Chiang Mai neighbourhoods suitable for Mr Magoo

Answer: None unless you really enjoy bad air for 3 to 4 months of the year and stifling heat during most of that time. But since you can't see well enough, maybe you won't notice. 

If, however, you don't mind the pollution (and there are many other considerations since you were here 20 years ago, but that might be off topic to bring up), live anywhere a Grab will come to you, which is most places. 

BINGO! Asked and answered. Can close the thread now. ????

"Come to think of it, they should have lockdown in Dec last month."

Yep, lockdowns sure work. That's why we have to use them so often. ...

"4,087 people remain in hospital or held in a migrant worker quarantine centre."

What a useless piece of information. 

So is that 1 person in the hospital and 4,086 in a migrant quarantine center (what on earth is that? A prison for positive tested migrant workers? What does this even look like?) or is it 50 people in a round-up pen and the rest in hospital?

With brainiacs putting this junk out without even thinking about its meaning tells you a lot. 

Don't hold your breath about travel just yet. Thailand had zero local/domestic cases for about 4 months before illegal entry across the Burmese border changed that. Thailand has the idea that there should be zero cases forever. Since this is impossible, don't expect the travel industry to spark back up this year or...well, who knows? 

I lived many years in Samui and that was a joy. I don't know why you chose Chiang Mai, but there are many other options here. Prachuap Khiri Khan being one you ought to explore (the town, not the province). 

...and no one is high-jacking the thread; it's information that is useful for someone who apparently is unfamiliar with Thailand and the situation in the North. 

Come here at the beginning of March and spend 3 months. Just rent a condo for that time.

Frankly, the air quality during that time now (these past years) is shocking. My guess is that you will not want to settle here. I have been living in CM for eight years and am now seriously thinking of where to live during the bad air times -- although I have to say that the smoke and air pollution is starting to creep in far earlier than ever before. 

Here is a look at the air quality right now: 

"A generator is a far better bet than a small  fortune for batteries at this current time IMHO."

Isn't a generator really loud? 

"315 is a big number. Sadly, It will continue to rise..."

Hahaha....oh very big number! Too big! 

Oh my god....yes, it's 0.00045% of the population of Thailand, thereabouts. And that's just ONE DAY! What shall we do?

What about the total for the whole darn time? 

7,694 "cases" (positive tests included, not necessarily sick people) is about 0.01% of the total population of Thailand!

YIKES!!!!! Run for the hills! The spikes are coming....this is serious, no joking matter. We need to do something...er, well, let's do what everyone else is doing...how about following California? That seems to be working, right? Those Americans are smarty pants geniuses; they'll know the right thing to do. FOLLOW THE SCIENCE!

And I read that you will STILL have to wear a highly protective paper mask even AFTER being vaccinated (to follow the SCIENCE, and PROTECT against the deadly-and-spreading-like-wildfire C-O-V-I-D (dare not say its name out loud). 

"...in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19."

If this is the objective, then it will not only fail, but we will never get tourism back. This would be like trying to stop the spread of the flu. It's not an attainable goal. This is a virus, not a flock of chickens. You can't "pen up" a virus; it will spread no matter what you do. 

It would amazing to see Thailand get out of lockstep with the rest of the world and think for themselves on this....oh look! A flying pig!....

"The UK has started vaccinations, but also just had their worst week for infections ...."

But that there are infections in the population has nothing to do with starting a vaccine program. Individuals who are vaccinated are good to go. The Thais are using circular reasoning. 

I am particularly interested in seeing numerous adults putting baby masks on young children and toddlers. Just an hour ago I saw a kid -- probably about 18 months old -- wearing a little custom baby mask (the child did not look quite at the age to walk yet).

These parents fit into the "....then you are an idiot" category. Aside from totally unnecessary, I can't help but wonder how the physical and -- more importantly -- the mental progress of the child will be as it rebreathes its air/carbon dioxide (when outside the house [I hope they don't do this at home, but then another "...then you are an idiot" act I always see is people driving alone wearing a mask....subcategory: Brainwashing complete. So the Idiocracy is already well developed and gaining strength].)

