ramrod711

Typical the driver jumps out and runs away, probably loaded on Bah Yah

when my thai wife got her drivers licence her friend told her that she had a brother that has been driving tractor trailer units on the highway for 3 years. he would like to get his licence because then the company would have to pay him more. true story.

have witnessed first hand, the same sad experience in phuket, but as someone has already stated whether its for fun, free etc, it's just not worth the risk, i guess technically if you were to start painting your house, inside or out, the same scenario applies, you're depriving thais work, so where do you draw the line, immigration should stipulate what you can and can't do under current thai law, then it's up to us to consider the risks.

i know a farang guy that plays in a club. he says that although it is being enforced by the police, it is being driven by neighbouring bars that lose customers because they can't get people to sing for free

But if he returns to Thailand now, then 'under the laws' he's a fugitive from justice who has to be banged up for two years as a convicted criminal.

Unless the PM is suggesting some kind of deal in the long Thai tradition of elites being unaccountable for their crimes?...

he could come back to thailand under the same laws that allow his convicted felon wife to not serve her two year prison sentence and leave the country when ever she wants to

Thanks for the reply. You're right. I won't be in Thailand for about a month. I guess that's why the agents can't be bothered with me. It also explains why properties sit on the market forever. I have been to CM several times, though and have done quite a bit of internet research.

When you say never buy property in Thailand for obvious reasons, do you mean noise, pollution, problems getting things fixed, stagnant market, etc or something else? I plan to buy a property and live in it most of the time. Some of it looks really good, and I have just sold a property in Vancouver that is worth about six or eight times what a similar property in CM would be. Plus it's stinking cold here. I've bought and sold lots of property before and will use a lawyer. He doesn't answer my emails either.

I'M FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA AS WELL. I HAVE LIVED IN CHIANG MAI FOR 5 YEARS AND LOVE IT. BEWARE, THERE ARE LAWS WHICH LIMIT THE NUMBER OF FOREIGNERS THAT CAN OWN CONDOS IN A BUILDING. I KNOW OF ONE BUILDING IN CHIANG MAI WHERE A FORMER MANAGER SOLD THE PARKING LOT AND THE LAND THAT WAS PUT ASIDE FOR THE SWIMMING POOL. THE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS LAND BACK FOR SEVERAL YEARS WITH LITTLE SUCCESS BUT LOTS OF PROMISES THAT IT CAN BE DONE IF ONE IS WILLING TO PAY THE PROPER OFFICIAL. I WOULD RENT UNTIL YOU KNOW THAT THE BUILDING THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING IS A GOOD PLACE TO BUY.

seen as though no one as answered, let me suggest a few for you, The Red Lion on Night Bizzare, Johns bar round the moat, The Un Irish pub and The Olde bell are pretty decent to watch the games in. Also you may want to catch a Chiang Mai FC game while you are here, they have just been promoted and are playing some decent football have a look at thi site to see if it fits in with you plans. Chiang Mai FC English

THE HALF MOON, MUN MUANG SOI 2 IS NOT TOO LARGE, A BRIT OWNS IT AND THE MENU INCLUDES HEARTY BRIT FARE. GIVE IT A TRY

No doubt someone will blame the cambodians or thaksin for this

i don't want to disappoint anyone, so let me be the first to blame thaksin

three cheers for the thai landlord as well. we all jump on the "i've been ripped off by a thai" bandwagon quickly, but we are too slow to acknowledge the good samaritans out there.

OMG what a remarkable story! I Remember reading the first story when it broke. Glad to see he's made a recovery (however limited or partial)

And good on Tracey too! Cheers

I think that the "motorcycle gang ripping off handbags" story came about when a ladyboy couldn't supress her jealousy at seeing a coveted farang's (white person-foreigner) Louis Vuitton Speedy Cube Bag. The story that I heard told that the thief returned and dropped the contents with a shy smile and a sweet wai.

I've been here six weeks and I've been scammed once, at Top's supermarket by the motorbike parking attendant who demanded 35baht (about $1.15US), (there is no such fee--talk about petty theft--it's sort of funny) other than that I feel comfortable walking anywhere--even down dark streets at night.

I've gone through six tanks of petrol in my motorbike and have yet to see a "motorcycle gang." The worst that I have endured was a scowl from a shopkeeper after I looked at a piece of "silk" (it was most likely rayon) and the price went from 10,000 baht, to 4,000 as I said thank you and was leaving.

I have found CM to be one of the nicest, friendliest places on earth, even the neighborhood dogs are polite!

Here's a few examples:

One day, I had left my motorbike parked on the sidewalk at the Tom Yamlai market alongside the Ping river. I intentionally left my helmet (I've come to the conclusion that helmets are rarely stolen) but I accidentally left the keys in the ignition--yikes! Two hours later, the bike was just where I left it. A thousand people must have walked by it and saw that the keys were in it.

Another Saturday I parked my motorbike on the street that the Sunday Market occcurs at around 2pm (with my helmet). What I did not know was that was the street that turned into the Sunday Night Market. I returned later, around 9pm to find the street closed to traffic, full of thousands of people and my bike was not where I left it. I had assumed it had been towed by the police so I started walking to get a ride home and there, in the middle of the throngs of people was my bike, parked in the middle of the road. Amazing...a police officer came over and gave me an escort out of the Night Bazaar. In America the shop owner whose space I had offended would have at a minimum had it towed, probably after trashing it.

