LawrenceChee

I hope to see all this happen in my lifetime

Chiang Rai will be a major hub in future partnering Chiang Mai as the tourist hub for the Chinese

Both have huge potentials to revert back in the glory days of Lanna Kingdom and be important trading posts of the north

Actually the slump in the oil price is excellent news for the Thai economy and in my view will also have political implications.It will enhance the position of the present government since a stagnant economy was one its greatest threats.This is an unexpected lifeline for the Junta.

That plus the potential Chinese projects coming in may actually mean good news for some ....not all Thais some ....

Decent first date depending on your budget

Flushed with $$& - Fujian / Le Cor / Dhara Dhevi Cafe - all Instagram moments for the Thais and very impressive

On a budget - Fuji / movies / malls - you have your 5 picks ; Baan Suan Cafe / One Fine Day in Hang Dong area ...all cool in the weather now and quiet for conversations

On an extreme budget - head to the students area @ CMU and packed it in

Interesting how a post of a disgraced USA commander who lacks the moral values to make the right judgement and practice integrity would be steered into a Chinese post again

The commander in question lacked integrity and was seduced by the lights of money and greed

This is a personal lapse of judgement and he is a disgrace to the force and have let down the moral reputation of those who choose to say no

After splurging, hopefully some will have enough left over to pay their debts?

Does the rate is the same worldwide ? or low cost insurance pay low cost to victims ?

how much ?

It's dependent on the policy that they bought ....all initial indications is that the final payout may be 130,000 although the initial payout to help families is 30,000

They have already offered an initial compensation of $24,000 to families pending the insurance claims and I think it's decent start and a good gesture of things to come

I was at Don Muang twice in the past 3 weeks and it requires a lot of work to make a anywhere near presentable.

Right now it is the worst dump of an airport I have ever seen, dirty, broken, totally unclear routing even if you read Thai. I understand that it's under renovation, but many new parts are already broken before they are put in use and the ongoing construction is a horrible display of shoddy workmanship even for Thai measures.

You actually wonder if the country is at war if you walk around Don Muang!

You may not travel that much through DM but I do regularly and can assure there is big improvement in DM from what it used to be

Further you can't have travelled much internationally if you think DM is a dump, some far bigger ones around and some are even in farangistan countries, DM may not be in same league as Changi but it ain't bad

I agree ...from the new restaurants line up and the renovated toilets in the international departure end ....I have seen steady progress and with the airlines throwing in free wifi like Nok...the place seems to be what one needs for an hour flight or a short layover

In realistic terms ...having paid about 40-60 per flight sector ...as long as the carpets are clean and the flights take off safely I'm not fussy over the terminal ...it won't be a Changi and it should not be

This is one part where I actually agree with Tony and Chiang Mai / Rai airport will be the northern base for the LCC flights from China

I am still crossing my toes it will be the one starting with R

A disgrace to the force

Air Asia and Tony so far have done everything in the right light to handle the tragedy in a compassionate, speedy and professional manner

Won't be long before they bounce back stronger

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Is it only me, or is this guy losing it by the minute??

Why is he loosing it?

He is only concerned that more revenue comes in Thailand for the good of his country.

Even you, should be able to understand this.

I thought he wanted quality tourists?

Not more penniless third world tourists.

I think the general's odd pronouncement just makes him look a little sillier than he already does, but many - millions - of Indians are far, far from penniless.

seriously? Indians are rich?

Google Forbes Richest Indian list ...you may be surprised at how well they have been hiding money right under your noses

God help the west if they continue to think Indians or Chinese are poor

For the sake of 100 weddings you ruin the reputation of your hotels.

You are obviously thinking of the drunken louts in Australia or UK

If you can book the entire resort and hotel , most of your guests are rather classy too.

It's hot in April & May in Vietnam even up north and rains are starting to pour

Agree when in Vietnam speak Vietnamese just like in Thailand

Speaking the local language goes a long way in breaking the ice

Probably because he is trying to revive a economy that was largely not well managed and every bit counts ?

A mother going to Walmart with a gun ....that's as ludicrous as someone going to the local talat with one in Thailand

Why would one need one going to the supermarket ?

