Ajarn

http://www.ohobrain.com/view.asp?ID=WV806473

I have two of these in my house. One is for connecting UBC in my bedroom to my office, one is for connecting the PSI Satelite system in my office to my bedroom. Works great. I bought the last one for 1500 baht at Central Electronics on Chiang Moi Rd, right side, just before the Military Bank at Soi 2 Chang Moi...That was 2 years ago. PSI sells them for 3,000 baht, installation and two-year servicing included.

The link above is to a website in Thailand which has them for 1250 baht...

UBC is a ripoff when it comes to having a UBC extension...Something like 11,000 deposit, plus 450 per month for each extension...

Now that I think about it Ill bet there the same owner!!! Food is comparable so are prices and of course the pictures Wow business must be booming to open a second location Thanxs-R

Come to thiunk of it Amazing Sandwich just opened a second location across from Orchid hotel.

Chaingmai franchise kings-way   to go!!!

I hear Mike's Original is selling a franchise for....3 million baht? Fillmore East is on the block for 1.5 mil....

And I assume the owner of Amazing Sandwich has income coming from another source...I have yet to ever see a customer there when I've gone in for a sandwich- which, in my opinion, are just so-so at best anyway, but convenient when you've got a hankerin'. If he had turkey or roast beef sandwiches, and Kasem's French bread, I might not beef so much

By the way, any suggestions for a great Roast Beef sandwich?

And how about some Peking Duck?

Be that as it may, super spiffy illuminated crosswalks, guard rails, and crossing lights will certainly improve the quality of roadkill. The targets now in defined well lit areas and escape could require vaulting!

I really like the super spiffy illuminated crosswalks....I think the countdown clock is also an interesting addition, too.

Great to see the city doing something to make crossing the street maybe a little safer and less traumatic for some...fingers crossed

I just returned to Chiang Mai last Sunday after being abroad since the tail-end of March.  Remarkable what a difference in air quality some rain makes.  It's too bad that the weather pattern here isn't such that we would regularly receive some rain during Ferbruary/March/Apri.  The air quality wouldn't become so poor.

On my way out of Thailand at the end of March, I stopped for a couple of days in Bangkok.  The Krung Thep air at that time actually seemed clean compared to Chiang Mai, not something that happens too often! 

Sure the air in Bkk was cleaner than here in March...A sick thought, isn't it?

The only answer is not more rain, but some authorities with Balls.

Last night was great. Everyone was so friendly and warm to each other.

I'm glad I came out of my cave long enough to meet some really nice folks. Hope to see y'all again soon

> Better yet, ride a motobike in the evening thru the critters and experience

> the next best thing to a snow blizzard with near zero visibility while

> swallowing an entire meal.

Or better yet, while with a newbie visitor in the middle of a Maeng Mao onslaught, say in a panicky voice:

"Ohmy GOD.. hold on.. stay VERY still.. one bite is usually not lethal!"

Guaranteed success, especially with people who still get jittery from every jingjok they see.

Cheers,

Chanchao

I had to go to three gas stations last night before I found a place where I was willing to open my window..

You can really apreciate how beautiful CM is after it rains and the air is clear and you can see the mountains and all the various shades of green. I spent the last 30 years in Vancouver which has months of cold drizzle every year.i hated it! I like the rain here as it clears the air,cools things down,waters our orchard and fills up our well! I also know that it wont be long before the sun is shining again. Lovely!

Yesterday, early afternoon, I enjoyed the most beautiful day so far this year

Beautiful and huge thunderheads and cumulonimbus clouds contrasted against a truly blue sky- blue sky being something I haven't seen here since last year...

Anyway, looking forward to the rainy season. Always my favorite time of year, when everything is clean and green

Well if he's innocent I've got a bridge to sell you.

"Innocent till proven guilty!" has been the chorus here of late, by some.

Laota been proven not guilty in a court of Law, so he's innocent, right?

In fact, 'guilty until proven innocent' is how things really do work in this world.

Notice the the people waiting for trial are treated no different than the proven guilty while in jail. In fact, convicted criminals can sometimes get furloughs, conjugal visits, etc., which the people awaiting trial don't get....If they are considered innocent, why do they have to go to jail?

Innocent until proven guilty, my ass

Meady, your review of Ruam Jai Kai Yaang makes it sound like the one to try. As soon as I get back to Chiang Clang from Luang Prabang will give the somtam a go, with my usual request for haa met in the chilli department ...

