Oneman

(Darn shame to have to start this way, but here it is: Mod -- please close this thread to avoid angry trolls and volunteers from the PC language police.)

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Is there anything like a traditional, men’s grill in Chiang Mai?

(Don’t mention it here, but send me a private message instead and we can exchange ideas.)

Use to be, years ago, that nicer hotels in US cities, had a men’s grill restaurant and bar.

In the Commonwealth countries every city had its clubs, for men.

Women just didn’t go in there (unless they were the waitresses, or it was some special occasion, such as annual, family night.).

All of those were places where a few friends could meet for lunch or dinner.

Is there anything even near that in CM?

Reason for asking is the nicer restaurants are starting to over-run with Western females, particularly of the US and British variety.

High pitched, screechy voices.

Loud, cackling laughter.

And all the in-your-face body language of any “protected minority”.

Had dinner this week at Ping-Ping Seafood in Anusaan Market.

Always busy with tourists, but I’ve never before seen so many Western females in there before.

Went past the Bistro1 restaurant in Nim City Daily.

Some of the best Western food I’ve had in Chiang Mai.

But now, Western females, front and center, at the outdoor tables.

Went in to Weeo’s secret Garden restaurant.

Used to be perfect for breakfast or meeting friends for a relaxed lunch.

More Western females there, doing their best to talk and laugh as loud as possible, and totally disrupt the quiet, garden, setting.

The Dukes in the night bazaar is filled with them, too.

The Dukes on the river, less so, but still some, especially lording it over their offspring and husband on a leash.

One reason I moved to Chiang Mai was to get away from that kind of bad behavior from Western females in the “homeland”.

But now, they, and their behavior, are starting to arrive here in Chiang Mai.

So, I’m looking for a refuge.

Maybe other men are, too.

Any suggestions?

Yes, there are the traditional bars that we all know about.

The Red Lion, O’Malley’s, Queen Victoria, The Pub, etc., but those are mainly pubs that happen to serve food.

So much more enjoyable to enjoy a nice dinner, where the meal is the focus, not the drinks, not the TV, and not the football louts at the bar.

Now, its a real shame that contemporary mores force me to include this comment, but that’s the way it is.

Not, repeat, not, looking for a homosexual place.

My goal is simply to find a comfortable, CM version, of a traditional Men’s Grill, for a pleasant dinner, without Western females doing their best to disrupt the atmosphere.

If that’s possible.

So far, I have discovered two excellent restaurants in CM where I’ve never, ever, seen a Western female.

And, given the circumstances of each restaurant, Western females are not likely to appear there.

No, I’m not mentioning the names, because those are my “trading cards” to exchange with other men who know about other places.

I’m looking for a few more.

Better if reply by private message.

We do not want the word to “get out” in public like this.

If Western females learn of any refuge for Western men, they will eagerly discuss it at their Western females lunch groups, and then go on the attack.

(Now, Mod, please close this thread. No need to feed the trolls, especially the female trolls.

-- Oneman

They don't exist - at least what you're looking for don't. ...

Your only option would be to buy a wifi router and configure it as a repeater, ... you'd need a much more sophisticated setup.

Totally, completely, and utterly wrong information from "bobl".

Not just wrong in fact, but wrong in "tone".

Always fascinating to see a post trying to sound like an expert, but totally wrong about what they post.

I have exactly what the OP is asking for, plugged into my MacBook Pro.

In an apartment, to increase the signal strength: same situation as the OP.

Using it at this very moment, right here in Chiang Mai.

In helpful post above, CMSteve already advised where to buy.

New Italian restaurant -- tastes like grandma used to make.

Does Chiang Mai really need yet another Italian restaurant?

I would have replied to that question, "...[yawn]...".

But that was before I ate at Colosseo yesterday evening.

Colosseo fills an empty niche in the restaurant "scene" here, a niche that I didn't realize was empty until I tasted their food.

That niche is home-made, Italian, food.

Real home-made, not just a phrase in an advertisement.

