MovingOnMaybe

Sounds like alot of back tracking on P1 part. also the fact they have started to criticize there reader base, i will certainly be avoiding there news at all cost not that i have even bothered to read anything bar what was said in tv about the overstay! I left bangkok last week with 6 months overstay and nothing was even said or done, when asking the officials they hadnt arrested anyone or new of a tighter policy change!

Not noted so far I have seen is the following: If you are here on a "retirement" visa and go for regular 90 address check it will not be extended past the visa expiration. This is from my direct experience in Chiang Mai. If this is the case when going to renew visa you also have to renew 90 day.

Casa Antonio for me.

Interested to see the Duke's high on lists, two visits there have resulted in awful food at not very good prices.Never been back, perhaps it's changed!

Same here.

Don't know if it was the same guy, but there was a guy this afternoon that climbed a large billboard on the corner near ICON plaza. I didn't stick around to watch(I'm a bit squeemish) but there was a farang woman watching - maybe the wife /GF.

After reading all of the replies I am reminded of Peter Weller's line in the film Buckaroo Banzai: "No matter where you go . . . there you are."

We have done it both ways. Having the check mailed, it goes to the embassy in BKK and when they get around to it they forward it. We are in Cha Am and were receiving the checks (my wife and I) anywhere from the 10th to the 20th of the month. Then we had to take them into the bank to deposit them, a major pain in the but as the bank is in Hua Hin and the traffic and the bank were very slow.

A few months bank we arranged with BKK Bank to have the direct deposit. We now get it on the third of the month and have a short drive to deposit it. You can't have an ATM card with the account that the check goes into. So we opened another account and move it into that account so we can take it out with ATM as we need it.

So far BKK Bank has been very efficient when we deposit them and usually no waiting. Very different from the service we received at Ayudhya bank in HH. So we are glad we made the switch.

Hope this helps.

I agree - I have been using BKB (Kad Suan Kaew) that way for over two years and it works - after opening there is no charge but leave 200 or so baht in acct. After initial paperwork involved to open it takes only the usual withdrawal slip and passport in hand. (Take cash or redeposit into BKB savings acct.) People there have always been very professional, knowledgeable and courteous. From inception, however, it may up to take two month to complete and get rolling.

The taiwanese restaurant down the road from Kad suan Kaew shopping center has huge portions, gyoza there is only 55 baht for 12 pieces....portions of every dish there are also about twice of what you would expect, free hot or cold tea too.

Agree about the Taiwan restaurant - good food and not expensive though obviiously not Farang!

There's also a new Farang food restaurant just along in the same block called SoupaSteak. Right next door to Salsa Kitchen, making for a whole block of varied culinary deligths as you've got The Leomn Tree and a Japanese place there too.

I haven't tried it but a friend checked it out a couple of nights back and reported great food and realistic prices with A/C and modern decor. Menu is western Salad, soup grill, steak type fare though I guess that's implied by the name.

For me, a newbie here, and cheeseburger addict, SoupaSteak hits the spot @179B. I have tried other fare as well and found it all to be above par and reasonably priced - also daily specials. Atmosphere and service A1.

CORRECTION: the price is 149B NOT 179B - fries - cole slaw - small salad included. OOPS!!

No idea where this place is, but GBP 3.50 or 4 Euros for a cheeseburger would hardly be good value in Europe let alone Chiang Mai!

The taiwanese restaurant down the road from Kad suan Kaew shopping center has huge portions, gyoza there is only 55 baht for 12 pieces....portions of every dish there are also about twice of what you would expect, free hot or cold tea too.

Agree about the Taiwan restaurant - good food and not expensive though obviiously not Farang!

There's also a new Farang food restaurant just along in the same block called SoupaSteak. Right next door to Salsa Kitchen, making for a whole block of varied culinary deligths as you've got The Leomn Tree and a Japanese place there too.

I haven't tried it but a friend checked it out a couple of nights back and reported great food and realistic prices with A/C and modern decor. Menu is western Salad, soup grill, steak type fare though I guess that's implied by the name.

For me, a newbie here, and cheeseburger addict, SoupaSteak hits the spot @179B. I have tried other fare as well and found it all to be above par and reasonably priced - also daily specials. Atmosphere and service A1.

nightowl,

I've actually never been to the wooden house although I've passed it by many times. I moved here after living in Chiangmai for about 3 years when I married a local Lamphun girl. Our favorite place was Lamphun Ice. Nice, quiet, and cozy, and of course the food was good. Then there were kids and that place is just not suited for young children. Our favorite place now is Add Up along the river. I would like to add that it was usually a kiss of death if I took a fancy to a restaurant, as it seemed like within a couple of months they were gone. The cheap noodle stands are all still there though.

Bittorrents is a very good way of downloading very large files, and is mainly used here to download movies, TV shows, music etc, for free of course, but it does use a lot of bandwidth. I am definately not an expert on this, so if you are interested in checking it out you may want to head to the Thai Visa computer and internet forum where the computer gurus hang out. A Brit friend has been downloading just about every Brit TV show that has ever been broadcast, so David, if you come on over and are looking for something to watch from the good old days of British television, he lives on Hang Dong Road south of San Patong, in Chiangmai, about a 30 minute drive from my house.

Higgy

I am a retired American and have lived in Chiang Mai (this December) for six years. I am older now and thinking about a quieter and less hectic life than Chiang Mai offers. I have visited Lamphun only once about three years ago with a Thai friend. We spent most of our time walking around the park that has the big statue of their past queen. Tom, my friend, grew up in Lamphun and I got a very good history lesson as well as finding the little bit we saw of the city very comforting. As you can see I am a "newbie" here and would appreciate any additional information that anyone would care to offer. I would only be looking for a long term furnished rental (year to year lease) and am I am happily foot bound Thank you..