EL159

The annual so called "Jazz Festival" is taking place at Promenada this Saturday. I m still seething from what happened last year hence this post. Tickets were  750 baht, thats almost £20 UK. So not cheap. When we arrived, as we entered they carried out a bag search to make sure you werent carrying in food or drink. Why? I sked quite reasonably "Only can eat or drink items sold inside" they said. Now, I ve attended Jazz Festivals in a number of Countries, and the norm is, you buy your ticket, then you can choose to come in with a picnic type hamper if you wish to do so.

Problem was, the only Wine we could find inside was on sale for 1300 baht, a label I know well from Supermarkets locally where it sells for 399. Fundamentally, the only alcohol realistically on sale was Singha beer. Why? Singha was a sponsor of the event! Most of the food stalls were from either the top hotels or well known restaurants selling very over priced small portions of mostly warm rather than hot food. Almost everything we tried was unpalatable.

The music itself mostly wasnt "Jazz". It was mostly local Thai bands playing those sloopy gloopy regurgitated versions of other peoples music that you can hear every night for free in many places around Chiang Mai or Bangkok. The one notable exception to that was the one and only original band, a Scandinavian group called Kamikaze Jazz who were excellent but they only played for less than an hour, and funnily enough, much of the local audience were leaving during their set, presumably it was a bit "Challenging" for people who only want the likes of Kenny G. !!  

Having witnessed how it was last year, be warned if you are planning to be there this year. After the event I tried to have an online conversation with the organisers, as I genuinely felt I could offer constructive advice having attended Jazz Festivals most of my adult life, but all I got back was the feeling that they didnt want to know and didnt want to listen! In fact, we were so angered by the way it was organised that in fact me and my friend went over to Wine Connection and "snuck in" some wine, which we hid on our bodies, in places they wouldnt want to search! We felt like naughty schoolboys....and having paid....it sure as hell shouldnt be like that!

9 hours ago, SammyT said:

I live at Mae Hia end and don't find the noise too intrusive in that I think you just learn to block it out. Directly below the take-off path would probably be another story though.  

Not surprised you re not troubled since Mae Hia isnt on the flight path! ( I live there too by the way)

20 hours ago, KhunProletariat said:

 

 

Most other TV these days is rubbish though.

 

KP.

Really? Oh, thank you for your objective perspective. I wonder what a whole succession of highly professional and enjoyable TV series I ve watched recently are? A figment of my dreams?

Heres a plug AGAINST the so called Jazz Festival taking place at Promenada this weekend. We went last year and it was an absolute disgrace. Tickets in advance 750 baht each, most of the music wasnt even "Jazz", more like middle of the road instrumental slosh like you get for free in many bars and restaurants ( the one notable exception being the top of the bill band Kamikaze Jazz who were excellent but only played for less than an hour).

Bearing in mind we were PAYING CUSTOMERS we were surprised to have a bag search on entry and were prevented from bringing any of our own food/ drink items inside ( a common practice at all the Jazz festivals I ve ever attended anywhere in the world is that people bring their own picnic type hamper if they wish)

The result of this restriction is that on top of the entry ticket ( almost £20 UK money) you then have only the option of buying food and drink at the exorbitant prices charged by the posse of stalls mostly run by expensive hotels. The only wine available inside last year was a label I recognised from Rimping for 399 baht being sold in there ( not by Rimping) for 1300 baht.

All in all the whole thing was NOT in any way delightful, and was in fact a marketting rip off acompanied by VERY average music. We re not going this year. Wonder why?!

2 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

TIT

 

Sometimes daft is what is done.

 

And your point is?

I would have thought for anybody with even half a brain my point is obvious!

This whole scenario regarding remittances of at least 65,000 PER MONTH is fraught with illogicality and nonsense. EXAMPLE: My Visa is due in April. In April ( after Visa obtained) I am going back to UK for a couple of weeks. If I bring cash money back with me amounting, say, to £10,000 for living expenses, it will count for NOTHING towards my Visa in 2020? ONLY money transferred via the banking system will count?

This is plain daft!!!

Kad Farang has claimed another victim! Just heard that "The Venue" which originally opened as "Papa Rock" but then changed its name a few months ago is closing down today. Remember "The Game" ( failed), "Arizona Joes" ( failed) and another one name escapes me which also failed. Kad Farang location seems to be the kiss of death for Foreign type Pubs....but not, it seems, for chain places such as McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, Wine Connection, Pizza Hut, all places I never set foot in but popular it seems for the junk food generation.  

1 minute ago, 4MyEgo said:

If your going to do it the 800,000 baht way, just make sure the last 200,000 baht gets put in 3 months before the 12 months is up when you lodge your application.

