Ajarn

As i don't like green papaya, i don't eat Som Tam. But according to my GF, some very aroy Som Tam can  found at a street stall in front of Nice Illusion (evening only) and in a tiny restaurant run by a khatoey on Moonmuang, soi 2.

The other common choice for Som Tam is made with green mango. I prefer that over papaya...Not all Som Tam places have a mango option, but many do.

And as for Mike's Hamburger joint, Mike has always been pleasant with me the 5 or 6 times I've been there. I especially liked his chilli and onion rings....

The best burger I've had is at Fillmore East, just down from the Green Mango....They flame-cook them, and have french bread as an option...

The best deal for your baht, hamburger wise, is the Green Mango. Huge burger, and quite tasty..

Green Mango also has real milk skakes, a rarity in Thailand anymore...

Since the government recently closed all schools with fewer than 60 students, it has made it much more difficult for some kids to get to a school close to home…Sometimes these kids can’t attend school because they don’t have the daily 30 baht to take a songthaew to and from school…

I just learn this fact now ...

it's a shame!

I just remember seeing kids coming back from school (in the north), walking on the side walk of the road, some for a few kilometers walk, every morning and end of afternoon.

in a lot of places, they don't even have a little bus to get the kids to school.

where I lived in esarn, they (villages) had to pay for a taxi-truck everyday to get the kid to school ...

education is a real problem here!

hoping that something smart would be done one day

francois

Francois, In my opinion, it was a good idea, but poorly implemented...

Historically, it's always been a huge problem of trying to get teachers to teach in these rural schools. Some smaller schools went months at times without even one teacher....Also, the few resources that were available were stretched sooo thin, with the smallest of the schools typically the last to get anything....

From a resource and financial standpoint, it makes good sense to close the small schools...BUT, there were NEVER any plans made for transportation of students, especially the hilltribe students- who were most affected by the closures.

In areas like Mae Suay, the situation has actually improved, because in the area of San Jalern village (the largest Akha village in Thailand), there are many other small villages within relatively close distance. Resources were combined to make the school at San Jalern a much better school with 3 additional teachers...And a sports program, which most small schools simply couldn't have, due to the low student numbers. Going to a larger school means better socialization, an integral part of gaining entrance to, and acceptance in, Thai society, I feel. Though some might feel that entering Thai society might not be such a great goal

But the situation at San Jalern is not typical, sorry to say.

My old colleague, Ajarn Graham Enright at cmu's English Dept., has been involved for many years with providing the basic necessities to enable hundreds of kids to continue their education with his support. And there are many others providing similar support at a grassroots level...

Education in Thailand is extremely cheap by western standards. A full time student at Rajabhat, for example, pays in the neighborhood of 10,000B (about $250) per term for all books and tuition. Rajabhats also have some scholarship programs to aid students with few financial resources, and also various housing and work programs to further support their students. I consider the Rajabhats as probably the best educational resource in Thailand. And, since they are now part of the Ministry of University Affairs, they get much more in the way of resources than when they were a part of the Ministry of Education.

I hope that those of us living here can do our bit to help our adopted home country. It doesn't take much to make a huge impact here, in my experience. A visit to a rural school to chat with students and teachers, small donations for books or sports equipment, volunteering a couple of hours per week teaching English....So little effort for such huge rewards, not only for the kids here, but for yourself, too. I'm sure we can all use a bit of good Karma...

> Let's hope the ladies around your place will leave me a parking

> spot for my Tank

TIP: Park at DK Book Store, then walk around the corner. Too many drunk morons (Thai & foreign) bumping into things and cars on Loi Kroh proper..

Cheers,

Chanchao

Well, Chan, good advice, but I found this great spot directly across the street.....So nice for my lazy ass!

Btw, where were you, sir??

This is the first time I've been to one of these things, and I was looking forward to seeing you there, too...

A pleasant evening with francois, p1p and cdnvic...and some great jazz.

Nice to have met all of you!

