ataloss

Quote: I personally know Thai students who have attended University in Surat Thani and are awarded their Engineering degrees on the strength of attendance alone, no exams and no studying! I was told this from the student who got the degree hence figuring the same for teaching degrees....I'm sure what you have said is true, but it certainly isn't true for most of the universities here. In the US they hand out 'life experience degrees.' Life can be hard, but there is a limit somewhere I think. Unquote

How about the Oxford MA"Oxon". It is only a BA, awarded for a fee.

Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degrees_of_th...rsity_of_Oxford

Just came across The Flying Dutchman restaurant, on May 28th on my way back from the Post office, which serves an excellent pepperoni pizza: large 200B, about 10 inches. Can't comment on their other pizzas, but this was truly really good. Located half-way between AUA and Wat Phra Singh on the S side beside the boarded-up antique Thai house and courtyard where I believe I use to enjoy pizza at the original La Villa. A pizza lover, I'll be returning.

BTW, first went to the Duke's several months ago as a result of the ruckus you all had then: tried their pizza: for the money-big, served on a banged-up aluminum pan, was OK but the bottom of the crust retained the taste of the veg oil or whatever. I return to the Duke's for I enjoy the ambiance and their tasty meals, but not their pizza.

Can someone please tell me how many square metres there are to 1 Rai of land.TIA

Hi

This may assist further:

Useful Data:

The three Thai land measurement units are rai, ngan, and talang (square) wah or TW:

1 TW = 4 m2 = 43 ft2 = 4.8 yd2

1 ngan = 100 TW = 400 m2 = 478 yd2

1 rai = 400 TW = 4 ngan = 1,600 m2 = 0.16 hectares = 1,914 yd2 = 0.40 acres

1 acre = 4,047 m2 = 2.53 rai

1 hectare (ha) = 2. 4711 acres

1 rai = 1,600 m2

A common property designator used in advertising takes this form: [1-0-70]

Thus [1-0-70] means [1 rai, 0 ngan, and 70 TW] = 1-0-70 = 1600 m2 + 0 + (70x4 m2) = 1,880 m2

And 34 rai = 34 x 1600 m2 = 54,400 m2 = 5.44 hectares = 13.44 acres (from data above)

the writer of the story in The Nation said "a coach was caught on fire." hmmm, you could properly say a coach caught fire or caught on fire, but not was caught on fire. Minor point, but grammar is important.

English language usage within The Nation is abysmal, and growing more so it seems. If you think the correct use of English is poor in their newspaper, you ought to check out their Direct English site. They hope to franchise throughout Asia. They charge a very, very expensive fee for learners. In Chiangmai they use 'backpackers' to teach in order to keep more money in their pockets. Their computerized English Placement test is fine as far as it goes, but the software itself from the British parent franchiser is still incorrect in several instances even after several years of their knowing this. All you budding grammar experts should check it out, and offer your own corrections to the dentist that runs the show. DE Chiangmai is on Charoen Muang Rd, well East of the railway station, on the left, just before the superhighway and Makro.

What is the commute time to the old city from there? One of the reasons those gate communities look so nice is that they ARE close to Payap. I plan on getting my MBA there and my fiancee is applying for a teaching posisition within the TEFL department.

Because the route is 4-lane most of the way from Sanpatong it's about 35mins to the AirportPlaza traffic lights. The same to Payap if you turn East off the 4-lane Cmai-Sanpatong at the new bypass intersection(the one with the very visible countdown timer) to the main CMai_Bkk superhwy. A lot less once the newly-surveyed 4-lane opens to the canal road as you will no longer have to go into Sanpatong to access CMai.

If you are really going to invest in a gated facility, I suggest you go there several times at night to check the noise level, and to visit several times on weekends to check out your future neighbours' impact on your quiet study time. Try to buy at the rear of the community to avoid the noise of the daily commute past your house. Check the site well before purchase to view ongoing construction, and speak to any current owners as to whether they'd buy into that estate had they the chance to do so again. Remember too that this home will be your 1st and last purchase! Chances of resale are negligible considering Thais hate 2nd-hand houses (ghosts and all), and future new housing will be priced to sell at around the same as your asking price or less. Farangs tend to up their prices a heck of a lot, just like they do when selling their cars. Have fun....

Wow! Just Luv Chiangmai!

In our area of CMai suburbia southwest of Sanpatong halfway to Mae Wang, prices are slowly climbing as land plots continue to sell at prices as low as 1000Baht/TW.

