Ricardo

Thanks for the info, very helpful indeed. I have purchased the GT Rider map as suggested and it looks very comprehensive!

Just one more thing though ... once at Mae Salong, which route do you think would be faster and easier for getting back to Chiang Mai? It would seem to be a shame to go back the same way, but we have a toddler so getting home quickly is a major consideration too.

I think it's fairly even-stevens from Mae Salong, which way you come back, so go up to Mae Sai via Chiang Rai, then back the other way ?

I'm usually on the local red-fan or green-a/c buses, which can sometimes have a problem passing heavily-laden trucks, climbing through the mountains , and there are also a couple of police check-points, as the Fang/Chiang Dao route is the nearest main-road to the border, so they tend to control the hill-tribe peoples' paperwork. But I also find it slightly more attractive, than the road from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, both are good !

Your youngster might enjoy the caves at Chiang Dao, or elephant-camp at Mae-Taeng, to break the journey ? Or since you're in a car, stop to see the orange-groves, and a drink of fresh O.J., north of Tha-Ton, and watch out for the old oil-pump (nodding-donkey) near Fang, there's plenty to see along the way ? The aroma of a pick-up laden high with garlic, as you pass it, is something out-of-the-ordinary too !

Premature expostulation ? !

When you have a bunch of wank*rs thinking that they are gonna revive the tourist industry with some cocktail concoction he better believe it (and have good cause to worry) he has gotta understand that Thailand is the laughing stock of the entire world

Perhaps he might drown his sorrows, and support the new cocktail, at the same time ?

I have to agree that this latest idea is amusing, on a par with the idea last year, to sell souvenir lucky-pen*s charms to tourists. Perhaps we need a thread on TV, to suggest alternative ideas, to promote tourism or the country ?

Congratulations & welcome !

About 30 km south from Mae-Sai, on the main Route 1, is Pasang/Bosang where you turn right at traffic-lights onto Route 1130, a 2-lane paved road which leads up into the mountains. Mae Salong is about 40 km from the main road.

If you miss that turn then continue another few km to Mae Chan, where you take Route 1089 west-wards, it runs up a long valley for 30 km. Reaching a police check-point, you turn right 5 metres before the barriers, onto a 2-lane road which reaches Mae Salong after 15 km.

Continuing past that checkpoint, on Route 1089, would instead bring you via Tha-Ton, Mae Ai, Fang, Chai Prakarn, Chiang Dao & Mae Taeng eventually to Chiang Mai. Takes about 4 hours.

Both routes up to Mae Salong are very scenic, but you should take extreme care on the very steep hills, 1st/2nd-gear stuff here ! The roads tend to run along the tops of the mountain-ridges as you near Mae Salong, which is also sometimes called Santikhiri, with long steep drops on one/both sides !

There's a thread on the Chiang Rai forum, I think it's called 'Mae Salong Happenings', which mentions accommodation & attractions actually up there. Beautiful place and well worth visiting IMHO.

The GT-Rider 'Golden Triangle Loop' map, for people touring by motorbike, is excellent and shows many smaller made-up/unmade roads/tracks throughout the area. It covers the whole journey from Chiang Mai northwards.

Enjoy the trip !

Thaksin Calls for Democracy and Justice

A Pheu Thai Party MP revealed after visiting ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra in Hong Kong that Thaksin urged the Party's MPs to preserve democracy and take good care of people.

Can anyone remember, what former Thai PM said, "Democracy is not my aim" ?

Pheu Thai Party MP Suchart Lainamngern revealed that he, and a number of Pheu Thai Party MPs, visited ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra in Hong Kong recently.

Can anyone remember, what former Thai PM said, "I've Permanently Quit Thai Politics" ?

Apart from general talks, Suchart said Thaksin urged the MPs who came to visit him to commit to their duties as MPs by taking care of people.

Take care of people, start with Number-One, and promise to do the rest of the population later, they'll believe anything !

They also had to preserve the nation's democracy, as he believes that morality will return one day.

Shortly after a certain convict on-the-run overseas, sets a good example, by returning to 'do his time' and continue with several other cases against him ? Or by "morality" is he referring to certain voodoo ceremonies, which he was unfortunately unable to attend, but were recently held in his honour ?

Suchart added Thaksin did not discuss the appointing of a new Pheu Thai Party Leader or the upcoming red-shirt rally on February 24, in which the red shirt group will surround Government House.

So not even the PTP's political-adviser knows, who can lead this party, and hold it together ?

- TOC / 2009-02-23

(my comments above in red)

At least this settles the question, oft on the minds of TV members, of where Thaksin currently is.

And it’s so funny to see those PAD supporters recycling our posts from last year, they really have no shame !

