neilrob

Suggest you search for the previous thread on this, which had mention of a number of sites. The thread was less than six months ago.

The China Airlines web site has been useless for booking flights from CNX for a long as I've been using it. The easy and direct way to find out is not via travel agents (who don't know) or via posting on Thaivisa, but the easy and obvious route of just calling China Airlines. They have a reservation service in Bangkok who are quick and efficient, and also offer better rates than the web site did (when it was working). Just call them to find out---unlike other sources, they do know if they have flights!

No. The owner was born in the year of the rabbit.

Ate there last night, not for the first time. I concur with the recommendation---like Sansai Sam (from whom I got the recommendation) I was hoping it would remain a secret!

However, the one thing I don't think they do particularly well is steak---the cheaper steak is tough and not particularly flavourful. You need to spend 500B to get a decent steak. There are much better values on the menu, such as excellent sea bass.

Of all the unlikely places, Home Pro (in the Carrefour complex) carries it. You have to find the area with automotive chemicals etc, which is a small area in the tools section, and there it is, along with touch up paints etc. Or at least it was there a few months ago when I bought some---hope they haven't sold out.

I have eaten there several times and found the food and atmosphere very good. The prices are also reasonable. Of course not every item on the menu is to everyone's taste, so I suggest trying a variety of dishes to explore what they offer. Bon appetit!

I have eaten twice at Sahara and definitely recommend their Middle Eastern food. Good hummus, excellent beef kabab and other interesting dishes such as a beef and okra stew. Not only is the food worth recommending but, as others have commented, their prices are remarkably low for the quality. Furthermore, the atmosphere of the place is very pleasant---you can sit upstairs, under the "tent" and look out over Nimmanhaemin. Much better overall than Dukes in my opinion, but each to his own.

I saw the desk there most recently last month. I've never used it, because I always get a multiple reentry permit so I don't need one each trip, but the desk was certainly there and open, on your left just before you go through immigration.

I agree with Loaded. I've eaten food from Hinlay many times and have never experienced what Brommers complains about. IMHO Hinlay has the best Indian food in CM (which makes it just good, not great---I've never found what I would consider really excellent Indian food in CM, but Hinlay food is still well worth eating).

Conice, which is on the road running around inside the moat (on the north side of the old city near the NE corner) sells Waterpiks for just under 4000 Baht. I bought one from them and it gave up the ghost very comprehensively with multiple failures just after the warranty expired. After that I was reluctant to buy another Waterpik. Therefore I bought a Panasonic equivalent on eBay from a retailer in Hong Kong, only to find that it was made in Thailand. So far it works better than the Waterpik did and was cheaper.

I thought I had been clear that I was looking for information from someone in a similar situation who had got a visa, not speculation. Instead (with the exception of rickthailand), I get ill informed speculation. Not worth raising a topic here. Moderator please close this. Thanks. If you have USEFUL information I'd be grateful if you could PM me. Thanks

Thanks to those who replied above, but I am a bit puzzled by the replies. I am very well aware of the difficulty of poor Thais getting visas for Europe, which is why my relationship to him is very relevant. If it were easy for Thais to get Schengen visas I would not have bothered to ask this question!

He would have no chance of getting a tourist visa by himself. His only chance is because he is going with me, which is why my citizenship and residence are of relevance. Of course I will show all necessary financial support, tickets etc. etc.--- that is not the issue. When we went on a trip to New Zealand it was also difficult to get a visa. A specific condition (stamped in his passport) of the NZ consulate granting his tourist visa was that he was accompanying me. So my relationship to him is very relevant. I could honestly couch this relationship as that of boyfriend, since we are, or as paid companion, since he is. This relationship will give an assurance of support as well as give assurance that he will return to Thailand to be with me, since I will be returning to Thailand. So my question was addressed to how best to present our relationship in the context of a Schengen visa application, probably to Spain. So I am interested in hearing from any who have experience of getting a Schengen visa for their Thai boyfriend or companion, when the background/circumstances of the Thai were such that they could not expect to receive a visa if applied for in isolation.

I plan to take a vacation trip to Europe (Spain, southern France and Italy) later this year, with my boyfriend/companion. I have both UK and US passports and live/am retired in Thailand. He is Thai. I could legitimately describe him as either my boyfriend or as my paid companion. I support him and we have travelled together many times, including to New Zealand, but we do not live together. In fact he owns his own house where he lives with his wife and I live with my very long time companion. Therefore it seems like I have two possible ways to go---have him apply for a visa as my partner or as a paid companion. Has anyone had relevant actual experience (please no speculative answers)? Thanks for any relevant advice.

Yesterday I took my old household batteries (I'd accumulated them over a few years now) to the municipal offices on Intaworot Rd. in the old city (west of the Three Kings monument). There is a recycling station at the front of the building---very easy.

Has anyone had experience of the services of Star Visa in dealing with extension of stay (eg. retirement)? I'd be interested in knowing whether it worked out OK.

