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seeker108

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Posts posted by seeker108

  1. I'm on my third replay of getting my retirement visa because of again being out of the country beyond the validity of both my previous retirement visa and of my re-entry permit. No big deal, just an unfortunate fact of life sometimes when I go out of country that life events out there keep me out of The Land of Smiles longer than I could wish.

    But something always different with immigration. As previously mentioned you now need at least 15 days on your current visa or 30 day entry, so when I waltzed in as usual to Chiang Mai immigration (airport office which is the correct branch to get the 90 day non-O) with 2 days remaining on my 30 day entry I received the sad news that I would now need to sashay on over to the new office at Promenada to get a 30 day extension for 1900 baht and then come back to the airport branch with 20 days left on it to be safe to get the 90 day non-O which is required before one can convert to the retirement visa. facepalm.gifThen go to the Promenada branch after at least 60 days but before 90 days to apply for the retirement visa

    But now more to the point for you bwh. Why, if you have the 15 days remaining, are you bothering with the expense and hassle of flying to Penang, unless you really want to have a holiday and see Penang or are in some rush to get your retirement visa sooner? Just go to your local immigration any time before you hit the 15 day remaining limit and apply (and better sooner if this is your first time as you might run into some hitch). Easy if you have all needed paperwork.

    On a side note, after reading horror stories a couple of months ago about huge lines at the Promenada office since the move, I am happy to report that at both offices I experienced no lines and just a 1 hour wait for the processing to be completed for the 30 day extension.

  2. Thank you gentlemen.

    Yes a minivan has no appeal. I did that once to Mai Sai years back and even for such a short trip once was enough. If the big buses only go to Udon Thani then I guess one must get something there to Vientiane. How much more time consuming does that become? I thought I had seen something on an older post about direct service right to the embassy or was it to a hotel?

    I think I figured that driving directly would take about 11 hours, so I guess this is all the overnight kind of bus if one is to arrive during business hours. Hmm tomorrow I will look to see about discount flights. What is the cost of bus or airline?

  3. Anyone know what are the phone numbers for the best buses to Vientiane? Also any suggestions on which is better - just take a simple VIP bus or sign up with a more complete package where they take you right to the consulate? I don't mind paying a little more for the extra convenience and comfort, but I am not in the fly there category unless that is only a few hundred more baht per person.

    I need to escort a Nepali friend of the gf there as she would be clueless otherwise. Checked out some older threads, but they seemed both out of date and not as informative as I would hope for. And last date of her already twice extended visa is day after tomorrow. For me not a real problem as I have a 90 day OA that I will convert to retirement in the next days or weeks.

    Also any idea of the approximate cost of the bus and hotel and 2 month tourist visa would be greatly apppreciated

  4. Sit back in a Green Line VIP coach, read a book, have a nap. No need to bite your knuckles, fingernails. I've seen these van drivers at work, and a border run is not worth risking one's life.

    +1...that's a good way to do it.

    The Greenbus leaves from the Arcade at the new Terminal 2 at 8 AM and arrives in Mae Sai before 1 PM in the afternoon. You can book a return trip for 3:30 PM or 4:30 PM.

    The last time I did it, the 3:30 PM return gave me plenty of time to go through immigration and browse the booze at the duty-free shop in Tachilek.

    Do they have earlier departures from Arcade? Like 6 or 7 AM?

  5. It's not the cost, I just hate to do long driving myself, by myself. I would rather sit back and read a good book or get some work done or just enjoy the scenery. I did one of the vans mybe 6 or 7 yeras back and though the driver was a bit on the fast side it was not so bad. However, I would at this point in life prefer something like Redride or a comfortable bus from Arcade, unless I find someone to share the drive with me.

    I just spoke to Glenn at Redride and unfortunately he is booked for the next several days with non-Mae Sai runs. Sounded like a wonderful gentleman and I would use him any time I need, if he is available. Cost is about double if using his private service by yourself, but you save if there are 2 or 3 of you. In any case you can customize your own trip and have a safe ride and have point to point pick up and drop off. But again he is not available tomorrow, unfortunately. Anyone know of any similar service?

    Or any takers for a trip tomorrow in my Camry?

  6. I need to make a run to the border tomorrow morning to get new 15 day visa. Anyone interested in sharing driving and cost (low cost because my Camry runs on LPG)?

    I just realized today that I messed up and suddenly need to make this silly border run.

