sunholidaysun1

My dealing with Air Asia are also not so good. Firstly cancelling a flight from Clark (Philippines ) to KotaKinabalu because of an on coming Hurricaine, that hadnt hit the Island , the direction was coming from Japan , the opposite side of the Philippines to where I was and not the direction that I was intending to fly . The flight cancellation on a Friday , left me stranded until the following Tuesday and basically they didnt want to know. Tough SH*t, no compensation , nothing .

I also dont like the unfairness of Air Asia and other airlines for discounting seats for those who book online , to me that is discrimination and I am suprised no one has taken up the case in court to fight them over this .

Also , when booking a flight at their counters in the airports, they charge you 200 bht booking fee , bloody disgusting !!!

When I flew from Phnom Phen in Cambodia to Bangkok , I booked my flight a few days before I was due to fly out . I was asked about my lugguage and I told them I only had a back pack hand lugguage but after buying more than I should have over the next few days , I needed another bag . I bought a small suitase .

On arrival at the airport I was asked at checkin about my lugguage , I said I had my back pack for hand lugguage and a small suitcase for the cargo hold . They told me I would have to pay $38 to put the suitcase in the cargo hold, its weight was 5.3KG . So I opened my small suitcase , crammed all of my stuff from the back pack into it , including the back pack itself and then carried the suitcase on the plane as hand lugguage . THEY would NOT let me take 2 bags on the flight as hand lugguage . Sitting on my seat on the plane , I was totally cheesed off to see many Asian people with 2 or 3 bags being brought on , not just one or 2 people but many . Seems they have different rules for some .

At least we know that when the B.I.B report is completed , it will state all of the Deaths were Fatal .

With the growing population of Chiang Rai and the increased numbers of foreigners coming to live here, have the times changed and has now become a good place to open a foreigner owned business ?

Over the past 10 years , I have seen many restaurants and bars opened and closed by foreigners , other businesses like florists and motorbike rentals and tours do the same .

I know there are a few small businesses here that are doing well and have been doing well for a long time . Is the secret to keep going and get yourself established even if it does take 5 years to get some profit from what you have opened ?

I know the few are doing very well financially but is their any room for others to open something here ?

What would be the best type of business that a farang could open and something that we all need here ?

Very smoggy this morning , could have something to do with all the fireworks being let off , ALL NIGHT LONG , grrrrrrrrrr

@ Meatboy

According to the latest data from the Office of National Statistics, the average weekly wage in the UK is £442 a week, so a tad under £23,000 a year.

After tax and National Insurance deductions that equates to a take home pay, at current rates, of £1,500 a month. Factor in things like Coucil Tax and the like and the average salary isn't too hot.

I will admit to occasionally looking at whether I would be better off back 'home' but the thought doesn't stay with me for long.

I thought the basic hourly rate was in the region of 6 quid and hour . Thats less than 1000 GBP per month before tax. the majority of workers would be on less than 12,000 per year .

Is Cambodia the way to go for us Brits?

The place is now filling up with foreigners , its a busy place , especially in the seaside resort of Sihanoukeville .That place is growing really fast and so many bars and restaurants now . Soon to be the Pattaya of Cambodia I would think .

Thats good to know , at least I can sleep peacefully knowing Im not going to be surrounded by dead bodies in the morning.

Well, if you have a really good airtight room, and you keep on recycling the same air, at some point in time you will find dead bodies because of lack of oxygen and a too high CO2 level.

I think I will open a window , just to be on the safe side . Thanks for the advise

This is being done in conjunction with an Expat meeting. They would like to do it more but depends on staffing.

If the Ex-Pat meetings are a regular thing happening in Chiang Rai , I am suprised that there is no mention of those meetings on here .

It would also be nice to know what is being said at these meetings and posted on here so that all of those who live out of the city or may

not be able to attend , can get all the upto date information .

It would also be handy for someone to ask questions on behalf of online members from Chiang Rai .

Are there any Chiang Rai forum members willing to take up the reigns and open a thread ?

Thats good to know , at least I can sleep peacefully knowing Im not going to be surrounded by dead bodies in the morning.

Are they still alive in the mornings ?

At the moment yes, but if that smoke is being inhaled , eventually the lungs will pack up .

Prices for most things have escalated over the last few years as everywhere else in the world . The Thai Baht is unusually very strong against most currencies , I have no idea why but would think someone is propping the Baht up.

So , is Thailand still the place to be ? Most farangs on basic pensions must be being hit hard , I know I am , especially as the Baht to the GBP is currently slightly higher today at 44.45 .

Where is the best place now to be in Thailand , is there anywhere cheap to live ? Isan was the choice of many but somehow I think its just as expensive everywhere , unless your loaded of course .