Just as a follow up to some of the above posts. I do a lot of travelling and have considerable experience of both CNX and BKK. There is just no comparison between flying internationally out of CNX and BKK. BKK has long distances to walk between parts of the vast terminal, lengthy immigration lines (there have been letters in the Bangkok Post recently complaining of waits up to 90 minutes at immigration!) and long waits to get luggage. CNX has convenient distances, bags that arrive quickly and, most important, if there is one person ahead of you at immigration that is a long queue by CNX standards. If you have a choice, then IMHO you are crazy not to choose CNX, unless the financial advantage is absolutely overwhelming.

Thanks for your interesting and informative posts neilrob. I wonder why travel agents (2 now that I have contacted in C.M.) are saying that the China Airlines CNX-TPE-LAX and return service has been suspended???

The only reason can be that travel agents don't know what they are talking about! They look at the web site and can't find the flight---although if they bothered to look at the timetable or call China Airlines they would know soon enough. I can certainly swear from personal experience that China Airlines is indeed flying the route three times a week! I would not be in SF as I write this if not.

My last two trips (in November and January) I flew the route you plan---CNX to Louisiana, specifically New Orleans. In practice you have to enter at a West Coast airport, which for this route means SFO or LAX. The route with the fewest flights (and lowest cost I believe) is CNX to TPE, TPE to LAX, LAX to New Orleans. This is only three flights because (unlike from SFO) there are non-stops from LAX to New Orleans. I'd be pleased to answer any questions---PM me if you need additional info.

Seafood was great and safe and New Orleans looks just like it always did---no signs of hurricane Katrina or the oil spill. The tourist areas felt entirely safe to me (with normal precautions), so no need to worry about taking your wife there. There are areas of New Orleans which are not safe, but these are not areas tourists are likely to go.

Hi Milwall Fan---don't believe the rumours about China Airlines having stopped flying this route. Their flights from Chiang Mai to SFO or LAX are VERY MUCH alive and well. I have flown the route three times in the last four months. In fact I'm in SF now, having flown out on China Airlines from CNX on Feb 17th. The route is convenient and quick and avoiding Bangkok is great. Last time when I returned it took me just five minutes from stepping off the plane to walking out of the terminal---immigration, customs and luggage claim all included. I thought that must be some sort of record! Trying doing that if going via Bangkok.

Furthermore, their prices are excellent---much better than Korean Airlines. Flying business class it is 87K round trip, and economy fares are also good. In fact the only thing not good about China Airlines is their almost useless web site. The one thing you can get from the web site however is a download of their timetable, which shows the days and times of outbound flights from CNX to SFO or LAX. Fortunately they have a good reservations service by phone---the number is 02 250 9898. If you call they let you make a reservation and get a fare and still give you several days before you need to pay the money and ticket it.

OP---loved your review: "food not delicious at all but thankfully meagre portions"

I hope the food improves.

Maybe if the USA and UK would start to charge reasonable visa fees - others might follow.

It's OK for us, but not for them.....right?

I'm sure Obama discussed this over dinner.

For UK citizens it is fine---only 1100B. I have both US and UK passports and I tried to get them to give me a visa in my UK passport. They refused because I had entered Thailand on my US passport. So I had to pay about 4500B---a "special" rate that only applies to US passports.

The Bangkok Post was giving them away almost every week towards the end of the year. I threw most away but still have a couple of pairs which anyone is welcome to. Please PM me if you want them.

Enjoyed reading your post (although memorizing it for the exam will be a challenge). I read somewhere that US passports are actually produced in Thailand---the real ones that is (as well as the fakes of course). With that sort of turn around time I think it must be true.

I just ate at a new fish and chip place and thought it was remarkably good. So in spite of the excess of fish and chip topics I decided to post. It is called Kelly's Bistro (they also serve other things than fish and chips) in Meechok Plaza at the junction of Ring Rd 1 (not the Superhighway) and the road to Mae Jo. It is in the long line of shops opposite to Rimping. And no, I am not in any way whatsoever connected to the ownership etc.

I agree with Lingnoi about Tengoku---seriously good Japanese food. However, for really fresh sushi try Junglechef's recommendation and go to Sun Tori. When I asked why it was closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I was told that every week during these days the owners drive down to Sri Racha district in Chonburi province to select and buy fish straight from the boat. They then put the fish on ice and drive it back to Chiang Mai. This way the fish served from Saturday to Tuesday is as fresh as possible (given how far Chiang Mai is from the sea). Mrs. Nong, co-owner of the restaurant with her husband Mr. Sombot, who is the chef, even showed us photos of the boats they bought from. They have been doing this for seventeen years. In addition to fresh fish, they use only organic vegetables and only organic rice imported from Japan, and no MSG. Well worth trying if you like sushi.

Santipab Printing on Kaew Nawarat Rd, on the left going from the Superhighway towards the city, does excellent work. They printed 100 cards for me with raised print on high quality card stock for 3B per card. I don't know about coloured cards, but expect they would do a superior job.