Mousehound

Both are good cars. I prefer Suzuki having had several over the years. But I think Nissan are just as good. I feel that the Toyotas are not the value - or quality they once were. My last one being a 2.4 Camry Altise and it was OK but after 140k was going to cost more to bring up to standard than the car was worth. But, an Echo we had was outstanding - 385k and only a reconditioned alternator and the rear wheel bearings needing to be done. Mazda are a nice car but I find the others are more durable but I do high mileage - 50K km per year. My personal choice is to ensure that whatever car I have I will now not buy one with a belt. Because of my high mileage the cost of changing the belt really adds up. Just got a Suzuki - an Indian made car by Maruti. It is great in the city and as cheap as chips to run. But small inside.

At the end of the day most of these small cars are pretty good value as this end of the market is very competitive. Much better value than the expensive models. As suggested above the choice might come down to who has the better and most convenient dealership.

Today the last day of Bangkok Photo Fair

I would like to see a crop shot of this model's eyes.

I am out of the country at the moment. How is the season progressing? Earlier and other reports are that things are slow (migratory spp). Are bird numbers down?

To avoid any offence, I recommend people only use the following sweary words:

****

****

****

****

******

************

********

There, all pretty harmless really.

Yes, quite harmless really, unless one is found holding back the combustibles within their psyche!

I for one was left wondering if Sh*t was meant for "shat upon" but then again one seldom hears the "upon" anymore - do they

I'm sorry but I find ***** objectionable - and possibly ****** racist!

I know of cases where purse snatchers put their victims into the hospital. A favorite mode of operation is for two guys to operate from a motorcycle, with the guy on the back grabbing the bag from the shoulder of the victim. Sometimes the victim falls down, breaking bones. This can happen in busy areas in full daylight hours.

Except when this happened to me, I instinctively held on to my camera like grim death when the pillion passenger on a scooter tried to hook the strap with an umbrella. He came straight of the back and was totally out, much to the amusement of bystanders. The only benefit of weighing 110kg!

Thank Christ I moved to Niman so I don't have to drive every day. It's like living in the Muppet show being in Chiang Mai.

I rather like the Muppets. Are you Grouch?

Is it still illegal to drive with your headlights on during the day?

If I remember rightly, they are also rabies carriers.

You remember wrongly.

Actually not entirely impossible. Any mammal has the possibility of carrying the disease and squirrels have been known to do so, although rare. This begs the question of how many squirrels have ever been tested for the virus? The most likely carriers will be dogs, cats and bats. Sorry this is somewhat off topic but I felt the comment worthy.

I have seen many kinds of birds near the Phanom Rung -Hill temple. The one rare bird is the The Greater Coucal . They say if you see this bird , it will be lucky day for you. There are other birds like Hummingbirds, Egrets and cranes in the rice fields.

I saw my first flock of White-crested Laughingthrush at Phanom Rung - also my first Thai snake. A really good spot. There is a nearby Khmer ruin in a good state of repair (temple) with large lotus ponds - I forget the name. It is set in a park with many trees. There are very few visitors and is is a good spot for passerines as well as a really nice place to visit. The local people seemed exceptionally friendly. I have been there twice and would like to go back birding and down closer to the Cambodian border. There is also a reportedly excellent lightshow and ceremony once a year which is well worth attending.

Nice pic anyhow. Thanks villagefarang.

I'm wary as well. Just had a Death Adder in the driveway of my house back in Perth WA. But I have never had a problem with them. Tiger snakes are very common where I am as well but the closest I have been to being bitten that I know of was in Thailand. White lipped viper - in tree only inches from my face. Didn't see it until it was pointed out to me by a Thai friend.

Just a few minutes ago this cheeky little guy stopped swimming in our pond just long enough to pose for a selfie.

Is this a keelback?

Chiang Dao for Giant Nuthatch and Mrs Hume's Pheasant - Malee's guest House - Malee will arrange transport up the mountain. A walk up to the temple near Malee's can be good as can the fields if you walk from Malee's to the caves. Plenty of good stuff on the lower slops as well. The paddy fields around Chiang Dao are good.

Doi Inthanon - - Mr Daeng's - can arrange guide and a good place for birders to stay - half way up the mountain. There is an excellent small park in the hill tribe village near Mr Daeng's - I have done very well there with passerines and BOPs every time I have visited.

