WarProfiteer

I'm grateful for the feedback guys.

I've had about a year and half of Aikido in the distant past. I liked the art and as rightly pointed out, it works for smaller people. I took a break from martial arts for a few years, then started with MMA... eventually realizing that at my size (6'2 & 250) and strength level, I will never be quick or fluid so I best stick to submission wrestling & Jiu jitsu. Ok, so a small quick more experienced guy taught me a lesson in the boxing ring, which hastened my departure to the mats. hahaa.

Anyway, I'll look in to the Gymkhana thing. I will not be buying her a gun. I dont expect her to become a fighter, but some very basic things could help her some day. It's really more about her peace of mind in the long run... and partially mine too as I cant be there all the time. She is tiny, but far from meek... however sadly she has nothing to back up her bark. As the previous poster said, girls dont tend to get much experience in these matters. Now she wants to fix that. After what happened to her friend (who escaped, unharmed, with the kids, thank god) its really on her mind to at least learn some basic things to do. I can teach her some things, but due to the size difference she just chalks it up to me being stronger or having trained for years. She'll do much better in a women's class.

Thanks again all... still open to suggestions if anyone has 'em...

Just thought I'd ask before I hit the two MMA schools I know of here... does anyone know of any women's self defense classes?

Unfortunately a very close friend of my girlfriend was recently the intended victim of sexual assault. I have spent time in MMA gyms in the past and had tried to share the importance of learning at least some self defense basics with my gf. She previously said she would be too embarrassed to go because she doesnt know anything about any martial arts or fighting, but after recent experiences she came to me and asked if I could find somewhere that taught women. I've searched around, but I'm not finding much.

I'm fairly sure either of the big MMA gyms here (Golden Triangle & Team Quest) would probably teach women, but I also worry it'll be too much for her. I'm looking more for something geared toward females. She's diminutive even by Thai standards and she's not looking to compete, she just wants to learn a few basics in case of emergency.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated...

Wow, that guy has cajones... I thought only locals were allowed to buy their way out of legal trouble?

The bottom line is that Thais don't really care about Valentines Day. It is a Western concept.

While I generally agree with this concept, I've been together with my gf for about 18 months now and she's wanting to try western things more and more. She too would probably whack me over the head with them if I spent money on flowers, nor does she want a gift, but food always seems to be the exception. Maybe I skrewed the pooch when I took her out to a decent restaurant on v-tines day dinner last year... nothing over the top or expensive, but the beachside place in Phuket did red & white balloons & heart decorations and there was sappy music playing and she deemed it "lomantic". Now I've got to try to find a decent place to take her that'll simulate that experience... of course if it's an expensive place, she'll say its wasteful spending and wont feel good about going, so it cant be 4000 per person. Still, she asks for very little overall so I am trying to put forth some effort to find somewhere to take her.

Note to self... stop wearing OEF Iraq & Afghanistan t-shirts when out & about...

I'd also like to know if any restaurants are doing anything... even if it's just some basic decorations or something (which I found easily in Phuket) and some sappy music, it'll make it feel like V-tines day for her and that's pretty much what I'm after.

My experience was very similar to what was written above. The dining was the worst part of the trip. Chaotic to say the least. My gf & I went out to a local shop and bought snacks & drinks for the times when we just couldn't bring ourselves to deal with the mob.

It should be noted that if you use the pool, the L-shaped dining area wraps around said pool, so if you go near a meal time, expect to have hundreds of people watching you as they chow down at the trough. In my 3 days there, I never once saw anyone swim. Sad, because it does look like a decent pool... but who wants to be a spectacle like that?

I also saw the farangs in the small western restaurant, but didn't know they were employees. I wondered who they were as I never saw them around at any other times.

I believe I was one of just 3 farang guests in the hotel- one was an older Frenchman and the other never seemed to speak to anyone. I spent some time at the tables, but the smoking and poor behavior of the other guests was off-putting at times. The gf had never gambled, so she had fun on the cheapie slot machines. Somehow I (somewhat casino experienced) ended up down $150, but she was up $40 after our time there. Hmmm... beginners luck?

