kurtgruen

This is a thread i read somehwhere else and not TV. But it makes for interesting reading.ie to see what music people are into. I've been downloading some old music i havent heard for ages(years) So whats playing now? Hue and Cry, Labour of Love. Whats playing where you are?

John Lee Hooker - "The Healer" Album. I love the blues

Kurt

I like the two lines in "BARFLY" with Mickey Rourke....

"I don't hate people, I just feel better when they are not around" and

when asked "what do you do?" he says "I DRINK"

Of course, I think only fellow alkies can appreciate great movies such as Barfly

Hi all,

Mon and I decided to host a Christmas Party this year.

The idea is to have a party...this is not geared to be a money making event. You can bring your own alcohol, if you don't want to buy it from us and are also welcome to bring additional desserts for yourself and other guests.

We will provide the following. The Place: Mon and Kurt's Restaurant and Guesthouse, Chiang Dao (2.5km past the Chiang Dao 7/11 in the Fang direction on highway 107 on the right)

The food: Imported turkey,stuffing, yams, sweet potatoes, and all the trimmings that go with a good North American Style Christmas Dinner, Desserts, cookies, ice cream, coffee, Pork Roast with German dumplings and more

The entertainment: Christmas Music you can dance to

We will sell advance tickets for 295 Baht per person (children half price), just to know how many people are coming. Ticket sales will be cut off a week before the party. We will limit the tickets to 50 adults plus their children, so it won't be too crowded.

We only have two rooms for rent at the moment: one room with two single beds and the other with three single beds, so if you plan on sleeping here, book early. There are also several guesthouses in and around Chiang Dao, but since so many people want to escape Chiang Mai City for the holidays, I would say book early, because all these places fill up fast.

You can email us for ticket info if you like at [email protected]. At the moment, we are only selling them in Chiang Dao, but will probably have someplace in Chiang Mai soon, where one can purchase them.

We have two hammocks, which are available for free use, too, for guests who can't make it home after the party. We want everyone to have fun and then get home safe or find a safe place to stay close by.

So whereever you decide to spend your holidays, We wish you all the best for the upcoming holiday season.

Cheers

Mon and Kurt

I think it is great that Thailand is finally doing something about the lack of VISA regulations, god knows how many killers, rapists, and paedophiles are running around the country. I might be getting the wrong vibes here but it sounds like most of the posters on this thread are not on work permits or any other type of VISA other than the VOA.

To be honest the rules and regulations here are already very lax even after the recent crack down on VOAs, I only hope that this will weed out the wasters and allow the rest an oportunity to make amends for the reputation that the 'farang kee nok' have left us with.

I am not targeting anyone in this thread, just stating my opinion.

Rant Over

So what makes you think that people with legitimate business visas will not be killers, rapists or paedophiles, as you put it. (or that people who cross the border every month are?) Where is the logic in that statement?

I would be more inclined to think, that most of the sexual abuse comes from people with money, as money is more often than not used to lure victims.

Either way, on the visa issue, same as the drinking age issue, my opinion is that noone should make blanket rules for everyone. If you catch someone breaking the law, kick them out and keep them from coming back, regardless of what kind of visa they hold or don't hold.

I think Thailand is on the right track in getting rid of people crossing the border every month, because it doesn't put any money in Thailands pockets. They should just issue them visas and charge for the visas, so the money will stay in Thailand instead of Burma, Laos or Malaysia.

Anyways, I can't believe that anyone would infer that people who cross the borders every month would be more likely to be criminals than anyone else with a long term visa. (I have a long term visa and it is not a direct attack on me, but I think to even infer something like that is disgusting, but that is just my opionion

Minimum age raised to 25 for buyers of booze

BANGKOK: -- Health authorities have stepped up measures to curb alcohol consumption among youth by moving up the minimum legal age of buyers from 18 to 25 years. Narong Sahamethapat, deputy chief of the Disease Control Department,.... --Bangkok Post 2006-10-14

I have never agreed with raising the legal drinking age in any country. If you are old enough to go to war and kill people, you should be old enough to drink, but that is only my opinion.

I am getting so tired of this American style war on drinking. Don't people realize that the main reason so many of us want to come over from North America is, because it is nicer here?

I am 48 years old, so the minimum drinking age doesn't affect me personally (not yet anyways, unless they decide to raise it to 50). I just believe in personal freedom and in the right of individuals to make their own decisions in life.

Our children need to be educated, not opressed. If someone hurts others in society as a result of drinking (regardless of how old they are), punish them hard, but don't make drinking illegal for whole groups of people.

What are these legistlators thinking? I thought we are out of the stone age?

