KevinHunt

I'll be there, and since it's Friday, my drinking buddy Ikkyu will probably tag along.

I still can't believe that I'm not in it. The time and money I've spent in that place...

 No-one has asked the obvious question, so I can only assume that I'm out of touch. What does 'Under the Brit' mean? Not some sort of sexual innuendo is it?. If it's a meeting place for young girls looking to get beneath British men then I'm lookking for my ear-plugs and going out.  

There is a guy in the Night Bazaar making wooden signs. He is on Loi Kroh Rd at the McDonalds/Burger King intersectiion, on the side of Burger King.

Some people are way too serious.

As far as I see it, the guy was just asking where he can buy it. He wasn't asking for any other advice. Let's assume he is intelligent and informed, and take it from there. (Un)fortunately, I am too young and fit to be of any help.

I checked out TRL and (IMHO)... overall much better than last visit

GUINESS:

had two pints of Guniness - first one was perfect - filled to the top 10/10 for that one... ordered a second that was froth down to the 'golden harp' on the glass (guy more focussed on the football on TV) but, I asked for a little more to the top, and they did it (with a slightly sarcastic - he is a keeniow farang - smile) so 8/10 for that one.

The new barman is a bit shy and has a strange nervous smile so maybe you mis-interpreted it. He is a very easy-going, respectful guy so I would be very surprised if he was sarcastic - my previous barman was eventually sacked for that attitude.

Food very tasty and fast 10/10 for that.

ATMOSPHERE:

ok(ish) very touristy but the inside very much like a typical English Pub apart from a staff member in a green shirt who was a little noisy for me... and was not over impressed when all the staff gathered round a lady (seemed she was the boss?) to go through a bag of stuff for sale or something (not very English what, what) but TIT 7/10

I think I know what the excitement was about. Apparently there was a caterpillar on the hanging basket outside and my wife, who has a phobia about them, asked the staff to remove it, but instead he brought it inside. According to my wife it was green, two feet long and had big bug eyes - she may have been exaggerating but that's how she saw it. She is petrified by a 2mm caterpillar so I think she was having hysterics over this beast. TIT!!

DECOR:

Will gloss over the Liverpool football connections everywhere (hehe) inside very typical English bar 10/10 outside typical Thai street 'catch the customer' affair - can't blame them for that so not counting it. 10/10

Although I am a Red, there are also scarves of Everton (just to keep them from moaning), Bayern Munchen, and Raufoss, as well as penants for Notts County and Alloa! If anyone wants to donate a scarf or penant I'll gladly find a spot for it. We are also the Official Home of the International Burnley Supporter Club (Chiang Mai Branch). He should be in tomorrow.

Is it allowed to sit outside on the terrace of TRL with a dog while eating dinner?

So long as it is you eating the dinner and not the dog, yes.

Thanks for the reply! But is there anywhere a bit cheaper in CM, this one is asking a 50 000 Baht joining fee...

You don't need to be a member. Squash is about 80baht an hour.

Gymkhana Club

http://www.chiengmaigymkhana.com/

The place on the corner, to the right of three kings monument.

I thought a publican was a harlot, tax collector, or American politician.

I had draft Guiness in Ireland. The bartender poured, waited for the froth to go down, and filled it full; then served it.

Yes. That is the right way to serve Guinness. They often stack the glasses up om the bar and keep topping up till ready,

Which pubs in CM do that?

The Olde Bell - a couple of hundred metres down from the moat on Loy Kroh road.

Good pint and on Mondays very cheap

I think it is 150B on Monday at Olde Bell? Cheap as chips.Every day 4-6pm (Happy Hours) Draught Guinness and Tetley's Smooth Bitter is 160B a pint at The Red Lion.

Kevin, is that foam/froth measuring finger flat or upright?

That would depend on who's ordering it.

But... can I just ask? (this is not vexatious just interested to know) why not use measured glasses? with a line on them?

They're not available. The Guinness glasses are supplied by the distributor and Guinness looks better in a Guinness glass.

In a similar vein, I've noticed a lot of Thai places doing cheap jugs of Draught beer and serving it with 1/3 foam - that's why it's so cheap. If it was a full litre, the cheaper beers would cost 70 baht so in order to sell it for say 89baht they give a short measure. The  jugs are one litre to the neck, with the top part leavining plenty of room for foam. 

I used to own a German restaurant, and if you served a beer without foam the customers would complain. The same is true of Dutch and Belgians. Generally, we serve a beer with about a finger thickness of foam, but if they are German or dutch we serve it with a little bit more foam to suit their taste. If anyone wants it without foam we can do that too.