Vibe's post is right on! Crossing streets as a pedestrian is about the most dangerous thing to do here. Trying to run makes it worse! The concept is hard to believe but it's true. Crossing busy streets can be deadly and though it may seem odd, moving slowly gives the "cowboy" that just came zooming around the corner on his motorbike room to maneuver around you. The same concept goes for entering traffic on a motorbike--never see an open spot and zoom into it--because there might be a cowboy on a bike going 70mph...

Many condemn CM's drivers but I have found that although the rules of the road are at best "odd" (orange light means go very fast; red light means go faster for 30 seconds, pedestrian red lights are there for decoration only and road direction is really only "suggested" (opposite direction on occasion is ok) and sometimes sidewalks are quite ok to drive on) that CM's drivers are efficient, highly skilled, and where in America actions that would routinely be met with extreme road rage here are simply allowed. The real risk I believe are drunk drivers and foreigners who open their driver side doors without looking, thus impaling a motobike driver. Motorbikes are cheap to rent and absolutely wonderful for getting around on--I would not think of driving a car here though.

I'm a country boy from New Hampshire, USA and I'd rather die than go to New York, or Boston, or LA, but I'm quite happy and feel quite safe here in CM.

a thai friend who's son was just starting residency at a local hospital felt compelled to buy his son a car. he told me that because his son had to work late at night, he was concerned for his safety. it seems that some young men do like to gang up and carry chains that they use to whip people off of their motorbikes. i have lived here for 5 years and never had a problem, but i'm not riding a motorbike early in the a.m.

Singtel will probably save the concession by way of pumping equity into increasing the wealth of Korn and Chuti. Shin Corp has evaded tax simply by stating that the fees for the concession is tax payable leaving the increase in revenue to expand his margins as his tax payable is fixed.

i don't understand how you can be so skeptical. surely you can't disbelieve Chuti when he tells us that the meeting was just to wish him a happy new year. i'm sure that if he was to lose his position, singtel would dispatch an executive to meet him in person to pass on the corporate good will, of course i also believe in the easter bunny.

in my opinion jatuporn acted in a cowardly fashion. hiding behind his immunity while inciting others to riot, burn and commit violent crimes is low where i come from.

It's another AEON branch in Airport Plaza. AEON seems to be the only known bank with no fees.

there are aeon atms at carrefour, airport plaza and both tescos. no charge and you can withdraw up to 40,000 baht at a time providing your foreign bank allows it.

Again depends which Immigration Office you are using, This year Embassy letter was over 2 months old - (Brit Embassy closed in May!)

My Bangkok Bank letter was a few days old too, some of us live a few miles away from our banks!, plus some banks want a few days to prep it for you.

ATM statements are only good for those with Debit cards etc, my retirement cash is in a fixed account and no card is available.

Bank counter withdrawal, only and it would be in the passbook.

This is in Phitsanulok Immigration, a 450 km round trip so I spend a few days preparing all my paperwork before going!

i asked the lady at the canadian consulate how long the proof of income letter was "good for". she said that chiang mai immigration would accept it for about one month.

thanks for the information, i'm in chiang mai. a friend of mine had a problem with immigration a couple of years ago with the bank letter not being "fresh" enough. trouble is, immigration only processes about 40 - 50 oa visas per day and if you don't get in early you're out of luck. i like the idea of going to an atm on monday morning with a balance slip. i can't see why they wouldn't accept that.

friday sept. 24, i got my bank letter today and all my other documents are in order. i am going to immigration on monday the 27th, did i get my bank letter too soon?

people have to vote with their wallets, if you don't want to be trated like freight, refuse to fly with these airlines. i wouldn't fly ryan air if they were the last carrier on the planet.

i believe that actions speak louder than words, these people have already shown that they will not hesitate to resort to violence and destruction of property. i think it is a mistake to let them hold rallies, they should be governed by the rules pertaining to emergency law.

am i the only one who thinks that these 'protests' are going to be a huge failure for the reds? recall that as things wore on in april and may the #'s that turned out dropped to a trickle. then a few hand fulls set fire to building- yes, i know. but the reality as i witnessed was, imo, the movement was dying out and but for a few thousand die hards with nowhere to go. everyone else had already pretty much packed it in when the govt. 'dispersed' the remainder.

i just don't think they're going to have much of a turnout anywhere and it will reveal the lack of vocal support remaining (i realize most outside of bkk agree with the reds, but the # of those Thai's who are willing to disrupt their lives to actively protest seems pretty small at this point.

without some sort of catalyst to REALLY bring out the masses, i see this thing dying out but for the militant wing which will try to wreak some havoc here and there, but not enough to bring about any sort of change. they should have taken the govt's deal of elections when they had it. now, they're a fringe group at best imo.

I think most of us are hoping and praying you are right!

i can't say whether there is a place in banbkok or not but i've been in chiang mai for five years and i have not found anyplace here.

the full english breakfast at mad dog for 125 baht, tea or coffee, orange juice, bacon, ham and sausage, eggs, pan fried potato, beans, toast, mushrooms and tomatoes. this is an all day offering, can't be topped