Mark123456

Reconstituted and most likely from New Zealand? You've absolutely no facts on which to base that absurd claim. As for shelf life, 2 weeks + is perfectly normal for pasteurised, homogenised milk. I'm not sure what baby formula has to do with anything. That's powdered wherever you buy it.

They are waitresses in a crappy chain restaurant, hardly 'upmarket'.

In your opinion it may be a crappy chain restaurant, but i would wager the waitresses are better educated than the vast majority of the customers who frequent the place and beides i never said Hooters was an upmarket establishment, i said the ladies working there would be more upmarket

My opinion? It's hardly fine dining is it? I know you didn't suggest that Hooters was upmarket; the fact you suggested the girls were 'more upmarket' is what made me laugh.

If you're referring to the Philippines, they are still one of the 10 biggest wood charcoal exporters in the world so what you say is utter nonsense.

They are waitresses in a crappy chain restaurant, hardly 'upmarket'.

That's just the regular monthly announcements. Might have some bad news, might not, but not a special event by any means.

I must admit to being a bit of a socialist when it comes to healthcare. In other areas of life I'm more of a rampant right-winger but I don't believe that rich people should have access to better healthcare than poor people. What really bothers me when visiting private hospitals is that I am always wondering whether they are suggesting certain treatment options in order to make more money - something that I never had to consider at NHS hospitals. Strangely, I never worried about being denied treatment options due to under funding. McCormick is just the place I feel most comfortable with so far; I've never visited their patient wards though, so have not observed mosquitoes there. Do you mean swarms of them or just that you noticed one or two?

I tend to agree with you to a certain degree. I would never pay for my kids to go to a private school in England, but in Thailand I feel I need them to learn English just as well as Thai and hence we pay for a private bilingual school - Varee. My concern still remains that an average school here isn't as good as an average school in England.

As regards hospitals, the same in England we used the NHS although when I did have to go for a specialist back op I did then go private admittedly with my Bupa insurance as otherwise the waiting list would have been well over the 6 months quoted and I was in severe pain. Furthermore, I wouldn't have got the specialist surgeon on the NHS that I had when going private.

My first son was born in a Govt Thailand hospital and my second in an NHS hospital, both were fine. I would be happy to go with the the Mother and Baby hospital in CM this time as my wife was comfortable with that. The reason we are not, is because this time we have full insurance to cover the birth costs so we felt we might as well take advantage of this benefit. Had we had to pay ourselves then my wife would be going to the Mother and Baby hospital - her words were that it's a waste of money to pay for something that is free elsewhere.

I do feel that CM Ram and BKK do charge quite inflated prices for some things but we are covered 100%. My son went for 3 vaccinations at CM Ram this week and the cost was Thb 2800! Bearing in mind thai kid get it free it does seem somewhat expensive! Luckily again we are covered for all vaccinations up to the age of 6. Incidentally, these were vaccinations he missed as he was in England. It seems that vaccinations given to kids in both countries slightly differ.

Anyways, I'm off to Bkk hospital for my first visit today so will report back on that later.

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They seem to have dozens of vaccinations here. I don't know what they have in the UK these days but I'm sure it's nowhere near as many. I think you might have misunderstood me a little regarding my comments on private healthcare. I certainly don't feel strongly enough about it to boycott private hospitals if the government hospitals are a lower quality option, I just disagree with the whole idea of poorer people not having access to the same level of healthcare (and, as I said, I don't like the thought that a doctor treating me is motivated by profit). I've fortunately never been in the position of having to wait for a non-urgent operation in the UK but private consultants always used to do their time in NHS hospitals too. The same guy charging a fortune on a Monday to private clients, for instance, could be in an NHS operating theatre on a Tuesday. I don't know if that is still the case.

No, he's right. There's been a change just in the past five years. Everything has become much more busy. Little touches of service have disappeared. Small stuff, but it adds up. For the most part, they no longer put your bags into your cart at Tops. The cashiers at Rim Ping often don't give that pretty little wai when they hand you your change. (The cashiers at Tops always were a little lazy about this).

When you go into the TV or household goods area of Central Dept store you can wander for hours and no one hovers, pointing to the item you're looking at making "helpful" observations like "blue" or "on-off". This used to annoy me, but now I miss it. The other day we went to Power Buy (part of the Central group) to purchase a clothes washing machine, same thing where Hubby and wandered around the store looking at every clothes washer (it should have been evident we were serious shoppers) and when we finally found someone who would make eye contact they had to go find the store manager to locate someone able to understand our poor attempts at Thai. Apparently he was the only one in the store who spoke English. Used to be more staff in places like this spoke English or at least made an attempt.

