MyPenRye

You can click the option to track your message when you send it. (You'll know when it's been read)

Then you'll know if it's your abrasive personality, or a technical issue, that is keeping you in the dark.

Thanks!

Yes! Mod and Admin. have read my messages! I guess my polite question is not to their liking. Considering I know I am right and considering they are choosing not to answer my questions on some irregularities about the rule, I rest my case! I have very little respect for people who cannot stand the heat!

Be aware that not all my posts and not all my responses have the same tone! A careful analysis will demonstrate that I choose my words carefully and I treat people as they treat me, for the better or for the worst!

Thanks for your help!

Got to be the most inappropriate nickname for a member I've seen in a long time...

You cannot judge a book by its cover! If you were to read all of my posts, things would make a whole lot more sense and I believe you would not make such a hasty comment!

Believe it is part of the default forum software setting to limit smileys. There can be too much sometimes.

Have you checked your blocked senders list from within your control panel? perhaps you have inadvertently blocked someone.

Thanks, sbk, but apart from PeaceBlondie, which I must accidently blocked, no one else was/is!

MPR, send me a PM and I'll check it for you. My guess is that for whatever reason, the member(s) you sent a PM to is choosing not to answer you.

I am trying to get some answer pertaining to some forum rules, as per the advice of some mod. I guess I cannot win!

geez...no wonder they are not answering you.

Too easy, MrSquigle! Dig deeper and you might find that sometimes stories are not what they appear to be!

Are you familiar with the saying that you cannot judge a book by its cover? ... assuming you know what that is, of course! (Did I say I have a caustic sense of humour sometimes! )

In any case, it is usually stated when someone forms an opinion on someone based on superficial and limited information!

Hey, try opening these books that don't appeal to you at first glance sometimes and you migh be surprised to see that they contain many different pages, with many different paragraphs, sentences, and even --shocking news-- many different words!

depends who it is going to I suppose. If it is just to another member then they may not want to talk with you, if it is an admin then they are very busy & have tons of mails to deal with daily so you are probably on the list & if it is a mod then they may have referred your email to admin or else just not online much so not chance to reply yet.

What sort of time frame are you talking about, a couple of hours a couple of days, couple of weeks, months???

If it is just to another member then they may not want to talk with you

Mmm!

1) I stated: "No one"! This indicates ... in most languages ... a zero response! No one = Zero = 0 = no one! I did not write "not one member" or "no member"! So, "no one" as in ... 0 admin., 0 mod., and 0 member. 0 + 0 + 0 = 0 ! Simple! No? I can send you the theorem, if you want to ... know! And, guess what? The king is not answering me also, ... if you want to ... "NO"! No respect! I get ... no respect! )

2) I stated that messages were innocuous, as in non-threatening, as in ... they should have been responding to me and there might be some issues with the system! This is not too difficult to understand, hey, Boo!

And, since you seem to want to know,...

Mod & admin: 3 days to 2 weeks.

Some member to member messages: a few days

But, I know! I am being unreasonable! Right?

I thought 2 business days is the standard by which people are supposed to answer! Am I wrong?

I am always wrong! Right!

Happy new year's to everyone!

(Is there a rule prohibiting people from using too many emoticons in their message? (emoticon) Unbelievable! But, true! What's next? A rule to prohibit people from chewing gum while typing a message? (emoticon) Maybe that is Singapore Visa! (emoticon))

Considering I am no getting any messages replied, what should I assume, apart from the notion that maybe these people are choosing not to reply? These messages are innocuous though, so ... is there a technical issue?

Hi,

My name is Nawin from Singapore. I saw a posting on this forum a couple of years found you through this forum a couple of years back and I don't know if the members are still active. I tried contacting the people on the thread but didn't get any reply. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...l=Gymkhana+Club

I am Singaporean but my mother is Thai from Lamphun (town outside Chiangmai). I am also an avid tennis player and I run my own tennis club/website for my condo called Regentville Tennis www.regentville.com here in Singapore. I usually go on vacation to visit my mum in Lamphun, but since we play tennis quite regularly I would try to find locations in Chiangmai or Lamphun to play tennis but I am not familiar with the place and am unsure if there are any public courts available, what the rates are like. When i asked my relative they say most of the clubs are exclusive and only available to members. I find this quite surprizing and hard to believe that no public courts available to the public who want to play.

