lotus eater

A couple of months back I got helpful responses to my plea for help in finding a charger - I found one for 800 baht.

Hope I can get some suggestions for a further problem that is looming. My Palm is a much used 5 year old now and the charge is not lasting long - clearly the battery is on its last legs and I need to get the data to a safe place.

Is isync with Macbook straightforward or is there a messy procedure because the Palm system doesn't 'fit' with Apple's - excuse my computor ignorance, but that's me. (I know that I tied myself in knots trying to isync with my ibook - and gave up. Am hoping the Macbook will be different.)

Otherwize I'm prepared to change the battery or buy another pda or somthing else that a Palm owner on the forum might suggest.

Am hoping for an easy solution, suggestion or perhaps tips/comment on the isync.

I waited until the 90 day report was due and they didn't say a thing. They didn't ask for any proof at all.

This would be my ideal course; and my 90 day reporting date is barely 3 weeks away.

Was your previous report also at the Chiangmai office, though? (Mine would not be.)

Was this recent?

I'm curious about there being no need to prove address. I had to show my rental agreement and a landlord's document/form (in thai) at Maesai immigration - but maybe that was for the annual visa extension...not sure which.

Has anyone had occasion to do this recently at the Chiangmai immigration office? I may be doing this soon, somewhat after the permissible 24 hr limit.

Was wondering

1) how carefully they inquired into the 24 hr period since the move,

2) what, if any, documents they wanted to prov the new address,

3) if they wanted to see docs showing the old address too.

Finally has anyone ever had to pay the 5000 baht fine?

PS

I have raised this query in the Visas etc forum - but would really appreciate knowing how the Chiangmai office treats this matter.

Sopry forgot to mention. Did not require any documentation to prove my address. So what the point ???

If I understand you correctly, you simply did the next 90 day address reporting from Chiangmai - ie skipped the address change form/process - and told them you'd moved the day before. Also you showed them nothing as evidence of your new, Chiangmai address??? (If I can avoid showing them my rental agreement, which shows the rental start date etc, I'd be much more relaxed - although I could tell them I didn't fully move in until later...etc)

How recent was your "recently" if I may be so inquisitive?

any pharmacy/drug store, as well as thai herbal shops do have oils/lotions/creams/balms with citrus/eucaliptus/camphore. For us there are nice/tolerable smells, cats hate them

Thanks for the reply.

Coincidentally yesterday I bought as an experiment a non-deet based mosquito repellant and noticed that it is based on citronella and eucalyptus. Maybe it will work for the cat problem too. In any case I am going to look for a strong citrus/eucalyptus/camphore spray from a herbal shop scents shop - as you suggest.

Just to report the progress I've made....

The rope-wound post I bought is being used by some of the cats - but even those don't yet use it exclusively. A couple of the cats never use it. My wood furniture, particularly the carved surfaces, continue to be attacked. I'm trying to find citrus and/or other sprays for these. (Any specific info, or type of shop, for such citrus sprays would be helpful.)

I have a serious problem with my (several) cats shredding the fabric or scratching the wood on the furniture, and urgently need to deter this behaviour. Is there anything available - in pet shops or elsewhere - that I can apply to the furniture that will help?

Would be mostgrateful for helpful suggestions.

We use "No Scratch Spray" which is a herbal formula and smells okay to humans. Costs 280 baht a bottle at the pet shop in the parking lot of the main Villa Supermarket in Sukhumvit. I spray it on our couch and also on our silk covered dining chairs and it doesn't mark, so it gets my 'thumbs-up'. Our cat HATES it and runs away when she sees me coming with the bottle. Sounds expensive but we've been using the same bottle for about 6 months.

Thank you for that response. I very much want to get hold of this. Please give me any details on the bottle that could help in my (helpful) pet shop getting it for me - that will be more practical than my going to Bangkok (I live in Chiangmai.)

(I hesitate to ask you for a pic of the label, but of course that would be the best - especially of it is in thai.)

Hello,

This is our situation - My husband and I are living in Chiang Mai. I am pregnant and we are to return back to the UK to have the baby. We have two dogs - a 3 year old light brown labrador and an 8 year old cocker spaniel. They are the cutest dogs. They are fantastic family dogs. We have to fly by the end of January so time is running out fast!

We have already made the heartbreaking decision to leave the cocker spaniel as she is getting a little old now and don't think she will survive the cold conditions in UK.

We have been wanting to take our labrador back with us but we keep changing our mind - she will have to do 6 month in quarantine in UK which we really don't think is fair on her and then we want to apply to Australia so it would mean another flight for her again very soon.

So if you know of a good family they could go to could you please PM me. Ideally it would be better for them to stay together, but I understand if they need to be split up.

Could you reply ASAP as decision needs to be made fast!

I must stress that my questions are very much a preliminary - I already have many cats and have committed to take a dog already, but I do have the space & grounds - and assuming they haven't found a home yet.