    If no takers I think I will just take the van, but have not used it in many years. I will search here for info on it, but any helpful soul who wishes to post a link to a thread about it or just post some info, that would be greatly appreciated.

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  7. I read carefully through most of these posts, but quickly skimmed some, as I do not have much time right now.

    I do not think anyone mentioned this and am quite amazed. In the parking lot of the Doi Kam shop on the NW corner of Tanon Suthep and canal road a dozen or more of students from CMU ag school are there in the small open building immediately on left as you pull in. I am not sure of exact time they are there but I believe you are safe to find them there only between about 2:30 and 4:30 PM. They have kilo bags of both raw and pasteurized milk from the CMU ag school dairy and have goats milk as well. Usually you need to stop by and order at least a day in advance. Though you can get a phone number perhaps from one of the students if you will get it regularly. 25 baht per litre for the cow milk and a bit more for the goat milk.

    I have been drinking this raw milk for years and drinking it all over the planet for decades. As some other posters have pointed out there is some very incorrect and unscientific info out there about raw vs pasteurized and also about homogenized milk, much of it promoted by the big dairy companies. Google yourself and see. Both of those processes make the milk less digestible and not so good for the health, also as some have already pointed out. There are good enzymes and flora that get destroyed in the heating process.

    The key to healthy milk is in knowing that the process is a clean one and the cows are well cared for. Ideally they should be primarily grazed and not fed filler products. And organic. People with lactose intolerance generally find that they CAN drink this kind of milk. They are allergic to the processed junk and not milk with good flora in it that helps to digest the lactose.

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  8. Hi Tropo and others. I have just quickly glanced here and will read more detail later. But bottom line is how can friends in BKK most easily get kefir grains. I started a club in CNX before I left the area and brought in lots of grains and now the are growing nicely in many homes up there (both milk and water.

    Now I have suddenly gotten some urgent requests from people with health issues in BKK. Maybe answer is here already and I will find later, but just now I am late for a healing therapy.

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  9. Thanks for that info Theo007. What age qualifies as senior?

    BTW, one reason for going business class is that when you have lots of luggage as I do, the extra baggage allowance makes up for a good bit of the fare difference. I believe Cathay may allow 3 X 70 pound check in bags in business class. That was what one of their reservation staff told me anyway.

    I have recently travelled with Air India and found the serve excellent. Also they give a discount on domestic flights to ALL seniors on production of passport.

  10. Hi all, I am up in Chiang Mai. Can anyone recommend an agency in Bangkok that may have particularly good fares for business class travel to Delhi, India from BKK? With all of my luggage the extra baggage allowance will make up for most of the fare difference from coach.

    Booking directly with airlines or online through something like kayak.com, the best one-way fares are $423 with Air India and $582 with Cathay for travel late Sep or early Oct. Sometimes agents can do better.

    Would prefer Cathay if could get better price as they are #1 in my personal experience. Has anyone used Air India lately and found it to be good? I have not used them for a decade or more because my last trip with them was not inspiring to say the least.

  11. Can anyone recommend an agency that may have particularly good fares for business class travel to Delhi, India from BKK?

    Booking directly with airlines or online through something like kayak.com, the best one-way fares are $423 with Air India and $582 with Cathay for travel late Sep or early Oct. Sometimes agents can do better.

    Jet is almost $700 and Thai is almost $1,000. Would prefer Cathay if could get better price as they are #1 in my personal experience. Has anyone used Air India lately and found it to be good? I have not used them for a decade or more because my last trip with them was not inspiring to say the least.

  12. Well said! I also completely enjoyed the meeting.

    For those interested the next one will be next Sunday at the same location starting at 1:15 for socializing and sharing our new probiotic foods. Making probiotics lesson, with hands on demo will begin at 2 PM.

    For people who missed this first meeting, but feel they might be interested in joining next time:

    we learned about the importance of probiotics for helping prevent illness and maintain good health in our modern world

    a world in which mainstream food production and medicines are chemical based and therefore harmful to both people and the environment

    we talked about general health concerns, and about food production and the difficulty of getting truly organic produce

    we heard brief introductions and descriptions from all participants on their interest in probiotics or any kind of health issue

    and much interesting discussion that went back and forth

    Very well organised too, and in a great location in terms of helping others in society.

    I personally was very glad i went. There was much for me to learn by listening to everybody and their experiences and understandings.

    [Keeping healthy is much easier, and more fun, than trying to recover it when it becomes lost...]

