masuk

The only fixed parameters of your dilemma is your light-rail travel which will take a good hour not taking into account how long you might have to wait for the next airport link train.

As for the rest .... airline punctuality, immigration and baggage claim - time for you to get out your crystal ball.....

Immigration could be slow: depends a lot on who is in front. Then you have to wait while baggage is loaded onto the carousel and this could take 20 minutes or more. Customs is usually speedy. Then transport to the station, purchasing a train ticket, probably no sleepers at that late stage of things.. I'd allow a good 2 hours as you'd be cutting things too fine..

If I were you. I'd plan on an overnight stay in BKK and take a day trip up to Chiang Mai on the morning train.

The city's infrastructure will need to be addressed before Chiang Mai grows much further, regardless of who is doing it... There are times when traffic around the moat is pretty much at the saturation point...

How very true! Try coming into the city for dinner out at around 6pm.

Some one needs to explain to the Regional or National Government, the magic words T.O.W.N. P.L.A.N.N.E.R.

We have in Chiang Mai the nation's second largest city, possibly the most interesting, not a park in sight, footpaths breaking up, and these almost totally blocked with motor bikes in some areas, as there is no provision for parking. As far as people are concerned, there are only two controlled zebra crossings in the old city that I can think of, a few hundred metres from Thae Pae Gate. There are a few uncontrolled crossings such as trying to gain access to MAYA where you stand a good chance of being knocked over by those running the red lights.

Condominiums/apartment blocks are coming up like hairs on a dog's back all around the city. I can count six under construction within 500 metres of my condo, and one about to start outside my window. East of Nimman seems to be one big building site.

This means a lot more vehicles on the road, possibly even more pedestrians, certainly a few thousand more motor bikes. The expat population has doubled in the past two or three years according to the Immigration Dept. I doubt very much there are census figures showing Thai population increases.

While the focus appears to be on cleaning up corruption, beaches and crime in southern provinces, why do I get the feeling that we're the Cinderella Province?

Satellite cities with good zoning, shopping centres, restaurants, mini-markets, adequate transport, (NOT tuk-tuks and Song Teaws!) good planning, pools and parks would encourage a population shift out of the city centre. Increased business opportunities will keep people employed there and no need for commuting.

There are so many possibilities while there is vacant land on the outskirts of the city, yet everything seems to just bumble along.

Part of an article from last year and background of the why. Quite detailed and some rather scathing comments from the community.

"So Chinese tourists tend to have a degree of self-centeredness and a lack of awareness for their surroundings and for the way they blend in with the people around them. I honestly feel bad for them because I know they just want to go on holiday to a foreign country and enjoy themselves. They are mostly completely unaware of how their behavior in public is seen as rude, inconsiderate, or disrespectful by others."

http://siamandbeyond.com/survey-says-chinese-tourists-wearing-welcome-chiang-mai/

Last year I had my first holiday (and my last) on Hainan Island in China. Lovely beaches, and normally would be totally invaded by Russians, but not this time.

Prices in restaurants were astronomical, especially sea food and an ice cream was over $10.00.

However, it was the people and their customs which amazed me; all forms of transport seems to be fitted with the loudest air horns I've heard, on a par with the BKK tour buses which cruise around Chiang Mai. The horns are used to blast a way through traffic coming from any direction.

The normal way of disposing of rubbish was to drop it wherever you were; Under the table, on footpaths, on the street.

The yelling got to me the most: no one talked. they just shouted - across the table, across the room.

Tunnel vision seems to be a genetic thing, as people would just walk into you, with or with a mobile phone.

I'm more than happy to have the relative peace of Chiang Mai, if only someone would tell me how to shut those dogs up outside!!

so why are't the chinese toilet trained i wonder

They have some rather odd requirements. First, toilets do not seem to be fitted with a rear-end washer as in Thailand.

Second: the hostel I stayed at last year insisted that no paper was to go in the toilet, and must be placed in the basket provided. All very well, but frequent emptying of this basked would have been appreciated.

I frequently saw kids being led outside and squatting on the curb. Great training - or maybe the toilet was on the top floor.

Of course, following this report, there will be a severe crack down on the illegal trading of endangered species at Chatuchak and other weekend markets.

In other news, Thailand Space Agency has announced a new date this year for their manned voyage to Mars.

Can we volunteer those we wish to go to Mars?

It is good that they have found these creatures though. I hope they are released back into the wild and NOT captured again to be sent to market.

Hopefully, let's hope the creatures smuggling protected species are also released into the wild.

As mentioned, how is that protected species can be openly sold at a market? Doesn't the Thai Wild Life Dept check these places?

It's not only Thailand which sells endangered species at an open market. Must be a general disregard for the environment.

Being out of the country, I would imagine that Chinese New Year is now little different than the Gregorian New Year and has become a time to get out of Chiang Mai and seek refuge elsewhere.

