msg362

Does anybody knwo a good address where I can get my helmet painted? Obviously without affecting the quality and safety of the helmet.

Pleased to hear.

Thanks

Frank

Have you thought of covering it with coloured latex rubber? can be bought in most pharmacies

Hi

Can some one point me in the right direction to obtain times and dates of events during this years festival I tried TAT website with no luck plenty of information about other towns but nothing about Chiang Mai,perhaps I am looking in the wrong place,A brief timetable of events would be a great help in planning our stay.

My Wife and I will be arriving on 29 Oct. For a 2 week stay,so should have time to attend most of the festivities(our main reason for comming this time is for the festival).

Many thanks.

There is a great event at Mae Jo, on Saturday 31st (I'm fairly sure but like everything here, difficult to get accurate information). It's north of CM ( ?15KM?). More than 5000 Khun fai ( hot air balloons ) are released, it's spectacular and very busy, get there early, about 6.00 pm . Parking is a nightmare. Starts around 7.30/ 8.00 pm ceremonies, balloons, lots of fun

Her's a new twist and one that is almost impossible to avoid.

My Nephew came from the UK to BKK so I gave him the standard advice: 'don't use taxi touts, go to the official desk for a taxi, make sure he uses the meter'.

Well he did and the ride from Swampy to the east side of town to a hotel on Sukamvit cost 700 Baht plus toll fares. The second time a few days later the fare was 400 Baht to Banglampoo, on the west, much further. The second fare was right, the first very wrong. My best guess is that the driver had rigged his meter to run at twice the rate.

Anyone else had similar problems?

10.20 pm Sunday 13th. International still not working. After pressing the poor girl on the 1100 TOT call centre she finally said that there is a problem with the fibre optic cable and that it is being worked on . Do you believe that or is it they just won't pay up for more bandwidth?

I had a problem with Leopard, used time machine to make a current back up. put in the Snow Leopard disc and Hey Presto, less then 1 hour later all problems cured, no data/applications lost and running faster without problems! Don't worry about doing it yourself, let time machine do it for you, this is a Mac not a PC!

Good luck, but I'm sure you won't need it

7.15 am Sunday: Same problem for several days. TOT say they have a problem with their international connection. I have a VERY nominal 4 Mb/s line Using Speedtest .net I get a download speed of 0.39 and upload 0.07 ,ping 449. No BKK server seen, it routes through Penang in Malaysia . If I use ADSL Thailand speedtest I get normal speeds: 3.5Mb/s down, .45 up.

This is the third time in about 2 weeks this has happened.

In live in Sankamphaeng 20Km outside Chiang Mai and have a 4Mb/s line with TOT which in the past has worked reasonably well with only an occasional phone call about every 2 weeks. This last ? week/ everything has ground to a halt. Inside Thailand I got 1.6 Mb/s at about 6.00 pm tonight but when I try to connect to the US for Apple or to the UK for BBC it just grinds to a halt. Last night I was getting 3Kb/s!!!

I use two VPNs to download BBC programmes: a 500 Mb programme would download in several hours, now it is taking 24-48 hours. In addition the link keeps breaking saying 'the PPP server has disconnected'

I have a mate who understands these things and has the same problem ,but he can connect via a US of A connection and avoid this issue. He also advises to have two ISP connections.

I am green in these matters, has anyone else had this problem? can we do anything except keep phoning?

This evening the 1100 respondent on the TOT helpline said that TOT have a problem with their international connection. Does this have anything to do with the Royal Thai Police/ interception?

Any help /advice warmly appreciated, I am getting really pxxxed off

My fifth extension app is coming up shortly. Couple of questions about current policy:

Is Suan Plu currently requiring a new bank letter AND a new affadavit of income from your embassy?

I also hear they are taking photos themselves. Do I need one also?

Thanks to all.

