cm das

The paperwork for the extension of stay based on retirement is much easier, but the financial requirements are higher and you cannot apply for a work permit.

The extension of stay based on marriage is much more paperwork, but you can apply for a work permit.

The paperwork for an extension of stay based on marriage isn't really all that bad. The first time around the process is more involved but paperwork for subsequent extensions isn't too much of a hassle.

Yes, Ratchadamnoen is the road that ends at Thapae Gate. From the gate go towards the center of the old city. Pass Wawee on your left. Pass the next 4 way intersection at Phra Poklao Road. Another 50 meters or so and you'll find Chiang Mai Reflexology Center on your right. It's right next to a tailor's & more or less opposite the Writer's Club. If you Google the name, the very first link has a map to show the location.

I got some relief through a number of these holistic treatments but nothing fixed the problem - they only eased the pain a little. The only thing that really worked was physical therapy at Rajavej Hospital. They are great there. I don't think the other treatments work. I do believe in Chiropractic medicine but like I said I could net get in contact with the only Chiropractor here at the time.

Some people swear by trigger point therapy, for me it aggravates rather than alleviates muscular pain. Some doubt the efficacy of reflexology, for me it has helped get rid of serious back pain. Some wholeheartedly believe in chiropractic, I never got anything out of my treatments. I was a nationally certified massage therapist in the US & I have experience with many different modalities, from the purely physical to the more far out. In my experience, there is no one modality that is the answer for everyone and for all problems. Healing is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Nor is it a question of going to someone for them to "fix" you. The trick is to find a modality that works for you, at that moment. Listen to the opinions of others, especially those with some expertise. Be wary of people who make outlandish claims, especially if they are also trying to sell you something. But watch out for blanket statements. When it comes to issues of pain & healing, no one can tell you what is categorically true. THey can tell you what is true for them.

Chiang Mai Reflexology Center on Ratchadamnoen, pretty much right in the middle of the old city. Whether or not you believe in the idea of organ correspondences with spots on the feet, a good foot/lower leg massage can have real therapeutic benefits. The guys here (yes, it's all guys) are the best in town in my opinion. And the foot massages are stick free!

I like the one in the old city about a block South (towards the Chiang Mai Gate) from the main entrance to the Rose Guesthouse. Good prices, good bikes and good service.

I'll agree they have good bikes & good prices but my experience with service, on several occasions, wasn't so positive.

I've had only good experiences at Cacti, though it's a very small shop with limited selection.

According to a delivery notice I just got from them, the Wat Prasingh office is open saturdays from 9-12.

"Walking away from Wat Phra Singh toward Jha Ban, it'll be on your right side."

Would that be walk down walking street towards Pratu Thapae? I have never heard of Jha Ban.

Indeed, directions are a bit off and yes, also a great koaw soy fan. Please try to put us on the right rack!

I don't get the Jha Ban reference either, but anyway here's how to find this place. If you're standing at the main gate of Wat Phra Singh, head up Sihnarat Road towards the old Siam TV. At the traffic light on the very first corner turn right. Go about 100 meters and the Thai Vegetarian Food place is on the right. If you reach the Amphur office on the left you've gone a bit too far. Oh, and there is (or used to be) another vegetarian place on the left on this same stretch of road. That one is so-so, but look for the place on the right. Hope that helps.

Why didn't you have a lock on it?

I didn't see where the op said it wasn't locked. And anyway, I've had a locked bicycle stolen here in Chiang Mai - at the CMU running track while I was there running.

Best veggie khao soy, hands down is at a spot on Intra Warorot right smack dab in the old city. Walking away from Wat Phra Singh toward Jha Ban, it'll be on your right side. Big yellow banner with red writing in Thai and English. "THAI VEGETARIAN FOOD" They have lots of trays with different curries, etc - all served with yummy brown rice, but just walk up to the counter and ask for Khao Soy. It's incredible.

Another vote for this spot. Their khao soy is the best I've had (we're talking veggie here). They also make a great pad krapow. I've eaten at this place for years & never been disappointed, except when they're out of something I want or if the food has cooled off too much. But if you consider value for money, I say it's definitely the best in Chiang Mai.

