PaPiPuPePo

Bye Bye, loser

Don't let the door hit you in the ass

AND...do remember to attend your AA meetings from now on

Sounds like YOU need to attend some anger management classes

The OP may be a little ki niao but I think there's some reason to what he's saying. I've been coming here since the 80s, and while bungalow prices on the islands have gone up by a factor of 10 or more (maybe more like 20x, I stayed on Samui back in the day for less than 100 a night, basic bungalow but unforgettably wonderful experience--of course that ship has long sailed), the quality hasn't kept pace. IMO what's happened is short-term visitors with little clue about the world outside Euro-America think 20-30 euros a night (or more) is cheap, because after all you have to pay 60-70 euros a night in Paris for the cheapest hotel rooms. Never mind there's a bit of earning disparity between the two regions, like a factor of 5 or so.

Why doesn't anything else cost 10 times what it did back then? Taxi flag-fall is still 35Bt, food's still reasonable. But accoms have gone WAY up. Again, IME most travellers/tourists are pretty clueless--how many learn even one word of Thai?--and are malleable as sheep when it comes to pricing--tell 'em 1000Bt for something worth 400 and they may haggle it down to 800!

Sure, it's a free-market country and anyone's welcome to charge what the market will bear. I just think the Thais realized clueless tourists will pay too much and raised prices accordingly, especially on the islands. A pricing structure based on low-information buyers is by definition out of balance.

Just because it's inevitable doesn't make it right. And there's nothing wrong with protesting too-high prices--if nothing else it discourages the increasing inequality between the working and rentier classes in Thailand. That might be too poli-sci for most folks tho.

I heard it was a diving accident, but no details have emerged online or in print, and I expect the incident will be down-played. In fact, it should be cause for improvement to both the safety standards, or lack thereof, of a number of dive operations, and to shed some light on the woeful lack of good emergency care here. 500,000 people come here every year, many to learn to dive, and the clinics are not up to the task. That woman may well be alive now if that weren't the case.

Anyway, post what you know below, thanks.

OCH, I also appreciate your polite persistance, especially in the face of the usual "it ain't gonna happen" near-apathy of most people. Highonthai is a good example of it. I lived in Taipei way back in the day and it was not a place you'd want to ride a bike. I heard that at the time there were 1/2 million registered motorbikes in the city, and that probably accounted for half of them only.

I'm no expert on Thailand, but what I've noticed is that there's little respect for public spaces here, either from individuals or the government, and that means little respect for anyone outside one's friends and family. I've read about the 3 circles in Thai society (family/close friends, then casual friends/acquaintences, then everyone else) and how those in the 3rd circle are fair game for any behavior that will profit you.

Look at how many business, just taking CM as an example, expand their store etc onto the sidewalk--how every sq. cm. of space is occupied. Or how business are allowed to put up advertising signs right in the middle of the sidewalk. Watch your head! Or how, when you activate the crossing signal, the bike/car drivers sit there revving their engines nearly snarling at you because you're slowing them down.

The so-called f-u attitude seems to be the status quo here, behind the polite smiles. And having been here (Asia) for longer than I care to admit, it's not getting any better, in fact I'd say worse, as younger people are more wrapped-up in themselves and their online/offline lives than ever before, as civility around the world has worsened, and as ever more people have access to motorized power. Power corrupts, and people who are used to flicking their wrist and being able to zip down the street are not going to give that up.

So it's no surprise your plan has been ridiculed by some or labeled pie-in-the-sky. Keep Albert Schweitzer's dictum in mind, great ideas will always be met with ridicule; but again there are mountains to move--with gov't and police--to make such a plan possible at all, and first of all you'd need something less than 90% of the expats against the idea.

These expats who thing cycling's for the birds are in a way the biggest obstacle to any plan to make Chiangmai more livable (like it was not all-too-long ago): Thais obviously have a like/dislike relationship with us, but on the like side they know, or at least think, we in Western countries are more progressive and are still leading the way in social improvements. But most expats assimilate more than they even know, and here that means living like it's the 70s--bear, cigarettes, forget about peak oil and global warming, etc. So there's a chance, but I'd say it's tiny.

If you're so impassioned about it, I'd recommend reaching out to more than a bunch of motorsai-owning, bootleg-video-watching, computer-forum-posting sedentary-expats :-P! The falang owner of Nice Kitchen on MM soi 6 is an avid rider, he might be someone to talk to. Good luck!

I'm on Koh Tao right now, btw, it's hot but a beautiful island to bicycle on; however it's basically all tourists tooling around on motorcycles, most too fast and not safely. Whaddya gonna do.....

OK time for a swim, it's amazing what good exercise does the mind and body!

Though I've been coming here off and on for years, only once before did I stay long enough to get a 2-month or longer visa, and the last time was years ago. I asked for two two-month visas in the US last fall, and didn't really check the stamp carefully.....that it's actually a dual-entry visa rather than two visas (thus only one visa number) pretty much guarantees it has to be used up without another in-between.

So I guess with a little more reflection I could have guessed, but the replies were nevertheless helpful.

I did the CM immiigration two-step (more like a marathon dance) today and ruefully forked over 1900 baht for another 10 days here. That makes $100 for an allowance of three months in the Kingdom. I love it here but paeng maak-maak IMO. I'll have to go with a three-month next time.

I didn't even ask the officer I dealt with about the border option, he'd obviously perfected the art of don't-askfu and I can't really blame him considering his daily routine.

Hi all, I'm at the end of my first of 60-day visas, aka #1 of double entry. I have to use the 2nd by end of April. Right now I only need about 10 more days, so I don't want to deal with Chiangmai Immigration hassles and expense to extend it.

I don't know, if I go to, say, Mae Sai, if I can just get a 14 day stay at the border, or if the immigration folks there would have to stamp my 2nd 60-day entry. I want to come back and use that in late April. And don't want to a) get another one and burn a $40 2 month visa for 10 more days.

Any hands-on or otherwise solid information on whether I could do that would be much appreciated, TIA!

No problem as long as you make the second entry before the "must enter by" date on the visa.

Wayned, I assume you're responding to my post? If so, then that's great and thanks.

Rather than start a new post I'll add a related question:

I'm in CM and nearing the end of my first of two 60-day visas. Rather than leave/enter from Myanmar/Laos I'd like to extend this one 30 days, stay about 3 weeks, then leave for about three weeks and come back i April on the second 60-day visa I have (valid for use/entry until end of April).

I expect I can do this, if only because immigration will get 1900 baht they wouldn't otherwise, but would like to hear if anyone has experience with this. TIA for your help.