I thought a publican was a harlot, tax collector, or American politician.

I had draft Guiness in Ireland. The bartender poured, waited for the froth to go down, and filled it full; then served it.

Yes. That is the right way to serve Guinness. They often stack the glasses up om the bar and keep topping up till ready,

Which pubs in CM do that?

We serve Guinness like this - with a small creamy head. If you don't want foam tell the staff.

Dear KO, UG and I could arrange a little duet for you. Minnie the Moocher comes to mind. Spike_Jones___Minnie_The_Moocher.mp3

We still have our leotards from a previous engagement.

 Can you do the original Cab Calloway version? I'd be interested to see you in your leotard, but a Zoot suit would be more appropriate.

Minnie  or Louis Jordan ..

Myself, I'd choose one of Bernard Cribbins' classics - maybe 'Right said Fred'?

....and so we ..... had a cuppa tea..... Classic!!!

But then again, I could always do the Whistling Jack Smith classic - I was Kaiser Bill's Batman. That way you wouldn't have to hear me sing. And I can do The Shimmy!!!

 (it's so bad, it's good!!).

 I happened to have made two rare trips along Huey Kaew Rd in the last two days. On Friday evening I attended a wedding at Amari Rincome, and this afternoon I took the family to the Zoo (I was hoping that they might make me an offer to develop some new attractions but nothing materialised - so as they say, 'I counted them in and I counted them out again' ).

Both trips involved me passing the Lavendar hotel. What crossed my mind was 'why all the fuss?'. I had to point out to my wife that the old Sri Tokyo hotel had been re-developed but otherwise there was nothing else that stood out about the place. Sure, I was driving so I didn't see a great deal, but otherwise what would I have seen? It looked like a hotel to me. What goes on inside, I don't know, but from passing by it didn't appear any different to any other place. The only reason I mention this is that some posts suggested that it was a local scandal that this place was in such a high-profile location, and that maybe it was alright if it was hidden down some back-street somewhere. As I said, it didn't stand out any differently than any other new hotel might have done.  Did I miss something? 

"Mad Dog's is home to a large contingent of down-at-the-heels, Cheap Charlies.

Not a place where I'd take a visiting friend.

Not a place where I'd go myself; not again"

The OP's opening post was quite balance and factual until the comment about the Mad Dog which I believe is a long way off the mark.

I for one am not a "down at heel cheap charlie" nor are the majority of the Mad Dog's regular clientele.

Sure you get quite a number of the "down-at-the-heel" back packers there from time time but this I believe however this is more to do with it's location (close to 100 baht/night HG's) than any thing else

"Kevin, can we still park our Foretuners across the road? Will the Red Lion give a refund for the parking fee?

And the RL does give a credit on the parking but from my last visit it is only for one hour which is not really long enough for a night on the tiles

I don't like the idea of slating people in the same business as me, and I'm on good terms with most publicans in Chiang Mai, so I'd rather not see people comparing Red Lion to other bars or pubs. I have my business and customers, and they have theirs and hopefully we can all prosper. Nonetheless, I did find this cartoon a little bit funny. It appeared in a UK newspaper that I saw when I was home quite a few years ago, and I cut it out just because it was that little bit more relevant and humorous to me personally.   

I liked to think that the landlord in the cartoon was Eddie from the Escape, but only because I knew him quite well and I assumed he would see the funny side.

             

My vote still goes to the Red Lion Best Gay bar in town Well, Kevin's said before you should never under estimate the power of the Pink Pound!

Whilst it may be true that we don't under-estimate the power of the Pink Pound, we also don't under-estimate the power of any other coloured pound, dollar, Riyal, or Schekel. Our doors are open to everyone (except Riff Raff, of course), so referring to The Red Lion as being a Gay bar (best or not) could be a bit confusing. It is an English Pub & Restaurant, without any predjudices.I must admit to be being a little bit colour-predjudiced though -  I can't stand green.

On topic I would agree that it isn't so easy if going on a nice date to find a place which is 'suitable' but I def don't go searching for the 'English experience' (TRL etc.) - if you want that stay at home.

CMF

Chiang Mai

You clearly missed my point - I was saying IF you cannot find that extraordinarily wonderful experience of a 'pretend' English pub in Thailand then stay at home - I was not suggesting that we should all limit ourselves to Thai places ...

I thought you were saying that you definitely don't go searching for places like The Red Lion, and if anybody else wants that, they should  stay at home. If that isn't what you meant, please  accept my apologies for reading it that way. 

