msg362

Err.. get used to it?

Why should I?

Careful now - you will be told to leave Thailand soon due to your insolence of asking why logical thinking is a bad character trait here.

More likely to be a power trip thing from the guy with the actual key. If someone else has a key, he loses face in front of the boys so he clings onto that responsibility for dear life. I would hazard a guess that people have been shot here for meddling with someone elses key.

I have already, this quote from Semper

Because you are not living in your home country. As said above, get used to these things or relocate.

Amazing, you can live somehwere, like lots of things, but if you have a issue with something you are told to go home!

It's actually quite a tempting offer.........but I'm not wearing a kilt. No way, nada, no chance. nope.

But think what you might do with your dirk!

CLOSE THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!! BAN THE BURGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haven't they done that in France after the Yanks banned French Fries and called them 'Freedom Fries" ( how naaf!)?

Yep, I don't follow. Seriously

It's a very clever troll by Guesthouse......he had to create a preamble so that he could get to this line at the end......

The one hope is of course expats who are not actually expats, they seem to understand everything.

I gave him a like for his better than average attempt at trolling

Guesthouse, and everyone else that thinks that it's an achievement being an ex-pat in Thailand........listen to this bit of sage advice from theblether.

There is no achievement in being an ex-pat in a country that is a £500 flight away from the UK, there is no achievement in being an ex-pat in a country that actively works to ensure you know you are a perpetual guest, no achievement to be an ex-pat in a country where the laws were changed to make it even more difficult for good and well intentioned people to create and maintain a family life, no achievement in being an ex-pat in a country where your property rights are abysmal and by dint you cannot truly own your own family home in your own name, no achievement in doing business in a country where you have to adopt a company structure with imposed Thai nominees, no achievement in selecting a country for retirement where you have ensured you pension has been frozen as the local government will not enter into treaty agreements.

Quite frankly a lot of people would look at the terms and conditions of living as a long term ex-pat in Thailand and decide that it's an act of madness to pick that country of all countries for long term ex-pat living and retirement. You would be better off in Malaysia, at least you would have some rights there.

If you want to see the people that have got it right, stand at the airport and watch the guys flying in from the oil rigs, watch the guys that fly in for long term winter holidays and more, watch the guys that are still making a fortune in the UK and US that can afford to drop £20 grand a year on vacations and not blink, watch the multiple thousands of people that regard Thailand as a good Asia base and nothing more.

In short, watch the guys that have not allowed themselves to become entrapped in a moveable web.

Take Thailand on your terms.....as soon as you start bending to accommodate the Byzantine local conditions you may as well stay bent over as at some point just about every ex-pat gets shafted to some degree. I know of several people who are looking for the exit doors due to all of the above so don't be having a go at the people that knew it already Guesthouse......there's a good boy.

..................A highly rated and successful businessman in Thailand recently said to me, and he was right, that people are jealous of guys that can fly in and out of the country at a whim, guys like Ianforbes had it right, snow-birding into Thailand when Thailand was at it's best, and returning to their home countries or elsewhere when the weather turned for the worse. People are jealous as they couldn't even remotely afford the air fare to visit home, never mind vacation back home. This gentleman mentioned that if had his time again that's the life pattern he would go for. If any of you guys are feeling trapped in Thailand,......it's of your own doing, you'll never see theblether fall in that trap......maybe that's because I was living in an ex-pat community when I was just out of nappies??? I've seen it all before.

There's a point to that.........many of the people who make a genuine success of ex-pat life came to it young, as teenagers and their twenties. Some people have lived all of their lives as ex-pats and made successful and delightful lives for themselves. Those young people backpacking around the place are putting down good foundations for the future.....and yet in many cases they are reviled by the old codgers that didn't have the bottle to have a go at the same age. Oh well, there's nowt queerer than folk.

