msg362

Nice to see they slipped the old "Thailand only South east Asia country to never be colonised" line in there.

Did they learn anything from it? Not being colonised I mean, it certainly did not expose them to new ideas did it?

It could be argued that Thailand has been colonized by the Chinese.

Er? what did the Japanese do?

the You Tube link

I got board after the first 3 words.

Was that'bed and board'? or were you bored?

( Jingting)Yes, San Francisco has been a gay mecca and probably has the highest percentage of gay people as any big city on the planet, but still just 30 percent. In the entire population, probably about 2 - 3 percent. I seriously doubt the expat population of CM is anywhere even close to 30 percent. I agree gay people are no better and no worse than anyone else. However, I don't appreciate the trash talk about the gays taking over and how bad it is, especially when quite obviously the gays are not taking over.

What has this got to do with Americans in Chiang Mai? is it not off topic? Who cares which way you put it in?

Is it a coincidence that the British NHS and the India railroads are the worlds two largest employers!

But only one of of these does anything...and it isn't the one in Britain.

This is not even remotely funny. My daughter in law was cured 10 years ago of a very serious and potentially rapidly fatal cancer by the NHS, using state of the art medicine. Many other people I"m sure can testify to simliar compassionate treatment

Could it be that many are missionaries?

Is it not time to call a halt?

I sat out this evening, watching the sunset over the lake. Maybe 100 egrets flew over, going to roost. Sipping a glass of cold white wine in temperatures I could only experience one day a year in Scotland, my wife came home, we ate Massaman curry that I had made and I was at peace with the world. Change it for the UK ? No way. For all the gripes about not inflation proofing my pension, being here, with all it's carbuncles, is a thousand times better than living in my country of birth. But moaning a little is good for the soul, a bit like meditation.

My wife is sort of brown, but my arms are browner than hers. What does that make me?

A farmer

My wife is sort of brown, but my arms are browner than hers. What does that make me?

As the OP who raised the issue of poor communication between Pension offices in the UK and jokingly tried to compare them with Thailand, I feel responsible for some of the stuff that followed. ( I draw the line about comments on sex with women!) My comments about no inflation proofing on the pension are not a winge, just a Brit's anger at the lack of fair play ( Remember we Brits invented fair play!)

Now, for those of you that don't grasp the British sense of humour, try to work out which bits of this are feeble attempts at humour ( sorry humor for our american friends) and send me answers on a postcard.

Some interesting ideas but based on fauly logic. As a man in the UK, if you ever have sex with a woman you in effect own nothing and can save nothing. If she becomes pregnant she can take your home, your savings and most of any pension you ever make from you. No way around it apart from to never have sex with a woman or get a vasectomy at a young age.

I like this. It's amazing how an OP on failure to pay a pension can get to sex with women, fascinating!

OOPS what have I started?

Just for the record, my UK pensions are taxed in the UK, I don't use any UK services- health/ social security etc so I don't understand why I am not entitled to the state pension and the increases that I paid in for for so many years. The only point I was trying to make was that,with all the fancy computer systems there, the offices can't speak to each other. Here, I think they have carrier pigeons/ drums/ lots of people with cleft sticks that seem to work and seem to be more reliable. ( another feeble attempt at a joke before I get flamed!!)

I'm 65 in April,last September I notified UK pensions of my address in Thailand,later they sent me the forms to make a claim,sent them back to them and have now had my monthly payment amount to be started paying in May,no probs.They also sent me a letter saying that a company that I worked for in the 60's-70's are trying to get in touch with me to pay me a pension.I can't fault the UK pension system at all.

It would be intresting to know to whom you wrote . My problem seems to have arisen by writing to the pensions office that was dealing with me while resident in the UK, Somehow it could not talk to the 'International Pensions' lot in Newcastle, that was the only point I was trying to make. Nothing about rates etc except a feeble joke around inflation proofing.

Not much else to do in CM unless you're into bar/temple hopping. Maybe you have some ideas, please share them with us.

So true and even the bar scene is nothing to write home about and as for the temples, seen one, seen them all.

One poster even mentioned that Immigration is a good place to strike up conversations with people. That`s really sad.

My advice to the OP, that if he moves to Chiang Mai and expects to become a part of the farang social scene, then he`ll be soooorrry. Don`t believe me at his peril.

Chiang Mai farang: i expect you have all seen him walking around the supermarket or when out and about.

If you are actually living in CHiang Mai there are at least two options: 1, Learn to meditate and relax: 2, Find a better place.

I worry for you being so unhappy! ( There are probably more options, but I'll let others fill in the details?)

I'm trying to raise the issue of communication, the UK Pensions system is not fine if it can't pass information from one office to another.

If they freeze my pension why can't they also freeze the exchange rate as they claim it's a 'benefit in kind' ( This question is a joke!!)

Last November, trying to be an honest citizen ( subject?), I wrote to the local pensions office indicating that I was now living in Thailand. No word from them, except in ? January a letter to my old UK address asking if the move is permanent. I of course did not get/ have not got that letter yet ( although I hope to if I've made enough merit and the Thai post office doesn't lose it) Then , this pension date -17th Febuary- the pension stops!!!!!

Frantic Skype phone calls to Newcastle International Pensions- the explanation?

The local office can't put my new details on the computer, they had not told the 'international dept' so they simply stopped paying me. Not sure if they thought I was dead or what!! I've sorted it out by phone, but being simple minded I thought that a letter to the UK, which they clearly had received would suffice. ( How much has the Government there spent on 'joined up Government'/ computer systems??)

For all the problems here, the Thais in ,for example the Immigration Dept, do seem to sort them out.

