Ajarn

What they said was that the total cost of the road project will likely be 20% higher, due to the tunnel construction. Only a pure guess because no feasibility study has been done yet. Nothing surprising about that to me.

And, hey, they built the Khuntan tunnel in 1918, so I'm pretty sure they could handle this project, which has been talked about for at least the last ten years.

As long as they don't make the smoke illegal

In a large outside food area, the smoke is what pinpoints my interest

I miss Mangosteen so much!!!

Do you know if there is a possibilty to send a few kg to Europe or Asia?

Thanks

Sure, you'll only need to worry about your local Custom Agricultural check...

That's interesting about the need to rince all rice. The basmati I buy in 20kg bags was recommended by my asian neighbours.

It states on the bag 'don't rince' so I don't, and it is always perfect! 2 to 1 ratio bring to boil and steam for 20 mins. The make is Veetee. Is there a way in production to overcome the need for rincing perhaps?

Beyond the talc issue, I've found bugs, rocks, and other stuff enough times in rice to insure that it always gets at least one rinse.

I've also heard from some that rinsing the rice also lessens the amount of vitamins and minerals you get from the rice.

if you can handle the calcium, I think now it is "drinkable". any body got any updates. ? ( hope so, cause i have take small swigs from the basin tap at night instead of going to the fridge)

Last I heard, Bkk water was considered safe to drink... It's the chemicals from old pipes leaching into the water that causes problems, from what I've heard.

Maharaj used to be Suan Dawk, right?

Your experience sounds like mine at Suan Dawk...

The only reason I don't go there now is due to parking issues and my physical disability in regards to walking

"Three seconds in a food processor works well too. The hardest part of dealing with garlic, for me, was getting the skins off, until a chef taught me how to smash the individual cloves with the side of a heavy chef's knife or cleaver. After smashing the skins come right off."

You beat me to it!....

I've been removing the skins also, I'll try smashing it first next time!

Thanx.

Here's that process- with step by step photos http://asiarecipe.com/garlic.html

This kinda sounds more like the '5 year-extension if here 3 years' rumor floating far and wide some time ago, specifically addressed by BKK Immigration to all the media about a year ago...

Just wishfull thinking, I feel.

They can't extend your stay beyond what your work permit specifies.

Last I knew, your WP dates are based on your extension dates, not the other way around. Has that changed?

I like allrecipes because of the 'search by ingredient' feature, and also they tell you the nutritional information for each recipe...

But, for all-around Asian Recipes, I agree with google; http://AsiaRecipe.com is number one in my book

I wonder why?

Ajarn, where can I find a list of ingredients in English & Thai script.

Try finding Groundnut oil, Candlenuts, or Cardamom next time you're in a supermarket if your list is not in Thai script

Udon, It might be slow, but you can try one of the translators online, like http://www.thai-language.com/dict/

Ajarn not to knock your site, it's nice but I suggest adding more recipes (maybe one a week?) and I also think you should come up with a consistent recipe naming system, just to make it easier to use. Kudos though, it's difficult for one person to generate all the content for a recipe site. That's why allrecipes.com and cooks.com are so popular - they constantly receive fresh content from users, and then screen that content before publishing it (at least cooks.com does).

Sabaijai, thanks for the feedback, it's appreciated.

Recipes are only one part of asirecipe.com. It's focus is to educate about a variety of cultural topics, as well as herbs, cooking methods, ingredients, etc. I actually do add new recipes each week, but not in all of the 22 countries I cover.

And yes, as you've suggested, it's not easy for one person to generate all the content for a large recipe site. It's a nice hobby though.

I'm on my way to Baan Sam Li, located about 20 km East of Phrao, on the road to Wiang Pa Pao, to enjoy the massive circle dancing of the Lisaw. In the last couple of years there have been about 500 Lisaw, and myself, the only farang...Quite a scene, and you are welcome to join me there today between 1 pm and about 7 pm

Plenty of beautiful women there...

