LittleLew

flights.google.com is an excellent way to start.

there are lots of 'consolidators' who will find good deals in BC or FC and will do some of the concierge business for you.
do a web search for discount business fares and there will be a ton of them.

BC makes a horrible flight tolerable.
my rule of thumb is that any flight over 4 hours is BC.

 

Almost certainly this topic has been discussed before and simple pointer to where I can read would be helpful.

(I've been a subscriber and reader here for years.)

I currently live in Manhattan (NYC) and have been thinking that, when my lease runs out, I might be a long term tourist and traveler.

I've been to LOS many times over the last 20 years and it seems like the most convenient SEAsian country for Westerners.

I like the quiet a lot and would like a balance between activity and country living so I was thinking of coming to the LOS on a tourist visa, setting up camp in Chiang Mai, then going somewhere else for a few weeks when my visa expired and returning when I got tired of traveling.

Repeat until I die.

I am not encumbered with much of anything (computers, cameras, clothes) and would plan on returning to the US to see family 1x/year.

Finances are not a particular issue so but it sort of goes against my grain to spend 12-15000 for an elite visa when I don't know my future.

Any directions to previous discussions or direct advice would be extremely welcome.

TIA

Little Lew

My wife's niece went to the state school in Chonburi. She is now studying clinical medicine on an international English speaking course at a university in China and she was awarded a scholarship on her first year results. She did fairly well at school but was not at the top of the class. It is not all bad.

While in the mean time 100 000 doctors working in Thailand can not speak a word of English and prescribe antibiotic for muscle pain.

Why should a doctor have to speak English when the patients are Thai?

Are you implying that doctors have not been trained properly if they do not speak English.

My comment was regarding the education provided by the state school in Chonburi and not the medical profession but as usual there is always someone that wants to go off at a tangent.

Because 95% of all modern medical journals and texts are solely in English.

In Chiang Rai in February

Sony A7 II 1/125 f4.5 iso 100

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Do you suffer from respiratory problems? If so Pattaya-by-the-sea might be better. When I came here I knew no-one. I signed on with a pool team; then a quiz team. You learn lots from other ex-pats. A thriving ex-pats club every Sunday morning.

Nope, and I hate the beach.

Yeaaahhh, thats it, how to make a small fortune in Thailand?.....come her with a BIG one, then once you have made stupid decisions and poor choices, you can join the rest of the poor downtrod sour bunch and moan and blame it all on Thailand and its people just like all the other ****

Thanks, I don't need to make money.

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With liquid assets you will fit in just fine.

They won't be sloshing in my pocket but I meant to imply that I won't have anything to take care of in the US.

Living inside or outside the old city will depend on your mobility / transport. Will you drive , or ride a bike / motorbike. There are markets and shops , such as Big C , all around the city.If you wish to visit certain places daily (shops , bars , pools , markets) then you may want to be nearer. Where have you stayed before.Maybe best to stay in hotel / guest house for a month or two to find your feet.There is an expats club that meets up - sorry - dont know where.Politeness , a smile , and trying to speek Thai , will go far. width=60 alt=welcomeani.gif> width=20 alt=wai.gif>

I think that staying at a hotel for a month would be the best plan.

TBH, while I'm not concerned about the travel, I am a bit worried about finding a social group.

I'm not a bar kind of guy, having been more of an academic or researcher my entire life and so teaching or somehow being involved with a university seemed like a decent entree.

If I am really wrong about this, please let me know.

TIA,

LL

In a couple of years I will be liquidating all my fixed US assets and converting into liquid stuff so I'll have no responsibilities back here.

My plan is to move to Chiang Mai, which I've visited a couple of times, to see if I can sustain a decent activ life here.

My concern is integrating into the community relatively quickly, finding buddies, etc.

I am an avid reader and semi-pro photographer and I plan to continue with those hobbies, but they are relatively solitary activities.

I have taught to graduate students - and enjoyed that.

Not a drinker, nothing against it, just I get hangovers like you can't believe.

Any suggestions about where to live, how to procede, the chances or usefulness of trying to teach, the chance of meeting middle aged, educated women who are not interested in marriage.

TIA,

LittleLew

Nice picture, well composed.

Is this an HDR that was converted to BW?

