monkeyofdoom

Used to be a great island with fun beach bars that would stay open until the party ended. Seemed like no police on the island, so whatever nightlife laws existed on the mainland to close early were not observed. Last time I went, a year ago, bars shut down at 11:30pm, since they needed half and hour to clear out all guests before the stroke of midnight. That's when a patrolboat would sail along the coast, noting any bars with lights still on, for fines etc. 

So now the fun nightlife is finished, and I think that has a lot to do with the arrivals plummeting. I think a lot of regulars just gave up on the island after the parties got crippled.

Manao Software is currently hiring Senior .NET programmers, and if you're an expat you're more than welcome to apply online. If you get the job then we will supply your 1 year Non-Immigrant B visa and 1 year work permit. The salary range is around 50,000 to 100,000 depending on experience, skills, and your profile's match with the technology stack we use.

This is a great chance to work with the top Microsoft software development team in Chiang Mai, and live the dream of working in Thailand. You'll be joining an existing team on a very big, complex, and interesting web application. The team is using all the latest interesting technologies and processes: Agile/Scrum, Continuous Integration, Automated Testing, MVC.NET, Dependency Injection, Inversion of Control, Mocking, etc.

I finally went for the YSS G-Plus XL and I am super happy with them. The bike is way more stable when cornering, highway cruising is still comfortable, and it just seems to be planted on the road now. Paid 4000 baht including fitting. The shop said go for the XL instead of the L, and although I didn't try the L, the XL are perfect for me.

Thanks for all the advice, I guess I will look at a tyre upgrade next :-)

I'm single so whille I might have a passenger now and then, I'm optimizing for one-up riding. FYI the typical passenger will be around 45kg ;-)

I'm concerned that the XXL will be too harsh of a ride. Compared to the stock shocks, is it much stiffer? I'm not really looking to stiffen up the ride, but rather I'm hoping that better grade shocks will be better at keeping the tires planted on the road while still offering a smooth ride. Am I kidding myself?

Noted about the tires. I'm on the ones that came with the bike. Any particular model of Michelins that can be recommended?

Hey folks,

I have a PCX 150 but it feels not really planted and doesn't give a lot of confidence when cornering. I thought upgrading the shocks might be an improvement. But I have a few questions before I upgrade:

Should I upgrade the rear, the front, or both?

I'm thinking about the YSS G-Euro XL or XXL. My weight is 70kg and the rating for the XL is 50-70kg and for XXL it's 70-90kg... Which one will be the best choice? I never bottom out on the stock shocks, if that info helps.

If you did the upgrade: After the upgrade, how did the ride change for you? Would you do it again or just use the stock shocks?

Cheers!

Why? They have been living with the Chinese for hundreds of years.

Suddenly, they remembered to get angry with the tourists?

Even the Chines Thais complain about the Chinese tourists! I watched a Chinese family's kid squat and take a dump on the pavement by the moat road! A group of Chinese rented motor bikes and there wasn't enough helmets to go around for the pillion passengers so they just started taking helmets from other bike parked near by! It's true to say they're not very popular in CM I'm afraid

This is not just when travelling. When I visited the Forbidden City in Beijing there was a mother who pulled down her son's pants to let him take a dump in the middle of the crowds. She did have the courtesy to place a paper plate under him though, so she's got that going for her, which is nice...

She doesn't have insurance.

And the 2000 baht compensation is on top of the repair bill.

I thought about asking my insurance to take care of it, but I have a sneaking suspicion that no matter that it wasn't my fault, I'll still get marked in their systems as a liability :-)

Lots of good advice, some crazy ones, too, but all appreciated :-)

I do have 1st class insurance, and it would cover the damage, but when it's time to renew the insurance, the premium will go up 5-10K baht. Thinking 1st class insurance means free repairs is a bit shortsighted, if you ask me. So, I'd prefer not to involve my insurance and just get the woman to pay the bill, since I know whodunnit.

I'll end up wasting several hours of my time, but I'd be OK with that if she had just come clean and taken responsibility. Dodging responsibility just pisses me off, and it was very lucky that the CCTV camera happened to cover enough of the incident to identify who did it, otherwise I'd be down thousands of baht through no fault of my own, which would be unfair. She drives a car with plenty of scratches on the bumpers, so no doubt I'm not the only one who's been hit. Maybe this will make her drive more carefully, maybe not, but one can hope.

