Steve2UK

This would be the same PM who extols the virtues of longer national holidays as a means of containing the spread (and boosting tourism)......... blissfully ignoring the fact that those same holidays trigger the fanning out of large proportions of the Thai population across the country as they travel to be with family.

The man's a visionary.

Visiting friends is legitimate grounds for a non-imm O?

Yes - depending on the consulate. I've certainly gone that route via the Hull consulate (UK). Sometimes worth taking these published requirements with a pinch of salt............... TIT.

To the OP: if your Danish consulate won't grant a non-Imm "O' on that basis, try a call to Alan Taylor at the Hull consulate. Not sure what he'd do about issuing visas to a non-UK national but I do know he does everything he can to be helpful to those applying. If he says "yes", you should be able to do it in just a few days by express mail.

Contact details at http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/

By coincidence, I returned home just an hour ago from a session to complete root canal treatment at Grace - the permanent filling of the treated tooth. By my count this was the 9th or 10th appointment for this one tooth (the dentist - Dr Kassara, I think? - wanted to be 100% thorough and certain that any infection was gone). Multiple x-rays at various stages to monitor progress. Total cost 6,000 baht - as originally quoted; when I went to the reception desk after this final session, I was fully expecting extra costs because of the extra appointments - not a bit of it. Incidentally, she also pointed out to me that she had used a sub-core to the top filling material that would be easier to remove if ever I might need a crown for that tooth.

As always in my many experiences at Grace - whether it's cleaning, whitening, bridges, crowns, extractions (I've had both a large molar and an impacted wisdom tooth extracted there) - the treatment was flawless, gentle and 100% professional. We have discussed options at length - to enable me to make an informed decision. With "professional", I include getting solid and honest information/advice - without a trace of any pressure whatsoever to get me to go for a more expensive (presumably more profitable for them) option. Good example - I had one lower incisor that was very loose and a neighbouring incisor going the same way. I imagined that I was inevitably in for some seriously expensive bridgework to replace them. No, they said, no need for that for a long time to come because we can support the loose teeth with a simple (and cheap) splint cemented in place across the rear of the incisors........ and maybe the bone and gum tissue can regenerate enough to make the loose teeth more secure. That is proving to be the case; probably won't ever be "good as new" but still very good and workable. After a year, one end of the splint worked loose; appointment to remedy that - no charge.

If all of that sounds to some like a "farang trap" aimed at getting you to spend more than is necessary, then the inspired ingenuity of it totally escapes me. Of course, people's mileage will vary....... but I've discussed Grace treatment/handling in detail with others who use them on a long-standing basis - and who are extremely alert to "creative" proposals for more expensive (presumed unnecessary) treatments; the picture that emerges very clearly is that Grace are dependably professional. Given the importance of reputation to their business (and, of course, it is a business) - this seems entirely logical. Incidentally, I notice many Thai also go there - particularly for late afternoon/evening and weekend appointments - and not many look like "hi-so" mega rich (just middle class working people going there out of working hours, I assume).

BTW, I think comparisons with home country pricing are fairly pointless - though comparisons of standard are obviously both valid and important. That said, my comparison would have to be with the UK state-subsidised scheme (NHS) charges - which make Grace prices look bargain basement. It presumably goes without saying that there is simply no comparison in terms of quality of work, latest technology etc.............. Compare with other CM resources by all means. I have been monitoring these "which dentist" topics for nearly 5 years now - and have yet to see any reason for me to change my view that Grace offers the best/right resource for me and what appears to be a majority of other discerning users who (like me) don't appear to be the kind to throw their money around

PS - just saw the references to Dr Jarunee whom I know well from her time at Grace. I did consider following her, but in the end felt that the range and complexity of my issues were still better continuing to be dealt with at Grace. I agree with Uptheos' thinking.

All I know is that my Maxnet Indy 3 MB is getting worse by the day - no joke. At this point I don't know what to do. We can only use the Internet perhaps 70% of the time now and when we do, we have nothing but problems. Having the head technical engineer come to the house (after 3 months of complaining, 30 calls, etc.) was not fruitful.

