Ajarn

My point exactly. weekly visitors! *shudder*

15 mins in the other direction:

What do you find interesting about your picture?

The clouds, or the forest fire?

Here is a better picture.. Ooh! it is Huey Thung Tao Lake!

Go towards the old Chiangmai-Lamphun golf club... and head towards the national park areas and lakes over there.

Been once to Huay Teung Tao, great if you have toddlers... but other than that, awful place very grotty.

As a daily swimmer for 10 years, and a weekly visitor the last 15 years, I disagree with your assessment of Huay Teung Tao as a grotty place...It is, and has been kept in good shape by the Military for many years, and accurately reflects the people who visit. A lovely place for a good smelling nap in a beautiful area

Dangerous stuff with closing Suvarnabhumi airport

I'm afraid the only restaurant outside of the drive-ins before you pay, is in the 'fishing raft' zone on the West side of the lake. Everything else is dead as far as food goes..

in Texas, some of the burritos weigh half a kilo.

I thought that was just a West Coast thing.

Half a kilo for a small

Also, not fried up hard as a rock, ala Miquels

Fern Forest Cafe for good old apple pie.

aces

Is their [sic] any other fairly new browser of this fascinating resource (the Chiang Mai Forum) who is mildly irritated by all these old hands who bandy about the names of cafes and other places of interest,between themselves, without a thought for us newbies who have no idea where these places are?

No. They understand that if they don't know the location of a particular place that is mentioned, and are curious to find out, they may ask.

Agreed, 100%

Kasem's has 'smoked ham', not sure about the hoks, but the factory that smokes their ham has the hoks for sure, and they are located in San Sai. The address is on their hams

What language? Malay and Southern Thai are completely different languages...

I speak both, but have no time.

I would like to see some of your nice photos

. . . . . I will hunt for parking to shop her store instead of using the parking provided . . . . .

Yeah, parking is the bitch, but many folks double park with no problem

On a scooter I find the parking only slightly difficult.

Why 'slightly' difficult? I'd imagine that it would be very easy!

You'd be surprised. The double-parked cars can make it a bit of a bitch at times. Also, there is some kind of parking Nazi who likes to direct people to part their scooters so that cars can double park on the outside, making it hard for the scooters then to get out.

Wow! It seems like the best way to go to Kasems is on foot!

. . . . . I will hunt for parking to shop her store instead of using the parking provided . . . . .

Yeah, parking is the bitch, but many folks double park with no problem

On a scooter I find the parking only slightly difficult.

Why 'slightly' difficult? I'd imagine that it would be very easy!

Ajarn; Thanks for the story, The ms Wilia is a class lady and will disprove most of the deragatory remarks made about the business community in Chiang Mai. I will hunt for parking to shop her store instead of using the parking provided, and shopping at some of the other so call expat food providers in Chiang Mai.

Yeah, parking is the bitch, but many folks double park with no problem

Here is a story about Miss Wilai Udomphol

Is the aquarium worth the 450 bht in anyones opionion?

I have to say I completely agree that charging more is discrimination, and I think its time to take a stand before the "farang price" gets out of hand!

If the entrance fee is 450 bht, that's around 9 English pounds, which even in England is expensive to see some fish!!

The people who come up with the "farang price" seem to forget that we are not all tourists, and that allot of us live here with young children who would like to visit something like this regularly, for example I like to take my children to the lake at the Night Safari as it's only 100 bht for me to get in, kids are free, so I dont mind going once every couple of weeks. They get tired out doing the walk, the monkey throws some crap at us, the leopard allways scares the crap outta them, a bargain at 100 bht!

So, unless someone tells me the Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium is AMAZING (I mean Jaws and Nemo stylee) then it's a no for me!

Strange thing at Nam Tok Maesa last week. Wife= 20B, Farang= 200B, Farang+Thai Driv Lic= 20B

Don't know if this is someone's idea of distinguishing between tourist and expat or c_ck-up.

This is normal pricing anywhere (public places) where there is a farang price. It includes the zoo. And you don't just need a driving license, a visa or work permit, or even a Thai business card with your Thai address works.

"it could be a challenge trying to get your money back."

Certainly it is. In my case I lost the complete deposit. Afterwards I talked to a lot of people and everybody told me, that's the way it is in Thailand. I'd wished they had told me in advance.

In most of the cases the deposit is lost, and there are no legal ways to claim it successfully. The only chance you have is, in case you want to move, don't pay the last 2 rents, don't pay the last utility bill, don't pay the last phone bill etc.

That's the only way to minimize your damage.

I have lived here for 24 years, and rented 6 houses. Each had deposits from 1 month to 3 months. I NEVER had a problem getting my deposits back in a resonable amount of time. Not everyone is so lucky, but if you and the landlord have a good relationship, then usually no problem.

3 years ago, I bought an air rifle that shoots paint balls. They are not illegal, and have been looked over by Customs and the police. No sweat

I just had a Passport Photo done by the Kodak shop at Somphet market. 10 copies was 200 baht.

the locals do not drink tap water so i do not.

The locals who know, do. The basic water supply is safe to drink. The only problems might be with the pipes that you 'own'. A reasonable filter will take care of most any problems.

Dear Sirs,

Forgive me for taking up your valuable time. I need to visit a diabetes specialist, most preferably in Chiang Mai. If anyone knows of a competent one, do tell me please.

Thank you for reading this.

Yours faithfully,

ishmael.

