JohnLocke

I recommend Photo Bug on Chang Phuak. The main manager (at least 2 years ago) speaks English fairly well. I've bought a lot of gear from them and trust them. They don't hard sell, and the service (at least from the main manager) was good. There's also a legit photo shop at Panthip Plaza called BIG Camera that isn't bad either. The other shops at Panthip often are selling gray market goods, so buyer beware.

Hey fellow non-retirees (all 9 of you left in Chiang Mai)... ;-)

I just wanted to report today's experience going to the Immigration Police Office and notifying them of our current apartment residence.

My wife and I have been living here for a few years on the ED Visa, but due to recent explosive events in Krung Thep, the ensuing crack-down on all things farang-related has included a new requirement of reporting where you are staying. Our school was somewhat confused as to exactly what this requirement necessitated, but they did say right off the bat that someone from our apartment (khon Thai) would need to go themselves and fill out the paperwork. We thought this was a bit much to ask of the staff at our place - kind of like asking for them to do some work for free - so we asked our school if we couldn't just go by ourselves. That was our initial plan, but in the end, someone from our apartment wanted to go so they could understand the new requirements for future farang long-stay residents.

So, we went - it's the building behind the photocopy shack behind the usual Immigration room. The biggest sign in English on the front door (to make you sweat just a bit) says "Investigation." We expected it to be very easy and routine, but the officer / cop / detective working there seemed to be full of suspicion, hesitancy, and asked a lot of probing questions of our apartments staff lady. He seemed a little eager to find a problem, e.g., "Oh! They failed to make their 90-day report. Oh, another month for that, eh?" Our apartment staff friend also got a bit nervous, and there were a few rounds of back and forth and form-filling and photocopying before we sensed that we were in the clear.

We had our signed lease with us, our passports, and forms already filled out (I believe they were "Notification of Change of Residence," but I don't know if those are the correct forms, sorry). We had to fill in on a table-like form (which the officer gave us): name; passport number; date of entry; type of visa; expiration of visa; and the last column "relationship" - which means our relationship to the residence - in which we put "tenant."

Last thing to report is that a farang behind us showed up alone, and they insisted that he call his residence and have someone from there come on the spot, otherwise the residence (?) would have to pay 600 Baht. Perhaps because Immigration themselves would pay a visit to the residence to do the report. We also learned that if a residence has 10+ farang living there long-term and they don't report it, that they could face jail time.

Hope this is helpful information for a new-ish rule for the ED-visa holders.

When they were below Mercure, their days of operation were Weds-Sun. I think Mon, and Tues. they were doing mobile blood lab work.

Cheers...

This may also be unhelpful advice, so sorry in advance...

There used to be a dedicated blood lab right in front of TOPS Chotana below the Mercure Hotel on Chang Phuak. They listed specifically T3/4, FT3/4, & TSH as options on their leaflet.

The problem is, they've gone (as of a week ago!) - but probably just moved, as the rent in that compound tends to be high (Fitness Thailand and Rimping both got forced out by high rents years ago). The phone number I have is 089-7009318. Chiangmai Clinical Laboratory.

If you do find them and get what you want, can you post it? (edit: "post it" meaning - that the lab worked for you, not your results, obviously. I was hoping to get a detailed blood test done myself as a health checkup, but delayed too long).

Again, sorry if this is sort of half-assed advice. Good luck.

Just had a superb rain last night, for a little less than an hour... funny that I thought we'd get to enjoy some clean air today. Methinks that someone thought burning damp leaf cuttings might be a fun change of pace. I see a lot of haze, smell that smokey smell, but I understand that anyone asked would insist it's not smoke / haze. Fog! It's fog! Sigh...

The road to Fitness Thailand, going east to west.

Smelling strong, almost unbearable, smoke for the past few nights. So much for Songkran being the finish line for the months of burning preceding Songkran. I guess it's just too much of a kick to stop now... Might as well burn 6 out of the 12 months, for simplicity's sake.

(reporting from the North Gate / Chang Phuak area of the city)

See it too - like a volcano. Can see flames on the roof. Seeing it from Chang Phuak (from a high floor).

This is just a friendly recommendation for a travel agency in PP that my wife and I used back in January 2015. We saw their name mentioned elsewhere on ThaiVisa so we went to them when we were doing a visa run in Cambodia.

We were in a slightly tricky situation, as we have been in Thailand for 3 years back-to-back on the ED-visa (going to a Thai language school), and just needed tourist visas to stay for 2 months more before doing a lot of travel (also for 2 months) outside of Thailand. The biggest problem was that my wife's passport had too many prior tourist visas already, and we knew that would raise eyebrows at the Thai Embassy.

So, at OneWorld Travel (OWT), they really went all out for us - making extra phone calls, trying to reassure us when they could (we all were a bit nervous as to the outcome), and just in general being really nice about everything. A tiny example being not charging us anything for some extra photocopies.