Also aim to get back to the place next to kai thawt rot fai, as the last time I sampled somtam there, maybe seven months ago, it was very good. When bird flu hit, the chicken place closed, and the somtam place with it. I've heard the chicken's on again, so hopefully the somtam is as well.

Yeah, chicken is back in town, finally

I have seen 'Judy' up on the Mae Rim road of late, and out around the stupid highway

In the last year? Glad she's still around. The last few sightings I had of her were in the middle of the Super and on Chotana...

What about 'Judy' the 30-50's Thai woman who could be seen walking along roads all over town wearing a solid-color dress, maybe looking like she escaped from Suan Prung? I have seen her for more than 10 years, but not in the last 3 or 4. Anybody have an idea of whatever happened to her?

Or the old skinny Thai guy wearing a beat-up straw hat, peddling his bicycle w/basket on back around town, selling various 10-20 baht cookies, cakes and banana bread? He's been doing it longer than I've lived here, but I haven't seen him for about a year or so. Very nice guy, and the first vendor I bought something from in Thailand...

Whatever happened to them?

Or the crazy guy Nigel, who used to run the former croissant cafe on Thapae. Man, he was a real loose cannon!

What about 'Judy' the 30-50's Thai woman who could be seen walking along roads all over town wearing a solid-color dress, maybe looking like she escaped from Suan Prung? I have seen her for more than 10 years, but not in the last 3 or 4. Anybody have an idea of whatever happened to her?

Or the old skinny Thai guy wearing a beat-up straw hat, peddling his bicycle w/basket on back around town, selling various 10-20 baht cookies, cakes and banana bread? He's been doing it longer than I've lived here, but I haven't seen him for about a year or so. Very nice guy, and the first vendor I bought something from in Thailand...

Whatever happened to them?

They were deported because they do not have Thai ID cards;

So Everyone who doesn't have a Thai ID card gets sent to Burma? and the Burmese government have no say at all in this? ###### that Taksin is one powerful guy.

/sm

It does seem strange, doesn't it?

Just a guess, but this 'BB1' camp could possibly be some kind of temporary 'safe area', maybe even located in one of the many areas where demarcation is an on-going issue...From the message that was sent back, it seems there is a time limit for staying there??

A few years ago, I was tryinig to help my wife get a passport from Burma. (She is Shan, born in Shan State, and is one of many Shan with family roots on both sides of the border)

They told her she would have to apply in Rangoon, but she would be arrested for being illegaly in Thailand, since her papers had expired long ago...

Anyway, it could be that after a period of time in a safe area, they are turned over to the Burmese....My best guess would be they would be used as slave labour for the military, or conscripted to one of the many govt Mega projects going on in Burma now. Or simply let go...

Just to reinterate, I'm purely guessing. I have no real knowledge of what the current situation is for stateless persons in Thailand or Burma.

I certainly wish the best for them...The kids, I mean.

No doubt you are right; I suspect the difference between the certified education and the uncertified education would be like the difference between the high school diploma and Regent's certified high school diploma in the US state of New York.  The plain non-Regent diploma isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Employers don't consider a person with that diploma to have successfully completed school. The reason is that there are tests that must be passed in English, Math, Social studies, Science, etc to get a Regent's diploma. If you don't pass all the tests, you get the regular diploma.

Actually, the education here is the same since, as kids, they study along with other kids as a normal student

As an adult, they will use the same study materials as any other govt school, but they can sit an exam for each level more often (also the same test as 'normal' students), and can move through many grades in one year. My ex-wife went through on such program and she went from M1- M6 in 2 terms of study(1 school year). 6 years is normal.

The certificates/diplomas are both the same, so no issues about that, but, no ID means no paper. Records, yes, diplomas, no. But an education is an education, no matter if one is legal or not. Education is ALWAYS an advantage, for EVERYONE.

Oh, and I'm a bit sensitive on this topic because I was a teacher for more than 25 years, 18 of them in Thailand public schools...I'm retired now, and grateful for the peace and quiet

deleted

Time for organized religion in this world is over, they will die out in the next couple of century's.

a bit fast prevision of what could happen, don't you think?

just look at all the religious stuffs happening in the world of now, do you think that this could effectively disapear in a couple of centuries?

and if disapear for good, what will replace such a need of refuge for the heart and the mind for so many people in this world?