Or perhaps they just have a sense of humour ?

I never care if yellow posters here have been banned and returned. The more the merrier. Seems that yellow posters care so much if red posters have been banned.

So a red-shirt supporter feels that rules are there to be broken, and it is of no consequence when they are, how do you reconcile this with your leader's strong belief in fairness & justice, at least as applied to himself ? Or with your condemnation of the PAD for apparently breaking the rules ?

Perhaps, as you say, it depends who has broken, or bent, or re-written, or simply ignored the rules.

I can understand the reds are so dangerous since they attacked politicians by eggs. The yellows only killed some people and sat at airports.

Koo, how do you think the Red-Shirts in Chiang Mai improve Thailand's image, when they disrupt and shut-down a Gay-Pride parade, organised by other local people ? It seems a very strange way to defend democracy, or fight for justice, to me.

the roti seller may be involved in channeling bribes to border patrolmen or soldiers.

"Pssst, wanna free roti officer, cooked by one of my 10 talented foreign-looking assistants here".

The bottom line is that he puts a good face on for Thailand

So an improvement on PM-Somchai, and a vast improvement on PM-Samak, then.

Sad news !

The thought-police and thugs of 'Rak Chiang Mai 51' are causing more damage to Chiang Mai's reputation, than this parade ever might have, and their intolerance is very ugly to see.

Their concern about someone taking photos of them, during their thuggish behaviour, might be encouraging if it means they realise that they are doing something questionable or wrong.

They regard Pattaya and Phuket as "tourist entertainment cities", but not Chiang Mai, can they not see the importance of both domestic & international-tourism here ? But this is worse than the hotel-blockade in the Night Bazaar at the New Year, because they are protesting not against a particular opposition-politician, but against other local peoples' right to freedom-of-expression.

Who elected them arbiters of what other Chiang Mai people can or cannot be permitted to do here ?

Perhaps they'll have a little bet on who will survive longer in the job.

And offer each other political-refugee status, when needed ?

Maybe Abi can bring gormless Gordon over too Thailand and he can do for the Baht what he's done to the Pound... We'd be back to 75 Baht to the quid in a flash... Sooner the UK is rid of the useless money grabbing <deleted> the better....

all sing along ''Gordon is a moron, Gordon is a moron''

Not forgetting the chorus, which also goes, "Gordon is a moron", but more loudly.

I think everyone should report one and thin out the numbers

"thin out the numbers", or just change them from disability-benefit to unemployment-benefit, frankly it makes little difference ?

I'd cite Stephen Hawking as an example of a quadriplegic, who still makes a useful contribution to society, and I've also worked alongside people who made no contribution, despite being employed. Both are however capable of flying long-haul to Thailand, or living in Pattaya, should they wish to.

I agree with the OP that it is annoying, and possibly a sign of coming social-collapse, when people openly boast about 'rigging/milking the system', whether they are on social-benefits, or self-confessed city-bankers !

If abuse of power, of any kind, was the focus, ]why didn't it take place it the courts whilst Thaksin was in office ???

Yet, I agree, if Abhisit can hold it together, then let him have a go at it. Since he was "apparently" elected into office.

(my highlight above)

Perhaps you just had to be here four years ago, seeing the checks-and-balances being sytematically removed or subverted, to understand why this would never have happened. "Democracy is not my aim" & 'I'm here for the next 20 years' ring any bells ?

Abhisit & the Democrats' coalition-government, elected by MPs voted-in a year ago by the people, currently remain the best of a very short list of not-very-good alternatives, IMHO of course. Better than civil-war on-the-streets, another military-government, or a kleptocracy/dictatorship ala Marcos, let-alone the marxist vision of a peoples' uprising, which simply isn't going to happen.

If it fails, then one can then hope for an election, to try & break the log-jam.

Their new planes have not yet arrived, meanwhile they've leased some older ones, may be worth trying in another year or two, when Qatar & Etihad are no-longer quite so keen to offer discounts ?

At least they didn't try to still operate the service, despite the aircraft being faulty, a point in their favour IMHO !

Gordon should ask Mark how many billions-of-dollars the BoT can spare, to help out the Bank of England & 3rd-World Britain, and offer in return that all Brits living here henceforth volunteer to become honorary-Thais, thus saving us a fortune in Immigration-fees into the bargain !

P.S. wanna buy a used nuclear-submarine, one careless owner & only slightly bent, be the envy of former-British-colony neighbours, how about a spare aircraft-carrier or 2-for-1 (this decade only) !

While you very-much appreciate the opportunity offered by your father-in-law, you need to discuss the full details of the proposed petrol-station partnership/company with your financial-adviser, who is unfortunately away trekking in the Sahara at the moment.