I will be visiting Chiangmai this time round with my tennis buddies so I would like to try to play tennis in the evenings and this time of year has nice cool weather in Chiangmai. Can you recommend me some nice places to play in? How to get there and costs etc? I will be staying in the Night Bazaar (Chan Klang road area). For about 3 to 4 days after which I will go stay at my mum's place in Lamphun. Maybe we can play with you guys while we're there? Hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks & Best regards,

--

Nawin

Regentville Tennis Blog

http://www.regentville.com

search for the keyword

Forum rules state:

3) Religious or racial slurs, rude and degrading comments towards women, or extremely negative views of Thailand will not be tolerated.

Although I love the forum and admire the acumen of the people who run it, this rule appears to be sexist as it states by default that it is ok to degrade men. On the other hand, come to think of it, should it be there, in the first place?

In essence, I wonder, is any criticism towards any group or a sub-group unacceptable (apart from issues regarding the monarchy, of course), no matter how sensitive one expresses it? In other words, should I go on cultivating my garden, stating that all is the best of all possible worlds (a la Candide) or is a healhy, level-headed debate critical of the behaviour of a segment of the population (no matter how degrading or dispeckable it is), possessing maybe consdiderable unjustifiable legal power (laws) not only acceptable, but useful?

Furthermore, I wonder why women have a forum (sub-forum to be technical) and men don't? I wonder why family and children have a forum? (I see a de facto erosion of male rights in the West [to the point where men are not getting an equal share of rights with women]. I would hope that this --and other occurences-- are just fortuitous, of course. ) Oh! And, please, could we name it "gentlemen's forum" as the women's forum is called "ladies forum"?

So, I would like to poll --and might do further polling-- should the membership decide that a change or changes need to take place. Feel free to give suggestions as to the type of change you would like to see?

Of course, please debate things in keeping with the existing rules.

Thanks.

MPR

1. There's a chance for the "foreign community" to voice some of their thoughts at the Informal Northern Thai Group meeting on Tuesday, April 8th 2008 : Dr. Deuntemduang Na Chiengmai, the Mayor of Chiang Mai, will talk about future plans for Chiang Mai. (Title of talk to be confirmed.)

2. For details of a recent talk by Nikom Putta, subscribe to the INTG newsletter or check their website (this talk not posted there yet, check in a few weeks ).

Just to give you an idea :

Background Information on Nikom Putta

Originally from a local farming village of the Upper Mae Ping Watershed,

[...]

INTG CONTACTS:

1) Convenor: Brian Hubbard. Email: <brihubb AT loxinfo.co.th

2) Secretary: Louis Gabaude: e-mail: <gabaudel AT loxinfo.co.th

INTG Website: intgcm.thehostserver.com

Thanks for the comprehensive post. It looks like a great initiative.

Am I right in assuming that these meetings are conducted exclusively in English? Is there some mechanism for sharing these with local authorities ... in Thai?

if you asking about getting more tourists here and more people(farangs) to live here then get more red light districts. thats the only and surest way to get the $$$ into economy. and thats reality.

otherwise if you are asking about improving chiang mai for those of us who live here, its already good enough. let it be this way.

Enough said. Mai pen lie and capitalism/western ways only mesh so far.

Could you please elaborate further on your thoughts? Are you saying that nothing should be done about some problems raised by expats and highlighted in the poll? Thanks. I would like to know more.