There is almost nothing in the town to do. If I go back, I will just stay in the hotel. We went out just for a meal on the river, but then found out the hard way that taxis are not marked in any way there, and the tuk-tuk guys will charge ridiculous prices for farangs. It makes getting back to the hotel a bit of a challenge. There's really nothing to see anyway, so it's not worth the hassle.

By far the best thing about this service is the service itself... you dont have to go stand in line anywhere, you dont have to fill out any forms, literally everything they can do for you, they do. Easiest visa run I ever did. You're treated somewhat VIP-ish and the staff really try to provide a level of service I've not found often without spending big bucks. For that reason, it's worth it.

The main downside would be the hectic scrambling at meal times and the lack of anything to do besides gamble with the not-so-enjoyable clientelle and smoky/boozy atmosphere. Bring some movies and a book and hide out in the room to save yourself some punishment.

Yeah, it's a bit strange there's been no news at all... seems like this would qualify as a somewhat unusual event. Considering how many normal events in certain locales (street walker rips off tourist in Pattaya, tourist dead from drinking and driving a rented motorbike in Phuket, etc) are in the news seemingly every time they occur, I find it odd that a body in the moat here isn't newsworthy.

Me and the she-wok were just outside TP gate. We walked through the mob only once, to see the Thai superstar on stage, then we went back out to the street. We didn't realize the fireworks were going to be launched from right there... a big "THWOOMP!!!" and the show started. Interesting new perspective, being directly under the fireworks. Never seen 'em that way before.

It wasnt too bad on the sidewalks outside the gate... crowded, but not elbow to elbow. We had parked the bike about a mile away, over near the CM Saloon and Euro Diner. Strangers were high-fiving eachother and wishing one another a happy new year, very few people seemed drunk. I saw some folks walking with beer bottles here & there, but by and large most of the crowd (including myself) weren't drinking. The atmosphere was pleasant and enjoyable, with lots of smiles and well wishes... definitely not that way inside the gate though. We were close enough to the action to hear the Thai star's songs, but far enough away to breathe comfortably and stand easy. And as I said, it was a front row seat for the fireworks. Not a bad way to spend the night considering I spent a total of 70 baht over 2 hours... just a couple of waters and a few sticks of BBQ.

Big kudos to the PunPun team... just finished our holiday meal there and it was great. It was far more food than we could eat, so we brought some home for later. Serious value for the price, imo. Thanks again, guys...

WP, are you back in town or Tak relaying news

I'm back for now. Not sure if it'll be for just a few weeks or longer as I've got a lead on a gig in Kabul. Didn't like the one in Helmand province. Pretty rough conditions.

Anyway, I never did find out how the body got in the moat... I couldn't figure it... no obvious signs like a wrecked motorbike or blood on the sidewalk nearby. Just the top of a head bobbing over the surface and an unmoving face partially visible... took less than a second to realize the person was dead, but I didnt see any obvious way they ended up where they were. Lets face it, even a semi conscious person could flail enough to get to the side and save themelves, so drowning seemed remote. Like I said, not a pleasant thing to see, but it just didn't make any sense either... we were on the bike and once I saw what the spectacle was, I moved along smartly. Later on, I just couldnt piece together how they ended up there...

Grizzly scene today... lots of on-lookers... seemed to be a body in the water. Anyone got a news story or info?

If passport size photo is not acceptable, what is the accepted photo size?

4x6 cm... I think you might be able to print the form from the internet. The dimensions are on the square where the pic goes. But I seem to recall it being 4x6.

Good info WP; I have never been, but that inspires some confidence.

Can i ask what you extended your 60 day tourist to? was it another 30 days only........and just assuming you had a multi entry tourist visa, does it affect the unused entries.

The extension depends on the original visa... 60 day visas are extended 30 days, 30 day visas can be extended 7 days, and I think (could be mistaken) the 2 week overland visa can be only be extended by a day.

