Diablo Bob

Make your own tour!

Anyplace that a tour company might take you, the information will be on the internet.

Start by looking up Chiangrai, go deeper and look at the attractions etc.

Customize your experience ........ Don't get into the "If this is Tuesday, This must be Belgium" syndrome.

Believe me, your trip and experience will be more enjoyable in the long run.

Your numbers are right on the money!

The main difference in my budget vs. yours is the car expense which is 10,000/month (New Car Payment) and Misceleaneous which I just use 1000/day which covers visa runs and the odd trip to Bangkok or Pattaya every few months or so.

I always book rooms at the Galare Guesthouse when friends come to visit.... the price is around 700baht, the location is right on the Mae Ping River within walking distance of the Night Bazaae.

Web: http://www.galare.com/

Try Vientiane ....... drop off your paperwork by noon and pick up your passport at noon next day.

Either fly from BKK or take the train to Nong Kai.

Mister Fixit,

Crossing and re-entering at Chong Chom/O smach (pedantic point: not Osmach)

should be a breeze.

You may find a longish winding queue, mainly weekends, which will be Thais anxious to lose their money at the 2 casinos in no-mans land. Do not join this queue! Instead go to a small airconditioned office immediately facing you for use of the occasional traveller actually crossing the border.

My experience for what it's worth: when walking from this office to the Cambodian entry post you will almost certainly be joined by a friend. Smile and relax. He will invite you to his nearby village for rest and relaxation - don't bother. He is also in league with immigration and will INSIST there is a 300THB fee for entering and exiting Cambodia on the same day. You INSIST you know this not to be the case. Having crossed the road from the entry to exit posts  (10 seconds walk) he will tell immmigration in english that you refuse to pay. SMILE and wait for your passport to be stamped. The immigration officer will not demand the money but will keep the passport on his desk and politely ask if you don't want to GIVE anything. My suggestion give him 100 to have a beer on you. Then return to LOS. DONT GIVE YOUR HELPER A SINGLE BAHT.

The whole process should be completed in 15mins.

A last thought. Hand over the 1000baht entry fee with your passport. I have read reports elsewhere (maybe in the Isaan Forum) that if you wait for them to ask they may try and up the fee.

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A few years ago, when I was living in Buriram, I used this crossing extensivly. On at least three of the occasions (8:00am) I went as described above and Thai Immigration stamped me out/in the country, the whole process at the border, less than 15 minutes. The asking price was the 300 baht surcharge described above. Didn't leave Thailand.

Great posts.....

Many valid and informative responses reflecting the different views on how the terrorism issue should be dealt with.

I am currently working in Afghanistan, an area with a slight terrorism problem, nothing like what the media publishes, but with us every day. Now, working in Afghanistan, I realize that when I go to Kandahar, Khost, Qalat or Laska Ghar I better be prepared for something...... Kabul, you are much more protected, but still the rocket attacks and bombings do occur.

We don't run away when S__T happens, we just move on and take precautions. All the while, the militants are being recruitted to work within the system to bring about change. This is a long term process, we all know about the efficiency of governments. There is no short term solution, such as "Give them what they want!", because once you give on one point there will always be a demand for more concessions. Look at North Korea and disarmament......

The militants need to see a light at the end of the tunnel, a hope and a future before they will change their tactics.

Now my answer to the original question...... "Drink another beer and rationalize that since this is my 5th war zone in 30+ years and I am still alive, rejoice." I look at the bright side, maybe we can have an exodus large enough to bring back the Thailand I fell in love with during the 60s. And most importantly, always be on the lookout for "What would be a great target if I were a terrorist? And be sure to stay away from there!"

Just in case you are interested, and will be in-country, there will be a few air shows which might be of interest to you.

The first is the Chiangmai International Airshow on December 2-4, there will be a para-motor demonstration on th 2nd. The web site is:

http://www.airshow05.com/English_page.htm

The other show is the Pattaya Sun & Fun on January 14-15, which will be mainly ultralight aircraft. The web site is:

http://www.thaiflyingclub.com/linkpattayaa...ksunandfun.html

There seems to be a need to to notify our members of upcoming events in Chiang Mai. So please use this thread to do so.

This thread would be best utilised by giving factual information, an easy place to look for info. Please start alternative discussion threads in the main section for chat about and around the subject.

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December 2-4 Chiangmai International Air Show

The web site is: http://www.airshow05.com/English_page.htm

What's the point? So what!

The beauty of going to Panthip is the fact that it is selling underpriced rip-offs of the original!

I appreciate the fact that I am getting pirate software at a fraction of the price as "Legitimate retail". So, I am giving my money to the small guy rather than the "Big guys at Microsoft".

I am getting clone computers from small shops for a fraction of the cost of buying an HP or DELL.

The only original hardware I purchase are my scanners and printers.

