ovenman

David’s Kitchen has recently moved to new premises closer to the centre of town. The restaurant exudes class and style without being stuffy. Staff address diners by their first names and

Ugh.. I seriously hate that.

If I go to a place 30 times and at some point the staff or the owner gets to know me on a first name basis then that's fine, but on a first visit having to introduce myself to a waiter? #$#ck that.

That does come off as sounding a bit over-the-top.

Great review of a Pasta & Basta

http://www.wayfaretrail.com/traveljournal/2016/4/11/pasta-basta

(Haven't been yet but will add reply when I do soon)

Maybe it will quell your Basta Pasta fix

I like the pizza at Inoteca and love everything else I've had on their menu

Can vouch for Pasta e Basta if you are looking for a pasta fix. Have been there several times already even though it's on the opposite side of the city from me.

Which one is the Don Kaew underpass?

Looks like it may be this section on the way to Mae Rim - Google Maps

Ah, the new underpass. That's why I didn't recognize the name. Can't imagine why they singled that one out, at the moment it arguably gets the least traffic of the lot. I can't see what's particularly dangerous about riding a motorbike through any of the underpasses.

Which one is the Don Kaew underpass?

Now everybody can fly

The same article says that the Lampang airport also will be expanded to accommodate Boeing 737 and Airbus 380 aircraft. While the Lampang news might be workable for the small 737, there is no way their airport or runways could handle the load of an Airbus 380 (plus, why would there ever be a need to land that behemouth in Lampang?!?).

I am guessing that Lampang airport would be designated as an alternate for Chiang Mai if an A380 flight needed to be diverted, hence the need to upgrade that runway.

Quote from OP: On the matter of so-called “0 baht tours” and nominee foreign businesses, the minister said her office is working with the Region 4 Army, Department of Business Development and other relevant agencies to crack down on such activity.

Crack down on what precisely? Although perhaps less than desirable, these zero-baht tours are hardly illegal. Is the Region 4 Army going to force tourists to buy trinkets at OTOP shops?

Cheap land must be the motivation I guess, it seems like an odd choice, would have thought East of the city would have offered better accessibility, the Lamphun/Chiang Mai highway is already chocka. I have my doubts this will actually fly.

Somebody's land in any event and I'm guessing that land won't be cheap.

In theory when the sun is exactly above the head, it will be the hottest day as Bangkok will be fully exposed by the heat of the sun

This is not true, not even in theory. Study a little physics first.

The two scientists mentioned in the article didn't say any of the above, so who is the idiot behind such nonsense?

Probably the same idiot who makes this same incorrect claim each and every year when this story runs towards the end of April.

i really cant see a market in over priced figs dried bananas some sort of sticky sweets (which seems to be the mainstay of OTOP produce) on international flights

Perhaps some "frog croakers"?

For whatever reason, the English-language press in Thailand presents the news in such a way that a reader would think the only news that ever occurs in the country involves the government.

Tickets for traffic violations are being printed in English to welcome in the Asean Economic Community

That's some welcome.

Sums up a lot of Thai post-sales customer service in two simple words... But consider yourself lucky that you did get a token "Sorry"; more often than not it's just a simple "cannot".

Some random thoughts:

Tipping culture

Credit/debit cards used for everything

Flying domestically is much more of a hassle now than when you last lived in the US

A greater sense of responsibility at a US retail business to "make things right" when a problem arises.

Spending $200/month or more on communications/data/TV being "normal". My father has one of those packages with Xfinity with which he gets cable TV, a landline and Internet and that runs him $140/month. Then throw a mobile phone plan on top of that.

I've been living in Thailand about twenty years now and I still have a sense of adventure daily when I go out and about. Whenever I am back in the US, which is a couple times per year for three weeks or so per visit, it just feels dull to me.

JT - You don't drive here correct? I do and find that when I am back in the US, I need to tone down some of the maneuvers one does here on a daily basis, e.g. what would constitute cutting somebody off in the US. That said, driving in Thailand has made me a much more defensive (paranoid?) driver.

Can anyone please tell me if traffic will be really slow because of the Flower Show if travelling from Nimman/CMU area to the airport this Sunday afternoon?

If you can use the (Air Force) Wing 41 Road you should be fine; if you need to go through town itself that could be a bit jammed up.

Have a retirement visa,multiple exit so all well and good you would think. (wife and family here)

Still carry out a bit of consultancy work to keep me busy and earn some pocket money, so last year i spent approx 6 months in and out of the country.

Flew in last week from Turkey (visa valid to Oct) and pulled over at IM, politely t (NOT), told that they were going to revoke my Visa **....but then after a group discussion stamped me in for 90 days

So, what you are saying is that you had multi re-entry permit valid for a stay until October (original extension based on retirement) but immigrations arbitrarily stamped you in for ninety days?

He said multi entry visa. Some counsulates issue them for "retirement". in that case allowed 90 days is right. If he actually has an extension of stay 90 days is wrong but can be corrected at immigration office.

If he had a multi-entry non-OA which is the visa they issue abroad for retirement, it should be a one-year entry. If he had a multi-entry non-O, then you are absolutely correct (and I suspect that's the case now that you mention it).

Have a retirement visa,multiple exit so all well and good you would think. (wife and family here)

Still carry out a bit of consultancy work to keep me busy and earn some pocket money, so last year i spent approx 6 months in and out of the country.

Flew in last week from Turkey (visa valid to Oct) and pulled over at IM, politely t (NOT), told that they were going to revoke my Visa **....but then after a group discussion stamped me in for 90 days

So, what you are saying is that you had multi re-entry permit valid for a stay until October (original extension based on retirement) but immigrations arbitrarily stamped you in for ninety days?

It's hard to see what the correlation would be between allowing passengers to perform an online check-in and Tiger then not being able to provide Thai immigrations with advance passenger data,

I made the same journey on this train the other day. It was a very pleasant day for an open-windows journey; seven hours may be a bit much on the third-class train at other times of the year.

I have just been attempting to transfer money between two Bangkok Bank accounts using their Internet iBanking. That doesn't work at the moment either.

I did manage to get my transfer to process. Perhaps things are improving?

I have just been attempting to transfer money between two Bangkok Bank accounts using their Internet iBanking. That doesn't work at the moment either.

Arrived CNX from Kuala Lumpur this afternoon; had to fill out the additional form at the immigration desk. The immigration interns were all squawking "Men only, men only!" as I was coming down the escalator but with no indication as to what that might mean. The form itself is pretty dopey; it basically collects the same exact information as that is already on the arrival card with the addition of a phone number and an email address.

I passed by the Prom imm recently at 3.30 pm. They still had tickets available for 90 day.

The requirement for proof of address/ rent agreement is now written on the photocopied paper at the outside desk stating necessary documents to bring. NB just written in pen, NOT typed. Is this just a C M requirement?

Interesting, I renewed my retirement extension last week and wasn't asked for any such proof of address.

Sounds like the chain may be loose and scraping against the chain guard but... hard to diagnose a sound from a description.

PS - My thought to save both hassle and money would be to enter Thailand using your first sixty-day entry, leave Thailand after that sixty days to do your "outside" traveling neither bothering to extend that initial sixty-day entry nor get a re-entry permit, then return to Thailand on or before the 03 November date to activate the second entry on your tourist visa.