Do you know how they will be with cats? Usually dogs need to grow up with cats around to become tolerant.

Do they have any health issues - major or minor?

Would they pine unduly if left at home sometimes - obviously with some one to check and feed them daily - for a week or so?

Is the labrador a pure bred?

Has anyone had occasion to do this recently at the Chiangmai immigration office? I may be doing this soon, somewhat after the permissible 24 hr limit.

Was wondering

1) how carefully they inquired into the 24 hr period since the move,

2) what, if any, documents they wanted to prov the new address,

3) if they wanted to see docs showing the old address too.

Finally has anyone ever had to pay the 5000 baht fine?

PS

I have raised this query in the Visas etc forum - but would really appreciate knowing how the Chiangmai office treats this matter.

Did they enquire or look into whether or not you were doing this within 24 hrs??

No, they did not ask me if I was doing it within 24 hours. However, one field on the form is the date you moved. I entered the date of the previous day. I had moved into a house slowly over the period of a month. Who (other than me) is to say exactly what day I felt finished? Anyway, there are so surprised to get this form that they would not interrogate you about the 24 hours.

Did you need to show any other document, in particular one with evidence of when your new address became effective (rental agreement or other such)??

They will want to see some evidence of the new address but the date won't be important. Maybe you had two apartments for a while and now you got rid of one. That remaining apartment would not have a fresh rental agreement, right?

What evidence of the new address did you show? Something other than the rental agreement? I was thinking of going with a bill - I recently bought stuff for the new place; or a maxnet bill. I imagine these should suffice if they don't insist on the rental agreement.

Go and report your new address asap, within 24 hours is the law.

You will need something to establish your new address, a rental agreement

will be fine.

Better to be safe than sorry and slapped with a fine.

Your fellow 'super moderator' says 'hardly anyone does' report the address change. My purpose in this thread is how to avoid the 5000 fine, given that I found out about the law long after the permissible 24 hrs.

I'm still weighing my decision.

I turned in a TM28 in Jomtien in mid-2008. The agent had to ask her boss about it. Then she cut off the bottom and stapled it into my passport with a stamp indicating that she had re-set my 90 days reporting date.

I hope that is the policy at all offices. It felt like a nice little reward for playing by the rules.

Did they enquire or look into whether or not you were doing this within 24 hrs?

Did you need to show any other document, in particular one with evidence of when your new address became effective (rental agreement or other such)?

My cats never had a problem once they got the old piece of carpet that I glued onto a plank. Maybe you can use catnip to get them into the habit of scratching on it. If you can't find ship rope the ordinary hemp rope from a building shop works quite well but quickly shreds. I don't think that store bought scratching posts are any good, we had had them and the cat's just plain don't like them. They need a rough kind of weave to get them interested and something to really dig their claws into, the sort that you get for welcome mats maybe?

Have already bought a scratching post which uses rough rope and which the shopkeeper assures me will work. No immediate evidence of that chez-moi. Anyway will also be trying out you suggestion of carpet on a plank - need to get some carpet, have the plank and glue....

Maybe they want some proper scratching furniture. How about something like this:

/ Priceless

They are too young - even in cat years - to take to the sort of advanced S&M you suggest.....

first of all - when they approach the furniture to scratch just warn them and shout when they are starting to scratch. After that try to distruct them and bring their attention to something else, toy which they like to play with.

let them more go out to scratch wood and trees.

cats dislike citrus odours - buy some thai essential oils, even those used in the nose inhalers or in the tiger balm, and put on the furniture. Usually it's a plaesant smell for us. The added bonus that mosquitos don't like citrus

Am doing the first two, and will get the scents/oils. Thanks. Helpful.

You mean that most people who change addresses during the 90 day period simply wait for the end of the 90 day period and the normal reporting date? This was my original intention - before the 24 hr rule was brought to my notice.

Correct

It would be great if someone with Chiangmai experience came in on the thread with recent experience.

There must be someone out there from CM

In that case I'll do that too. If the worst came to the worst the 5000 fine is apparently a fixed/flat one whatever the delay.

(Unfortunately for my present purpose, the Chiangmai immigr office has a reputation for efficiency.

It does not hurt to do it, but hardly anyone does.

You mean that most people who change addresses during the 90 day period simply wait for the end of the 90 day period and the normal reporting date? This was my original intention - before the 24 hr rule was brought to my notice.

It would be great if someone with Chiangmai experience came in on the thread with recent experience.

I had been doing this (at Maesai)for my Chiangrai address. Soon after the last such I moved to Chiangmai intending to do the next one there when next due. But I've now read that one should report an address change immediately - which seems sensible enough, but I still want to avoid a hefty fine (5000 bht?) for not having done so. How can I do this? If they want to look at my new rental agreement it will show a start date - what if I tell them that in fact I didn't in fact move there on the date or that the start date was changed without making a written amendment? Or can I just avoid showing the rental agreement?