And you know what...I don't even drink. I haven't had a drink in almost a year. I don't smoke either, but I believe in the right to do those things, as long as one does not directly hurt society as a whole.

Yes, Thailand has a big problem with alcohol abuse, but prohibition does not work. That has already been proven in the US.

I believe that this new law, if it comes into effect and gets enforced, will only create more illegal drinking establishments, gangs and more crime. What would you do if someone told you you were not allowed to drink if you were 18-25 years old. I would probalby have done it in hiding and banded together with other likeminded youth, which is only asking for more trouble in society.

I was born into a society of freely available alcohol. (Germany). When I was a child, we used to go out for Sunday Brunch and we all would have beer with our meal. At that time, more people drank beer than water, I think. Yet, we had less alcoholics and less alcohol related crimes than the US, who has been trying to control Alcohol consumption.

Many people are leaving the United States, because society is becoming so crazy there. Yet we see countries still trying to immitate them. To me, that is sad.

what level of pension do you need to negate the need for cash in bank ?

65000 Baht/mth

I need some clarification... (hopefully by someone who knows what they are talking about)

...The 65000 Baht, does it have to be strictly "Pension" income, or can it also be investment income as long as you get it every month? Reason I am asking is, I have some rental income and two mortgage incomes from Canada, which add up to a lot more, but they are not Pensions.

Kurt

Just wanted to let you all know, that our rooms, in Chiang Dao, are finally finished now. I will post some pics on my website in the near future http://www.chiangdao.org.

The rooms have two single beds, Dresser, Desk, TV, Hot Shower, a good fan and clean bedding. Room prices include one hour of free internet per day.

Rates are as follows: Single 190 Baht per night

Double 250 Baht per night

For reservations: Mon or Kurt at 084-1739975 or [email protected].

Yes, our Thai - German restaurant is still open as well, of course.

Kurt

Best to you and your wife, Kurt.

Thank you

Do you suppose that they might reconsider all the new Visa rules that were to go into effect in one week?

October 1st not September, If I remember right for the new visa rules...

More importantly, I think they should reconsider the National Park fees. They last government said they would double them by next year in November for both Foreigners and Thai's. 400 Baht is a little expensive I think. I thought 200 Baht was already too expensive.

I have a feeling that for every 1 farang who will pay the 400 Baht, 10 won't, which will leave them with a net loss of 1600 Baht. If they reduced them to 100 Baht instead, I think they would get at least 10 times the customers they get now at the National Parks... but you guys all know that, so I am preaching to the converted.

As for the new visa rules, Mexico is starting to look better and better again. I used to live there and as a Canadian, I could just enter with a 6 month (free) tourist card, which I used to fill out on the plane between drinks, stay for 6 months, cross the border for one day and go back for another 6 months.

I found the language there easier to learn, because we share the same writing system and when I got out of the cities and tourist traps, people were real friendly there, too.

The climate wasn't quite as hot either, which was nice.

Of course, now I am married to my lovely Thai wife (and her family) and that option, as good as it looks right now, is not very practical anymore.

Maybe one day, she will have enough, too and we can move our Chiang Dao restaurant to some place quiet in Mexico. Then again... same story there...TOO MUCH RICE....NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN (That was for those of you who can read between the lines and have a sense of humour....Hmmm wrong forum maybe....Just kidding guys)

Hi guys,

Being in the restaurant business always makes me curious how people think, what kind of food they like, how they feel about prices, etc.

My wife Mon owns Mon and Kurt's Thai-German Restaurant in Chiang Dao. (about 2.5km past the 7-11 in Chiang Dao, if you are coming from Chiang Mai, travelling on the Chiang Mai - Fang Highway)

My wife cooks the best Thai food (that's why I married her among other things) and she also does great Schnitzels, German sausages and other European Foods. Our coffee is the best in town (at least that's what I think) and refills are free. Beer is cheap, too.

At the moment, we are only open seasonal from the beginning of September until the end of March, because we still enjoy spending our summers in Canada.

We look at cooking and the restaurant business more as a fun hobby than a business. I'm retired and love good food and my wife Mon loves to cook and eat good food.

So check us out sometime. Mention this post and we'll give you 10% off all food items as well. (Sorry, can't give you a discount on the alcohol, but at 40Baht for a big bottle of Chang or Archa, we have the best prices in Chiang Mai Province anyways.)

If you happen to come out and find yourself having a few too many to drink, we also have a guest room for $250 Baht per night or a hammock for $75 Baht per night.

There are a few other good foreign restaurants out here, too, so if you decide to spend a few days out here, exploring the caves, climbing the mountain, trekking, rafting or just drinking and eating a lot, there is a lot of variety here, when it comes to food and drink.

