JXXXL

Let me clear up a few things.

First, the kind of gear you want is mesh or textile with CE certified armor. Most of the gear you could find at that shop in Pantip is this type. The brand they sell at that shop is called Red Corn from Japan and is way overpriced. And, no, it doesn't have Kevlar armor.

About leather gear, leather is the best protection from road rash, but way too hot for this climate. Textile and mesh will give you good protection and is designed for hot climates. BTW, PB, leather loses 50% of it's protective ability once it's been saturated and dried. Also, using cleaning solvent is good for your suede dinner jacket but not for leather riding gear. You may just want to wear those pants of yours for fashion as there useless for protection.

About gloves, this is extremely important as things that get damaged first are hands and feet. Using fingerless gloves for riding is like a pair of cement swimming trunks and typically worn by Harley fashionistas.

Boots are also a key accessory. If you're on a budget, get something sturdy and most important something that wont fly off your feet when you crash.

Regarding denim, it's useless in a crash as I have experienced first hand. There are a few companies who make kevlar reinforced jeans and they seem to work a treat although I don't have any experience with them. One brand is called Draggin Jeans and they have a video of a guy being dragged a quarter mile on his arse and the jeans don't tear.

In terms of where to get it good gear, I recommend you buy it in the US and have it shipped to Thailand. You can find some great closeouts on top brands and the shipping is quite reasonable. If you're a big guy you'll have a tough time with selection in Asia and the prices will be more than double. Two of the best shops I know of for gear are:

www.motorcyclecloseouts.com

www.newenough.com

You are absolutely right about dressing for the crash and there are a lot of good alternatives for tropical climates that protect you very well.

Wawee coffee has almost left me broke - just kidding - can anybody suggest where to go to buy a good quality espresso machine for home. So far I've looked in Central, Bakermart and Index. The ones i've seen look a bit flimsy. Any suggestions?

Well, it depends what you mean by "good" and what kind of person you are. If you really get into espresso, you will soon find that what most people are talking about here doesn't come close to being good. The first thing I recommend is to determine what kind of machine you want i.e., manual, semi-auto or fully-auto. You will also need a quality burr grinder (perhaps as important as the machine to good espresso). I got a La Pavoni grinder and lever pull machine at Verasu in BKK and quickly outgrew it; BTW, the section in Emporium's housewares with the La Pavoni stuff is actually managed by Verasu. Read this article before you buy:

http://www.coffeegeek.com/guides/howtobuyanespressomachine

My step Daughter asked me to buy her a Thai to English dictionary. Can someone recommend a good one? She's getting ready to go to Uni so she wants something for her studies rather than a conversational aid.

Try the Chinese restaurant at the Dara Devi, they do an awesome Tim Sum lunch for about b500 per person. Well worth the money in my opinion.

I was thinking along similar lines as to how someone who appears to have invested astutely in the past could have failed to do due diligence and invest into a country where real estate laws relative to foreigners, change, and where it appears he is only in Thailand to visit an absentee Thai wife who is busy investing his money into local real estate. I do wish the old guy luck, but my advice is to start getting paranoid a little bit. I have met far too many men who sound exactly like he is sounding who end up back in the US a lot poorer. Make sure you diversify your investments and keep your options open. And by the way, don't keep your hopes too high in obtaining any full refund anywhere for anything in Thailand.

You cannot assume that all will be well in the future, but yes there are normal safeguards to protect your investments in most any country. Sometimes the unexpected does happen (Look at Zimbabwe and the white farmers.....lost everything, and they were citizens for generations before).

I do not have an absentee wife, as she is with me in the USA. Her dreams have come true for her, and she is content.

The refund part, well like I mentioned, if you are granted a Elite Visa, I do not think they will revoke them, without refund, but most proably will just close the program down since it seems to be not making a profit, but the Visa will remain with those that have purchased them.

If not it is not the end of the world for me.

Well Old Wanderer, the Thai Elite scheme certainly found their market in you. Too bad [for them] there aren't more around like you to actually purchase the card. You certainly aren't the only one living in Thailand with disposable income, just one of the few foolish enough to spend it on this dead dog. :D

I think the value for money would be there if the backers of this thing could guarantee the benefits. However, if you knew anything about Thailand, you would have to be a complete sucker to have confidence in this scheme. And, getting your money back?

Chili in a can tastes like dog food.

Really? Sounds good. What kind of dog food did you compare it with?

Chuckwagon Extra Beefy, its piquant smokey flavor is hard to beat; or so my dog tells me.

I know you metioned cooking your own. I think thats the best bet. Chilli in a can. Good. Home cooked chilli! By myself. ######ing fantastic.

Chili in a can tastes like dog food.

Get yourself a big pot and a simple recipe and make a big batch. Then, freeze small portions in plastic containers. I make about a batch every other week, I even grow my own chili peppers and import a few key ingredients from the US. Go on, you can do it.