I was watching at Spicy when Liverpool beat AC Milan in the final back in 2005. I've never much liked Spicy (especially not since they moved indoors) but I have to say it was a pretty fun place to watch the game that night.

"...she vowed to run the country according to her own vision."

And yet I've been seeing Pheu Thai election posters all over town with the slogan "Thaksin thinks, Pheu Thai does."

Thanks, cmdas, I am sure I don't know everything, I've only heard about it forever and played there a couple of times. Nobody's completely innocent. You know stuff I don't about payoffs, etc. etc. . . . but the place does have a good reputation among the musicians I know, and your two yeses above are enough for me to side with the club. But if you've been around you probably have seen that there's noplace at all that doesn't break rules one way or another, and some are left alone by the police and some are not, and many times it has nothing to do with legality. I'm just saying that if the jammers were the kind of jammers I'm talking about (so far nobody's said they weren't, and you yourself say most are casual visitors), then those weren't legitimate busts. If you know different, let us know! No one else has come forward with real details about this, only that it happened and there were some witnesses.

I'm reluctant to post details about people I know, have played with many times over the years and in some cases can call friends of mine. But I'm on north gate's side as well & as you rightly point out, in practical terms disputes like this have little to do with the text of the law & more to do with what "arrangements" are or are not made with the authorities.

Boy, (Took's nephew, guitarist extraordinaire, and proprietor of Boy's Blues Bar) went to Immigration a few weeks ago to find out exactly what the law was with respect to farang and other foreign musicians playing - "jamming" in his bar. He was told by Immigration that it was O.K. for them to 'jam' as long as it was not a regular or weekly kind of gig. Boy told me this personally.

I don't doubt this account. I'm sure Boy and whoever told him that were both sincere. But someone else at immigration could decide otherwise at any time. The issue is not with definition of the law but hazy interpretation & enforcement. It's a part of life in Thailand that we at times love & at times loathe. But for sure if laws were strictly & evenly enforced (at least to the degree they are in the west), then Thailand and many of our lives here would look very different.

2. As I understand it, the case at the North Gate was completely different. "jamming" is what I did when I was there in February. Got up, played a couple of songs, went back, nursed my beer, and listened. Two days later I went back to Bangkok. This is what "jamming" is. Thais don't get paid for it when they sit in, and neither do Farangs. Musicians know that when they come to Chiengmai they can sit in at North Gate, so it's on their itinerary. None of these people come all the time, but different people come in on different days or weeks, usually just for a tune or two. Nobody ever gets paid for jamming. Apparently some farangs who were jamming there one night, doing pretty much what I did, got thrown in the pokey for it. THIS is the issue: was THIS illegal?

Some say yes, some say no. I say that as far as I can see, it's "no." Since it's not a service that is paid for, no matter whether a Thai does it or someone of any other nationality does it, I do not see how it falls under the work permit law.

North Gate, as many jazz clubs worldwide, has a kind of perpetual open mike. They pay all-Thai bands to play there (some quite good) and they get some respectable foreign tourist/musicians through, and lots of folks get up there and play. The audience enjoys it, the Thai musicians usually enjoy it, and of course the farang musicians have fun. Nobody loses work, because the band would not be hiring extra players if no one sat in.

I agree with your overall sentiments, montrii, but I'm afraid the completely innocent picture you paint of north gate simply isn't accurate. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of north gate & I think they are an important part of the overall cultural scene in Chiang Mai (not just the music scene). Yes it's a welcoming place for musicians of many types and abilities. Yes, most jammers are just casual visitors. But to describe north gate as a perpetual open mike where jammers never get paid just isn't right. And I say this having been around the place on & off since it opened, and having jammed there many times myself.

I'm sorry to say it but I found that the transportation that is available (songthaews) harshly affects the experience for those walking. I've done it 4 times, each time there was more congestion due to vehicles pushing their way up through the crowds, and at times the exhaust was very heavy & unpleasant. In fact, the motor traffic is the main reason I haven't done the walk the last couple of years.