There are lots of good quality chocolate bars here that only use cocoa fat - the real thing. Lindt and Frey brands for starters.

Yes I know all about them I have been eating them as well , thats the reason I needed a change and was looking for possibly newer brands to the L.O.S.

I wrote about this last year :

Posted 2012-06-07 11:28:40

1155 Tourist Police, is not working either in Chiang Rai , I tried to call then several weeks ago and the number is dead.

Do the farang tourist police assistants have work permits ?

Maybe the Tourist Police should join forces with Thai Immigration because they need to get their act together as well !!

My neighbours, farang and Thai are still using their air conditioning throughout the night , is it safe to use when all this smoke is about ??

Just like any holiday , it pays to do some homework on the place you are visiting, then there should be no suprises or dissapointments .

Betty Crocker and you complain about vegetable fat in other chocolate, read the ingredients and book a Cardiologists appointment.

Yes , I know , but I only eat the odd tea-spoon full every now and again .

When that soot blizzard affected Chiang Rai , it was a build up of pollution for several weeks , then it covered the city of Chiang Rai . I was driving from Bandu back up to the White Temple and the whole route was exactly the same , everything was being covered in soot . It happened around late afternoon but turned the daytime to night . Someone must have been in it other than me and the Thais .

What a great idea for the U.S Consulate to provide a service like this , its a pitty that my consulate doesnt do this also from time to time , but to be honest my government doesnt give a hoot about its citizens inside the UK, let alone out of it .

I must say though , what a coincidence it is to have the service they are offering at Le Meridien Hotel AND at lunchtime , hehehehe, someone's been smart in the organising of this one .

It is not true that the PM10 levels here are above 200 for weeks at a time, spikes do occurthat send the levels to in excess of 200 from time to time but the duration is usually very limited and measured in days not weeks. As for the 400 reading: it's possible there was a spike to that level also (but I doubt it) but it is a very rare phenomena. If you do a serach on this forum you'll find that poster Priceless has published a whole host of graphs using data from the PCD, you would do well to review them.

When the pollution was so bad it snowed black soot , that must have been way over the 400 pm level. It was like driving in a blizzard, visibility was down to about 50mtrs , my clothes were covered in soot , .same as a snow storm , can anyone else remember that soot falling a year or 2 ago ?

I am an fan of chocolate , its part of my diet and its like a drug, I need a fix every now and again . In Thailand there are the few European brands of chocolate bars available such as snickers, kit-kat, mars bars , M&M's, and a few others .There are also a few brands of chocolate about as well .

I am bored with eating the chocolate available here , I can only take so much of what is on offer but crave anything different .

I decided to make a chocolate sponge (from a box) and it wasnt until I got home and read the instructions that I found it didnt have the chocolate cream filling or topping as shown on the box and that I had to buy that as an extra , grrrrrrrrrr.

So , back to the shop I went (Tops ) and found Betty Crockers Dark Rich and Creamy Icing . OMG, I opened it when I got home and it looked delicious, so out came the spoon and in I went . Its better than any chocolate I have been buying here and from now on , all those crappy vegetable fatty so called choco bars can stay on the shelf . I have been dipping into this pot every now and again for the odd teaspoon full , its so good , give it a try . It reminds me of when my mother used to make her home made chocolate icing , Oh the memories !

Over 350 this morning in CM, it looks like pea soup.

Thats 3 x the safe limit

In Chiang Rai city last night it was quite cold as was this morning , this is due to the sun being blocked out by the haze.

The city today , it was easy to see the smog , its coming in slowly and it wont be too long before it gets really bad.

The mountains were not visible at all as of 1 hour ago . No Idea what the level of pollution is but its not near the 350 mark of

Chiang Mai yet .

Presumably you are refering to the level of 120? That being the case, 120 is not exactly a safe level, it's a level which some governments have set, beyond which some form of action will be taken, e.g. issue warnings, restrict working hours (potentially) and so on, it doesn't imply that a level of 120 is absolutely safe.

I dont think any level of pollution can be classed as safe, it depends I suppose on what the pollutants are. The Thai governments level of 120 is set at that level as far as I know to say its safe, not absolutly safe but far safer than anything above that level .

Low level Smog is very visible in town this morning and the stench of smoke is getting worse . The other noticable change to the weather is its COLD , cold last night and very cold this morning . I dont know what the temperature is but it feels alot less than 20c and for this time of year that is quite cold considering the normal daytime temperature for now can be 30-32c ,so a 10-12 degree drop is alot .

Pad Sieu?

Thats the Thai equivilent of eating wide rubber bands in a sauce .

My first job offer has just come in , "Doris Does Dorset" , must be an animal farm remake