Fore Man

Well, to a certain poster above whose outspokenness and rudeness frankly surprises me...I'll be kind and sugarcoat my thoughts: why don't you take a rather large pineapple, cut it in half around its center, place my studied reaction to your belligerent posting inside of it, reconnect those halves, and place it on your person where the sun doesn't shine.

I also wish upon you that you get severely scammed by a Thai business soon and then have the forebearance to keep the unfortunate experience all to yourself.

Are you to be the new clearinghouse for the appropriateness of posts on Thai Visa Forum? I really think that you may be one of those rare breeds we see in Thailand that hates all fellow farangs.

Horsepuckey as we say in West Texas...

You indicated your interest in buying a used Fortuner...does anyone know if the Smart or Exec are offered in the newest (2009) models? Price penalty and what you get for that difference?

JxP--I for one appreciate the heads up...I occasionally play and dine at the Gymkhana and now I have just been warned of a rip-off scheme there...albeit a minor one this time around. The OP was conned out of a mere THB 20, but what about if that figure grew by an order of magnitude as with a larger meal or with more diners? I agree with you that we need to take up our gripes with the establishment's manager, but it I think the OP did us a service for spreading the word and should not be chastized for it. The whole idea of the CM Forum is to disseminate information and for posters to ask queries of their own on some aspect pertaining to the local area. I cast my vote of thanks that TV gives us this opportunity and to <cnxmike> for raising it to our attention.

The extension form has a photo border for a 4 x 6 cm which is approx 1.6" x 2.4". Can I use existing 2 x 2 but cut the width to 1.6" or do I need to get different sized photos?

At the bottom,

it says "temporary stay in the Kingdom for another period of _______ days, do I write 360 days?

it also says reason for extension, do I write "retirement"?

Thanks

Regarding photos, you can produce them quit eeasily using a digital camera and an appropriate (white wall or sheet) background. Be sure you have adequate side-lighting to eliminate shadows in the neck and ears area. Then insert your image into PowerPoint and resize it until you get the size you require. You can also edit the image in Adobe or similar image-editing program to get exactly the pixel length and width you need. Then print them out onto standard photo paper and cut them out using scissors or paper cutter. I've been doing this for the past 4 years and Chiang Mai Immigration has always accepted them (as well as the Driver Licensing Bureau, golf course membership cards and such). Cheap and quick.

Looking back on your past posts it appears you have a Multi Entry Non O-A Visa. As you are on your second year of it you can come and go as you please with your Re Entry Permit.

You only have to report if you actually stay in the country for 90 days.

I agree with the above; that is how I have been dealing with the issue since 2004...have been on annual extensions of my retirement visa (with MRE Permit) and have only reported in for the 90-day report twice in all that time...because my business takes me out of country frequently enough and I automatically get a new TM form when I return to Thailand and the 90-day clock starts anew.

The hospital said I should have an MRI , but I worry that this really won't help and they are only after my money, the Doctor did not appear that interested in my condition.

if the x-ray doesn't show than it's soft tissues and you should have MRI scan. If you are coming to the UK you can have it free on NHS. If there is a long waiting list in your local hospital and you don't have enoght time, you can walk in to emergency with slighly exagerated symptoms and have the scan within a day or two, while hospitalised.

hot baths and at least hot showers on the affected area, swimming in a warm water on your back instead of walking - all help with muscle tention.

wear soft shoes and walk on the soft surface when out with your dog, avoid lifting heavy objects and carrying shopping in your hands - get a shopping bag on a trolly, ask shopkeeper to load it into a boot.

do those stretches to your lower back and pelvis - do them often, many times per day, they don't have to be long each time. Do them very slowly and gentle, as not to cause more pain - the slower you do the stretch the more time the muscle has to relax and there would be the more lasting effect.

and, as mentioned, find a good massage therapist, who will help you to stretch on a regular basis. In west bangkok, where I live, blind therapists charge 150-180 bht/2h

I have had one of those painful Wat Po style messages given by a little old lady that you have to crawl away from...but it sure helped loosen up everything and I felt a lot better a few hours later. They are not neurosurgeons though, I am a bit fearful of having them work on my back though until I know what is going on down there.

