Mr.StickyRice

Mighty Mouse:

THanks. It turns out the package was insured so I will just have to police sign a form for me on Monday.

I was just going to let it go, but she can always re-send it.

While I find most of these amusing I still feel that we as native speakers of english ignore the mistakes Thais make in english and let them slide too often. Or even openly reinforce these mistakes with Thai-glish/baby English.

The cliche "same same" and "where you are come from?" come to mind.

If you let this things go without correction, or use them in everyday speech (I cant stand farangs that I meet that actually use these phrases with Thais, shit, some of them use them with their english speaking friends even!)

You are not helping Thai people at all.

I know alot of you think "oh, simple english helps Thai people understand" or something along these lines, but please, lets all start conjugating verbs and talking to Thais like we would talk to other Asians.

Do you see tourists in Japan or Korea saying "where have same same taxi red?" or other crap along those lines? Why is that? Because for some reason alot of us think the Thai brain cant handle a grammatically correct sentence of english.

Do we think they are stupid? From reading this forum often, I would say we do.

Just use plain, natural english, from the start. Young kids are the best people to use such complicated and esoteric things like "past tense" and "gerunds". They end up never getting into the lazy english habits of their semi-ruined thai-glish speaking elders.

Nothing wrong with natural mistakes here and there, they can be funny. But when the underlining structure and reasons for these mistakes are because of lazy and ignorant farangs it makes me kinda annoyed.

Roti "ma-ta-ba" in Suntitam is excellent too. If you make a left at the moat corner near Central and head towards Wat Suntitam, just go straight over the bridge and you will see alot of food stands on the left.

The one near the end serves the best Roti I have ever had, plus the "ma-ta-ba" (30baht) style is stuffed with curry chicken and potatoes, super delicious!

The friend that sent the package didnt tell me she was sending it at that time.

Turok I agree with you on many points but there is no reason most people shouldnt own 2 consoles, a Nintendo and Xbox/PS.

If you are ever in Chiang Mai PM me, because I love beer/cube/multi player parties also! I have gotten non gaming nerds (including women who never played games since pac-man) back into gaming using a Gamcube.

I dont think this can be done using the other consoles, and the Revolution and its new interface will draw many new "non-gamer" types back into the fold.

Here is a pic of my setup:

Sony Wega "Super Fine Pitch" HDTV

Modded Xbox

GameCube + dozen real games

3 gameboy sp

2 Nintendo DS +1/2 dozen games

1 Thai wife

= happy times

Kinda long story:

My friend sent me a package from America (clothes/snacks/etc...) but I moved out of my apartment while it was in transit.

When I go back to my old apartment the security gaurd tells me the package arrived. I check with the office and they deny it.

I check with the post office they tell me they have a signature (of the office lady!) for receiving the package. I go back and now the office lady tells me she gave it to [insert random farang that lives in building].

I go to talk to the guy and he says he never got it.

Now she changes her story and says that she "put it somewhere, and cant remember..."

Im really, really, pissed off but I dont show it and leave.

Now what should I do? I want her to know that messing with peoples mail is serious (I dont know about Thai law, but in the states that is a big offense)

and I also want the post office to know they just cant leave stuff like that with anybody and everybody TIT.

Any suggestions?

If you are in a pinch just go for a smaller Sony LCD HDTV, it can be used for a monitor also if you dont mind tweaking around your PC to display on it.

(power-strip, HDTV card, etc...)

Just send the money by international bank transfer this time (you didnt say where you were, but if in the US it should be around a 25-50$ charge).

Next time, if you plan on sending her cash on the regular, just open a new savings account with an ATM. Send the ATM card to her in the mail, with the pin number through email (or another letter).

This way you just make deposits in that account stateside and she can withdraw it in Thailand. Helps you keep track of how much she is spending also.

Please dont tell us it is more than a few hundred US$ a month or you are playing your self kinda hard...

I gotta give the award to the Suntitam area once again. Most places are 10B/hour, some giving buy 3 hours get 1 free. These arent the "hole in the wall" 56K places that seemed to overun Chiang Mai a few years back. Top of the line computers, Firefox browsers (in some), and good connections.

My favorite has soft couch-like chairs and a discount after 12am.

So where do you guys like to go?

Yeah. I guess I have to drag the wifey to Penang and get the 1 year deal. Hate traveling with the "ball and chain"...

"you go back Burma!" the immigration lady was not happy.

I smiled and try to explain that nobody asked to see any money the last 2 times I used this border. I would have brought the cash if I knew it was inforced.

I think she only took notice because they were 1 after another for 3 months.

I got off by being nice I guess.

You have been warned. Again...

I cant believe you guys are complaining about the decor at Gohan Tei, I guess this forum is a little too "high-so" for me.

The sushi there is excellent and if you are afraid of its quality I can assure you the chef buys it at the same places the other 4star Japaense places do because he has worked for those places for many years himself.

If you are paranoid about it ,order the salmon because this is never served "raw", since it is a fresh water fish.

Actually nevermind. That place should just be left the local secret for expat Japanese and "in the know" locals...

Kinda crappy map. Look for the words "TV" and "Sushi" I made with MSpaint->

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/sasimirobot/sushi.gif

I bought a 29" Sony Wega HDTV, and while its great for playing games and watching DVDs through Xbox's Media Center 1080i upscaller, I would love to be able to watch some real HD content.