We already went to CAT and they said that they do not service this area of Sansai.

About 2 weeks ago one Sunday morning, one of those annoying trucks with all the speakers came through the moobaan. This one was a TOT truck. They were advertising that their TOT ADSL service will soon be available in our moobaan. Anyone have any experience with TOT ADSL?

I'm paying for Indy 4MB. I called and complained about the speed the other day and rather than having a technician call me like usual, I noticed I now have a 5MB connection. Too bad connecting overseas has been almost impossible this week.

Have you tried changing your ADSL router? As soon as I switched to my own from what TTT gave us, I saw an instant improvement in speed.

No, quite honestly I haven't switched routers. I have been thinking about getting a new router that also has WiFi so we can use the notebook downstairs.

But honestly, the connection has been deteriorating over time. Six months ago the connection was not this bad, so I don't think the router has been slowly failing. The technician checked the router when he was here.

this is a good topic. For example I have the standard Billion DSL router for Maxnet. Is upgrading to a better router improve performance? has anyone upgraded the Billion?

After a week of connection problems (following many months of OK performance), the TOT tech told me that I should get a new modem (free) from their office to replace the Billion model that they first supplied. They gave me another new example of the exact same model - curiously they didn't want the old one back. Result - same connection problems. I went out and bought a D-Link DSL-2640T (4 ports and wireless connectivity) for - I think - about 1,200 baht. Big improvement in speed and stability. Just about no-one has a good word to say for the freebie Billion modems; in this case, you get what you pay for.

BTW, when I later had reason to call TOT service about something else (new username/password), they asked me which modem/router I was using and had all the necessary step-by-step configuration instructions to hand for my D-Link model. Seems they are used to people switching to better kit than they supply.

Incidentally, many people (including myself) think using Open DNS (Google it) is generally better than using less-than-great ISP (TOT, Maxnet etc) DNS servers.

You read this opening and (surely?) can't help but feel that what follows will be a string of damning negatives. Other than the comment that "the orange juice came from a carton" (oh, the horror ).......... there aren't any . . .

That is simply not true, Steve2UK. Oneman went on, in the middle of some of the 'non-negatives' you quoted, to make this point:

.

. . . But it is nothing special.

Nothing you can't get at about 50 other restaurants in Chiangmai at the same hour of the day.

Certainly nothing to merit the gushing review in the OP on this thread.

It may not be quite strong enough to qualify as a 'damning negative' of the kind you were expecting, but it is an important point, and was the core point that Oneman was writing to make, I think. I thought his review was quite fairly presented, and I appreciate his posting it.

Having said that, Oneman made what I think was a mistake in going to this restaurant for breakfast. If I were interested in a restaurant based on the reputation of its principal chef, I would certainly not go there in the morning, at least not unless I knew for certain that the chef was in the kitchen at that time. I would expect the principal chef of a restaurant to be responsible for its dinners and, perhaps, lunches, but not to be there first thing in the morning making breakfasts as well.

I appreciate Oneman's report on his experience, but this man has the final word on what he likes, and this man still intends to visit and check it out for himself one of these days.

In the meantime, he would still very much like to know, with the help of Annabel or anyone else, if what is served there as coq au vin really is.

Curious........ So the not-so-damning, let's call it critical issue is that there are 50 other places in Chiang Mai that are as good for quality/value? Hmmmm......

Your point about going there for breakfast also occurred to me. None of the chef/owners I've known would regularly work the hours that entails........... nor do I think (any western) breakfast menu is that comparable with lunch or dinner. Either way, it strikes me as a poor basis on which to rate a place.

Speaking of rating, I don't "rate" posts like Annabel's OP as "reviews" - nor do I think she set out to write a "review" as such (yes, I know she used the term later after others had). They're basically personal comments and observations that - at most - alert me to a place that I might want to try or want to avoid.

