masuk

Unfortunately have had multiple dealings with RAM in the last couple of years.. Wife in ICU, complex surgery needed to her eye.. My own recent plating of limbs and pinning of joints..

I was super impressed with the knowledge, skill, and outcomes of all 4 surgeries (one was a 6 hour 3 surgeon marathon).. The cost was fine, well under phukets similar hospitals, the communication, equipment and wait times were superb in all cases.

If I have a complaint its the outpatient visiting.. At other higher end private hospitals visit times are usually down to a few minutes wait.. maybe 30.. Here they dont run a scheduling system, they dont have person 1 9:00 person 2 9:15 etc they just tell everyone to come at 9 am when the doc is there 9 - 12 and you have a huge wait to see the specialist. For this money they should do better.. The outpatient waiting is slow, and thats simply down to a lack of a system.

Any small grumbles aside.. I am happy to have a service like RAM there is I need it.. I am sure theres cheaper, your welcome to them. Medical treatment is one area I dont want to bargain hunt.

I had a long and expensive course of treatment at RAM for dental work. They were excellent, professional.

I see where a comparison has been made with USA costs: By total coincidence, my sister in Australia had a root canal and peg and cap done which cost her AU$1400, and at the same time I had the same thing at RAM for AU$400.

I didn't shop around. I know there must be cheaper places around Chiang Mai, but I was happy with the service.

Ordering them to be shut down and actually shutting them down are 2 totally different things altogether.

One month to act on being shut down - no insurance, keep on operating. Wow!

Run. Fast. They will not stop.

Tell them the story about the "Goose which laid Golden Eggs".

See if they get the message - if not you might have to spell it out.

If the Goose walks, they lose everything.

Certainly their prescription medicines are much more expensive than regular pharmacies.

This is the first time I've seen the Australian govt advising NOT TO TRAVEL to Thailand at this time.

Something has raised the security alert.

http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Thailand

sene

---------------English – detectedAfrikaansAlbanianArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBengaliBosnianBulgarianBurmeseCatalanCebuanoChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishEsperantoEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGujaratiHaitianHausaHebrewHindiHmongHungarianIcelandicIgboIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseJavaneseKannadaKazakhKhmerKoreanLaoLatinLatvianLithuanianMacedonianMalagasyMalayMalayalamMalteseMaoriMarathiMongolianNorwegianNyanjaPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSerbianSinhalaSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSundaneseSwahiliSwedishTajikTamilTeluguThaiTurkishUkrainianUrduUzbekVietnameseWelshYiddishYorubaZuluEnglish – detected

ก๊าด

Ḱād

---------------AfrikaansAlbanianArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBengaliBosnianBulgarianBurmeseCatalanCebuanoChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishEsperantoEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGujaratiHaitianHausaHebrewHindiHmongHungarianIcelandicIgboIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseJavaneseKannadaKazakhKhmerKoreanLaoLatinLatvianLithuanianMacedonianMalagasyMalayMalayalamMalteseMaoriMarathiMongolianNepaliNorwegianNyanjaPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSerbianSinhalaSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSundaneseSwahiliSwedishTajikTamilTeluguThaiTurkishUkrainianUrduUzbekVietnameseWelshYiddishYorubaZuluThai

noun

ก๊าด

kerosene

น้ำมันก๊าซ

kerosene

Those are generic words for fuel.

พาราฟิน, paraffin, is the word used here for kerosene. In the UK they are the same thing, in the USA they are not. Its very confusing. Getting any more specific will be difficult.

Learn something every day. The official term is Kerosene, and is used in all the refineries for storage and in laboratory testing data sheets.

As you say, the UK calls it paraffin: I'm surprised that's what the Thais call it too. Australia, NZ, PNG all call it kero, Indonesia 'minyak tanah' (earth oil).

I suppose they use this in the pressure Tilley/Aladdin lamps here.

You would think that after they invented the toilet, they would know how to use the thing !!!

China does not have the neat "butt washers" at the side of the toilet that exist in Thailand. In fact they often have a sign telling you to put soiled paper in waste baskets which are emptied now and then.

Maybe some signage in the toilets concerned would help. Same as they used to have, reminding people not to put their feet/shoes on the toilet seat.

I feel OBEC's decision to be crazy.

Here comes Valentine's day again as it does every year and there will be kissing, canoodling and sex taking place amongst students. Many may be too shy to ask at the local 7/11 or similar store for condoms and will go ahead having unprotected sex.