Plenty of other places out toward San Khampaeng hot springs and further out at the waterfall.

In CM I always go to the lake area in the CM Uni grounds and the arboretum just below the Zoo but Doi Suthep can be OK - I prefer to go past the temple to the park itself and around the palace area.

The Queen Sikirit gardens can be OK.

End Jan and Feb are good for migrant passerines - been a slow start this year for the migration.

There are major wetlands within striking distance of Chiang Rai in the Mekong flood plain area - - that others are far more knowledgeable than I am.

I have only been birding in the CM area for the last six years so I am sure there many others that know more.

If you have specific species to target I may be able to help - pm me if you wish.

People could still submit their story in writing, couldn't they?

I wrote directly to the Australian ambassador about the problem with the immigration department in Chiang Mai. Two months later I'm still waiting for a reply from the rude bastard. Government ministers in Australia will reply to you but these bumped up public service johnnys don't have to face elections.

I hear the soon to be honorary consul in Chiang Mai is a retired public servant. I hope he left his public servant attitude in Canberra.

Seems this is a problem for the Poms as well. Very frustrating. Just a hint. I had this attitude a while back from a government department and eventually contacted the cabinet office. I had a public servant from that office inform me that I would be contacted and my problem addressed within twenty four hours - he gave me a direct line with instruction that should I not have things sorted within the time frame I was to contact him direct. I had a call within an hour from the secretary to the minister concerned. All sorted. I was impressed, after months of obfuscation.

If you do not like the price, do not go, nobody is forcing you.

How many hours did you spend contemplating, before coming up with that master-piece? There are some interesting points raised by the removal of the privelege that was previously afforded expatriates (namely getting the local rate by showing a Driving Licence or Work Permit), but if you want to reduce it to a school-yard argument then go do it in the playground.

Over the years I have taken many a visitor to National parks and appreciated the small gesture of not having to pay the tourist rates, especially at parks where the entrance fee was 400b or more. Removing that privilege is not the end of the world, but some of us are intrigued enough to want to discuss it and maybe try to do something about it. I have had a meeting with the Director of TAT , and made an enquiry at National parks Office, both of which I pass regularly on my travels, so no great inconvenience was involved, and look forward to a positive response.

Also, for those of us with a wife, children, grand-children and Thai friends, having a day out can sometimes be a little bit embarrassing. To be singled out for special treatment by having to join another line or pay a higher fee should not be part of the routine, and until recently, wasn't. If it is possible to go back to the way it was, why would we not want to do that? I take the issue as being not merely about the price, but rather as my being recognised as being part of the community I have lived in for 26 years.

That's my problem with this policy. My kids see me treated differently to them and their mother. I'm spoken to differently. I'm not respected the same as Thais. I understand why it's happening and can deal with it, but I don't want my kids to witness this.

I completely avoid being put in this position if I can; however, we've visited places and not expected the dual pricing. My wife loves the King Naresuan series of propaganda movies and wanted to visit the set which is located just outside Kanchanaburi. It's been turned in to a sort of theme park. I wasn't expecting dual pricing but there it was. I refused to enter, had an argument with the manager, waited in my car for the family in the car park and pissed all over the floor of the toilet. Nobody enjoyed the experience especially the manager who I got to lose his temper.

<< I'm not respected the same as Thais. I understand why it's happening and can deal with it, but I don't want my kids to witness this..........and pissed all over the floor of the toilet. >>

Sad individual

With the moronic behaviour of some farangs it is no wonder Thai people are wary of foreigners. These sort of people don't deserve respect from anyone in any country.

god stone the bloody crows!!!!!!

this bloody drongo does,nt understand our lingo

too mutch for the human unit

perhaps throw him on a hoges barbie and drink a couple slabs, before lighting up

thks fellow ockers for your ocker posts, great aussie humour

its a ricky poody and a fandoogly to conndaStone the crows the "circus" may not be perfect, but it beats chewing on a Dingo's donga any day!

Crikey! I just realised I made a blue. Only yanks would chew on Dingo's donga. A true straight up Ausie would only chew on a DEAD Dingo's donga. Been too long out beyond the black stump - apologies. Hope you got some use out of todays visit.