To be honest, I'm not really sure what you're saying in this post either, but it doesn't really matter, it's a bit late and I'm a bit tired. Good night.

Another bar bits the dust. Bad location, no costumers,no tourists, to many happy hours????

I thought that the Rasta bar on SriPoom Rd did okay. They set up a new one, not so long ago, near Guitarman and that really does seem to be struggling.

Still ditting? I assume you meant she is still knitting - good to see that she is making the most of her free time, being productive. Well done, that lady.

Edited within 10 seconds, nothing better to do than ponce on syntax?

Oh dear me, done it again, sorry that should read pounce...

More of a humorous retort than a critical assessment.

With regard to your latest typo, I think you were right the first time.

Urban Dictionary - "Ponce : an individual who attempts to fake having intelligence, class, or culture". That just about sums me up. 

Yes. it is being shown on True at 3.00 am. If you intend to stay up and watch it, the best place is Kheuy Chiang Mai restaurant, next to Rasta Art Bar. They will probably have it on, or put it on if they hadn't planned to do so. The only problem is that at that time of the night there may not be too many fellow Ireland fans to cheer along with you.

Anyone watching ? Big game !!!!! - Also new in town so could you explain where is Rasta Art Bar is?

It is on the North side of the moat (Sri Poom Rd). 50 metres from the corner of Moon Muang/Sri Poom Rd.

Map here 

Rast Art Bar

According to their Facebook site, Rasta Art bar is closing down soon?

Well somebody is coming here, as all flights on every airline servicing Chiangmai are fully booked this evening.

I have a friend in Bangkok that decided about 3pm today that she needed to come to Chiangmai for the weekend. Everything was fully booked.

  She is still ditting at the airport on standby 

Still ditting? I assume you meant she is still knitting - good to see that she is making the most of her free time, being productive. Well done, that lady.

Hate to tell you guys something it is not high season. The only people that have ever pushed that idea are TAT and hotels. They like to start high season October 1 by increasing prices but due to world economics it was late this year. Hight season as of the past 5 or so years does not start officially tell December 1. Last year their was no sign of an uplift tell December 23.

In my experience it picks up about mid-November (just after Loy Krathong) and then there is a lull at the beginning of December, before it gets into full-swing again just after mid-December. As you rightly said, price-wise the high season begins 1st October.

Thanks to your recommendations last year, Ulysses, Hubby and I enjoyed Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at the Bake N Bite off Nimm. Really good and the price was excellent. Thanksgiving is a big day in my family since we can trace our American roots back to the Mayflower. The Bake N Bite meal rivaled anything I've had in my family feasts.

Our household stuff arrived in January and I'm going to attempt a Thanksgiving dinner at home this year, but there's no way I'm going to be able to cook a turkey. I think I've heard that you can buy a pre-cooked turkey from Bake N Bite for the big day and I'm going to find out if they'll deliver it, too. Has anyone used their "turkey thii baan" service?

Their take-away turkeys are exceptionally good.

Now that I got a traffic ticket in front of Red Lion, en route to Guitar Man, I know the location. Having de-virginized my palate with my first fish and chips at West, I might try another. Of course, we should patronize ThaiVisa sponsors.

So if I approach by going south down Chan Klan (being American, I know my compass directions), where do I park my bike without getting another traffic ticket?

I can only assume that you were given a ticket for going straight across the ChangKlan Rd at the McDonald's intersection. That is an offence and has been for quite a number of years. Unfortunately, it is a compusory right turn at the corner of the Surawongse Hotel. To avoid the inconvenience of a ticket, either make sure there are no traffic police around before making that manouvoure , or turn left before the Meridien Hotel and drive through the D2 entrance to join up with Chang klan Rd.

As regards to parking your bike - In the day time I have a space for 2 or 3 bikes in front, or you can park further down the road at the Chinese community centre opposite Lemongrass restaurant (no charge in the daytime). 

In the evenings, if you speak with the guy in front of my place he will show you where you can park your bike (next to the Benelux restaurant). As regards to Blinky Bill in his Fortuner, at the moment the only option is to park in the car park above Mc Donalds (entrance next to Dukes) or try for a space along the road or in the soi next to Downtown Inn . However, I am told that from next month the place opposite Lemongrass will serve as a car park in the evenings, once more (they closed for the last 6 months to re-furbish) and if that is the case I will organise some sort of a deal for my customers. On the whole, the Night Bazaar has very little provision for parking.