I LOVE PANTHIP PLAZA!

Have I missed something here?

Surely there are Pantip type stores popping up all over the place already, under the name

of Tuk Com.  Sri Racha, Rayong, Pattaya, etc..........

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Hope they are better than the Chiang Mai Pantip, just been and half the shops are empty and the others are expensive.

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How true...... But I have to admit, it is alot better than 6 months ago. I have gotten some great deals in Chiangmai (HP DesignJet plotter and a 21" Flat screen monitor), but still the available choices for stores and the lack of competition have had little affect on the prices.

I just wish that the stores would fill up.........

Using an example from the United States: I doubt that anybody really needs to fly from Detroit to Toledo, Ohio or vice-versa (a distance of 80 km, much less than Bangkok-Khorat).  Northwest Airlines however, offers this very service a half-dozen times per day in each direction using small planes. These flights are generally full, often overbooked.  These short flights are timed to allow passengers an easy connection with other flights at Northwest's hub operation in Detroit.  The short feeder flight to/from Toledo avoids having all passengers travel to Detroit and its busy airport.

Until Thailand can offer, or has a need to offer, such feeder service at small airports that are located close to Bangkok such as Nakhon Ratchasima, these airports are destined to be money-losing failures.  THAI uses Bangkok as a hub considering that most of its flight originate or terminate in BKK, but they do not operate a true hub-and-spoke system in the sense that flight schedules are coordinated to provide relatively seamless connecting service to nearby or onwards destinations.  The airport in Khorat will never survive if it has to rely solely on point-to-point traffic to/from Bangkok.

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Ovenman, Good point. I do think that the traveler demographics here in Thailand is significantly different than in the USA. Where our country is a conglomeration of business hubs requiring people to travel great distances, here in Thailand the only main business hub is Bangkok (Very similar to Mexico City). The typical traveler here in Thailand is either going to Bangkok or returning from Bangkok.

On another note, the closing of Korat coupled with the closing of Buriram leaves what in Southern Issan, Ubon & Surin (Maybe). Now I am looking at a 6-7 hour train ride if I want to take my family to Buriram. This pretty much kills returning for the weekend from Chiangmai.

The airlines should consider linking routes such as Ubon-Buriram-Bangkok or Roi-Et -Korat-Bangkok. While the cost will rise to the additional landing fees, it would also enable the services to continue. Lets face it, most of the people flying will not be hard pressed to pay an addtional 500THB for a ticket. They just want the service.

QUESTION: How many lawyers does it take to shingle a roof?

ANSWER: It depends on how thin you slice them.

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What do you call 1000 lawyers under the ocean ? A good start

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What do you call a bus full of attorneys going over a cliff, with one spare seat? "A Crying Shame!"

Are there any places where you've seen paramotors or single-seat ultralights flying around? I'm a trike/hang glider pilot looking for a location in Thailand to spend two months learning how to fly paramotors. I know it only takes about a week to learn to fly a paramotor, but I thought I'd like to make a long vacation out of it too.

Are there some nice places where there are lots of pilots and, perhaps, even a school?

Are any of you hang glider pilots flying powerharness (like Mosquitoes, Wasp, etc.) living in Thailand?

Any sightings or knowledge would be appreciated. Thanks.

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Ok, for an ultralight school go to http://www.pattayaairpark.com they have an accredited school. You can come away in 10 days or so with your Recreational Pilot Certificate which is AOPA so would be honored in your home country. The cost is around $1500 including your ground school. I think they also have aircraft to rent.

A great source of information can also be found on http://www.thaiflyingclub.com which is a GA field in Chonburi. Even though they are GA, they also list all the ultralight fields in Thailand as well as giving you a wealth of information.

As to the corrosion issue mentioned in another post, Most ultralight aircraft are fabric/aluminum. Structural corrosion is not an issue. Your control surfaces can be eith rod or cable but like normal aircraft these aircraft are inspected in accordance with industry standards and so too should not be an issue.

See ya up there!

If you look in many uk pubs they have a wide range of beers in relation to thai places so why not stock the lot from the beginning and cut out those your customers don't buy.Can't go wrong then.There isn't exactly a huge range to choose from in the first place.It shouldn't break the bank either.

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Good advice ...... there was a place in Buriram called the "Bamboo Bar", which was owned by a Brit. He had the fridge and a few of those large ice coolers filled with beer than iced down. The best selling brands were iced down, the "Other" stuff in the fridge.......

You never want to turn a customer away "Lost sales", so have enough available to satisfy their taste, and if it looks like he/she might be on a bender, head to 7-11 and stock up!

Good luck.......

