WarProfiteer

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.

Have checked out both Thai Fitness and Powerhouse (Punna). Both decent. Powerhouse looks newer and nicer. TF is cheaper and doesnt require a contract. TF is also much, much larger.

The dumbells in PH only go up to 75lbs.

The ones in TF go up to 50, but I never lifted them to see if it was kilos or pounds. Need to go back and check unless someone here knows.

Like the guy above, I'd prefer to find somewhere with 100lb dumbells.

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.

Hide in the aircon until around 6pm... not exactly fun, but it's what I've been doing lately.

You're right though... burnin up today!

No photos, but I was there for about 90 minutes. It was HOT. Very much so. Big crowds too. Decently organized I'd say, considering the locale. Most people either had umbrellas or they hid under the wings of the static displays. There was a sitting section with plastic chairs under a thin canopy, but there were far too many people for there to be any open seats. Not to mention, the canopy would've effectively meant not seeing the airshow. Can't exactly see the sky when hiding from the sun.

A few places were selling water, juice or soda- and it was relatively cheap. No one was trying to gouge, imo.

After 90 minutes, the gf turned to me and said "hun-nee, I'm think too hot... we can go home now and look at show from our apartment?"

Sure. So I watched the propellered stunt plane act and the precision flying team (5 prop aircraft) from the comfort of my aircon'd bedroom.

All in all, for something that was free, it was pretty enjoyable.

Having been to a ton of airshows in my lifetime, I can say with certainty that most of the performers do a practice rehearsal the day before the actual show.

So today they went through the whole thing... military fighter jet (one o the Saab built ones), then a painted up F-16, then an older stunt plane, then a group of 5 older planes...

There'll likely be a few more things in the show, but I'm pretty close so I've been hearing it and seeing it all day.

I'm sure this has been done before, but after searching using 3 different phrases and looking 7-8 pages deep on each search, I'm tired of looking.

Can someone give any info on English language schools out there in CM? We live on Suthep rd near the end of Nimenhemen (sp?) and would like to try to stay somewhere close.

We found the YMCA not too far away, but weren't sure of the quality there. The price was good though.

We hit AUA, but they are more set up for teaching Thai to English speakers, not the other way around. They do supposedly offer higher level classes in English, just no bigger courses.

We just moved up here, so any help the more experienced guys can offer will be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance...

All of that is really going to depend on the quality of construction and what's going on nearby. Someone may have some specific recommendations for certain bldgs though....

Just curious what the difference is (if there is one) between the festival in Chiang Mai Vs other parts of Thailand?

I've done it once in Pattaya... we went to the beach, drank, and lit sky lanterns.

Then I did it in Phuket... we went to the beach, drank and lit sky lanterns.

Obviously CM doesnt have a beach, but I'm just wondering if their way of observing is somehow different...