The one thing I would change is the white top on the piling in the dead center. It attracts the eye way too much.

Lew

You're right about that white top - there was something about the image that was disturbing me and I couldn't see it - thanks

It's not an HDR - just a straight shot with "in camera" red filter setting then PP in Photoshop

I took out that entire piling (and the half piling at the left) and, imo, that really opened up the image.

I hope you don't mind the re-post. If it is inappropriate, I will remove it.

L

Nice picture, well composed.

Is this an HDR that was converted to BW?

The one thing I would change is the white top on the piling in the dead center. It attracts the eye way too much.

Lew

Altho the composition is nice and the model is beautiful, IMO there are three issues that hurt these images

1) motion blur - you are shooting at too slow a shutter speed for the focal length you are using and thus the images are badly unsharp. The rule of thumb is a minimum speed of 1/focal length. You are shooting at 1/20 with a focal length of 70 mm and 1/60 at 120 - much, much too slow. Raise the ISO and/or get more light

Image Date: 2008:07:13 00:00:00

Flash Used: No

Focal Length: 70.0mm (35mm equivalent: 105mm)

Exposure Time: 0.050 s (1/20)

Aperture: f/5.6

ISO equiv: 200

White Balance: Manual

Light Source: Shade

Metering Mode: Center Weight

Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

Image Date: 2008:07:13 00:00:00

Flash Used: No

Focal Length: 120.0mm (35mm equivalent: 180mm)

Exposure Time: 0.017 s (1/60)

Aperture: f/5.6

ISO equiv: 200

White Balance: Manual

Light Source: Shade

Metering Mode: Center Weight

Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

2) DOF is much too small at that distance & focal length - you can't get everything in focus - for these images your dof is about 2 inches front to back.

3) Your color balance is off - use a gray card to set - or use the auto WB and shoot in RAW so you can correct.

A small nitpick on the first one - her bra is showing above the costume.

Lew

Good photo considering the height of sun but too much space on either side lets the drama of the compositon leak out.

Crop this to 4 x 5 or square to make it punchier.

I have already posted this, incorrectly as it seems, in the Chiang Mai Forum.

What are the possibilities of teaching at the Uni or graduate level for a experienced bio-Statistics teacher?

(2 earned doctorates from well-known US universities, 2 books, > published papers, etc)

I am thinking about moving to Chiang Mai from the US and want to stay involved in some intellectual pursuits.

Thanks for any response,

Lew

'Many a man' is a poetic way to say that out of all the man in the group referred to, there are many who would...........

You are not implying that all will feel/act/think a certain way but it is your belief that certainly more than a few will ......

Example: Many a man will find Angelie Jolie attractive.

Example: Many a man would rather give in to his wife then face perpetual anger

Example: Many a man would give in to temptation if no one would know.

I am considering relocating from US to Chiang Mai and would like to keep up my professional life. (I have visited several times.)

I have two earned doctorates from good US universities, have taught biostatistics for 15 years in medical schools, written book chapters, 2 books and >100 papers.

I won't need particularly the money but want the stimulation and involvement of teaching at college level.

Is it a unachievable dream to think I can do that and live in Chiang Mai?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Lew

PS: I am not running from anything. My wife is quite ill and if/when she passes away, I want to get out of this environment for a while.

Thai translation

I am a long time reader (with nothing to contribute) of this site altho I have posted for years on LP as DrTraveller. Now have a problem with my impending long trip to SEA, including LOS and ask your help

I have a major food allergy that isn't well covered by the standard "Don't feed this farang any ....." cards and I need to find a willing soul who will translate two short paragraphs into Thai for me.

I have already had this done in Vietnamese, Bamar. Lao and Khmer and just need Thai.

The paragraphs are short and non-technical.

First Para

I get severely sick if I eat fish with scales or fish sauce made with fish with scale.

Please make certain that any food that I eat does not contain any of these foods as ingredients.

Also, please make certain that none of these foods touched the food that I ordered by cooking in the same wok, the same frying oil or cut with the same knife.

Thank you very much

SEPARATE PARA

I am very sick because of a reaction to some food I ate. Please take me to the nearest hospital or doctor. Thank you very much.

Thanks very much in advance for anyone who can help me.

Lew

33 days and a wake-up.