ChrisKC

There is no need to know! Drive within the speed limits!

It's really cheap to use Skype, Buy a few $ of credit and you can get 20 minutes for just a few cents. Its where you call to that matters, not where you call from. it's a lot cheaper to call UK from Thailand than it is to make a call in Thailand to a Thai number

Well, I think she IS a very beautiful woman and has the kind of face I like,

It's her brain that is the wrong shape for me.

I wouldn't touch her with my barge pole - unless SHE was the millionaire

It should be recognised that 30% of the entire Thai population lives in Isaan. It is also true, I think, that it is the poorest region. It is therefore a statistical probability that in bars or even other major cities there will be a greater proportion of Isaan girls than you would think.

One should never generalise about particular people any more than one should be specific about the population at large.

I am not a visitor, I live here, but in any event, no Parks Dept will be collecting B400 from me

There are many stories on here in many subject threads that refer to an an attitude of an Officer in Authority according to who it is and in what mood he or she may be in that determines the outcome of any situation. It suggests to me that if your papers are in order, then it matters not which Official you meet, or his state of mind that can affect that outcome.

Are you unlucky when an Official, on a bad day or not punishes you for whatever is wrong with your paperwork or your current situation? No. you are not unlucky, you took a calculated risk and it didn't pay off!

Your last sentence answered your own question.

In nearly 15 years of travelling on buses in many directions I have never been asked for my passport while others have. But last Thursday afternoon, I was asked for the first time.

On 2/19/2017 at 11:33 AM, Fookhaht said:

Same with me exactly.  I had three or more colds a year back in North America (cold climate area), and maybe once a year here on the average--but oh, do they hang on!   I wonder if it has anything to do with the more humid/warm climate that favors incubating germs/viruses?  Just my uneducated guess   

I think the variations described by people here is probably due to the cold virus being a different strain from those in the West. Often we talk of having colds in the Winter in Europe and US etc but in Thailand I am not sure it is anything to do with "cold weather" per se as colds are contracted through other people. My last cold was in Surat Thani where at no time of year can it ever be considered cold, day or night.

14 hours ago, Fookhaht said:

Yes, my colds are worse and last longer than when I had them in the West.  Right now, I'm battling a slight cough which is a hangover of a cold I caught on December 28.   This despite daily popping vitamin C's and ginger drinks.  I know it will eventually go away, as the others have;  it just takes a lot longer to do so.  

I'm chalking it up to old age.  

My colds always lingered in England but I have fewer colds here and they linger longer. 

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

As others have stated, including a separate license for a motorbike, NOW the bigger picture, with regards to health insurance, I would suggest you get some kind of travel insurance in the interim till you get here and take out some cover under a health insurer, although it might be better to do it from the US ?

 

If you do get travel insurance read the fine print, i.e. drivers licence, and motorbike license for driving and riding in Thailand with an international drivers license or your "toast", if you don't have riders license in the US, you might find it a little difficult getting one here, unless you do the complete test, otherwise, DO NOT ride or you won't be covered. 

I did not make the comment above. It didn't come from me. There is a glitch in the system

17 minutes ago, xFury said:

You are absolutely correct. After thinking about it and getting quotes, I'm just gonna sell whatever I can and purchase it in Thailand instead. Shipping was more than the items combined lol.

 

Thank  you very much for the response!

After thinking about it, I'm gonna sell whatever I can, and have a close friend sell the rest of the stuff for me when I leave and just buy it in Thailand instead when I get there.

 

Thank you for the clothing tip and response. I'm gonna do that instead so I can pack all my clothes and shoes and just pay the extra baggage fee, since I'm might go thru Korean Air.

Good point. Gonna sell my stuff instead and buy over there!

 

Thank you for your response!

Yeah, gonna sell my stuff here and buy it over there instead!

 

Good point on the computer stuff, gonna sell it also lol. Thank you for your response!

Whoa thats a lot of stuff! But I agree, thinking about it, I would be wasting more money vs buying it new/used in Thailand. So Im going to sell the stuff here and not worry about shipping the stuff over. Just gotta bring my clothes and shoes and whatever else that I need to keep.

 

Thank you for your response!

Wow that a hefty fee. I heard stories about those bogus custom fees. Decided to sell my stuff and just take my clothes and whatever else I need and not waste money on shipping it and fees.

 

Thank you for your response.

Currently in Las Vegas, NV.

 

After taking all the info and adding up the pros and cons, I will sell whatever I can and buy it in Thailand instead. Less headache that way and less money wasted lol.

 

Awesome advice btw, few stuff I didn't think about. But I do have question on health insurance. I tried to google Thailand health insurance and came up with quite a bit of results and some seems fishy or doesn't provided enough info. Where do you recommend to look up a more official or current info on health insurance?

 

Also, I do have a current and valid driver license, do I need to take a driving test or anything when I go get the Thai DL? I know how to drive automatic and manual gear transmission, so its not an issue. Also remember the driving side and lanes lol is opposite of US roadways.