Who are we trying to improve Chiang Mai for?:

1. The Thais who live here?

2. Tourists from other parts of Thailand?

3. Other Asian tourists?

4. Western/Australian/NZ backpackers?

5. Upscale tourists?

6. Long-time expats?

7. New and future expats?

Each group has their own needs. The Thais who live here want more development. I bet most of the don't want pedestrianization and limited parking within the old city. Development such as the Night Safari and Ratchapruak was designed mostly for Thai tourists. Some of the projects are successful; some aren't. Most of the backpackers would like more culture and atmosphere, which is quickly disappearing. Sure, some of them would probably like to have a nightlife scene that lasted a little longer into the night. Long-time expats would like a return to the old days when the banned-from-discussion businesses flourished. Without the businesses, CM is attracting a different type of new and future expat. People who are looking for outdoor experiences and a friendly, inexpensive place to live. Some of them don't want to live in a city known for its banned-from-discussion businesses. There are more and more western couples moving here. How many western women were living here 5 or 10 years ago? I'm sure they have no interest in those businesses.

So first we should figure out who this poll is designed for. Then maybe we should set up a poll to find out why people are leaving CM. Isn't that equally important? My unscientific research, based solely on reading selected posts on TV, is that the vast majority of expats have left because of the poor air quality in Feb/March.

Yes! Your post makes a lot of sense, but ''we'' (Thais and maybe us) need to cater to all of those groups, keeping in mind the needs of each group. I also think that there is a change in demographics. There are more retirees (because those baby-boomers are not ... babies anymore --although some would claim otherwise). I also agree that the bag pollution is a concern as the poll suggests. The poll alos indicates a need/desire for public transportation (most B-B on motorcycles can be dangerous). However, as another poster has mentioned, tuk-tuk drivers and the likes as well as the farmers burning are going to be groups that are not likely to give up their old habits/job.

I agree with Neil's suggestions, as Chiang Mai's differences and exotism were vital in interesting me (and expats) and will in keeping a certain group of people look for an alternative to the "slease". Couples are certainly coming here more than in the past. But, I doubt we can remove the Loy Kroh road crowds. Maybe civilised co-existence might be the best solution. More progressive solution in the area of prostitution is needed, of course, but the rest of Thailand is very conservative and not likely to have us run the show. It is their country. That being said, my GF is seeing a lot of Korean coming this year, 99% of them seeking what they know Thailand offers, sleazy Karaoke activities included. But, I think you are right. There are changes.

Are Thais monitoring and aware of the situation? How many? What to do?

I have edited and added the requested subjects. Board restrictions mean it is only possible to fit 20 questions in each poll. Hence part 2...

Thanks very much! It looks great!

Of course, if you have Google Earth installed on your computer, perhaps you could take a snapshot of the location and copy it here.

Thanks, all!

MPR

For those who are visual learners...

You can view the snapshot of the map, or open the .kmz file in Google Earth, which will allow you to zoom in and out on the map and get your bearings.

Love_at_First_Bite.kmz

Bake_and_Bite.kmz

Oh! I forgot about the .kmz file trick!

Thanks for ... catering to our needs!

Oh! They have ... bearings as well! Sweet! Strawbearing pie, maybe? No douibt, it should go down fine!

Better ... run!

Apologies to My Pen Rye for me trying to 'fix' the poll and maybe ruining it. I learned my lesson: no more poll changing!

So, it was NOT the pollice after all!

Oh! Well! Sometimes S*** happens, hey! (Spoken like a true Canadian! )

Thanks for trying to update the poll, PB! I guess sometimes you win; sometimes ... I lose! :D Thanks for trying! Apologies accepted, PB! YOUR apologies and MY pen rye, I suppose!

However, if someone can go back in time and fix this, it would be appreciated! Otherwise, can someone put back the following topics: clean air. internet infrastructure, English bookstores, English DVD rental store, movies, intelligent movies, sewage/flood control, festivals? I can remember that there were a few topics that essentially dealt with public transportation (and, considering that this will probably warrant a new poll, it does not matter to include them back.)That's all I can remember. Oh! And, add the topic on sewage and flood control, which definitely merits to be there.

If impossible, then .... my pen ... dry!

I have found what I think is a nice utility/way to help Thais who are trying to read information from English, French, German, or Japanese websites, but who are frustrated because there are too many words they do not understand !

