Bourney0

Another option: https://www.thaipolicecertificate.org/

We thought we needed a certificate for my wife recently and are way outside Thailand. Turns out we didn't need it, but we did some research into different options.

The company at the above link (Resolution Immigration) allow the required copies of the passport, Thai visa/stamps, and fingerprints to be emailed to them. They are quite responsive, English is good, and they have a couple of positive reviews on Facebook but we have not been able to find much in the way of referrals otherwise. We would be curious to know if others have used them.

The prices are a bit higher than A-Plus but they allow everything to be done via email and they fill out the application for you, so there is some added value. 

27 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

We went for lunch yesterday.

Beef with greens - just OK. Beef Tuff

Stir fry veggies OK

Chicken with garlic and chili - excellent.

What wrecked it for us was the owner - presumably - fat Chinese guy with a scraggly bunch of chin whiskers sat on the far LH side of the place, farthest away from the kitchen. Kept up a constant shouting match with the staff, all in Mandarin or course. But this seemingly is a trait of theirs.

When paying our bill was entertained by a large rat climbing the wall and scampering along the beam.

Final straw.

I agree. The spicy chicken dishes are usually my go-to.

The rest comes with the territory, I suppose. I spent six months traveling across China on a bicycle and this place brought me back like no other. But it's not for everyone.

I forgot to mention that the area can be quite noisy when there is a concert going on in the parking lot. It can be a bit of a nuisance.

1 hour ago, Vacuum said:

Reading your post, I find this hard to believe. 

Suit yourself. 

1 hour ago, tlandtday said:

Do they have bat soup or 3 squeaks for appetizers?

I highly recommend the bat soup. ????

I'm going to be in town for a month and would like to have a deviated septum taken are of while I'm there. Have any of you had surgery for to correct a deviated septum, or endoscopic sinus surgery, in Chiang Mai?

After extensive research on this forum I'm leaning toward Suan Doc (aka Maharaj) Hospital and Sriphat because I'm on a tight budget and uninsured.

I would love a recommendation for an ENT specialist and also how much it might cost (ballpark) all said and done.

Thank you!

I've learned how to ask if someone has these (lily bulbs - but not tiger lilies, if that matters) but I don't know where to start, and I only have one more day to shop for them: tomorrow (Sat)! I need to bring them to Singapore for a friend and I leave on Sunday. I've already hunted around the flower market behind the big Tesco near the Superhighway to no avail.

Does anyone have knowledge of where one may find bulbs for sale?

Thanks.

They (at Na Na) just got a new espresso machine...someone's been reading this thread!

IMO, the coffee now is as it should be, rich and strong.

Unfortunately, no more croissants for me in the foreseeable future. I leave CM for a sojourn across the breadth of China in a couple of days.

All the best to ya'all!

I'd worry about rain wrecking the phone. The standalone Garmin units seem pretty much immune to that problem.

Yes, the Garmins are pretty water resistant. Another advantage is that the battery life of a Garmin is typically 12-15 hours, whereas a smartphone with the GPS in operation and the back light on will not last nearly as long, so I've heard.

i did my shopping at Tanin Market yesterday but couldn't find Nana. Is it on the fresh market it self or one of the streets on both sides?

It's not in or around the Tanin Market itself, it's a few hundred meters down the road to the west. If you follow Tanin Road away from the market toward Doi Suthep it will end in a 'T' and you take a left. The road then turns to the right. You'll see Na Na Bakery on the right side 20 meters after the turn, before the intersection with Santitham Road.

I linked to a Google Map in the very first post but I'll add it here again: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=18.804083,98.979041&num=1&t=h&sll=18.78036,98.832329&sspn=0.041284,0.41345&ie=UTF8&ll=18.804095,98.979373&spn=0.000983,0.001725&z=19

I was there this morning and found out some new information to share. Na Na supplies many of the local coffee shops and "bakeries" from this location, so if you show up after 9am or so you may miss out on the large pains au chocolat and croissants. The large ones (30 baht), oozing with melted dark chocolate, are, in my opinion, preferable to the smaller pastries (17 baht) by a small margin. Also, if you buy them here, at the source, not only will you get these wholesale prices, but they'll be a little fresher! I hear that the retailers mark the big pastries up to 40-45 baht.

