Jowels

are you importing cider?

would love to be able to get Natch and Olde English again, also Scrumpy Jack.

Are you doing Guinness?

Iain

Iain - Google 'Chiang Mai Cider House'. They have Thatchers and John Kepplers, and I imagine they'd be able to source what you're looking for.

whatsupdoc - thanks for the reply. I'd certainly agree that ABS market themselves quite well.

The comment concerning teachers at NIS having better credentials is interesting. A few teachers at ABS have been there several years, but based on the salaries paid (apparently around 30k pm) some of the newer kindergarten teachers probably only hold a TEFL certificate. According to the NIS website their teachers need a BEd or a Bachelor degree in a related area to the subject taught. However what they ask for, and what they actually get, may be very different.

The kindergarten 2 class sizes at ABS are currently 20 and 21. Although that's not too excessive the teachers must struggle to give the kids individual attention. What are the class sizes like at NIS?

My son moved from ABS to Nakorn Payap (NIS) and I am still very happy with that.

My 4-year old son has been studying at ABS for the past 6 months, and I'm not particularly impressed with his progress. It's still early days, and I'm sure he'll settle in, but if not, I may look at different schools later in the year.

Out of interest, what advantages do you think NIS has over ABS?

Khaomao Khaofang Restaurant

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No river, but lake & waterfalls. Will need transport as around 6kms south of town.

Beautiful setting.

Food nothing special.

I have to agree. I took my wife and son there last month, and although I was impressed by the setting, the food was terrible. I certainly won't be going again.

Thanks for all the helpful info Bangkok Blue. I'll give it a couple of weeks and then try to find one of the shops you've mentioned.

I'm new to Chiang Mai and still finding my way around, so does anyone have a phone number for them? I'll get my wife to call for directions.

Can't swear to it but I believe Rimping by the river has them.

I saw frozen turkeys there last week.

 

WHAT A MISTAKE - moving from Kad Suen Kauw to that building site out of town with no parking !!!!!!!!!! Just for the money I guess. I bet attendances will be WAY DOWN. Such a shame; I have attended most evenings of the past 5 or 6 festivals. I will NOT be going there.

 

There is plenty of parking at Promenada and they are new and nice theaters. They also have discounted trucking service from town.

You will not only not be missed but they might have some sort of ceremony celebrating the fact that the incredibly stupid and misinformed should be honored. Wake the fuc_k up. You can not be that stupid and we, as real thinking and cognizant people should not have to listen to the misinformed and the idiots that pretend to talk about what they know and then we find out that they are either liars or just plain dumb. I'm sorry but I am tired of all the bullshit.

Sure, I'll apologize later. For now I've made my point.

I don't know if you have history with the poster 'chiangmaicharlies', but there was nothing in his post to warrant your response. Although I agree with a few of your comments in your 'Bring it on' thread you're proving yourself to be a complete hypocrite.

I was told yesterday that CTH and WETV have reached an agreement for future transmissions,but no details as yet.

This sounds promising. Where did you hear this?

Green - Where did you find the Keffir yoghurt and how much does it cost?

From football forum, seems to confirm my idea that WETV won't be running CTH's operations in Chiangmai if what this guy in Udon Thani said is true.

I thought that as well, but I called CTH this morning and was told their service would be available in Chiang Mai through WETV. However, according to the WETV office manager negotiations are still ongoing. I hope they sort their acts out before the new football season starts.

I spoke to truevisions head office yesterday and they confirmed that they won't be

showing any epl football next season, they did say that they would be a chance that they

might negotiate a deal with CTH though from now until August when the season starts.

I still cancelled my subscription, and in the event that they do show epl (which i somehow doubt)

i could simply re-subscribe again in August.

One of the reasons i am keeping True for a while

No point, best case scenario is they may get a few games, so don't see the point in keeping it when you are guaranteed all 380 games for Bt899 a month with CTH.

Are you certain the football package will only cost Bt899? I phoned their main customer service number yesterday and was told the price wouldn't be set until the 4th June.

Leave the city via Navarat bridge and continue straight on. There's a photo shop about 100m past the bridge on the left-hand side. They know the correct sizes for UK passport photos, and I've used them in the past without problems.

Ambassador bilingual school (http://www.absbilingualschool.com/) will hold a summer camp between 18 Mar - 3 May. It costs approximately 2,000 baht a week.

Any update on this?

^ Thanks for the reply. Although sadly it seems my chances of ever getting my getting my son and wife back to the UK are virtually non-existent. Hopefully this will eventually be challenged and defeated in the European courts.

Out of curiosity, if I had savings of GBP62,500 would I still need to satisfy any requirements relating to accommodation in the UK?

I am one of the lucky ones because my savings level is well above the limit so this piece of the new rules actually work for me as I know exactly where I stand.

Could somebody let me know what the 'savings level' is? If I returned to the UK I wouldn't have a job lined up. In order to obtain a 2-year settlement visa for my wife, would I need to show GBP37,200 (i.e 18,600 x 2)?

The best government hospital in Hat Yai is Songklanagarind. http://hospital.psu.ac.th/

Although it's extremely busy, the standards of care are quite good. The hospital is part of the Prince of Songkla University and most of the senior doctors have studied overseas. My son had an operation there 3 years ago to remove a tumour (which turned out to be benign) and the staff couldn't have been more helpful.