This is the kind of food that grandma used to make for everyday eating.

What you get is simple food, from fresh ingredients.

What you *don't* get is food piled up in layers with a thin slice of something on a thick bed of strangely-colored something else.

Or food pressed into a round mold that comes out looking like a colored hockey puck.

No spikes of vegetable sticks sticking out at odd angles.

And no swirls of tasteless sauces swirled around to make small portions appear bigger on the pate

None of that artsy, fusion, nouvelle cuisine nonsense.

At Closseo you get food on a plate -- that's all.

I arrived early and was the first customer of the evening.

So the chef came over to my table to chat.

He proudly explained how he prepares each meal to order.

I started with prawns Marie Rose -- shrimp cocktail.

Grandma never made that for us, but, still, it was a very nice beginning to the meal.

The most generous shrimp cocktail I've ever seen -- a dozen good sized, shrimp.

Frozen?  

Yes.

The sauce?

Mayonnaise and ketchup -- remember, this is not exotic.

Then ravioli with spinach and ricotta filling in sage butter sauce.

It took a long time to arrive.

The chef was in the kitchen mixing up one serving of the filling and then making ravioli for just my  serving.

Freshly made?

Yes.

I've had better-tasting sage butter ravioli than this.

But that was at pretentious restaurant in San Francisco, and those flavors were so intense that you couldn't eat it everyday.

This ravioli you could eat every day.

Next, I should have ordered a "secundi" of eggplant parmigiana.

But I wanted to sample the Boulagnaise, so I ordered a second pasta.

The chef mentioned that he makes the fettucinni using the same pasta dough as the ravioli.

(But he doesn't make all the pastas, just a few, simple ones.)

It was a huge plate of pasta, more than I could finish.

The sauce was certainly home-made.

And I didn't have to endure the restaurant show of a waitress coming over with a lump of parmesan cheese and a grater.

None of that silliness.

Of course you will have parmesan on top, and it's already there when your plate arrives at the table, exactly the way grandma would have done it.

I was too full for any dessert, but to take home for my lunch today, I ordered pasta i fagioli soup with beans and bacon.

The chef told me the beans are already cooked, but the soup he makes from scratch when it is ordered.

I had smelled the aroma of bacon.

In every dish, the flavors were simple.

Nothing complicated, nothing exotic.

That is the niche that Colosseo fills: really home-made.

This is the kind of Italian food I could enjoy eating every day.

Colosseo is a tiny place, just one shop house.

Clean and neat, bright and cheerful.

But no air-conditioning.

I wonder what it will be like in the hot and smoky season here.

Probably exactly like every other open-air restaurant.

It is well-hidden behind Nimmanhaemin Road.

In a very small soi, on another road with a name that nobody can pronounce.

So, unless you've been there before it's impossible to find.

Besides that, it's only been open a few weeks, so nobody knows where it is yet.

Even I will have a problem to find again.

Here's the address:

17/4 Soi 7, Sirimangkalajan Road

That road (with the un-prouncable name) is parallel to Nimmanhaemin Road.

If you know the "Mac Zone" store, it is on Sirimangkalajan Road.

On the corner of Siriman-whatever and Soi 7 is a fancy car wash shop, "Car Bella".

Soi 7 is also the "back entrance" to Gad Suan Kaeo shopping center and the Lotus Bang Suan Kaeo hotel.

I don't know anything about hours open or days closed.

No web site that I know of.

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kantary hills ... soi 12 off niemenhamen road.

I'll second that recommendation for filet mignon at Kantary Hills hotel -- restaurant Nimman Grill.

Succulent filet mignon wrapped in bacon.

Only ever ordered imported beef, so can't comment about the Thai beef.

However, the sauces are nothing special.

With the excellent beef, no need for sauce, really.

And, even better than the filet mignon, in my opinion, are the lamb chops.

Suggestion: order one dinner of filet mignon, and another of the lamb chops, then share.

But, sad to say, must include the usual warning.

Most restaurants of this type in Thailand tend to degrade rather quickly.