Watch, next we will start hearing about mysterious deaths of certain animals i.e., the ones that eat the most. Or, perhaps they can recoup their investment by exporting game meat to China.

What a <deleted> disgrace.

And tonight's special at the night safari is............. Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Declaration

By Dr. Plodprasop Suraswadee

Assistant Minister at Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Director, Administration Officer of Chiangmai night Safari Project

...........................................

1. Meats of all animals displayed at Chiangmai night Safari will not be appeared as the restaurant menus in order to avoid confusion and misunderstanding of Chiangmai night Safari concept. For crocodiles and ostriches’ meats from cultivated farms, they are not prohibited if the seller desires.

2. I still insist that Chiangmai night Safari objectives are to research and conserve natural resources and wildlife and to support sustainable nature tourisms.

3. Many thanks are extended to all critics. Please to hear and correct for the right things. However, very sorry for somebody’s violent, rude and disparaging remarks.

4. For foreign NGOs, please reconsider your own nations and people’s behaviors, what have been undertaken or are still going on, are truly appropriate in terms of wildlife conservation, before criticizing something oversea. Hunting of whales, wolves and moose both for game and for human food have been doing until now. Where kangaroo’s meat is still for human being’s food. Why restaurants are names “Carnivore” still existing? Please do not look down upon Thai people. Foreigners like westerners have started hunting wildlife such as elephants and tigers in India and elephants, lions, rhinos, and others in Savanna Africa.

5. Chiangmai night Safari is itself a good project for public affairs. It might have little flaws. Please be optimistic and do not merely judge other people being worst than you.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Such a predictable response from a Thai bureaucrat. What a maroon.

I wonder where he got the feedback he's resonding to??? TV perhaps

I love the fact that a 24year old decides that my fiancee can't come over as a tourist. Because she doesn't have enough reasons to return. You know, except for that family, house, car, steady job for 3 years, and being enrolled in Payap's International TEFL Master's program...

The first time my fiancee applied for a single entry visa, it was approved without a problem. Second time, with the same information is was denied by that cocky a$$hole who misunderstood my fiancee's situation because he didn't bother to look at the detail. When I explained it to him, he said I could reapply, with the 4,000 baht fee of course. I wove a tapestry of explatives and thought I was going to get arrested.

It would be a blessing if that idiot gets hit buy a bus. He's got no business doing that job.

Well, I've been a bit of an ###### lately and I have to do something special for my lovely and understanding wife. Does anyone know of a good florist who can take an order on-line or over the phone and deliver?

I really need to do this soon or there's gonna be stir fried penis on the ducks' dinner menu .

Well, I've been a bit of an ###### lately and I have to do something special for my lovely and understanding wife. Does anyone know of a good florist who can take an order on-line or over the phone and deliver?

I really need to do this soon or there's gonna be stir fried penis on the ducks' dinner menu .

Finance Minister: the growth rate will stay at 5.5% over the next 20 years

Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya (ทนง พิทยะ) has set a target for Thailand’s economy to expand at 5.5 percent over the next 20 years.

Mr. Thanong gave a speech in the annual academic seminar of the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO). He said the national economy and political situation are changing and the government must be prepared in different areas so Thailand can compete with other countries. He suggested that the government should readjust organization chart of certain departments, urgently eliminate poverty, locate capital sources, and reduce taxes. He said that these measures will help increase people's revenues from 120,000 per baht per person per year to 400,000 baht per person per year.

Besides, the figure of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will climb up to 26 trillion baht, while the agricultural sector will share 7.5 percent of the national income.

According to these expected figures, the Finance Minister believes that Thailand will not be a developing country over the next 20 years.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 11 September 2006

Can any other country beat Thailand for the sheer volume of idiotic statements by politicians?

http://www.chiangmainews.com/ecmn/viewfa.php?id=1535

nice review from the guys at cm news.

good to see others share the same view as me of bubble and spicy.

btw is mandalay aka sharkeys,if it is,its also well down the list of top places.imo

im back in december for a month or so with friends,and want to check out more of these places.

how do you guys rate fashion house,bang rak,monkey club as iv not been.

my top places in cm iv been to are.

warm-up

volume 1

horizon club

rooftop bar to start(how does rasta bar compare?)

a few bars on the peak

cm saloon

johns place

lucky ok with a decent crowd

hot shots ok for a one off

worst places

bubble

spicy

foxy lady

queen vic(boring)

Bubble has had a major face lift, grand opening was last week, and I am told it has dramatically improved. Wifey tells me strict new rules is keeping out the farang rif raf and it's back on the circuit for the Thai party crowd. Definitely worth another look.

The Commerce Ministry to create a target of 20,000 Thai restaurants worldwide by 2008

The Commerce Ministry plans to increase the number of overseas Thai restaurants to 20,000 within 2008.