Swazibird, it was a pleasure to meet you and your wife this morning!

I tried the croissants once, with high expectations as they looked delicious in the glass cabinet. Unfortunately, despite being the only customer, my coffee and croissant took ages to arrive. The espresso was way to watery, and the croissant, disappointing and more like a piece of bread. That was a few months ago; I've not returned.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. In my limited (1 month) experience has opened on time consistently (with the exception of Sunday morning) and the butter-based pastries are superb in the morning when fresh out of the oven. Like all croissants, however, the shelf life is probably about two hours before they begin to become 'bread-like', though I have not yet tested the theory here. I'm guessing they'll still be delicious for an early lunch, but after that...

Butter is Better and W for Wanlaman also make great pastries.

Yes, I also like Butter is Better, but I don't think they do any French pastries.

The ginger snaps and Italian loaf at BiB are top notch but I have yet to try the fabled peanut butter-chocolate cake!

I don't normally bother with the pastries in Thailand with the exception of some products from some of the well reputed bakeries on this forum, but one day I saw someone selling hot pain au chocolat in front of a bakery near my home and couldn't resist. It was as good as any that I've had during my travels in France and I can honestly say the best I've had since then as well. The flaky croissants and other pastries are made with 100% real butter. The baker is a French-trained Thai woman.

Other than being a new customer I have no connection with Na Na Bakery. I highly recommend giving them a try if you're in the Tanin Market/Chang Puak area! Nothing like a hot pain au chocolat with a rich espresso in the morning. Get them fresh out of the oven between 7 and 9am.

Map here: http://maps.google.c...3,0.001725&z=19

I've been on a round-the-world cycling tour for two years with my brother. I have the Edge 705 and he has the Etrex Vista. The Etrex mounts to a handlebar with it's own proprietary mount. Both are very readable in broad daylight with no backlighting (which you may use at night - it's included). The Etrex is a better value for navigation, in my opinion. However, if you want training statistics and a more sleek package go with an Edge.

The Edge 800 seems to have a couple of cool additions but it's not a major upgrade over the 705 and some people have complained about the 'touch' layer on the screen adding glare and cutting contrast, but I doubt it's really a huge trade-off.

You can load legitimate open source maps onto these GPS units for free from OSM. I've been using them for months and while they don't have 100% of the roads out there they definitely have enough--perhaps 90% in most countries, including Thailand. Link: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/Download (I like the maps from Lambertous).

Worldbike is the dealer for SRAM in Thailand. I think they have a shop in CM as well. Try these phone numbers 053-240-106/7/8/9 or 0893027849 or 02-510-1041. If you come to Chiang Rai and want to ride send me a PM. Great trails here with lots of big uphills and down.

I'll try them. Thanks!

I found out from Top Gear that the RS distributer in Bangkok will be closed through early May, so I'll be waiting until then.

Chiang Rai: I'll have to see if I can make it up there. Do you have much singletrack or is it all dirt roads?

FYI: I tried both TCA and Jackie and they said they won't service Rockshox because they are Fox dealers.

Looks like I'll have to get the tools/parts and do it myself.

Hi, sorry for the belated reply. I've been moving in to my room in Chiang Mai and just got my internet hooked up. It's so great to finally be back here!!

CobraSN: Thank you for the advice, I'll take it to TCA for sure, once I have my dust wipers in hand.

JungleChef: I would love to meet up for a ride. PM'd you.

Rikki: Good tip. I have a friend coming to visit from back home so I might have him bring the parts I need.

Hi all, I'm going to spend a couple of months in Chiang Mai to take a break from a world tour by bicycle. But before I go hit the singletrack I'd like to have my fork serviced with new oil and dust wipers. It's a Rockshox Reba Team from 2009. Can any of you recommend a good mechanic for this work? It being a relatively high end fork I'd like to have it done by someone who has experience rebuilding Rockshox forks if possible. I'd do it myself but I don't have the tools...

Also, if any of you trail riders are up for some company on your rides I'd love to join you!