Oscar2

10am in Chiang Mai...

9.5 out of a paid-for 12mps when connecting inside of Thailand

6 out of a paid-for 12mps when connecting to the US

4.7 out of a paid-for 12mps when connecting to the UK

1.6 out of a paid-for 12mps when connecting to Vietnam

Better than the past two days, but still a ways to go. At least I can use the Internet again.

that's interesting, and different to my experience. for me, the connection has worsened since about 7:30 last night. i've tried 4 times to run the speed test but it times out running the test!

just saw them at a car accessory vendor inside Panthip Plaza yesterday.

the only place to stay in Lampang is in your car on the way home to C.M.! what a horrible, boring dump of a place. i wouldn't spend the night for free.

thanks for the replies by the 3 on-topic posters. yes....i do remember sending email via 14.4K. wasn't all that long ago.... guess i'll just wait it out since it's not only me.

thanks for the red shirt propaganda by one member. i ain't taking the bait......

True in Sansai, normally blazing fast. the last 2 days been difficult to get much done.

anyone else?

I have heard good things about the product, but everything is so expensive . . . just can't justify it. Too much Scottish blood, I guess.

SK too expensive? joking right?

All this brutal murdering, police ineptitude and PM "clumsiness" is impacting tourism despite what TAT tell us. My 2 kids (27 + 24) have cancelled their summer plans for Thailand and are instead off to Natal, Brasil where my son and I lived for a year or so. Beaches are far nicer, food is way better (if you like meat anyway) people are million times nicer and there's more to do plus without the chances of getting topped on a beach! Natal sits exactly on the equator so weather is fine with a nice sea breeze keeping the humidity at bay. Why would they not? My daughter (she's a teacher hence the great summer breaks etc) tells me a bunch of her mates from Uni are calling it a day with Thailand too. The British only make up a small percentage of the numbers and this won't stop the Russians or Chinese from visiting as they probably are not even aware of this but it still suck donkey's balls.

what a load of rubbish! Brazil is 100X more dangerous than Thailand. i don't believe you lived there for a year or you would not have made that statement.

They have moved. The new business is called focus gallery on Huey Khao road near canal. No more buffett.

thanks for that. looking at their facebook it doesn't look anything like Turkish food at the new location. looks like something strange with mayonnaise and ketchup poured on top.

does anyone know if the buffet on Thursday evening is still on or if the place is even still in business? thanks!

reference ----> http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/530482-new-turkish-restaurant/

something very strange there...

the wife has a very large on-line business but never took a farang with her to an English speaking lawyer to get advice about her business. why do some people find the need to meddle in others affairs?

funny how when he mentioned that figure of 10K, the landlords with vacant premises came out of the woodwork! that's double what the wife is asking for a 2B/2Bath and she can't get a bite!

Lovely jumbo sized moon the other night peeking through the aforementioned clouds over CM.

I noticed it too so went out to take a snap. Very clear night.

very nice photo. yes the moon was lovely. the Chinese Thais went to the temples the other night to respect the moon - and stuff their faces with moon cakes thereafter. this was a big one. you could even go to Thai Post, order the moon cakes for your loved ones, pay for them at the post, and they would deliver them the next day.

Retail is seasonal, most of the year the stores barely or do not break ever, then in the west sales explode at Christmas time, here it is probably several times a year around New Years, regular and Chinese, Songkran, possibly back to school...

Do agree, probably too many malls in CM now, some will go the way of Tantrapan.

Tantrapan owns Rimping and most of the 7/11's in the North

not quite right...

"CP All Plc. (the “Company”) was established in 1988 by the Charoen Pokphand Group.The Company is the sole operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand, which has been granted an exclusive right from 7-Eleven, Inc., USA to conduct business under the Area License Agreement.In 1989, the first 7-Eleven outlet in Thailand was opened on Patpong Road."

i have shares in the company.

been trying to ignore northern dolly or whatever his name is for years and it doesn't work.

10 pages of people whinging about immigration queues for 90 day reports when all you have to do is drop the damn thing in the post and use the time to enjoy your day instead.

am i missing something/

I did mine last Friday, 9/5. I got there at 5:30 am and left around 9:30. If you get there at 5:00 am, you just might be #1. Next year I am going to try using their web site and make an appointment. Have all your paper work in order, and it's a piece of cake. I have been told that for a 1,000 baht, you can get a visa service to do 4: 90 day reports. Not a bad deal. For 4,500 baht, they will do your visa extension, so I was told.

If the visa agent is not willing to come to you, you'll have to make two trips. One to bring him your passport and one to pick it up after he's gone to immigration to do the 90-day report. So if you don't live near him it might be easier to do it yourself with one (usually) quick trip to immigration. Something to consider before spending the money.