Hello, in my experience of living here with Diabetes for the past 7 years, there isn't anyone I would call competent in the treatment of diabetes, since one of the 'owner' Doctors at CM Ram told me that a glucose level is normal at around 200, and another doctor prescribed me a medication, but he never told me that I had to have a Kidney test done. Plenty of that kind of stuff from many of the docters at other hospitals too. My suggestion is to use the internet to answer any question about medication, or any care you might need. It has been the only resource I've found valuable in living with my diabetes

of course as always ,wororot market has it ,seeds ,fertilizer ,chemicals etc. but you might also interested in the following:

http://www.punpunthailand.org/seed-saving.html

Where at Wororot market do they sell seeds, fertilizer, chemicals ???

if the rain has stopped for now, then my bet would go towards May next year for the raining season.

As I recall, every rainy season begins in May. This year, last year, every year.

Not always and not everywhere.

Last April it rained for 15 of the 30 days in Buriram.

As in Chiang Mai, it doesn't start the first day of rain. There is a period of wet, windy, hot weather before, then it becomes mostly regular, with less heat. That is May in Chiang Mai, most likely the same in Buri Ram...

As if I wasn't already phobic enough about these creatures ...

Curious cockroach gives traveler trauma

CHIANG MAI: At some point in their lives, most people are likely to have had some pretty unpleasant bus trips, whether on a crowded Greyhound Bus in the States or a steaming hot, jam-packed third-class “Orange Crush” hurtling though the Thai countryside.

If you think your bus journeys have been hel_l, consider the case of one passenger from Khon Kaen who, while taking a grubby coach to start a new job in Chiang Mai, awoke to find a cockroach burrowing into his inner ear.

On November 5, young Kittiphong Damkhong walked into Phuphing Police Station in Muang District to file a rather odd complaint. On meeting the Duty Inspector Chachan Saengbun, Mr Kittiphong pulled out a plastic bag and presented the officer with a rather waxy dead cockroach, which he claimed had crawled into his ear while he was riding on a Phu Luang Tours coach on the night of November 3.

Kittiphong, 23, explained to the officer that after boarding the coach at 10pm in Khon Kaen, he had fallen fast asleep. When he awoke, he felt something crawling round his left earlobe. As he tried to brush it off, it took refuge by diving deep into his ear hole. Despite his best attempts, he could not get the bug out and had to sit there with it in his ear until the coach made a rest stop in Phitsanuloke, he said.

At the service station, he rushed off to find some cotton buds and then raced to the toilet to try and dislodge the insect. After much poking and prodding, the cockroach, now dead, fell out. Still shocked, Mr Kittiphong decided to keep the insect as evidence, he said.

The following morning when he arrived in Chiang Mai, Mr Kittiphong noticed that he was having difficulty hearing in his left ear. He went to Maharaj Nakhon Chiang Mai Hospital to get it checked out. Two days after the incident he still couldn’t hear properly and there was a risk of infection, he was told. Fearing mounting medical costs, he kept the doctor’s certificate as evidence – along with the corpse of the cockroach.

“After considering what happened, I realized it could have happen to anyone. The coach company should take responsibility for letting cockroaches live in the bus. Where were the cleanliness standards on the coach? What would have happened if it had been a venomous bug that had got in? It could have killed or injured passengers. Who will take responsibility if I go deaf from infection? I decided to report the incident so there will be evidence if my condition gets worse and I need to appeal to the relevant authorities,” said Mr Kittiphong.

The experience of having had a cockroach temporarily living in his head had obviously not diminished the young man’s ability for rational thought.

Ketkaow Thammaraksa, Deputy Manager of Phu Luang Tours, said that in the many years the company had been operating she had never heard of an incident like this.

She added that if the victim could bring a doctor’s note or receipt for any treatment costs the company would be happy to reimburse him as all passengers are covered under the company’s compulsory insurance.

However, she said that the company had not yet heard from Mr Kittiphong.

Brought to you by:

The Phuket Gazette

14:45 local time (GMT +7)

Be phobic, the story is BS, I feel sure

I am looking to buy a reliable car or pick-up in the Chiang Mai area for under 100 000 Baht. It does not have to look good its only got to be reliable. I am not fussy about make or model or, within reason, age or mileage. Can anyone recommend where I should start looking?

A RELIABLE truck under 100,000 baht?

In all my years here, I have never seen one.

You can easily get a reliable truck for that price. Maybe I have been to different places than Ajarn if he hasn't seen them, but they are EVERYWHERE!

Old Toyota Hilux pickups are ultra reliable. Take a good mechanic with you to check out before you buy. You will find many for 100,000 or under.

And if Ajarn dont believe me, i invite him to check out Youtube for the Top Gear videos where they try to destroy a Hilux. It was put at the bottom of the sea, battered with a wrecking ball, and even put on the top of a tower block that was then demolished, before finally setting fire to it! It still started and drove!

Personally, I bought a 35 year old Toyota Corona for 25,000 baht. Its been pretty darn reliable strong car. Had a naff battery in it, but in 3 years thats all the problems i've had mechanically (The idiot Ford driver that drove into it is not the cars fault)

If you up you budget, you will be buying a newer car, that is not neccesarily any more reliable. Some would say less reliable (Me included). Also, the newer the car, the more chance you've got of it having on board computers and gizmos to go wrong. The great thing about an old car, is you can take it to any backstreet (read cheap) mechanic, and get any repairs done, anywhere!

Just my two pence worth.

In my experience, which may be different than yours, the only reliable trucks I found below 100,000 were reliable to break down. For another 50,000, your options for what you are looking for increase a lot

400,000 a year is cheap in my opinion. Anyone who is married should have it or be able to get it.

if the rain has stopped for now, then my bet would go towards May next year for the raining season.

As I recall, every rainy season begins in May. This year, last year, every year.