Sure Google and others have browser add-ons that can help, but --to my knowledge-- they do not offer translation services from English, French,... to Thai. Of course, most English, French,... websites do not have a translation feature and rarely a Thai translation feature. It also has a Japanese/French/German to Thai feature for all of those Thais who are trying to learn one or all of those languages!)

This website has created a simple solution and, best of all, it is free (for now ) !

This is how it works!

If someone puts the pointer over an English word while reading an English (Japanese,...) website, it should be able to give you in Internet Explorer (and maybe other browsers) a Thai synonym/definition of the word. And, if you are clicking on a link on that website, the new page has that feature as well ! By the way, you will notice that all that one needs to do is to add the English (Japanese,...) website URL to http://dict.longdo.com/popthai-url.php?url= in the URL bar of one's browser. (Again, I have tested this in IE 7 only. Not sure if Firefox, Mozilla and other older versions support this feature completely or seamlessly.)

Click here to see how it works.

Here are some other examples ... WITH THAI LANGUAGE HELP !

• http://dict.longdo.com/popthai-url.php?url...da-examples.php
  
• http://dict.longdo.com/popthai-url.php?url...//www.imdb.com/
  
• http://dict.longdo.com/popthai-url.php?url....rhymezone.com/
  

Here is the website with more information in THAI.

ENJOY!

BTW, if you know of another way (or a better way), I would appreciate knowing about it !

PS: In IE, it does not seem to work everywhere (forms) !

Enjoying the jokes too!

I do not want to take a side here, but it seems to me but we need a better way to locate this place!

Here is a link to a rare, dynamic web map of Chiang Mai in ENGLISH. For those in the know, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft (and other websites) offer maps of Thailand/Chiang Mai, but they are either in Thai, static, or incomplete.

So, please, U G, P B, and others (if you have the time or the patience) provide us with the definitive location of these epicurean delicacies by making a link on the map and providing a snippet or whatever helps!

Of course, if you have Google Earth installed on your computer, perhaps you could take a snapshot of the location and copy it here.

Thanks, all!

MPR

Thanks for all of you who have voted!

And thanks for the constructive comments, too!

I hope all have found (or will find ) the results to be informative. I have!

I will continue to monitor the results and offer follow-up polls, should there be a need for them to understand better what are the needs of expats here! One hope that local governments (and entrepeneurs) are reading this! What are the chances? Should I email the results to them?

I have noticed that the 2nd part of the poll is gone! Maybe there was/is a glitch somewhere or --perhaps-- something more nefarious took place! I did not think I had offended anyone? I don't suppose I will ever know, so ... my pen rye!

BTW, I am enjoying reading the views of expats on this topic !

Regards,

decent public transport is indeed needed, me thinks. though, no secondary city in South-East-Asia actually has that. if, then only the capitals have a good or acceptable public-transport system (Manila, KL.....)

safety at night for sure needs a HUGE improvement too. I would rather walk the streets of Bangkok at night than at CM these days....

and didnt u miss one thing in your comprehensive listing ? "Improve the drainage and flood-prevention-system"

thats probably the most important infrastructure task for CM....

Yes! Mea culpa! An oversight, probably as I had not had to endure this huge inconvenience,... yet! An inconvenience or rather a real problem for businesses, I suppose!

This is a multiple choice poll designed to find out if there are needs that are not being met in C M. Maybe someone can or something will take place after this poll. Who knows?

This is not at all conducted for any other purpose.

I have lived on and off in C M for the last 3 years and I can say I like Cm! If not why would I come back?

But, like all things it might be improved.

I have put a list of questions/choices for you to answer. I have probably left out some items. If so, post.

I will make a follow-up poll, should there be a need for it, to find out more about what is needed.

Regards,

MPR

(BTW, some of the choices are supposed to be funny. I will let some of the brightest members here guess as to what those are.)