Now I'm confused! As of last May in Chiang Mai, I did what I have done now for 4 years, that is provide a bank letter stating I had at least 800,000 Baht in the bank for the last three months. The bank account is frozen for a day I think when the bank letter is written. I have never been asked for a letter of income. I believe that is only needed if you are doing a combination of income and savings. Please correct me if I am wrong. Yes you need your photo

I'm looking to buy a second-hand bike...either a Honda Click or a Yamaha Mio. Where's a good place to go in Chiang Mai? On weekends there is a parking lot full of second-hand bikes for sale in a market off the Superhighway (on the East side of the city). I don't know what this place is called but it's pretty big. Is this a good place to buy something or should I be going to a dealership? If so, where? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

There is a market just behind Rimping on the Mae Jo road/ 2nd ring road intersection ( North side) Every Saturday from about 9.30. You need to go into the market area behind the Rimping car park

Sold my bike there a few months ago. Mostly Thais but lots of farangs. Caveat Emptor! Let the buyer beware! Bargains if you can be sure of what you re buying

Hi Forum

A mate of mine who is around my age (late 40's) decided to have a full medical check-up in Bkk a few months back. Total cost was about 16,000 Baht. Nothing untoward or suspicious was found, and so he was given a clean bill of health and sent on his merry way.

I recently went for a medical check-up in Chiang Mai. I also needed a clean bill of health certificate so that I could apply for a new 5 year driving licence. The doctor asked me if I was feeling ok, to which I replied, 'Fine thanks doc' He then charged me about 70 Baht and gave me the required paperwork……..

Personally, I like to follow the rule of if something is not broken then don't try to fix it. I think when it comes to health issues there's always a possibility of finding stuff that's not really there if you allow your mind to wander after reading too much literature on a subject. This is how hypochondria sets in! That said, there are certain recommendations for both men and women to get tested for various common ills and conditions after they reach a certain age group.

The reason for this post is because I might be going on some prescription medication in the near future, and it's important that blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and heart condition are all in fine fettle before commencing. This is not a requirement of the doctor, but on the information sheet that comes with the meds.

Personally, I feel as strong as an Ox, I'm not overweight, and I exercise regularly, so my gut feeling is that there is no need to get checked out for any of the above on the assumption that all is well with the ole body.

But there's then again, it would probably just be a quick, simple, and painless experience to get checked for the above? It would also give a little peace of mind before starting on medication. So I guess my question in a long-winded sort of way is can I get a medical check-up in CM that is somewhere between the Bangkok Buddy's full work-over and the laughable medical certificate given by the doc by answering a simple question. Anyone had any quick check-ups here which include BP, cholesterol readings, and a few other general checks? Until recently i haven't been to visit a doctor for about 12 years, so i'm not really up to speed with how the system works

Thanks in advance

Aitch

Lanna Hospital also does checkups. You can have blood tests/ BP etc and they cost far less than your friends ( I suspect RAM Hospital which is very expensive). There is a 'menu' here you can chose different levels of test. Not as smart as Ram ,but very competent, I've been going there for a long time. Had an ultrasonic scan to check on the lower half.

hi there,

does anyone know where I could buy Potatoes that would be good for English Chippy type chips please?

The ones I have tried seem to have too much sugar and go brown before they are cooked. I am looking for the ones that cook all the way through and stay soft not crispy, just like the ones back in England.

thank you

Here in Chiang Mai I find the big potatoes are great, I've bought them from supermarkets and from local markets. I cut them into large British sized chips, then par boil them ( about 4-5 min) drain, cool and then cook in hot oil. Great. I think the parboiling will reduce the sugar content. Also ,since they are part cooked, you can use really hot oil.

Good luck

Dear all,

can anyone residing in Chiang Mai suggest what the best place around Chiang Mai is to buy handicraft? I have been travelling to Chiang Mai thrice already, so I know the Night Market and during my visit last year I was not impressed by what was on offer. It was better the years before. I went to Baan Tawai and similarly found that it was very "touristy" and not as good as when I visited first. Would Borsang/Samkhaeng be better? I would be in interested in wood carved items (e.g. flowers made of light wood, place mats made of textile/bamboo, candles etc.).

Thanks in advance,

shakun

Samkamphaeng has a 'walking street' from about 4.00pm on Saturdays provided it isn't raining. Locally made handicrafts. Rather like the Sunday walking street in CM but smaller. You might get 10% discount, but the people selling are the ones who made the things, so it's not like the night Bazaar.

We have a one year old Mazda 3 2 litre and had 1st class insurance free for the first year with Viriya. wotrh about 23,000. With one year's no claims bonus, Viriya wanted 26,000 as they said the car was 'old'!! TIT!!!

Got a price of 18,000 form LMG but the terms aren't as good.

My original question has been 'lost' in amongst other posts and other responses, so here it is again under a topic of its' own.