It's the perfect escape from polluted and loud Chiang Mai. Out here, you can just relax, without Bar Girls asking you to buy them drinks and without getting hit on by potential wives

My wife Mon got most of her training in cooking western food from my Mom, back in Canada, who had her own German restaurant back in Germany for many years. My dad, who is a retired Baker and Pastery Maker showed her a few things as well.

So don't pout, when we close for the summer around the end of March. Mon wants her time with Mom, to learn some more German recipes and I want my time fishing in one of Canada's crystal clear lakes.

Hope to see you sometime

Kurt

Hi there,

My wife Mon and I opened a Thai-German Restaurant in Chiang Dao last year. We have decided to make it only a seasonal restaurant for now from Sept. 1st - April 1st every year. (We may go year round in the future, but that depends on how much fun we have)

So if you enjoy Wiener Schnitzel, home made Fraenkische Bratwuerste, Spaghetti, Schweinebraten und Kloese, Burgers, home made salads and also some great Thai dishes, stop by in you are in the neighborhood.

We have customers come out as far as from Chiang Mai (75km away) to taste Mon's cooking.

At the moment, we have about 150 food items to choose from on our menu. We also have the best coffee around and refills are free.

So if you are looking for a good home cooked meal, come is us in Chiang Dao. You can find a map to our restaurant and a partial menu on our website: www. chiangdao.org

Mention this email and receive 10% off all food items.

I don't really consider this post advertising, because both Mon and I look at cooking as a hobby, not a business. We love to make food and to eat food

If you are like me (too lazy to look for the map), just remember we are 2.5km past the 7-11 in Chiang Dao, on the Chiang Mai - Fang highway, on the right hand side, just before the corner.

I'll add some recipes some other time... right now, I want to check out some other topics

Cheers

Kurt

Thailand to target deposed PM's assets

BANGKOK: -- Thailand may seize the assets of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, a self-made telecom tycoon believed to be worth over $2-billion (about R14,6-billion), the new military junta said on Friday.

Hopefully they are not too late already. I think back to Marcos from the Phillipines who stole billions for his country and than managed to get out to the States.

I would have seized all his assets and all of his family's assets right away. Maybe not all, leave him with 800000 Baht, so he can afford to get himself a retirement visa somewhere. (We wouldn't want to be cruel, would we?)

Kurt

New visa rules confirmed

PHUKET: -- New rules limiting stays in Thailand on “visas on arrival” to 90 days over any six month period were confirmed at a September 15 meeting of Immigration Department Chiefs in Bangkok. The new policy will go into effect on October 1.

Well, I wouldn't loose any sleep over it. Thaskin is gone and hopefully the new government will be smarter than the old one. Us farangs spend a lot of money in this country and most of us, except for a few idiots, live peacefully and polite within Thai society. There are a lot of farang under the age of 50, who have money to spend, but can't get a retirement visa or other type "O" visas. Maybe the new government will be smart enough to provide an opening for such people, if they have enough money coming in to look after themselves.

I've seen too many dead beat farangs living of their Thai spouses and Thai families already in this country and I am in agreement with tightening things up a bit.

I would say, that a smart move for the new government would be to

1. Lower the money in the bank/income requirement to $400.000 (about $10,000 US)

2. Remove the age requirement or marriage requirement to take advantage of it.

The above would accompish the following:

a, It will attract more foreigners to come here for the long term and spend their money in Thailand

b, $400000 Baht is enough money to cover emergency medical expenses and such, so the state will not be stuck with a bunch of dead beat farangs

c, It will put money into the Thai governments pocket (for yearly visa fees), instead of other countries border stations pockets.

d, It will create more stability and peace...foreigners will be more willing to invest in this beautiful country, if they don't have to deal with the added insecurity of monthly border crossings.

I have faith that this new government will do things better than the old one.

Regardless of what happens...how often have you seen rules come and go without being inforced? So why loose sleep over it until it actually happens?

I agree that there will be a mass exodus of foreigners if things get too complicated for them here, which would be a shame, because we want to live here and the money we spend here is good for the Thai economy. Then there is the added benefit of exchanging cultural information, technical knowledge, etc.

In my own situation for example, my Thai wife went from utter poverty and depression to being a successful business woman, who is well liked and respected by foreigners and Thai People alike. She now creates her own income, which helps support her Thai family. I have my income from my country of origin, which I spend generously in the country I love, Thailand.

I love this country and will do whatever it takes to stay here. Yet, if the government would make it too difficult to remain here, I wouldn't hesitate to move to another tropical country, where I feel welcomed and would spend my money there instead of here.

Lets give this new government a chance to do things better.

Kurt