Anyone know how I could go about doing that? (satellite dish, computer, etc...)

UBC isnt gonna cut it.

"Gohan Tei" on the Siam TV soi.

Best and cheapest Japanese food in Chiang Mai.

Many japanase locals eat there and I bring friends that visit from japan to eat there.

The Thai girlfriend even loves it. The owner is a great guy from Issaan who has been cooking Japanese food for almost 20 years at various high class restaurants around Thailand. Decided he could do it better and cheaper at his own place.

List of things that have been stolen from me (that I can remember):

Numerous T-shirts (actually alot of clothes just disapear at the laundry for some reason, especially while they are still new...)

3 gameboys

GameCube and games

Money (too many times to count)

Some shit-head just stole 2 pairs of shoes from in front of my door last night!!!

Im really getting pissed off over the whole thing. I know I have to be more careful but I dont like the feeling of living like I am being help prisoner by thai thieves. I have rarely had anything stolen from me while in America and this just makes me sad...

The GF says that it is a thai gang who specialize in stealing clothes and shoes from Condos/Dorm/Apartments and selling it to 2nd hand shops. I hope the 100Baht is worth getting smacked in the head with a bat if I ever cath one.

Just normal Thai food I guess. Not issaan or nothern thai. Some suggestions there:

Pad See U- My vegetarian friends say its the best they have had in Thailand!

Yellow curry Rice with fried chicken- my favourite dish there

Yum Kai Dao- with pork. a little pricey but excellent

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The woman who cooks is just really talented at making food.

Also at that interecetion is "the most famous thai-style ice tea/coffee/drink stand in Chiang Mai" accourding to my girlfriend. Always busy. Always good.

Suntitam is a gold-mine for those in the know.

More expensive than the unbeatable "Amazing Sandwich" and not as good...

"Food Corner" restaurant in Suntitam. Hard to find (when you get the the 5 way intersection from the Wat Suntitam 3 way intersection take a right, it is the 2nd road down, take a left then on your left)

BEST THAI FOOD IN CHIANG MAI, THE BEST KEPT SECRET HERE!

Ok. The 2 people that bother to read this will be very happy people indeed...

From somebody who has owned all 3 consoles not to mention 2 Nintendo DS's (which I love!!), I would have to say Gamecube.

I like the Xbox for the upscalling DVD player via. Xbox Media player, but the PS2 at this point is a piece of shit technology. The ONLY thing it has going for it is the abundance of pirated games (that you will never finish like a poster has already mentioned). I dont know why that is, must be because they just dont "do" anything for me because there are so many throw-away hits week after week with no real innovation or change in gameplay.

My friends and I just finished Zelda 4 Swords Adventures (yes you have to hook up 4 gameboys!) and it was the greatest game I have played this decade. Too bad .01% of the gaming population could even set this situation up, financially and having friends that game/ or are open minded enough.

I find that Nintendo games appeal to everyone, I can be sure that even my non-gaming GF will at least pick up and play a few rounds of the newest release, but with Xbox and PS2 she will be itchn to hit the "TV/video" button on the remote...

To each his own. The same crap game you have been playing for the last 10 years with "super-poly-X789-rendered" shoes on the lead character does not make a fun game...

Its kinda sad nobody mentions the GameCube! (well I understand why since "piracy" is so rampant). Games like Metroid Prime and Biohazard (Resident Evil) look really good, and the family/party/ 4player games are a blast!

Look into on if you dont mind paying full price for "real" games and you have friends that can come over to play.

No doubt though X-box Ninja Gaiden on a HDTV is stupendous though...

I understand that much. Its just that I think it means just a little more than that...something along the lines of

"I have never (X) so...Im not about to start to...Im not sure...about"

Im sure alot of you have had the experience of a thai girl saying it when you try to get her to "tam nit noi" with oral sex.

Sure she has DONE it, but what she is saying is a little more subtle than "I have never done it"/"I cant do it".

See what I mean?

I know "pai ying kratai" has been mentioned before, but I think it is one of the funniest/interesting ways to say "go pee".

(go piss on a rabbit?)

From what I have learned it is only used by men, and is very informal.

Anyone know what the female version of "pai ying kratai" would be?

No, I mean I love beer Chang but I sometimes feel that my friends (farangs) think it is "bottom of the barrel" because of the price.

Everyone knows the hi-so only drink Heini. Yuck...

Im the new guy here, so sorry if this topic is old/stupid.

I really dont understand why thais always say stuff like "tam mai pen!"/ "gin mai pen".

The first thing I think is; well...how can you try anything new if you have never done it before? Maybe I just dont understand the translation from thai to english, but to me it means "I have never done it, so..."

For example. If I went to a Japanese restaurant with my friends in the states and he ordered some funky "raw octopus with wasabi", I would never say " I have never tried that...<deleted>? Dont they have hamburgers here?"

This is the feeling I get when thais speak like this. Yes, I know of the whole Asian "herd mentalilty", but really, how do you get beyond this first step with people that dont try anything new?

About 2 years ago I was a DJ at a very popular club in Chiang Mai. I played Hip-Hop and UK dance. All night I had thai customers come up to me and say "Uh...what is this, I have never heard it before, dont you have some music I know?" or something like that.

Now, the same club only plays top 40 Hip-hop ,ie. eminem and other bastard american music.

How do you get thais to try anything new? This is the question.