Yes, many will have unprotected sex no matter what, but the point being, they could have had the option of putting 20 Baht in a machine and getting protection. Especially if the machines were in the boys and girls toilets.

The same applies for the rest of the year.

Very short sighted of OBEC in this day and age to refuse outright to install condom vending machines. STD's, AIDS and unwanted pregnancies could be avoided. If only 10% of students used these machines it could make a huge difference.

Premature sex? Never heard of such a thing!

It's the youth at these educational places who are experimenting, and the result is often premature marriages!

The OBEC needs to get real, and prevent early pregnancies. It's easier for a lad to get a condom than for a lass to go on the pill some weeks before 'the event'.

A few years back, when I was working for a university in the South Pacific, one-third of the female students had to drop out of their course as they were pregnant. Free condoms were available at the clinic, but the nurses there were of a certain religion and refused to give these out. OBEC are no different.

Chiang Mai Feb 10.

vis approx 2km from Kad Suan Keow to Ping River.

The last satellite map I saw of the fires were almost none in Burma - they were all to the East of Thailand.

Perhaps this could be a pinned topic, great post , TV at it's best.

Yes, pinning would be a great idea.

Even nicer would be a Google earth map, highlighting those places, and attaching it to the article.

Easier once you've been there, but first time, a map is a big help.

I was impressed there for a minute, I thought they meant motorcycle lanes to help with traffic congestion.

But Bicycle trails can be a nice feature too, hopefully they won't be full of vendors and motorcycles.

A concrete separating barrier would help!

Why don't the Americans look back at their track record of installing their brand of democracy on other sovereign states.

Not a particularly successful set of achievements was it, is it ?

So perhaps the inability or the unwillingness of the American envoy to actually appear and explain his governments comments indicate that the truth is becoming unpalatable to the Americans in general and their governments control freak colonial aspirations.

America, put your own house in order before you start ordering other sovereign states around.

their governments control freak colonial aspirations.

Please provide me with the list of countries that America has colonized.

I was curious about this also, so looked it up: Wikipaedia: Currently, there remain a total of fifteen territories of the United States, five of which are inhabited: Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Marianas, U. S. Virgin Islandsand American Samoa. The remaining ten territories are the following small islands, atolls and reefs, spread across the Caribbean or the Pacific Ocean, with no native or permanent populations: Palmyra Atoll, Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Wake Island, Midway Islands,Navassa Island and Serranilla Bank.

Just remembered why I like condo living so much.....

Same thing convinced me to return to a condo. 10 months living next to 3 dogs in Maejo which barked at passing motor bikes 24/7. Closing the windows hardly helped at all.

Back in the city now, but still a good few untrained Thais and their dogs outside. As there's a law against poultry in the city, a pity there's not one about dogs and the number any one house can have.

As you say, Pattaya has its neighbourhoods that are more sane than the downtown madness. If you are a mature and reasonably well-balanced individual, you'll be able to dip in and out of the darker attractions that the place has to offer, while still retaining your humanity - and sobriety.

Personally, having considered CM many times over the years, I have always rejected moving there - too parochial, too provincial and too far from the sea for my tastes.

It really is a question of self-examination as to what will suit you best.

Yup, it's a long walk to the beach from Chiang Mai!

Less healthy because I live in Bangkok...here I have asthma and get sinus headaches from dirty air although wearing carbon mask helps allot....I know I could choose to live elsewhere in Thailand but I prefer being near airport.

Moving back to USA soon after 10 years here...no regrets,...will still return for 3 months a year in the future. On trips back to USA the two things I noticed right away are clean air and all the fat people

Yup, the lack of clean air in Chiang Mai worries me and I seem to be forever cleaning up a layer of dust/fine ash from the floor, tables, everything!

Today visibility is down to less than 1 km. March is the usual 'smokey' season. I'm surprised the airport is open, although I haven't heard a plane go over all morning, so maybe it's not.

Also there seems to be no restriction on buses, pickups, song teows and the amount of diesel exhaust they spew out.

It's not far to get out of town for some greenery, forest, parks, but there's nothing in the city.

Took me a while to get used to not having wine, lamb or beef on the menu. They're available, but at a price, Maybe that helped me lose a kg or two.

I agree that it's best to have sort of aim or project for when you get here. In Chiang Mai there's an active expat's club and a number of interest groups to join. See "about us". http://www.chiangmaiexpatsclub.com/

Best find the Thai name.