Kantary Hills has been open now about four years.

Last time I was there, still very good, but not as good as in the beginning.

Perhaps you'll want to do a trial run in advance, for a quality check.

-- Oneman

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Looking for others who are familiar with "The Dollar Vigilante" (TDV).

Organizing a lunch-discussion in Chiang Mai.

Restaurant location either Le Meridian or The Chedi hotel -- central location.

Date not yet set.

(Details sent by email -- not posted here.)

Note:

I don't intend this thread to be a debate or explanation of ideas from "TDV".

Rather this is only an invitation to make contact with others in the Chiang Mai area who are already familiar.

-- Oneman

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Things may have changed dehwah, his personality probably hasn't.

Expatmakmak --

I'm the OP of this thread.

You and I have different opinions about the taste and quality of Gipsy's food, but I, too, have seen his strong reaction toward freeloaders and other riff-raff who loiter in his restaurant.

He is especially annoyed when any of the Tight Fist Brigade attempts to take up space.

I can assure you that Gipsy's Germanic personality has not changed.

If anything, it appears more intense now, than in past years.

Running his restaurant to his standards is another factor that I appreciate, but neglected to put in my OP.

Thank you for the reminder.

- Oneman

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New restaurant from an old hand: "Gipsy's Grill".

Mr. Gipsy (German expat) has owned restaurants in Chiang Mai for many years.

He always serves hearty, home-style meals, made with top quality ingredients.

For many years he ran the "Rose Restaurant" -- well known among expats here.

Then, about a year ago, Gipsy disappeared -- moved to a new location, somewhere on the outskirts of the city.

I'm happy to report that Gipsy has recently moved back into town.

He's just opened a new restaurant -- Gipsy's Grill -- in the same neighborhood as the old Rose.

Because the restaurant is just getting going, the menu is still limited and the service has a few wrinkles to be ironed out, but the food is as good as before.

On the menu so far are German sausage platters, with, of course, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes, or with home-fried potatoes with bacon and onions.

For the sauerkraut, he makes that himself.

Also available now is a crispy pork knuckle, that is slow-roasted, not deep fried.

Gipsy said, if you order that, be sure to bring a friend to help eat, because it is 1.5 kilos.

Plus, he's got hamburgers with beef from Rim Ping that is ground to his specifications for fat content.

In the old location, his hamburgers were among the best that I've been able to find in Chiang Mai.

He claimed now even better than before, but he wouldn't say why.

Gipsy said he will be building up the menu gradually.

I asked him to bring back the corned beef hash & eggs breakfast.

If other readers here remember that, perhaps you'll urge him on to reinstate the corned beef hash & eggs.

Location is Ratchamanka Road, 70 meters West of Moonmuang Road.

North side of the street, right next Lost Books shop.

Sorry, I didn't ask about the hours open.

But closed on Mondays.

-- Oneman

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Let s relax,over the mc donald night market.......gooood

First post from a newbie and he recommends a tourist shop in the Night Bazaar.

Not much credibility there.

Let's Relax is a reasonable shop, but costly, because you pay for fancy decor and you pay for the expensive location in the middle of the Night Bazaar.

Any experienced massage client will know it all depends on the skill and experience of the massage therapist, not the decor of the shop.

And that leads to the crux of the OP's original question.

It's a reasonable request, but poorly asked.

What's important is the individual doing the massage, because -- and here is the key -- most shops in CM now are using freelancers.

Not all, but most, depend on freelancers who circulate around the city, going from shop to shop, when they are called.

When you walk in to those shops, you will be offered a cup of tea, then a cool towel, then a bowl of warm water to soak your feet.

In the meantime, the receptionist is on the phone, frantically calling around to find some freelancer who is available at that moment.

The freelancer will rush in to the shop, go in back and put on the uniform of the shop, and then proceed with your massage.

In short: There is no quality control and no consistent quality in most shops in CM anymore.

What to do?

First, you can go around and try a lot of shops until you find someone whose style of massage you like.

