Rasseru

Speaking from the middle of a Songran-induced visit to Ubud, Bali, I can provide as one answer to the OP's question, have CM and its people become more like Ubud and its.

Bali "the Island of the Gods" wins hands down overy the majority of Thai destinations.

Don't forget how much nicer places seem as a tourist when you do not have to deal with anything serious. Kuta Beach is the worst tourist destination that I have ever been to and it is a big part of Bali.

In part because of Kuta Beach and its reputation, I was careful to limit my observation to Ubud. Beyond that, I am confident that the difference between our experiences here in Ubud and in Chiangmai is not due to the fact that we are tourists here.

And Balinese women can be very stunning (as I am sure you have discretely observed)

Yes, I have observed that, both discretely and, more importantly for me, discreetly.

Speaking from the middle of a Songran-induced visit to Ubud, Bali, I can provide as one answer to the OP's question, have CM and its people become more like Ubud and its. My wife and I have both been surprised to find the Balinese people in Ubud noticeably nicer and friendlier than the people in Chiangmai (not that the people there are bad; we like most of them, but we notice a difference here), the restaurants at least as good, if not better (Thai food aside, of course), and that in a much smaller place, and the traditional culture much more vibrant and present.

And the air is wonderful!

Well, that makes me feel better, anyway (that it is not just Americans). . . . .

There are lots of good Americans who are not stupid and want the world to be a better place, so don't lump us all together with a small minority of hateful, racist nuts that most of us want nothing to do with. . .

Feel better, if you like, but I don't think the problems with Americans are limited to a small minority of them, or even a large minority of them. On the chance that your blood pressure is starting to rise again, I will offer you a chance to settle down once more: my just expressed view of Americans is not limited to Americans. I don't think the problems with any nation or other large grouping of humans are limited to a minority of those in the group. Rather, they grow out of what humans are. The dim view I take of Americans is really just part of the dim view I take of humans generally. I like both most Americans and most humans individually (go figure), but loathe them as a nation and a species, respectively.

Now is the part when he tells you all the horrible things that your country has done to all the other countries and indigenous peoples. His heart isn't really into it if it isn't the U.S. though.

Thanks for that, UG. I am going to go way out on a limb and assume that since you understand the point in your first sentence, any others also capable of understanding it will without my running through it here.

You're quite wrong on your second point, though. I despise, with my whole heart in it, the stupidity, crassness, cruelty, thievery, rapaciousness, murderousness, patriotism, arrogance, injustice and so on of all groups of humans, not just Americans.

But exactly what has Thailand (or a Thai) given to mankind??

What exactly has 'your' country (or one of 'your' country men or women) given to mankind?

If, by way of example, 'your' country happened to be the United States of America, would you offer as one of its gifts the invention of atomic weapons and the only two times practical use has been of them to murder hundreds of thousands of human beings in an instant? In that case, imagine how awful the poor Thais must feel that they cannot begin to match such gift giving.

You might be speaking Japanese or German if the US had not invented that

As a matter of fact, I am speaking Japanese. Seriously.

Apart from that, if you believe what you wrote, you are either uninformed or highly misinformed.

And England managed to totally annihilate the entire Tasmanian Aborigine population.

But they didn't know how to cook eggs either.

Pshaw! England has dozens, if not hundreds, of other genocides on its trophy wall.

Not sure, though, if they ever managed to destroy even a single people who knew how to cook eggs.

But exactly what has Thailand (or a Thai) given to mankind??

What exactly has 'your' country (or one of 'your' country men or women) given to mankind?

. . . . .

I could . . . list a few things that my country (s) have given to mankind (and the exploits and achievements of some of their people)

When I ask you to provide examples, you say you 'could' list them, but don't. You talk the talk. Why not walk the walk?

But exactly what has Thailand (or a Thai) given to mankind??

What exactly has 'your' country (or one of 'your' country men or women) given to mankind?