I have spent a number of years in the north, and have gained acquaintances in various hilltribes, mostly Akha, Hmong and Lisaw....I spend time, on a weekly basis, visiting and talking with hilltribe people- some in the cities, and some living in the hilltribes. My Physical Therapist (stroke-related) is a single Akha mother raising her kid, while working and going to school to become a nurse. Her dream is be able to teach other Akha about health care. I’m also involved in some projects to help more kids get an education. Since the government recently closed all schools with fewer than 60 students, it has made it much more difficult for some kids to get to a school close to home…Sometimes these kids can’t attend school because they don’t have the daily 30 baht to take a songthaew to and from school…

I've seen the missionaries who come head-hunting....Success to them is measured in numbers of people converted to Christianity. You can even see the ‘temperature chart’ in some churches, showing a goal number and their performance chart to date…

I've also seen the missionaries living in huge houses and arriving in hilltribe villages in their 3 million baht Toyota LandCruisers......

In my experience, many these folks have so little clue as to differing cultures, that it makes their 'help' often more for the needs of these missionaries than the needs of the hilltribe people.

On the other side, I've met many people over the years doing their best to help others because they can, and want to help. No agenda for religion, even though many are Christians...Building libraries, improved water collection and storage facilities, healthcare training, schools, and smaller items like blankets, shoes, books, clothing. Transportation costs for students, tuition, scholarships, etc...

I've also found very few stupid hilltribe people, though many levels of desperation, for various reasons. For most, it's not about buying a new motorcycle because of envy, it's about having transportation to get to a job, to transport kids to school, vegetables to market...Not all hilltribe people want anything more than decent healthcare, decent education for their kids, and steady work. Not all want to live like we do....Many might say that a thatch roof is eminently cooler and more practical than the homes many of us live in…

But many do want different lives, too. And they should have available the resources to seek the life of their choosing, I feel. I applaud the Christians who help because they can, and want to. There are some wonderful people out there, many who happen to be Christians, who don't deserve the condemnation they receive sometimes...And there are those that do deserve our condemnation…..

This is a very complex issue. As earlier said, I think we should be looking more on a case-by-case basis. I think we should be more careful about knee-jerk reactions to religion, and, whenever possible, seek out our own understanding by visiting these people and listening to what they have to say for themselves. ....As anyone living here knows, things here are rarely they way they seem...Nothing is simply black or white.

BTW, I’m not a Christian, nor do I feel respect for Christianity, personally. But, I do respect people with good hearts and who offer practical support to others without strings attached, whatever their personal religion…

Ajarn

See you Friday???

Let's hope the ladies around your place will leave me a parking spot for my Tank

Sure is great music at the Mango Tree....A bit of class for the neighborhood

On more lead...

There is a guy who advertises in CityLife as 'CM Habitat'....I don't have the mag around, but if you can find his ad, he's great at finding cheap houes...He found 2 houses for myself and my wife...Very nice guy. I think his name is Teera.

Good luck.

CM Immigration told me that the address verifiction must be through your embassy if there is one local to you. If not, then immigration, or the police station in your district, can issue the paperwork for your license. You also don't need to go to immigration every 90 days to register yourself. You can do it at your local pd, too, according to immigration

I think if you've come here to lead a quiet life with your Thai wife who speaks Thai and your native language, then it's quite easy to rely on your wife, as many I know do...My neighbor only speaks German- no English or Thaiat all, but his wife speaks German and Thai. I communicate with him through his wife, in Thai...He is quite content with his situation, it seems. But I find it slow and inconvenient to talk with him. I have two other foreigner friends whose Thai is better than their English, so we talk in Thai...

I couldn't image being here for so long and not learning Thai. My most pleasurable and memorable experiences would not have occured could I not communicate in Thai...

But that's me. I really enjoy talking with Thais whenever possible. Some others would rather lead more isolated lives here, I think. I am still so curious about life here, and I find Thais equally curious about my life, and how farangs think...

The problem with not speaking or understanding Thai is that you are forced to rely on translated, often filtered information. You are also relying on someone else to accurately communicate what you're saying, too. Very easy to get the wrong info, especially when it's a wife doing the translating.