I had a hemilaminectomy in 1990 which was infected during the procedure and left me with a near-death experience with osteomyelitis that required 6-months of intravenous infusions of very powerful antibiotics to cure. I then had to learn how to walk again as my trunk muscles had atrophied and the antibiotics damaged the inner ear balance system. The surgeon also nicked my spinal cord and I had to have an emergency operation a few weeks later to repair the ensuing CSF leak. Since you have already had surgery, I need not warn you about the risks of an operation...even arthroscopic procedures are potentially dangerous.

I agree with the other posters that you definitely are experiencing sciatic irritation...it is referred pain that is rooted with an impingement in your lumbar spine but you feel the burning pain down your legs--usually the outer calf area or outer thighs...this can also be accompanied by numbing of the soles of the feet or pronounced muscular weakness in one or more toes. An impingement can also affect your bladder function and if this becomes an issue you must seek immediate medical help. One or more of the nerve roots arising from your lumbar spine is being impinged by disk material or possibly scar tissue from your original diskectomy. I agree totally with ZZDOCXX and his suggestions, especially the non-invasive therapy and lumbar flexibility exercises plus a moderate NSAID-assisted course to ease the local swelling. You may need to take 600 to 800-mg of ibuprofin or equivalent per dose 2-3 times a day for 1-2 days; but be careful as NSAIDs are all nephrotoxic and long term use can permanently impair renal function.

I have been mostly symptom-free over the years until this past month when I became too aggressive with my exercise regimen. Fearful of a relapse of my 1990 symptoms that led to that fateful surgery, I took 2 days of bed rest along with a few Advil tablets and everything normalized. I remember being told in 1990 that I might not have required an operation if I had taken to absolute bedrest for a few days to allow the disk to recede. Try the bed rest, followed by gentle exercises suggested by ZZDOCXX and then perhaps physical therapy. An MRI would be indicated if none of these moderate procedures helps your condition and would pinpoint the exact nature of your ailment. You could also have osteoarthritis (causing collapsing of your spine) or stenosis (narrowing) of the spinal canal. In some cases certain forms of therapy would be injurious to your spine and exacerbate your symptoms.

I don't recommend any chiropractic adjustments be done until an MRI has ruled them to be safe for you. Be wary of clinics that offer epidurals to inject an anti-inflammatory drug into your spinal cord...these are not long term treatments and cannot generally be repeated more than a few times. An MRI is expensive (THB 8,000 and up) but is a sure-fire way to isolate the underlying condition causing your pain. From an MRI-assisted diagnosis, a physician can decide which treatment modalities will help you and which ones will be harmful.

Good luck and take it in moderation. Study earlier TV topics posted in the past on back pain as well to help you understand your options...and their effects.

You nailed that one JD.

Not sure what it's called buy they have this farm loan government bank which purpose is, unless I miss my guess is to separate poor farmers from their land.

This is so corrupt.

I don't know who gets the foreclosed land but this is a terrible scheme.

It's akin to the old American west where native americans could trade fur skins for whiskey.

And the sad thing is that most of the rural folk have no idea of the negative consequences that Thaksinomics foisted on them. In many villages dotting the northern landscape, they still think Thaksin to be a sort of superhero who can do no wrong--an oriental Lochinvar riding in to save them--and anyone who tries to impart a shred of truth is quickly ignored or disregarded as a heretic. The latest reincarnation of the TRT party knows this and will not give up until they have fomented a civil war and rend Thailand to tatters from the peaceful, serene Kingdom it once was. The Democratic -minded will have an uphill educational battle to mount to convert the poor over to appreciating good governance. The vote-buying legacy will always win out over decency and honesty until a profound event occurs to convert them. Even the loss of 1.2 million jobs as predicted now by the Labor Ministry will generally see little effect on the agrarian poor--they had no jobs to start with. Change may require a youth revolution to create that critical mass of Thai who demand a better future and way of life. I am not suggesting violence here and surely hope and pray that the country can get past the ugly scars caused by Thaksin and his ilk in a peaceful way.

As an aside, my wife and I lived in Pattaya for a while after spending a lot of time there as annual visitors. Let me tell you that visiting Pattaya and living there full-time are not at all the same thing. Like us, you may get weary from the huge density of transient Thais looking for jobs and the high traffic volume and frequent jams. Shopkeeper arrogance and greed are prevalent too; they take keen advantage of farangs. Especially tiresome are the motorcycles--they are everywhere and make driving a real chore.

