angelal

KLIA has the Concorde Airport Hotel.

It is not near the LCC but you have a bus that will take you over to the main terminal where you can take the free hotel shuttle, or if you have a little coin take a taxi directly there, will save you about 45 minutes.

Concorde also has a hotel in KL so when booking be sure you have the airport hotel. Also, it's nothing to write home about, kinda a dingy place, but for one night, what the hel_l, right?

Thanks. I saw that one online, but it's $75/night, and I was really hoping to find something for under $50. Any other ideas?

Hello!

I am flying from Bali to Chiang Mai, Thailand, and have a stop-over in Kuala Lumpur. I will arrive in KL at 11:15pm and fly out the next morning at 8:50am. I have time for nothing but sleeping, so can you recommend a cheap-yet-comfortable hotel in or near the airport? (I am flying Air Asia, so I assume I'll be flying in and out of the low cost carrier terminal.) The lower the cost of the hotel room, the better. I've Googled for hours, to no avail. Thanks for your help.

The Government price is still 15 baht, but I think that they are all charging more. I have been just handing them 20 baht for medium length journeys with no problem.

Thanks. Are there any easy rules for what constitutes a medium-length journey? I'm assuming that from my condo to, say, Central Airport Plaza is a long journey. How about here to Kad Suan Kaew? Medium? Here to the Night Bazaar, or Carrefour? I'm still trying to figure out the transportation here!

Wouldn't a 20 or 30 minute walk or jog to the gym be a good warm up?

Yep, that's why I asked for recommendations within 1 to 2 miles.

Why doesn't he bicycle to the gym of his choice. He'll get a short cardio warmup before he starts his weight exercises. If he doesn't have one, you can buy a dirt cheap bike if it is used on a limited basis.

Thanks for the reply. Neither of us has a bike. The traffic here is scary, and I'm pretty sure I'd get killed on my first outing on a bike. Besides, we're only here for three more months, most likely, (for a total of 6 months in Chiang Mai), so we didn't figure the monetary investment in a bike would pay for itself before we left.

Songtaews are still charging 15 baht per trip around town, certainly not 40+ baht.

Uh...how? Any time we go anywhere, the minimum charge is B60 (30 per person). I recently quit asking the price beforehand in the songtaews, and now I just hand them money at the destination, but if I ever try to give them less than 30 per person, they squawk and tell me I need to pay them more. Maybe they can sense that I'm relatively new here (arrived in late March), and therefore assume they can rip me off without me knowing?

Yes. The municipal gym at the stadium has a good set of free weights and only costs 20 baht per visit. I think there is also an option to buy an annual membership for something in the hundreds of baht, then pay only 10 baht per visit. Not sure of the specifics. You can search all those other threads for more specifics on this gym or just have a visit--costs so little it would be worth it.

According to Google Earth, the gym is around 1.6km from the bridge--a mile.

Thanks for the suggestion. However, my husband visited that gym several times back in March and April, and he said it was in very poor condition. The equipment was pretty sparse, they didn't have any dumbbells over 50 pounds, the metal plates were rusty, and the cables on the machines were frayed. Do you know if it's been refurbished since then? If so, we'll certainly check it out again, but if not, we'd like to find somewhere a little less health-hazard-y.

I slogged through the 4,783 previous posts about gyms in Chiang Mai, but still haven't found an answer to my question. I reside near the intersection of Chareonrat road and the Rama IX (?) bridge. I am looking for a gym (with lots of free weights) in this corner of the city. What makes this complicated is that I have no transportation, so I have to rely on tuk-tuks and song-taews. Anywhere I go that is not within 20-minutes' walking distance requires me to pay B40+ each way for transportation. That expense reduces the amount I am then able to pay for a gym.

So, do you know of any gyms within 1-2 miles of my location, with decent free weight equipment, that don't charge an arm and a leg?

Thanks.

Angela

Maybe it means the deer will cut your wood and build your fire for you, but you have to cook them yourself.

I like this interpretation!

1) reminder to be cautious about inadvertently starting a forest fire through carelessness

Yup, I reckon that's it. There are similar signs around camp sites and car parks in the New Forest (UK) although they usually have wording to that effect as well.

Ah, well, that's one mystery solved then! Thanks.

Ok, so I was on a day-trip up to Chiang Rai today - from Chiang Mai - and the tour van I was riding in passed a road sign that truly baffled me. I saw the same sign several more times, but unfortunately I wasn't able to get a picture.

Basically, the background was brown, and there was a picture (roadsign-style sketch picture) of - from left to right - a fallen tree, flames, and two deer running away. I have pondered the possible meanings of this sign, and the best I can come up with is that this sign depicts arsonist deer, which scamper through the forest leaving swaths of smoldering destruction in their wake.

As much as that idea appeals to my weird side, I somehow doubt that's what the sign is actually supposed to be communicating. Can anyone enlighten me as to the true meaning? (Also, if anyone has a photo of this sign, I'd love to have a copy!)

Thanks!

Angela

You may want to look into A.U.A. Language Center on 73 Rajadamnern Road, half a block down from Tha Phae Gate (basically the first part of the Sunday Walking Street). I've never taken a class there at night (only in the afternoon), but when I drive by at night there are always students coming out of the buildings. So worth a try. Some of their classes fill up fast, but they'll always opening up another one if there is a demand for one. Their website is currently down, but you could try calling this number 053278407 (number I have from a couple of years ago).

I looked at their website (is this the right one?), and it says that group courses are offered from 10am - 12 or 1 - 3pm, and individual classes are offered 8am - 4:30pm. However, I will contact them directly to see if there are other options.