( Last rant! why is my pension not inflation proofed? I paid in for 40 years, all my other pensions are inflation proofed. I thought I had a contract, but no. it's a so called 'benefit in kind'. Why does it matter where I live, maybe instead they would just protect me against the falling pound by paying me at 70 Baht to the pound?? any chance?)

It's just like Monty Python here!

Please don't tell everyone how nice it is up here, Lots of Bangkokians are buying up everything! Keep it quiet!!!! ( PS this is a joke!!)

Overpopulated, foul polluted air, prone to devistating floods,.

The main entertainment street exposed as "dirty, seedy, and squalid" on a recent thread.

Are you planning to come here to improve things or are you going to lower yourself to our level?

What's it going to be then, eh?

Make up your mind before you come.

Devastating floods? This wasn't the central region, a bit of flooding for a few days around Chang Klang road! Overpopulated? by who's standard, someone from Bangkok?

Loi Khro road ( he one someone thought was 'dirty seedy and squalid')is about 1 km long, hardly representative of the whole city! It's not obligatory to go there at night and it does have at least two good restaurants and several good pubs.

But yes you are right around this time the burning makes the air polluted- I can't see the mountains at the moment.

Sounds like you've lost your sense-of-humour.

You're not posting from one of those "4X8" places Gringo mentioned are you?

Maybe you should put up the word' Joke' first then even if it's not funny we will understand!

Overpopulated, foul polluted air, prone to devistating floods,.

The main entertainment street exposed as "dirty, seedy, and squalid" on a recent thread.

Are you planning to come here to improve things or are you going to lower yourself to our level?

What's it going to be then, eh?

Make up your mind before you come.

Devastating floods? This wasn't the central region, a bit of flooding for a few days around Chang Klang road! Overpopulated? by who's standard, someone from Bangkok?

Loi Khro road ( he one someone thought was 'dirty seedy and squalid')is about 1 km long, hardly representative of the whole city! It's not obligatory to go there at night and it does have at least two good restaurants and several good pubs.

But yes you are right around this time the burning makes the air polluted- I can't see the mountains at the moment.

Can't you email/ phone them and point out the relevant phrase in their own document? Can you provide a verified translation of your marriage certificate too? assuming a Thai certificate). When my wife and I went to France ( we live inThailand) I can't recall being asked for a copy of the house book, but a copy of the marriage certificate was needed if I remember correctly. ( But this was Chiang Mai and the consul there is really helpful, he does however have to follow the rules set by Bangkok)

You won’t find any ex-pats in Chiang Mai that would be willing to befriend you.

The only times when farangs have made the first move and approached me is if they are either a business owner trying to drum up custom, like a restaurant owner for example, or someone wanting money.

There are no clubs or organisations where ex-pats meet except for one or two commercial type places, such as the ex-pats club for example, where you will meet lots of ancient farangs who want to sell you things.

If you spot one out in public, the odds are that he/she will blank you or give an acknowledging grunt.

There are those who may tell you, go here or go there to meet other ex-pats, but you will find these places clicky and difficult to get to know people.

If you are considering moving to Chiang Mai, then you may well find yourself very much isolated, as there are no ex-pat areas here.

This is rubbish really!!

The Chiang Mai Ex pats club meets once a month and is a great place to meet others. They also have a coffee morning once a month. I've found that many ex pats are interesting and helpful. And there are lots of expat areas. I suggest you rent an apartment /condo for a while until you find your fet and have clearer idea about where you might want to settle permanently Of course you'll get the miserable s*ds but CM is a great place to settle. Small enough to get around but big enough to have most things you'll need ( ?? marmite???). If you want to ask anything more and get sensible answers, PM me

Cheers and the best of luck

PS I am married to a Thai lady

Good idea but I can't seem to get it to work, it won't go off the home page, Help??

After having H-Pylori and getting an ulcer, my doc told me to avoid all carbonated drinks as the CO2 converts to acid in the stomach. Very bad he said. Avoid ice also as it causes the bile system and pancreas to not work correctly as a small temperature reduction there causes big system changes. So.... There probably is some truth in carbonated beverages not being good for you.

Er?? doesn't your stomach have hydrochloric acid in it? much stronger than carbonic acid ( CO2 dissolved in water essentially)

I assume you mean soft drinks. Anything sweetened by Aspartame is dangerous (See FDA history on the subject). Ordinary sugar is 50% fructose which when extracted from fruit affects enzymes in the stomach which prevent your brain from telling the body to stop eating. Ergo, you get fat. If you are truly interested in the damage which can be caused by soft drinks look on Google for David Gillespie and his books Sweet Poison and The Sweet Poison Quit Plan. Incidentally as beer is sweetened by maltose and conains no fructose it is fine to drink..in moderation of course.

If aspartame is dangerous why aren't there lots of poisoned/dead people? why is it licensed? Please stop using words like 'dangerous' Ordinary sugar is Sucrose!!!!!

From Wilkipaedia

The safety of aspartame has been the subject of several political and medical controversies, congressional hearings and internet hoaxes^[3][4][5] since its initial approval for use in food products by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1974. A 2007 medical review on the subject concluded that "the weight of existing scientific evidence indicates that aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption as a non-nutritive sweetener".^[6] However, because its breakdown products include phenylalanine, aspartame must be avoided by people with the genetic condition phenylketonuria (PKU).

(BTW phenyalanine is another normal amino acid)

Phenylalanine is found naturally in the breast milk of mammals. It is used in the manufacture of food and drink products and sold as a nutritional supplement for its reputed analgesic and antidepressant effects. It is a direct precursor to the neuromodulatorphenylethylamine, a commonly used dietary supplement.