Visa-wise, one thing that helped was that we already had plane tickets leaving Thailand (in early March). That was what got us through in the end.

So, much thanks to Ms. Chantha at OWT for all her help and kindness when we needed it!

One World Travel & Tours

#19Eo, St. 110 Phsar Chas, Sangkat, Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh

(855) 23-224-117 / 23-998-709

email: <removed>

Thanks Tonray!

Best cafe in town, after 8 years (!) is still Joma Cafe, imho. Refills on their large hot coffee, and discounts on afternoon breadstuffs if you bought some before noon.

http://www.joma.biz/#!vientiane/c1ziy

Safe travels,

JL

Flying in on Air Asia
Arrived at Wattay Airport via Air Asia from KL. I needed to pay US$35 (the rate for Americans), fill out a visa-on-arrival form and submit one passport photo. The queue for VOA was to the right, and was a bit faster than the other immigration queues. It took about 10 mins. A taxi from the airport (using the taxi desk inside) was a flat rate - $7 or $10? I can't recall, but it wasn't too egregious and there was no hassle.

Guesthouse
Stayed at Bayern Guesthouse - highly rated on TripAdvisor. We called them directly (+85621255046) and booked an AC room for $20 a night for six nights in advance, with just a verbal agreement. Thus, we skipped Agoda or other online booking fees.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293950-d7082905-Reviews-Bayern_Guesthouse-Vientiane_Vientiane_Province.html

Because we had already talked with them three times on the phone, they were expecting us and already very friendly. They let us check out a few rooms (facing the street or the back) first and pick the one we liked. They also said we could change rooms later when they became free, if we wanted to. They also let us check in at 10am, which was also nice of them. Speaking to them in Thai seemed to help matters as well, even though our Thai isn't exactly perfect.

We chose room 8 facing the street on the 4th floor. Very clean, spacious, with all the trimmings: lots of TP, clean white towels and sheets, free water every day, excellent AC and cable TV, a fridge, two side tables, a closet, and a large balcony. Only minor complaint was that it was a bit mosquito'y.

The family running this place has a toddler, so they are always downstairs taking care of her, and therefore always minding the hotel. When we thought we'd rent a moped, they said we should park it inside at night (on their clean floor), which was a very kind offer. We went with bicycles instead, as we couldn't leave a passport as a deposit with the bike rental place.


Visa run (ED visa)
We pedaled over to the Thai consular compound and arrived at 7:15am on Tuesday. We purposely waited a day, as Monday was the first day they were open after Songkran, and we figured Monday would be bad.

Please note that it is not the same location as the Embassy! The consular section is next to the Lao-Singapore Business College on Rue Bourichane, not off Ave. Lane Xang.

We were about 6th in line, but of course there are about three local facilitators holding a space open for their clients, so people will be allowed to cut in as you get closer to the 8:30am opening time. Altogether it wasn't that bad - only about 6-8 people were allowed in ahead of us. We got tickets 13 and 14. Not bad for being there only 1 1/4 hours before opening.

Things have definitely improved from prior visa runs to Vientiane. They keep you outside under a tent doing most of the paperwork before allowing you into the main hall with the immigration windows. It was pretty orderly, at least until the first group of visa runners (50 backpackers, in this case) showed up and things started to get noisy and hectic. Still, much improved over previous trips where it was utter bedlam inside the main immigration building with about 400 people waiting to get processed (3 years ago).

We made one mistake which added an extra 15 minutes for us, which was not gluing our passport photos to the application and fully filling out our forms before getting to the second window. We had to step out and do that, and then re-queue, causing the delay. The passport photos are small-ish also - 3.5cm x 4.5cm I believe. We had to trim ours down to fit them, and they still were too big.

Then, inside the main building, where it was just us two and one other guy - quiet as church, cool and nice. Forms passed in, 2,000 Baht paid each, and we were done in 30 seconds. Don't forget to keep some Baht for that, as they don't want Kip nor Dollars.

We were back outside and heading to a cafe by about 9:15am. Altogether far more easy than we anticipated.

Pickup the next day was effortless - we arrived about 2pm, after the initial queue must have been taken care of, and there wasn't a single non-staff person in sight. We immediately picked up our passports and then lingered in the main AC building for an extra ten mins. just to make the whole thing seem worthwhile. Done done done!

