waveydavey

I'm planning on a return trip from the UK to BKK next March. Usually I'd book my flights around 2-3 months in advance but I've noticed that at the moment Jet airways are offering £533 for next March which seems a pretty good price.

What I wanted to know is if I booked this now, a full 9 months before travelling, would this price be guaranteed or could they come along and add a fuel surcharge or another extra charge a couple of months before I fly?

I know Jet aren't everyone's cup of tea but I've used them several times in the past and had no complaints.

Here's a guide to your NHS entitlement - http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/family...from_abroad.htm

Hi, I'm a British citizen, I've been living in Thailand for the past 3 years but I'll shortly be returning to the UK, probably for several years.

I have a query about the entitlement to free NHS care. I've read in one place that I will not be eligible for free NHS care for 6 months after returning and somewhere else that if I can show I'm returning on a permanant basis I'll be entitled to free care from day 1. Can anybody confirm what the situation really is?

My situation is that I take daily medication for diabeties. Previously when I lived in the UK I obtained the medication via free prescriptions from my GP. Since I came to Thailand I've been paying for it from pharmacies. Will I be able to obtain it via a GP as soon as I return home or should I buy six months worth in Thailand and take it back with me?

I've tried searching this forum and the NHS website but not found answers to my specific case so if anyone has advice it would be appreciated.

I'm not sure if it's relevant but I've been paying voluntary NI contributions all the time I've been in Thailand.

Thanks in advance

hi, we were there some 2 weeks ago. the lake has dried up almost completely; we were the only few people there, even the hawkers are gone!

Amazing !

This is how the lake usually looks...

.

.

Pics from our last visit there (1yr ago)

a great time to be had on those rafts...

These are the same rafts last August....

Although thats a great little player, .. it doesnt actually help me out with what im looking for . Thanks anyway Mrjlh.

What it is that im looking for really, is the local Chiang Mai news broadcast that WETV airs at 6pm. Im after the one from the other night as my bf son was on it (as one of the novice young monks). Would be really nice to get hold of a copy somehow, or get to watch it online.

If anyone has any ideas on how to get hold of that one that was aired, I would be very grateful.

Thank you.

I know it's only a slim chance but you could try asking at the WETV headquarters. It's located in the old town just around the corner from the Queen Vic pub ( as you walk out of the Queen Vic turn right and its on the first road on the right).

It's not very easy to get there from CM, you'd probably have to get a bus via Khon Kaen or Udon Thani.

If you want to go via Bangkok there's plenty of useful information on Tales of Asia - www dot talesofasia dot com/cambodia-overland.htm, including how to avoid the minibus scams you mention.

You can still get the extension with a 3 entry visa.

I assume your use before date is 6 months after the date visa was issued.

If you get the 30 day extensions you can get almost 9 months in the country by using the 3rd entry just before the use before date.

Thats sounds clever, my visa says " must be utilized before 10.05.2009" so when my 2 months visa runs out the 12 jan, i can get 30 days at Chaing Mai immigration even with a three entry visa? then border on app. 10. feburary get 2 months, then on app. 10. april get 30 days at immigration and then 1 day for example before the 10 mai, go to border and get 2 months after they are gone, can i get 30 more days at immigration making my stay here all in all 9 months for sure ?

Correct.

As regards getting from Chiang Mai to Mae Sai it's easy to do it yourself on public transport. If you do a search on the Chiang Mai forum you'll find plenty of info.

Bearing in mind the recent tragedy in Bangkok, are members aware of any potential death-traps in CM? Places with no fire exits, exits locked or blocked, dangerous working practices etc.?

Not just clubs, it could be bars, restaurants, shopping centres, anywhere.....

I know personally I sometimes go to Hotshots but I can't remember if they have fire exits there or not. Similarly, I wouldn't like to be in the Vista cinema at the top of Kad Suan Kouw if a fire started downstairs. I know there are fire doors in the cinemas but they lead out into a labyrinthe of corridors.

Not a happy subject to start the New Year on but an important one I think.....

Where can I park my car for a few weeks in CM on a regular basis?

Preferably covered (rules out airport) and secured.

Willing to pay.

Maybe a hotel? but which one?

Ideas?

Check out the bus station. Some of the bike parking places there take cars as well. Try the ones between the bus station and the superhighway. Not sure of the prices but they're open 24 hours so should be secure.

Further to Mapguy's post, I have checked with CM First Church and there is definitely a meeting regarding the new city plan, tonight at 7pm.

It is on the Nawarat bridge intersection (before Riverside restaurant ).

Inside the First Church compound, sala near old church building.

Rumour that PM attending (not sure), City Mayor, rep. from Mor Chor etc.

Be there or be square (or maybe rather wake up and find your self living in the middle of a freeway).

I think that someone has been having a piece of you here sal.

PM coming to Chiangmai to oversee a meeting about widening a few roads.

It would be nice though to listen to Abhisit as he is one of a handful of Thais who can speak proper English (as it were meant to be spoke)

But I'm gonna be square ......

