stuartd1

Buying Pangas supports unscrupulous, greedy evil corporations and food conglomerates

Gosh!

It's not just that, it is that the producers are coming up with a very unhealthy product. Watch this video, to see how unsanitary their fish production (which is catfish, basically a dirty "bottom feeder" to begin with) is:

http://telly.com/8XW9Q

There are other more explicit ones available on Youtube (I tried to embed a link here and a warning came up that this could and should not be done. Just Google Vietnamese and "catfish" in Youtube.

These fish are grown industrially in dangerous "baths" of harmful chemicals and pollutants. Some of the fish farms are located next to chemical plants and cement factories that empty their effluent directly into the Mekong River, which is one of the most polluted in the world. This is an instance where fish is not good for you (increasingly, health gurus are warning people to avoid fish consumption because of such practices).

Makes a really good Sole Meuniere, but now wife has found out how they're produced....!

Pangasius is easily cooked, cheap and tasty, but:

http://www.dietmindspirit.org/2008/01/30/why-you-shouldnt-eat-this-fish-pangas-pangasius-vietnamese-river-cobbler-white-catfish-gray-sole/

This a useful link, though it doesn't map the yellows going from near pratu CM down through Hang Dong.

http://www.openchiangmai.com/v3283.html

Marco's is good.

You could also try Perns on Huay Kaew Road, just up from the Mall on the other side of the road. It's on trip advisor.

I tried to get an agency to do it for me last year. Appears you have to do it in person, though I suppose you could speed the process up by being taken there by someone with "influence".

Isn't it a bit unusual to have both eyes done at the same time? For a start my cateracts "ripened" a year apart, secondly, you would be effectively blind after the op.

Buy steak and put in plastic bag.

Wander round soi until you find a dog that you think will suit

Take steak out of bag

Walk home

Problem solved!

(Remember to wear protective clothing until rabies shots administered)

Apologies, sat in Dubai airport lounge on long transfer!

You could try

http://www.chiangmaifriendsgroup.com/

Although I have barely put my toe in the rental market here I found Jasmine homes fairly accomodating. What is weird is that when chatting to local acquaintaces, they all seem to know of the "ideal" place, then a part time estate agent turns up in a clapped out car and shows you a number of places that don't match at all, then start pestering you on the phone!

Never mind, back in October to start looking seriously.

"Dash is another on my to do list. "

Reccomend you do Rob, When you do, tell Dash Stuart say's he's a prat!

With regards to rats in previous post, does this indicate that the meat is at least fresh?

Maybe this should posted under my home security thread!

Given the pretty tragic thread below, I would think quite a few people are wondering how best to secure their homes from intruders. There seem to be quite a few companies in the area offering the standard range of security systems, (JP Safest, Good Point Security, Lanna CCTV, etc.). Does anyone have any experience of any of them, and are there any who offer an automatic call-out service if an alarm is set off, preferably a couple of beefy guys rolling up with baseball bats!

If not it sounds like a commercial opportunity for an entrepreneurial spirit.

Sante, I would suggest you in out in future!

I googled for the thai highway code in english and found it has already been translated on TV some years ago!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/93763-the-thai-highway-code-translated/

The cheap and sportive way is cycle from Chiang Mai university along the canal, you can rent a bike for 50 baht per day and the road is good.

Pity most of the bikes don't have brakes

Er......have you tried googling it?

Here are two maps on the subject:

Actually, these maps are for buses not songtaews. Do these bus services even exist anymore?

I heard the songthaew drivers were responsible for the plan never coming to fruition. Much the same as they might for any form of public transport that might endanger their livelihood

This was bugging me when last in CM and will no doubt continue to do so when I return to stay permanently later this year.

I have ridden the yellows from CM Gate (Nantaram Rd) down to the second Big C in Hang Dong, they run every 10-15 min (or so).

I have seen Green ones on route 1001 at Rim Ping, Fa Ham (Mee Chok?). I have been told they start/end at the Flower Market (Warotot) but don't know where the other end of the route is or how often they run.

Have seen white ones near the Flower Market but don't know where they go.

It would be seriously useful if someone could define the routes on Google map as a reference source for all.

Probably find it will be sabotaged by the song teauw action front anyway!!

"Was it here? about 10km west and 4km south of the south-west corner of the moat?"

Try approx 7km SE!

I've only flown with them once but found it a very good and comfortable service.

Have a return ticket to pick up next month, hope they don't decide to stop earlier!

Yes, I know it's Thailand, but isn't there a government authority on water standards that can be approached?

What about the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment ? I expect some cynicism now!

I've found the normal supplement outlets in CM like GNC don't carry much of a range. better to order from overseas as Paul suggests.

Sounds a bit like the seventies, if you can remember them.......how does that go again?

Very interesting, but let's face it, it's pretty meaningless and under researched, as it more or less admits.

To pick up on the most important points, imported cheese is expensive here, but not cheap in London either. locally produced cheese is a fraction of the price and readily available. Wine is 80-100 bt (say $3) a glass in a cafe/bar here, In provincial UK it's going to be at least 3 GBP, ($4.5), and they make a profit here although they often buy it retail.

And who, if they have sufficient freedom of choice and flexibility when it comes to a living location to live in Chiang Mai is going to be living in London? They would be in a provincial city or town.