iainiain101

13 hours ago, Paulme said:

I can't speak as a parent, but I can share with you the feelings of a good friend of mine who has a child in high school at Varee. This is therefore second-hand information, so ignore if you wish.

I am told that his son (half Thai) enjoys going there and his wife is very happy because although "international" it is still very Thai, and she likes that. That's the problem for my friend though - it is not really international. An overwhelmingly Thai student body, with all of the cultural baggage that that brings, and of course the lower English language skills of classmates that this brings. They also don't have much contact with the other local international schools. They are not part of the international sports calendar, not part of the circle of Chiang Mai international schools, not even members of the International Schools Association of Thailand; still very Thai and insular.

If he has his way he would switch to Lanna (the established British international school in Chiang Mai), as a number of his classmates have, for what he is led to believe is better teaching, wider A level course choices, better examination results, good international university placements, etc.  BUT his wife is having none of it, so Varee it is!

 

 certainly comes as a surprise to me. Are you sure your friends kid is in the International section? Maybe he is paying the International fees and she has the kid in EP?

Not heard of any kids going to Lanna, in fact the opposite seems to be the case. Also, have personally found the English language skills at Lanna to be questionable.

Varee International is more aligned with an English curriculum and Cambridge Exams. Excepting Lanna, the rest are more American. Varee has cricket and rugby as sports.

Its a bore hole, 2 inch pipe I think. we would have stopped shallower if there was water. 

80m. according to the letter. May be a bit over. It was a very sandy area and took 3 months to complete.

I am out at the moment, and will try and scan the letter later.

We have recently drilled a water well on our land. The drilling company got the relevant permission, and we now have water.

We have now received an official looking letter saying that the well will need a meter attached, at a cost of 15k Baht, and then a water usage charge will apply. We have four days to comply.

Has anyone else heard of this requirement? Experienced this?

We are on the borders of Sankampaeng and Lamphun.

Thanks

Iain

We have used Columbus Direct for a few years, and they have always been very quick to renew. Today I thought it had been a while, so on checking found out that our cover expires today. No email or mention from them.

Looks like they have dropped Thai Residents from their acceptable list. Who still offers?

Very disappointed by the lack of notification from them.

I think I have seen them in Decathlon.

Friday morning farmer market located between the Porn Ping Hotel and Night Bazaar usually has a couple of stalls selling them. Makro is good as well.

BBQ shop on canal road Mae Hia has a selection.

Tower Bridge do great Mince Pies. Been in Rimping for a couple of weeks at the Nim City Branch. Check the freezer section. Also festive hams etc on sale.

You could try asking Toni at Yummy Pizza. He has put in an artificial putting green at the driving range there. Not sure on the quality.

Just got back from MHS via Pai, and the road was fine, with only some minor repair work going on. Road was busier than I can recall for this time of year.

we use AIA and we define the amount we want insured. Includes flood coverage which was paid in full in 2011.

Drove up to Chiang Rai this week, and despite the wet conditions there seemed to be a lot of burning in the hills. But the air is nowhere as bad as in the Chiang Mai valley. It just seems to be cars and factories here, but the smoke is staying in the valley.

I only came to look at this thread as I wondered if it was just me who thought the air quality was terrible for this time of year!

They seem to have moved it lat week. It was 

http://hydro-1.net/08HYDRO/HD-06/HOURLY.html

Now you need to go to

http://hydro-1.net/

click on Number 6 from the menu, then select the first chart, and you will get the up to date info

Let me know when you do.

Do you sell the Aspall's separately? which ones do you have?

Can tests distinguish between Dengue and Zika?

We had a pond in our garden that we removed to stop the kids falling in.

For the next three years the frogs would return to the site of the pond in large numbers at the start of the rainy season. It's been five years now, and we still get the odd one.

Rather than them smelling the water, I guess they may well return by memory. Not sure if it is a memory of where they were born or just where a pond was. I don't know how long they live, but you could clearly see there were less returning every year.

Will they close the schools for this one?

I have always said they need someone at each ticket counter to advise them on what is a lucky seat number for them. This should more than half the time taken.

It's hot season , elephants generally don't like the heat. Could also be in musth too

Gosh, I wonder why the OP didn't mention those things?

Elephants don't like the heat? You do know that they are tropical animals and will have never experienced anything other tropical weather, ever?

Obviously the Arctic Elephant is excluded from that last comment that I made.

And Hannibal's' elephants?

Robinson, Central, Toys R Us.

There was a specialist board game company showing at the City Life Xmas Fair. Anyone know there website/name?

Another lovely article: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/05/how-trumped-up-charges-led-thai-police-to-raid-expat-bridge-club

They would have been lucky to get a cold beer in the afternoon in Chiang Mai.

What's a long visit? You either go for a six month visitor visa or settlement.