If, by way of example, 'your' country happened to be the United States of America, would you offer as one of its gifts the invention of atomic weapons and the only two times practical use has been of them to murder hundreds of thousands of human beings in an instant? In that case, imagine how awful the poor Thais must feel that they cannot begin to match such gift giving.

create a coastline and a beach.

Support global warming?

You have my sympathies.

For the purpose (among others) of avoiding Songkran in Chiangmai, I arrived in Bali this morning and will be returning several days after the floodwaters recede.

Limits for the Songkran revelers.

You mean, people on one side of the street will be able to revel only to the yellow line, likewise those on the other side? Think it will work?

Chiang Mai is way longer than three days.

You can look forward to a minimum of seven and quire possibly up to ten (particularly out in the suburb's)

You're making me glad we planned our Songkran escape trip to be two weeks long!

..but anyway, i fell into MH's cunning trap . . .

He has a way with words, which makes him a cunning linguist.

Random-thread bumping is an art that you don't master yet.

Please condescend to teach us the art, oh great master . . . .

Well, I just did that.

Serenpidity2 bumped the thread at 10:30. Almost 5 hours later, nobody had reacted.

At 15:10, I decided to take over. 40 minutes later, I've generated 3 replies (and counting).

Such a kidder you are, oh great master! You almost tricked me with that little one, but, not having been born yesterday, I was able to draw on my - admittedly rather limited - well of experience to bring up a bucket of memory that had floating in it a tiny but all-important datum, namely that the random bumping of a thread is only possible after at least one day, and ideally several more than that, has passed since the last posting on that thread. So, in this case, you enlivened a randomly bumped thread, but you did not yourself engage in random-thread bumping, and you have not, yet, condescended to teach us that art, despite my sweet and humble request. S'il vous plait, Monsieur Hulot!!!

Angelina Jolie is a dog! And she can't act either. But she DOES know how to poach other's husbands. You can have her!

Random-thread bumping is an art that you don't master yet.

Please condescend to teach us the art, oh great master . . . .

Is it possible, does anyone think, that there was more to this by way of background than simply the paperwork problem?

Well, wherever they are located in relation to one another, I for one am pleased beyond measure that both L.A. and Palm Springs, along with the rest of the United States, are a long, long, long way from here, where I happen to be.

I would recommend merging this thread with that one: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Full-English...st-t253401.html

Agreed. Beyond that, I would suggest that a thread title like 'Most Authentic British Breakfast . . . ' would be a tad more accurate than 'Best British Breakfast . . . '

Hello sleepyjohn. I saw your PM to me before your post on this thread, and answered you directly.

Ionizers are supposed to recreate the feeling of being close to a waterfall or running water and make you happier. Many expats would not enjoy this feeling, especially with Songkran coming up so soon.

Mmmmmm . . . no . . . . no, that was definitely not the reason I had . . .

I think Ionisers are excellent . . .

At an early stage of my research I came across some information about ionisers that caused me to decide that a good filtration system would be much better for me. I cannot recall now what the problem with ionisers was (and am not going to go back now to try to figure out again what it was), but I would recommend that anyone considering getting an air purification system of some kind look closely at ionisation, as an approach, before deciding what kind of system to buy.

Thanks to all for your good and helpful suggestions. I have not followed up on any of them yet, because other projects have pushed ahead of my garden project in terms of urgency and priority, but I have bookmarked this thread and will follow up on your suggestions in due course.

Based on your research, what is the cost for a typical (and good) air purifier? The only ones that I have seen are the Amway ones that my neighbour keeps showing me. She tells me that they're 40 000 baht retail but she can give me a "discount."

I focused first and foremost on finding a good air purifier. When I found one that I thought was very good, and then found that I could get it here, I bought it. I don't know much about what others cost. The IQ Air model I bought, the HealthPro 150, was about 42 500 baht. I have also seen an air purifier for sale at Power Buy for 30 some thousand baht, but although it was advertised as great, I couldn't find any back up for its claims to greatness.