AjarnP

Granite, although extremely long-lasting can be a bit of a burden too.

It is a very hard surface and one which plays havoc with that heirloom bone china you've been keeping in the box Gran left you.

Same goes for your Stuart Crystal.

We have granite now but in the new kitchen it will be a combination of wood (IKEA) and stainless steel. (Must protect the last surviving teacup.

Welcome to the Rai. You've made the right choice, though how long our little "one horse town" will stay this way is anyone's guess.

Regarding Government Health Insurance, I friend of mine had surgery last week at the government hospital and they informed him that they would not be renewing is card.

I have a residence permit and I notice that my card is not like others as it looks different and they plainly spell out on top of the card that I am a permanent. Not sure if they will renew my card at the end of December.

Don,

You and I are paddling the same canoe. They told me that the gold card which we both currently hold will carry on indefinitely except that there may be an edict on the way that has us paying a percentage of the bill.

I'll post when I learn more.

Dear All

I have received an urgent request from the Blood Bank at the Thai General Hodpital in Chiang Rai who require TWO units of Group A Negative blood for a patient currently awaiting important surgery.

They cannot operate until blood is found.

To save time, if you gave this blood group or know someone who has, and are able and willing to donate please contact the Bllod Bank at tel. 053 910 600 ext 1340 (Khun Daeng)

They are able to take donations 7days/week between 08:00 and 22:00

Please help.

You can also PM me your number and I will call you.

Many, many thanks for your support

Word from the Thai Hospital is that they will neither issue new no renew old cards until the new scheme has been formalized.

Paying customers are still welcome at the hospital which dvfn paying the full amount is much cheaper than the private variety.

Hi

Yes, In fact Carpet Inter also do fitted stuff but again it's expensive.

I would look to what type of structure was/is used on the floor (assuming it's a ground floor room) if it is an older building the chances are it's what we call "slab on grade" meaning that the concrete is poured on the earth below. If it is not tiled as your message suggests then putting any kind of carpet will "draw" damp from below which will very soon give mildew abd musty problems.

You could try a wood laminate (Mr. Floor just over the bridge on hwy1) and throw rugs as VF suggests.

More often than not though, acoustics can be better improved by using soft wall finishes and furniture. This is where the echo emanates, not the floor. Add full length drapes or curtains helps heaps.

I go for petrol soaked rag too. Works well but have some sprinting shoes on.

I mistimed it once and had to run like hell.

Ain't living in the countryside grand!!

Yes they are on Google even mention the tiles. Just checked.

The ONLY place I know for carpet tiles is in Bangkok on Petchburi Riad and is called Carpets International. You'll have to google them, I'm sorry I don't have a contact there any more.

They are very good but their prices tend to match their reputation. Viz. not cheap.

I think it is time to bring some reality into the picture.... This is NOT NYC. It is not even Bangkok.

The real estate investors in this area have VERY deep pockets - intented for the very long term investment. To assume a ROI of over 10% is a joke. It will not happen. An ROI of 1-2% is considered realistic in CR. That is - assuming you have NO plumbing/electrical/structural issues. AND assuming no one at the land office hits you up because you are obviously faking ownership

Now if you own a coffee shop, a whole new set of investment criteria come into play - average is (-) 3% per year.

Rubber farm? (-10%/annum); rice (-20%/annum).

Welcome to Thailand

Here speaketh the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Wise words!

The length of a piece if string can be calculated by taking half it's length and multiplying by two.

It depends very much on what your investment layout is going to be. Most expats seem to have an aversion to living more than spitting distance from town despite the fact that on most days even a 25km commute takes less than half an hour. Rents on expat housing vary from as little as 5K to as much as 25K depending again on location and standard.

I honestly don't see a rental market for Thai folks outside student accommodation units near MFLU

Good luck

Best not tell the guy who designed the new city drainage system; the installation of which has been screwing with our already hopeless traffic flow for a long time.

Too long a sentence. Can't be bothered to edit. :-)

Only an observation. I think the land bubble has burst due to the amount of earth quakes after shocks and people just don't want to come and live here anymore. A lot of investors maybe have had their fingers burnt.

I'm afraid I'm of the opinion that says the opposite.

