earlofwindermere

We are just about to sell our 2005 Jazz (same model as above) with 120 000km on it. Would I be correct to assume that 400-420k is an acceptable amount to ask then? We're based in Chiang Mai

There is a well known farm that attracts tourists every year. It's past Samoeng in a little village called Boh Kaew. The farmer also sells Strawberry wine and other items made from strawberries. My staff are travelling there tomorrow so I can get more info if you need it. Here's what I know right now:

The farmer's name is Vittaya and the phone number is 0848039905

For those who have never been to Boh Kaew, it's a beautiful little town in a valley - lot's of strawberry farms. There are also a few guesthouses in the area.

Like in every country, there are jobs that you can get and are paid in cash. Yes, it is illegal but it happens everywhere. I know of foreigners here who have worked the following short-term jobs without a work permit or proper visa:

1. Swimming Teacher

2. Coach / Trainer

3. Instructor (ESL, First Aid, Nursing)

4. Restaurant Workers (including at a well known Sushi restaurant).

5. Consultant (Marketing, business, etc)

6. Website design or computer programmer

I'm not saying that it is right or wrong but the simple fact is that there are many short-term jobs that foreigners can get here in Chiang Mai if they take some initiative and are a little creative.

There are more tourists right now because all the missionaries working in China are down here for their conferences during Chinese New Year.

A little follow-up on this project...

Apparently very few of the families awarded the homes have moved in as the homes are not yet finished.

I was talking with one family yesterday who are recipients. From what they told me, nearly all the families also work in the city (mostly near the airport). Since their new homes are nearly a 35-45 min bike ride out of the city, many are not even planning to live in the homes. They're going to rent them out to people who live in that area.

I guess this is another example of how foreigners come in and try to do some good without knowing the full story. What a shame.

Because of the smokey season in Chiang Mai, my wife and kids will be staying Hua Hin during March. My wife will be 8 1/2 months pregnant and is expect to have the baby in early April in Bangkok. In the event that there is an emergency or early labour, can anyone recommend the name of a good ob/gyn in Hua Hin or even what hospital would be the best choice?

Thanks.

While I am also not a fan of Grace, I think that this thread is being a bit unfair to both the school and some of the people who send their kids to it. If we could re-direct it back to the original topic, it would be more useful to me.

Specifically, how could this legal case actually have happened? Isn't it a bit scarey to anyone else that it's possible to buy property, have it legally processed and then told several years later that it was all wrong... and then sued because of it?

Is this kind of scenario common in Thailand? What incompetent law firm did Grace use? Perhaps people connected to the situation could help us all by telling us how to avoid a similar situation ourselves.

I know that it is much easier and faster to register a foundation with a Thai-only Board of Directors. Many people register with Thais and then add farangs to the Board at a later date. I've heard that Thai-only Boards can be registered in as quick as three months. I have heard of farang Boards taking up to several years....with the average being about a year.

Using a lawyer is not necessary to complete the application process but it is much simpler for you. Several lawyers in the city are known for specializing in setting up foundations. However; make sure to ask around for opinions because opinions vary greatly.

Also, I just checked with my staff. For foundations registered in Sansai, all documents must go through the Amphur office (including Board changes). The person to contact is "Gai." If you would like her phone number, PM me and I'll send it.

PM me and I'll check at the office tomorrow. We've changed the Board of our foundation. It is a rather lengthy process and it is not something that can be done right away with ease. I would understand that the original application would probably have just continued and then the names changed once it was registered. The hassle to change the name in the middle of the application would have been next to impossible. (It is very possible that the application took 13 months to get approved. Ours took 9 months).

Your name will likely always be on the certificate (which must be posted at the legally registered office of the foundation). However; the government will have on file the name of the current Board members. Our foundation is registered in Sansai and all documents (including changes in Board members) must be submitted to the Amphur office. I am not sure if this is the case for those registered in the city.

From what I know, it would be pointless to try to get your name off the original application. The best you could do is to ensure that you are not a current Board member.

I'm not sure who this lady is but she's using my mailbox number to have her mail delivered to.

Just in case someone here actually knows her, tell her to PM me to get her mail. Otherwise, I'll "Return to Sender" soon.

Thanks.

I met a guy the other day who is staying at Viengbua Mansion. He spends the winters here and is a tax specialist. Can't remember the name but I'm sure that you could track him down if you went to the place.

Almost all of the staff at my office came down with the same thing last week....

Tired, sore throat and low grade fever.

After about 3-4 days, the fever and coughing start to disappear but we all started getting sores in and around our mouths (ie canker and cold sores) as well as a few tiny red bumps on our bodies.

