rene123

That is one thing I miss about staying in Thailand for the winter. It's doing my own baking during the cold, rainy days. And then having friends over to eat them all.

I agree with MrBrad. Thai hotels are not heated or cooled, other than by the local weather. If it gets cool for a few days and nights then the whole building gets cold, and those little heaters in the shower stall is not enough to take the chill off. Fortunately, I'm a Canadian girl who has spent many months camping in the snow on mountaineering trips and I can take a little cold now and then. A damp facecloth is warmer than a cold shower.

I don't know why everyone is arguing with the OP. It's obvious that HE is not getting the mail. I think a lot depends on the local mail office. I've had mail go missing and I've also had it opened in transit, and not by Canadian post. but, with the local Post office I now use in Chiang Mai, I've never had anything go missing. I sure would not send anything valuable through mail and I'd certainly not send cash in an envellope. I think they have machines that can read if cash is in an envellope.

Thankfully, us women don't receive massages in public bathrooms. At least I don't THINK we do.

I didn't mean this topic to be a knock on Thailand. I just thought it amusing. However, I sometimes wish I could rent a big, black Mercedes with tinted windows for a day, and I'd add a couple of little official looking flags in the back for good measure. Then I'd drive around town just to see what preferential treatment I received.

Relax, Queue jumping is a National Sport here, if it was an Olympic Sport, Thais would win Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Obviously you have never been to China or Hong Kong....Thailand strictly amataurs.

Agreed!

And, someone mentioned the Middle Kingdom? I've never heard of a country called the Middle Kingdom. Where, pray tell, is it?

Did you want to compete with the local parking attendents and their whistles?

Last night was the first evening in the month that I've been here that i felt a jacket was necessary. I'm looking forward to the cool weather.

Maybe this is why Flo Rida is such a hit in the clubs here?

I think that has more to do with the hot babes and that hunk of a black dude with the tattoos, than the whistles.

It's a little bit of everything. Foreigners riding motorscooters in crazy Thai traffic is one reason. As already stated, elderly men who come here as a last ditch measure to save a failed life is another. Men who get drunk and flash their money around in places where thieves and crooks hang out is another. Getting involved in business deals that have no way of succeeding is another. It is like statistics everywhere, they can be skewed to alter whatever data you want to prove. Hospitals are pretty good in Thailand and fairly reasonable, but they can't account for everything. If you have enough money for a specialist then you'll be okay, but if not then you'll get lumped in with all the other patients with little or no money. In those cases, misdiognosis happens frequently.

There is a security guard at Siam BTS station on duty in the evening who could not blow his whistle any louder or longer even if assisted with an compressed air canister. Complete nutcase.

I could believe it, but this parking attendent today would give the guy a run for his money. I just don't know where he got the strength to do all that blowing. I get puffed just trying to blow up one balloon.

Not that much really but I would imagine a couple of the main reasons that people do love it here, would be the prices and the climate.

Watch this, dude.

Thanks for that, BAI, It was well done and I enjoyed it. They just didn't portray the grid-lock traffic that is so typical of the city.

I would phrase things differently. I love my life in Thailand. It has changed a lot over the last 35 years or so but I love my life, which happens to be in Thailand. Loving a country seems like a strange concept to me.

That is well phrased. At this point in my life I am enjoying Thailand thoroughly. How I wil or would feel in 25 years might be a different story entirely. Right now I am enjoying the freedom to do pretty much whatever I want within reason. Canada is too much of a controlling nanny state and the current government policies frustrate me. But, I am in the fortunate position that I can go back and forth pretty much as I like and get the best of both worlds. So, I an not really the right person to ask. I'm just adding my 3 cents worth. Or, should I say, one bath worh.

The "Right" person is the key to the question. I doubt if you'll have much luck in Thailand. Have you tried Kansas? I here there are lots of great tin woodsmen there.

Make Thai men responsible for the children they bring into the world. Thailand could use a law similar to the one in North America; even if there still are a lot od dead beat dads. But, Thais can't enforce simple traffic laws so I doubt if it would work.

