Yelly

The people who you booked the meditation with should know................shouldn't they?

It's at Doi Suthep. Contact before the course is minimal, as it is donation-based.

Thanks for your help.

I flew Korean R/T from San Francisco last year and they were fine. The stopover in Seoul is a LONG one, though. I think mine was 14 hours?

Luckily, the Seoul airport is amazing. FREE computer lounge with computers to use and FREE wifi/internet. FREE showers (and they are NICE - 5-star-hotel quality) to use. FREE loungers that are quite nice to nap in. FREE museums and musical shows and FREE arts and crafts. It's my favorite airport - I won't lie!

I have a meditation practice booked starting this coming Friday, and I am required to have the all-white clothing for the duration of my stay. I need long-sleeve tops and long-sleeve pants, not see-through and white, plain. Does anyone have ANY idea where I find these clothes? I haven't been able to find them anywhere.

Many thanks to whomever can point me in the right direction!

My husband went to the produce market by our house today. Got potatoes, eggs, and mushrooms for 50 baht. I'd say that's cheap.

Otherwise, yeah....I buy sweets on clearance as Tesco Express every now and then. Can't pass up a dozen blueberry donuts for ten baht!

Of course, a lot of "drunks on a budget" retire here because its cheaper than elsewhere in Thailand. I certainly noticed this was an "OAP haven" when I arrived. But just ignore them if they clearly don't want a conversation. They are pretty easy to spot, they are the smelly unshaven males carrying a bottle of Singha beer round at 10 am ..........

But its certainly not the "heat", "pollution", "traffic jams", "big-city stress". Its just people that for whatever reason, don't want to strike up a conversation. Let's face it, if you went back home, you wouldn't make eye contact with almost any of the people you are attempting to do so here. In any big city you expect to be "ignored" and "keep to yourself".

I'm always intrigued when farangs feel the need to reach out to other farangs here ..... I always put it down with them not being able to speak Thai, but I may be wrong.

Maybe we feel the need to reach out to other farangs because it's interesting to meet other people who made the jump and moved halfway across the world? Perhaps these people have fun stories, much like myself? I don't find it strange to want a little connection with a similar person. I think it's silly to think that's wrong.

Also, back home in America: yes, I do make eye contact and attempt to talk to people. I've spent years in San Francisco and a bit of time in New York and I could say people in those places struck me as friendlier than here in Chiang Mai. Just an observation.

I guess it could be blamed on the hangovers, then.

I have to agree somewhat. While I have made some great expat friends (and even around my age!), I have noticed a slight bit of hostility from other expats here (mainly the types you cross on the street).

I started my own personal social experiment when it started getting to me, about three weeks ago. I have been smiling and attempting eye contact with every single farang I see that may possibly live here. About 2 out of every 15 will acknowledge and return it. Once, an older white man in my condo building struck up a short conversation on the elevator after I smiled and said "hello." That interaction left me in a good mood the rest of my evening!

SO, I have to say I do notice a bit of hostility. More often than not, they will not look back or they will turn a sour face or they will just ignore.

I am a 25-year-old-female and I don't wear fisherman pants. I shower twice a day. I work a full-time job and it isn't teaching. So, I can't imagine I perpetuate stereotypes or anything.

It is something I've noticed, but I'm trying not to let it get to me. Maybe it is the heat. Maybe it is the pollution and stress in the city. I have no idea, but to claim the OP is mad for noticing it is incorrect.

I want to revive this thread. Husband and I live in Chiang Mai and we LOVE coffee. We've done every process (roasting, grinding, brewing all methods, etc) and all that's left is the coffee plantation.

We'd love to go stay the night near one and tour one. We are open to all areas - Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai.

I can't find any info more recent than 2008! Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

JJ Market

There was a huge French booth in the back, diagonal from the Pub. Also, there were a bunch of samples. I think I got a sample from every booth.

The "Mexican" booth was not open, I guess, when I was there. There was not a booth outside by the fountain.

Great event, but limited selection. I had a nice, big German beer and sampled a lot of food. Husband had some fish'n'chips.

I was a little irked, though, at the "advertised" selection versus what was actually there. About six different coffeeshops (all Thai), the major supermarkets, and a handful of actual "country" cuisine. Advertised foods I was looking forward to, but weren't found included Greek and Mexican food.

VERY happy, however, to find EXCELLENT avocados at the Rimping stand, and for only 29 baht apiece!