Thanks Annabel!

PS........ A little bird tells me that the "coq" in the "vin" is not 'tough old [Thai] rooster' - and would be close to inedible if it were.

There were signal problems for the BBC feed - as quite often also happens with CNN. Back as of this afternoon, anyhow.

.

I went to Le Petite Paris with breakfast in mind.

Foolish me!

What can I say to start off on a positive note?

Well, the food is better than Mad Dog's.

You read this opening and (surely?) can't help but feel that what follows will be a string of damning negatives. Other than the comment that "the orange juice came from a carton" (oh, the horror ).......... there aren't any; "Food was decently served, with generous portions. There's nothing wrong with the food, nothing at all", "food is pleasant and prices are reasonable"........... Sounds like a place worth knowing about.

The damning negatives are reserved for the OP - which seems to be the point of the post...... along with dark hints of a darker conspiracy . BTW, just why do some people feel the need to announce the fact that they have added a TV member to their personal "Ignore User List"? Given that this member's ignoring already includes the fact that Annabel is not a "him", hard to see what difference the move will make............

where can I get an english-thai dictionnary that has thai words written in english??

is there anything like it?

Quite a few - and any large bookstore will have quite a selection. IMO, probably the most useful, user-friendly and compact one is "Robertson's Practical English-Thai" (Asia Books) - bright yellow cover and small enough to slip into your pocket. Very useful for beginners - and also for people like me who really should speak Thai better by now.

One that came out earlier this year is the "Three-Way English/Thai Script/Thai Sound" (Paiboon Publishing ISBN 9781887521321) - bit more bulky and awkward to use compared to the Robertson.

Its predecessor (not sure if still available) is/was "Thai-English/English-Thai" (also Paiboon Publishing - ISBN 1-887521-14-3).

Any dictionary featuring a transliteration of the Thai word (i.e. "written in English") will have its own approach to trying to show pronounciation of tones - way more important in Thai language than anything you're used to. None is easy - but you start to get the feel for it after a while.

As you probably realise, most Thai will be pretty impressed and pleased that you're trying to learn their language - you're in for some fun moments when you make mistakes (and you will).

Bugger, just verified my flight details, arrive in LoS on Saturday AM not Friday PM

I'm sure both your wife and I will be patient............

BTW - pardon me for not thanking you for your thoughtfulness (towards me, that is ) in my first answer.

@ Crossy - of course searching for a (possibly) surplus peripheral should wait until after......... ahem........ appropriate "meet and greet" procedures have taken their course . As and when you do turn it up, please let me know via PM.

@ jackdanielsesq - talking to a fairly knowledgeable CM computer store owner, I also started to get the notion (if I catch your drift) that my venerable Vaio might not produce full USB 2.0 speeds via the PCMCIA route to its innards. For the record, it's a Vaio VGN-S1XP (Pentium M735 1.70GHz) running XP Pro SP3.......... albeit slowly with just 512Mb RAM. Small form and intended for occasional travel use - not enough reason to splurge 30+k baht on a replacement yet.

I bought a WD My Book Home Edition external drive for use mainly with my desktop set-up. This My Book drive has e-Sata/USB2.0/Firewire400 ports - so it's fine using one or other of those ways with the desktop. The Vaio sees the My Book when I connect via USB (1.0) but not when I connect via the Vaio's firewire port - the small "M"-shaped verson (same as you see on many video cameras) as opposed to the larger "U"-shaped Firewire port that's more common on motherboards etc. Because the My Book-included Firewire cable is the "U" version at both ends, I bought a 3rd-party cable with 1 x "M" and 1 x "U" connectors - but the Vaio doesn't see the drive (although it does seem to spin up the drive). As my computer store friend commented, could be that the cable's just not up to it and I'd need a full-price Sony cable.

