Goshawk

Is one still occasionally being asked to show that one is able to support oneself by showing 10.000 or 20.000 Baht to the customs officials ? And if so, is one been allowed to withdraw it from the nearest ATM just over the border in Tachilek if one doesn't have it in one's wallet ?

Did the run a couple of weeks back on a tourist visa... no problems.. no asking to show funds...

its next to a dodgy massage parlour & not far from Aroon Rai.

Nothing "dodgy" about it - Unfortunately!

If i wanted a Thai massage, i would not go here

If i wanted to pick up a young lass who pretends to be a proper massous, then maybe...

A well known hawking spot..

Elephant Bar –

Can anyone tell me anything about the Elephant bar near Thapae in Chiang Mai?

I am trying to find out the address of this bar

I cannot find anything on the web about it

Thanks

Its actually called the Elephant Cafe, but it is a bar.. complete with all the 'erm.. 'usual entertainment'

Location is indeed Thapae Gate - the first unit after the soi that has Shaman Books, its next to a dodgy massage parlour & not far from Aroon Rai.

Hi

Wonder if anyone can help......did anyone ever drive by car from bangkok to chiang mai? How long does it take at good speed from bangkok (non rush hour)? Petrol usage in 1.8 ?

What is the best route and anything special to stop and see on the way( but not huge detour)? Any advice appreciated.

tks

hello mate i have done it a few times it took me about 7 hours i know people are gonna write and say they done it quicker, probably did. i was not in to much of a hurry,plenty of dead and dying dogs to look at , also stalls selling dried fish just to make your car stink all the way home , but you know what thais are like they got to buy them. no idea of the fuel costs.

i went bangkok to nakon sawan then take a left to kamphang phet, tak lamphang ,then chiang mai. i have no idea if this is the best route or not , sorry if not much help.

Definately the best route. When i take this trip i always do it in 2 halves, break off in Nakhon Sawan (roughly half way) and go and chill out at Bung Boraphet - a massive freshwater lake/marsh. If your into nature/birds/widlife then this place is an absolute must with plenty of facilities on hand... restaurants, visitors centre, obsevation towers & hides even boat trips.. Round it off with a night at the Pimarn Hotel in NS before making the rest of the journey back to CM the next morning... nice !!

I just found out TT&T MaxNet is running another promotion - free one month service, modem, etc. Last year when I went to subscribe found it there were no lines available for where I live off Hang Dong road.

So I stayed with my CSLoxInfo Web 100 dial up program at 900 baht a month for 120 hours. Fairly reliable service but not very fast obviously.

My question is since MaxNet is now available where I live is it worth getting based on reliablity and typical speed compared to the CSLox dialup? Also, has anyone had any experience regarding the speed difference between 258/128 590 baht, 512/258 790 baht or 1024/512 1,000 baht?

Thanks for your replies.

I live just off Hang Dong Rd about 12km out of town, have had the Maxnet 258/128 590 baht (620 with tax) connection for around 3 months now and find it to be very reliable and surprisingly fast. No problem with any sites internationally, all spring up as quick as a flash..

Been told that upgrading to 512/258 is waste of time as speed increase is hardly negligable.

Baseball ? Huh ?

Oh yeah.. isn't that just a glorified version of the game played in the UK by schoolgirls.

Ermm.. 'Rounders'

Yeah thats it..!

Bought a ticket in the UK 8 weeks ago..

LHR to BKK, 3 month return for £360 inclusive of all taxes ! By far the cheapest i've ever had.

also, its a "year ticket" so the return date can be extended for upto 1yr should i need it with only a small nominal fee to be paid..

The Arab airlines are sure hard to beat...

Welcome Goshawk.

Can you tell us anything about your choice of username?

Kayo

Hi Kayo

Goshawk - Accipiter Gentilis

"Medium-large, strong raptor, broad winged and long tailed. Breeds in forests. Food birds and mammals, up to size of pheasant and hare. In Britain rare, Non breeding visitor to Northern Thailand..."

source 'Collins Bird Guide'

Hi folks !

I've been circling your great site for quite a bit of time now, but today i decided to quit the hovering and come down to take a perch on the branches of this most knowledgable of trees..

I originally hail from the UK but managed to wing my way away from it many seasons ago.

As a vagrant i landed in Chiangmai almost 3 years past where, in-between my annual migrations back to the north west, i'm gradually building a nest of some sorts.

I've seen a few things and experienced quite a bit in both countries, so if i can aid somebody else in any way through my humbly gained home spun wisdom (not to mention the stuff i can learn from you guys!) then this is the place where i hope we can share...

c ya...

The best place to stay for Doi Inthanon is without doubt, the 'Inthanon Highland Resort'

stayed there a few times over the last couple of years.. has excellent bungalow accomodation, and the expansive gardens complete with beautiful pond come lake offer a truly relaxing end to the day.

Resort is about 15 min drive from Chom Thong, and about 3 min drive from the National Park gates

Also stayed at 'Touch Star Resort' (right next door to Inthanon Highland) OK, but a definate 2nd best...