CheGuava

Just about anywhere is safe enough I'd say.. you'd want it to be away from a main road so people don't crash into it at 3am.

Temples don't really work as they tend to close the gates early; not sure what time you typically start.

It would help to know where you typically go out. Not much good to recommend something for Nimman area when you're a Loi Kroh Hound, and vice versa.

Or, don't drive into town in the first place; there are still shared public transport options (buses, etc.) going into town early evening. Then you only need a taxi going back.

That means there are about 5000 American missionairies in CNX

I think I've met about 4995 of them. At least it seems so some days.

Well, wait: every missionary brings one wife and 7 kids. So for '5000 mission-related-individuals' there would be only 5000 / 8 = 625 actual missionaries. That's possible.

Bingo! Jayjay nailed it. Outside interests beside the job is important LONG before retirement age. There aren't enough hours in the day if you have other interests too numerous to mention. But, maybe I'm just jaded because I have TOO MANY INTERESTS

What.. no pictures?

Anyway, many interests: Nong and Dao and Nok and Puy and Fern and Noi and ...

You need more information. Not having Chanote level is typically fine, but there have to be some sort of ownership papers IMHO, such as a N.S. 3 document (Nor Sor Sam).

If there are no papers whatsoever then it gets VERY iffy, especially in that area where a lot of land could easily be (or become) part of the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park.

Of course, some people do report good results also without proper papers, but I would be hesitant to pay top dollar for such land (that area would typically be pretty expensive, not under a million per rai). Another factor is if your partner who officially owns the land is native to the area and/or if you reside in that area. Often for papers to be issued or upgraded, (or for land not to be claimed for the National Park or other government purposes) your partner needs to demonstrate actual use of the land, be it for farming or residential purposes.

How can you "buy ...

Best to leave that to a separate discussion.

Have been wondering about this when I see some mixed famlies about. And also wonder if it causes any embarrassment on either side?

EDIT: Ah, so that's what a public poll is.. May have to do this one again from scratch..

Nice, the OP caught quite a few of yous who put in a serious reply.

Why is more tourism a good thing? Generally speaking, I mean. If you run a hotel or bar or something then I can understand, but for normal people?

Tell me, when was the last time anyone met a Western woman who has been happily living in Thailand for 10 years or so, and married to a Thai with a decent corporate career?

You just described some of my friends. If you run in the right circles you tend to meet them more often.

555 I was totally not expecting someone to come up with an exception. Note that I already mentioned that any generalization or stereotype will have many exceptions. Just like not every Farang male marries a bargirl or other person from lower class background.

I was at a totally mainstream lunch restaurant in a non-tourist area in Chiang Mai last weekend, and for some reason there were quite a few Western-female-Thai-male couples there. Quite a few with children.

Afterwards, my wife asked: Why is it that Farang women like hilltribe people and reggae types?

Again, that is a generalisation. I am *certain* that somewhere there exists a Farang woman who married a bank manager. I'm not seeing that as a trend yet, though.

Wherever it is, someone missed the grand opportunity to name the place Noise Kitchen.

I'd be interested to know if Meals on Wheels would add the Hooters menu to their list..

The girls are obviously smarter than the old guys that take up the the hookers errr hostesses.

I think GK hit it. Smarter, more selective.

Huh, what?! It's 100% the same as with Western men; Western women tend to go for, you know the type, beach boys, trekking guides, 'artistic' but otherwise broke, musicians, hustlers.. Same low class demographic.

And as a result the women experience 100% the same issues as Western men do.

Yes this is a generalization. Yes there are MANY exceptions. Yes this too is the same as for Western men, where a minority also does better for themselves.

Tell me, when was the last time anyone met a Western woman who has been happily living in Thailand for 10 years or so, and married to a Thai with a decent corporate career?

Wait.. let me guess.... !

Is this the same ownership as the big Vietnamese place on Cheroen Prathet Rd, near the Iron Bridge near Duke's?

