amexpat

I had a shepherd-labrador mix that barked when anyone came to the door - unless they were black. (I'm not).

Racist bitch, but a great dog.

As for dogs who can tell good people from bad, maybe so. Often they just sense the owner's feelings. It's kind of troublesome when you are trying to be nice with someone you don't like and the dog is acting distrustful.

Maybe personal trainers are better in LOS than in the US. The LA Times conducted a survey a few years back and concluded that most of them actually know less than the man in the street about anatomy, health, and related subjects.

Many trainers offer lots of gimmicks. One that I recently saw in action was coaching a young lass by having her hop on one foot with a dumbell in each hand. And, she was hopping up the stairs! Why settle for a hyper-extended knee when you can fall and get a concussion and fractures in the same session.

There must be a few diamonds in the rough, though.

What is the purpose of this forum?

Maybe no one has any first hand knowledge about short term apartment/condo rental. That's unfortunate.

Posting links is helpful to a degree. I have followed url's to agencies and learned much more than I needed about purchasing luxury properties in Bangkok and Phuket.

Others link to a hotel or guesthouse. Would you believe that none, not one, of those sites say they have problems with noise, services, billing disputes, mildew, cleanliness, anything. Paradises all.

Questions? www.google.com has all the answers.

Hello all,

Can anyone share personal recommendations about a monthly hotel or furnished apartment/condo?

I've reviewed a bunch of web sites but I don't believe everything I see and some are lacking info.

The idea is to park there for a month and look for the ideal spot for longer term. Balcony is a big plus. Fairly central location as my prefered transportation is walking.

Galare looks like a good location and price - East side 6,000 baht / month but I've never visited it and they have not responded to my email yet. I'll arrive first of November.

I would even consider 12K / month or so if it had internet, fitness, very nice place. Or lower-end if good value.

I hope this isn't redundant. I've spent many hours researching here and other sites before I decided to just pop the question.

Thanks much.

Generalised sweeping insults of whole nations are not acceptable on Thaivisa. If you can't be civil, be quiet.

Sorry i do appologise, but it is a fact that - unfortunatley - the majority of americans have great difficulity reading and understanding basic text. There are obviously many very well educated americans, but unfortunatley they are the minority. I dont mean to insult americans - infact i have total empathy for the many who cant express there opinions through having been sh*t on by there masters.

"Apologise" has one p. If you are American, it has a z.

"Don't" has an apostrophe.

"infact" is not a word.

"their" not "there" is the possesive pronoun to use with "their opinions".

"through having been" is just weird.

You're welcome,

Minority American.

I bought some size 12 "North Face" walking shoes at

Active Nation

41 Changklan Rd

Maybe counterfiet. I usually wear 11.

The Pink Panther series with Peter Sellers

The Big Lebowski

I was so taken with the picture of the Piaggio MP3 three wheeler that I checked it out on the net and then went to a US dealer and had a look. Yeah, I'm wimpy bike-wise but I love it.

Any clue on if / how long new models like this take to find their way to Thailand? There are some cool video reviews out there.

So, sew socks and sow seed.

If I want to talk to men I don't know, I'd move home and hang around the gay bars.

Got some issues there, t-homo? (sorry, couldn't help it) Do you only know women and family members, then?

I am a bit of a lone wolf myself, but I enjoy enriching my life by meeting other people. One may become part of my small circle of friends.

I just hope for a positive encounter and I can deal with a disappointing one. Most are positive or neutral in CM. Pattaya is another story.

#

River of Time: A Memoir of Vietnam - by Joh Swain

It's more about Cambodia that VN and really made me wish I could have seen pre-war Cambodia. There's lots of nostalgia and new information especially for the VN vets.

Review:

From Library Journal

British journalist Swain will be familiar to many as one of the Western newsmen who worked so tirelessly to save their Cambodian colleague Dith Pran from the Khmer Rouge in the early days of the Communist victory in Cambodia. Presently a reporter for the Sunday Times, Swain spent five years in Cambodia and South Vietnam as a war correspondent. Those years were a time of American retreat, Khmer Rouge and North Vietnamese victory, and seemingly unendurable suffering for the civilians of both countries caught in between the several armies. Written as a journalist's memoir, this is not a well-researched, definitive historical account of the Communist victory but an emotional, impressionistic view of the tragic experiences of people like Dith Pran who find themselves forced to deal with events far beyond their ability to control them. Already published in England, Swain's sympathetic portrayal of the collapse of Cambodia and South Vietnam is suitable for comprehensive Vietnam War collections.

I find most falangs to be aloof at first. Maybe it is a cultural difference I am still learning about but I find that most of the UK people and many Europeans I meet are quite happy to talk, often at great length, as long as I initiate the conversation. Usually some eye contact and a nod signals it's OK.

This has forced me to change a bit because I am usually rather distant myself. I still turn away when someone approaches quickly and asks "Do you speak English?" - that sets off my scam alert.

Thanks, both. That coincides with my impressions from the brief trip to Payap. There's not much out there.

I have stayed on Loi Kroh in the past and wandered the city on foot from the SE to the NW corners of the moat but I still don't know where to start looking for longer term places, yet. Overwhelmed with choice, maybe. The 12K I mentioned was max for pool, fitness, all that stuff. I can also do small and basic if I get charmed by the location or something (say, above a modeling agency ).

OK, I'll rev up my courage, get a helmet, and try the bike. I've already bought med insurance and updated my will. At least it isn't like Bangkok or Pattaya.

Hello board,

Nice thing you have going here.

I am moving to Chiang Mai and plan to take Payap's intensive Thai for a few months. I've only visited CM twice. That was enough to convince me but not to orient me.

So, I'd appreciate any thoughts on how to do it.

*

Live near the school? OK, where? Hillside 7 or 8 might work. 12K/mo is ok if good value and not isolated

*

Live in town and comute? How? The taxis charged 100 bt each way from city when I visited. I don't plan to try a bike for a while because I'm a newbie rider and have apparently spent my whole life driving on the wrong side of the road.

Many thanks for any advice.