Nok Air (from Udon Thani to Chiang Mai)
We bought two tickets for about $160 a few days before our departure on Nok Air. Nok specifically directs you to a travel agency to await a nice van ride to the Friendship Bridge in town. They handle all the legs of the border crossing that they can, and they did an excellent job. The pickup place in Vientiane is only 3 short blocks from Bayern guesthouse. The part that was awful and cruddy was the bus crossing from either side of the bridge, handled by incompetent and scornful Lao immigration officials. Though in fact, nothing was handled, and no one was directing any of it. It was a just a bit like the evacuation of Saigon in '75. No orderly queue, just pandemonium and people crushing each other to get on the next overfull bus. Worst we've seen it in the past 8 years, and we've done it plenty of times. My only advice on that is try to pack very light so you can swash-buckle your way quickly onto the bus without the burden of luggage.

Otherwise, it was smooth sailing, and not too bad overall. Vientiane is pretty dull, and in April the weather was fiercely oppressive. They were still burning the week after Songkran, but it wasn't that bad.

i thought ive seen them more regularly since the coup, a cpl points on the moat and by the park at chang puak

I second this opinion... got my first ticket/bribe down from the Chang Phuak bus station, right next to Sanaam Gila (stadium) before the roundabout. In my many years here, it used to be that falaang always got waved on, if wearing helmets. Our serene officer-of-the-day spoke perfect English as he asked to see my Thai Drivers License, which I didn't yet have. Five large, and a knowing smile from the gentleman in brown, and we were on our way. Spent two weeks after that doing all kinds of crazy shortcuts to avoid that particular street, until I got the license finally. They are there during business hours, except for their lunch break.

Can see some smoke coming from the C.Phuak Gate area, though a minor amount. Anyone nearby there now at 21:15?

I'm on 3BB, paying for 10Mbs (~965 baht per month.) Just got back from five weeks away, and the past 10 days have mostly been terrible, but this morning (after that nice cleansing rain?) the net is back to its healthy state for the moment. Using wifi (as opposed to jacked straight into the modem with a cable) I'm getting close to 5Mbps for download from a server in the USA. Not holding my breath, it will likely sag again with greater online traffic.

John Locke (channeling the original philosopher, his avatar?) was a highly-motivated searcher with a passionate, intuitive ability to usually make the wrong choice. Fitting for us expats who've really LOST the plot.

My gal and I went again yesterday, the first time we went was at 18:20, ten mins. before they close*, and it's quite a distance from our normal stomping grounds. Never mind, it was absolutely worth the driving to get there. From the 40 degree blinding solar apocalypse of the parking lot, we were astonished to wind up in this lovely, air-conditioned (perfectly so) dining room. The place is tidy and cute, the furnishings lovely, and the menu is vast. Unlike some vegetarian restaurants, which are mostly trying to mimic normal meat / fat-laden foods, this place actually serves all the wonders of the plant kingdom and doesn't ruin their healthy loveliness with a lot of bad sauces, oils, or processed mock-meats. We had some brown rice pasta and two salads that were excellent. No shortcuts were taken on the food - they used grade-A ingredients, and were very generous with their variety. Another huge plus - they bring water (without being asked) in a small glass pitcher with ice. How many places in this city do that?

The chef is a little Thai tornado of pride and beaming motherly exuberance, which is only a good sign. She sat with us and explained all the neat and clever things she was doing to keep prices down and the food great (like making her own dressings from scratch). I've heard that an Indian saying is: only eat food cooked by a happy person. If that's the directive, this place delivers.

Will try and post some decent pictures next time we go.

*We have spent years scratching our heads as to why so many restaurants (not cafes nor breakfast-y places) open at 8:00 and close early. Who wants to eat chicken curry at 8am? Why bother? But, I suppose if you're following the rhythms of normal life here, it means sunrise-to-sunset for work activity.

Here is the website: http://bodhizencuisine.com

The wife and I went last night. The (presumed) owner, a slightly stocky Indian man, was in competition for "the most solicitous, courteous, and professional maître d' in Thailand" award. He is obviously trying very hard to make a go of this new place, and the first thing he asked was if we had a 20%-off coupon, then gave us said coupons, and finally told us to just bring them next time and gave us the discount regardless. Our food was tasty and the brown rice was ample. Nice upstairs porch, and the music loop evoked a gentle "fish spa." The decor is earnestly Asian. We need as many vegetarian restaurants in town as we can get, especially places that stay open at night. We will return, in large part due to the good service.

If you need a place to run or walk daily, and you don't want to ride your bike more than 5-15 mins. from the Old City area, I second the recommendation for Muang Chiang Mai Stadium off Chang Phuak Road (about 5 mins. walk from TOPS/Mercure Hotel). It's where us proletariat go to get fit! Really low-key, down-to-earth and (especially) youthful place. Get down with the people, be one... with the people.

Here's one side of it on Street View - just zoom out a scooch to see the stadium and grounds.

http://goo.gl/maps/uNFEl

Lakegeneve - "We have to go back!".

You're the first to notice, btw...

Simple1 - yes, you can book using the phone, but from the brief research I did it looks like the charge for booking a ticket by phone is close to $100 US per ticket.

