get flowers, I like to keep them looking fresh. Here are some great tips on how to keep long lasting fresh flowers.

1. Cut the stems at an angle right before they go into water. The fresh cut angle gives it more  space to get the water up the stem.
2. Get the flowers to water as soon as possible. 
3. Remove any leaves below the water line. Leaves suck up water and make the water murky. 
4. Mix in the flower food. This is essential for lasting life of the flowers.
5. Use warm water. Hot or cold may shock or damage the flowers.
6. Filtered light is best. Direct sunlight will cause them to die faster.
7. Remove wilting blooms. The wilting blooms create more gases than the others which causes the other blooms to wilt faster. 
8. At about 5-7 days, re-cut the stems and change the water. Bacteria may build up in the water so a change and cut is best. 

 

Thai towel art

I love going into a hotel and seeing the room nice and clean after a long day but most of all, I absolutely love the towel art. When we first got to Thailand, we stayed in the Siamtara Palace hotel. Every day the housekeeper left us really cute towel art plus a super clean room. Here are some of the beautiful designs the housekeeper created for us. 

Cinnamon sugar buttermilk pancakes

These cinnamon sugar buttermilk pancakes are delicious! My little taste tester said they were the best she has ever had. Needless to say, she cleared her plate. I know this recipe is a winner! Finally, a successful breakfast made from scratch!

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups of sifted flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, slightly whisked
• 2 cups of buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted and melted
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon, more or less to your liking

Directions:

1. Preheat your griddle to medium/medium low heat.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the salt, baking powder, baking soda, flour, cinnamon, and sugar. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Add the butter as you continue to whisk.
3.  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir until almost completely combined. The more you stir pancakes, the more flat and tough they will be so please mix until a few streaks of flour are remaining.
4. Butter the griddle and scoop 1/3 cup of batter and cook until you see bubbles begin to form. Flip it and cook until golden. Serve immediately with cool whip and sprinkled cinnamon on top