In general, it's a very fun & relaxed atmoshpere. There are various groups parading, from old village ladies in traditional costume to new uni students getting hazed on the way by their seniors. And there are plenty of vendors selling snacks and drinks (including beer) along the way. After about 11pm the area at the chedi gets super crowded & last time it took me an hour to my 3 times walking around the chedi. I've usually walked down but many take the songthaew option. It can be hard getting a place though & they pack the passengers in very tight.

I definitely recommend the experience for adults & older kids, with the caveats that it will get tight & uncomfortable at times. I don't think it's a great idea for small children to make the trip. Even if you can get a ride you may have to wait a long time, you will probably not have a comfortable seat & the kids will have a hard time in the mob at the top. Going very early in the evening might help you avoid some of the trouble, but then you miss the real experience which doesn't really get going til quite late.

Count me as another who was highly impressed when I paid Panyaden a visit. I will send my daughter there next year figuring that at the very least, it'll be a good pre-school experience for her. But if it turns out half as good as it looks (and I mean in all aspects), then I'll be glad to send her there for primary school as well.

Found a big fat one in my house under construction today. The worker had a heck of a time trying to smash it with the butt of a thick plastic water bottle. Eventually he got it but it was some fight. They are ugly, freaky looking things for sure. And with all the rain around here they're increasingly out & about. Watch where you put your hands & feet.

I have a vague memory of seeing bowling balls for sale on the top floor of that big bookstore/stationers/art supply shop that's just down from the UN Irish Pub. If you hapen to be in the area it might be worth a look.

Don't want food as I don't feel like solids after that kind of workout. Don't want yogurt as not enough protein per ounce and too sweet.

Just want to put in a plug for Yolida's plain yogurt. Low fat, no sugar or anything else added. It's made in Nakorn Ratchasimha & available here in Chiang Mai. As a vegetarian athlete, plain yogurt is one of my key protein sources, not to mention all the beneficial bacteria that fresh yogurt provides to the gut.

I gotta disagree, Ian. I don't expect to see a knockout every time. I do expect to see both fighters trying hard to win the fight though. I like Mosley - he's a classy guy & a very talented fighter. But once he got knocked down, he pretty much spent the rest of the fight running. I know it's easy for me to criticize him from my sofa at home (btw, I do have fight experience in the ring). On the other hand, if you accept a minimum of 5 million dollars for a fight, people are going to expect you to put your neck on the line trying to win. I didn't see Mosley do that, especially in the later rounds. To be fair though, as the commentators kept saying, Pacquiao pretty much makes everyone look bad.

I watched channel 7, but through my True Visions/UBC box, not via a regular old antenna. The ads came after every round & they missed the first 10 seconds or so of each round but I made it through the whole fight without a single "oh ho!"

On the bright side, at least they kept the English commentary.

I haven't been to his bar but I've seen Boy & his band play many times over the years. Boy's a very talented musician and performer (not necessarily the same thing), not to mention a super nice guy. If you like straight up blues, his place is definitely worth checking out.

A few of the small music shops around town have studios in back or upstairs. You can rent them by the hour. The gear isn't great but it works. One of the easier ones to find would be Pol Music, on the corner opposite the Chedi Hotel.

A TEFL certificate does not certify you for teaching English in Thailand. The MoE does not consider a TEFL to be of any value in their own certification by way of a teachers' licence. The only ways to get certified are to qualify in your home country or to pass the MoE exams for a teachers' licence.

I know of people who have failed to get a licence even with MEd and culture course completion.

My advice is to find a course that will improve you as a teacher. At least a minth'

Have the regulations changed on this? Several years ago I got a teacher's license with a bachelor's degree from the US and a TEFL certificate from a course I did here in Thailand.

The report on the Thai news is that it was road rage: a car or truck cut off a motorcycle rider, who at the next traffic light had some words for the driver. The driver then got on the phone to friends who must have been in a nearby vehicle. When the biker got off his bike he was attacked.