Good point! I've met plenty of nutty people who would be A LOT nuttier without their religion to help center them....

They were deported because they do not have Thai ID cards; they do not have Thai ID cards because they have no Thai birth certificate; they have no Thai birth certificate because their mothers were unable to/not allowed to/ignorant of the need to register their birth at the amphur. From what I have read, the hill tribe mothers frequently are laughed at if they try to register a child's birth. MMV with which amphur it is, and just how much the local officials there hate the hill tribes. It's a systematic discrimination designed to eliminate the hill tribes. As an added bonus, you can't go to university without a high school certificate, you can't go to high school without a grade school certificate, and a grade school certificate will not be issued to a child without ...you guessed it...a birth certificate. Even if they do finish all those levels of education.

You are mistaken about education in Thailand, and I think you are quoting from some nonsense on David's website, which is full of wrong, bad and ignorant information about Akha and other hilltribes. Like saying that 'chao khaw' means 'rent rice' (and his statement that this term is used to show how low Thais think of hilltribes)... It means 'people (chao) of the mountain (khao)' Period.

Any person in Thailand can get a Thai education in govt schools. You don't need a cert to take high-school level classes or lower. The Thai Ministry of Education has made it a point to make education available to all, no matter their birthplace. A number of schools in the north also provide evening and weekend classes so as to try to make it possible for day workers to also get an education. But, in order to get a registered certificate, you must have an ID...It doesn't mean they can't attend school or get an education. And it's true that you need an ID to register at a university.

Yes, it's a shame that nobody has ever taken steps to get the kid's birth registered. Stories about officials laughing at Akha wanting to register a Thai birth are most likely propaganda, spread by some with other agendas. A lot of crap gets spread around here. The kids birthcan still be registered if the Puu Yai Baan in his birth village can verify his birth, even many years later. With a birth certificate, he can likely get a pink ID card, which can later lead to full Thai citizenship.

Cute:-)))))))))))

Francois see the post about meetings in CM please

CT

I agree. Very cute

Okay, I'll do that. ;-)  WIll print her something every month stating:

Salary: 4200 baht

-Deduction: Room: 1000 baht

-Deduction: Water: 50 baht

-Deduction: Electricity: 150 baht

-Deduction: Food: 500 baht

But then again it's all a bit silly anyway because I wouldn't be paying tax or social charges.   I think you'll have a hard time finding a maid anywhere who actually gets a salary minus proper income tax...

Anyway, I was saying that the "amount she receives" is not less than the legal minimum wage; wasn't trying to say that the work relationship is completely legal.   Even in Sweden people don't pay tax on maid work do they??  ;-)

Cheers,

Chanchao

Maybe not income tax, because they would most likely be able to use normal tax deductions that would mean they had no tax obligation. But they are supposed to file, anyway....

I do pay my employer share of SS taxes because she can get a SS card and free health care, etc. I'm happy to contribute to my worker's welfare, and I would hope I'm not the only one...Though it does seem that some prefer to exploit their workers as much as they can, while paying as little as possible, and damm any laws for the protection of Thai (and all other) workers.

And I don't deduct my SS tax contribution from her wages. It's against the law, and I agree with that law.

By the way, I'm currently looking for a second person to assist with housekeeping and garden care. Wages of 4000 baht to start, 5-day work week, 8 hours per day. Parttime is also an option. If you know of someone who might be interested, please refer them to me. PM for my phone number.

It's not less than the legal minimum when you consider that accommodation, water, electricity and food are thrown in.

Not true, according to the Labor officer I just spoke with. She told me that Legal wage minimums are for wages only, and not wages plus anything else. She gave me an example of a factory owner in Mae Sot paying 80 baht per day to workers, figuring in costs for housing and food. The Thai Labor court ruled against him. and he is liable for back wages ++ She added that he could charge for housing and food, but it must be an optional choice for workers, and it must be documented prior.

Better to be safe than sorry, na'?

All else being equal "and it aint a perfect world" and you find a good girl / woman I do think that Baht 7,000 is a bit over the top. Many live in maids employed by Thai households would receive in the region of Baht1,500 - 2,000 / month and be glad to get it.

Just to be clear, I would agree that 7,000 as a a starting salary might be high. In my case, she started at 4,000 and reached 7,000 2 years later after good and faithful service.

