watgate

I went with my g/f to have the zipper on her handbag fixed and the lady who fixed it was very proficient. She and another seamstress were tucked away in a far corner of Warorot Market and they were both very adept and skilled at their sewing stations.

Is there any public transportation one can take to Samoeng and come back in the same day? Maybe a yellow songtaew from the Chang Puak bus station?

First off, I agree the weather is as hot as the thai ladies and it seems like if they know you have a g/f, they tease you and tempt you even more. Secondly, I will most definitely take 90 degrees and humid over 10-30 degrees fahrenheit any day of the week. Thirdly, I can see where acclimatization is an important element and I find myself starting to get used to the temps now. It also helps, if I stay out of the direct rays of the sun for any length of time. Fourth, after spending the day in Hot and then coming back to Chiang Mai in the early evening, you could feel the heat and humidity was higher as you approached the City of Chiang Mai so I definitely agree that living in a more rural area with more trees and shade would lessen the heat and humidity considerably. Fifth, I really don't like using a/c much and only use a fan at night if needed.Lastly, with all that said, I still am sure if I was here in April and May I would be forced to use air conditioning to survive and keep my sanity.

This is the first winter season I arrived in October and the temps and humidity are actually bothering me. If it is this oppressive in October, I can only imagine what it must be like in April, May and June. My plans to start staying here for 6- 7 months looks like will be put on the backburner. I surmise most folks must stay inside in an airconditioned environment to cope with the heat and humidity. Or maybe I am just getting old and my tolerance to this weather has diminished. I have always enjoyed hot weather but I guess being near the equator adds a whole new dimension to the equation.

I called the Cabaret Theatre and was told there is currently a show at 8 pm and it is primarily ladyboys.

I read recently about a business center equipped with computers and fax machines and various other equipment which one can utilize at various days and times depending on which membership you take out. I am having trouble finding the name and location of this business/compute rcenter used, I think primarily, by westerners. Can someone supply me with the name and address of this establishment?

Is the Cabaret Theatre show in Changpueak primarily composed of ladyboys?

The US Congress recently passed a bill whereby the Social Security Administration is going to once again start mailing out benefit statements on a yearly basis.

I went to this spectacular ceremony the previous 2 years with my g/f. We went in a van which was arranged by a nice fellow who is involved in a photography club in Chiang Mai. This year he is not going through the hassle of arranging transportation and I can't blame him. I was wondering what a good alternative is to go to this ceremony. The crowds and traffic are always massive. If one went by songthaew, does anyone know what the costs would be? Also, you can't expect the songthaew to wait all night for you so their is the added problem of returning to the center of chiang mai after the spectacle is finished. I guess one could take a taxi but I am sure they would try and gouge you price wise. Does anyone know if any hotels are arranging transportation to this ceremony? I don't have a car and I don't drive a motorbike so I am very limited in my options. Admittedly I am spoiled because the past 2 years, when we went by the van,the cost was very reasonable and we had a guaranteed ride back after the ceremony was finished.

Do you need a certificate of residency when applying for an extension of stay based on retirement and/or a re-entry permit at immigrations?

Rancid- What is MMS? Also, Konini I am not concerned about the area where I stay since it is very clean and they are on top of caring for their surroundings. What concerns me is sometimes I will be sitting on a bench next to the moat in the Thapae area at night and I would think that water could be construed as stagnant. In the past, while sitting there in the evening I would encounter mozzies pestering me and am thinking I either have to stop sitting there or take necessary precautions. I think with the winter season approaching, this should go a long ways toward lessening the chances of getting infected by a mozzie since I think the cold adversely affects the mozzies.

