Ajarn

Also, lots of other yummy things on offer there.

In the last year, I've tried quite a few things from Decheeso, primarily because they deliver...

Some of the meats are okay, but most of it has been frozen for a long time. Their pastry is pure crap.... dry as a bone, or poorly (cheaply) made. Best to see what they have before you buy, but they do have a few gems, like different-flower honeys and some good organic shampoos.. And some decent hot dogs and breads... Mostly, it seems like their stuff has been sitting around for a long time.

Origin is New Zealand, correct?

I've been getting it at Kasems for many years.

Article in today's CM Mail

CEC January meeting again on the ‘up’

Phillip Johnson

Alinda Chotinaruemol, health insurance representative from BUPA Health Insurance Agency.

Old and many new Chiang Mai expats gathered for the first meeting of the year on Saturday, January 14, at the Chiangmai Orchid Hotel. Vice-president Tom Matty welcomed everyone, and pointed out how the club has grown immensely since its inception in September 2005. Tom gave recognition to the many business establishments in the Chiang Mai area who give their support to CEC through generous donations and by offering discounts to members. He also reminded everyone that the annual membership dues are just 150 baht, while a lifetime membership costs only 600 baht.

Jim Cox, club president and founding member said that the club has a membership in excess of eighty expats, and is still growing.

A request for volunteers went out to the membership so that the club can continue offering the best information and programs not only to the club members, but also to Chiangmai in general.

Club secretary, Lucy Coombs reported that seventy-six people attended the last official meeting on December 10, 2005. At that meeting thirteen new members joined the club.

Horst Bruch, club member, shared information on several upcoming cultural events: Earth, Wind and Water at Luna Gallery, Art Cafe art exhibit, Forever Young in Bangkok presents the Backstreet Boys, new art exhibit at Chiangmai University, and the presentation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Color Dream Coat musical at Kad Suan Kaew, organized by Voice Studio.

Guest speaker, Alinda Chotinaruemol, a health insurance representative from BUPA Health Insurance passed on information on worldwide private health coverage for Thailand residents. The only country where the coverage is not available is in the United States. The cost is between 8,000 and 25,000 baht per year per individual. Family plans are available at a discount.

I thought on Sunday the walking street is Wulai rd.. ?

Unless it changed recently, I'm pretty sure the Wualai walking street is on Saturdays.

Thanks, sir.

I heard that the powers-that-be were going to tear up the poorly-laid bricks on Ratchadamnoen Rd and replace them with a more conventional surface (asphalt or concrete). Perhaps the new location of the "Sunday walking street" is a temporary arrangement?

I thought on Sunday the walking street is Wulai rd.. ?

I've been on their mailing list since they started...

Are they worth anything for those of us who've been around for awhile? Or is it mostly for farang-schmoozing?

half of BKK was in the campsite with their karaoke machines etc. Couldn't believe it - they escape from the city to get back to nature, & take all the city's trappings with them.

Yeh, reminds me of the USA and camping in a Winnebago.

You can soak the roll of paper in kerosene

Parafin seems the much safer option

Only spend what you can afford to lose

In Chiang Mai, I'd say 1 million baht will buy you 1/2 interest in a bar that loses money....

Wonder what school he's going to?

Season seems to be well advanced now. Only, what, 4 1/2 months to go before we can breathe clean, non carcinogenic air again...

Doesn't seem too bad to me (yet), but the pollution is definitely further along than it used to be mid-January.

Still have blue sky and boring sunset colours here, but it seems to me that last year was worse in mid January

Thanks... I hadn't realised before that most of these could also, at some point, be free and clear, too

Thanks for the details

And for that matter, what is a "chanote"?

Rai is the Thai land measurement which is divided into 400 square wah,a square wah is approx 4 square meters so a rai is approx 1600 sq meters.

Chanote is a title deed for land.(its the best type to have as there are other forms of title deeds in Thailand)

Cheers

I've always thought that Chanote was the only land title deed.. What are the others?

On the subject of Mae Sai visa runs, I have heard--probably elsewhere in this forum--that there have been problems by some people attempting to get re-entry stamps at this border crossing. I seem to recall that some people who already had many 30 day stamps were refused there. Does anyone have information?

Likely for other reasons, would be my guess. The only person I've heard of refused an entry stamp was also wanted by the government...

It's not simply refusing the stamp, either, cuz even if you have a day pass to Burma, where are going to go after 5 pm?

Approximately 200,000 baht per rai, and up, 'depending'

I have not been able to figure out what the "fuel element" is made of. Does anyone know? It has a strong smell of fuel oil or something similar. I left a couple inside my car overnight and it took a few days to get rid of the odor.

If you tried exporting I am sure it would have to be declared as a hazardous material, if it could be shipped at all. (No expertise in this matter).

Parafin is the main fuel source. Sometimes it's a roll of toilet paper soaked in the stuff...

Why not simply make them yourself? Simply tissue paper with a small frame to hold the fuel.

Maybe if they stop burning plastic garbage by the ton the telescope may actually be able to see something.

cv

Though I'm sure some burning of plastic continues (or so my nose tells me), I seriously doubt it is in any large quantities since even the plastic bags can now be sold to recyclers for cash.

The only thing missing from the report are the start/stop dates of the 'crackdown'

Have any of you seen the old and frequently presented videos of the lights over Phoenix long ago that still stir folk's imaginations of little green guys and girls? If those are not our very own Thai lanterns, I don't know what is..

A couple of programs showed that they were flares from an air force base in the area...

I want to get this for the ABC Pacific Channel and that alone.

Is it possible get this AND UBC hooked up via the one sat. dish?

Or do you need to get two seperate installations / two seperate accounts etc?

No, you can't

Yes, you do.

There's a place I had what I think you're describing, Peking Duck, on Mahidol Rd., just before the entrance to Chiang Mai Land.. I can't remember the name, but I remember it was Chanchao who gave me the idea.... He's got a description and photo of the place on his website... Whatever that is...

Anyway, 400 baht for the duck (enough for 4 people), great car parking, and a nice place.

I'm amazed that they could sneak these increases through without media attention. The weight limits have always been a big issue

For the cheapest 'startup' (and special-made) for office tables, cabinets and desks, check out Talat Thanin (Thanin Market), which is a couple of kilometers up off of Chotana headed north... Look for the first 7-11 going out, and turn in to the left. Follow your way to the back and look around.

They have a whole group of shops selling anything furniture made from wood.... Mostly, it's a variation of the hiway theme where every roadside seller is selling the same thing...

thanks for those links. they all look quite decent. has anyone out there personally attended any of these schools? can anyone make a comparison between any of them?

I've had a few massages from one of the ITM teachers. I think she knows what she's doing

I also heard about a short one day shopping trip to Tachilek without applying for a re-entry visa first. And that your passport would stay at Thai Immigration for that purpose, no stamps would be put in your passport and that you, after your return, just would 'live on' with your old visa.

Though you still would have to pay at the Burmese side.

Better to ask first!

This scenario has occured for me- when I needed the stamp, too!

It is interesting to see a school with two hundred dirty children in an open barn with two teachers sitting in a corner.

Yes, it is interesting to see misery.

I've never seen anything of this sort in Tachilek.... And I've looked