Overall, I recognise that there's a limit to what you can reasonably expect/hope legacy gear will manage when you try to add bits to achieve what wasn't even known when it was built. Incidentally, the reason for wanting the faster (than USB 1.0) throughput is mainly for video - possibly a fool's errand where this Vaio is concerned?

Hi all,

I want to add USB 2.0 and Firewire 400 capability to my ageing Vaio laptop. I found what looks to be the perfect solution - a Cardbus PCMCIA card that offers both (USBFWPCM - see http://www.byterunner.com/byterunner/produ...act_match=exact )

Now the question is where to find it. No luck yet at the computer malls here in Chiang Mai and I haven't seen it listed by any of the online suppliers I checked on the TV pinned list.

Any suggestions as to where I might find it to order in LOS? Thanks in advance.

The same David who has been known to brag about his business empire That's funny man, how the mighty have fallen!

Sorry, shouldn't laugh at the misfortunes of others......... There but for the grace of somebody else's god and all that

Is this necessary? Doesn't seem anything remotely funny about this episode at all...........

Times I went to West, it was good to meet David and to enjoy quality, varied and interesting food at very fair prices in a pleasant setting/atmosphere - somehow I missed all of the "bragging" in my many chats with him. If West is gone for good, I see that as a loss to the scene and a cause for regret - not a trigger for smug " " crowing

If buzzer101 is correct in saying that West will shortly re-open at the site mentioned on Huay Kaew Road, I for one will be going there and glad of the opportunity.

And even Steve2UK's example was for an admitted offense in Chiang RAI - written up as the wrong offense, and still only 500 baht.

And I won't be doing it again............. post about it here, that is .

On a separate point: curious that there's been no sign of the OP since that rather eye-grabbing opening...........

Amazing ThaiVisa.......... after 50 posts, it seems mine will be the first that actually cites what seems to be a BiB scam.

On the way back to CM from Chiang Rai, I was pulled over at the checkpoint on the ring-road around CR town. Usually just a couple of BiB there, but this time about a dozen. Senior officer (I guess a captain) comes to the car.

"Your insurance not correct" (true - I had inadvertently let my compulsory government insurance run out though I still had current first class private insurance)........ "You must pay fine".

"OK" I say and walk with him to table where a female clerk is waiting. Officer asks me "Can you read Thai?"

I say "No - cannot".

Officer dictates in Thai to the clerk who fills out details on a printed form. Finally, I'm asked to sign the form and pay 500 baht. All I'm able to check on the form is that it does show my name in English, car registration and the figure 500. BTW, all of this was done quite pleasantly and a lot of smiling/nodding all round. I'm given a copy and escorted back to the car. Officer tells me to keep the form to show in case I am stopped again: "You paid already - not pay again today".

Next day in CM, I show my souvenir of the CR trip to a Thai friend - who immediately tells me that it doesn't mention anything about expired insurance but it does say that I wasn't using a seatbelt (not true - I always use the seatbelt and make sure passengers do). I'm told that the expired insurance fine would have been only 200 baht........

Overall, my attitude to the BiB is that I just try a] to avoid them and b] give them zero opening. I'm happy to accept that not all are actively corrupt, but also have no desire to explore the statistics personally.............

Just to give a little perspective, if this was in the USA ( Hawaii) you would have been given a ticket to appear in court the next day and your car would have been impounded. At traffic court you would pay a $500.00 (15000 fine and get release for your car. You then have to pay the tow company $100.00(3000 . Then when you go to insurance company to renew you must pay a premium of 30% because you got caught. My educated guess about the Thai ticket you got was because they did not have the right form for your infraction TIT . Be grateful for small favors, does not sound like a scam .

Chok Dee.

Point taken out about comparisons with other jurisdictions - 10 minutes delay and 500 baht penalty thus rates as nearly a clean getaway. But - the invented offence was handwritten onto a standard form........ so nothing to do with them not having the right form.

As to WinnieTheKwai's smug comment about not signing the form.......... the alternative would have been closer to cmdream's Hawaii scenario .

