Steve2UK

My vet here in Bangkok recommends planting lemongrass plants around the border of the garden, have heard from a few few locals that it does indeed work...give it a go...

Very possible that there's confusion here between lemongrass for cooking and another that looks similar but isn't for cooking and is an effective mosquito deterrent - therefore maybe also effective to some extent to deter snakes.

Sorry, can't remember the thai name for this variety, but a good garden centre will have it. The leaves tend to be noticeably coarser and rougher to the touch compared to the cooking one - and the citronella-type smell is much more pungent.

"Really, officer - I didn't have a chance.......that street lamp just came straight at me. Oh - and it was dark."

Rosemary seems to prefer a brighter place but not total sunshine. Mine wouldn't grow in a shaded location, I moved it to receive some afternoon sun and now its doubled in size.

In the UK my rosemary bush is in almost total shade and still grows, I guess there must be some acclimatization going on.

Agree - I saw a healthy rosemary at Ricardo's place in Mae Jo (actually the doing of green-fingered Mrs Ricardo) that was growing happily in the dappled (i.e. 50/50) shade of something else. Regarding humidity/rain, the key seems to be providing excellent drainage (e.g. a good few centimetres of almost pure grit under the root ball). In southern Spain, I kept seeing rosemary growing prolifically on the most arid wind/sun-blasted bits of near soil-less rock you can imagine - seems to be one of those "treat 'em mean" plants. Best prospect in Thailand seems to be to get it into the right medium in a good-sized clay pot (maybe even give it some small rocks to push it roots through) and position it where it won't get rained on and will get only a few hours morning sun or maximum 2-3 hours afternoon sun.

Regarding a later post: Thailand + greenhouse? Ermmmmm.......

Rimping frequently have potted thyme and rosemary - the latter usually in a large, low clay bowl containing a small bush (about 200 baht). I think I also saw sage there once and certainly oregano.

A health warning - all three like dry, poor, sandy/gritty soil and don't like humidity. Particularly with the rosemary, you'll need to re-pot it from the mainly coconut husk medium that the growers use into something more suitable for long-term survival. My experience with growing/keeping the main western herbs here is that they are highly prone to keeling over and dying no matter how well you look after them (position, not too wet, not too much strong sun etc).

Various parsley seeds (e.g. moss curled and "French") are available from AFM* (packets usually available at Rimping). Parsley is notorious for being difficult/unpredictable to germinate ( http://www.answers.com/topic/parsley-seed-...es-to-the-devil ). I had a lot planted in a tray which did nothing; after several months, I was all set to toss them out - and then noticed one had sprouted. Transferred into the ground, it went on to grow to the size of a football and produced industrial quantities of leaves for weeks - until something started to rot the central root.

* http://www.afmgroup.com/afm/catalog/index.htm (they have more seeds - particularly herbs - than are shown in their online list)

Oh, enough already. There's more than enough of this repetitive your team/my team crap in News Clippings without miring this sub-forum with it as well.

The answer to the OP's question is "No - not yet". Closed now?

----------------------------------

Oh No!!! Not a besserwisser!!! I thought I left these guys back in Sweden. It is not YOU that decide what to write and for us to Read.

I say to you... change topic and go on with your life.

OK ENOUGH!!!!!!

Glegolo

Correct - not a besserwisser. I know enough to know that I know no better than any other - and likewise to recognise repetitive crap when I see it .

BTW, if you're going to flame - kindly do it in English.

Oh, enough already. There's more than enough of this repetitive your team/my team crap in News Clippings without miring this sub-forum with it as well.

The answer to the OP's question is "No - not yet". Closed now?

I don't understand why there so many failed pubs for sale in CM by bitter old farangs...

We had to walk 10 miles through the snow wearing flipflops to get free WIFI when I was your age!

Only 10 miles? You were lucky...... and flip-flops? Bl**dy luxury. We [etc etc].........