Not forgetting Lunar New Year, which I believe many Asian countries prefer to call it.

A quick look at Thailand shows that we're getting winds from East and West. So whoever is burning just now, we're getting it.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-02-01/tropical-cyclones-explained/1926870,

Did you get all of the rain they forecast? I read that 300 to 500mm could be expected.

Could do with 20mm here in Chiang Mai!!

You mean the song teaw to private car ratio is changing? Just adding to the chaos. I'll stay with the disintegrating footpaths, walk around the parked m/sais, avoid the oil slicks or possibly stay inside.

In China they use human manure as fertilizer,theres a lot of shit in China,several

other countries do too,and it would be OK if it was processed properly first,but

i cannot see that happening in China or other 3rd world countries,just dig it in.

I think we would starve to death if we really knew half the stuff that going into

our food,at least be off eating for a few days,what chemicals,additives,ect

is added to it,the treatment of livestock,over fishing,mislabeled,adulterated,

in fact just about everything,to make a bigger bottom line,food in last 10 years

has sky rocketed in price,but i don't think the quality has followed.

regards worgeordie

Most sewage treatment plants in the west sell processed human waste for fertilizer.

If you were a farmer, you would know.

That is true for a tertiary sewerage treatment plant. The waste gets very hot in the treatment and about the only thing which survives are tomato seeds.

They come up like hairs on a dog's back.

I had a few books, new and old sent from Amazon in the UK. Arrived in the forecast time, no problems, no duty.

I even got an oldie about Chiang Mai called 'Teak Wallah". Fascinating stories about logging teak and floating it down the Ping river.

see this wiki on how to boost cell phone reception, may help you

http://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Cell-Phone-Reception

Thanks for this. It's answered everything I needed to know.

How do you live here and avoid food from china?? Anytime your in a market here and see any styrofoam containers holding produce....china....anytime you go to makro and buy produce.....china.........well you could eat at burger king and som tam , no...china.

I have noticed that they don't exactly make a point of giving the country of origin on most of what one buys here, or else someone sticks a great big label in Thai, over the important bits.

I don't think tuk-tuks can go through. I was taken the long way around last week to get to Home Pro.

If it's for electronic/computing gear, try Panthip plaza. they have a lot of UPS units there. This filters voltage as well as giving you some backup time.

There wasn't much of a fanfare or even asking what the population of Chiang Mai felt, when it was announced that CNX was moving to a 24/7 airport.

I have noticed that the night flights seem a lot quieter than the normal roar of jets in the daytime.

Seems that Nimman might be the most expensive area to live, but by no means the quietest.

unable to defuse the bomb because of darkness which made the task more risky and difficult.

They haven't heard about flash lights yet?

why would you want to photograph it?

Trying to be clever ?? grow up mate..you are just being a wan*er

maybe so, but flashlight?.

I'll bet he doesn't try and walk around town on the footpaths..err m/sai parking areas.

Melamine anyone?

Only with my baby milk.

Some airports have huge quantities of powdered milk from safe countries on sale, as the melamine milk is not trusted.

Can't say I'd blame them, but for me, I avoid any food from China.

I just read through the archived records, and I see I'm not the only one with a poor signal on the 2nd highest floor of my condo, but most replies are 2 - 3 years old..

As one writer suggests, signals are normally pointed to the ground. My hall echoes with folk shouting down their phones or walking around looking for a good signal.

Anyone have any ideas on a booster for within these concrete walls, apart from finding a new condo at a lower level?

I don't know if these get to Thailand, but here's a warning.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-17/fourth-frozen-berry-product-recalled-in-hepatitis-a-scare/6126272

unable to defuse the bomb because of darkness which made the task more risky and difficult.

They haven't heard about flash lights yet?

why would you want to photograph it?

i had 3 computers built for my friends in the last 4 months... i got an idea of what they wanted and then on the first two, i checked

prices on exact same parts at a few different vendors... JIB was always cheaper...

No OS, no garbage installed... i put win 8.1 on the machine and it works fine...i have been using the 8.1 image since it first

came out, a long time ago... never a problem...

they assemble machine in about 20 minutes and test in front of you to show you it has all the right bits and give you

the original OEM boxes

This is the best way, always install your own OS, you never know what else they're putting on there.

I bought a new HP 'all in one' desk top here in Chiang Mai. It's rather nice, apart from an annoying hum which vibrates through the desk, but what really annoyed me was that it was the same price in Australia, but has a bootleg Windows OS.

Every now and then it crashes and I get a message telling me the OS is not genuine. Haven't had an update in 18 months.

So when Windows 10 hits the streets, looks like I'll have to buy a genuine copy.

I don't know how they get away with this piracy.

"Please dont walk in the middle of the road"

Crossing a busy street in a group, without looking, can cause mass pain.