Same is true for Phuket, if not more so. Ands you can add pestering in too, which can be unabearable in phuket.

Right! I've only been a tourist myself on one 3-day trip in 2004 in Phuket and we stayed up north near the airport. I guess we just went there during the wrong time of year (it was May I believe; unbearably hot and humid). I enjoy the beach lifestyle as well but we found Patong to be...well...frenetic and a tad cheesy. Played golf in Phuket too (Blue Canyon Lakes) and it was a magnificent course but just too expensive. We can play 2 rounds in the high season or 3 rounds (off-season) up in CM for the same price. I'd like to try some more courses in Phuket but will probably opt to give Santiburi (Koh Samui) a try first, as pricey as it is probably is.

<snip> deleted for brevity

On a different topic and forum on ThaiVisaDotCom you are "skyman" when quoting you. What gives? Change of name

Below is the Link Pun intended BTW

I suggest that you seek a local travel agent where you live and see what they can do. I have been using All-Season Travel in Pattaya for several years and they have always given me excellent service and competitive pricing. I do this from the other end of the country up in Chiang Mai via email and phone and it has worked well. PM me if you need contact data.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Flight-Bkk-L...St-t227647.html

Kan Win

P.S. this edited version is much better for me eyes and a big thank you for your post BTW 'Fore Man' and 'skyman'

Yep, I changed nicknames yesterday via Admin. Wanted something to align closer to my avatar!

RUTH888,

My family and I live in Mae Rim, a district 15-km north of the city's center and quite close to many of the favored attractions. You can book all local tours and attractions after you arrive at your hotel and they generally all have tour desks to assist you in doing so. There are some pricey, but fancy accommodations out in the Mae Rim area (such as the Mandarin Oriental) but to be honest I believe you would have more fun by staying downtown along or near Chang Klan Road and next to the Ping River that bisects CM. There are lodgings for all price ranges and you can find these and compare them easily on the Web. Those that are closer to the Night Market and Galae Bazaar (opposite one another) would be preferential as there is more to see and do without resorting to lengthy hikes. Another locale popular for Oriental visitors and students is the trendy Nimmanhaemin Road area and also the Pang Suan Kaew (PSK) reas--close to one another. PSK also has a couple of hotels and they are next to a huge shopping center with the same name. All in all, I would still recommend the venues along the Ping River...much more to see and do, with nice riverside dining close by. As for tour suggestions, the Mae Sa Elephant Camp is a great experience and can easily take a half-day or longer, depending on how 'deep' you want to immerse yourselves in elephant lore. Be sure to bring mosquito spray as the bugs out here can be a bit frustrating at times. There is also a new tiger resort very close to Mae Rim that everybody loves...you can lie down next to the adult tigers with no problem as they are very tame (or medicated; I am not sure which...they are always sleepy!). The Mae Rim to Samoeng road passes by several other interesting attractions--snake farm, monkey farm, go-kart driving experience, waterfalls etc. There is also a jungle walk experience east of the city where you can walk among the treetops on suspended bridges and using harnesses that ride along elevated cables. Don't forget the Royal Floral Project 5-7 km south of the city along the Water Irrigation Canal Road as well as the Chiang Mai Night Safari. Another very scenic and worthwhile side trip is up the mountain overlooking the city where you can visit Bhuping Palace (beautiful gardens) and Wat Phra Tat Doi Suthep (mountainside temple and monastery; the iconic symbol of Chiang Mai; a definite must-see). There is a plethora of Thai handicraft shops along the road connecting the city with outlying San Khampaeng, but the real must-see locale in my opinion would be in Baan Tawai--a big complex of crafts shops and cottage industries located 15-km south of the airport in the Hang Dong area. We purchased most of our home furnishings, wall art, statutary and decorations from Baan Tawai as their selection and pricing is far better than in the city. It is a treasure trove of goods and all conveniently located on one little district. This would require a full day to do it justice and there are good cafes and restaurants down there as well.

