maybefitz

I took out my monthly pension money from UK yesterday, Bkk Bank, Thapae Rd. usual excellent service.

The pink card is very useful signing in to a Government Hospital, It photocopies easily into their automated document system.

I was refused the combination method in Chiang Mai 3 weeks ago. I had 28,000 income per month and 40,000 in the bank, fully documented. I had the palaver of switching to 'Married to a Thai', 40 minutes of bureaucracy, as if it was my first time. Had a visit from an officer, who gave the tip, stick with it safer in the long run. Go back 3 Sept to get the full stamp.

Yes, have one and easy to get. Fully accepted at police checkpoint.

opened a new account at Government Bank with one; they preferred it to my passport. So it's a positive for those having difficulty in opening accounts.

The usefulness of the farang ID card has been questioned elsewhere. I opened another account with one, easy, no questions.

23 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

Maybe Thai banks can issue official letters confirming that a minimum of 65,000 Bt each month has been deposited in your account with them. This will be the same kind of letters that the bank issues for the seasoned 800K.

I have just checked with BKK bank main office in Chiang Mai (Thapae Road), and they maintain that they are unable to issue a letter confirming income. The lady said 'surely the bank passbook is proof enough'.

Interesting, checked with Thai Immigration Chiang Mai, they were unaware of the B Embassy stopping the service. I asked if the bank book, with 70,000 p month income would be sufficient. He said he didn't know, The problem is that it will require a years income into the book to show it's a regular thing, so I need to set this up now.

Just done mine. Arrived 6.15 am, done by 11.30. Note, a new TM 7, slight different page 2. Also now want a copy page of your 90 day sheet. Photo size now 6 x 4 cm.

I was 10 in the queue, only about 20 in total, yesterday.

Having done this a number of times, mixed results. Some very grateful visitors, but a couple of free loaders have made me wary. Offer the basic and see how it goes.

My own. I grow some in the garden, and mix it with some local grown stuff in Tambon Long Khod, Phrao. To de-husk it and roast it, I go to the agricultural department of Chiang Mai University. It's a nice little sideline earner for them, done to perfection. I muster about12 kilo a year.

I have just spent some time in hospital with a broken leg. It was a gravel tumble off my Phantom m/c , not serious, but uncomfortable. I was ble to cover costs with motorbike insurance. Part of the bureaucratic workload, including a police report was the requrement for a Tambien Baan. This has a registration number and everything, but everything revolved around that. So, in my view not just useful - essential.

Past Lamphun on the Bangkok road, there is a turn left to Baan Maa (horse, high tone). The whole village is furniture making; and mostly standard junk. However, if you ask around, one can find some real craft workshops that can tackle anything to order. Takes some exploring to dig out the value stuff.

I've said it before, and I'll repeat it. My view is that little of the smog is related to farmer's burning waste products in the fields. I live in a very rural farming part of the country; and there is virtually nil burning in the fields. It is all in the hills; and a lot of it is pretty inaccessible, so the only explanation that fits is spontaneous combustion. When the conditions are right, fires will break out without human input. It hit 38c (100f) here yesterday, well hot enough for undergrowth to catch fire.Yes, there was rice waste burnt earlier, Nov to January, but the noticeable smog effect was small. There is an argument that some hill fires are started to promote the growth of mushrooms, (underground morels) - but as a relative said, 'why start a fire in the forest when it's happening naturally'.

So, unpleasant as it is, I don't think much can be done about it, let's face it, it's been happening from time immemorial. So yes, all the talk is but hot air, to use a pun.

We have a special rooster that would appear to be seeking medical attention. Quite clearly, his call is for 'Dr Archer!".

From my own observations living in a very rural part North of CM - I don't see much burning in the fields. If there was any rice residue to be burnt off, it would have been done in January and Feb - not now. The problem was not evident earlier in the year. This leads me to the conclusion that it is the spontaneous high temperature fires in the hills that is the major problem. I look round at all the fires burning in the hills, and it's quite dramatic, especially at night. Some of these spots are pretty inaccessible, so I don't think they are induced by man. There is talk of some hill fires being started to encourage underground mushroom (morels); but I don't think this is significant.