If sales are the most important:

1. Singha (must-have for locals, even though it kicks like a mule)

2. Heinekin (for farangs, even though its pretty ordinary)

3. Chiang or Leo, even contest

If you care about taste:

1. Chiang (even though it kicks like a mule)

2. Leo

3. Tiger...or Heinekin if you really must...

Singha doesn't taste that bad, but more than 2 glasses assures me of a filthy hangover. Is there something nasty in that stuff? All of Singha's other beers are ok, its just the 'plain vanilla' that is bloody awful.

Anyone know where I can get light beer in Bangkok? (Yes I am a wuus).

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Agree with your choices, as long as Leo is on the list...... now as to "Singha", there is Formaldehyde in the brew. This can be verified by drinking something like a Leo which isn't that strong tasting, then afetr a few bottles switching over to Singha, it becomes apparant.

Just noticed an announcement blurb on the AirAsia website stating that flights between Kuala Lumpur and Chiang Mai will start on 20 October.  Intro fares are from RM 49.99/599 baht.  Here is a link to the promotional announcement.

edit-added link

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Fantastic..... was planning on a visa run to Phnom Penh, but with this fare, I can also take the wife and kids!

Again, thank you for the heads-up...... Now, what to do in KL?

Its an American holiday that Americans think every other country partakes in when it means Nothing to them.    Just another case of the US thinking anything it does must surely be done in other countries 

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Wow ........ How dumb can you really be?

After reading your obviously slanted reply, I did a SIMPLE internet search using GOOGLE.

Try it yourself..... it might save you some more embassaing rsponses in the future!

Well, for more information on this ANCIENT IRISH holiday with the origons of Tric-or-treat also Irish go to http://wilstar.com/holidays/hallown.htm

Windy for you.....type in google, hit ctrl + enter than type in halloween!

THE AGRICULTURE AND COOPERATIVES MINISTER INSISTED THAT FLOOD PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED BY THE NEXT 3-4 YEARS

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, KHUN-YING SUDARAT KEYURAPHAN (คุณหญิง สุดารัตน์ เกยุราพันธุ์), stated that her ministry is devising a plan to solve flood problems in the northern and northeastern parts of Thailand. She has expressed confidence that this plan will be able to effectively deal with flood problems by the next few years.

KHUN-YING SUDARAT revealed that the new flood prevention plan should be unveiled next week. She stated that the flood-prevention related projects for the northern and northern regions will be completed by this year. She said Prime Minister THAKSIN SHINAWATRA has considered this issue very seriously, and he has allocated a budget to solve the flood problems as soon as possible.

Nevertheless, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister said the water shortage and flood problems will be successfully dealt with over the next three to four years. She added that the Department of Irrigation and the Meteorological Department are coordinating with her ministry in issuing flood warnings to the public in different areas.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันศุกร์ที่ 30 กันยายน 2548

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Few Years? I think not!

Las Vegas Nevada embarked on a flood control system almost 25 years ago, and it is almost complete today. Now what are the differences? The entire watershed feeding the Las Vegas Valley is about the size of Doi Sutep! When it rains hard enough to flood, we are looking around 1/2" of rain!

A flood control system is more than drains in you sois, it is a network of canals and resevoirs to cut off water PRIOR to reaching the soi's. It will mean raising the heights of ALL the resevoirs upstream of Chiangmai, and quiet possibly dredging the Mai Ping to increase its' capacity to channel the water downstream.

I think our Minister has yet to get a grip on the reality of basic hydraulics & geology.

I am guessing, IF they actually do anything that has a chance of working, actually fund it and work continuosly it should be done by 2025........

WestOzzie,

Great to hear about your success! Running at full capacity is a great achievement.

Great idea though. bangers in Bangers

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Bangers from Bangers...great idea.

quick question ..where do you buy/get your skins from?...(genunine)....

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I buy my skins from OZ natural hog casings here in Thailand have a lot to be desired and are hard work to clean.

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Fellas I am contimplating smoking some legs of ham what do you think worth it or not is there a market in Thailand for this do you think? I am thinking of christmas the pork here is pretty good maybe I should make a few and see what happens thoughts please!

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I agree with Heng, copy the recipe. Short story, I had an urge for Jimmy Dean Spicey Sausage. Went to the internet and in less than 10 minutes I had the recipe. Made a 5 Kg batch, and I swear to GOD, it was just like the original.

Try http://www.otherwhitemeat.com they probably have 10,000 recipes for nothing but pork.

You can add me to your potential buyers.

Does anyone know any recommended shops that will sell and export stuff abroad ?

Furniture and Ornaments etc.

I have been past loads of places but would rather start looking somewhere that is recommended - ie. without being "stitched up"

Cheers guys

Mr B

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Go to Chiangmai......

Go down Sampankang Rd. you will find numerous manufacturers of custom furniture and Celedon who will deal direct with you as the importer.

Or contact JBL Int't who also export and have the capacity to do cutom searches for specific products as well as update you on NEW products which are available.

Good luck.....

Well it is now official.......