I'm already accumulating so many clothes :-/ When I moved here, I thought I'd be teaching and so I brought a bunch of very conservative clothes. Well, I got an office job with casual attire, so I've been shopping up a storm! I've managed to DOUBLE my clothes in only three months

I'm lucky I wear a size 42 shoe. I'm in love with the shoes, here, but can never find my size!

Does anyone have a recommendation for a particular VPN service? I've had no luck. I don't mind paying if it's a decent price.

You can find premethrin cream in pharmacies, actually. Not sure about spray.

What is Sonic?

Heaven.

It's a chain of "drive up and park your car" fast food in the USA. Standard fast food fare, and great desserts. They offer up a foot-long chili cheese dog that I'm pretty sure contributed to my obesity as a child.

Meanwhile, it's been six years since I've had one and I still crave them. That good.

You can do this on rafts as well. I've done two, one where the raft takes two people and you have to get off and lift it over obstacles, which is great fun and an excellent way to keep cool, and on the bigger rafts where they float down much quieter bits of the river and you can just sit back and enjoy the peace.

Do you know if there are other companies for this? The website doesn't seem to be working.

Khun Churn on Nimmanhaemin, Soi 17. It's 99 baht for lunch. Be aware that it's strictly vegetarian. It's FANTASTIC, though.

The fabric stalls aren't inside the big shopping area. They are on the road that makes a "T" just north of the road the main part of Warorot market is. You can't really miss it if you walk around the outside stalls. I bought several meters of beautiful blue silk for about 70 baht last month.

I've been wanting to check this place out. Thanks for the write-up!

Thank you for the fish'n'chip photo. I've been on the search for affordable fish'n'chips not lacking quality.

I'm in and will probably go check it out on Friday!

Warorot Market will have anything fabric-related that you need, and in massive abundance.

My husband likes to cuddle MUCH more than I do. It's not that I don't "like" cuddling, I'm just not huge on affection all the time. He is.

Now that I'm finally starting to get settled into the Thailand way of life, I catch myself wondering what other expat women have done with their homes and even simply what the living situations look like.

I can start it off with a few photos of my 1-bedroom in Chiang Mai (shared with my husband).

Just a basic home...I find that I do miss having a bathtub. I love the view of Doi Suthep from our balcony.

Assuming that one does not want to live in a house, rents for apartment and studio life are no bargain, although residents might factor in convenience and if you are able to suit yourself about noise.  

<br /><br />We have a spacious 1-bedroom (NOT a studio, a separate bedroom) with a balcony and nice view for 7,500 THB a month...and our condo building doesn't "add" to the electric/water bills. We pay gov't pricing. When we were looking for a condo, we actually found that the Nimman area was consistently cheaper. That's why we actually wound up here, originally. Now, we quite enjoy it.

At Nine also has the towers for a GREAT price, as well Cheers!

I can vouch that Riverside is very nice. Dual-action mountain and River Ping views!

I live and work off of Nimman, and I love it. It's important to note that I am a 25-year-old female. Kantary is VERY nice. My condo building is across the street.To eat: Salad Concept is great. Affordable build-your-own salads with numerous options (I've never parted with more than 70 baht for a massive salad, here). Sahara has decent food at a good price (think 99 baht pizzas that are perfect in size and actually seasoned, no cheese skimping). There is a large, cheap Burmese food stall right in the middle of it all between soi 9 and 13. It's very cheap. There is a stand nearly every block in the morning selling random fruit or dishes for 10-15 baht. There is an all-you-can-eat place called Khun Churn (99 baht)...Thai vegetarian. For a cheap drink, I like "At 9" across from the Empire Residence. It's on the second level of Tall Teak Plaza, so grab a table near the street and have fun people-watching. A pitcher of Chang is only 99 baht, but there are other options for those with "taste." (If you want liquor and don't care: a bottle of Sangsom and 5 free mixers is only 299...). SO, what this paragraph can prove from very little offered: Nimman is not particularly overpriced, but it IS a young, trendy crowd. There is a great coffeeshop every block. You can find nearly any food you want within a few blocks on foot. The shopping around here is EXCELLENT, and the proximity to Kad Suan Gaew is nice. Also, you have Doi Suthep very nearby, and I find some peace in walking home anytime of the day and seeing that temple at the top of that beautiful mountain...as you will be living on the same Soi...well, you'll see