SamSanuk

Khun Jai Dee Mah!

At 9am I took an hour walk through the shops and streets of Nimmenhaimen. Perfect cool morning. Blue skies with white clouds. I take advantage of these mornings before, you know, cough cough season. What was so lovely was little to no traffic. No GRAB drivers whizzing by. It was almost Surreal how quiet it was. In an alternative universe Nimmen would be closed to traffic, basically a walking street. Why Sunday so quiet I asked at my hotel front desk? My friendly receptionist said “I am busy. Maybe everyone is still sleeping.” 😆 Also, as typical with Nimmen, shops were in transition. I’m always amazed how quickly shops close, and within a few weeks, transition into something else. A Durian restaurant closed. Nice Yellow building and property. And soon to open…an Italian Bistro. Paint over the Yellow Duran motif to Blue, new furniture and minor changes inside, a new paving for parking. I must have counted ten new shops soon to open as I took my stroll. So I happily suggest early Sunday Mornings for a Nimmenhaimen walk. Take advantage of the weather and sleeping GRAB drivers.

This pickup recently was pretty cheap but tariffs may be involved.

Free suggestion: on YouTube there are chanting videos, usually listed under “Om Namah Shivaya”. Find one you like and just listen to it. Maybe chant along if the mood hits you. In time, you will drift off with the music into a natural meditative experience. Easy. The phrase means I see and honor the divine within me. Hindu. But really doesn’t matter. It’s the sound waves that calm your mind, allowing that peaceful part of you deep inside to resonate. Must keep with it. Make it a daily habit.

Here in CM, just sent a letter last week, documents, no problem. Already arrived in USA.

A few points: -Never said ChatGPT is the end-all of advice. However it does have value, especially with medical issues, of possibly pointing one in a helpful direction. One should do their own research. -The fact that Boston P. doesn’t mention vaccines shouldn’t preclude someone from emailing and asking questions. For all you know, they may have suggestions on vaccine availability. Same goes for MediClinic, who will helpfully answer questions even if they can’t particularly offer the service. -Your comments on Bangkok Hospital were frankly useless to the original poster. I’m sure I can find countless others with positive experiences at BH. And if they offer the vaccine….it’s a simple shot, not a complicated medical procedure. -And finally, as to your “collective stupidity” comment, AI is still in many ways a nascent technology but no question paradigm shifting. Your comments may say more about you than this remarkable tech.

May I suggest ChatGPT is your friend? I plugged in the available options and got following advice on availability. Bangkok Hospital may be your ticket. Expensive. Boston Health. No prices. Chiang Mai Medical Health Clinic. I happen to get Flu vaccines from CM MediClinic, just North of Maya. They also respond quickly to emails.

Quick story: the hotel reservation girl had a Thai teacher boyfriend who needed help with an English exam. He taught physical education. Sure I said. One day she shows up with her phone which has English questions on it, as the boyfriend was screen capturing, while taking the exam. Oh well, said I would help. Didn’t realize this was the way. Long story short….He passed. But, never again from my part.

Is it possible to post a picture of the unit? I’m thinking of making the journey to Fascino on Suthep Road this week.

Preferably locally here in Chiang Mai but will consider Lazada. Omron seems to be the one available in most retail shops (Maya) Is there a medical supply store in town? Any advice would be appreciated.

It’s my understanding that the letters are not sent out every year, as I also receive one around this time but haven’t yet. I guess as long as the monthly payments roll in, all is well.

I didn’t go, simply because I’m currently getting SS and have no problems. So far. If I do have one gripe, it’s hard for me to take advantage of the online services, because I tried my password to no avail. To get a new password, I need an American phone number, which I no longer have. So outside of the dreaded “I’m still Alive” letter of confirmation, I pray to the financial Gods to keep the moolah coming.

Small addendum from my friend who owns a CM weed shop. He did mention that the current law changes are forcing many weed shops to close simply because they don’t have a license to sell weed. Even the big boys in town may have cut corners. As for his shop, he already has a Thai doctor lined up and will have to do some renovations in the shop, setting up a separate room for consultations. Probably add “clinic” to the name of the shop. As for medical fees he’s not awfully concerned, and may split the cost with the customer.