I started at AUA in 1986 with Ajarn Oranute, who is still a teacher there. Highly recommended for the serious student. She's a great teacher, and starts your learning by helping you to build a good foundation in the language.... After many years of living here, I still don't consider myself fluent in Thai (the more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to learn), but it's rare that I meet a farang with equal ability to mine in Thai- mostly, I think, because they rely on their wives so much and still use their native language at home...I was married for 7 years, and I've seen a marked improvement in my Thai in the last 2 (free) years

But, I sure can understand the concept of 'ignorance is bliss'....My German friend has far fewer hassles than I do

I'm fine with the Thai drivers- just drive the way they do, minus the idiot part.

It's the farang drivers that scare me. I always give way to them out of fear- especially the motorcyclists. 18 years of driving bikes and cars here with no accidents...

I do hate the terrible smoke we have here now.

Everything else annoying about living here has a work-around, in my view- usually a mental one . Nothing bad enough to really piss me off....And I'm not a 'cai yen' kinda guy, either....

I'm even content with the corruption as long as it continues to work in my favor

"Farangs who walk around shirtless are normally looked down upon"

One might be looking up to a few of them!

Saw this ad today, online...Ad is only a couple of days old...

TO RENT WOODEN BUNGALOW IN LARGE GARDEN PART FURNISHED. 1-BEDROOM, SITTING ROOM, KITCHEN, BATHROOM, PHONE, HOT WATER. EXCELLENT LOCATION 2 KMS FROM PHUCOME HOTEL, CHANG KHIAN SOI 9. RENT BAHT 3500 PER MONTH, LONG LEASE PREFERRED. CONTACT KHUN KANCHANA (053) 221498 1800-2000 HRS OR 01-671-5676

I just completed my first real visa run in 2 years... All of my prior visas and stamps came from an agency that had stamp problems...

So, sweating bullets, and carrying a very large amount of cash for bail, if needed, I entered the immigration office in Mae Sai.

Barely a glance at my passport. No sweat

i'm in agreement with roger here, i think that these new rules will be enforced with discretion and that those deemed as undesirables may find life tougher,those of you who think that complaining to the thai government about these new rules,(quoting human rights,threatening to bring down the thai economy when you move to cambodia or mexico,you wont be able to live without us,WE'LL SHOW YOU!etc.) will aid your cause should sober up,grow up and get real.a lot of foriegn long stayers here live on relatively small amounts of money and are adept at making that money last as long as possible,the thai economy is hardly dependant on it.a  proportion of long stayers and visa extenders are here only for the low prices,often living on meagre benefits from their home country that are sent over and , and in truth thailand would not suffer from their absence,and,ask yourselves,does thailand really honestly need more foriegn nightlife afficionados in pattaya,patong and bangkok.it does the thai image no good at all.i'm sure that legitimate workers will be given the appropriate permits and that legitimate husbands will be allowed to support legitimate wives.so i dont think that there is too much to worry about so long as the paperwork is in order and the attitude good.the authorities are just pulling in the reins a bit,because the influx has been getting out of hand.

Good Post! I agree, but....one never knows what will happen here, na'?

Maybe the unpredictibility and the challenge is part of what makes life interesting here!  

California was sooo boring, compared to life here  ::

Ajarn

While the Coo was on a Thai Minister sheltered in my house in Australia other wise he may have been put in Jail or killed.

I am going on what I was told about the Kings part.

I was in Chiang Mai during the last coup (coo in Oz, I guess), as was the King, chillin' (I hope) in his home above us...The coup happened when Chatchai, on his way to see the King (by appointment only!) with some proposed changes in the military line-up. He was abducted, at gunpoint, while his plane was on the tarmac waiting to take off for Chiang Mai. Of course the King was informed...How ridiculous for someone to suggest that, under the circumstances....

And, there was no media coverage at all....As in any coup, the media is completely quiet for a period of time...The TV had nothing, the radio was playing military march music (that was when people knew something was up) It wasn't for a couple of days before any details starting becoming public. In downtown Chiang Mai, the only signs were a few jeeps with 50 calibre machine guns mounted (and manned), cruising around...No one seemed to pay much attention. I went up the road to the King's palace, and the only thing I saw were a *few* extra guards at the gates, and one more jeep with gun. Nobody payed any attention to me, and didn't seem to be concerned about much, since they were just hanging around, chatting to each other, some munching on noodles...

Ajarn,

Are you too young to apply for a retirement visa?  Then you don't have to leave the country anymore unless you want to.