 

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Gotta say everyone has been very helpful, much better info and response than on other platform.

 

Thank you for being helpful, polite and providing me with info to use to make sure everything goes smoothly. You all are seriously awesome!

 

 

I can recommend BUPA Thailand. Go to\ website or their Offices. Excellent English, good cover and not too expensive

You also need to be aware of bogus Customs payment demands on shipping through Bangkok. When I brought my stuff that didn't involve furniture, only personal effects. I was made to pay B30,000 just to release it (no official paperwork and no receipt) and then I had to get it to Chiang Mai. And that was 14 years ago.

I say this with tongue in cheek and wearing my crash helmet: Don't you know that prostitution in Thailand is illegal? Every time you engage in sex with a Thai "girl of the night", you continue to encourage her to break the law!  

What about the so-called nice girl, never engaged with prostituting herself but meeting with a man who has regularly paid for sex with women but nearly always considers himself to be of higher moral standing than them?

Many Thai prostitutes DO feel some shame in what they do but rarely is shame felt by men for what they do (with them)

In my opinion, the level of trust that can be relied upon is equal between both women and men who are of easy virtue.

I found this item in the rubbish but am intrigued. I plugged it into the mains and it has charged up.

What is it for? never seen one before

Thank you,

OP  Your ID shows you are in Bangkok, Where is it in Bangkok that is "in the sticks"?

In any event, it is not difficult to find local markets that sell potatoes, sweet and "farang". They also sell fruit and vegetables and meat that any farang can eat. Why not go into town TWICE a month? Go alone and buy exactly what you want. if you can't cook or don't want to, a microwave will cook almost anything. Use YouTube for advice on how to do it.

Thais don't eat a balanced diet. Rice with everything is neither balanced or interesting and my experience is that many Thais can't even cook rice properly - and they don't know how to serve it. I don't use a rice cooker. I make my rice interesting and more flavourful by adding a little turmeric, salt, butter and I only make enough for me for one or two days so I am eating it fresh.

Buy some "farang-type" ready-made meals. They are available in the better supermarkets and can be kept in the freezer. 

There are many kinds of food I love to eat but I don't want any of them every day!

15 hours ago, localczar said:

a friend of mine had his retirement visa transferred to a new passport...cost 200B I think

This time last year, I had everything from my old passport transferred to the new one at Chiang Mai Immigration with no problem whatsoever and for free.

The greatest single cause of the world's problems has always been.... PARENTS!

I have been dealing with Immigration, almost exclusively at Chiang Mai for 14 years. I have had my share of delays but I have never had a complaint to make about any aspect of their service and have found all Members of the staff demonstrating the same level of courtesy, respect and patience as I do. 

I can now give a definitive answer to my question.

There IS a service (yellow sawng Taow) from San pa Tong to Lamphun. I am not sure where it starts in San pa Tong but I know it terminates at the bus station in central Lamphun. It leaves on the half hour (on time) and the trip takes half an hour. I have made the trip both ways. The fare all the way is B20. the distance is about 20Kms. I was waiting for my outward journey at the junction of the main road in San pa Tong which is at the Chiang Mai end of the general town thoroughfare and the signposted Lamphun Road.

I asked a shopkeeper at the Lamphun road in San pa tong yesterday who assured me the yellow song tioaw goes to lamphun every hour. I have yet to discover this will actually happen. If not, I will pay the driver more to take me there. I am also hoping I can make the return trip.

I will let you know.

5 hours ago, Munotlaw said:

With another name and a new passeport, entry should be not a problem. 

 

Munotlaw

What about the photographs they take at airport immigration? Change of name and/or passport has no bearing on the similarity of a photo that may reveal the same person and thus provoke more questions.

Thank you but I want to go from San pa Tong to Lamphun, not from Chiang Mai. I used to live in Lamphun but only ever went to Chiang Mai. The blue song tiow starts at Warorot (as does the public blue bus) and, as you say, goes down the the road where the river is on the right, past Duke's and Rimping. Goes all the way through Saraphi and actually stops on the road in Lamphun that is only 300 meters to the Railway station. A couple of years ago the fare all the way was B15

Anyway, today, I found a way to Lamphun from San pa Tong, so hopefully, I won't miss my train on Tuesday morning.

Some advice please

I need to go from San pa Tong to Lamphun railway station next Tuesday morning. Is there a regular bus or sawng taew service I could use? If so, where does it leave from ?

Thank you. I have ridden  my bicycle for this trip before but I have luggage this time making that difficult.

5 hours ago, UTH001 said:

Udon Thani staff openly and strongly ask for a tip when doing 90 days reporting...

Yes,

They say, " chuay gan"

My TOT was down last night and until about 08.30 but now seems to be working perfectly. I am South of Chiang Mai. I don't know where else in the Country there has been a problem or not.