I suggest checking out what's on display at the following:

Sports World at the rear of Central Kad Suan Kaew (3rd floor, I think)

Sports Dept inside Robinson at Airport Plaza

The gym/workout equipment shop about 150 metres south from Suan Dok Gate (inner moat road)

In addition to what they have on display, they can also order other machines (printed catalogues/brochures to see at the first two and online catalogue/photocopies at the third)

There's another place with assorted workout gear on Huay Kaew Road about halfway (west side) between Central Kad Suan Kaew & Amari Rincome - but they tend to have somewhat more basic items on display. Again, they can order.

Amazing ThaiVisa.......... after 50 posts, it seems mine will be the first that actually cites what seems to be a BiB scam.

On the way back to CM from Chiang Rai, I was pulled over at the checkpoint on the ring-road around CR town. Usually just a couple of BiB there, but this time about a dozen. Senior officer (I guess a captain) comes to the car.

"Your insurance not correct" (true - I had inadvertently let my compulsory government insurance run out though I still had current first class private insurance)........ "You must pay fine".

"OK" I say and walk with him to table where a female clerk is waiting. Officer asks me "Can you read Thai?"

I say "No - cannot".

Officer dictates in Thai to the clerk who fills out details on a printed form. Finally, I'm asked to sign the form and pay 500 baht. All I'm able to check on the form is that it does show my name in English, car registration and the figure 500. BTW, all of this was done quite pleasantly and a lot of smiling/nodding all round. I'm given a copy and escorted back to the car. Officer tells me to keep the form to show in case I am stopped again: "You paid already - not pay again today".

Next day in CM, I show my souvenir of the CR trip to a Thai friend - who immediately tells me that it doesn't mention anything about expired insurance but it does say that I wasn't using a seatbelt (not true - I always use the seatbelt and make sure passengers do). I'm told that the expired insurance fine would have been only 200 baht........

Overall, my attitude to the BiB is that I just try a] to avoid them and b] give them zero opening. I'm happy to accept that not all are actively corrupt, but also have no desire to explore the statistics personally.............

There is a section between the eastern side of the moat and the Ping River that is muslim oriented.

Welcome to CM, HH.

IanForbes is correct - but don't confuse the muslim-oriented area with the very conspicuous bar/entertainment/Night Bazaar area that is also "between the eastern side of the moat and the Ping River".......

If you can, leave the lizard to get on with its business - controlling the insect population. Anyhow, you may think it's "trapped" in the bathroom - but I can promise you it will go where it wants to go and that won't be on you. It's a kind of gecko (called "jinjok" here) and totally harmless to you; I have at least half-a-dozen in my house - including one who regularly scurries across the wall in front of me where I have my computer.

You will sweat for a few days - it's natural as you acclimatise. Take it easy and wear lightweight, loose clothing. Personally, I try to not get used/addicted to aircon - just makes it feel worse when you finally venture into the natural air........ but up to you. If you don't already have one, I suggest you try to get a small personal bag with strap to go over your shoulder in which you can keep your cell-phone, wallet, papers etc. CM is pretty safe, but most locals still take sensible care of their valuables.

The "motel" where you're staying should have at least a free tourist map. When you have the chance, I suggest you get to one of the many bookshops to find something better. So many maps of Chiang Mai show you almost every soi (alley) in the old city (that's the square area with the moat all around it) - but the larger scale sections barely show you more than that CM is in northern Thailand. I already recommended the unique Nancy Chandler map + booklet directory (both packed with masses of info), but you might like to look at two more CM maps I like to use:

B&B (Berndtson & Berndtson) City Streets - ISBN 3-89707-178-9 (laminated, has street index - very clear layout).