  13. Yes, I will post updates here from time to time, but all of the best and most complete updates will be on one or both of the above Facebook links.

    Re bulk products, I assume that they will be regularly available at most all future meetups. Also you will probably start seeing more of these kinds of products at reasonable prices in our local health shops. Sure, not as inexpensive, as at this group but much more convenient.

  14. BTW, the reason for the half price was that they were (and I think still are till end of Sept) running a buy 1 get 1 free promo with the AmEx card. So go in even numbers for the best discount (the 3rd or 5th or 7th person is still the full price).

    But I have not gone in months, since I prefer the healthy, organic and down home nature of the food at Pun Pun or Bird's nest. And I walk away full for less than 178 baht per person so no need for a buffet. But for an occasional one-off the SL is very nice (especially while the half price lasts). And I am fairly sure that is for both lunch and dinner. "American Express - Don't leave home without it." tongue.png

  15. Hello hellodolly,

    Probiotic foods are foods containing live beneficial bacteria and or yeast. Yoghurt is one simple kind of probiotic food usually containing 2 or 3 beneficial bacteria (kefir on the other hand has a combination of 30 different beneficial bacteria and yeast). Having more beneficial flora in our bodies than the bad bacteria, yeasts and viruses is essential to our good health. The "good guys" are the key to our immune systems. Not only do they fight off and kill the bad guys, they also help keep them away by eating the food supply that the "bad guys" would also like to eat.

    Unfortunately it seems these days that with age the good guy count in us decreases, while bad increases. This may be more due to our modern consumption of more dead, processed "foods" and less live food than a natural phenomena resulting from being older. In any case putting back more live and probiotic foods back into our diets reverses this condition.

    For more expert info than mine do some Google searching or go to the Probiotic Chiang Mai FB page and ask there. :-)

    Excuse my lack of knowledge but what is probiotic foods?

    Is it Organic or Genetically altered or genetically altered organic food. Or some thing else.

  16. Hi bkkjames

    You should start a group down there. BKK could surely use one. :-) Search the internet in the mean time and get expert. Probiotic foods are definitely the ideal replacement food to start putting in the body as this starts to negate all of the bad effects from the nasty things we had put in, in years past. Also things like wheatgrass juice and organic cold pressed coconut oil and sprouted beans, grains and nuts. The key that we all need to learn is making all of this delicious as well as nutritious. Then we happily eat all of the right things.

    I do not know of any place in BKK to get this but you can order both the water and milk kefir starter cultures from Joy in KL she charges $15 plus EMS shipping per starter culture. [email protected]

    Wish we had something like this in Bangkok. Maybe we do but i dont know of such a thing. Never tried probiotics but am definately interested in exploring it.

    Experts on here please advise... suggestions for supplement that help in this area? I have cut out most sugars (not all, sorry i need a chocolate now and again) but feel i need to take the next step and cultivate the right internal gut mix and not just suppress the crap that cultivates the bad

    thanks

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  17. Hi cheeryble,

    We will see tomorrow. Back in the states 1 litre of organic virgin coconut oil goes for the USD equivalent of around 800 or 900 baht. Here, I believe, 1 full litre (not 700 ml like some bottle sizes are) goes for around 550 baht. I am hoping the member price will be at least 20% to 25% under that. I don't think they can get it much less than that and there should be some extra in there to help support the orphanage project.

    How cheap does good quality coconut oil get? It's always been out of my range!

  18. Newly posted directions from the FB page:

    Directions:

    The meeting will be at the Chiang Mai Home for Boys. It is located on Thanon Chotana (Hwy 107) (the road that goes to Mae Rim), about 5 km north from super hwy or 2 km north from the City Hall government offices (this is where the first ring rd. intersects with 107) and about 1 km south from 2nd ring road. The property actually stretches all the way west from 107 back to canal road and you could also enter from there, opposite and just south of Huay Tung Tao Reservoir but we will be nearer to 107.