We simply want to sell our house and land, and move to somewhere bigger because our daughter is growing up.

I have a usufruct from Mother-in-Law, as the property was originally bought in her name. After satisfactory registration of the usufruct, the freehold title was transferred to my wife.

Our lawyer is presently away on holiday, so can someone just inform me how to withdraw / cancel my usufruct once we find a buyer.

Thank you.

Sorry I do not know the answer, but can I interpose some questions? I have seen usufructs mentioned several times on TV. A usufruct is not recognized in most of the U.S. (Louisiana, with its civil law, being one of the few places it is recognized). Can somebody tell me how a usufruct differs from a lease? Is there a time limit on one? Do you pay for it? What is the Thai word for it? Can a foreigner hold a usufruct on real property in Thailand? A usufruct would typically allow somebody to enjoy the fruits of farming covered land, but I know a foreigner cannot do that, so exactly what is this thing in Thailand?

I had one on a house, when I came to sell it I simply signed a paper ( in Thai!!) at the land station and it was gone. Not a problem

Where can I buy a nice HD video camera in Chaing Mai and get help from staff who mostly knows what they are talking about and not just picking their zits and hoping that I go away?

Will need things like a lapel mic and tripod as well, and want to make sure I get a good complete package (ie.. the right adapter for making the mic work with the camera...etc...)

You can't!!!!! I ended up buying a Canon HF100 AVCHD SD card camcorder ( Really great, 1920/1080 definition) in the UK for half the price they quoted here ( 50,000 Baht!) ( in a catalogue in Photobug but no example!! could only order from BKK). ( I was there in May) . Bought microphone there too. Ordered a tele lens adaptor from B&H in New York. They re probably your best bet. Prices are good, delivery fast ( but will cost $40-100). Another good photstore is Adorama, you'll find both on Google.

I have a ticket to the CM aquarium, which I know is located within the CM zoo. My question is, do I have to pay the zoo entrance fee just to be able to get to the aquarium?

And if I have to pay, if I show my work permit papers or something showing that I'm not just a tourists, can I pay the Thai fee and not the farang/tourist fee?

Yes to both. Pay to get in and pay again for the aquarium. Both I showed my CM driving licence ( Well my Thai wife did!) and both times got in at the Thai rate. It's worth it, the aquarium is expensive but good.

hi,

do i need a cert of residence to buy and register a motorbike in CM (I have non-imm o 12 months), and is CM Immigration issuing these certs at the moment? If so, will a copy of my rental agreement at condo suffice as proof, or what documentation do I need. Thanks for any advice.

I was at the Motorbike registration about a month ago, selling a bike. They told the buyer, who only had a rental agreement that he must get a residence certificate, either from his embassy or maybe from immigration. I'm not sure if immigration do these letters any more, I think not. anyway, about a month later I see my bike for sale again! The bike was fine, maybe he couldn't get it registered!

Are those real KPH with sat nav or on the bike ?

That's from the guages on the bike. However, when ran against the GPS on my Ninja, it was ~2 KPH optimistic at 80KPH. So if the bike was reading 134 KPH, it would have been an actual 130.

Ok then that might be the speed increase i want. My boss does around 107 max on the GPS. Sometimes i like to go faster then that when im on one of the bigger roads and there is not much traffic. Its great for passing cars and so on.

Do look carefully at the Tiger 250. I almost bought one but was worried about the finish. Thehose for the back brake rubbed on the frame and no doubt one day would fail. Various other bits of welding were badly finished and the clutch was fierce. Would be an excellent bike if I could be sure of the reliablity and finish.

None of these are nonsense.

For example,

1. Rain water falling on your head will make you sick. (Apparently water from the sky is different from water from a tap that you might wash your head with).

Especially in cities, you'll see many people wearin bags on their heads. Before the rain comes, there's a strong wind which fills the air with all kids of bacteria and dirt. The top of the head is an area which is very suseptible to these bacteria.

'Top of the head is very susceptible to bacteria!!??" What nonsense. The strong wind does blow dust but where's the evidence that is full of bacteria that will somehow magically infect your head? There are essentially three ways bugs get into you: ingestion ( and maybe on the conjunctiva) inhalation and then by punctures to the skin. Simplified, but essentially these are the ways.