Caretaker Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak (สมคิด จาตุศรีพิทักษ์), now on a visit to the United States, said it is not difficult to open 11,000 more Thai restaurants worldwide in addition to the 9,000 already set up abroad if both the public and private sectors give their support.

Mr. Somkid said he has already assigned the Export Promotion Department (EPD), Food Institute and EXIM Bank to provide financial assistance and quality ingredients at low prices for entrepreneurs.

EPD chief Chantra Buranarirksh (จันทรา บูรณฤกษ์), meanwhile, said the Thai delegation to the US has already been able to sell goods such as canned tuna, shrimp non-alcoholic drinks and gems and jewelry worth around five billion baht altogether.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 13 July 2006

I can just see it. A bunch of TRT ministers sitting in a room brainstorming about how to increase exports. One guy says, "I got it, lets open more Thai restaurants abroad"

Farking hilarious.

I was working with a reseller in Japan several years ago. One day, one of my associates there called and asked me which was a more appropriate word, "germ" or "sprout". I asked my friend what the context was and he insisted that it wasn't important, "just tell me which is a better word" he asked. I understood that germ was the root (?) for germinate and told him that using germ alone would not sound right, and that if it had to be either of the two words, he should use "sprout". We hung up the phone and I forgot about it.

About a month later, I attended their holiday party in Tokyo at one of the large hotels. There was a huge banner hanging on the wall with a motivational message for their staff. The poster has an old tall tree with the words "committment" and "sprout". Many people thanked me for helping them with the great banner .

My dog is an excellent judge of character and barks like hel_l whenever anyone comes near the front fence. He's too small to do any real damage, but I doubt anyone could sneak into our house [touch wood] without someone knowing.

But WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

NOTHING !!!

This is the way it is here..accept it or leave...

Ha, ha, ha, ha. See my OP on not liking something but accepting that it exists. I just LOVE people who give other people "leave the country" ultimatums. I wouldn't even think of doing that to a foreigner in my own country of origin; but to be an expat in Thailand giving other people ultimatums -- that's rich. Thanks for the chuckle.

It's an involuntary reaction commonly espoused by less intelligent expats, sort of like a rhetorical fart or vomit.

I think it's important to shelter the plants from the rain so you can control the amount of water they are getting. I have about a dozen chili pepper plants (Anaheim, Ancho, Habanero and Jalapeno) and they did great in the dry season. Once it started raining they got to wet and now are having a hard time. I'm thinking planting under an eve or patio where they get sun would be a good bet.

Good luck growing them! I live in Loei where it is cool enough. I tried the plain soil in the garden and they all died. I tried sterilized potting soil and they all died. A friend of mine brought me four different kinds of seeds that were recommended for Florida. I have had at least four separate plantings at all times of the year and NEVER had any luck. I guess I just don't have the green thumb.

I don't think it's a question of having a green thumb Gary, I can grow just about anything, but NOT tomatoes. Like yourself, I have tried three or four different types of seeds, and soil varieties, and seeding them in alternate seasons, still no luck. The closest I got was with Grosse Lisse, they actually got to about three foot high, had flowers, and the fruit was just setting....then.....they got powerdery mildew I will give them one more try come "spring"

The "beef" tomatoes from Rimping are simply delicious, and full of flavour, but alas, I havn't seen them there for some time now.

I tried growing Tomatillos and had no luck. Same as you MM, they grew to about three feet, flowered then got a dusty white mold-like problem and died. I couldn't find anyone in Thailand who knew how to treat it.

To the OP, you may not get value from what The House offers, obviously big portions are your priority. If that's what you're after, Duke's is a good choice.

Sorry, but this is not correct. I've eaten - a few times - in GREAT nouvelle cuisine places in San Francisco where I paid $200 per person for very small portions of very expensive foods that were exquisite and I didn't mind a bit paying for extraordinary food, but the Duke's quality is often just as good - or better - as the House, with much bigger portions and much lower prices and that just doesn't add up in my book.

You know what P.T. Barnum had to say about suckers? That's how I feel when I pay the bill at The House!

Am I missing something? Do they sell ribs and pizza at The House? Has The Duke started a new range of fusion foods? I don't really get the comparision.

Thank you.

Think I have better pics than these somewhere else, but anyways..:

Chanchao,

I too enjoy The House. They create a really warm and comfortable atmospere and they have many interesting dishes in their menu.

In that picture you posted with condements for the bread, there is a pinkish butter spread which is awsome. I spend a lot of time trying to figure it out but haven't go it yet.

To the OP, you may not get value from what The House offers, obviously big portions are your priority. If that's what you're after, Duke's is a good choice.

Cornbread? please tell me they have cornbread!

+1 on that! I would go there just for the cornbread if they had it.