    Going North from Chiang Mai on 107, about 1 km North from the City Hall (1st ring road) you will see Nakhorn Ping hospital on the left (there is also a green walkover bridge over 107 at this point). A few hundred meters past this on the right is a Honda car dealership. 100 meters past that on the left is Wat Piyaram. Just after that is a big black sign for the Don Keao Social Service center (may not be the exact name, but close to correct) and just after that you will start to see the deep yellow (almost orange) wall of the orphanage. There is white sign saying Viengping Children's home and pointing left and just after that is the entry gate (gps coordinates for the entry gate: 18.85661,98.967308 ) where it reads Chiang Mai Home for Boys (but you will not really see that sign until you are pulling into the gate). We will be in the meeting room which is about two hundred meters down the internal road that goes along on the north side of the sport field. There should be someone directing traffic but if not just park along that road near the meeting hall. Here are the GPS coordinates for the meeting room itself: 18.856272,98.96505 .

    The meeting room will be open by 1:15 PM for socializing before the meeting which will start at 2 PM. I hope this is clear enough and look forward to seeing you there.

    One of those links is only open to facebook subscribers. The other link has basic directions to the place, can anyone post up more specific directions to the place?

  19. Hi Ulysses, I believe that this will be part of the plan with this group as well as with the project connected with it, with the Chiang Mai Home for Boys. I think they will eventually be distributing many healthy probiotic products through local stores and maybe right at the Home for Boys as well.

    I know that members of the group will already be able to get low priced (and some free) kefir cultures. Also they can get super discounted pricing on bulk orders of organic virgin coconut oil, Himalayan salt, and other bulk grains and beans for sprouting or growing. Not sure of all of what will be available and suspect that the list will always be expanding.

    "Hmmm, yummy - Home made root beer, ginger beer, sauerkraut, sourdough bread and dozens of other items your grandparents may have made and all of it probiotically healthy!"

    Sounds good. It would be great if someone would start a business selling this stuff and other hard to get health foods. Aden finally started selling alfalfa sprouts, but there are many holistic health products that are impossible to find in Chiang Mai.

  20. Northern Chemical. Near the traffic light on Super highway near Wat Jed Yod. On opposite side of street and about 100 meters north of Grandview Hotel. In a strip of stores there and a bit hard to see. Often there are a number of food carts in the largish parking area. I bought a 5 L container there about 2 months back. Fairly inexpensive.

    The blue color in the ethanol that you commonly find here in drug stores has been added I believe to give the stuff a lousy taste to really discourage alcoholics from drinking it. It may also be more toxic in this form but not sure.

    Drinking ethanol in any case will give you a blinding headache/hangover. In normal "drinking alcohol" all methanol and most ethanol has been distilled out. The cheaper the stuff usually the less distilled and therefor the higher the ethanol content. Hangovers come form alcohols that have the higher ethanol content.

    Methanol content can kill you or at least make you literally go blind (temporarily or permanently) depending on how much you ingested and can cause permanent brain damage. This happens frequently with local hooch made on Bali and probably here as well. I only know this from a guy on Bali who distilled his own for use in making very pure herbal tinctures.

  21. Hello All! I think some of you might be interested in this new natural health and community service oriented group in Chiang Mai and the inaugural meeting this Sunday 9/9 (tomorrow!) starting at 2 PM.

    https://www.facebook...62045903876086/

    https://www.facebook...15820048566424/

    At the above FB links you can find more info and directions.

    For those interested in learning more about the incredible health value of making your own living and probiotic foods and beverages, sharing knowledge and resources for doing this, actually learning how to do it (or helping to teach others, if you are already expert), getting to meet others with similar interests, swapping and discovering new recipes and generally having fun with a new and growing body of knowledge.

    Also part of the group function will be helping each other to locate the best sources for local and organic ingredients, getting bulk co-op pricing and to have a central repository for all of this info.

    Plus there will be the fun of helping orphaned Thai children learn all about these things for those who would enjoy being involved in this as a separate project.

    “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates

    Hmmm, yummy - Home made root beer, ginger beer, sauerkraut, sourdough bread and dozens of other items your grandparents may have made and all of it probiotically healthy! Plus things you may not yet be familiar with like kefir drinks and cheeses and kombucha.

    Come and enjoy the fun!

    And learn how to really ramp up your own natural immune system!

    And, don't worry, this is not some MLM or venue for selling expensive commercial products, nor is there any religious or ideological affiliation. This is just a new community service and social group for health and fun! And since these probiotic foods not only help increase your beneficial gut flora but also manufacture right in your body a multitude of beneficial vitamins and enzymes you probably will need to buy far less of these items, if any. smile.png And imagine how much medical expense you might save with a healthier and stronger body. thumbsup.gif

    Finally, here is a homework assignment. Google kefir (or probiotic) health benefits or some such similar search and see what you find.

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