WaiWai

Must be remembered that condoms do not protect against all STDs, including serious ones such as syphilis, I believe.

The point about TB is a good one, too. Also, don't forget about hepatitis & other diseases which can be passed on by kissing, coughing etc.

Some of the toughest Thai men I know are small and short.

I live in the South and Southern men (and women) tend to be much bigger than the rest of the country

I find this interesting. The reverse is true in China. Obviously, there must be some genetic influence -- anyone know what this would be? Environmental influences? Diet? Has this been the case for a long time or is it a recent development?

(Some) Bangkokians may be bigger/taller simply due to affluence/better diet. (More ethnic Chinese, too, but I think most originate from Southern China? Still perhaps taller than Thais, on average?)

The Japanese (and perhaps South Koreans?) are quite tall by world standards.

Just by the by, tulipgirl, as you state "...There must be one of them who’s been divorced or widowed. Where do they hang out in their free time?", I am thinking that you may be a little older than the average single Thai. Generally speaking, in Asian countries, you simply won't find huge numbers of (genuinely) single folk over a certain age.

Thanks for the suggestions .

It would be indeed nice to see an expansion of an electric powered local transportation system between the river and Doi Suthep, north to the Superhighway and south to Airport Plaza.

Absolutely. Don't some of the moo bahns have such vehicles?

Yes, they do. There is a village close to us (I don't know the name) but they will not allow fossil fuel vehicles on the property. Funny thing is they allow LPG (which is fossil fuel although it burns clean if you can get someone that knows how to install it properly) Hybrids and Natural Gas vehicles.

Interesting, Jungian.

If you are the "do it yourself" type and like large scale projects you can buy electric car conversion kits, of course you need a used car as well the engine does not need to be working as it gets taken out anyway. I have always wanted to do this project myself however I lack the time but someday when I do have the time it will be one of my first serious projects to take on.

Does this suggest you think it would be possible to drive the golf cart-type vehicles on the public roads?

No surprise, but the logic displays a certain type of genius!

they are no longer occupying government house so the charges were dropped

Certainly a difficult situation.

Steer her gently to the wat? You need Thai advice on this, or advice from foreigners who know how Thais have successfully dealt with similar situations. Unfortunately, I suspect the usual response might be to do nothing, until something sufficiently drastic happens to cause a change . (I hope I am wrong,)

It seems she may have problems in addition to the drinking, too. If someone could get to the root of those problems, it might provide a clue as to how to begin to help.

No idea what it is but very interesting! Could he/she be attracted to the colour of the chair, or the wood?

It might be better to gently transfer it elsewhere, as a large wasp nest could very soon become a problem!

All the same, with 2nd hand bookshops, coming home with a heap of books you'd never heard about before is part of the fun.

(Also, seeing the names of previous owners inscribed within the covers.)

I used to buy 2nd hand records (yes! you know, those discs of music and more) in Australia and made many great random discoveries that way,

Hmm.

I wonder if I .... .

Does anyone know the name of the book that Pim Shaw - of Citylife Magazine fame - wrote when she was a little girl about life in Chiang Mai as a luk-krung? It is really a cute little gem, if you can find it.

Don't know and would love to read it.

Pim would probably have enough fans to justify a limited reprinting?

Thanks for the suggestions .

It would be indeed nice to see an expansion of an electric powered local transportation system between the river and Doi Suthep, north to the Superhighway and south to Airport Plaza.

Absolutely. Don't some of the moo bahns have such vehicles?

Never had a problem with Amazon delivering to CM. Perhaps they only like like larger orders or larger cities?

Glad you found your book.

Paddyfield.com can be worth a try if other sources fail.

There is one more thing I want to say...

I used to order my dinner through Meals on Weels. I stopped because of the quality delivered by the restaurants. One big exeption is the Dukes.

Every time I am surprised why, if you do not use their staff, plates, glasses, airco, chairs and whatever I can imagine, why these restaurants cannot pack their meals properly without mixing everything together in one box.

MoW is doing a great job, I cannot blame them. But.. Besides the Dukes it really is a mess.

What are your experiences?

Have not tried a Duke meal at all but my overall experience with Meals on Wheels has been excellent.

Nearly always, I'd rather they used less packaging, but they usually make a great effort to label the orders in English.

Here's the perfect opportunity for those who wish to karma-down on pent-up internet or other aggro .

I cannot locate the recent thread in which someone enquired about acquiring a tuk tuk for private use.

I know I have seen an array of private transportation options used by Thais in Chiang Mai, but what exactly is viable for farangutangs?

I have been wondering:

Can one drive a golf cart/buggy on the roads? Is a licence needed? How much do these things cost? Where to buy one? Can they be used in housing estates?

What are other alternatives for something slow, stable and legal, for both within and without a housing estate?

Why not have a series of taste tests at the ThaiVisa parties. Bring in pizzas from the Chiang Mai pizzerias, don't let us know what comes from where, and have a genuine blind taste test.

So, the blind would lead the deaf, or ... ?

Terrible, perhaps , but my very first thought was of the potential for corruption ...