I don’t think it is, as I spoke to a friend this morning who owns a weed shop, he seemed to say that it’s very doubtful the information would leave Thailand. However, depending on where you are from, it could be a risk one is not willing to take. After all, my weed friend said it is a controlled substance.

I rarely smoke, but when I do, I partake with a very weak sativa strain that is hard to find these days. So when I pass by a weed shop, I stop in briefly to see if they carry this strain. This time, I was in a Santitham neighborhood. A nicely dressed young couple was inside looking to finish up a purchase. By their English they seemed to be Eastern European. The young man had a $1000 baht bill out and on the counter were a few small plastic bags of weed. All seemed well, they looked happy with their purchase, when the seller brought out a single sheet of paper, explaining in broken English they needed to show their passport, fill in their names, passport number and sign the document. The couple paused, said a few words to each other in their language, then said that sadly they couldn’t consent to the purchase. I spoke up and said that Thailand is changing its recreational weed laws, and this is part of the new process. The young lady turned to me, and very nicely said that weed is illegal in her country, and they couldn’t take the risk of this purchase showing up on their passport upon returning home. They apologized to the seller and left the shop. Now, imagine this happening all across Thailand, and the chilling effect is very much there. I’m American and could care less what Uncle Sam thinks about my purchase of weed in Thailand. But for others from countries that frown on weed with repressive laws? It might be too much a risk. And so it goes.

I recommend Dental World as a start. I met some great dentists there, as they travel around the city to other practices.

Quick update: I have run the water for about an hour, and the cloudiness is gone. So I imagine it was air bubbles that got into the system. Much ado about nothing, I guess. 🙏

In my hotel, post earthquake, they had to shut the water off for about 24 hours on the top floors of my hotel. Water was turned on the next day. Today I noticed if I pour some tap into a glass, there is a cloudy sediment (?) which clears up in a few seconds. The hotel said to run the water for a time and see if that helps. Just curious if anyone has insight into this? I just shower with the water and use a Brita for tap water for cleaning and steaming vegetables. The rest of the time I use bottled water. I did read about aeration bubbles, which seem to be the case as the sediment rises and clears.

Good points. I have some time so I will then wait to see if our impeccable government will shut down.

Very helpful. You probably saved me some trips to the Post Office. 😊🙏 Two questions: *The 100 baht fee covers the postage on the courier pass back envelope? *Thailand Post Online sends the envelope to Bangkok?

I will be renewing my US Passport shortly and I understand that this process requires mailing my passport to Bangkok. I was curious if there is any services in Chiang Mai that help you complete the process. If not, it does seem rather straightforward BUT I did get confused by the Courier Pass Back envelope. Can I go to my local Thai Post and get this envelope? Also, a passport CARD is offered. Any reason to get this? Any suggestions or advice is appreciated. 🙏

When you run an AC and Air Purifier, the air can get quite dry overnight. A humidifier gently adds moisture to the air without raising temperatures.

I have a fairly inexpensive Xiaomi Humidifier but it’s causing havoc with my air purifier. Was wondering if anyone bought a better model humidifier THAT FILTERS out minerals/particulates, given that I’m currently using tap water. Also, on the subject of proper water, would bottled water make a difference? Or do you use distilled water? And if so, are there delivery services for distilled?

The Lotus Hotel behind Kad Suen Kaew Shopping is closed. Today I went to the hotel and bumped into one of the partners. Here’s what I learned. The closing of the hotel has been in the works for about a year. It officially closed a few days after 1 January 2025. If I heard correctly, roughly 250 employees were employed at the time. The rather gorgeous Olympic size outdoor pool on the seventh floor is also closed and now drained . I swam there last December sadly not realizing it would be the last time. I think at one time it was the largest pool in Chiang Mai. ฿100 for entry was a great deal, including a towel. The gentleman I spoke with said that both properties, hotel and KSK, would be sold together because they share electrical and mechanical systems . He seemed to suggest it would be a good spot for a casino, but obviously the buyer would have to have deep pockets for renovation. Plus I have no idea of the politics involved.

Lot of truth to this. With this in mind, the owner of Dental World , I think, is an implant specialist. Also Dental 4 U is owned by an implant specialist, I think. My suggestion is make an appointment with such a doctor, feel them out for how your questions are answered, look the shop over, etc. An initial appointment is so cheap.