The site linked in the OP contains the most horrible map ever... I thought Chiang Mai businesses had moved past completely weird and out of scale maps.. But this is a good one, for old time's sake:

Beef prices may be driven by the season.. lots of BBQ parties in December and January for which people get beef, even people who normally don't eat the stuff much.

Same applies to shrimp.

Thanks again for your comments, very helpful. I am not locked into 25,000 per month. I do have a thai wife who has contacts there, so kind of using their numbers.

Ah, well that clears things up.

10 million baht: Would be money/assets gained, so the higher the better.

15-25K : would be rent, so money out of the household wallet, so the less the better; more left for her.

Sorry if this is totally inaccurate and you're not the one being led by the ring through his nose not checking for common sense in amounts. I recognize and accept that the above is driven by stereotypes. That's the thing with stereotypes, you're wrong in low but significant number of cases and for that I apologize in advance.

slapout

re ... Hope the electric poles are not next.

too late ... too late . ... already done in sunday walking street : (

enjoy ... dave2

Dave2 seems suspiciously capable to locate these... ... .... . ............

"Oh, before we know it I will see one on the back of an elephant..!" and guess what, hours later Dave2 posts exactly that.

Good one Dave!

Forgive my ignorance since I don't use the stuff but I thought you ate the gel. Is it topical too?

No. You swallow it.

Happy to see topics of this nature on the forum! Never noticed this sub forum before!

Wait, I take that back. Since posting the above I have read this newspaper and it makes me sick in my stomach. For example, this is how they report on a case of child sexual abuse.

See if anyone can read this without feeling sick at the inappropriately jovial language.

This screams for pictures.. The link to the article doesn't seem to work either.

Forgive my ignorance since I don't use the stuff but I thought you ate the gel. Is it topical too?

No. You swallow it.

Happy to see topics of this nature on the forum! Never noticed this sub forum before!

Yeah, he's not French and Obama's not American. Racism is racism. Why does a Frenchman need to be named Pierre?

Next ...

Well said. It's amazing the amount of racism that is commonly allowed to be on display in this forum.

How is this Chiang Mai specific please

Chiang Mai is the perfect example of the development of rural places and villages. Development has been very fast, so it makes for a better example than, say, somewhere very far out in the North East where there are less opportunities.

One thing the article completely missed is that with more education and economic empowerment also come the desire for political empowerment. It's very strange not to make that link, because the shockwaves are showing clearly ever since the most recent coup. (and to be honest likely before that).

Out of curiosity, why would one live in Pattaya but then drink at a pub that is very similar to a pub back home, with no Thai-specific entertainment on offer? I'm curious. And also a little concerned, because I don't want to end up that way!

At first I suspected that people would pop in and out of that place to 'cool off' as it were from other activities, but this doesn't seem to apply, as I see the same faces attached to the same seats pretty much every day.

I'm not sure there is anything new or unexpected in the article? Unless perhaps for people with very limited exposure to Thailand?

(Not saying that there isn't, just that I don't really see anything unexpected.)

Do you think the Bangkok elites understand this?

I'm not they need or care to understand it. The other side of the coin is still that the top <small>% of people (mostly in Bangkok) make <large>% of the total income. As long as the Bangkok middle and upper classes have no trouble finding maids or other cheap labor I'm not sure there's a lot to be overly concerned about.

I'm not sure there is anything new or unexpected in the article? Unless perhaps for people with very limited exposure to Thailand?

(Not saying that there isn't, just that I don't really see anything unexpected.)

The little stickers are indeed an excellent invention! They're cute, and allow you to walk up to just about any cute chick and attach to her upper torso. Holidays don't come much better than this. (Oh wait, they do, in April. But Valentine's is nice to warm up to that one.)

Grown men handing out plastic rings or lollipops I think is a bit sad though. I'm not knocking it if it works for anyone though; life's too short.