Thanks HD... much appreciated.

I think you're probably right on the line in the parking lot, but who knows. It would've taken a forward-thinking Thai to ask "Now, here's your copy of the picture & info page... do you also have a copy of your visa page and your entry card?"... then later "are all the numbers on the visa & entry stamps completely clear?"

Still, I was never genuinely unhappy with the service I got... I can only imagine it would be far worse at the local office where I have been living for the last 6 months (Phuket). Lets just agree that politeness isn't much of a priority there.

So I never lost my cool and neither did the counter guys. I learned long ago that anger does you no good when dealing with Thais... even more so when you need something from them that you cannot get anywhere else. So, best to just try to get them what they want/need without any fuss... which I would now be able to do far more easily now that I've been through it once.

It would have been nice had I been able to read a thread like this before I went, but it's still not impossible to navigate without any previous clues/experience... just more problematic.

Oh... and for the waiting times... phone games. Checkers for me & the lady, trivia games for me once she tires of losing... 555,,,

I appreciate your post OP, bookmarked for future use!

I also appreciate the OP. Ta for info.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

You're welcome. That's why I took the time to write out... hoping others might find some value in it and not repeat my errors.

Next time prepare first so you don't whine later!!

Your eloquent and incisive response has been given all due consideration. You're obviously a positive contributor around these parts, so I'll be sure to heed every word of your sage advice.

Sounds to me like your a real newbie!!

Only to this board... and to extending visas. I like the excuse to travel, so I'd just been hopping around SE Asia rather than renewing the visas.

But you're right... and as I posted, I could do it a lot more efficiently the next time. I did try to search this board, but found no good first hand accounts for my specific scenario. So it was really just a 'jump in & learn to swim' kind of thing.

Note to Mods/Admins; I'm not sure if this is the right section, so please feel free to move it. Posting it here due to it originating in CM.

Just wanted to take some time to relay my experience in extending my 60 day tourist visa in the Chiang Mai immigration office.

The first day, I just went to find the place and grab the form. Easy enough to find... just keep going like you're going to the airport and you can't miss it. Big signs. In English. Lovin it.

Expect it to be crowded. Very crowded. Even at 0830.

This part is important... not only do you need the form and the money, you also need a different size picture (as in, not passport sized like when you're getting the visa to begin with) and a photocopy of BOTH the picture page of your passport, as well as a copy of the visa you are extending, with the entry card off to the side. All numbers and stamps must be perfectly legible. Ask me how I know...

Slightly annoyed as the dam_n stamps themselves arent put on with great care so they're not quite clear to begin with... yet I am expected to create a copy that is clear. Lets just agree that 3 trips to the photocopy shop were needed so that it met with somchai's approval. They weren't particularly mean about it, just insistent. I could imagine the same thing happening in any govt office in the west, honestly. Does anyone really ever get great service at a govt run office anywhere in the world?

Anyway, there is a huge line outside in the parking lot to make copies, but it was too hot to stand around in the sun like that, so the gf and I hopped on the bike, drove 10 minutes to a nearby shop, then came back.

After the appropriate copies were approved, the passport was handed in with the form and 1900 baht. From there it was about a 30-40 minute wait until my first name was called, with "from USA". I felt slightly disappointed as my last name has multiple L's & R's and I somewhat enjoy the various pronunciations I get.

Overall, it wasn't entirely painful and now that I've done it, I feel I could do it much more efficiently the next time around.

Hope this helps someone out there should they be in a similar situation...

Last I heard, people mostly used it for sleeping.

LoL at this thread... I did the same exact thing today... looked outside, saw it was raining, said to the gf "Hun, call McDonalds... I dont want to go outside"

Yes, they deliver in the rain.

Yeah, M-E heat is more oven-like. This is more like a slow boil.

Anyway, I'm a financial analyst, so working in Iraq didn't involve a whole lot of outdoors in the heat time. You had to occasionally walk here or there, but overall it wasn't so bad.

My office had aircon and so did my room. That's how I survived 3 Iraq summers.