It's as if everyone is busier, more adsorbed in their phones, maybe studying Chinese now instead of English. I don't know. But there's definitely a different vibe.

typical American attitude to the natives why are they not treating my like royalty after all im a bigoted white American,with more money than you,i deserve respect and first class service, TIT.its there country and its you who should be giving them respect,

I wouldn't say it is typical of Americans in general, just some...generally upper-middle class types, the faux hi-so of the USA...and certainly imperious attitudes can be found among expats and tourists of every ethnic persuasion, from every corner of the globe...wouldn't you agree?

I find a good 75% of people I meet in Thailand have a strange attitude toward life in general and the way they interact with locals, regardless of their nationality.

I must admit to being a bit of a socialist when it comes to healthcare. In other areas of life I'm more of a rampant right-winger but I don't believe that rich people should have access to better healthcare than poor people. What really bothers me when visiting private hospitals is that I am always wondering whether they are suggesting certain treatment options in order to make more money - something that I never had to consider at NHS hospitals. Strangely, I never worried about being denied treatment options due to under funding. McCormick is just the place I feel most comfortable with so far; I've never visited their patient wards though, so have not observed mosquitoes there. Do you mean swarms of them or just that you noticed one or two?

I wasn't just talking about lack of respect toward white people, but customers in general. The clerks at Tops and Rim Ping used to wai and place bags in the carts for everyone, not just us foreign customers.

And yes, I speak Thai, but my accent is bad. I read the language much better and basically Hubby and I were "helping ourselves" in the appliance shop by reading the Thai signs to compare products. It was interesting that the young clerks weren't making eye contact and certainly weren't following us around like they used to. When I tried to talk with one in Thai to ask a question, he just ran off and got the manager. No attempt to try to figure out what I was saying. Again, this is an indication of a decline in service level. Used to be that you got "extra credit" for initiating a conversation in the Thai language and sales clerks would take the time to figure out your question. They didn't flee from you!

' You speak Thai but your accent is bad - I presume you mean cannot use Tones correctly. Either way- if you speak a language but people cannot understand you then by definition- You do not speak that language! Do not pretend otherwise.

What a hostile comment. Obviously, you don't understand how most foreigners learn to speak Thai. Eventually, they learn to use the tones, but it's correct pronunciation of the vowels that can be the most difficult, specifically the minor differences between the many vowels and especially the subtle difference between a long and short vowel. The Thai ear is used to hearing the vowels pronounced correctly while the consonants slide all over the place, while in English we pronounce consonants correctly, no matter our accent, yet vowels can be very fluid, depending upon accent. Thus, an Aussie can understand an American who can understand a Scotsman (usually) even though all use vowels very differently. The Thai ear can't handle this fluidity in vowels.

The fact is that most Thai people can understand me when I speak. When someone acts like they don't, it's because they're not making the effort -- it simply isn't important to them. That's what's relevant to this thread.

The consonants certainly don't 'slide all over the place'. I can only think of one with an acceptable alternative sound, all the others need to be spot on - especially given the closeness in sound of some of the aspirated/non-aspirated pairs. Not trying to start an argument or drag the thread even further off topic but I think any Thai shop assistant is going to find it difficult to understand somebody whose pronunciation is badly off. And, if we were to give them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they think running away is better than having to explain they have no idea what you are saying. I admit I'm looking on the rosy side of things here but they might just be trying to avoid making you lose face (in their eyes) or being confrontational by telling you they cannot understand your Thai. I think shyness and a desire to avoid problems is more likely than laziness, in many cases.

"service which used to be very personable has dropped a notch here with the younger generations seemingly unwilling to go the extra mile or perhaps just tired from the crowds we are seeing these days,"

the younger generation is totally useless and brain dead for the most part, faces glued to mobiles, reading shallow worthless garbage. you go in somewhere to do business and 80% of the time they don't want to put down the mobile and do the job they are getting paid to do.

i went to a friend's pharmacy last week. he wasn't in but had a girl there who i assume was a recent CMU graduate based upon her uniform. she was the only one in and had her earplugs in, watching something on her iPhone, laughing. there were 2 customers; me and a woman. she failed to notice either of us standing at the counter and we could not get her attention because the earplugs. the woman walked out. i rang my friend on his mobile as i stood there and told him the situation. he thanked me and said he saw the same thing when he came in the day before. she was fired a day or two later.

sincerely hope karma comes to bite you back one day,pathetic farang should be ashamed of your self.

Please explain the "pathetic farang" remark.

One, he was not served as a customer should be. Two the shop was owned by a friend. If you owned a business and staff were causing customers to leave, would you not want to know about it?

Or would you let your staff do as they pleased and still pay them? If so give me a job! Ashamed, you should be with your ignorance of life.