Then make appointments for that therapist, at that shop.

Second, you can upgrade your massages to a "spa", where there will be some permanent staff.

Again, when you find one you like, make appointments with her.

Third, you can get references of freelancers who are known good.

The freelancer will go to your home and give you the massage there.

That's cheaper for you, because you are just paying her alone -- no shop fee -- but the massage will be identical.

I will recommend one, small, spa and the name of one particular therapist there, with whom I have experience.

The name is Spa Aromdee.

New-- just opened in August -- and immaculately clean.

Location Sirimangkalajarn Road -- runs parallel with Nimmanhaemin.

Spa Aromdee is in the same block as the 7-Eleven in the middle of Sirimangkalajan Road.

I don't think they have a web site, but I'm not sure -- Google will know.

The terapist I recommend is a full-time employee: Miss Jeh. แจ้

Thai massage -- ask for strong to get the deep tissue effect -- 600 baht for 90 minutes.

They have a very liberal discount plan for regular customers: pay for 3 massages, get one hour free.

I've never seen such a generous discount plan anywhere else.

Perhaps it's just because they are new.

Finally, I have one particular freelancer with whom I've had a standing appointment to come to my place, twice a week, for almost three years now.

That's my way of recommending her.

She is strong, and she has "knowing hands" that seem to find all the knots in the muscles.

No phone numbers here so send a message to me if you want to get in contact.

For both of these ladies, no "special" services; just massage.

-- One Man

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Snow Leopard is a prerequisite for Lion, so might as well get it now.

That's important, and I didn't know that.

Thank you, Smiling Mantis, for posting about it here.

My decision was to go with Snow Leopard now.

MacZone shop called this morning; computer ready for pickup.

.

Got the upgrade handled today.

Thank you for the helpful replies.

-- Oneman

... suckers are born every minute

And, for exactly that reason, a lot of crooks and scammers are entering the Bitcoin market, too.

So, it's pretty wild out there right now.

Similar to the early years of the Internet, just before the "Dot-Com" boom and bust.

But suckers and scammers are not the biggest risk.

The biggest risk to Bitcoin is attacks by governments.

-- Oneman

anyone think I can start mybahtsatang.com ?

A Bitcoin exchange oriented to Thai Baht might be a good idea, really.

You don't need any approvals or permissions on the Bitcoin side of things.

You just start it.

However, on the currency side, there are all sorts of government rules, regulations, requirements, Etc.

That part would be very messy, if you follow all the rules.

But there is a market for exchangers.

Right now, the major bottleneck in the Bitcoin world is lack of exchangers around the world.

Baht to Bitcoin service is not available, not yet.

Also needed would be exchange services in ringits, rupees (all flavors) and SGD.

But, please go carefully.

There are risks, especially at such an early stage of development.

The main risk is that the entire Bitcoin "system" may not survive a malicious attack by big governments.

You could lose any investment of your time and money.

However, there is potentially a massive market.

Just consider the situation with currency controls in almost every country in the world, including here.

I won't discuss further, but the potential need is there.

That is why Hawala/Hundi (and its Chinese counterpart) have survived for over 1,000 years.

So, if you do start something like "MyBahtBitcoin.com", I think you'll find plenty of early adopters.

-- Oneman

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A search of ThaiVisa shows zero results for "BitCoin" in the Internet forum section.

So, I'll start the topic here.

In one sentence: BitCoin is a money transfer service that runs on the Internet.

For anyone living overseas from his home country, or doing extensive international travel, BitCoin seems useful.

A little bit useful now, maybe more useful if it catches on.

I think it will catch on, possibly in a big way.

That's the BitCoin logo.

For those of us familiar with Thai Baht currency, a most interesting logo.

But there is no connection to Thai Baht -- it's just a logo.

BitCoin is a competitor for Western Union, MoneyBookers, SWIFT, and the like.

But those are well-established.

BitCoin is very new and still very rough around the edges.

But I see the potential, so I'm starting to use it now, in order to learn more.