What is interesting is that these hill fires don't cause much damage, it's just the undergrowth that burns, not the trees. In other parts of the world, similar forest fires are a major problem, just doesn't seem to be a problem here, apart from the haze. So, in response to the OP, talking won't do any good, as it's near impossible to deal with the spontaneous hill fires, (guesstimate 90 %?). Like the bovine manure suggestion that Moo Katah braziers in the city contributed to the haze.It's just a natural occurrence, so learn to live with it, 'Mai pen rai' or in Chiang Mai, 'Bor ben Yang'.

To help with our understanding, can you please explain how these 'spontaneous' fires start?

1. A substance with a relatively low ignition temperature (hay, straw, peat, etc.) begins to release heat. This may occur in several ways, usually oxidation by a little moisture and air, bacterial fermentation generates heat.
2. The heat is unable to escape (hay, straw, peat, etc. are good thermal insulators), and the temperature of the material rises.
3. The temperature of the material rises above its ignition point (even though much of the bacteria are destroyed by ignition temperatures).
4. Combustion begins if sufficient oxidizer, such as oxygen, and fuel are present to maintain the reaction into thermal run-away.

From my own observations living in a very rural part North of CM - I don't see much burning in the fields. If there was any rice residue to be burnt off, it would have been done in January and Feb - not now. The problem was not evident earlier in the year. This leads me to the conclusion that it is the spontaneous high temperature fires in the hills that is the major problem. I look round at all the fires burning in the hills, and it's quite dramatic, especially at night. Some of these spots are pretty inaccessible, so I don't think they are induced by man. There is talk of some hill fires being started to encourage underground mushroom (morels); but I don't think this is significant.

What is interesting is that these hill fires don't cause much damage, it's just the undergrowth that burns, not the trees. In other parts of the world, similar forest fires are a major problem, just doesn't seem to be a problem here, apart from the haze. So, in response to the OP, talking won't do any good, as it's near impossible to deal with the spontaneous hill fires, (guesstimate 90 %?). Like the bovine manure suggestion that Moo Katah braziers in the city contributed to the haze.It's just a natural occurrence, so learn to live with it, 'Mai pen rai' or in Chiang Mai, 'Bor ben Yang'.

My Mother in Law, (now sadly deceased) always used Khrap to me. I checked with my wife, and she said it was common, as Nang was head of the family. Not just immediate family, but with the very extended family, which I guessed would be half the village. So, not a rare event.

I agree, about 2,500 a week at Makro or Tesco. Yes, it is up from a few years ago, but a factor in my experience is that my purchases have changed. I now go for more expensive stuff - salmon, steaks, big prawns, and recently Lamb (which is very expensive in Thailand). Related to this factor is my dear wife is taking to western foods more, particularly likes the salmon, and excellent sausages from Makro. I still buy fruit and veg at the local market and that is still a good deal.

I have had reason to visit a family member in the big hospital in Chiang Mai. (Maharaj). I usually go for a break in the excellent coffee shop there. I think on about 4 occasions I have been sat there, and chatted up (in English) by some very attractive nurses. After a bit of "where are you from" etc chat, they usually float the question if I'm attached/married or not. I say I am, and they look crestfallen. It just strikes me that if I were a free agent, this would be a great place to break new ground. I'm sure within a day, one could fix a date. No problem.

A very simple and inexpensive English dish, - Bread and Butter Pudding. If you do them in individual foil cases, easy to handle and store.

My Thai family love them.

If you want a savoury dish, individual toad in the hole. Yorkshire pudding with a sausage. Again, easy to make, handle and store.

Look no further than BMP residence.

http://www.bmpresidence.com/

Not long after moving to the present village, 70k N of Chiang Mai, I was listening to the morning burble from the headman over the loudspeaker system in the village. Yaddayadda yadda 'Falang" - yadda yadda 'falang'. Hold on, thinks I - I'm the only falang in the village; he's having a go at me !! I ask the wife, "what's going on, he's talking about farangs"? She laughed "He's talking about potato prices."