I mentioned before that I plan to wait for CM Immigration to complete their move and give them some time to get there act together at the Promenade.

However, if my consulate and ambassador did do a road show, I would attend specifically to talk about the problems with the CM Immigration offices that have been an issue for a long time, especially now that they have moved to the Promenade.

To the OP - evensteven: If you want forum members to understand what you are saying, please try writing in the English that you learned in school instead of writing the way you talk - chopped, clipped, abberviated, and slang.

(I cooda ritein my aa-mer-rii-can ak-sen-2 yeno...buddai doen') I could write in my America accent too you know...but I don't. I had a formal education like most people, and I write sentences in regular English. I'm not going to attempt to wade through your broken English and Australian slang in the future. I'm sure you have something significant to add to the forum, but it can be almost impossible to understand what your point is. Try writing in a way that most of us English speakers from various English speaking countries can understand. Just a suggestion if you really want to be understood.

Mods, please give me some leeway here. I'm not trying to be mean-spirited, on the contrary, I'd like to understand the OP clearly. But if an English speaking OP really wants to get a point across, writing in the way you colloquially speak your regional native English dialect isn't a good idea. I can do it as I did above, but I don't, and virtually no one in this forum does. It's difficult to believe that this particular OP didn't learn how to write in school. Australia is a very well-developed Western country with a well-establish education system. Just saying.

god stone the bloody crows!!!!!!

this bloody drongo does,nt understand our lingo

too mutch for the human unit

perhaps throw him on a hoges barbie and drink a couple slabs, before lighting up

thks fellow ockers for your ocker posts, great aussie humour

its a ricky poody and a fandoogly to connda

Stone the crows the "circus" may not be perfect, but it beats chewing on a Dingo's donga any day!

Would be helpful if OP tells us what kind of habitat this bird was seen in.

BRTs are frequently seen amongst - as the name implies, rocks. Also commonly perched on roof eaves or concrete walls.

I have a 3 pics here, 2 of which are of the Whistling, the black-beaked was from Doi Inthanon and yellow-beaked from Phu Khieo, Chaiyaphum.

The rock thrush was from Chong Yen, Mae Wong.

There are folks here whom are very good in bird IDs and hope they'd offer their opinions.

Meanwhile, I saw a solitary little grebe on my patch. Common enough but a first here at my lake. And till now, not a single leaf warbler sighted. Where have they gone?

I think you are correct. The BRT that I have seen always have a faint pale emargination on the primaries and secondaries. And in non breeding plumage have a scaly look to the breast feathers.

Bonza!

1000Bht a day is how much my friend gets. He is Thai with a masters in engineering.

But is he any good with a bog brush and a mop?

Don't know - I'll ask him. Could be time for a career change.

1000Bht a day is how much my friend gets. He is Thai with a masters in engineering.

I always got my passport renewed online. Very fast service last time I did it - but that was a few years back. Is this not possible now?

You can apply for, renew or update your passport and pay for it online. You’ll have to print out a form at the end.

You must sign and date the form, add any documents or photographs that are needed, and return it for processing.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport

I think you might find that only applies to British nationals who are at home uptheos. Otherwise, why would anyone bother to jump on planes, trains and busses all the way down to Bangers just to had over a few sheets of paper? I could be wrong, but I think if the online odering was avaialble from anywhere in the world, then it would be common knowledge, surely.

Stubby,

I just looked into things a bit more as my UK passport is getting toward renewal. If I am in Australia I can do it online - with things handled by Australia Post. eg print out docs and take to PO with documentation and they do the correct photo - for me this is a good option as I am currently mostly in OZ. In Thailand I may have to go to BKK for interview but otherwise I can send in the docs but you have to wait six weeks. You can have a third party do the work for you. If however you have not provided the correct info and the application process drags out past six weeks you have to reapply and there is no refund for the original fee. The most likely problem here is getting the photo correct as there are not many places this can be done. I certainly don't think the local Kodak shop would inspire me with confidence.

About time this thread was shut down!

Gasteracantha sacerdotalis

In my garden . any you guys seen this ? not nasty but make a huge colony type web.. should I spray em ??

No! They are quite harmless - and as they eat mosquitos, who knows, they may save you from that most deadly of all creatures.