BitCoin also is a way to store money, like a bank account.

But it is not a bank; just a bunch of data packets floating around on the Internet.

Those data packets are all encrypted, of course.

There is some risk.

We don't yet know all the points of risk, but I expect they will start to appear soon enough.

And, these days, banks are risky too.

BitCoin is totally private.

You don't need to give any personal information at all, not even an email address.

You can transfer money to and from any other BitCoin address, anywhere in the world.

That privacy is very convenient, and, for some, very useful.

But any totally private way to transfer money could be used for immoral purposes.

It probably already is being used in such ways.

So, sooner or later, BitCoin will attract attention from governments.

It was the same with the Hawala/Hundi private money transfer network just after the "911" attack in New York.

BitCoin is essentially free.

It doesn't cost anything to get the address or to get the software.

If you use a commercial exchange service they do have fees, just like other money exchangers.

But there is an active and growing trade among private individuals, with no exchange fees involved.

No fees, but some risk.

To use Bitcoin all you need is your own, private, Bitcoin address.

You can think of it like an account number, but its not really an account anywhere, just an account number.

You can have as many Bitcoin addresses as you wish -- no limit.

And you don't have to give anybody any personal information about yourself, not even your name.

There are two ways to get a Bitcoin address.

One way is to download and run the Bitcoin program on your computer.

The Bitcoin program is free.

Google for many download sites.

The other way is to use a web site that will give you a private address.

You don't need any software on your computer -- just your ordinary web browser.

That site is: www.mybitcoin.com/

It's free.

I've been using both methods.

For practice, I've been sending Bitcoins back and forth between my two different addresses.

And exchanging Bitcoin pennies with friends, too.

BitCoin either runs on personal mobile devices now, or it will very soon.

So you don't even need a computer, just an iPod or something like that.

Bitcoin transactions are not instant: takes a few hours to transfer.

Nobody told me that, so I'll tell you and maybe save you some wondering.

If you run the Bitcoin program on your computer, the first transaction can take, perhaps, an entire day to reach you.

After that, just a few hours.

If you use the on-line web site at MyBitcoin.com, then only an hour or two, maybe less.

If you want to practice and learn, you're welcome to contact me.

We can send each other BitCoin pennies (0.01) and see how it works out.

I'm not an expert in this, but I have learned quite a bit so far.

If you have questions, you're welcome to ask me.

If I know the answer, then I'll tell you.

Probably there are others here who know a lot more than I do.

-- Oneman

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<p>.<br />

<br />

Next update to OS X is due soon. You could just wait a bit and go to the latest version.

Thank you, Winnie.<br />

I didn't know that a new OS "Lion" will be coming soon.<br />

Good idea to wait a few months for that.<br />

<br />

 </p>

The Mac shops will do it for you for about 500B.

Thank you, Dante99.

I didn't know that.

Good idea and easy to do.

-- Oneman

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Mac consultant wanted.

To upgrade my MacBook OS to Snow Leopard (from Leopard v. 10.5.8 now).



Machine: Intel Core 2 Duo.

Location: Chiang Mai.

Already have "SuperDuper" and external backup drives.

Please reply by PM or email.

Thank you.

Tin foil hat time!

Thank you for providing that perfect example to add to my "ignore user" list.

Other readers here who want to use this valuable function of Thai Visa, will find step-by-step instructions on my personal profile page.

And, of course, "ignore user" works just as well on my user name, too.

I recommend it.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

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The quotes you referred to and the article it comes from are utter nonsense.

Thank you, "chadintheusa," for sharing your feelings.

However, if you re-read the second line in my post, you'll see where I say it is "bizarre".

No question about that.

The essential question of the OP is this: "Does anyone know of any corroboration?"

If so, I hope you'll post.

I'm looking for further information, not personal feelings.

Thank you.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

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Red shirts ... royal gold ... and a "9/11" coming to Bangkok ? ? ?

The claims are bizarre ... yet they seem to explain more than any other hypothesis about possible motive power behind red shirt actions.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.