 

The income of 65,000 per month only applies to pensioner, so if your not a pensioner, the 200,000 baht method four times a year will work as long as its all in before the 3 months prior to the application.

Thats NOT what I m saying. Do pay attention! I work on the remittance method and said so in my post. If I remit 200,000 baht every three months, that shows average remittances of 65,000 a month. I dont believe for a moment that theyre going to "require" us to literally bring it in every month, and that "average" will be sufficient.

Right. I ve read every page every post. Theres 2 hours of my life I ll never get back. Its as clear as day for me regarding the remittance method. "Show an average monthly income of 65,000". Fine. So given the word "average", and lets keep this simple, if you bring in and show 200,000 four times a year, that comes to a total of 800,000 divided by twelve equals about 66,000 per month.

Nothing to get excited about here. TM30 has never been more than a 5 minute job.

Winnie, No, not being snobbish or anything! Until 2 months ago my house looked out on trees and open fields, now it looks out on 50 foot girders and a big ugly ( super ugly in fact) metal roof....not surprising we re intrigued as to whats going on.

So its a sports stadium? For the local soccer club? Someone heard rumours of a swimming pool too?

Anything you know greatly appreciated as a whole bunch of Sansaran residents worried in case the relative peace and quiet we have now is likely to be suffering loud music etc all the time in the future !!

I live at Sansaran, just off the Samoeng Road. We live at the edge of the project, and just over the wall at the edge of the Moo Bahn was open fields close to the village of Nongkwai. A couple of months ago, a massive new development started to take shape. To all the world, it looks big enough to be an indoor sports stadium, massive metal roof, about 50 foot in the air, covering an area which must be 70 to 80 metres long and 30 to 40 metres across. 

It looks completely out of place where it is, and all we can find out is that its some kind of "social facility" for the village.....when I say its big, I m not exaggerating, it must be costing millions of baht, does anybody reading this have any idea whats going on? 

Tops Supermarket? Theyre always doing it. Last time I went to Tops Festival I purchased an item ( Fresh Custard) clearly marked at 199....when I got home I realised they had charged 229. This has happened before. Didnt go back because my petrol to go back would cost more than the overcharge, but will check carefully from now on.

What a bunch of mean spirited over opinionated downright nasty pieces of work many of the respondents to this thread are. I guess a lot of these people have nothing else to do than pour out verbal poison.

2 hours ago, Greenside said:

There's no logic to the fare structure.  The taxi desk quotes me 250 from the airport to Nong Hoi and the distance is about 4 kilometers.

Agree. I m always amazed its so cheap all the way to where I live. If they said 500 I would willingly pay that, but I m not going to offer more than they say! I usually tip by the way.

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

CM airport to Hang Dong is 12 Kilometers, usually 300Baht?

Yes. Sometimes 350 ( I dont negotiate) but mostly 300. This is the price agreed in advance with the lady who holds the clipboard and allocates the jobs to the drivers.

Why would you want to call for a Grab when the airport taxis are there in profusion and very reasonably priced? I live near Hangdong, a distance of about 12 Kilometres, and the price is usually 300! Jeez. How much cheaper do you want it? Much less of course to downtown destinations.

23 hours ago, jeffandgop said:

Just returned from walking around NAP on soi 1. It’s advertised as opening at 10am but even after 11am fully 60-65% of the stalls were not opened. 

Don't expect me to return again. 

Not only do the sellers who don’t bother with being represented at the designated opening time lose potential sales, this hurts those sellers who do open on time but will lose out as shoppers won’t go to shop where the “shelves are two-thirds empty”. 

Sorry to say this but its true. Most Thai run small businesses are "lazy openers". Open when they feel like it, usually late, resulting in those that do show some business sense often doing well at the expense of the lazy ones. Went to the Sunday Market a few weeks ago. Advertising says it opens at 4pm. Went early as my Son was flying out that day, even at 5pm, 50% of the stalls still not open, some not even there, some setting up.

Yes. But bear in mind. Dukes is pretty crap. Always promises a lot but delivers little. 

Same feeling about the Citylife Annual Event held a couple of weeks ago. Used to be small, charming, independent traders selling home made jams etc etc, now its little more than a marketting opportunity for five star hotels and posh restaurants.

Yeah. Great. The Chiang Mai threads got boring recently. Lets get back to slagging off places we dont like. I ll start! Dukes? Over rated Chez Marco? Over rated and over priced ( although you do stand a good chance there of spotting a bar girl out on a first date with her new punter!) Antonio ( near Empress Hotel), excellent for me.