I thought the discussion was about the scammer who sells other people's personal information on the open internet; not about the supposed age of either of the two females in the photo. What does it matter about the females ages? They've already chosen their profession for the good or the bad.

Do Thais have contests on who can blow their whistle the longest and the loudest?

I was having a pleasant lunch with a friend here today and I couldn't help but notice a whistle that kept blowing continuously for the 40 minutes we were there. I would have expected the parking attendent would have run out of air by then. It was non stop and just like a tree full of sparrows in the evening. I didn't really mind because I've learned to tune out all the constant noise that is part of cities in Thailand. I just thought it was amusing that the parking attendent felt is was his duty to continuously blow his whistle. There just wasn't that much traffic to make in necessary.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll try them out in the future. It won't be my last ride up there.

This is probably old news for the long timers here, but it's a first for me. I don't know if it's legal here to name companies, but I'll leave it by just giving a general location. It happened at a station near the south west corner of the moat this evening. Because of the King's birthday today the banks were closed and I couldn't change my 1000 baht notes into smaller bills. So, when it came time to pay for 160 baht worth of gas the attendent handed my six 100 baht bills and two 20 baht bills in exchange for my 1000 baht note. I learned how to count a long time ago and 640 baht is 200 baht short. When I pointed it out to him he was only going to give me another 100 baht and seemed reluctant to do so. It's just a warning to check your change.

I must say I tried out the Why Not restaurant tonight and my lasagna was quite nice. But, as I usually only drink water with my meal I entirely forgot to ask for wine. I'm not sure if they would have served it or not. I forgot it was the Kings birthday until all the bombs started going off about 7:30PM. I also noticed that a couple of chaps at my hotel were drinking beer, so it can't be a universal law.

I like the loop

Wanna go again I would be happy to go along

Try the caves too. Very nice stop along the way

I admit I have never seen a 7-11 on the ride past the start or end

The 7-11 is right in the village of Samoeng, and right across the road from the bank and the post office. It would be hard to miss if you go into the village.If you are just riding around the loop then you would miss Samoeng. Samoeng is about 5.5 km from the junction of 1269 and 1096. I believe most of the sights to see (Elephant park, waterfalls, etc) are along the 1096 route, up from Mae Rim and hwy 107.

In many Islamic countries, women are not given the right to vote. In many Islamic countries, women are not given the right to see a doctor about problems pertinent to females. In many Islamic countries, there are no female doctors. Although I haven't been to Malaysia, I've heard a few credible horror stories regarding women's rights. That is enough for me. Even Thailand has a male dominated hierarchy, but women do have more rights here than Islamic countries. Correct me where I'm wrong and I'll retract my statements.

Dirty beaches are common in all countries that don't have the funding to put in proper infrastructure before they start developing. Preventing pollution is not really a high priority in Thailand. There are lots of clean beaches to the south of Pattaya towards Sattahip. All you need to do is rent a scooter and search them out. Koh Larn Island is not so polluted and it is only a 20 baht ferry ride from Pattaya.

The Samoeng loop is a nice half day ride (including stops) on a scooter or motorcycle. It's an even nicer full day trip on a bicycle.

"on a bicycle"

Respect!

X2

As I said, it was just a spur of the moment trip and I didn't leave myself enough time to see all that the area has to offer. I was only gone for about 3 or 4 hours. I usually try to stop and see as much as I can everywhere I go, but not on this trip. I have a friend who only likes to ride and he never stops for anything. If I stop for photos he is 10 km ahead of me. I also mentioned that I intend to take another trip there and start earlier to see more of what the area has to offer. Or, didn't you read that part of my intial report, and you only looked at the negative, as per usual for thaivisa.

I'm more like you Renee. Back in the states, I did a trip from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Page, Arizona near the Grand Canyon. Google Maps estimated that the trip would take about 6 hours. Unfortunately they don't do an estimate for photographers. With all the stops for pictures, it was closer to 12 hours. Never ride or drive with a photographer if you are in a hurry.

David

Ain't that the truth.