A house having been designed properly with earthquake in mind and which has withstood the recent seismic activity with ne'er a crack is a good buy. I grant that one might need to realign the pictures on the wall and the knickknacks on the mantelpiece but they needed dusting anyway.

Damn! And I live here.

Note to self:

Better move away pronto. The city is going to the dogs!

Having the wherewithal (nouse) to think outside the box when looking for something one needs be it people or goods, is a very good thing.

Despite the lack of folks able to spell Pea Sea or us it Pee See?

With this attitude you'll be very welcome here when you make the move.

Let everyone know when you arrive.

AjarnP

This is my first post, please be gentle...

I am not yet a resident of Chiang Rai, but I hope to be one in the near future. However, I have spent a lot of time there. I was stationed in Bangkok 1996 - 2000, and my wife's family lives in the Wiang Chai/Ban Lao/ corridor area (without putting too fine a point on it). During the four years I spent living in Bangkok, we traveled up to Chiang Rai often. My son learned Thai running around the village with his new-found Thai friends. The first time we arrived, with me as green and new to Thailand as I could be despite having been married to a Thai for 10 years, was eye-opening to say the least, and that is a story for another time. But I will say this much.. after a very long day's drive from Bangkok, and after departing Chiang Rai's town proper to drive yet another 25 - 30 kilometers farther into what then seemed to be the wilderness, and having no idea what we would find when we finally got to my wife's family's home, I was heartened immensely to see that little green sign with the silhouette of a golfer on it, promising me that if I only drove another 10 kilometers FARTHER into the aforementioned wilderness, I would come to a golf course! It seemed too good to be true. But it WAS true!

That golf course, was (and is) of course Waterford Valley, my favorite golf course in the world. I like to consider it to be "my" golf course, as I am sure others might. It's OK, I'll share it, especially since I'm sure some of you may have considered it "yours" before I ever considered it mine.

Now so many years have flown by, and all the little children in my wife's family's village have grown up, and I love Chiang Rai and the surroundings. After we left Thiland, we have come back at least once a year, except for a few lean years here and there, during which I missed being in Thailand greatly. As I said, I am preparing myself and my wife to move back to Thailand semi-permanently, and I do hope to get to know you all better. The talk on the TV forum has an amazing wealth of information (if you can get through all the "other than information" -- but I am not complaining) on what one needs to do to come there and stay there and be happy. I've been all over Thailand, but Chiang Rai is the right place for me.

Sad and literally painful story.

I have a fence made from bourganvillia bushes. Whilst out trimming one day (a few years ago) I was hit five times on my hands. She who shall be obeyed started to worry when the reddening in my hands began working its way up my arms.

I later learned that anaphylactic shock had set in. Left unattended it can be fatal. Overbrook sorted me out with medication though it was a month before full feeling came back to my hands.

It is dangerous, if you get stung, get treatment.

The big supplier of all things building that we used to refer to as American Standard just before the left turn from the hiway to the old bus station can order and install. They can cut holes and polish edges to order too.

As a pointer, there's is quite thin and needs a substrate board eg "Viva" board as the granite alone will struggle to span front to back if only supported on cabinets. If you have a concrete sub-counter you can ignore this, but make sure the mortar bed is solid as wives making Som Tam can actually crack it.

Surely "politely refusing a handshake" is an oxymoron isn't it?

Surely "politely refusing a handshake" is an oxymoron isn't it?

Looks like they may be expanding too. Shop next door is bring done up too.

An old and well used institution in the Rai. Been there since Noah was a boy.

If you are planning (or hoping) to work in Thailand you have two basic options (there are some minor others but not worth mentioning)

Option A
Find a Thai company willing to employ you, pay you a minimum salary of THB 50K / month as well as social security benefits etc. you will need to pay tax on the salary part but it's less than 12% for that sum. The employer/you armed with necessary documentation need to go to a nearby country with a Thai Embassy to obtain a relevant visa. Upon your return with that visa your employer may apply for a work permit for you. DONE

Option B
Set up a Thai company with a minimum
Paid up capital of THB 2 million, employ 5 Thai folks, then proceed as per Option A

Good luck.