Does anyone know of any corroboration?

Selected quotes below.

Full post at the link (scroll down to find the headline).

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

...

The ongoing street protests in Thailand are being orchestrated and funded by Western-controlled ... crime syndicate ...

They involve a planned heist of Thailand's royal gold and a 911-style destruction of inconvenient financial papers ...

In the view of the Western puppet-masters controlling the Shinawatra syndicate, the time has come for these inexpedient financial records to be destroyed in a "Bangkok Reichstag fire" ...

My tutor is available some days each week.

PM on the way to you now.

... a somewhat grim and soulless building. ... personally I think there are far better deals to be had ...

The big problem (and one shared with lots of developments) is the commercial units on the ground floor ... have no chance of ... success since there are hardly any residents and no passing traffic ...

That building has been doing a lot of advertising, so those analyzes from "Drew Aitch" and "Greenside" are very useful.

Thank you both for your posts.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

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... the side that loses their patience first, loses.

Excellent summary of the situation.

"Otherstuff" shows superb understanding of Thai culture.

Either a lot of experience here, or has read a lot of Thai history, or both.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

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It is very clear now that the red shirt leadership believe they can get away with anything after storming the Election Commission building Monday.

Wayne78 -

Perhaps you have been in Thailand many years already, I don't know, but I'd like to suggest a different perspective.

One thing about Thais that quickly becomes clear to those who've been here awhile is that nothing is ever "clear".

Thais have their own ways of solving problems behind the scenes.

What we think is happening -- as reported in newspapers and on TV -- is not what is really happening.

And what is really happening, we never see.

It works like that for many kinds of problems in Thai culture, both large and small.

The time to act is now fast approaching. Swift action is now needed to show this rabble who is in charge. The softly softly approach has failed and the situation is only getting worse and will continue to get worse until something decisive is done to reslove this situation which is now completly out of control.

Perhaps you are right that "the time to act is now", but I very much doubt most Thais would agree.

If they did, then they would be take action now.

Thais solve their problems on a much different time schedule than we Westerners: sometimes much faster, often much slower.

I don't understand their time schedule, but I've learned to observe patiently, rather than try to tell them when is the best time to do something.

If you read some history of Siam, you learn the Thai way of battle is to shout loudly, bang drums, shake fists, and generally cause a lot of commotion.

It's mostly a big show.

But actual damage to life or property is small.

What is going on today is just another repeat of that sort of theatrical performance.

The performance will be allowed to continue as long as serves a purpose, and then it will be stopped in an instant, with only a small show of force, carefully applied at a crucial point so as to cause minimum damage.

Not zero damage, but minimum damage.

What is clear is these protests serve some purpose for someone in power.

Otherwise they would never have been allowed to continue for the time and extent they have.

But what purpose, and for whom, we may never know.

What we can know, is that what we see on the streets is just for show.

The key decisions and the important actions are happening well out of sight.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

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Butter is Better, really? Franckly, I was disappointed with this new place.

Me, too.

After reading so many gushing reviews on this forum, I was looking forward to a great breakfast of bacon & eggs at the new Butter is Better (Changklan Road, near Pantip Plaza, across from Giorgio's.)

But what I got was, just like "Cib", frankly disappointing:

One strip of bacon cut into two pieces, maybe trying look like more.

Whole wheat bread that had no flavour and a strange, crumbly texture, like a dry cake rather than moist, yeast bread.

Eggs decent.

Rather slow service in late morning with few other customers, but "mai-pen-rai" this is Thailand.

On the positive side, a very pleasant, charming, chatty, lady who introduced herself as the owner.

It's only polite to give a new place time to settle in.

And I always want to encourage any new business and wish them success.

But Butter is Better has had a month already, and breakfast is the simplest meal to prepare and serve.

I was expecting something better.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

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cost of living between Thailand and the West starts to narrow and becomes less attractive to European Expats ... Cambodia becomes the new Thailand ... Myanmar becomes the new Cambodia

Excellent food for thought.

Thank you for posting.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

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