It would still be nice to hear from others who've actually had live-in help. I'd like to hear more about the current realities and what others are actually paying.

These are just to make the city look beautiful.

They will have no affect on Thai drivers, at all!!!

Hey, anything to help bring some better visibility and attention to the pedestrian, and some more safety, too. I feel sorry for anyone crossing the street. And if you brake for them, it's easy to cause an accident because you're not driving as others expect...

For me a *legal* hilltribe girl would do. (student perhaps, and am willing to support some education money on top of her salary)

I haven't decided for myself that I want someone living in (or behind) my house 24/7... But when I do I should have no trouble findig a suitable candidate. (I do some volunteer work providing scholarships to mostly hilltribe children)

Of course some training may be involved.. Like that a Scotch Bright sponge is not the best thing in the world to wash a car with.. Or that leather shoes are best not cleaned the way you clean flip-flops, by hosing them with water. (I'm NOT kidding)

I'll gladly admit that you tend to get what you pay for. Still I would get a smart, ambitious, eager to learn hill-kid over a lazy local.. (noting that the ambitious among the lower educated locals already moved away to go work and make as much money as possible in Bangkok or elsewhere)

Cheers,

Chanchao

Yeah, getting a student is a good idea for some, and I know of a few good situations like that. Great for the student if the employer is good....Plenty of not-so-good people employing housekeepers, too. I've heard stories of terrible exploitation, even by some farangs. A live-in housekeeper often can't leave a bad situation so easily.

A lot depends on your needs and your situation. When I was married, my wife could train someone and supervise them, but now that I'm alone, I need someone who can do the various jobs, and work well without much supervision. I don't want to chase anyone around getting them to do their job. And since my stroke left me partly paralyzed, my housekeeper has to do some extra stuff for me...She's been with me for 2 years, and I feel so lucky to have found a good person...

If you get a good housekeeper, keep her happy. Good ones are not easy to find, in my experience.

>  If someone is willing to work for much less than 4000 for fulltime

> (less than legal minimum), I would seriously question their reasoning

It's not less than the legal minimum when you consider that accommodation, water, electricity and food are thrown in. As well as having a relatively easy, safe and comfortable job.  Imagine being a construction worker, or working a gas station. Then you will make the minimum of 4200 if you're lucky, but then you have to pay for a room, food, etc...

I'm always hesitant to go yelling at people that they over-pay for something because they mostly have very good reasons for it, and if often works great for everyone, BUT..  most staff in my office don't make 7000 baht..  and those people finished somewhat of an education.  (Which I will admit doesn't mean that they'd also be good maids, but hey. )

I actually thought peole would slam me for being on the high side with the 2000-3000 figure..   Most people I know are a bit under that, or towards the lower figure, and also have great working relationships with their maids.

Cheers,

Chanchao

Interesting...The prices you're quoting are prices I paid 10 years ago...As did my Thai neighbors at that time. I did pay 1500 baht a month in 1988, but I got ripped off, too..;-)

I'd be interested in hearing what others pay for housekeepers, both live-in, and live-out.

My ex, one of the more kii nieo types, could only get illegal Burmese at your price 4 years ago.....I searched hard, but got no bites at less than 4,000 baht for 8 hours, 5 or 6 days a week, or live-in at the same price....unless they were children or illegal or something else maybe problematic....

So, what are others paying? Am I a bad shopper?

Find your own. Doesn't hurt to ask your landlord, but also ask absolutely anyone else, including the som tam lady in the market and your neighbours maid, first and foremost. If live-in maid then this will set you back like 2000-3000 baht a monht. Or less, or more, your mileage may vary, up to you, etc.

Live-in (Thai) maids currently start around 4,000 a month, partly depending on kids and extra duties. Mine gets 7,000 now because she cooks, too... If someone is willing to work for much less than 4000 for fulltime (less than legal minimum), I would seriously question their reasoning, looking at the possibility of a setup for ripoff, or someone escaping/hiding from authorities or others, looking for a new husband, etc......I have some experience in this area to back my cautions.

You are also at your most vulnerable with a live-in help, so choose wisely by taking every precaution, including copies of ID (and their house registration...'thabian baan')

Don't hire anyone without documentation.

I found my current maid through an ad I made and posted at my local market. Word always spreads fast there.