It sounds pretty similar to Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. Can adults get it? Is HFM making its way around the city right now?

Anyone else experiencing this?

I'm not sure if this should be a pinned topic or not. It's quite common on this forum to have people ask for reputable places to volunteer or to donate funds to. Chiang Mai in particular seems to have a disproportionate amount of development organizations and volunteers.

The following link is considered one of the authorities in the development world. They list pretty much every organization that "fit the general criteria of promoting good governance, sustainable development and poverty reduction."

Link to Thailand's Charity/Development Sector

I'm sure that some will say that their group is missing. Perhaps it was overlooked or perhaps it was intentionally left off the list for one reason or another. Either way, this is a good base for people to start their research.

I second that. Unbelieveable selection for the price. I'll be heading back again very soon.

I may be mistaken but the evening flight on Bangkok Airways stops in Sukhothai on the way to Bangkok.

I just came back from the buffet. It is really great. It is nearly identical to the buffet that they offered during Loy Krathong. Sadly, the restaurant was relatively empty. After seeing the huge spread, we will definitely be back before the end of the month.

Our family went to Sripat on Jan 31st and all had the checkup (Diamond package). We were the only people there and had excellent service. No waiting at all. The total test took 1 hour for 3 of us to have all testing. We then went for breakfast and came back. We were escorted to the front of the waiting line, saw a cardiologist and were taken for echocardiograms within 15 minutes (since EKG was abnormal). The service was excellent and I would suggest going on a public holiday as nobody else seems to think to have the test done then.

We've been living in Chiang Mai for the past 5 years. I'm from BC (the Kootenays) and my wife is from Calgary. There are quite a lot of Canadians living in the city. Like others have said, many of us keep under the radar. The only time that a large group of us get together is for Canada Day. We usually organize a pancake breakfast and open it up to any other Canadians living in the city. Usually, about 70-100 show up.

Based on who I know, the type of Canadian living here ranges in age and purpose for being here. There are a lot of Canadians working for NGOs and missionary agencies. There are also quite a lot of Canadian managers of factories and businesses in the area.... and of course retirees.

My opinion is that Canadians seem to get along quite well with most of the other nationalities so we don't necessarily seek out only other Canadians. I'm sure that you'll find the same if you move here.

One warning.... I've yet to find any regular way to watch any NHL games while living here.

I agree with Puwa. I've tried cheap and they always burn out. If your toothbrush is that important for you, spend the money and get a good step down. We bought ours at Central.

I'm wondering if there is any place in Phuket that sells turkey (preferably cooked). In Chiang Mai, there are several places that will cook the turkey for you and even provide the stuffing. Does a similar place/store exist in Phuket? If not, can anyone suggest where to buy uncooked turkeys?

Thanks

Edit: I just saw the link for Don's at the top of the page. I will look into them.

I'm curious.... what exactly is the "Jewish Society of Chiang Mai?" From a legal point, there is not "society" classification for registration so I'm assuming that it's probably just an informal group?

While not Jewish myself, I have been able to celebrate several Jewish festivals over the years and enjoyed them all. Happy holidays.

I am also a fan of Sripat / Special Medical Services. I have done their package last year and am planning to do it again in about two weeks.

I have been to Bumrungrad and have had the same service for 4x the price (and a nicer looking building). However; since at least 50% of all medical tests are bloodwork, there is no reason to pay such high prices unless you know that you have something unusual.

I have been to the Loh Kroh guy. I did not find him to be anything special or better than what I've found at Sripat. In such a small clinic, I would question the accuracy of their lab capabilities but I have not actually seen the lab so this is probably not a fair judgement.

I have heard that approximately 250 tickets have already been sold in the past 3 days. The maximum number planned is 300 so it'll likely sell out today. Looking forward to meeting many of you at the breakfast.

Thanks for all of the messages. To help it easier and faster for everyone, the information (with contact numbers) has been posted at the following link:

Santa Claus Breakfast

The annual Santa Claus breakfast is gearing up again and I thought that I’d post the information on here in case some of you are not familiar with the event.

Date: Dec 12th

Time: 9:00am - noon

Location: Gymkhana Club

Santa arrives around 11:00am and hands out the presents (Parents bring their own gift and add it to the bag beforehand).

Adult (over 12 years of ag) 250 baht

Child (2-12 years) 150 baht

Child (1 years and under) free

You must get tickets before Dec 4th. I'm not sure if I can put the contact names of where to buy tickets. If I'm allowed to post phone numbers, let me know. Otherwise, pm me with the area of the city that you are in and I'll let you know where to buy.

The Santa Claus breakfast is neither a fundraiser nor a business. It has been running for quite a number of years and is organized by parents for the benefit of their kids.