Yeah, I'm still a kid

I'm 48...The guy at immigration I talked to (in the 'visa-extension' section) did say that if I have 3 mil in the bank, I can get a one-year extension on my current non-im. I'll be following-up on this option, too, to see if it's as simple as that....Otherwise, I'll try to hang on until I'm a certified Dinosaur in a couple of years

I know many people are consindering moving on to other places because of all these changes and harrassments going on. For myself, I've invested almost half my life here, and I still love the place...Thaksin not included. Thailand still is the best place in the region, overall, in my opinion. I have no family, no home and no life in American anymore. Thailand is My Home, for better, or for worse. That's the choice I made a long time ago, and I still see no reason for changing....unless I run out of money, of course!

The King didn’t even know their was a Coo on years ago until he seen it on TV

Total bullocks..Let's keep crap like that outa this place. We need real info here, not stupid lies.

Hmmmmm, you know it is kinda strange that they being the Immigration does not take into consideration of the medical situation of expats, thus forcing them to make these runs.  If we have a heart condition or have arthritis that curtails our activities in going any distance what about we do?  

The immigrations should have some leeway in not forcing the expats to make these runs due to medical reasons, and grant the visas for long term.  

This is my opinion, seeing what the problems can be forthright and coming for the aging cronies.

:blues:

I called CM immigration this morning...I had a stroke and am paralyzed on my left side, making it nearly impossible to travel or walk...Immigration told that if I get a letter from my doctor stating that, due to medical reasons, I can't leave the country, immigration will give me 90 day extensions of my current non-im until I can travel again...

Problem solved, I think. I'll be trying this next week. I'll report back here, too

Can you send the Passport to  the Thai consulate in your home country for the new visa?

If so then leaving on the old visa and returning on the new could be done at the nearest border crossing. All the while you would have a legal visa.

I got my non-O multiple visa by mail in the US. Anyone know if you need to be outside of Thailand to get the visa? Naturally you would be without a passport at that time.

Not any more....I called the Denver, Colorado consulate last night and asked...I've been getting my non-im from them for 3 years, no sweat.

Anyway, 2 weeks ago, a memo was sent to ALL thai consulates telling them they now cannot stamp any visa into a passport without it originating in that country, and to check for (in my case) the US entry stamp...I was told that 2 missionaries, who had sent their passport to a sister to forward to the consulate, later had the visa nullified at the border when they tried to use it....Bummer

Wen i apply in sweden i dont apply in person, i  just send in the passport and get it back by mail.

When you're in your own country, you can do that. I send mine to El Paso. It comes back overnight.

"But as long as you're not in your country, your passport is to remain in your possession."

Not really true...Depends on local laws. In most places, carrying a copy is fine...and maybe smarter, too.

I appreciate your opinion. I will follow up.

"If he says ok, then I owe you a dinner. Tjing-tjing."

And not a noodle shop, na' ?

You  keep referring to visa runs being illegal via agents, and I've replied already that I'm aware of that...That is not my question...Nothing you have shown even remotely addresses my question..

Can I send my passport to a foreign country for a visa? I belive the answer is yes. but I'm not 100% sure

I've spent the last few hours searching google....The only related item was the fact that all new/replacement passports are sent from the States...One small example of your passport traveling (legally) without you...maybe related to my question, maybe not...

I know some aspects are illegal, like using an agent to do your border crossing(your passport is receiving entry/exit stamps without you), but that's different then sending your passport to another country to get a visa. The first time, I sent it myself to Denver...From the self-addressed fedex envelope I sent with it, it was clear I was not in America..

When the passport returned, I simply left the country and returned. Of course, the new visa was there, and I obviously hadn't been to the States....nary a word from anyone

I don't think this is illegal, but I'm not really sure..I would like to see some better documentation....

I think I remember seeing ads for the large sattelite dishes saying 250 channels or something. Do you think this is probably all Russian and Indian stuff etc?

Mostly Indian, Chinese, Malay, Indonesia, Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Burma, Pakistan, Middle East, a little from Europe... BBC RAI TV5...german channel...

In reality, around 150 channels, 10 of which might have something interesting...Not much in English....