I agree with you completely, but even the woman on the phone at the church seemed to think he might be coming.

According to todays Bangkok Post he's coming.

The clinic on Loy Kroh Soi 3 in Chiang Mai will do a test for 2-300 baht approx.

300 baht is cheap. For farang.

Yep, I thought so too. They also included a syphylis test into the bargain. Results only took about 20 minutes.

The clinic on Loy Kroh Soi 3 in Chiang Mai will do a test for 2-300 baht approx.

I got turned down by the Bangkok Bank branch on Thapae Road even though I showed them my passbook from one of their branches in Bangkok....

I think it just depends on who you talk to and what mood they're in though. If you get refused at one bank just try another and you'll be successful eventually.

I went to the food market near Rattanakosin bridge as usual this morning. Usually you would see a large number of the traders wearing yellow shirts (out of deference to the king, not PAD) but it was noticable that there wasn't a single one on display today so obviously they aren't taking any chances either.

The last two times I've caught this bus I've then caught the public bus from Udon Thani to Nong Khai and on both occasions I've reached the consulate at 11am so if you want to risk it you can save the taxi fare....

cheers davey, think we'll see what time we hit udon thani first. don't really want to gamble and then be stuck in vientiane all weekend.

Last time we reached Udon at 8am on the dot and the public bus seemed to hang around for ages before departing. It then stopped for about 15 minutes somewhere else in Udon but we still made it ok.

In my case it didn't worry me as I wasn't bothered either way about staying an extra day in Vientianne. Might not be worth the risk in your case if it means staying for the weekend however.

One other thing - when I went last month I paid 701 baht for the bus ticket but when the bus set off from Arcade the stewardess went round and gave everyone a 100 baht note. Anybody know what that was all about? She just smiled and said it was a gift when I asked her.

cheers O37. i went down to arcade again today and was able to purchase two tickets on tomorrow night's VIP bus as it goes. we're not taking a lot of luggage, only a smallish rucksack each, so storage isn't that big a deal. them not runn.ing a tuesday service from CM now though means that we'll have to try and do the 1,000 baht taxi run from udon thani to the friendship bridge in order to (hopefully) reach the thai embassy in vientiane ahead of it closing thursday lunchtime. pain in the arse this is.

The last two times I've caught this bus I've then caught the public bus from Udon Thani to Nong Khai and on both occasions I've reached the consulate at 11am so if you want to risk it you can save the taxi fare....

Interests me.

Did you notice how long it would be on? (I'm still based in Chiangrai until month-end). Did they have copies of photos for sale?

Sorry, I didn't see any indication of how long it was on for. I couldn't see any photos for sale but a couple of Thai people were photographing the photographs and nobody seemed to mind.

I drove past the shop on Sunday. The doors were still open and it appeared that it was business as usual. Are you sure?

Yes, looks like the doors are open again.

However the sign " for rent and sale" is still there.

T.I.T. something for T.A.T.

Common practice for cheats like Mau is to make people think they have collapsed or closed in order to take the wind from the sails of people chasing them for their money. I wouldn't take the for sale sign too seriously. The only way this company can continue to operate is if it has police protection or ownership.

100% The police is involved!!!

Bring in that superglue!! I'll keep a lookout (and drive the getaway bike) if yooo dooo the glooo!

This has been going on tooooo long!!

Be sure to remove the number plate from the bike first

There is a large plot of land being cleared opposite the Amari hotel at the rincome intersection, is this something to do with widening the road?

More likely to be more giant apartment blocks

Correct - it is apartments

If anyone is interested in seeing what Chiang Mai used to look like I'd recommend paying a visit to Pantip Plaza. There's a small exhibition there at the moment with photographs mostly taken between 50 and 100 years ago. I found it particularly fascinating to see shots of the river when it had almost dried up. Also to see Songkran before it became the madness it is today, mind you, there were no motorbikes to knock people off in those days......

A friend of mine lost his and had no problems at MaeSai 2 weeks ago. They merely gave him another one to fill in. I wouldn't worry about it.

My girlfriend was in a similar situation but in this case there's been a nice twist to the story.

She opened a small cafe in the garden in front of a guesthouse, paying rent to the landlady of the guesthouse. The cafe is doing quite well so the landlady, who is the most abnoxious person you could have the misfortune to meet wants to increase the rent by 50%. After a bit of digging we discovered the landlady is in fact

only renting the entire guesthouse from the real owner who lives away from Chiang Mai. It turns out our landlady is forever behind with the payments to the real owner (probably why she want to increase the girlfriends rent) so now we're negotiating with the real owner to take over the whole guest house, in which case our evil scum of a landlady will be the one out on her ear

Have you considered travelling overland?

You can take the Trans Siberian express from Moscow to China (takes 6 days direct but you can break the journey) and presumably bus/train from there......

Air Asia currently have a promotion on Singapore flights if you book your seats within the next few days

Probably safest to avoid the internet and stick to telephone banking