I've been having intermittent problems over the last few days getting a connection to Google or any other website. This morning it was working fine then suddenly stopped again. Then it worked briefly. I could connect to speedtest.net and was gtting a good speed with them ( 3.5Mb/s) After going through a whole series of irrelevant tests with the girl on '1100' I got a phone call from someone. He says they have a problem with their DNS which will take several days to fix. I'm writing this using a VPN and realise that if you live in CM and have a similar problem you might not be able to read my post!

Hi

My GF is here on a UKVV.

2 people have come down with swine flu where I work and I've started thinking about what happens if I get it and pass it on to her.

She has no medical insurance and she is unable to access public funds with her visa type but not sure if that means access to visiting doctors or getting prescriptions too. What happened if she had an accident and needed surgery? !

Any advise greatly appreciated as I haven't got a clue woth this one!Thanks

Tariq...

You pay! Don't worry to much about the 'flu, most people have a mild version and I guess you can afford paracetamol. Pharmacies here are pretty good and can dispense many drugs, don't know about Tamiflu '

though. They are not very good at mending broken bones!

Another thing he told me.

I can volunteer at my position until my work permit arrives.

True?

I don't think so, almost anything is classed as 'work' I think they tend not to worry if it's charity work but technically they could

Total Solar Eclipse tomorrow, Wedneday July 22nd - sometimes between 10:00am - 2:00pm. The longest total eclipse in more than 100 years - most of you will not get to see one this complete and this long again in this life time again. Don't look directly at the sun, even with sun glasses - You'll turn into a wolf

TIME IS WRONG TRY BETWEEN 07.00 AND09.00 PARTIAL ECLIPSE UNLESS YOU GO TO CHINA

I know both a 'mini choppers' but they are both comfortable to ride and great for me at 184 cm. I had a Phantom for over 5 years, travelling regularly to Mae Hong Son/ Pai in the early years. Reliable and just about enough power. I decided to change it recently but did not like the 'fireblade edition', heard stories about poorer quality etc., so I bought a Kawa Boss. I live in Sankamphaeng and regularly use it to travel to 20 Km into and around CM. A list of my experiences over the first 1500 km. I'd like to hear others views/ opinions.

1 The Boss is cheaper: 79500 including front and rear crash bars from the big Kawa dealer on the south side of the moat in CM. The Phantom was 90,000 without bars. A saving of aroung 15,000.

2 The boss engine was tight for the first 1000Km, important to run it in gently. But there is a 3 year warranty on the engine and gearbox. ( I had trouble in the last 2 years on the Phantom getting into neutral from 2nd, had to change down to 1st before neutral). Now at 1500 km it's running like a sewing machine ( yes I know, it's not much bigger than a sewing machine engine!! Ha Ha). Gear change fine.

3 I prefer the 5 speed box on the Boss to the 6 on the Phantom, 1st seems higher than the Phantom which means moving off requires slower/fewer changes.

4 Boss has a rear drum brake, took a bit of getting used to, but now I like it for gentle braking. Not sure what will happen if I really have to stop!

5 Getting 35-36 Km/litre, over 300 Km between fills on the main tank. ( Cruising at 80-90 kph)

6 The riding position on the Boss is more 'armchair like' than the Phantom

7 I like the trip speedo handlebar mounted, don't like the direction indicator mounted on the tank, difficult to see, easy to forget.

8 Boss is quieter than my ( old) Phantom

9 Seems to have about the same power ( if that's the right word!). Don't know the bhp for the Boss, I can't find a reference anywhere, if someone knows, please tell me. The Phantom has 17BHP I think.

10 The quality/ finish of the boss is fine, far better than the Tiger I looked at, which had a host of defects.

11 Maybe the resale value is not as good as the Phantom, but I'm going to keep this for a number of years so I'm not fussed. ( Until a 250 chopper comes out)

I've fitted side bags and a top box and it's just great for commuting, a little shopping and getting around Chiang Mai. No it's not fast, but it does what it claims to do very well.

Any thoughts?

OK, this may be a silly question - but do the Desktop PC's in Tescos come with XP/Vista already installed?

Anyone bought one recently? The HP packages looks to be great value...

Why don't you try asking in Tesco? seems the obvious solution!

We bought a laptop some years ago, they would install a pirate copy of XP but I bought an official version and got them to install it. don't know the position with Vista