toybits

My son is interested in taking up sport shooting using compressed air gun that shoots pellets at 10 meters distance. Unfortunately, there are no shops here in Chiang Rai. I was wondering if any members know of a shop in Chiang Mai that sell this kind of equipment.

Compressed Air gun Brands I am interested in are the following: Morini, Padrini, Steyr and Feinwerkbau.

Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

Ban Klang Wiang which is in front of Wat Klang Wiang is a really nice resto. Heard is was a kind of franchise of Mr. Chan? of Chiang Mai. Open only in the evening. During the day, the whole place is shuttered down.

I like their Calsone.

By the way, I now live in Chiang Rai where the air is much cleaner and the weather cooler (during the winter months). I still commute by bicycle and make about 20 kms per day.

Now if only it would do something to my waistline...

The solution to the energy crisis is not having more bike lanes. It is doing something about it and hopping onto your bike and just get on with it. It will take years to have bike lanes installed. When they have been established, motorcycles will overrun the bike lanes. So who are they joking.

I lived in bangkok for 7 years. First 3 years, I drove my car to the office. After having two collisions, I got rid of the car and started biking. My normal communiting time of 1 hour and 15 minutes was cut down to 25 minutes when I started biking.

Problem was that my lungs taking a beating . Had to get a heavy-duty dust filter with activated carbon elements to clean the air .

It was fun overtaking Benz's, Volvos, BMWs and other fancy cars stuck in traffic.

It would be an advantage if you could take a shower at the office. So I wasn't really bothered if it was raining by the bucket or if I was sweating in the searing heat.

I had tabuleh and a sandwich that was quite good. You just have to know what to expect. It was a welcome break from thai food and heavy western food.

Hard to get good food in Chiang Rai for diabetics. Somtimes big C have and somtime not.

It was suggested to have more salads; I know this would be good for me but not being a rabbit I see that most people wash the salad gear from water out of the tap. This causes another problem for me.

Therefor it is relief that I ate tonight at the Lebanese resturant in town. Very good tasting food and good choice also for vego's.

Hope this helps somone in their quest to for variety of good food.

I'm really concerned about the Long Neck Village. While the Long Neck or Padawng villagers are probably earning much more than what they would were they to remain in Burma, they way they are treated at Nang Lae is deplorable . Treated like zoo animals, the Padawng and other tribal villagers assembled here have no freedom of movement .

I wonder whether the permit to hire aliens to work there includes tourism activities? I wonder how much of the Bt 250 entrance fee goes to the hilltribe villagers? Or are they paid a fixed salary?

'Unknown user' showed us some very nice pictures of her visit to Din Daeng Pottery ('earth red' pottery). This pottery belongs to Acharn Somluck Pantiboon and his Japanese wife Tamako.

It is certainly worth a visit. It is one of the most well-organized and well-designed workshop/showrooms in the province. Beautifully situated in the middle of nature.

But in spite of this, easy to find:

About halfway the superhighway from Chiang Rai to Maechan to the right (east).

To make it even easier to find you will see signs along the road (coming from Chiang Rai AND coming from Maechan) with a portrait of a 'longneck' woman on it, inviting you to visit her and her friends.

The pottery is on the road leading to the longneck village, about three kilometers from the superhighway at its left side. Some big pots will show you the way.

Acharn Somluck studied art in Japan. His artistic craftmanship is widey recognized. He is one of the few artists of Chiang Rai who exhibited several times abroad as well.

Contrary to the longneck-village you don't have to pay an entrance fee visiting the pottery.

The artificial longneck-village, founded a couple of years ago, is ment to be a tourist attraction.

As far as known to me the rather substantial entrance fee and the money you pay for taking pictures is the sole source of income of this 'community of models' .

At the pottery not only Acharn Somlucks art-works are for sale, but also earthenware for daily use.

So if you are looking for some nice design ...

Limbo.

King Rama the IX is the current King - His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. I believe you were referring to King Rama the IV (King Mongkut)?

Talking about the Tannalai Road.

We thank the Tannalai Road and the complete Chiangrai street-pattern to Dr. Briggs, the founder and director of the Overbrook Hospital a little bit more than hundred years ago.

He was on very good terms with King Rama IX. Dr. Briggs had also the Sala Klang Kao build, the big colonial style building behind the Post Office and opposite the Wat Phra Singh. It was the provincial office of that time, a dependance of Payao.

King Rama IX gave foreigners an important role in controlling the north.

We all know Captain Jensen, born in Denmark in 1878, the policeman of Chiangmai, a Hero of Thailand (King Rama IX honoured him with an obelisk on the foreign cemetry of Chiangmai).

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I believe this is Doi Khao Kwai (Buffalo Hill). There is a temple on top of the hill which is also accessible to vehicles. Important for those with weak knees or too fat to climb.

Great pictures! 

Here are two more.  Taken back in 1997. The temple steps are on a hill about 3 kms northwest of Chiang Rai.  I regret that I forget the name of the place, so if anyone can help, I would be delighted to know!

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In the Phrae area older people refer to Chiang Rai as Siang Hai

Some replace all "ch" with "s"

in otherr words Instead of "Chorp" (like) will say "sorp"

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In E-saan, locals also have a peculiar way of pronouncing words. Population in Thai would be pronounced as Prachachon. For E-saan people, it would like like Prasason. :

In the PDA - building (Hilltribe Museum, Cabbages and Condoms) there is a conference room for rent as well. With equipment, like an LCD-projector.

Maybe their price is to a certain extend related to the kind of activity.

Walk into the museum and ask for Khun Bird.

LCD projectors you can rent in a shop on the main street (Tannalai Road or an extension of it) almost opposite the old prison.

Limbo.

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The Museum is on the 3rd Flr of the PDA Building, which is adjacent to the Cabbages and Condoms restaurant. At the Hilltribe museum, there is a small auditorium which an overhead LCD projector. The control room where the computer is located is at the projection booth at the back of the room.

If you are interested you can contact Khun Bert (053) 7740088.