Agree with much of what you say, but it's really possible to get married, retire here and lead a far better life than Blighty. I look back most days and am still very happy to be here, red tape and all. Wonderful wife, good climate, low cost of living but above all, regardless of some inane rules, still better than the way the UK is headed.

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I believe Hep A is no big concern.....like getting a bug which goes away.... but Hep B and C certainly are a concern.

Hep B can be transmitted by sex. It can be dealt with by most people who become antibody positive but stay OK and of course are immune to future infection.

However a modest but significant number of people....including my wife......get it chronically and it may surface after many years to cause anything up to liver cancer, necessitating 6 monthly ultrasounds etc.

If you are free but antibody negative a series of shots over 6months can immunise you, as I have been.

As for Hep C a lot of injecting drug users get it, and I believe it's the worst of the lot.

Hep B can be transmitted in a number of ways: blood to blood and so on, not just sex so please don't label it as such. Drug use is a common reason as was untested blood transfusions a while age

As above. If specifically Hepatitis A then the cause is viral, but there are other causes of hepatitis as well. Sounds like your friend has inflammation of the liver and they are in the process of determining the cause.

Agree, can you clarify, my ancient microbiology says Hep A does not have a vaccine but Hep B does

OOPs I think my memory is going! it's Hep C no vaccine and a probable cause of liver cancer. Can someone correct me?

The PCX and others mentioned are really not scooters in that they don't have that large flat space like the classic Vespa or the not so classic Fino. That's what I'm looking for the wife as she carries a lot of stuff and carrying a case of beer or large bag of ice is better for balance if carried low. What I would like is an oversized Fino with a little more power and larger tires.

funny, no one mentioned the JDR....or is it not worth mentionig?? seems I've seen a larger JDR scooter on the road

Had one a long time ago, then unreliable and S/H price fell sharply, avoid it ( unless someone can say they have improved recently)

I think these are curries made by a guy in Chiang Mai and can be bought in Rimping, maybe elsewhere. I think they are called 'curry nights' But there are similar ones made by Sausage King. I prefer 'Curry nights' myself as it seems does the Old Belle.

A lot of stuff is bought in the big fresh veg market in CM ( Muang Mai), but in Sankamphaeng, a lot of it is local and fresh, but please don't think it's organic! far from it. Wash it well.

John,an Australian, at Cave Lodge, has lived there for more than 25 years, great place to stay: caving, kayaking, trekking Look up www.cavelodge.com Get a mini bus from CM to Soppong ( about 45 km past Pai- don't go via MHS). From Soppong you need a motorbike taxi for the 8 km to the lodge.

I've just had my iMac formatted ( by the Mac shop- my OS stopped) and have had to reinstall everything. Do you have a back up? time machine/copy clone/ If so the job is a lot easier, but it has still taken me about a week to recover.

If you still have serious problems PM me and I'll try to help. No wizz kid, know somethings and reasonably competent

you usually get what you pay for.

An old quote something like 'Pay peanuts, get monkeys'????????

Err.. get used to it?

Why should I?

Because you are not living in your home country. As said above, get used to these things or relocate.

No, because some times lives can depend on it. Such stupidity should be pointed out

I will probably get some stick for this but here goes.

In general a lot of people out here don't want to take responsibility for anything that doesn't affect them directly. In the case of the keyholder he/she most likely didn't want to take the responsibility and it was pushed onto them. The result is that they think on the lines of, if I am not home then it's their fault for giving me the key, or I am not in charge of the system, only the key, so why should I get upset if the system breaks down.

You are probably thinking on the same lines as me, I am going on holiday so I should let people know and give the key to someone while I am away.

I think it was on TV where someone posted that they were watching a large fire somewhere in BKK and the fireman were not exactly busting a gut to to get things going, when he asked his girlfriend why they were going so slow the answer was, they're not trying to save their own houses .

End of my rant

Yes, the

I will probably get some stick for this but here goes.