Was that a Yoda impression at the end there?

Apparently breaker's yard = junkyard.

That's right, junkyard.

As in, "​mean as a junkyard dog."

​Somehow ​"breaker's yard dog" just doesn't cut it.

Breaker's yard as in where they break cars up and sell the parts. Makes sense no?

No. it doesn't. The word car is missing. Does that make sense ??

Where is the word 'car' in junkyard? I don't see it.

They messed the bed. Let them lie in it.

The Bremainers lost the vote and STILL can't accept it.

Between the two of you, you've damned the entire nation then? Those who voted to leave have brought it upon themselves and those who voted to stay should just shut up and deal with it?

In any case, losing a vote in no way means you have to accept the result. If you believe it is the wrong decision the best thing to do would be to keep fighting.

It is a well known fact that racism was a major reason for the leave vote.

And your stalking behavior has been reported

Unfortunately you are probably right. My mother, who is 87 this year, voted to leave. When I asked her why, the first reason she mentioned was immigration. I thanked her for the pay cut and tried to stay polite - she is still my mother after all.

*Or perhaps not racism as such but an unfounded fear of immigration in general. It's really not the same thing.

Personally i will survive but it must put some Brits in a difficult position, especially those retirees on the threshold of Baht 65000 per month. However we all like value for money and everything will be more expensive for the forseeable future. If there was a good reason for all this OK but i am almost certain that the aspirations of the Brexiteers will not transpire, especially those on the 'anti immigration band wagon'

Forseeable future ??.. one week, one year - what does your crystal ball say ?

I think all expats who voted LEAVE did knowing that there would be a short-term hit to exchange rates.

Once the speculators, pimps and whores in the exchange markets have finished peeing their pants, the Sterling exchange rates can start to reflect their true economic base.

If the rates start to reflect the true state of the UK economy and it's mid-term future, we're really going to be in trouble. Personally I'm bored of seeing the same posters on here positively gloating about the situation. I could handle a drop to parity with the USD but it wouldn't thrill me. I do feel for those on pensions and fixed incomes though and if it bounces back within a few months I'll buy everybody on this forum a bottle of champagne because that's highly unlikely to happen.

Tourists should do their research befor travelling and make other arrangements such as travelers cheques or pre paid cards. Ex Pats should really have a Thai bank, over counter withdrawls or even Western Union transfers for only £2.90 bank-bank 5 days.

Don't Western Union offer appalling exchange rates?

best to use the rate 2.80 valid for 23 years from 1944 till early 1968

I have some GBP I would like to exchange if you are dealing at that price? Mine!

Apparently breaker's yard = junkyard.

That's right, junkyard.

As in, "​mean as a junkyard dog."

​Somehow ​"breaker's yard dog" just doesn't cut it.

Breaker's yard as in where they break cars up and sell the parts. Makes sense no?

Yes, that's the Phra Singh Post office, the main post office in Chiang Mai I believe. At least that's where my registered post always ends up if I'm not at home to sign for it, and where it comes from originally (according to tracking info).

Of course you can withdraw with a credit card. Just because you have a crappy card doesn't mean other people can't. I can withdraw with credit card and get a bill once a month and only if I don't pay the bill within a certain time frame I'll get charged interest. So essentially, it is like a free loan for 1-2 months.

Can you actually read? I know one can withdraw cash with a credit card but it doesn't come from your current account, it's credit - hence the name. No idea where you are from but withdraw cash from a UK bank issued credit card and you are charged interest from day 1, not at the end of the billing card.

In bkk bank you can "link" you credit card to your current/savings account and then you can withdraw 50,000 per day without fees because it isn't credit, it's money from your own account...

This means if you don't want to carry multiple cards you can just carry the credit card and use it like a debit card without penalty

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/DailyBanking/CreditCards/CreditCardType/PlatinumVisaCard/Pages/VisaPlatinumcreditcard.aspx

"Carry fewer cards access your savings/current account

Withdraw up to 50,000Bt per day in cash from your savings or current account. You can also use your Visa Platinum credit card to check your account balance free of charge at Bualuang ATMs. To activate this ATM feature, simply bring to any Bangkok Bank branch your credit card, the passbook of the account you wish to link to your card, and your ID card and complete a service application form."

As we were talking about avoiding transaction fees for withdrawals from overseas bank accounts, that's not very helpful (not trying to be rude). I guess it's possible that 'wump' has a setup like that with a bank in his home country but I don't. It's not normal in the UK, as far as I'm aware.

It isn't the same at all ATMs at the moment, not even those owned by the same bank. I've been charged 180 baht at an SCB ATM machine outside a 7/11 and 200 baht from the same bank's ATM in another location recently. I'm not sure if my memory is faulty but I'm sure I was charged 220 baht somewhere else a few months ago.