I would say if you enjoy queuing up for a ticket to get a ticket and enjoy the environment of a cramped immigration office from 5 or 6 am then keep doing it.

If not then pay the agency fees . At least you can go to take your passport and collect it from the agency at your leisure not at 5 or 6 am in the morning.

+1

hard to imagine anyone would go to a government office at 5 or 6 in the morning and queue up! is that for real? what an absolute waste of time. reminds me of the days before internet sales when we would queue up at 4:00 to buy concert tickets that went on sale at record shops at 9:00. but at least we got our money's worth as we would usually 'scalp' a few of the tickets we bought. we would also bring drinks and other 'party favors', so the wait wasn't so bad...

Heheh

You kids keep this up & I will turn this car right around & none of you

will have any Italian grub period !

It always goes this way

Folks cannot believe that some have different tastes & that is what is nice about

having choices in Chiang Mai

The title of the thread is after all

Which Are The Best Italian Food Restaurants In Chiang Mai?

Ragu is the best IMO.

+1

A matter of opinion of course that train is worse than bus. In my experience and opinion the train is better because of comfort, safety and scenery. Plus it has a charm that the bus does not. It is also more social - passengers a tually talk to each other on the train. No security check (though passport number required). No having to be at departure point way in advance. Can ship ahead luggage all way to Bangkok unaccompanied fir under THB100. Train station is a ten minute songthaew ride from where I stay in Chiang Mai. Terrorists prefer airplanes. Huomphong is near an MRT and Chinatown. I could get off far in advance of destination.

A tually I might bus it from Phitsanulok to BKK but that is unlikely.

why would you ride the train? you can fly for about 1300-1700 round trip. all the airlines have promo fares now. trains are terrible in Thailand, filthy, uncomfortable and dangerous. flying is the only way to travel.

Instead of buying a Satellite dish etc, buy a Android box from LAZADA,

or stream to your tv,from your PC, and get ilikeHD, 350 THB,same as

WeTv, many, many more channels,better picture.IPTV is the way to go,

dishes and boxes are the past.

regards Worgeordie

IPTV is terrible. they have it (TOT) in the lounge of the car wash place i go. sometimes i sit there for an hour while they wax the car and I watch TV - try to -. every channel stops and buffers endlessly. if you change channels then you have to wait a while and stare at the meter showing the level of 'buffering'. i don't know how anyone could tolerate that when trying to watch live news or something. i can tolerate it - sort of - when trying to watch youtube.com but not TV. there is a long way to go before we could depend on the internet to watch television.

KSK & airport plaza will survive. KSK is where locals shop. Airport plaza is where chinese shop before flying home.

My experience of malls is visiting toy shops for prezzies. Toysrus, whenever I visit is EMPTY!! No other customers. Prices are ridiculous. Central at the other 3 malls the same. Might see westerners, but are they buying? Again, prices way too high. Lazada very limited for toys. Amazon, please open in Thailand

Best thing to do with festival is to rip out all the shops & convert to a big multi storey car park for the new skytrain users to get into the city

the only malls i ever see people actually carrying shopping bags of goods is in KSK and Airport plaza. i agree, they will survive and prosper. the others....who knows.....nice cinemas though i must admit.

i doubt shops like Omega, Hermes, Bally....(or the like) will remain open much longer. Bangkok yes...Thais do buy Bally shoes in Bangkok. but how many people in C.M. buy stuff like that? even well to do Thais in C.M. have a more casual lifestyle.

we went to Toys R Us here to buy a gift and couldn't believe the prices. we left and the wife found the same item she was looking for on the Internet for 65% less.

Ragu at Promenada. Nothing in town comes close.

i have to agree. after Ragu opened, every other Italian restaurant in town was left in the dust... Ragu. it is arguably the best Italian restaurant in town. quality, fresh ingredients, flavor, presentation, authenticity, serving size... fantastic restaurant. warning: you could get fat eating there often! i've never tried the dessert...too full after a meal! but it looks good.

I will soon be visiting Little Saigon in Westminster, CA and gorging on delicious Vietnamese food - better than the food served in the real Saigon (what a disappointment!) Eat your hearts out!

Oooh, Westminster yes! Eat your heart out indeed. Been there!! My Vietnamese friends in the States agree that the Vietnamese food in America is actually better than back home, they tell me, ha...go figure.

no surprise there. the Thai food in Los Angeles is better than it is here (unless you go to a ridiculously priced place in Bangkok). i've never been to China but friends who have visited have told me the Chinese food in L.A. is better than anywhere they dined in China.