Just look for the landing strips .

I've been posting against this kind of thing for a long time now over on the Lonely Planet (which gets more questions on 'Joining "Volunteer" programs'.

As much of a rip off as this is, there are worse programs being run, offering access to children in schools, orphanages and refugee camps.

The risks do not need explaining.

And meanwhile volunteer programs back west are crying out for helpers - I guess making a commitment you have to stick to back home, rather than a few days during your holiday doesn't have the same attraction - Not to mention the large dose of 'We need to help these people'.

Sadly, judging by the increase in interest in these kind of programs I think we can look forward too 'Voluntourism' becoming a large part of the Thai tourist industry - Look to the TAT promoting it any time soon.

Yes; perhaps we could even help in parliament one day .

the other thing that annoys me is the kinds of uppity foreigners who know nothing about the corruption and cultre which support these organisations

Have to agree - "instant karma"! Gap-year kids could be forgiven but others ought to know to check a little more carefully. Even worse, though, are the foreigners taking advantage of these idealistic foreigners and telling them it doesn't matter if they don't have a work permit.

Sorry about your experience.

itmthaimassage.com/about.asp

itmthaimassage.com/contact.asp

"We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin."

Being treated like an amusement gets old. You should have seen the neighborhood spectacle I created just digging some holes to plant some <deleted> bean plants. Everyone thought it was a riot and worthy of them standing around to watch the FA-rlang plant some vegetable plants. And not to mention the local kids who stand for up to an hour holding the curtains of my front sliding door open to get a better look at me sitting on the computer. Jesus H Christ people. I know it's a social place and all but the constant scrutiny and getting all up in my business all day is starting to drive me nuts.

Seems to me you are right to be getting a little irritated! Stuff should not go missing from your home when people visit, full stop .

I don't know the solution; perhaps the best suggestion here was a move to more neutral territory.

Note that some people never progress through to the "acceptance" phase of cutural adaptation and may remain in any one of the earlier stages.

36. 7-11 has great [......}

37. Is that the one down the little soi with the noodle stall on the corner, opposite where the [.....] used to be?

Strike out #34.

Puwa has it covered:

8) If you can't afford to pay for good _____, go back to where you came from, loser.

(Note: it's always better if "loser" is misspelt.)

Excellent, Puwa ! Pretty much eliminates the need for the whole thaivisa forum.

28. Feel free to ask/post about anything you like - doesn't have to be Chiang Mai specific - e.g. dealing with ants, 150 baht ATM fees etc. The fact is that the CM forum is the only real forum on ThaiVisa - all the others are just cunningly contrived camouflage for it (surely you didn't think the posts elsewhere are genuine - did you?).

29. Don't waste your time using the search function - it'll only take you to those fake posts mentioned in #28. If the topic on your mind isn't in that day's CM posts then, in practice, it doesn't exist (think of the goldfish memory principle - but substitute hours for seconds).

30. The answer is 43

31. You're not in [.....] now.

32. Those are mere generalizations. Not all [.....] people are the same, you know.

33. If you don't like it here, go home.

34. If you can't afford a/to [.....], you should not be living here.

35. If you learnt the language, these problems would never occur.

36. Try using the search function.

Oh, this is worryingly easy.

Could be the "nam plaa" ?

What might "unabaited breath" be?

Agree very much on the whole, Mapguy. For foreigners, CM -- and perhaps Thailand, generally ('scuse the pun ), -- is becoming more and more a place to live out your later years.

For younger people, it is a good place for short-term escape, but the wish to grow and be challenged will soon send many off to explore the multitude of very exciting other regions our world has to offer.

What do I think when I see a Farang woman with a Thai man? I hope she is not abused.

This concern is by no means misplaced and there are certainly studies on the general topic. (though I am not sure if any cover foreign woman/thai man relationships in particular). Incidence of domestic violence/abuse does also relate to socio-cultural attitudes in Asia/Thailand (though the problem is not exclusive to this region, obviously).

Just google "studies thai domestic violence" or similiar for more information.

There are also some interesting studies on the prevalence of depictions of domestic violence in Thai combic books, by the way (e.g. intersections.anu.edu.au/issue8/costa.html).

P.S. Chiangmaikelly, you may also find this site of interest: newcenturyfilms.com/MHWB/page4/page4.html

A country that is promoted to western tourists as a fairytale land of beautiful beaches, pristine countryside, cheap vacations, and a thriving sex trade industry, Thailand is also one of the developing countries with the highest incidence of violence against women. According to Prof. Maytinee Bhongsvej, the Executive Director of the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women (APSW) in Bangkok, approximately 44 percent of women in Thailand have indicated that they had suffered sexual, physical, and emotional abuse by a partner or a stranger.

Whenever I move into a new place, I write off any deposit that I give. If I do get anything back then I consider it to be a bonus.

Probably not helpful now, but something to bear in mind for the future as they are rarely willing to return any money.

I think this is generally true.

If you have paid a deposit of more than a month's rent, you may consider ceasing to pay rent a little early, but still allow an amount equivalent to a month's rent to be kept by the owner