Duvidl

And don't forget, folks, it's flower festival, this coming weekend. Expect more traffic chaos

And Chinese New Year!! Pandemonium, methinks.

I did my 90-day reporting by mail, as I always do. Sent by EMS on 1/21, received by Imm on 1/22. So it took a little longer to get the receipt back - usually 3/4 days - but I did get it. Was just about to make a (long) trip to Promenada.

Sorry. Yes. Kad San Keaw.

The only reason to go there in the first place is to catch a play when they have them.

There are no playhouses/theaters at Kad Farang, looks like you got it wrong again.

As usual...

Check-out the Gate Theater. They put on plays regularly.. Very professional. And, yes. at Kad Farang.

Try this link:

http://www.wherever.tv/tv-channels/BBC-News-24.jsf

If you're renewing a 5-year DL, you don't need a medical letter. If you're renewing a 1-year DL to a 5-year, you do need one.

I'm just old school.Gas is for cooking .Diesel is for Boats n Comercials. Petrol is for Cars ,and Batteries for Golf Carts and Fruit Cakes.[emoji466]️[emoji23]

I guess I'm just "new school" and run my car on LPG, which, at today's price, is roughly 1/2 the cost of petrol.

San Francisco, where I lived a few years ago, is a great city and great place to live, but:

Average asking rent for a studio apartment in the city (SF) is $2,828 a month according to RealFacts, a real estate data company.My rent for a 2br/2ba house in Chiang Mai: 10,000baht a month or $278.23 at today's exchange rate. Now that's less than 1/10th of what I would be paying for what probably is a shoebox in SF.

So I think I'll stay here.

I also use ILikeHD, especially for the Sky Movie Channels, Fox and ESPN sports. Generally pretty reliable with a decent broadband connection. However, quite a few channels have distorted images because they don't adjust aspect ratios from the source. Annoying, particularly when watching sports. But for around 450 baht/month, I'll probably stick with it. I also get a TrueVisions

cheap package for Turner Classic Movies and one ASN channel.

The 2br/2ba townhouse I rent in a nice neighborhood in Chiang Mai would cost me 6x more in California where I lived. So it really doesn't matter to me what I have to pay for everything else. Water is 10x more expensive in California and electricity is about the same. Cable TV and internet are twice as much back in the US. A meal at a nice western-style restaurant is usually 1/3 less for an equivalent feed. A movie 1/2 as much. The bottom line is: if I l lived in California I would still be working at 67. Here I'm retired and - no problemo.

True has various bundled packages including TV, internet and phone. Just dial 1686 or go into any True office.

Be sure to have them check your cooling system and especially the thermostat. Small engines often overheat in this climate and the result can be a blown head gasket.

Slow news day.

College football can be found on ASN (Channel 677) both live and with repeats..

# 479 - wonderful news. ie use a visa agent.

Now, I only need a reasonable yet efficient agent. Have narrowed it down to two.

Visa extension is now relatively expensive - travel, accommodation & agent fee.

Any comment on preferred visa agent/s?

The one next to immigration have same day preferred access to immigration for some reason. They are cheaper than the others and you don't even have to go in to the immigration offices.

You'll have to go to Immigration to have your picture taken, but as NJ has told us, this will probably happen very quickly with an agent helping you.. And you still will have to return to Immigration, probably around 5pm to pickup your passport. The agent next to the Immigration office appears to be a good deal.

I order from eBay. 365 tablets for 247 baht including shipping:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_armrs=1&_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=low+dose+aspirin&_sop=15

I've been using ilikehd for over a year now and think it's a good deal. The Sky TV movie channels are well worth the money. Only problems are the aspect ratios of some channels are wrong, giving you a distorted image. And the user interface could be better.

I got my extension last week and I was asked by the visa agent to provide a rental contract.

Curious, Just because we live in Chiang Mai, do we have to go to the Chiang Mai office to renew our annual extensions or can we visit any immigration office? Which is the closest office to Chiang Mai that does the O-A Extensions based on retirement?

You can go to any immigration office, as long as you live in the area.

(a week in a guest house should do it)

Then just fill in the change of address form a week or so later.

Really? They require a rental contract now for a retirement extension in Chiang Mai. Is this bot the case at other immigration offices?

EMS post not simplier ?

For retirement extension immigration requires that you appear in person to have your picture taken.

The situation could be solved by simply having more immigration officers to handle the increasing number of expats wanting extensions. Why do the powers-that-be in Bangkok not do something about this? I've heard that Chiang Mai Immigration has been requesting additional help for over a year now, but nothing has been done. Maybe they could eliminate the useless 90-day reporting and re-assign those officers to do extensions? I mean, is this rocket science we're dealing with?

Hi,

5am to get the queue. The chance to get it back by 4pm will depend if the officers there to sign. There is no way to confirm this, and as many have stated it can be as late as 6pm before you get the passport back. Even if you use an agent this will be the same as you are waiting on the signature from the boss.

If one were using an agent, and if all of the paperwork was handed in and accepted, why wouldn't it be the agent waiting for the passport to be signed by the boss?

I used an agent.. Now I' wish I had saved the 5500baht. I can fill out the TM7 and make copies myself. Having to wait until 5-6pm to get the passport back or make a THIRD trip to pick it up? No thanks. Next year I'll check-out the agent next to immigration.

You can do a 90-day report up to 7 days after the actual due date, stamped on the receipt in your passport.

I go to Pizzeria Giotto regularly because I live nearby. It has been excellent every time. Salads and pizzas as good any I've had in Chiang Mai. They have a wood-burning oven which can only accommodate a couple of pies at a time, so you might have to wait a while when it's crowded, but I've only found it packed on a Sunday night. (I usually go fairly early - 6:30-7:30 pm for dinner.) Glad to have this place in my area - and also Salsa Kitchen, which has opened a branch just a hundred meters up the the road (3029) past Meechok Plaza.

I went to renew my license(s) from 1 year to 5 year at about 3pm on a Thursday. There were very few people. Maybe a dozen. I went to the various windows as directed. I had my copies made at the copy desk. Needed only one original Residence Certificate - a copy was accepted for the second (motorbike) license. Same for the Medical letter. Waited for my number to be called for picture-taking, and I was finished. Total time spent at the office - 25 minutes.