This will be my 5th year wintering in Chaing Mai ( 5 months this time) and although I have been remiss in prior years about taking necessary precautions to try and avoid coming down with Dengue fever, I think this winter I will go the extra mile so to speak. After reading about other folks encounters and suffering with this disease, I think it wise to try and exercise caution. I don't like using Deet but will start using it in the evenings when I am out and about strolling around the City of Chiang Mai. Also, in prior years I used to live primarily in shorts, even at night, but this winter I think I will be wearing long pants to protect my legs. I am not going to get crazy over this but I do think it wise and beneficial to be proactive to make the odds of getting it even more remote.

Does a big city like Bangkok have a significant reduction in dengue fever cases due to it being a large metropolitan area? Also, for those unfortunate folks who have gotten dengue fever, what was the average stay in the hospital?

What are the chances of getting dengue fever while primarily staying in Chiang Mai? I imagine the majority of long-stay expats are generally safely ensconsced in their homes in the evenings and much less susceptible to being bitten by the mozzies. What about individuals who like to roam around chiang mai during the evening and are occasionally being bit by the mozzies. Would this significantly increase the chances of coming down with dengue fever? Would continuous useage of mosquito repellant, especially at night, be recommended or is the danger of contracting dengue fever much less prevalent in chiang mai. I know individuals have come down with dengue fever in chiang mai and I am wondering if they were bit in chiang mai or in other parts of Thailand? Lastly, what times of the year are the most dangerous for potentially getting dengue fever?

Thank you Sophon. I should have been more precise in my initial question. Yes, this is my first extension and thanks for clarifying this for me.

Since I have read and been told conflicting answers I thought it best to post my question here. I will be going to Chiang Mai immigration in December to apply for an extension of stay based on retirement. Does this count also as my first 90 day report to immigrations or will I have to report to immigrations approximately one month later?

Suradtit69- You come across as a tired,bitter,unhappy old man who seemingly derives a sort of sick pleasure in pointing out mistakes of posters. Yes, an exodus to Chiang Mai as defined by Websters Dictionary to mean emigrate or to leave one's place of abode or country for life or residence elsewhere. GET A LIFE.

Suradit69 has been nothing but "spot on" as they say in Merry ole England and has given me nothing but valuable and wise advice. It should be noted that he is very knowlegeable and I am flabbergasted that a poster took such an offence to one of his responses. Maybe he was trying to drive home a point. One should not be so sensitive and maybe you might learn something from such a knowledgeable person who is willing to convey his vast knowledge to the complexities and nuances of thai immigration policies and procedures. I, for one, am truly appreciative of all the help Suradit69 has given me and it is comforting knowing there is someone like him you can ask for advice and help.

For those folks who are a little slow I better spell it out for them so they can better comprend the salient points. Thailand, and more specifically Chiang Mai within Thailand, was ranked in the top ten of countries to retire in. Hope this clears up any confusion.

Just wondering, now that Chiang Mai has once again made the list of top ten retirement countries in the world to retire to, if there will be another exodus here of individuals and families looking to avail themselves of a cheap way of life, free from the afflictions and burdens of life back where they live? An escape to a seeming plethora of indescribable pleasures manifested by the opportunities to enjoy one's life in a veritable "garden of eden" as evidenced by the descriptions of Chiang Mai written by the all knowing writers of travel magazines.

I recently obtained a non-O imm visa in the USA and will be arriving in Chiang Mai this October where I will be staying for 5 months. I am planning on going to immigration sometime in December to apply for an extension of stay based on retirement and am planning on going to the US Thai consulate in Chiang Mai to get an income affidavit to show immigrations that I have more then 65000 baht month income. I am also going to be bringing verifications to substantiate my income in case immigration wants to see proof of my income. Is it correct that you can get an extension with JUST the income requirement met and you also don't need to have funds on deposit in a bank account?

If you obtain a time slot from the online immigration queue for a particular day, I take it you just show up at that time at immigration for your scheduled appt. Is that correct and do you just walk to the front ahead of the throngs of people in line waiting to get a number? I have never been to immigration so am not familiar with the proper procedures. This would be for an extension of stay based on retirement.