(OK - you know the rest)

UG, if you're into good salads - go for the Greek one. I had the Caesar which was certainly OK - but I kept raiding my guest's order of Greek salad and also spooned up the left over dressing from his plate. I've also enjoyed the warm chicken salad several times at the previous location. Likewise the meat-falls-off-the-bone ribs.

This time I had the cabbage-wrapped pork rolls - comes with a mound of mashed potato and a lot of rich but not heavy pureed tomato & things (I ought to find out what else goes into it) . Also had that date pudding after guidance from David - I'd been hesitating thinking it would be heavy like Brit Christmas pudding. As he says, it isn't - but oh, so rich.......

Being a Brit and after Greenside's tip, I'll be going for the fish'n'chips next time. My take on David is that he knows/cares about his subject and picks good things to include on the menu and daily specials. He's also honest enough to say that supplies of things like lamb (even if it's all from NZ) can often vary in quality. I think you're right about there being "some real gems" on his menu and I'd recommend everyone to ask his advice about what's what - he's not shy and I never had BS from him.

The thought occurs to me that, with quite a few of the menu choices being either unfamiliar or done the 'West way', maybe there should be more detailed descriptions of some items......... but then again, maybe better to hear it 'live' from the guy who knows.

I agree that the location has excellent parking, is easy to locate and should be better than being in the soi. But there is a real nighttime problem with appallingly loud drums & music coming from a bar that is opposite. On occasions it has been louder than the music playing in Krua Nimman and really spoils an attempt to relax & enjoy theyir good food. I hope that if West & K-N can join forces on menus they can join forces to get the anti-social bar to act like a good neighbour. Or is that too much to ask & to whom would they complain ??!!

I took a stroll around the square to see what else is there and noticed a live music place diagonally opposite from West way across the square. The usual kind of band (vocalist/guitars/drums) was playing but it was only loud when I was right outside the place itself....... just about audible from West (100 metres away?) but I certainly didn't find it intrusive when I was at my "terrace" table - hence my comment on the point in my earlier post. My enjoyment of other places has been spoilt by the "area-bombing" scale of adjacent live music - not so last night at West. Not sure if we're talking about the same music place in the square? There is another one closer (about 20 metres) on the north side, but I saw last night it has closed down.

I finally got to eat at West's new location last night. As you'll see from the attached pic, it's not "West 2" - and AFAIK there are no plans for a "business empire" of more Wests (and never have been, come to that).

Location/Access:

1) Entrance from NW-bound side of Huay Kaew Road - immediately opposite Hillside (Hillside Plaza Condotel on most maps) and just before UOB bank.

2) Entrance from Sri Mangalachan Road into Nimmanhemmin Soi 5 and soon turn right (I believe there's also another entry from SM Road - just after N Soi 5 on the way to Huay Kaew Road -that leads directly into the square)

3) Entrance from Nimmanhemin Road into Nimmanhemmin Soi 5, drive most of the way down and turn left

Any of the above will take you into a large open square area with many parking spaces. Various bars and restaurants of different types are dotted around the edges of the square - West is in the group on the (appropriately?) west side. Good to be away from the traffic and the square is large/quiet enough to enjoy West's pleasant choice of music without competition from engines and other venues.

At West's previous location, owner David also included some Thai choices on the mainly western menu. Now it's all western - as he has made arrangements with the next door Nimman Kitchen restaurant (big range of Thai and specialised Lanna dishes) to share menu's. Simple and IMO great idea - it means that you get the best of both worlds........ particularly useful for those with Thai partners/guests who don't want to be restricted to western food.

I don't write restaurant reviews and this isn't intended to be one, but I think most CM-based TV members will appreciate a] some accurate/useful information that b] isn't packed with gratuitous "drive by" snide asides and bitchery about whether it's Nimmanhemmin proper or "how are the mighty fallen" etc. Enough to say that I was more than happy to renew acquaintance with West at its new location. Good menu with enough interesting choices (at good prices) to have you scratching your head at which to go for. Quality of what I and my guest ordered was great - and I saw plenty of happy smiles/contented munching at the other tables. Likewise good, friendly and attentive service from David and his staff.