Is a holter monitor and other cardiac tests (EKG, stress test) available at most hospitals in Thailand?

I have been suffering from an irregular heart beat for a few weeks, but due to working offshore, I'll only be in Thailand for 4-5 days during my next R & R. I'm hoping to get a through cardiac check up completed, but due to family commitments, it may be difficult to organize them in Bangkok.

Thanks for the reply.

If I can be frank, our situations are different - you have 60K UK I have much less. With 60,000 I would hop on a plane to the UK tomorrow, rent a house for a few months (during which time your visa should be approved - I think 15 days is the time?) a few thousand would be an acceptable expense and you are probably going to get approval with such an amount of savings.

Does anyone else agree with this?

I've just stumbled upon this thread, and it seems we have similar circumstances. I'll be following it closely.

Like yourself, I'm considering applying for a UK settlement visa for my wife. However, as I've lived in Thailand for 10 years, I don't have a job or home in the UK to return to. I have approximately GBP 60k in savings, any my intention was to use this for living/accommodation expenses until my wife and I found employment. However, I'm not sure whether this amount, which I accept isn't a king's ransom, will satisfy the UKBA. Although, I can understand why the UK govt wants to reduce immigration, their rules do seem to make it difficult for people who have resided overseas long-term to return.

Security levels in the four southern provinces have now been beefed up following the recent explosion in Hat Yai. Every vehicle will be inspected and frisked for any suspicious items

-- NNT 2012-04-04

This comment is a fracking joke. I've been to Tesco-Lotus and Big C in Hat Yai today, and the same shambolic security was in evidence. The security guards in the car park asked me to open my boot, but didn't looked at any of the bags or assorted crap I had stored there. Big C did have a security guard at the main entrance, but he was only stopping 1 person out of 5. There wasn't even a security guard at the Tesco-Lotus entrance, presumably he was on a som tam break. If the terrorists decide to hit another target in Hat Yai there's virtually nothing to stop them. A sobering though for those of us unfortunate enough to live here.

Sheryl - Again, thanks for the advice.

I agree continuing with the Cipro seems the best course of action, and I'll do so for another 4-5 weeks. I've already had a urine culture, and while no bacteria was detected this is apparently quite common if the infection is in the prostate. With prostate infections, I'm told a semen culture is far more reliable. To ensure I'm using the correct meds, I'm keen to organize a test, but I'll need to be off antibiotics for at least a week beforehand, so this won't happen for another month and a half.

Hopefully, Cipro is the correct medicine, if not the next 4-5 weeks will be wasted, and in that time the bacteria will presumably multiply and penetrate the prostate further. It's a pity Thai urologists adopt this 'shotgun' approach, rather than taking a more measured approach and properly dentifying the cause of the infection before they prescribe meds.

The main hospital I've gone to is affilitated with the Bangkok group of hospitals. It costs an arm and a leg, but I accept this doesn't always guarantee quality. If things don't improve with the Cipro, perhaps I'll organize a consultation in BKK.

culture and sensitivity testing is available in all larger hospitals but may not be in in small ones.

Also Thai doctors have a marked tendency not to order them and instead opt use a "shot gun" treatment approach.

Prostatitis can be hard to clear up. if you are on a course of antibiotics, do not go if it without first consulting a doctor (risk of develkoing resistance).

Sheryl – Thanks for the advice and information. It’s much appreciated.

Unfortunately, I’m already experiencing the Thai doctors ‘shotgun’ approach. The first urologist I saw put it down to a simple UTI and put me on a course of Ciprofloxacin for 1 week. There was no improvement, so he then decided it was an STD (which is very unlikely) and instructed me to take 1mg of azithromycin and 500mg of levofloacin. I understand these are the recommended doses for uncomplicated gonorrhea and Chlamydia so presumably he had these in mind (even though I’ve never had any penile discharge).

After 10-12 days there was no improvement, so I saw another urologist who decided the infection had reached my prostate and I should go back onto the Ciprofloxacin for 2 weeks. He didn’t seem concerned that the original 1-week course may have made the bacteria resistant, so I followed his advice.

That was about a week ago, and as there’s been no improvement, I spoke with another urologist yesterday, and he’s recommended I stop taking the Ciprofloxacin and change to Bactrim. At this stage, I’m really not sure what to do.

In retrospect I wish the first uro had ordered a semen and sensitivity test, so I could have got the correct antibiotics from the start. Now, I’ve started the Ciprofloxacin course, I think I should finish it just to make sure the bacteria doesn’t become resistant (if indeed it isn’t already). If the Cipro doesn’t work, I’m inclined to stop all medication for one week, and then have a semen test to see what bacteria is present and which antibiotics they’re sensitive to.

Sheryl, does this sound a sensible course of action, or do you have any alternative suggestions?

Although, I’m not based in BKK, I’ve only been to the best local private hospitals and I feel a little let down by the advice I’ve received. I know that once an infection has taken ‘root’ in the prostate it’s very difficult to treat with antibiotics, so I’m keen to resolve my problems before they become worse. Any advice you, or any other members could offer, would be gratefully received.

Sorry, to bump an old thread, but I fear I've contracted an acute bacterial prostatatis infection and I would like to have a semen and sensitivity test. Does anyone know if this is available at all the major hospitals throughout Thailand, or would it be limited to BKK? Also, as I'm currently taking antibiotics, how long before the test would I need to stop?