When he returns 'x' months later, his view is that you're not currently able to consider such an investment, especially having given such a generous sin-sod recently, which has reduced your ability to make further large investments for the next few years. (Hint Hint !)

If pressed, he further advises that, rather than invest everything in just one country, you should continue to spread your money across other markets & forms of investment. This is particularly because Thailand's recent political instability is viewed overseas as a risk, you personally love everything about the country & feel he is exagerating things, but you are bound to follow his advise, So Sorry.

He also confirms that, with the Thai Baht currently so strong against your home-currency the "xxx", it would be the wrong time to bring in further large sums of money.

And you are worried that your visa won't allow you to carry-on a business here, you respect the law almost as much as you respect your new family, and would not wish to upset the Immigration Dept.

If all else fails ... ask your wife's advice, how to handle this situation tactfully, as you don't wish to delay your (previously secret) surprise-plan to take her to 1. Visit your own family in farangland, 2. Have a romantic honeymoon-holiday to Phuket 3. Treat her to a slap-up Full-English Breakfast at the local English-Pub (delete as appropriate).

Eventually you will perhaps be able to announce the arrival of your first child, to the happy grandparents, with regrets about the very-high cost of a good education, which you must now start to save for !

If the $:Baht was fairly solid round 34.9 in recent months, but has slipped in the past week to 35.4799 today, is there a slow steady weakening now underway, with the discreet blessing of the BoT ?

Does anyone know what the going-rate is, to convert a Chalerm-supporting MP, into a Shinawatra-clan candidate, once one has been selected ? Or should this question be posted in the 'Business' forum ?

I forecast a rapid fall, in the conversion-rate, once the latter's count passes 50% of PTP-MPs. The decision whether to deal now, or hold-out for a better price before the inevitable crash, must be quite frustrating.

My money would be on the lady with the money !

Such is democracy, Thai-style.

That train has sailed.

Have they invented a train that can sail now then ? Bloody hel_l, what will they think of next ? This must have been crushing news for shipping companies

I've heard of boat-trains, where the train meets the ship, and train-carrying ships, across rivers or lakes or the English Channel, and even a single-wagon train using a sail to push it (one direction only) along the tracks.

If only Tony Clifton were still active, and able to photoshop a suitable image, to illustrate this idea ? But I guess that ship has left the station ...

So a case against 19 people, and 5 companies involving 4.5 billion Baht ought to be forgotton ...

This case seems to be typical of all the "corruption" cases that come up now - they are aimed at Thaksin solely, and involvement of people and factions allied with the present powers somehow fall under the table.

Not against Thaksin solely, but 18 other people & 5 companies as well, as reported in the OP.

And the count now rises, from 18 other people, plus Thaksin himself ...

The NACC took over investigation of the case from the Assets Examination Committee, which expired in mid-2008. The AEC concluded that Thaksin and 31 others were at fault in connection with 9 Billion Baht loans extended by the state-owned Krung Thai Bank to three private companies with links to people close to certain government figures.

It was found that a large amount of money had been transferred from one of the three companies to a bank account belonging to the son of a politician in power at that time.

A source said yesterday that the OAG working group would meet on Monday to discuss who would be sued.

According to the NACC probe report, three groups of people are involved. They are public office holders, including then-prime minister Thaksin, board members and top executives of KTB, and the loan recipient companies and individuals benefiting from the loans. The companies were identified as Krisda Mahanakorn, RK Professional, and Golden Technology Industrial Park.

- The Nation / 2009-02-21

... to 31 people plus Thaksin. So this case is even less "aimed at Thaksin solely", than when that claim was made, and is clearly not just a witch-hunt against one person.

jacobbells, ThaiVisa is owned by a gentleman named George, not by SJ.

Post edited to remove flaming post by another member, since removed by mods, and my response to it.

OK so Air Asia don't currently do luggage-transfers.

But as the Air Asia long-haul fleet & network grow, at some point they will surely want to use their short-haul network, to feed passengers into their long-haul network ?

And luggage-transfer & guaranteed-connections would be a very big help in achieving this.

The average Thai worker is employed in a factory, construction, or agriculture. So far the slowdown has impacted several thousand factory workers that have been laid off due to weakening demand for exported manufactured goods. The strong baht is not the the problem with slowing exports, it is the worldwide slowdown. When the baht was in the lower 30's in 2007 and early 2008, imports continued to grow, it was only when the world fell off a cliff in the 4Q of 2008 that export tumbled.

TH

Sorry, but there were a reported half-million factory jobs lost, in the 4th Qtr of last year, not just several thousand. Which rather changes the overall picture.