I actually think the new location is better (easy access/parking, atmosphere etc) - and the shared menu idea is a definite bonus. One last point: in the photo, you'll see vertical wooden slats behind the diners. At the moment these separate the outer "terrace" from the inside tables. I understand from David that these are only temporary (currently necessary for security when the place is closed) and will be replaced when the roll-up shutters are delivered and installed - hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Low (very low) season right now, so not a big issue - though I was pleased to see that there were about a dozen of us there last night. Once there is no divide between inside and outside tables, it'll be much better - though I reckon I'll still prefer to grab a table looking out over the square through the greenery.

Agreed, GBP has strengthened and that largely accounts for it gaining on THB - exactly why GBP should have gained as it has is something of a mystery to me, I accept that it overshot against USD when it fell to 1.30 but I'm surprised to see it gain back so much. After all, there's not a lot of really good news coming out of the UK apart from the rise in the PMI and a reduction in the price falls of UK property - QE is still underway, unemployment is rising and many of the banks are still reporting large losses so I fail to see why it has strengthened as it has. Anyone?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8185300.stm

Most analysts that I've seen on Bloomberg have been saying since early July that sterling has been oversold and was due for a significant rebound. Yep, I know - put 3 economists in a room and you'll get 5-6 opinions, but even so.......... FWIW, I think it also connects to perceived US$ weakness.

House prices reported to be rising again (according to both Halifax and Nationwide) - though a large element of that is said to be due to shortage of supply.

"If you're choosing to use only 5 grades, then the "-" should be dropped entirely and only "D" used.

It was the inaccuracy of reflecting a 69 as a D- and not the correct the D+ that I was addressing in the thread title.

Apologies for wishing to have accuracy reflected in the news."

Ummm, it's a hyphen

Gucci, Prada, Versace, etc..

Hmmm....... it strikes me that anyone with the spare cash to spring for such brands should have no problem hopping on a flight to BKK and taking a taxi to Siam Paragon etc.

Well lets not forget to give some gigantic demerits to the Somchai Government;

so inept they could not STOP PAD from walking to the airport with 8+ hours warning.

230 Billion for PAD, if you like.

230 billions of loss for EACH side now.

And the remaining 16 billion baht loss,

directly on the Red Shirt Leaders who instigated

the night time deadly grenade attacks on PAD at GH.

forcing them to go somewhere else.

We could be reasonably sure they weren't going to stand down

or back to a small park somewhere. Illogical.

Cause and effect.

If the grenades hadn't started and made G.H. untenable,

the airport would never have been taken.

This is how and why Carter earned the Nobel Peace Prize while other ex presidents were earning big fees on lecture tours, or simply living in retired luxury. The man knows more about making peace in real life than all of us do.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter_Center

Well, yes and Arafat got a "Nobel-Peace" Price too -

I thought then there was nothing more sarcastic in this century then this...

Then I guess you were otherwise engaged when Kissinger got his .......... at least Arafat signed a peace deal.

Sad to see the some of the more vitriolic Carter-bashing here. No great shakes politically in office and decidedly unlucky, but he has since at least tried to do more for his fellow man than many former office-holders. I'll take a few more like him doing something to break some moulds and push the envelope.

AEON, UOB and GSB ATMs (Government Savings Bank) do not have the 150 bt service charge

Are there any banks in Chiang Mai not charging foreign ATM transaction fees?

Neither was Bank of Ayuthyea (the yellow bank) when I last used them 10 days ago.

As noted here and in the banking sub-forum thread, Ayuthaya is very hit and miss - some of their ATMs do and and some don't (and possibly even varies at the same ATM on different occasions).