It would be best to hire a van with driver on a daily basis to take you wherever you wanted to go in and around the province. The drivers all are intimately familiar with the city and the surrounding area and this would be preferable to using a metered taxi or dedicated "Baht Bus" which are rather noisy and uncomfortable. Additionally many van drivers speak enough English to make conversing not so frustrating...whereas taxi drivers and baht bus drivers usually speak no English or a few halting expressions only. I hope this helps you and that you enjoy a great vacation to the "Rose of the North" as our city is also called.

Hi!

Toyota is introducing the Fortuner Diesel manual in India in Feb 2009. I am driving a CRV mark2 and want an oil burner as diesel is 40% cheaper than petrol in india. My main reason for changing is I have 2 small kids and a maid and CRV is a 5 seater wheras Fortuner is 7 seater and the mileage. I have 2 queries:

1. What is the milegage of the fortuner (my CRV gives 6km per litre - petrol)?

2. How is the suspension of the Fortuner? (My CRV rolls a lot on the highway)

3. Is is possible to have roof rack as an after market fitment?

Thanks!

Kapil Kaaiser

My experience re your questions (after two years and ~27,000 km):

1/ 10 km/l doing almost exclusively city driving (A/T)

2/ I like it, it is fairly firm compared to passenger cars but I like that, and it feels rock steady on the highway

3/ Yes, I did

/ Priceless

Priceless, did the roof rack add much wind noise to your driving experience? Is it tolerable or is it a nuisance? Thanks.

I live in Chiang Mai and we recently did a demo of the CRV and 3.0 Fortuner. I share exactly the same sentiments of an earlier poster re the differences between the two vehicles. I had my heart set on a CRV (I got over my dissatifaction with its styling), but in the end:

1. The Fortuner is a lot roomier and seems to have ample refinements as standard equipment. It is no longer the 'plasticty" vehicle that I thought it to be and improvements made over previous models are worthwhile.

2. The Toyota dealer here (Chotana Road) is far more responsive and easier to work with; seems willing to haggle too.

3. The CRV is roughly THB 80,000 more for the the same fitments/capabilities (we don't want the Navi feature either). Honda will not negotiate at all on price but will toss-in the first-year premium on First Class insurance as part of the basic price. I have factored this in in my THB 80K comparison.

4. The CRV rides slightly rougher/sportier/harsher than I expected it to; the Fortuner was quite comfortable--more so than I expected and much better than the 2006 model we tested a few years back. To be fair, we did not take these SUVs out on a smooth highway, but limited our test drive to the local roads around the perimeter of our golf course.

We asked each dealer to bring their demo vehicles out to our home 10-km away in Mae Rim for the test drive and they both obliged. No papers to sign or handing over driving licenses etc. Very pleasant experience.

The icing on the cake is the fact that I can replace the stock radio/CD changer on the Fortuner with one that I want (I need to connect an iPod) and it is great to learn that we can order a custom color. We didn't ask the dealer about this possibility and he didn't volunteer it. Does anyone know the extra surcharge to order a custom color? We are interested in pearl white--same as used on the new Camry.

We own a 2004 Camry and have had a very positive experience with it. Toyota quality has been impressive. I have no nits to pick and feel we got excellent value for the price (in Thailand). Because we deal with the local dealer for all maintenance, buying another Toyota product seems to make good sense to us. Finally, I am curious about the comparisons between the Ford Escape and the Fortuner. Yes, they represent different vehicle classes, but we have a Thai neighbor who loves his Escape and it's worth it for us to check it out before finalizing our buying decision.

The biggest disadvantage of all dictionaries I have used until today is that they use language that people don't use. If I copy the language from the dictionaries people look at me like a come from a different planet.

For instance:

nuclear energy: พลังงานปรมาณู

But people say: พลังงานนิวเคลียร์

airport: ท่าอากาศยาน

But people say: สนามบิน

air conditioning:เครื่องปรับอากาศ

ฺีBut people say: แอร์

bus: รถโดยสารประจำทาง or รถประจำทาง

But people say: รถเมล์ or even บัส

My favourite online dictionary is the sealang dictionary together with the RID. Before I used thai2english, but I stopped using it because I get a headache from the automatic transliterations (which seems to be more wrong than right).