Laptop locks and, more so, a metal attache case with locks into which you leave you laptop and secure the attache case with a steele cable with a lock secured to a piece of furniture. Of course, you do not take it outside into a fake or not so fake Armani bag. Buy those locks that one can put over the door knob. That's the good news. The bad news is that I have seen an acquaintance of my GF (nullifying dramatically the efficacy of the aforementioned measures) who is an amateur locksmith who picked the locks of both the door and the lock in less than 5 min. Of course, you want to make it difficult for the thieves. If you can find a lock from outside of Thailand, it might deter or slow down the thief. Leaving it unattended when your maids are cleaning the house is asking for trouble, but I see this done often. Not that the maid is going to take it, but there is a good chance she will rave about it, intentionally or not! BTW, I liked the trick given by Artamus, but of course I place the attache case with locks and secure my laptops inside it. Stealth is great! Another trick is --although I alluded to it before-- is to hide in places and inside of bags that no one would think it could be. I heard someone mentioning a dirty laundry bag! A dirty or old bag is good too, especially when you are carrying it around!

And, Barry, this has legal status in case of a divorce. What about if she bribes the person judging the case?

I heard that a Japanese man is under the imporession that his wife will NOT be able to sell the house "they bought" with his money (!) without his signature. I am not too sure if he got legal counsel on this. Maybe this topic has been covered many times. I apologize if I did not see this being addressed before.

I like the idea of setting one's son or daughter to get it in case of a divorce, as Chuck stated.

Am I getting old or what, but the look of the gold in, say, Central looks way different (better) than, say, the usual corner shop? Oh! And the price is much higher in Central, it goes without saying, of course! Personally, I prefer the look of the gold in Central! There must be some good reason for the big difference in price, apart from the profit margin from Central, of course! Is it a higher quality gold? A different process?

Not being a tax expert in any way, shape, or form, but, if you were to set up this fictional "consultant" job for your wife, could you not claim that as a business expense (I live in Canada half of the year and I have set up a company that could claim to be using these kinds of expenses) and/or any other expenses, such as flights, equipment to operate a business (computers,...).

As an aside, the OP did not factor in the gold ring and wedding expenses in his calculation (Hey! Everything counts, right?)! Considering all of the advantages, this is negligible, but do not tell that to the wife, of course!

Rather sensational. I have lived on the canal road for 6 years and have never seen anything to my disliking. i think you're friend was unlucky, no need for everyone to hide. You could get muged anywhere, just about bad luck.

My GF has just alerted me that one of her Thai friends had to give up his motorcycle to 5 thieves.

He was asked to give them money as five Thai men brandished knives. He decided to tip the scooter towards the thieves to distract them and run for his life. He got away.

[...]

Anyway, this is sad!

Be careful, everyone!

I apologize if you felt that way!

However, if nothing happened to you for six years in that area (and I am happy that this is true), ... should we not report anything at all? Maybe I will PM you before I post any kind of news on TV.

But, maybe, you are right. Maybe I should not have reported this! Or maybe I should have just reported the facts, saving the pathos for this acquaintance and my GF only. Why should anyone care about one singular event where a motorcycle driver is robbed at knife point by a number of Thai men? Especially, if it did not happen to YOU!

However, assuming that this event was not made it up by me, by TV, by the guy who alleged the offense, by a computer glitch, maybe, perhaps, could it be that YOU might have been been lucky, maybe you have traits that make you an unlikely target, maybe this is a new phenomenon (or a freak accident), maybe this sort of crime has not been reported for all kinds of reasons, or... Did I, mmm,... miss anything?

Anyway, I feel it is not clear to me what you are objecting to? The language I used? That I reported this at all? Both? That I do not have a sexy avatar?

It is not clear whether or not you do travel at night? Whether or not you take small roads? Whether or not you actually do drive in and around that area ... or that you actually did not miss seeing these kinds of events happening in and around that area, whether or not passing in that area or not ? Nothing is sure, you know!

BTW, I do indicate that there might have been mitigating factors that made this event take place other than the place and time where and when this took place. Did you miss those?

While I (and TV members) appreciate that you took the time to give your point of view on the matter, I also think that most TV members do "appreciate" (reluctantly, of course) members reporting these sorts of events because they understand that these events are not likely to be reported in the local Thai news, ... assuming that they are faithfully watching or reading those in the local language, of course!

Anyway, I wish you a safe journey at all time and place!

Peace and safety to all!