And 1.0438 in 1985! I hope we're not headed there again. My only comfort is that 44% of my income is now in USD. If this had happened about 15 months ago it would have hurt me a lot more. How's that for a selfish attitude?

The new office in Lampang, if there is to be one, sounds like a convenience for people who must travel quite a distance to Chiang Mai to do immigration business. That would be an improvement for many, no doubt. Looking at the situation more broadly...

I do not think that there is a concerted effort by the Department of Immigration to "screw" foreigners in Chiang Mai many of whom seem overwhelmed when dealing with a locale that is not "home" and are here, too often, on a wish and a prayer. Call it "Innocents Abroad," if you will.

Some posters have tracked for some time what has been going on regarding the influx of foreigners into Chiang Mai in recent years. They know that the influx is huge. I will leave it to NancyL to provide the "facts." (If the Department of Immigration will talk to her any longer, let alone be cooperative in giving information.)

At the same time, Thai Immigration has been dealing with some serious problems, arguably beginning with the Vietnam War when soldiers on leave would come to Chiang Mai to drink beer and get laid. The industry that profitted from those young urges grew exponetionally as did the cheap digs that the influx of near-do-wells (the pony-tailed "hippies" of the same generation) on the loose, or later, on scant or no pensions decided that Thailand is IT. Hey! Beer pretty much all day long except 2 - 5, and I can take a piss then! Of course not all non-immigrants are like that, but many Thai people, as tolerant as they are, have decided "enough is enough."

So, Thailand has taken a few steps in recent years regarding the foreigners making egregious play with the angles with any number of (remarkably tolerant) visa and extension-of-stay regulations. There are any number of dodges: the classic Visa runs, marriages of convenience, visa manipulation such as "education" visas, Internet "entrepreneurs," and dodging by various methods (You didn't know about that?) the much more than sensible extension requirements of retirement and other year-long extensions. I expect that most long-term visitors to ThaiVisa Chiang Mai know all about that, but newcomers may not, so this post might be useful. The heat is ON! Newcomers, be careful what you do manipulating the "system."

Then came the big bang (not the coup; you must read the news!) in Bangkok a few months ago and the fury of the Thai traditionaists was let loose (sort of). Still, the effort by the Department of Immigration has made to accomodate the influx of foreigners who do not play games, to play by the "rules" (every bureaucracy has rules), is quite remarkable, even in Chiang Mai where expat hawks hover overhead to watch every move they make (or don't make) to increase the convenience and comfort of the flood of people (many newcomers never having done much homework and rather helpless, apparently).

Any frontal assault, no matter how obnoxious or subtle, on the Department Immigration is absurd. You'd think people would learn that, but (sigh!) they don't.

Okay, okay! Back to the daily nitty-gritty. Keeping on posting here on the daily scene, if you can be accurate and complete . I wish everyone well! When you visit Immigration, just don't yell in a foreign language (like English), don't hover like a hawk or some sort of inspector general.

Cheers for a happy and peaceful stay in Thailand!

So better to go for the latter two then?

Somebody told me that the milk you buy in Tesco and Big C over here isn't the same as the milk you buy in a supermarket in England. Is that true and if so what is the difference pls?

the difference is that the milk sold in the supermarkets is made up of milk and 'milk products', a reconstituted powder of sort, along with flavorings/sweeteners. if you want pure milk then you need to buy it from a dairy. you can buy milk at the dairy on Huay Kaew near the zoo on the opposite side. they sell it in lots of 10 kg for about 320 Baht. it has already been pasteurized. or you can go to one of the dairies in Saraphi or on the way to Lamphun and buy raw milk which has not been pasteurized. It's cheaper and I think they will sell sell 5 kg. lots. we buy our milk at the place on Huay Kaew twice a month and make our own yogurt.

Some of the milk sold in supermarkets is made from reconstituted powder, not all. Foremost and Dutch Mill are two of the reconstituted variety that spring to mind while Meiji and Chokchai are two that are not.

With almost 500 posts in a month, you cannot be serious with this statement ????????

Of which 450 were in Brexit topics.

Wondering why someone would make a personal attack on a complete stranger, seems odd, as well as incredibly rude.

Have I offended you while you were posting under a different username?

I think the fact you seem unaware Thailand, China, and India are all on the same continent has surprised many posters. Someone with your vast intellect and undoubtedly superior education, when compared to the run-of-the-mill plebs that frequent this forum, would have been expected to be acquainted with such facts. Speaking for myself, I feel let down as I have tended to worship you in the past: you seem to think you are better than everybody else and I naturally believed you.