Thanks Steve,

This means, Dr. Kassara Puttamapun does now work at Empress and not at Grace any longer. Is that

right? Or does she work at both clinics?

Incidentally, I need work on my upper premolars as well.

From what I have checked on the internet, the best price in CM seems to be around 3,500 - 4,500 Bht

per root canal for a premolar, but I have no feedback on the professional performance.

No, she's still working at Grace. I knew that she also worked elsewhere (as do many) but didn't know it was at Empress. Perhaps you know that Dr Jarunee was also at Grace before starting Empress; I used to see her for cleaning (superb) though I think I read here that she doesn't do that any more at Empress?

By best I mean most professional and painless. I have made some bad experiences, where I had severe

pain during the process in spite of being injected with Novocain, and unprofessional work, where one

root canal was forgotten in a tooth that had two.

By Thai prices I mean, that I do not compare how much a root canal costs in America or Europe vs. Thailand,

but compare prices for the same kind of treatment within Chiang Mai.

From what I have heard, but I'm not 100% sure of course, the Dr. Kassara Puttamapun you most like

talk about, now works at empress dental clinic. Perhaps I should contact here there.

I understand now. Just looked at the Empress website: a] it is the same Dr. Kassara Puttamapun - I'd know that smile anywhere and b] my recent root canal treatment was for a pre-molar - which Empress list @ 6-7,000 baht. Incidentally, I recall that I also had numerous X-rays done at various stages of the work at Grace - all included.

http://www.empressdentalclinic.com/fee.html

Not sure what you mean by "best" at "Thai prices"........... but I have had two root canal treatments at Grace (one in 2005 and the other completed this month). The recent one involved multiple visits (8 or 9, I think) because of a lingering infection that needed to be nailed before closing. Cost 6,000 baht. Cue the inevitable comments that XYZ charges only a fraction of that.......... but I'll head straight back to Grace if/when I need it again. The specialist Dr Kessara (not sure of the spelling) speaks good English and is gentle, charming, fun and 100% meticulous/skilled in her work.

One of those other banks that you mentioned - can't remember if its Aeon or the other one, does not take all ATM cards. You have to check the symbols on the card and at the ATM. My main ATM card has a Maestro logo and can't be used at all ATM's. No problem at UOB. Again, check the banking forum as it has been discussed in detail in several threads.

Based on my experiences with all three named banks' (Aeon, GSB and UOB) ATMs using two UK-issued cards (Visa Debit & Cirrus Cashcard), it's only GSB that won't accept Cirrus/Maestro/MasterCard-based cards. Some Aeon machines appear to be limited to 7,000 baht withdrawals - and (I assume) all machines will be limited by whatever is the baht equivalent of your home bank's daily allowed figure as well as the number of notes/bills it will issue in one transaction - commonly 20 (therefore 20,000 baht maximum)

As noted, this subject is covered in major detail in the banking forum. The main thread there is http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-Banks-S...it-t255263.html - very long but worth scanning through if you want to discover how/where to avoid the 150 baht fee as well as certain other wrinkles that have emerged.

One other point: the consensus appears to be that the exchange rate applied is set by your home bank and not by the bank whose ATM you are using. If that's the case, a UOB ATM withdrawal made at the same time as an Aeon or GSB withdrawal with the same type of card will get the same exchange rate.

But - may I suggest that this thread in the CM forum does not continue to duplicate what is already covered exhaustively in the thread named above. For the benefit of CM members seeking locations of UOB/GSB/Aeon ATMs - those are available from the banks' own websites as follows:

http://www.aeonthailand.com/lang/en/menu/S...orthern#soutput

http://www.gsb.or.th/contact/branches/list...D=37&R_ID=1 (in Thai)

https://ereport.uob.co.th/BranchService/Fro...sp?region=North

In one post, I see CobraSnakeNectie sum up very well pretty much all that I have gleaned about detoxing over the years - and give good, balanced advice. What's the immediate response to that post? Question it and pick holes in it. He/she is not anyone's doctor - and neither is he/she taking anyone on as a patient to prescribe a controlled detox regime for them.