There is a law that says you have to report your new address within 24 hours of moving. However it is very rarely inforced.

I did this a couple of years ago and the Immigration Official didn't know what it was and threw it in the bin. I shouldn't worry too much.

This is the form.

Thanks a lot for that.

So the form you kindly put here for me is all they want? No other docs? (Of course I'll take my passport along anyway.) And after that I do the 90 day reporting in the normal way when it becomes due?

Hope the Chiangmai office is as easy going as yours.

I had been doing this (at Maesai)for my Chiangrai address. Soon after the last such I moved to Chiangmai intending to do the next one there when next due. But I've now read that one should report an address change immediately - which seems sensible enough, but I still want to avoid a hefty fine (5000 bht?) for not having done so. How can I do this? If they want to look at my new rental agreement it will show a start date - what if I tell them that in fact I didn't in fact move there on the date or that the start date was changed without making a written amendment? Or can I just avoid showing the rental agreement?

My cats never had a problem once they got the old piece of carpet that I glued onto a plank. Maybe you can use catnip to get them into the habit of scratching on it. If you can't find ship rope the ordinary hemp rope from a building shop works quite well but quickly shreds. I don't think that store bought scratching posts are any good, we had had them and the cat's just plain don't like them. They need a rough kind of weave to get them interested and something to really dig their claws into, the sort that you get for welcome mats maybe?

Have already bought a scratching post which uses rough rope and which the shopkeeper assures me will work. No immediate evidence of that chez-moi. Anyway will also be trying out you suggestion of carpet on a plank - need to get some carpet, have the plank and glue....

Thank you for those responses. I'm more than happy to buy them something like that. But then my next question becomes: how do I draw them to it as something to chooses over the alternatives - is there something that will draw them to it?

I ask the follow up question because 1) my (also 9) cats are bloody minded, and 2) I had brought them a (sort of sand papery) scratcher previously from a pet shop abroad and they completely ignored it.

I will certainly try the carpet and the rope. Will they necessarily draw them from other carpets nearby? Is rope so appealing that they will go to it - even when it's not at hand and in another room? Is there something to spray on these things to make them especially attractive?

I had hoped that they would get their scratching done on the trees outside, and be scratched out when they came in - until the next outing. But that hasn't worked, they obviously want to scratch at whim and umpteen times a day/night.

I have a serious problem with my (several) cats shredding the fabric or scratching the wood on the furniture, and urgently need to deter this behaviour. Is there anything available - in pet shops or elsewhere - that I can apply to the furniture that will help?

Would be mostgrateful for helpful suggestions.

Many thanks for the above suggestions, and apologies for this tardy response. Will check them.

Many a jeweller that etches personalized pens and trophies should be able to etch your information onto a small metal disc, maybe even supply the disc from some stock, Maybe English one side and Thai on the other.

One of my neighbours has a small dog with an ID tag made from an old UK penny (don't use a Thai coin or you'll be up on an LM charge ). Drill a hole in it and attach to the collar with a small key ring - one of those spring things that you prise apart and slide the keys around and onto.

"Many a jeweller" presumably means one of the ubiquitous gold shop clones ?? I'll certainly ask one. Thanks for the good idea about using largish coins.

These are better, permanent and won't be lost when Tinkerbell goes a wandering.........

Can't help but think that solution is unlikely to meet with unreserved approval...

Anyway, the fur will grow over again.

The cats and I have a tsste for black humour; but yes, as the cats are persians the surrounding hair would soon grow over.

Try Chan Furniture one of the sponsers towards the top of the page. I'm not sure if they stock what you are looking for but they are certainly worth talking too - if they haven't got it they may be able to get it for you

Am puzzled. The 4 sponsors I see on this age are gecko, lucky dogs, tuskers & cm apartments. No chan.

Collars in shops all seem to have a little tinkler/bell - never the option for anything else. Is there somewhere or any way I can get a tag with home info put on my cats? (Not electronic chips under the skin, please.) Maybe somewhere to etch this on a small metal tag which could be hung or somehow fixed on the collar?

I am told that Chiangmai is not a centre for this - if there is such a centre at all; that Chiangmai (and the north) is a centre for wood furniture in thai or other styles.

I am looking to buy drawing room sofas and armchairs of high quality - well made bases, good, well stitched/upholstered fabrics/cushions. Since I want good stuff I would expect high prices - but I don't want stuff that's expensive because it's imported from outside ASEAN.

Someone has suggested I go to a Bangkok furniture fair which is apparently on now. Is this my best bet? Shopping in Chiangmai or on the web would of course be more convenient - if it would give me the styles and quality I want. (I have so far identified just one Chiangmai shop called 'Oriental Style' - which is OK but I'd like more choice).

I am not looking to buy in huge quantities - just enough to furnish a house.

I will much appreciate any helpful ideas, suggestions, comments about shops, factories (or websites) accessible from Chiangmai.