She's agreed to pay 2000 baht compensation, but I won't count that money until it's in my pocket :-)

Get a challenging and rewarding job in one of Chiang Mai's leading and quickly growing software companies, Manao Software. You'll be working with the top ASP.NET developers in Chiang Mai, and apart from the great projects you'll also benefit from our lovely office location next to the river (kayaks and riverside cafe available), monthly company events, free snacks and drinks, ping pong and football tables, and just overall great colleagues.

PM for all the details

And then send me your resume. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,

Chris

Awesome responses and advice, thanks so much to everyone! In the end I decided that a gold bracelet would indeed be more appropriate for family members, and went with a toy worth a couple thousand baht instead. I'd be comfortable giving the same gift or similar for all future baby situations.

Well, I have received suggestions ranging from toys (around 1000 baht) to a little gold bracelet (5000 baht). That's a pretty wide range. I want to hit the sweet spot between stingy and exorbitant...

I run a small IT company of around 30 employees, and one of my managers just had a baby. What would be an appropriate gift? What would a good price range be?

This is the first baby in the company, so I'll be setting a precedent, and I want to do it right :-)

Thanks!

Manao Software Co., Ltd, a Danish owned custom software development company located in Chiang Mai, currently has an open position for a Project Manager.

Requirements:

• At least 5 years work experience in IT.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree.
• Excellent English written and oral communication skills. Able to communicate directly with clients.
• Danish language skills a big plus, but not required.
• Experience with Agile/SCRUM/Kanban methodologies a plus.
• Experience with Microsoft technologies and tools a plus.

Your job will mainly consist of:

• SCRUM Master activities. Opportunity for SCRUM Master certification.
• Business analysis. Interview clients to understand and document their business domain.
• Manage projects and ensure they are on schedule and on budget.
• Gather project requirements and write requirements specifications.
• Track time and progress of projects using JIRA.
• Estimate time and cost of projects.
• Create and present project proposals.

Expats welcome. Business visa and work permit will be provided.

Please fill out and submit the job application form that is available on the website, and submit it by email together with your resume.

Any recommendations for a good quality car wash or detailer in Chiang Mai that can wax a car properly? How much did you pay?

Please, only recommendations from people with first hand experience :-)

For Manao Software in Chiang Mai. We are looking for an experienced software architect to join our dynamic and highly motivated team. Business visa and work permit will be provided for the right candidate.

Please see link for job posting: http://www.manaosoftware.com/jobs/software-architect.aspx

Should cost around 60K if you shop around. May cost more for a faster, more efficient handling.

I'm looking for a reputable, competent, reliable accounting company located in Chiang Mai, for my small IT business' bookkeeping and tax needs. Preferably this company should have:

• Been in business for more than 5 years
  
• Have satisfied client references
  
• Have English speaking staff
  
• Not be overbooked with clients compared to staff
  

Any recommendations much appreciated! :-)

When I bought my condo it came with two built in A/C units from York. They are super noisy, both the compressor outside on the balcony and the fan unit inside. Any tips on how to silence it, especially the one inside? Obviously I could rip it all out and put in a new one, but are there any easier/cheaper alternatives?

Thanks for the tips. I also just happened to see some guys with a punching bag at 700 years stadium near the tennis courts. Will check it out.

I'd like to join a boxing club in Chiang Mai, not kick boxing but regular Western boxing. Anyone know of a place?

I have a bike that has been in progress for a plate for over a year now... I guess it may never happen now :-(

I just heard a rumor that the government has suspended new registrations of imported bikes. Basically that for now at least, if your bike doesn't have a plate, you're blocked from getting one. Did anyone else hear this and know what's going on?

I guess for me the main point is that, aside from the car's condition compared to others, is there any typical gotcha I need to be aware of. Like if I buy the car and then it turns out I have to pay some huge amount to get a license plate (that's how it is with big bikes) or is that unheard of for cars? Will a dealer Be straight about something like that?

Oh and here is the link: http://www.unseencar.com/bmw/series_3/698/index.php?detail=320d%20[sE]