I like allrecipes because of the 'search by ingredient' feature, and also they tell you the nutritional information for each recipe...

But, for all-around Asian Recipes, I agree with google; http://AsiaRecipe.com is number one in my book

Nothing at Villa today, although a shelf full of diabetic jam (never really liked jam anyway).

I do prefer that jam because I think it tastes more natural.

Can anyone advises me whether there is live-in/boarding facilty for school kids at the Scared Heart College in Chiangmai. What are the fees per term/year..or any e-mail address for the college.thanks

Try calling them...

Sacred Heart School 66 53 276087, 66 53 282383

255 Charoen Prathet Rd.,

T. Chang Khlan,

A. Muang,

Chiang Mai 50100

Fax: 66 53 274146

www.sch.ac.th

Oops!

I'd suggest that 8 days is plenty of time for a letter to arrive from Taiwan

I don't really believe they will carry batons and handcuffs....

Also, if Steve Kramer is involved, I'd be worried. What a nutter.

I paid my first visit to Ram hospital today following concerns about a persistent chest ache.

Since settling in Chiang Mai my overall impression gleaned from various sources was how good Ram Hospital was. Expensive with up to date treatments and good standards of care and service, as befits a top Thai hospital catering for farangs and Thai’s alike.

However my experience today was not very favourable. We arrived in the main building (myself and my Thai wife) and after casting our eye around considered the best place to present myself was at the information counter. There many staff were busy moving files and pieces of paper around, answering telephone calls, and tapping information into computers. We stood and waited and waited, no one actually looked in our direction and there was distinct feeling of invisibility.

Eventually my wife spoke to man in Thai who pushed a registration form to me and motioned for me to fill it out. This I duly did and again waited as before and waited. My wife finally called to someone who mumbled some words which were unintelligible and told to go to the 4th floor. No mention of how to get there or where the lifts were to get us there.

On arrival on the 4th floor we saw a couple of different desks and finally plumped for home care (this being a pure guess on our part). The same feeling of invisibility descended there was lots of apparent action but no one willing to speak or even look in our direction. Eventually a young nurse said you have come for a cardiac test. I told her I had no idea - this was a hospital and that was for a doctor to decide not me. Just then another nurse broke into the conversation and she quickly started talking to her and ignored us. I decided that rather than stand around and wait for their conversation to finish I was going to sit down. This seemed to have some effect as there was blank looks when she eventually decided she had the time to speak to me and came over to where we had sat down.

She came over and asked us to wait in another room where I was quickly motioned to sit down where another nurse mumbled some half English. She took my weight asked me my height (which I gave in feet and inches) she never flickered at all, god knows what she wrote down. Next there was the same mumble and I decided what she had said was that she would take my blood pressure.

I waited another 10 minutes or so and was told to go to room 2 where there was a doctor. He asked a few questions in passable English and recommended I have an ECG and a chest X-ray. This was quickly carried out but all the while the staff and nurses simply were unable to communicate even the most simple of words of English. One nurse said shoes and I said she meant shirt? She was trying to say take off your shirt.

In the X-ray department another very unhappy farang was being lead back in as I guess the original X-ray have been wrong in some way. Profuse apologises were being made.

We traipsed back up to the 4th floor to be told to come back after 1 pm as the doctor had gone to lunch. On meeting the same doctor I waited while he finished having a jokey conversation which his nursing assistance. He gave me the good news that there was nothing showing up on the ECG or X –ray. He gave no diagnosis and merely seemed to agree with me that he thought it may the after affects of a virus type infection and to come back in a week if the symptoms did not improve. All of this was delivered in a somewhat unconcerned fashion.

At the cashiers I was handed a bill of 910 baht, which I duly paid. I asked the cashier if there was a discount card, she merely ignored my question. I asked her again and she told me there was but wouldn’t venture any details of how I might obtain one.