I am not 100% happy with any paper dictionary. The best paper dictionaries I have used are:

Thai-English dictionary : Domnern Sathienpong

English-Thai dictionany (of contemporary usage) : P. Sethaputra (พ. เสถบุตร) which is not the same as the more famous dictionary of S. Sethaputr

I concur that using an English-Thai dictionary always presents the same problem--your listener gives you a blank stare time and time again. I would sure like to see a version that offers translations for words people actually use in common idiom (not crude lower class slang, another problem by itself for a farang trying to learn which Thai word to select).

I bought a couple of pieces at a small store in Kad Farang on the highway to Hang Dong. The owners were nice and the prices seemed better then the place in the airport mall. Dont know if they are still there as this was a few months ago. If they are closed phone the number on the door as they live close by and will prob come to to open for you as they did for us.

Thanks, Chokrai! We'll give it a lookover.

I live in Chiang Mai and recently played a round at Summit Green Valley with a Frenchman in his late 40s and his Thai GF touring the North from their home and business located in Phuket. He told me that he was very displeased with the high pricing for golf in Phuket, the massive influx of Northeast Asian golfers and was quite elated at the quality of our courses in the CM area, as well as their very reasonable green fees. Chiang Mai also has a lot of language schools and a nighltlife, albeit not the same as in BKK and the beach resorts. Accommodation is also far less expensive. We simply don't have the same volume of long term foreigners which inflate rentals in other popular Thai locales. As an aside, my wife and I lived in Pattaya for a while after spending a lot of time there as annual visitors. Let me tell you that visiting Pattaya and living there full-time are not at all the same thing. Like us, you may get weary from the huge density of transient Thais looking for jobs and the high traffic volume and frequent jams. Shopkeeper arrogance and greed are prevalent too; they take keen advantage of farangs. Especially tiresome are the motorcycles--they are everywhere and make driving a real chore. But the Chonburi region does indeed have a plethora of excellent golf courses to select from. The real issue for me is that Pattaya is far hotter and much more humid than Chiang Mai, even in the cool season. I played three rounds in November and couldn't believe how hot it was! If you have never spent a lot of time in Pattaya I suggest you give it a test first before making commitments. I encourage you to come up and give CM a try as well. We have astonishingly beautiful courses up here in wooded mountain settings as well as a few links-type courses in what were once rice fields. If you do visit CM please drop me a PM and perhaps we can play a few rounds together.

We have been on the prowl for some Benjarong pieces to add to our home, but put off by high prices and/or greedy/arrogant shop owners. Does any reader know of a good place to look in CM or Lampang? We don't care if they are authentic or not; we are just interested in the same artful and colorful styling. Thanks.

I suggest that you seek a local travel agent where you live and see what they can do. I have been using All-Season Travel in Pattaya for several years and they have always given me excellent service and competitive pricing. I do this from the other end of the country up in Chiang Mai via email and phone and it has worked well. PM me if you need contact data.

Very regrettable and it is sad to know that there are ex-pats in such a needy condition in Thailand. Being penniless in a foreign country must rank at the bottom of the barrel for dire circumstances. Let's hope he finds some better luck soon...

I have a 6-year old Sony VAIO we use as a back-up PC and its HDD went TU this year. We located the Sony service center on Hang Dong Road (near the Toyota dealer) and they apparently will have no problems repairing it. It is in-shop now and the repair estimate was reasonable to me. We also needed a replacement laptop battery and these older parts are still available through their supply system. My VAIO was purchased in the USA direct from Sony USA but there is no problem getting it repaired here in LOS.

I also have a newer Panasonic Toughbook (CF-W2) and will probably need some maintenance done to it soon...my display has lost a few vertical lines on the far right border of the screen. Does anyone know if Panasonic has a service center here in CM? Thanks.

I read that Chinese Cupping Therapy is normally practiced by acupuncturists. You may find your therapist faster by seeking out and screening acupuncturists. I believe the treatment is safe and not uncomfortable, and can provide relief but certainly no permanent solution, particularly if your pain is caused by nerve impingement/disk herniation or stenosis. Other than this, I am a neophyte and have no personal experience with the technique.

Airports reopen: Foreign travellers could drop 40%

BANGKOK: -- The number of tourists travelling by foreign airlines to Thailand may decline as much as 40 per cent following the recent shut down of Suvarnabhumi international airport by anti-government protesters, a senior airline official said on Thursday.

<snip>

The AOC suggested that armed security guards should be posted at Suvarnabhumi international airport to prevent the seizure by protesters in the future, he said.

