Paagai

Fat, drunk and stupid is not way to go through life son.

Awwwww..... Really? Spoilsport

Can I suggest a checkup here as a first step If they raise some concerns you'll definitely fit in well here - weclome to the club

Moracot Road, Santitham. From Chiang Mai Ram head straight (across lights at Moat/Huay Kaew intersection) up Hassadisawee road to next lights and turn left into Moracot. Workshop on left about 150M past the cemetery (Before Santitham Road). Has yellow sign at front. Have had several metal frames of various sorts made there.

If you want something different, and a real classic but smart Northern Thai experience try "Ruen Come In". Hidden away near Jet Yot, this place is inside a stunningly beautiful teak house, popular with the hi-so Thai set but seems to be relatively unknown by most Farang. see: www.ruencomein.com

It's located on Sirithron Rd, just off the Superhighway, inside superhighway before Jet Jot intersection when heading towards Nimanheminda.

Chang Puek Road Soi 4. Heading North from Chang Puek Gate turn left at Traffic lights (White elephant monument/Chag Puek Bus station). About 100M along the Soi on right hand side. Couple of shop units side by side, easy to spot as they're almost working on the pavement.

I would think you would still need onsite people to maintain, calibrate, etc., the equipment at seismic monitoring stations.

I do know that it is there and is manned by a couple of US military personnel.

I certainly know of two seismic monitoring stations in Italy that are completely automatic. Large block of concrete in an underground chamber on special mountings with associated seismometers attached. some electronics housed in an adjacent building, and a satellite dish for communication complete the setup. Battery powered and charged via solar panels. Maybe gets maintenance 3-4 times per year otherwise completely unattended.

Maybe the equipment on Doi Suthep is older and not autonomous needing human intervention, or maybe these "military personnel" do other things too......................

What a thing to try to turn into a conspiracy theory. Nothing more refreshing than a know-it-all making random accusations.

So, are you saying I'm wrong and unattended seismographs don't exist, or were you just trolling?

I would think you would still need onsite people to maintain, calibrate, etc., the equipment at seismic monitoring stations.

I do know that it is there and is manned by a couple of US military personnel.

I certainly know of two seismic monitoring stations in Italy that are completely automatic. Large block of concrete in an underground chamber on special mountings with associated seismometers attached. some electronics housed in an adjacent building, and a satellite dish for communication complete the setup. Battery powered and charged via solar panels. Maybe gets maintenance 3-4 times per year otherwise completely unattended.

Maybe the equipment on Doi Suthep is older and not autonomous needing human intervention, or maybe these "military personnel" do other things too......................

OK, here's another one: The so-called earthquake monitoring center on Doi Suthep is actually run by US military intelligence to monitor China. That's another rumor I heard many times.

Umm, these days you don't need people sat up a mountain to monitor earthquakes! There is a whole worldwide network of seismographs which are unattended and remotely operated with data transmission by satellite in more remote areas. The information from them is available to relevant government and university departments all over the world instantaneously. That suggests if they are monitoring something it probably ain't earthquakes :whistling:

A good travel agent, with the right airline contacts, can be invaluable when trying to book popular routes with full flights. The airlines don't always release all the seats to their computer systems and a call to the right people can magic availability out of nowhere

Have had good experiences with Northern Trek on Thapae Road.

Don't worry about the gay bar/hotels, you won't even notice them. In fact, you may come to enjoy them more as you won't be attacked by "workers" asking for a drink.

Except for Chang Puek's legendary "Mr Chippendale"

I lived there for a few months several years ago. It was quite new and smart then, don't know what time will have done to it and how re-decoration/maintenance have been kept up. It certainly looks shabbier from the outside than it did. Rooms were a good size and clean, through the furnishings were rather Japanese style minimalist and the bed quite hard.

View from the East side has been obliterated by a new shop house development, mountain view from the west side was only ever for higher floors or towards the rear. Echo the comments above about the staff, some of whom I still see around. The big difference now is the traffic, which is almost unbearable, especially between 4 and 8 p.m. Farang food is not available in abundance, except for the in house restaurant (which sucked), and the "Spirit House" across the road. Plenty of things to do and places to go in Santitham, ten minutes walk away.

There was a live band playing in a bar opposite which was causing a problem (think that's gone), not too mention the odd fight at the snooker halls and gambling places along that street The gay places shouldn't give you any concern, the average punter is white haired and over sixty, hardly rowdy party types or near naked bodies flaunted in the street

Though the prices have remained the same, it was, and is overpriced compared with comparable places in that area. You might want to consider DD Park, View Doi Mansion, Noppakao Place, Grand Nappat or even the Dome which might offer better value for money and more serenity.

drive from moat to highway along Chang Puak road (108)

Turn left 10m AFT ER traffic lights with yellow center railings

Up road past 7-11 turn left then right

Oxide 20m on left (theme nights, nurses, french maids, lanna, shorts, air stews)

18°48'18.36"N 98°58'50.10"E

House Pink Elephant (coyote dancer on table add 150bht to bill)

18°48'6.85"N 98°58'58.00"E

Santitham Plaza Bars (about 20)

18°48'15.89"N 98°58'37.34"E

Blossom

18°48'8.18"N 98°58'34.61"E

Santitham Plaza is a great place, packed with bars of which several have live music. Try Chaophraya bar (Reggae bar with Bob Marley logo (name in Thai)in middle of bar soi. Resident band "Super Running Ska" play 11:30 - 12:30 every night and are excellent. Thai folk music earlier in the evening. The band also play at Infinity and Fine Thanks I believe. Full with students and great fun

Is Blossom still open? Last time I went past, few weeks back, it looked shut.