I agree the prices in CMai and areas North and East of CMai are well out of reach of the average Thai and those farangs wishing to not only own land, but to build their retirement villa. Someone mentioned 15000 per TW (12 mil per rai), yet a recent check came to close to double that, which is one reason these new houses are built on only 45-50 TW. Visits to these areas by potential buyers will confirm this. While visiting the new housing estates where neighbors share views through adjacent windows, and where your neighbors’ laundry decorates the front lawns, their radios beat incessantly, and their jerry-rigged carports obstruct all free-flow of breeze, take time to check the nearby on-going construction: houses tend to sink overtime on reclaimed rice fields, footings too narrow or too wide to prevent the house subsiding on any but gravel soil ( note all the cracked walls throughout Thailand), use of thin, smooth ‘hun’ steel wire instead of thick, ribbed ‘rebar’ in the concrete, bamboo slats as opposed to proper wire hun mesh in the concrete slabs, cheap roofing foil or lack of any insulation whatsoever… the list goes on: inexpensive- yes, but a place to bring up a family or to retire– hmmm…. Now you know why many homes in the CMai area realty magazines have been listed, in some cases, for the last 3 to 5 years and are yet to sell; caveat emptor! There are currently only two new gated-community developments off the new bypass near Payap University which IMHO are well-designed and constructed including the use of the new Euro-Blok; but these houses average 12 to 14 million Baht each.

If you’ve seen and appreciated the 4-lane highway at the CMU canal running past the Night Safari, you may be interested in knowing it is being extended straight thru where it and the canal veer off towards Sanpatong to the main highway from CMai. The newly-surveyed extension of the CMU-Night Safari canal 4-lane highway is to continue directly south to bypass the heavily congested ‘Airport Plaza-Lotus-Lanna Intl School-hang Dong-Sanpatong’ highway: it will open up direct rapid access to the city from the ‘Sanpatong-Doi Law-Mae Wang Tri-district intersect’ just South-Southwest of Chiangmai. Instead of the current ~40-km trip via the foregoing congested road past Lotus-airport to Sanpatong where one turns right towards Mae Wang, the newly-surveyed Night safari/canal bypass should be only ~20Km of 4-lane rapid access.

Thais in the know are continuing to buy up land in this area including Japanese buyers via Thai wives or partners some of whom already own upwards of 60 rai old-growth longan orchards near us. Thai doctors, military and police officers, businessmen from Bangkok, teachers, plus ‘gentleman’ farmers are our neighbors. While not a daily occurrence, their friends and colleagues are nonetheless purchasing on a monthly basis and not using realty brokers but via the village Kamnan or headman. In the last two years roads and bridges in this area have been greatly improved; the gravel road past our property being upgraded to a beautiful two-lane paved road linking the main Chomtong-Hang Dong-Chiangmai route. The influential Thais moving here obviously have a voice in local government construction.

Suggest you contract your own home, on your piece of heaven in the Tri-District border area if you care to. Anywhere there will do. Take a car ride with the family to meet any of the village headmen throughout the area who will steer you to what’s for sale until you fall in love once again - with that perfect location. Have your Thai partner invest in at least four rai to preserve your sanity against future noise pollution and unsightly housing onslaughts, should the area quickly become suburbia. The prices here are the least expensive in all of Chiangmai…so far. Most are titled NorSor3 which are all currently being upgraded en mass by the government land office which started about 3 years ago. Keep in mind though, rice fields, normally sor por kor, are generally suitable for rice plants-not houses.

You don’t have to live directly in Chiangmai to still appreciate it, at a reasonable price; so why not pack a picnic and enjoy your treasure hunt before the new exrtension is actually completed and land prices go through the ceiling like the areas already mentioned in the posts?

Just luv Chiangmai - don’t you?

Regards, Ataloss

I don't know squat about motorcycles but I saw one that I liked but don't know who it is made by or if I can purchase one here in Chiangmai... The only logo thing I saw on it was JRZ Storm...no company like Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha...anyone know what it is and where they sell them?

Thanks

Hi;

Try the recently opened M/C shop selling bikes from Malasia - probably the JRZ . Take Wualai Rd from CMaiGate to the end at the 3-way intersection where one turns Left (South) to go towards Airport Plaza. The new dealer takes up the entire apex at this very busy intersection. Cheers

I don't know squat about motorcycles but I saw one that I liked but don't know who it is made by or if I can purchase one here in Chiangmai... The only logo thing I saw on it was JRZ Storm...no company like Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha...anyone know what it is and where they sell them?

Thanks

Try the new dealer (4-6 months old) at the end of Wualai Road as one turns S towards Airport Plaza. You can't miss it as it straddles the apex of this busy intersection.

...a good quality helmet ....

Hi, Any advice on what in Thailand is a 'good quality helmet', and where in CMai can I buy one and at what price. Regards

To me it's pretty simple; Immigration wants to see the required money in the Thai bank and proof that it came from a foreign source.... Last month I had a meager 30,000 baht in my Thai Bank Account and although they do want a copy of the bank book I had absolutely no problems as my pension made up for the rest of the 800,000 baht.

I have seen so many OP talk about the REQUIRED money in a Thai Bank and this is absolutely false if you can show the other income to make up the difference.

My pension is "average" for an American and there is nothing else "outstanding" about my application that would lead me to beleive I am being treated any different than anyone else who meets the requirements. My last renewal (extension of stay) with a multiple entry permit took 2 hours to process.