I am leaving the land of bulletproof vests and shoulder holsters and returning to Thailand.

In my new position, I will sometimes need a suit, so now I am looking for a tailor like they have on Sukhumvitt Soi 11 in Bangkok.

Any suggestions?

Thailand is no good. You will need to convert it into Baht and more over Thai banks will not open account if you are a foreigner who have no work permit or residency permit. Even though those documents have been satisfied,some Thai banks discriminate between foreigners and local residents. Foreigners money is no good and therefore gets no interest vs local money which is good and therefore deserves interest. Such are mentality of the banks in Thailand.

Singapore and Hong Kong dont treat you well, unless you bring lots of money. I like my bank to treat me well. So in this case, I dont even bother banking in Singapore and Hong Kong cause they dont even bother to call you back or response to your email.

Perhaps you want to try to put it in Indonesia. A small deposits like USD50,000 will get you first class treatment. Under IMF pressure, they passed the law that guarantees free capital flow in and out of the country. By law banks cannot reaveal any information to anyone including Indonesian Tax authority. Your interest is automatically deducted for tax purposes.

You may want to put it in USD rather than local currency, and put your USD with the country's largest banks that have internet banking facility that allows you to monitor and transfer money out. The following banks use double protection for its internet banking: a pin and a device that you carry to access the system so it is double protection:

Bank Mandiri

http://www.bankmandiri.co.id/english/index.aspx

Bank BCA

http://www.klikbca.com/index_eng.html

BCA and Mandiri are two largest banks in Indonesia. BCA is owned by Newbridge Capital and Mandiri belongs to the government of Indonesia 70%. They are both listed on the stock exchange and you can details of their financial information through Bloomberg, Reuters and Yahoo. Moreover all deposits are now insured by the government of Indonesia.

Bank Mandiri

http://today.reuters.com/stocks/overview.aspx?ticker=BMRI.JK

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=bmri.jk

Bank BCA

http://today.reuters.com/stocks/overview.aspx?ticker=BBCA.JK

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=bbca.jk

I have some money in Europe on an off shore bank account that will soon have to be declared to the tax departement because of some new regulations in the EU. In order to avoid this, I wanted take this money outside of the EU and put it on an Asian Bank account (Thailand) where it can hopefully stay in peace... I presume there are some people in this forum who have experience with this kind of stuff and am calling for your advice.

Question: how much money can one bring into the country without it being flagged, marked as suspicious (I don't know how this works). The amount is not fenomenal, but I could use it to buy a house or so. Will money sitting on a Thai bank acc. be out of view of the European taxman?

what do I need to do for all this? I have been here a couple of years on tourist visa's, next year I'll have a non immigrant education visa for one year and after that I plan to get WP or start business etc (get legal status for working).

I tend to think it's just a question of opening a bank account here, transferring the money and ready, but I just want to check if it is that simple. When getting the money in from abroad, I will need to get one of those TT..? forms if I want to take this money back out of the country one day right?

cheers guys

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I have a question...... Please explain how I have 4 different accounts in Thailand, of which two are dollar accounts?....... and ALL I needed was my passport! I don't have a work permit....... I work in Afghanistan. The last Dollar account was opened up in January of this year in Chiangmai at BoB.

Apart from Pizza Company and Burger King, what restaurants or fast food outlets offer home delivery in Chiang Mai?

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I guess right now, many of us are praying that the little lady in the Klong Boat from the floating market will arrive, with all the great makings for noodle soup (Praetheow).

Forget the pizza delivery guy unless his Honda Dream has had floats installed.....

We live at Flora House very nice and quiet, but now two americans have moved next door to us and it is pure ######.

They are from Washington, and Bi-sexual, my wife and I are not, and we do not condon  their life style , but my God every night the wife comes over only in her underwear, trys to put the move on me , then my wife, then he comes over with

a woody, they drink all of our liquor, smoke are cigs, eat anthing they can find in our house, what the F..k can we do?

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Well being an American from the USA, let me state that unlike the Thai, this couple SHOULD have thick skin (Able to handle criticism). Tell them to "Get Lost", don't allow them in to YOUR house! DO NOT avoid/delay the confrontation to spare their feelings...... shoot them between the eyes!

Back in the 70s, we had a great bumper sticker "ASS, GAS or GRASS, NOBODY RIDES FOR FREE", use this concept when you think about your lack of ascertive behaviour when dealing with this situation.

Will try asking - just wondered if there were some major companies that offer this as it would be good to compare - also would be good to know what sort of prices people pay...

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Go to Big-C, the selection is good and the price is as cheap as it gets in Thailand.

I purchased a VERY large fridge for around 15,000 Baht which has a cold water dispenser and ice-maker. I got my TV at Carrefour for around 12000 baht (21" Screen). Both of these items would be rather large for an apartment, but the prices might give you an idea of the associated costs.