Gay is so mainstream now in Chiang Mai the local Thai guys don't seem to go to gay bars anymore, apart from the occasional Friday night in Mandalay If you speak some Thai and don't mind local style places you can meet gay Thai's almost anywhere in Chiang Mai, especially student oriented areas like Santitham Plaza, JJ market and some of the student type places around Nimanheminda. If you don't mind staying up late some of the Gay Karaoke places, like Barocco, are also good places to meet other gays (and you always have the option to take one of the waiters home as a backup plan )

One option you might try is Yoka Dok (inside the moat opposite the Loi Kroh lady bars). It's run by Pui who used to work at Friendship, at the old Peak and still has a bit of that atmosphere.

Otherwise it's the commercial scene, which the OP wanted to avoid.......

I've never been to Geko garden and generally avoid the farang orientated bars in that part of town. Given the petty comments on this thread about the venue, it sounds like somewhere to avoid, whether the OP is right or wrong. There was a similar thread a few weeks back which made me take mental not: don't go to Number One bar

I'm sure the venues are fine, but they seem to have a real weird bunch of customers

I suspect it's only Americans that could take Fox seriously

We ordered all our office furniture from Pongpan furniture on Chang Moi Rd. They have several catalouges and can order from Bangkok for you from a big selection, including nice chairs. They are on the corner of the second soi on the left coming from the moat (Soi goes back to Karenthip village). Building painted yellow with lots of safes on display.

Al Jazeera does reports on stuff (reality, for example) that makes Fox Noise viewers and nodders uncomfortable.

I love Glenn Beck - best comedy show on TV

The Guy from the Tessabhan walks down the street about once a week fogging the drains. House keeper calls him over when she hears his machine and he does around the house and garden too, he seems quite happy and no money changes hands (I stay out of it).

Yep, very annoying, it's been getting progressively worse for several weeks now. This morning it was unwatchable, or rather it was watchable but you couldn't hear anything

but it is said to come from one of the volunteer Western police helpers

Then it must be true.

Are these the guys going round town planting Barry Manilow songs on peoples computer's then busting them for being a public nuisance?

Hideaway is the place near Doi Saket tight? Where is that located? I am now running out of Western breakfast/brunch places. The ones I visit include:

* Mad Dog (Though not with the wife & kids)

* Irish Pub

* Boat Restaurant on Huay Kaew

* Bake & Bite

* Miguel's at 89 Plaza

* Kafe on Moon Muang Rd

* Cafe Siam on Loi Kroh/Kamphaeng Din

* ... probably a couple more that I can't think of right now.

If it's a place that has both good Western food AND good and reasonably priced Thai food then that would be a huge plus. Being clean and air conditioned and with a comfortable seating area would also be a plus. (but not a hard requirement.)

There should be many more places around the old town area and towards the Night Bazar I think, but would like a recommendation. Some hotel restaurants perhaps, the remaining JJ Bakery.. others?

"The Pub" on Huay Kaew does a good breakfast and is open early. They also have Both Farang and Thai food with space outside for kids to run around too.

Unfortunately, Bake and Bite (Nimanhemin) has lots of kids too, usually inside and with American parents who don't understand that Victorian concept "children should be seen and not heard" ...... Bye Bye.

My UK bank (HSBC) send them to their Bangkok office where I pick them up (they require passport for ID). Nice and secure, no problems and no charges. I'm in Bangkok often enough for this to work for me. Would be nice if HSBC had an office in CM but......

Koh Lanta is a bit better than Rustica was, so try them again. My opinion only, of course.

You could try M, but I don't think you will like the pizza very much. Their salads and pastas are OK. The caprese salad is very good. They open at 5 PM and are closed on Sunday (I think.) I think they are on Soi 6, but if you are on Nimmen and you see the Lotus Tesco, head west on that soi and M is at the end (maybe 300 meters from Nimmen.)

Thanks, I will probably try Koh Lanta again sometime, but they need to be OPEN! I did eat at their old place by Thapae gate, and the Pizza was O.K. though the base was a bit thick IIRC - it was a couple of years ago.

From your description "M" must be near where Rustica was (Punna Place) correct? Does that mean it's in that group of single story bar/restaurant type places in the parking lot between the old Banrak and canal road?

I'll give it a try, extensive Menu with prices.

Hope their cooking skills are better than their ability with wordpress Nice looking apartments they are advertising on that site though

you are picking the wrong items the burger is the best thing on the menu a Saharas a recommendation from a previous thread .

Already tried that. Burger was O.K., for the price, but ruined by the awful fries that came with it. I'd rather pay more for a decent burger though.

What was good on a previous visit was a Kebab and Hummus I had.