Not saying I totally understand the NRA or USA in some of their odd habits and customs

You and I must have a different grading system. 7 out of 10 sounds pretty good to me. In fact, If I'm comparing to food back in the West, 7 is about what I rate even the best foreign restaurants in Chiang Mai.

I agree. Look at movie reviews...Gone With The Wind gets an 8.2, Patton is an 8, and won 7 Oscars. A "7" is usually very good. Below 6.5 is a waste of time. So, when people give food a "7" and go on to say it was lacking; it is puzzling.

Guess I must be really picky ....places that get

7/10 - Means something is good but I won't hurry back ; for Enorme it's the giant screen for live sports events ...as I say here the food is not horrid but it doesn't get me excited

8/10 - I would go back at least once a month as the dishes are top notch

9/10 - 10/10 - you see me there at least once a week as the food is really really good

I think your review of L'Enorme was too kind although it's been at least a year since I've been there. I assume the "sheep" cafe you're referring to is Aries. I like their tea made cappuccino style. There's a Chinese restaurant on that street named Hoi Tian something. The chef used to be head chef at some prestigious Bangkok hotel but thought he would retire to Chiang Mai. At any rate there are lots of great dishes there such as Fukien noodles, Oyster omelets, fried rice, cold soy sauce chicken. There are also some strange dishes like pork in red wine sauce which, to my taste, is unbearably sweet. Maybe some things don't translate well to Western palates. Here are the GPS coordinates:

18.749105, 98.942746

The coordinate may be off by a few meters.

It's call Tong Talay in Thai and directly opposite the Serene Lake Moobaan which is made up of 7 towers hard to miss

When I went the place was small and have gradually expanded to the 2 storey place and it's still full

Chef worked in both Malaysia and Bangkok and probably explains why the seafood is tad different and really really good ...that place gets 9/10 from me

They have seasonal seafood and I had Alaskan crabs there and while pricey was really good for the distance it has traveled to be here on Chiang Mai

There is a stretch along Big C Hang Dong where you find several cafes / restaurants

E'norme which opened last year was always standing there and finally I went a few nights ago ..

Went in a group of 11 with kids and the place has sitting outdoors in a beer garden style / band playing and great parking

We ordered a mix of food - Farang/ Thai

Lagsane

Khao Pad Goong

Pizza

Soft Shell Crabs

Stir Fried Vegetables

Salmon Salad

Ice Cream

Food honestly - 7/10 except for the ice cream although you can hardly go wrong with that and the rest was not horrid but just didn't have the oomph taste to make one sigh in enjoyment

Best find is the giant screen for live Barclay football ; parking is easy lots of space to run for the kids and the game played up loud was a great one

My fav along that stretch is still Tong Talay Seafood and the Sheep Cafe that has the chicken rice ...windmill I heard so much negative stuff about it it would probably have to be 2015

It has served the U.S. no real purpose except a huge deal of treasury spent on a war and unachieved objectives as the region has not matured into any real democracy, woman rights , or safety from the Taliban

Omg ....prayers for the family ..not another one

We really don't want this to happen anywhere and to anyone

Yes bottles of wine or Black Label....hampers would be nice but make sure not the yellow wrappers type....these are for merit making for temples( just joking ).

Happy New Year...Sawadee Pee Mai...

Hahahha I have bought those for the temple before and know the difference but thanks for pointing it out

Anyone been invited to one in a Thai household for a New Year Celebration Dinner

What is one expected to bring to such an event ?

I see lots of hampers on sale and reckon that's an appropriate gift ?

And the one you really like , visit it at night to ensure there is no karaoke superstar wannabe and then walk they the building with the office girl looking for a cheaper unit as there are normally multiple units available in the same condo block with just a owner sign at the door

Normally I would just ask at the office for rental units available. I didn't realize that they would allow you to walk thru the corridors looking for owner signs? That would be great as prefer to rent direct from owners.

Some of the fancier places have pitbull managers who guard the place like it belongs to them some places are more laid back and you can walk right in ...

At this time the advantage is for renters

Due to the crazed overbuild scenario there is an abundance of houses and condos for rent and I would say it pays to look thru the websites first , visit your top 3-5 condo units with the agent

And the one you really like , visit it at night to ensure there is no karaoke superstar wannabe and then walk they the building with the office girl looking for a cheaper unit as there are normally multiple units available in the same condo block with just a owner sign at the door

Happy searching