Big Map (Finder Map) ISBN 0-9678586-1-5 (particularly good for the areas outside CM centre)

Not sure if anyone mentioned travel by tuk-tuk yet - they're the noisy 3-wheel open taxis that are everywhere. No fixed fares so you have to haggle - and you will get overcharged. Once you decide you want to go from A to B somewhere, try to get an idea from someone at 'A' of what sort of fare is reasonable to get to 'B'; after a while you'll have a sense of what's reasonable for a given distance so that the overcharge won't be too much more than a Thai will pay. A useful bit of Thai language: "oh! peng mahk kup" - "oh! very expensive".......... say it with a big smile and look very surprised - it may get you a big reduction to something more normal; if it doesn't, just walk away and find another one. With the songthaew ("songtao" - pick-up converted to [mostly] dark red open minibus with two benches), it's usually up to about 20 baht but you'll need to know your way around before you start using these - try it with a Thai friend a few times.

Good luck - and enjoy .

It's actually 700 year stadium.

How time flies............

Thanks to the OP and others posting - they've nudged me to make the external HD purchase I've been mulling. I agree with the thoughts expressed by orang37 - and Thanni has a good reputation for service and delivering the goods overall.

As their website url is pinned as part of the Computing sub-forum resources list, I don't see why we can't give it here: http://www.thanni.com

Links to many other online stores for components etc are at: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/line-Compute...res-t61857.html

so you won't be wearing a sweater here!

Just got a haircut yesterday. 150 baht at an "upscale" shop on Nimman road near where you'll be. And that included my beard.

Only thing you can't find here is extra large clothing. If you have enormous girth or height, there are only a couple of places you can find clothes and they aren't exactly high fashion. MY problem is I have extra large feet. If your foot is over a size 44, you'll have a very limited selection. Over 46? No selection.

If you are Muslim, Halal food is very difficult to find but not impossible. Learn the word: muu. If you see muu on the menu be warned that means pork. If you like seafood, you'll love it here. Squid on a stick, anybody? Other than that, stop worrying. You'll love Chiang Mai.

now you are making me worried about that cloth issue

I am a tall guy, around 184 cm / 6" so now I think thats impossible to find cloth that fit well, I am a slim guy that wont be a problem but with the feet I didnt know that size 45 is huge

just have to rethink about that

but are you sure I wont find my sizes???

HH, good to see that you've been getting plenty of input - maybe even a bit too much information . I'm also about 185cm and relatively slim and I take a 44 shoe size (if you're not sure what that is, compare here: http://www.i18nguy.com/l10n/shoes.html#adult ). While some places don't have a full range of the larger sizes, you'll still find enough choice. Personally, I recommend the big Carrefour supermarket for sandals - big choice at good prices; at this wet time of year probably best to get synthetic rather than leather.

The clothes style here for males (particularly typical student age) is almost universally loose - e.g. "baggy" jeans. By contrast, many girls wearing jeans seem to go for the "sprayed-on" figure-hugging look. I'm no expert on all of Egypt's climate, but I think it's a safe bet that you'll find it more humid here than you're used to - so again loose jeans make sense. With your height, the right T-shirt size will probably be L or even XL - plenty of both around. Thai are generally a smaller/slimmer build than - for example - caucasians, so you should expect to buy a size larger than you're used to (e.g. L not M). I recommend the meanswear sections of Robinson department store (Airport Plaza mall) and Central department store (Kad Suan Kaew mall) for clothes - ranging from familiar international labels to lesser-known (and cheaper) names. Airport Plaza also has a fair selection of trendy designer clothes shops - with prices to match. Kad Suan Kaew also has a big sports store (Sports World?) with a big selection of shirts, shorts, trainers etc - as well as many other "soukh"-type independent stalls/shops.

One way and another, you'll "find your feet" here very quickly. As I've mentioned before, Chiang Mai is (for most of us) just the right balance of size to be very user-friendly. Good luck and have fun - it'll be a memorable stay.

One more guide/map recommendation - Nancy Chandler's combination of detailed map and booklet with eating/shopping/sightseeing details and suggestions (frequently updated). Easy to find here and probably the best all-in-one handy resource to keep with you; takes a little while to get used to the unusual graphic style, but really informative and useful once you do. You can get an idea of it here: http://www.nancychandler.net/product.asp?pId=12 (including June 2009 updates).