It is an old piece, probably from the 50s or 60s from Japan. It's a jewelry/music box that plays Swan Lake when you open it. There is a cool Spirograph thing that spins as the song plays. The sticker on the outside in Japanese says that there is a doll included, which is long gone. 

Just part of my eclectic collection of old Japanese artifacts (and more often, souvenirs Japanese purchased decades ago). 

Good idea, FG. 

I think it's safe to say that every single person who has recently tested positive for covid in the Samut Sakhon incident were wearing masks, since everyone is.

Funny, since we are all told how necessary and how protective they are. Oh, wait...right....

"A study conducted in the United States in July found that when they compared 154 “case-patients,” who tested positive for COVID-19, to a control group of 160 participants from health care facilities who were symptomatic but tested negative, over 70 percent of the case-patients were contaminated with the virus and fell ill despite “always” wearing a mask."

But the CDC still says they are worth wearing...

"Hey, buy this car. The brakes only work 70 percent of the time, but otherwise it's a gem...."

-- CDC-study-finds-overwhelming-majority-of-people-getting-coronavirus-wore-masks

Oops...

But that's doesn't dovetail in to the narrative, does it? Same for the Dutch study. 

"'Our trial of more than 6,000 participants here in Denmark found similar rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in those who did and those who did not receive a recommendation to wear a surgical face mask when outside the home,' said Henning Bundgaard, the study’s lead author and University of Copenhagen, in a video.

He cautioned that, 'Our study does not address the effectiveness of widespread mask use for preventing the spread of infection from those infected with SARS-CoV-2.""

-- Mask-effectiveness-study-denmark-counter-cdc-recom

Oh well, at least we will be able to find out, in time, how rebreathing your own carbon dioxide will affect one's health (and the health of [small] children) by wearing masks all the time. Just breathing out we expel about 4% CO2....

(The gas exhaled is 4% to 5% by volume of carbon dioxide, about a 100 fold increase over the inhaled amount. -- Wiki)

"Concentrations of CO2 >10% may cause convulsions, coma and death."

-- Carbon dioxide poisoning abstract

....to be continued....

Where would a guy go to find a sequin to replace the red one that is missing? 

Here is your business opportunity. Love the super powerful vacuum cleaners they have too. 

Thanks Russell17au for solving this question. It all makes sense now. 

By the way, I don't know if it's just me but the tires in my car deflate on their own. The tires on my scooter deflate on their own. The tires on my chopper deflate on their own (although not as badly as all the other vehicles). The tires on my bicycle deflate on their own. 

Paying to put nitrogen in the tires of my car would be silly. Every two weeks I'd have to refill them. 

What does happen in all these stations is that the pump usually will fill the tires higher than what you programmed in by a few pounds, and then it releases air to the designated number. You can hear it (and see this on the display). 

A: When I immediately put the chuck back on the tire that was reading 2 seconds ago 32psi, and it shows 27, it does kick in to fill with more air up to 32. 

"if its still valid or if ur on an extension and have a valid rer entry permit.

of course you can"

Nope. Current regulations regarding covid prohibits anyone holding a retirement visa from reentering the country on that kind of visa. 

I think people are misunderstanding...

What is happening is that the pump fills the tire to 32. And then when you remove the chuck from the tire and immediately put it back on the stem, the reading is less than 32. Regardless whether the gauge itself is accurate, it should read the same as you filled it immediately afterwards as well. But it doesn't. No filling station does. So there's some design thing happening I am not aware of. 

"You mean the 99 baht ones (tire pressure gauges) of Lazada are not reliable?"

Of course I don't mean that. Anything that costs 99 baht is 100% reliable and accurate. 

Is silicon allowed? 

Of course with external gauges, you have to wonder if they themselves are accurate. 

This made the Michelin recommendations this year: 

Khao Soi Mae Manee

Remember that if you have a retirement visa currently and are in the country, you can't get back in under that visa if you leave the country. That should pour cold water on your idea for a while.