At this rate most of us won't bother to post with answers on subjects about which we have some knowledge and understanding. Or must we now always add a health warning to urge readers to further check out the subject via Google themselves?

to CobraSnakeNecktie for being willing to ignore those responses and post a follow-up to identify local resources and further reading. I'm not sure that I would have bothered..........

TAT New Delhi Office to set up tour package for Indian visitors to Thailand

BANGKOK, 29 June 2009 (NNT) - The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), New Delhi Office, prepares to promote value packages to attract Indian travelers to visit Thailand.

TAT New Delhi Office Director Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya elaborated on the marketing promotion plan of 2009 that, the Indian market was continuously growing with high purchasing power. He stated that the office had planned to promote value tourist packages to stimulate Indian travelers to come to Thailand and to develop a website in order to provide information to tourists more effectively.

Since the tourism industry of Thailand had been suffering from various problems, Mr Chattan remarked that a road show would be another way to restore the industry’s liveliness. He reasoned that it would allow tourism business entrepreneurs to hold talks and exchange ideas.

An estimate of 530,000 Indian tourists is expected to visit Thailand in 2009. Currently, there are 3 main groups of Indian travelers to Thailand, which are 70% for travel and recreation, 20% for conference, and 10% for wedding.

-- NNT 29 June 2009

article here

IF an increased number of Indian tourists make the trip to LOS in response to this initiative, it'll be interesting to see whether and to what extent they are made to feel welcome at hotels, restaurants etc. Look through some of the guest reviews of hotels and you will find a significant (IMO) number of negative comments from Indian visitors about the surly treatment they received. Maybe the hotel/restaurant's need for some income when the market is so depressed will trump the evidently ingrained racism............. Hmmmmm, maybe.

30+30 is legal but only the first 30 years will give you the protection you should be looking for!

Put another way - the first 30 years (of a properly drawn-up lease) is "I know so". Any "+30 years" extension element beyond that is "I hope so". Not sure of the conditions attaching to passing the balance of the lease on via sale or inheritance etc. As others have said, the property sub-forum will provide you with a better view and (likely) answers - the laws are national not specific to Chiang Mai.

Your friend could give Lanna Dental Care Clinic. 39 Samlarn Road. Phra Singh. 053-326-221-2 a try. Ask for Dr Attavit (speaks perfect english). Their prices are lower then Grace, but service and quality is great. They also make crowns on sight, so they could make the mould and the crowns in a day or two. Best that your friend talks it over with him including the time frame. I think the only issue would be if your friend doesnt like the fit and its also recommended that a week later you should go back in to check the fitting/bite. But..I think he isnt really giving himself enough time.

I agree - 6 days seems really tight for that amount of work. If I remember correctly, Grace also make crowns in-house - the machine used to be visible from reception. Their website also seems to say they do: http://www.gracedentalclinic.com/technology-eng.html

Ok, thanks.

So what if I say something like (the truth as it happens) I will be visiting friends, my girlfriend and looking into the possibility of starting a business in Thailand.

Would that be ok? Or is it just down to the consulates mood that day?

Is there anything else I can do to make it easier for the consulate to approve the visa?

J

Agree with Lite Beer and (the ever-encyclopaedic lopburi3 ). Best not to mix reasons. I got my first non-Imm 'B' when "looking into starting a business" was an MFA-listed reason. I got my second one after they had removed it (and the consulate website specifically stated that it was no longer a valid reason to get a 'B'). Get the right consulate and it all follows from there.

@ JannikOJ: Lite Beer seems to have good reason for thinking that Hull will issue to you as a Danish national (EU etc?) - so call (for preference) or e-mail Alan Taylor there. He really is exceptionally friendly and helpful - and always in a good mood.