Have this persistent shoulder pain and was wondering if there is anyone out there that knows of an acupuncturist, chiropractor etc that could help. I went to Ram and was told to just take painkillers......I am looking for an alternative..

Thankyou in advance

Until you find a qualified professional try using an ice pack for about a half hour, then switching to a heating pad for the same amount of time.

Hope this helps, and you feel better soon.

Good advice - I used the same approach for some bad lower back pain. As I understand it, the principle is that the cold compress first expels blood from the area and the heat then brings it rushing back - aiding the healing process (helps with the pain anyhow).

Also, do a search for "Leeper" on here (Dr Ken Leeper at Shewe Wellness). He's a qualified American chiropractor who has done wonders for many. The charge last time I went was 800 baht for an hour - but check with them as I saw another figure mentioned here recently (possibly a mistake)

For acupuncture, I recommend the Mungkala Chinese Medicine Clinic in Rachamanka Road (053-278494).

First of all, I really happy that responded to me, I already feel welcomed in Thailand before I arrieve

just to fill some info that I didn't mention, I am en Egyptian which mean my basic language is arabic but I can my way with english.

anyway, I will be arriving in the mid of June leaving in the mid of september.

I just got Thailand travel book (as recommended by you guys ), and read the Chiang Mai section, its great but it doesn't provide comprehensive information (atleast for me ) I wanna know more about the life in Chiang Mai

Steve: I would follow your advice with the haircut.

I am heading for Rajamangala University of Lanna. I don't know if it's the same as: RachaManka, maybe thats its common name.

I have traveled to the US before and spent there almost 15 month, but I was staying with some relatives not like this time, I will be all alone in a new country , it has always been my dream to see the world, and I am very happy that I am going to Thailand.

concerning the food , I don't eat any pork, would that be a problem that I would face if I decided to have some Thai food

I have googled alot about Thailand, and i always read that Thai people and very friendly, so I am not worried about that

I know my questions would seem lame to some people, but I think you would do the same if you are travelling to a new country and don't know what to expect , and I would surely "stop worrying "

Hussein - sorry...... I mis-typed the name of the university (your version is correct) but we're talking about the same place.

Shouldn't be any problem to avoid pork (the Thai word for it is "moo"). Most stir-fried rice/noodle dishes give you a choice of pork, chicken, seafood and sometimes beef - or just vegetarian. You certainly won't be the only Muslim (Thai or visitor) in Chiang Mai - and, by the way, there is at least one mosque in the city. I certainly recommend that you explore Thai food - very cheap, very tasty and very healthy. There are also some "mediterranean" places around for falafel etc when you feel like it - won't be as good as back home, but OK. If you spent 15 months in the US, you might even feel like the occasional pizza or burger - and you'll find endless amounts of information/opinion on where to go for those on this forum.......

Good advice from jackr - type in a search word for what interests you (minimum 4-letter length now on the forum search, I think) and you'll find a lot............ even if you have to make your way through all those food discussions in the process.......

@ jackr - thanks also from me for the link to the Wikitravel CM site.......... hadn't seen it before - very useful

I think it's fairly evident from our newcomer's post that he probably hasn't done that much travelling - at least not enough for him to apply to coming here; after all, that's not so unusual for exchange students - it's part of why they're doing the exchange in the first place. Rather than offering more (IMO) criticisms on that score, perhaps our knowledgeable members could suggest some useful websites that would inform him - and not just about sightseeing, hotels etc. Presumably many of us have had visitors and suggested a website or two to them that provide a useful advance look at what makes Chiang Mai what it is?

Looking through what's pinned here, I didn't see much that was useful in that respect. Perhaps this is a good opportunity to identify and collate more sites for other first-time visitors' use.

This guy sought out and found ThaiVisa - and asked for help. Maybe the questions are rather basic, but then maybe people could take a moment to just try and put themselves in his position? And, yes, "Don't worry so much" is good advice.