-- TNA 2008-12-04

The issue still remains: will 'armed security guards' be willing to use force against women, elders and children if they approach the airport to mount a protest? This is at the very heart of the matter and authorities well higher than the AOT must make tough decisions on how to staff and deploy such a force...and what their explicit rules of engagement are to be. As Thai see unwilling to harm its fellow citizens bent on fomenting trouble, male, female; young and old alike, the best alternative may be a mercenary force without the fear of stopping an illegal act before it blows over into a major international embarrassment and the loss of hundrdeds of thousands of jobs. As this hiring of a non-Thai security force is extremely unlikely (Ghurkas come to mind), the problem is bound to recur at some point in time. A nasty precedent has now been set and only an equally nasty reaction will thwart it in the future. I am definitely not an advocate for violence and shudder at the very ideas I have ideated...but as Teddy Roosevelt once said "Speak softly but carry a big stick". You can't have it both ways Thailand.

I am a little confused as to what actually happened. It sounds like you used an American bank's debit card that is linked to a savings or checking account. It appears that someone (outside the bank?) obtained your debit card number and PIN and used them to drain the account. Is this not an inherent danger of having/using debit cards. They are offered as basically electronic checks and people like their convenience. However, unlike a credit card where money is lent to the user for repayment in the future, when one uses a debit card, like a check, the money is immediately deducted from the linked account. Therefore, if there is any fraud, the money is already gone from the account holder (as opposed to the bank's money with a credit card) and it is more difficult to get one's money back.

Basically, if someone gets hold of one's debit card details, it's the same as them getting hold of your ID and checkbook and writing themselves a bunch of checks for goods or cash. By the time you discover the fraud, the money's gone. For this reason, I do not use debit cards...ATM cards at machines and credit cards at reputable retailers for large purchases and online but never debit cards. When my bank sends them to me, I cut them up and continue to use only the standard ATM card linked to my accounts.

As an aside, in 10 years of banking with Bangkok Bank, I have never had a fraud problem with them...maybe just lucky.

Ditto here...after 5 years with BKKBK; using USA bank ATM card.

At the end of the day, it seems to me that this clash has been really more about bent egos and lost power ploys than conflicting ideologies. There must be a deep genetic trait buried in the chromosomes of certain Orientals in general and the Thai in particular that refuses to accept that someone or some group is better than they are...and they cannot accept any kind of censure or personal criticism that causes them to lose face. And when 'face' becomes an issue, they will fight like wild mongrels to maintain it. Even if it bankrupts their family, company or country in the process.

When we have similar clashes of public personnas in the West, the loser (or losing group) skulks off to lick his/their wounds but do not take over a key government compound and two international airports serving a major regional transportation hub. For instance, after November 7th, I didn't see the American GOP party try to 'get even' by storming the White House or having their constituents attack and occupy Reagan and Dulles airports. Above all we westerners value our individual rights of personal freedom, to expect that we can live in peace without fear of revolution and insurrection; we also expect to enjoy our refined and improved ways of life in the West that have been won after so much bloodshed and hard work. This then becomes a sad commentary on what Thailand is missing and perhaps will never have, even though the vast majority of its citizens want nothing more. They are forced by their circumstances to be subject to the twin hammerlocks of incompetence and corruption. Very sad indeed.

These events over the past week are not new in the manner in which opposing political factions have fought each other; the new dimension to this perennial issue has been the brazen seizure of public property and catastrophic economic loss to Thailand, and the rude treatment of its foreign visitors who all came here naively expecting to relax and enjoy a well-earned vacation in an exotic and fabled land. For these criminal acts and grievances the PAD ringleaders should be held thoroughly accountable and given appropriately harsh punishments by the highest authority in the land to deter recurrences of this type in the future. Or there is a very strong possibility that it will happen again the next time someone gets his feelings hurt or stands to lose all their marbles in the game of politics. Endeth the sermon and off my soapbox. Thanks to TV for allowing me to state my opinion.

No-1 Deputy Prime Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul will become caretaker prime minister pending a meeting of the caretaker Cabinet, PM's Office Ministers Sukhumpong Ngonkham said Tuesday.

He said the caretaker Cabinet would make a former decision as to who should be caretaker prime minister replacing disqualified Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

The Nation