I discovered that turpentine is called 'thinners' here, and there are various grades. It smells very strong.

Some mosquito repellents are downright dangerous.

I looked carefully and chose a Japanese one, using Pyrethrum, which is from a flower.

It's safe for people.

TOPS sells it amongst others. Name is: KAYARI. Green can and top.

In Papua New Guinea where malaria is rife, we dipped our mosquito nets in pyrethrum solution, and the mossies were killed, just by landing on the net.

Here is the link to Kayari at Big C

http://www.akanekshopping.com/en/pest-control/485-kayari-pyrethrum-spray-.html

no green can but looks like the same stuff

but Tops has the green can

http://topsshoponline.tops.co.th/en/p/Kayari-Pyrethrum-Mosquitoes-and-Housefly-Spray-Shizen-Scent-300ml

is it all the same ?

And can you just grow the flowers and get rid of mosquitos that way ?

HAHA good try. actually the flowers are often grown around some crops as it keeps away cabbage moth and aphids.

But best if you use the TOPS Kayari spray. It's effective and a bit more fast-acting than a pot full of flowers.

2 years back, i rented a house which had 90% screen doors and windows. Strange thinking, and the mozzies found their way in through unscreened doors.

I paid to have the job finished and no more mozzies, flies or moths.

Maybe it's the Thai way of thinking, like using a helmet on a motorbike most of the time but not ALL the time!

30K to 50K is enough to live anywhere in Thailand even Bangkok as a single male and have a perfectly good time assuming you're not a regular to the gogo bars and enjoy p4p.

I'm 30, single, live in a nice condo in Bangkok (13K a month + 2k for bills), and pretty much never stay in at night (was out every night last week and 6 the week before) going out for dinner, drinks, dates, cinema, social meet ups etc, eat wherever I want (often big tables full of Thai food or Western grub), drink a lot, don't think twice about what I'm spending my money on, buy (inexpensive) clothes and bits and pieces for my condo frequently etc.

Can't even spend 50K a month. If you drink less than me (quite likely) and stay home a couple nights a week you'll spend much less.

When I hear of single guys spending upwards of 50K a month it makes me wonder how they manage it.

I've also lived in Bangkok on less than 30K a month before. Wasn't that much of a hardship really but you won't be out every night and have to watch what you eat and drink with little money to spend on non essential items.

Are you talking baht here or U$? It would be interesting to see your budget. If you're on 30K baht (which I doubt) 50% goes on rent and bills.

Leaves you with ฿3500 a week for meals drinks, transport, dates. Good luck!

Excuse me while I move my lawn sprinkler.....

I see the Thai folk next door to me, watering their lawns with a sprinkler in the heat of the day.

I guess the lessons learned in other drier countries have still to be learned. 1) only water before 0800 and after 1600. Saves most of it evaporating thru the day.

Next lesson to be learned is when use a hose is not permitted, and it's out with the watering can.

Not sure about the other TV members but this one will certainly get a good night sleep as our RTPBIB are maintaining eternal vigilance for my family, home & gecko. Besure to keep yourselves neat and trim; long fingernails could be next.

You reminded me of an extinct law in Singapore. Some years ago it was not permissible for males to have long hair.

You could always tell which students were returning home from overseas studies, as they'd have a real crew cut before departure. It was either that or have the police do it on arrival in Singapore!

Let's not give the b.i.b. here any ideas.

" He said the ministry has also turned down Beijing’s demand to undertake the construction work as well as the system operation, saying that all the tasks would be the responsibility of the Thai government. "

I find this statement worrying, just looking back on the BKK - Chiang Mai track maintenance. When I arrived here 3 years ago, derailments were almost a weekly feature.

I had hoped that with experienced Chinese crews on the job, contracts and quality would be assured.

Not that it will concern those of us living in Chiang Mai/. I've yet to see what's on offer for this province.

What's the betting that the Swiss knife was not returned to the owners?

Even the smallest Swiss knife is worth more than the ฿500 fine.

This whole business sounds a lot like the urine testing of farangs which the police boss said was not official.

Be warned that some Embassies and Foreign Affairs Departments have issued warnings NOT to travel in Southern Thailand.

If anything happened to you, family, car etc, insurance companies will not want to know you.

Travel insurance is also wiped out if you go into these zones.

In other words, if you want to enter an area of conflict, you become your own insurer.