rene123

God - half a day looking at wood carvings would make me want to carve a hole through my chest to remove my beating heart to end the agony.

Royal flora - some people might enjoy it but I can't get into it. How many times can you say "wow more freakin flowers - yay" before you just go postal.

Op Khan National Park is pretty nice. Though I recall hearing that there was something dangerous there - I think either a drownings or snakes - but whichever it was, I heard it was more than one time.

Night Safari is something I have always wondered about by never went, so that could be another option (assumable in the evening ofc).

Other than that, I would have to agree with this:

There is nothing in Hang Dong worth seeing or visiting that I know of.

It`s just an area that people pass through when on route to somewhere else.

Different strokes for different folks. I wandered around all the shops for about 3 hours and watched artists work, but then I enjoy watching craftsmen. I also came home with a carving I liked and would not be able to purchase in Canada. Beetlejuice said there is nothing to do. Winnie the Kwai disagreed. I enjoy a walk or a hike in the forest while others prefer to guzzle beer all day. I enjoy going on long motorbike rides whereas others are too frightened to do so.

The question wasn't what you or I like to do so much as the various options near Hang Dong.

So you've actually convinced us. Yes there are stupid people in this world. Wow! What a discovery!

Oh, and men think through their little head rather than the one on their shoulders when under the influence of us women. Wow! Another new discovery!

Maybe it should be written up in some scientific journal.

"when under the influence of us women"

Yes we all came here with a dream of meeting a middleaged farang woman! Yes we are stupid but not that stupid!

Who visits the candystore to buy cabbage??

Thanks for the laugh, Soi1. Having seen the obvious comparisons I tend to agree with you.

I enjoy the verbal bantering and don't take offence at anything. If people are actually being nasty then that is a reflection on them.

Just guys comparing the size of their dicks again.

I thought this topic was about that delightful old tale about the Scarlet Pimpernel...

They seek him here, they seek him there. The Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven? Is he in hell? The dammed elusive Pimpernel.

Although I think Thailand could streamline the visa stamp process and keep the money in Thailand, I do believe Thailand is a lot more helpful to tourists than say Canada or the USA. A tourist certainly can't stay indefinitely in Canada with just a Quick trip across a border. Of course, if you were a Thai tourist in Canada and over stayed your visit by ONE day, and you attempted to cross into the USA for an hour. it is an absolute certainty you would be detained in jail until you were deported and never allowed to return.

You can easily spend half a day in the artistic village with the wood carvings and unique furniture.

Anyone visiting Chiang Mai should take part of a day and visit the little arts village neat Hang Dong. The whole area is dedicated to artistic wood carvings and unique furniture built from native Thai wood.

So you've actually convinced us. Yes there are stupid people in this world. Wow! What a discovery!

Oh, and men think through their little head rather than the one on their shoulders when under the influence of us women. Wow! Another new discovery!

Maybe it should be written up in some scientific journal.

That is really too bad because it was one of the things I really enjoyed about staying in Chiang Mai. Maybe I'll have to find another city to live during the Canadian winter. However, first I will apply for a permit and see what happens. I never ran into any officials on those trails when I was there for 6 months, but I met a lot of Thai hikers who often left a mess behind. I always brought a bag to carry out their garbage. I know my elderly friend won't change his ways and he will just go anyway if he can't get a permit.

If men are willing to send money to help some Thai women then that is their concern. Many people give to charities. The money just goes round and round. Why should it be of any interest to others. It is like the continual topic of tips for services rendered. If one woman can keep several men happy then more power to her. If the men are happy then why should anyone else care? Why ruin someone else's party?

Hard to say because we don't know the details. Are the men getting what was promised them?

From your point of view, it would be alright for me to call up elderly women on the phone and promise them returns on non-existing investments, separating them from their pensions.

You wouldn't condone that would you now, my dear?

It depends on what was promised, but it still comes down to a gullible person hoping to get something for nothing. How many here would fall for one of the Nigerian money schemes? If some man is foolish enough to send money to a total stranger met through the internet then he needs a harsh dealing with reality. However, if he meets some Thai woman over the internet and they agree to meet and have sex then they've entered into a business contract. After that they are just dickering over the price. As someone already mentioned, in western countries a marriage divorce can often be far more expensive. My ex husband found that out the hard way.

Despite the bribery and corruption, it just sort of works, and things actually do get done. Occasionally, things do go wrong, but so do they in other countries that are supposedly much better run. I can point to some Canadian programs that were disasters for proof. Although there is the potential for much higher corruption than there is, there is an innate goodness in most of the people and they seem to rise above it. Maybe it is the basic principles of Buddhism that is working.