Ram hospital likes to portray itself as a top class international hospital (check there website) yet staff are seemingly rude, impolite, and unable to communicate even the most simple English terms. Even if the staff had problems speaking English not one even ventured to talk in Thai to my wife who could then interpret. There is a pervasive take it or leave it atmosphere and even a hint of arrogance.

All in all not a very impressive first visit which will probably not be repeated having visited other hospitals in Chiang Mai who have looked after me and my wife to a higher standard to that received at Ram.

We Brits tend to criticise the National Health system in the UK but I’m not so sure we have not overlooked the fact that health care in the rest of the world and perhaps here in Thailand is not nearly as good in any respect.

I did have a final laugh as I left the hospital for there on the ground floor was an office called “International Customer care”

You have very eloquently captured a typical experience of a Farang in Thailand. All show no go.

Almost impossible to overstate Thai rudeness, especially when you need something from them.

If they only knew what kind of idiots they must deal with, then they might show some real rudeness.

List prices are the same. But in areas where there's no competition,

Huh?? No competition? What do you call Isuzu, Ford, et all?

I intended to buy a Fortuner....Is it better to buy it in Chiangmai or in Bangkok, am staying in Chiangmai.....Understand Bangkok gives better rates and better promotion freebies etc.

Appreciate your advice...thanks

I've never seen any real evidence of a better deal in Bangkok. Saying that, it shouldn't make a difference where you buy, since their prices are all the same.

I believe a Pedicure is on tap at every Beauty Salon in town.. Usual price around is 150 baht, as I'm told...

I have been paying in US dollar cheques (small amounts) with the Bangkok bank till the other day, when I was informed that they no longer offered this service

Does anyone know of a bank that will accept US cheques (other than pension cheques) ? They used to charge 200 baht commission per cheque, which was not a problem.

Thanks Maejo

I put a US check into my account at Kasikorn Bank recently. Took about two weeks for it to clear. Don't know what the charges were..

Fang - Mai Suia is some of the prettiest scenery I have seen.

How is the road Mae Jarn - Fang?

Mae Suay to Fang has the best scenery.. From Mae Jarn, the road is fairly fast most of the way, but a lot less interesting, scenery wise, unless you go the Doi Mae Salong way... Going to CM adds at least an hour to your time over the route through Mae Suay, south..

The Cm/Phayao/CR route is nice, but I don't care for both of the mountain sections that lead up to the lookout... Less traffic and road works is nice, though. From my house on Mae Jo rd, route 1011 to Phrao, then due East to Wiang Pa Pao (south of Mae Suay) is sometimes my preferred route. I get tired of the mountain section between Doi Saket and the Mae Kachan Hot Springs...

I think alot of the "bad" experiences have to do with language barriers and not understanding Thai culture

I think the 'bad' experiences have more to do with the position of the stars at that moment, though I do agree that the OP seemed pretty clueless to life here...

Try gag, leg restraints and a straight jacket. Oh, and a large box.

Works for me!

Ahh, old school parenting!

JxP

Blindfold helps too.

I was actually thinking of the parents. Little ones on the rampage and I need these aids to stop from flipping out completely.

p1p, in my experience with you and your kids, you have the patience of Job, it seems to me

For Cardiology, try requesting Dr. Padungkiat Bethakul, MD. He is very thorough, speaks excellent English and I have never had to wait more than a few minutes to see him

I would never recommend this doctor. He's the one who prescribed me a heart drug, while knowing that its users had a higher incidence of heart attacks when using it... It would have been better if he hadn't prescribed me anything. I only found out after having a heart attack

On another occasion, I had some kind of leg tissue infection. From his desk, he prescribed me a series of antibiotic shots (never even looked at it..) The condition worsened, and I finally went to MCcormick, where the doctor told me that had I waited a couple of more days, I would have lost my leg. He was amazed that Padungkiat didn't see how serious it was... I stayed there for 5 days while they treated me.

That was at a time when I still trusted Thai doctors to do their job. I've since learned my lesson.

Chiang Mai Ram is a good hospital, but the staff there don't always take enough care with patients