In general a lot of people out here don't want to take responsibility for anything that doesn't affect them directly. In the case of the keyholder he/she most likely didn't want to take the responsibility and it was pushed onto them. The result is that they think on the lines of, if I am not home then it's their fault for giving me the key, or I am not in charge of the system, only the key, so why should I get upset if the system breaks down.

You are probably thinking on the same lines as me, I am going on holiday so I should let people know and give the key to someone while I am away.

I think it was on TV where someone posted that they were watching a large fire somewhere in BKK and the fireman were not exactly busting a gut to to get things going, when he asked his girlfriend why they were going so slow the answer was, they're not trying to save their own houses .

End of my rant

Yes, in both my cases the answer is to leave a key with security and have a responsible person ( are there any in Thailand?) to take charge locally.. I've just heard that after 1 hour in darkness for 70 students and staff, the 'key man' turned up, flipped a switch and the lights are on again!! Took him 30 seconds!! TIT!!!!!!!!!!!

Take the points about no storage on a PCX ( although there is some room under the seat). I put a top box on.My Thai wife finds it OK to ride so I think it will depend on the Thai lady. But 45ish Km/litre is great, good bright lights and a good 'presence' on the road ( it look a lot bigger than it is with the two headlights)

Err.. get used to it?

Why should I?

Is everyone in Thailand incredibly stupid when it comes to emergencies? I hope not.

Here on my Moo Baan, the water pumps stopped a month or so ago. Security could not start them because the (only) man with the key had gone on holiday to Pitsanulok for a few days!!! ( A lot of Farang style assertion got the pumps working, but no Thai would have done it)

Then tonight, my wife is a lecturer at CMU, and here is a student party with dances, music etc. The power fails but 'the man with the key' lives over 1 hour away so they all sit there in the dark! The party is spoiled.

What is wrong with them? why can't there be an emergency procedure and a key kept locally? ( Excuse me, it was my job for a while)

I can't work it out, is it the 'mai pen rai' stuff? the 'don't trust anyone else' ? 'it's not my job'?

Why on earth do such uncessary things have to happen? Is it a work share programme?

Sorry for the rant. It's so simple to get it right and so much of a problem if it goes wrong

I've had a PCX a year now, drive a very bumpy road into CM regularly. If you buy one, change the back shock to gas ones, a much better ( and safer) ride. The PCX also has 'combi' brakes- when you apply the left brake it also brakes the front too. The big tyres and wheels do very well. Only problem may be the cost. I'm told the 150 ( I have a 125) has better power.

I think the videographer needs lessons. Gave up after 7 minutes of wobbly footage. Does anything really happen?

milking cows are very hard to find in Thailand and we are only selling here because we need the room.

Does this house cow have her own bedroom?

This is the latest information I have about the map location of the Mae Hong Son immigration office.

https://maps.google....3a84b5e9fdc3ac4

Seems to be in a forest.

msg362, is that location still correct?

It's about right!!! It's actually on the main road (1095) just at the edge of town heading towards Pai. Can't miss it, no need to leave the main road ( unless they have moved it into the forest to deter Farangs!!)

Still have problems using a VPN, it simply doesn't work, but strangely, downloading BBC programmes using 'Get iPlayer automator' ( Mac only) Google DNS and Thai IP address, I've been getting the fastest speeds ever! I can download 3 GB in 1 hour ( TOT only where I live)

As far as I recall, the immigration is at the north end of town on the way to Soppong/Pai. If you are in the centre of town you can walk there in 5-10 minutes. Walk back to the bus station in 5 minutes

What's all this about waiting for 8 hours?, go there ,try it!

Don't bother with GPS ,a map is all you need Doi Suthep is visible from all of CM. The old town is 1.5 km square with an old wall, best seen by walking. not much rain ( I still have to water the garden sometimes) and it tends to be short, sharp and in the afternoon, but no promises Umbrellas are VERY cheap here. just come, relax and enjoy yourselves.