That is quite common in Canada as well. Very often the only Thai person in the Thai restaurant is the owner, but the staff, including the cook, are from somewhere else.

Fair enough, but as someone else pointed out, these poorly paid staff are often from some hill tribe that don't speak common Thai. They either learn quickly or the are fired.

Soi141

You must be the biggest hypocrite and Pis* taker of all time. You provide the facilities and amenities for these Girls to contact westerners, with the intentions of creating an income from scamming.

And then you have the audacity for justifying your scamming venue,by saying "One born every minute" yes there is one born every minute,sadly some are a nasty pieces of work like you,who are trying in vain to justify your lack of morals and principals,and empathy is obviously an alien concept,for someone with your total lack of humanity!

Normally I wouldn't want to see fellow Expats in a position of being Ripped Off,but in your case,I will happily make an exception. Now kindly return to your home beneath the Bridge,amongst the slime and filth, where obviously you belong!

you put that so well,

hes just a pimp, at the end of the day hes pissed off that the girls can make afew baht without him,

jake

Nothing wrong with being a pimp if the women are well taken care of. If everyone is taken care of then why should it be of concern to others?

It never ceases to amaze me that foreigners complain about poorly paid staff in low end accommodation or eateries not understanding them. How many of these complainers can speak 4 or 5 languages? I've listened to Londoners, Welsh and Scots that I could only recognize every 3rd or 4th word. And, they "supposedly" are speaking English. Instead of staying in $5 a night accommodation and eating in cheap Charlie Thai cafes or hooker bars go stay in 5 star hotels and tell me they can't supply your needs.

As far as massage parlours go, I haven't seen too many young, attractive women working at them. I only have the occasional massage, but the few places I've visited didn't have one woman that was remotely attractive. The times I've walked down Loi Kroh road in Chiang Mai and passed by the many massage parlours the women working there were all older (40s), very plain looking women. The same was true the few times I visited Pattaya, Krabi, Phuket and Koh Samui. I don't know where these pretty Thai women are working in massage parlours and have multiple men willing to send them money. I guess I would have to be a man to find these hidden massage parlours.

Of course Thailand is corrupt. What country isn't? That is not news. It is just that corruption is more visible in Thailand. Indirectly, corruption affects everyone, and it directly affects some of us if we break the laws of the country. Some officials can be bribed and that might affect anyone who wants to invest in Thailand. But, if you try to follow the laws and don't invest in anything that you can't afford to lose then life is pretty good. Thai Police commonly accept bribes, but that is mostly to supplement low wages. In western countries we can't bribe police, but the fines for breaking laws are 10 times as high. I just accept Thailand for what it is and enjoy the difference.

Gawd, poor cat.........

.....and who's that trimming the rat? You know some strange people Rene

He is a friend of my fathers and he uses the fur for fly tying. He also uses cat fur and dog fur. He even made a fly using some of my curly red hair and actually caught a trout with it. At least he said he did. I just thought of the pictures when I read your topic. Everyone seemed to be having a laugh.

There is a pond near my hotel and the rats run back and forth between it and the hotel's garbage pails. I often thought an air gun would be fun for target practise.

I'm usually polite and try to make a joke about it, but if the guy is persistent then I do like Patsy and tell them to F*** off. The few Thai men who hit on me were shorter than me and I didn't find them attractive, so I just ignored them. I don't know if they were married or not.

I would be a little worried about using a down rigger in a Thai reservoir. Most reservoirs have submerged brush and trees that tangle everything. I also had problems with abandoned nets. My father uses down riggers all the time when fishing for salmon and he tries to keep his gear off the bottom.

Well, if you have rats then you need a cat. And, seeing as it's very hot in Thailand then the cat needs a trimming.

But. just to make it fair you should trim the rat as well.

yep thats about the same way that i do it , but usualy i do not even use the google map i just make a small list with towns and road numbers , however road numbers are terrible if they are there at all but say route 2012 goes from north to south but the same from south to north that's not a problem but also every intersection the roads on the left and right are the same number that can get confusing but hey usually when i travel i am not in a hurry and with a bit of creative sightseeing can get back on route anyway

Yes, but getting lost is just part of the fun! If everything goes too smoothly it's a little boring. And like you say, I'm never in a hurry. When getting a bit lost I've found some interesting places that I want to revisit at a different date. And, it's been my experience that if you have a smile on your face the local Thais will welcome you with open arms.

Has this topic ever degenerated into a bickering match! Next thing people will be commenting on grammar and spelling. You all sound like little boys.