So... after looking at some other airlines (Emirates, BA), it is still only Qantas that has this rule.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information!

My wife and I are trying to book a flight from BKK to Australia on Qantas.com. The first screen after you start your ticket search states clearly that you must present your credit card in person at an office in Bangkok within two business days of booking. We live in Chiang Mai, and this requirement is pretty inconvenient.

After talking to Qantas reps. in Thailand and Australia, the only way to get around this is to book tickets through a travel agent. The fact that we're not Thai passport holders doesn't matter - this is some special requirement between the Thai gov. and Qantas. I've never encountered this rule with any other airline, either American or Asian.

So, just wondering, has anyone had any experience with this? Is there some other trick that can be used? Thanks...

thanks for all the information posted on this thread. it has been a help. as a first time smoke season sufferer i have been sick constantly since the last week of march when the smoke was terrible and was just feeling better the week of songkran as the smoke cleared. i am getting nervous watching the haze return today. i have asked my thai friends how long the season lasts, but i always get a different answer. i was originally told it would be over as of songkran. any old hands venture to guess what the next few weeks might be like? i otherwise love this city, but i have to say i can't take another burning season here. i marvel at people who seem impervious to the onslaught of smoke, ash and what must be carcinogens haunting the air.

I can't really answer your question, but can sympathize with your worries. My wife and I experienced our first burn season in 2007. It was extremely bad for about two weeks. I recall waking in the morning feeling like I had a big weight on my chest and my lungs felt like sandbags. Visibility was less than one Old City block. Even strolling in Kad Suan Kaew one could see white haze from the end of one floor to another. But, in my vague recollection, it came and went within a few weeks.

2010 and 2011 were mercifully mild burn seasons. Last year the pattern seemed to markedly change. It started early in the year and just kept going and going and going. I don't think it really ended till mid-May, though I'm not certain. I couldn't believe how long the burning season had become. It really was horrible.

This year wasn't as bad as last, but the duration seems to match. I can only speculate that farmers and land owners are trying not to overlap their burning with their immediate neighbors. Perhaps a modicum of self-awareness that's just delaying and prolonging the overall burning, but reducing the day-to-day intensity. Just a possibility.

I just checked the weather forecast, and if it's to be believed, no rain is in store for us over the next ten days. :-(

I left my heart in San Francisco, but now it seems... I'll leave my lungs in Chiang Mai?!

O.K., my bad, but a lousy joke is better than nothing, no?

Whinging will accomplish nothing, but I must say, this is the main reason this city does not feel like a long-term option for habitation. In the past, being able to enjoy a few weeks of lovely chilliness along with relatively clean air was the absolute highlight of the year. Such a shame to have that spoiled!

There are two farang teachers I might recommend.

Freddie at Satva Yoga in the Santitham neighborhood. Freddie's been in town for several years, and has been offering many types of yoga and massage courses. He's a very energetic and charming teacher with an incredible depth in anatomy, massage and yoga.

http://www.yogachiangmaithailand.com/

Gernot at Yoga Tree (near Suan Dok) - lecture oriented, a focus on alignment and Iyengar.

http://www.theyogatr...penClasses.html

Since you are just starting out, it's very worth it to make sure you receive good, in-depth instruction before you start reinforcing bad habits and/or injuring yourself by doing yoga incorrectly. Both these teachers specialize in guiding you to this correct, safe and fundamental yoga practice.

There are some jasmine trees (dok jampee) in bloom right now, and they're fragrant, but I'm betting the one being noticed most is a different one. Planted all around the moat and throughout the city, you'll find gangao trees. The smell is charming, sharp, and a bit peppery if you pay attention. I used to live in a house with one right in the front, and it was actually nauseating it was so intense. As the flowers age, they also get a bit of waxy smell to them that really makes it a bit much to handle. The gangaos are all around and their perfume is really noticeable at night. I've noticed it on ChangKlan and all around the moat this year so far. Jasmine alot less.

We see these trees around all the time but don't really notice them as they're quite straight, tall, and uninteresting most of the year. Have a google at this:

กันเกรา Thai name, มันปลา Lanna name, Fagraea fragrans Roxb.

Much obliged realthaideal - I'm going to go with your supposition of what it is. Since you mentioned that it can almost be nauseating - I find it so as well (that's why we thought it was an industrial chemical smell - it hardly seems natural).

Thanks for all the information!

For several years now my wife and I have debated what exactly this very strong floral smell is. I suppose it is seasonal, though I don't remember if autumn is always the season we encounter it. The smell is so powerful that it's hard to believe it's natural. However, this powerful pungency is unevenly distributed in various corners of the city, so, my original theory that it was hundreds of gallons of "toilet cleaner" being dumped into the moat is not likely to be correct.

Is it a flower, or some chemical attempt to make our usually dusty / foul air pretty?