searcher22

So can we expect big discounts at the Ambassador City Jomtien Hotel next year?

Anyone been to Cha-Am? It has a beach, still has a small-town feel, prices are reasonable, it's close enough to Bangkok and I hear it has the cleanest air in Thailand. I'm just wondering why it does not beat Chiang Mai as a place to settle down in?

Just to pause a moment, what is the obvious TV Chiang Mai obsession with shopping malls ?

Love them or hate them, Chiang Mai's shopping malls are sanctuaries of comfort, safety and civility. At a price.

Or you could go to Maya food court, get the same food for the same price and have air-con and parking thrown in.

I dislike the food and the atmosphere at Maya food court. I've tried four different food vendors and still can't find a good dish. Edible, yes. Good, no. Dining atmosphere is not that great.

My Thai acquaintances agree with you that the food at the Maya basement food court is too plain. Their favourite food court is in the Airport mall basement. I will try out your restaurant suggestion on Nimmen corner soi 5, thanks!

I am the OP. 83% of the audience like "Interstellar" and the average rating is 4.3/5.0 on Rotten Tomatoes. That's pretty good. But, considering so many of you did not enjoy it, I will skip the song taew ride and see it non-IMAX at Maya.

Odd, I started this thread looking for transportation advice and it turns out I got movie-going advice : )

The quantum physics in that movie will probably be easier to decipher than Chiang Mai's public transportation system.

traffic is getting so congested nowdays and ive heard that bus drivers are asking for more money if they get stuck in traffic

Maybe they should lend their support to other forms of public transportation at the next City meeting. That may help clear the traffic a bit.

Congratulations Salinee Tavaranan!

Watch her here:

And here (with a moving tribute near the end of the clip):

Another option would be to watch Interstellar at Maya, SF Cinema and safe the costs for the songtaew...

That's what I did on Sunday. I paid 100 B to see it at the Maya. The movie was a big yawn for me. Seeing it in Imax wouldn't have made it any better. I should have listened to the The Wall Street Journal, they rated it 40% on Metacritic..."The last thing I expected was a space adventure burdened by turgid discussions of abstruse physics, a wavering tone, visual effects of variable quality..."

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Why "allow" in quotes?

No point to ask on here, please contact AFP they surely will be able to tell you

And no point in trying to contact AFP, I've tried before, they don't answer.

If the quotes are justified, then it means "under certain conditions." That's what I am afraid of.

Total peace and quiet in my moobahn too. However, if I knew there was a decent apartment in town that was as quiet or almost, I would move there in a jiffy, as I would prefer to be carless and within walking distance to all amenities. It would also provide more opportunities to socialize.

May I ask what building you're in and what your monthly rent is? You can PM me if you like. Thanks.

I took the direct bus from Suvarnabhumi airport to Hua Hin and back. Highly recommend it....for comfort and safety.

In Chiang Mai, just recently, the immigration officer told me that I can renew up to 45 days prior to expiration. You don't lose any days if you go early, i.e. the one-year extension starts when your current permission ends.

I went for my retirement extension yesterday (Wednesday)... I suppose it's the same waiting line for the marriage extension. I showed up at 5:45 a.m., was given my first queue number at around 7 a.m., and eventually sat down with the immigration official at 11:15 a.m. However, I was told to come back after lunch (at 1 p.m.) to pick up my passport. So I walked to the airport mall to grab lunch and then headed back to the immigration office. They called my name at 12:55 p.m. and handed me my passport.

My advice is that you show up before 5 a.m. if you want the best chances of obtaining your newly-stamped passport before the lunch break. Some people who showed up shortly after me got their numbers but were told they could only be seen in the afternoon.

Bring a good book, podcasts, etc.. anything to pass the time. Also bring a snack, water and insect spray.

What did I learn from all this? To make sure I book my spot via the Immigration website the moment my date becomes available!

I forgot to mention that Beer Republic on Nimmen Soi 11 does a decent burger as well. One long block off of Nimmen. At least I like it, but I put lots of mustard on my burgers. My British friend thought that the meat wasn't seasoned enough.

Since it's Nimmanhaemin Road, I assume it's not a cultural faux pas if I ask the waiter,"Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?"

Any good hamburger joints on Nimmanhaemein Road? Couldn't find any after walking down the street recently.

It's always preferable to book directly with the airline, because if you don't and a problem arises, you're on your own. Last year I missed my Air Canada flight (booked thru Expedia) due to heavy traffic. I went to the Air Canada counter to make arrangements for another flight, but the airline said they couldn't do anything because it was not booked thru them directly. I had to call Expedia myself to make all the necessary changes. I was on the phone close to 30 minutes as they tried to book another flight for me. The reservation agent had a foreign accent and sometimes it was difficult to understand what she was saying. In the end it was too late to catch a same-day flight. I eventually obtained satisfaction, but having to make alternate arrangements myself over the phone in a noisy, crowded airport was very stressful.

Another idea would be to rent a car and do a drive around. You can probably cover the basics of outer Chiang Mai in two days.

I strongly advise against that. It's carnage on the roads here. Lack of traffic signs, bad roads, almost zero enforcement of traffic laws by police, etc. I suggest you have an experienced person drive you around for at least the first few months so you'll have a good idea of what you'll be up against. Use public transportation whenever you can.

Good, original post. Got me appreciating that all is safe and well in Chiang Mai today. Sometimes we need a liitle jolt to remind us.

I took the following two pictures of a rainbow from the Maya shopping mall, but on Tuesday. It's probably the same phenomena at work.

Covering yourself in clothes from head to toe not only helps protect you from Dengue, it also makes you more desirable to Thai women.

However, be careful. Love can bite too.

The guy on Nimmen actually sells coffee in a plastic bag, which is then in a paper bag, which is then in another plastic bag. Sweet as hell and lots of cream. Another guy on Suthep Road is doing the same thing. All those bags on then just dumped on the street in some cases.

I suspect these guys are making pretty good money.

This does raise some concerns. Plastic bag waste + toxin release from hot plastic. I wonder if the vendor can adopt a more environmentally-friendly approach. Since brick-and-mortar coffee shops that we all patronize also generate a lot of waste, it wouldn't be fair to single him out.

I seem to get bitten more when I'm indoors than when I am outdoors. Venues such as lobbies, cinemas, and shopping mall restaurants have mosquitoes lurking under tables and chairs. There's often one in my car too. Since I don't normally wear protective clothing and put on mosquito repellent when I am in these places, it makes me more vulnerable to an "attack."

As I understand it, they are opening little PEA payment offices around town by the 1st of next month. Maybe 7-Eleven payments no more?

Yes i believe they are opening one ,upstairs in Meechoke Plaza.

regards Worgeordie

I just payed my electric bill at the new PEA satellite office at Meechok Plaza. No waiting. Service with a smile. And best of all, free.

Why bother with cooking if you're only staying for two weeks? There are countless food joints in that vicinity, from street fare to gourmet. Cooking facilities cost more too.

You are referring to people who are not looking to fit into the Thai way of life. Merely the benefits they get from the cheaper prices.

I would say that group of people includes a lot of foreigners living in Chiang Mai. They want more Western food restaurants, more shopping malls, sidewalks like in Western countries, bike paths on the roads that already have too may cars, changes to Thai language words that refer to foreigners.

Things will change. My opinion is the changes should be what the Thai citizens want...... not what expats want.

In my opinion, the new generation of Thais want the same thing foreigners want. Just look at print ads and TV commercials, it's a good reflection of what they aspire to become. Some of it good, some of it bad.