Hi - and welcome to ThaiVisa

A Thai friend of mine has studied at RMUTL (Rachamanka University) so I thought I can help you with some of what's on your mind. The university has four campus locations, but international students are usually based at the Huay Kaew Road campus - on the northwest side of the city. The northern end of the huge Chiang Mai University (CMU) campus is just across the road - and just down the road from RMUTL/CMU are many local places (eating, shops etc) that are full of students from both universities. The point is that you'll find it easy to meet many people your own age there - including many international/exchange students. I'm sure that after just a few days you'll know your way around quite well.

Most students (and most Thai who don't work in an office) just wear jeans, T-shirt and sandals. If you're coming now, it's the start of the rainy season - some heavy showers but they usually don't last long. Can be cloudy a lot of the time - which keeps it cooler (but still not lower than 25C at night and usually about 30-32C in the daytime) - so you won't be wearing a sweater here!

Up to you about the haircut - but usually only monks (and some older foreigners ) are bald or shave their head. I suggest you just get your hair cut the way you like it before you arrive - and make up your mind about the next haircut after you've been here a month. Apart from the many local shops, there are department stores and shopping malls (e.g. Central/Kad Suan Kaew at the city end of Huay Kaew Road) - so just bring the minimum that you need for yourself; anything else is easy to find.

For transport, most Thai students use a small motorbike or the cheap "songthaew" (pronounced "songtao") mini-bus to get around - many of these dark red vehicles just about everywhere. Chiang Mai has many international-standard hospitals (people actually come here from overseas for treatment) and many small clinics for minor problems. Don't worry about being looked after if you need treatment - but you should perhaps be thinking about insurance (I thought RMUTL would tell you about that?).

Probably a good idea to use Google to find some websites as a guide/introduction to Chiang Mai (maybe some other ThaiVisa members can post their recommended links for you to look at). As a start, you might like to look at a site which shows you both the map and continuous photographs of what you'll see - good fun to play with:

http://www.mapjack.com/?wRZyU2aeacLG7CoA

There's also a new guide site that many people like: http://www.thailand-travel-help.com/chiang-mai-thailand.html - but there are many others you can find with Google (even if a lot of them are aimed at tourists). Probably worth looking at/buying a recent copy of the "Lonely Planet" guide to Thailand - read the general introduction to Thailand and the chapter on Chiang Mai. You might want to get yourself a phrasebook (not sure what your native language is or where you're from - but there are many English-Thai examples to choose from in the bookshops here).

Chiang Mai is small enough to be an easy-going and easy-to-use place - and big enough to offer plenty to do and enjoy; I'm fairly sure you'll love it here. I hope that what I have said helps to give you a better idea of what to expect.

I really enjoyed it, but, all in all, I much rather live in the Pratu Farang area (Thapae Gate) where I can get whatever I want easily.

Seriously? In the Thapae Area? How easy is it to find Rice Bran Oil and a fire extinguisher in that area? (As an example).. You're far away from Makro and Global House (etc) there.

Strange question and logic.......... UG beat me to the obvious answer. What a treasure trove Chang Moi is - not to mention Warorot Market at the river end of it. I'm guessing that WTK has never set foot there?

I know at least one CM property agent that cites distance from Tesco Lotus/Carrefour etc in their ads - but that detail has never struck me as a prime reason to choose my location. For those to whom it's crucial, I think maybe there's room to lay out a mini-moobaan in the spacious Makro car park?

For myself, I have an innate aversion to the gated community style of moobaan - but I'm happy for those who are happy with it. I also value my privacy so most village plots (where many houses tend to be cheek-by-jowl) don't do it for me. Very happy in my second year in a rented house with walled garden in a quiet and leafy soi behind Lanna Hospital - and meet many of my assorted (and interesting) neighbours one way and another........as well as local shopkeepers and stallholders.Where I am also works as a community in its own way.