Thanks for your help!

At the YMCA, the current brochure advertises courses in Elmentary Thai, levels 1 to 6, from 4 pm to 6 pm. Each course is MWF for six weeks, with the next course starting June 6. Phone is 053-22-1819, email is cmymcaschool (at) ymcachiangmai.org.

Thank you for the suggestion!

I looked at the description on their website, and the Elementary Thai class has a prerequisite that students already be able to "read and write using Thai script and understand the rules of the Thai alphabet." That's not me, unfortunately. The course that would be best for me is their Standard Thai course, and it's only offered from 10am - 12pm.

Wow, 142 views and no replies! Does this mean I'm not going to find what I'm looking for?

I posted this on the Chiang Mai local forum, but have received no responses, so I thought I could try posting it here.

I spent the better part of this morning researching information on Thai language schools, on this forum and others, and I cannot find an answer to my question. I live and work in Chiang Mai, and I want to study Thai. I teach full-time at a university here in town, and before coming here I was told by them that I would be able to study Thai at the university free-of-charge. However, once I got here they told me that they only offer their course as a full-time, all-day intensive class. I work full-time during the day for them, teaching English. Unfortunately, I haven't yet mastered the art of being in two places at once, so I am still without a Thai class. All of the other schools I've found only offer classes during the day. I cannot take classes during the day because I work full-time. I'm only available in the evenings.

Do you know of any reputable evening beginning-Thai courses in Chiang Mai? I don't want a private tutor at this point; I'd much prefer a class with a communicative approach. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Coming from the U.S, I imagine the OP's $1500 savings will be mostly - if not entirely - eaten up just in the plane ticket. Mine cost $1700 back in March. So, don't count on your savings.

I've spent the better part of this morning researching information on Thai language schools, on this forum and others, and I cannot find an answer to my question. I live and work in Chiang Mai, and I want to study Thai. I teach full-time at a university here in town, and before coming here I was told by them that I would be able to study Thai at the university free-of-charge. However, once I got here they told me that they only offer their course as a full-time, all-day intensive class. I work full-time during the day for them, teaching English. Unfortunately, I haven't yet mastered the art of being in two places at once, so I am still without a Thai class. All of the other schools I've found only offer classes during the day. I cannot take classes during the day because I work full-time. I'm only available in the evenings.

Do you know of any reputable evening beginning-Thai courses here in Chiang Mai? I don't want a private tutor at this point; I'd much prefer a class with a communicative approach. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Are they as cheap as the 85 baht deals at Amazing Sandwich?

Subway has a 69B sandwich-of-the-day promotion. It's a different sub each day of the week. Chips and drink cost extra.

Thanks for your help. It was a great dinner!

Hi Angela,

Not 100% sure, but if you pop in between 6.30 and 7 pm tht should be fine. You can also drop a pm to miltonbentley (see posts #1 and 3) or give him a ring. See telephone number on his website.

Enjoy your evening!

Nienke

The Tuskers web site mentions a welcome dinner scheduled for tomorrow (April 29th). Is this the same thing? There is no mention of time on their website; does anyone know what tim it will begin?

Thanks,

Angela

Thank you so much for your help!

Thanks for the clarification, and I'm sorry if it was all old, outdated info. I'm new to this preoccupation with searching for information on Thai visas, so everything I find is new to me!

Thanks for your reply.

The type of visa I will have is purely speculation at this point, at least on my end. I know my employer's lawyers are working on figuring out what I'll need. As for whether my employer is providing a work visa, I'll check into that.

Here's more on the situation: I teach at a university here in the States. We have been asked by one of the Thai universities to open an international branch of our department at their university in Thailand. Due to this, my university and the Thai university have been working closely together to get everything up and running by March. (I've been left in the dark about most of the details, of course.) Since the Thai university in question is either run by the Thai government or closely affiliated with it (from what I understand), I would hope that all the legal requirements have been stipulated and are being met.

My contract with MY university states that I will stay in Thailand through December, with the option of then renewing and continuing teaching at the Thai location.

So, lopburi3, you said: "Unless you have a one year extension of stay from immigration inside Thailand, no spouse visa/extension is available." Does that mean my husband will not be able to get any kind of visa? Will he be allowed in the country with me? Will he have to get the 30-day (?) tourist visa? Basically, will he be able to stay with me the whole time I'm there? If not, how long can he stay?

I just found this on another site [ asiatradingonline.com]. Is it accurate?

"If you are on a tourist visa living or staying in Thailand the days of visa runs are over. Maximum stay of 90 days for foreigners then you must leave for 90 days. Visa-on-arrival (VOA) regulations HAVE BEEN tightened for nationals of 41 countries to prevent abuse of the privilege and curb the rising number of illegal entries, according to the Immigration Police Bureau (IPB). Foreign nationals from those countries, including the US, China and India, can stay longer but with fewer chances of renewing the VOA."

My husband and I are both U.S. citizens in our 30s. I am being sent to Thailand for work from March through December. I will still be fully an employee of my U.S. employer; I will just be working on-location in Thailand. As far as I know, I will be on some type of working visa (Non-Immigrant B?).

My husband is coming with me, but he will not be working. Is there such a thing as a dependent visa? I have read a little about the "O" visa, but most of what I read suggests that it is for the spouses of Thai nationals. Does it apply to non-Thai marriages? If he gets a dependent visa, will he be able to stay with me the entire time, or will he have to leave the country every 90 days for 90 days to get a new visa?

It seems that the more I read on this subject, the more confused I get, but I'm hopeful that the users of this forum might be able to help me sort this all out!

Thanks.

Angela