Good on ya mate! You had 30K in the bank upon application for renewal and got it, but, did you transfer from your pension source at least 65,000B each month, or what... less, more...nothing? It seems it matters not a great deal how much is in one's account when one applies as you must pay rent, auto whatever each month...but is it not correct at least 65000 must be seen to be coming in from the outside each and every month from your Bt 800,000+ source ? No money coming in, then immigration assumes you must be working, which is a no-no.

What the US embassy is doing in making out a letter may be fine as an 'American' practice when it takes your word yet does not actually see a pension slip from the US government or proof of external retirement income from whatever source; provided this practice were a US in-house only procedure. The thing is mate, all other embassies and consulates require a verifiable copy of our income before they will write a letter on Embassy letterhead to Thai immigration on our behalf. Many non-Americans are concerned that this lackadaisical US embassy approach will (possibly has) compromised the other embassies' approach and we 'non-American' retirees. Suggest it takes no longer to check a verifiable pension source prior to the US embassy staff giving you the letter. I suggest the US Embassy get its act together. Possibly you could advise them of their compromising an already tenuous situation. Cheers...

A few days ago I parked my motorbike unfotunately at a street with parking restictions.

Found my bike half an hour later with lock, chain an police ticket.

Well, bad luck, that what I thought.

But what a surprise at the Mai Ping Police station, they charged me a 400,= thb. fine.

Thais friends told me that the regular police ticket for such a ,,criminal parking misbehaviour,, is

100 ,= thb. for the Thai.

I went back to the Mai Ping station to complain. As I already expected a useless action and waste of time. The aswer was that I should not worry as long as the fine is not yet 400,= USD.

Comming and living in Chiang Mai for over 20 years I see my sympaty for Thailand slowly melting away. Now it even looks like Chiang Mai police turns to Pattaya style. Thsi does not make it any better.

Amazing Thailand.

Hey, in 1995, I was fined 400 baht for exactly the same thing on Thapae rd.. No big deal then, nor now...

I was fined 700B about 5 years ago when my car was 'steel booted', on Chotana near Novotel. The 'no parking' sign was well up the road, inconspicuously posted. Actually met the cop as he was remounting his M/C draped with more steel boots. No compassion; I didn't expect any, just wanted to know where to pay the fine. He took me via his bike to the police station, I paid 700B and was returned to my car. Just last week on Suthep Rd at the BkkBank there were about 6 M/Cs being chained as they were blocking access to the the side road. The Thai owners were complaining as the cop silently continued his lock-up and promptly left. Equal justice, good police work.

BTW, good coffee and small talk from the Thai chap selling espresso etal from his VW van...the Italian espresso machine is a magnificent thing, mega baht. Must be doing well as he is importing the penultimate machine in the near future.

The US vaccination schedule, were you to take the time to check the site, is for international travel including Thailand.

Yesterday, we decided to head back to Chiang Mai on 30 June, and most of all, I'll miss the beach.

In retrospect, I'll categorize this year as recovery from my motorcycle wreck last July, a great vacation. I won't miss the jellyfish (got a nasty sting a couple of days ago), and I'm looking forward to a job market where a part-time TEFLer can find work.

It's been nice to meet the locals here and host folks from Bangkok.

Also, the health care available here is inadequate, the trips to BKK are a nuisance, and I can probably get nearly equivalent health care in Chiang Mai (I'm still plagued by a persistent wound infection and needing a shoulder replacement). But I surely will miss the beach. I know where the pools are, though.

But I know where to get Western food, find work, get around, etc. Not looking forward to the dusty season, of course.

Boyfriend, who's a native of ChiangMai, kept saying, "You can get anything you want in Chiang Mai." Now, where's Alice's restaurant, and Alice and her brother?

Stay where you are. Having slagged Chiangmai and the good people here when you left, suggest you find a G-reat sauna somehere in Bangkok to hole up. Lady you're a mess.

The Skipper is right on the money here. Just to prove the point he makes, try renting a condominium. I did after my rented house had been broken into 3 times while I was away teaching. Lost my laptop, plus plus... and eventually a stereo, but not the speakers as I interrupted the thieves on their 3rd burglary as they were making their way over the back wall - the speakers were left on the upper balcony. Not opportune to walk in on a burglary as you could well end up dead over a 1000-Baht radio. I moved ASAP thereafter. The joys of living in a secure condo (so-called security even with security personnel) ended with my M/C stolen right under the nose of a night sentry, and my condo door was later pried open. But having bought a new m/c and installed a steel door, my teaching lessened and I was home a good part of most days. What torment! The noise of construction was constant, from condos being renovated. The banging and drilling continued all day long (no exageration), reverberating through the concrete from even the most distant flat, as if they were drilling in the room next to you. I moved to another condo with the same result. Don't rent, simply visit any condo during the day to feel how miserable the retired elite now are, after parting with their retirement nest egg for a Thai condo. Oh, I am back renting a house, but with 4 Rottweilers as family members.