Mousehound

I had a very large Ridgeback. very much a one man dog and a great watchdog with the family but I never trusted him with anyone else although he was outwardly not aggressive he would snap if people put there arms around him - he would growl a warning first, fortunately. I never let him out unattended and had the vet muzzle him - for the vets sake. The only reason he did not bite anyone was I trained him that I was definitely the Alpha male and he would be in trouble if he displayed aggression to anyone I or the family accepted. He was a great dog and as we had rescued him in the first place I made the effort and trained him - but I never let any of the family totally trust him. Ultimately we never had a problem and he died of old age. But I would not have another Ridgeback unless I was on my own and had a large property for it to run about in. Good that the OP is trying to do the right thing. Hope it works out. Some of these trainers can do amazing things with animals - worth a try.

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Night Rider

As there are no disadvantages to learning any language why would you not make the effort?

And to the poster who stated the only Thai (he) has learned to date is:

"Horng naam you tee nai", I would state that this is a pretty useful beginning.

Gulls are interesting. They can change their digestive method from gizzard to gut. this gives them a great range of food to prey on from vegetation and carrion to live moths.

Papa Rock ?

I thought the OPs daughter was 16..not 60 !!!

Rock will never die! Thanks for the info on a couple of places I was unaware of.

Another frequent visitor to this blind in KKNP.

Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush. I think it is, hard for me to pick between Greater and Lesser.

Great bokeh and a really nice pic all around. The Greater has the pale cheek patch but this pic also shows the distinct pale bill tip of the Lesser LT, and although skin colour can be problematic - especially with juv. birds I think I would use this as a pointer to which was which.

Bats poo can carry disease as well - so if you are cleaning it out of the roof area etc wear a mask. However, I am with those that think you need to exclude them from the site but preferably not exterminate them. As mentioned above they are very important in keeping down insects and as pollinators.

Jungle fowl chick. Its mom is outside the frame on the right.

Taken from Kaeng Krachan NP.

7D; ISO400; F4; 1/100sec; F/L:500; Tv mode; Flash fired; Subj dist: 10.1m

Nice work - those TV members in the Eastern part of the country might see the white ear spot sub species: not seen by me I'm afraid. Yet!

As an educator I have come to the following conclusions: a good school helps a lot. A good school is about educating a child NOT just getting them through exams. Most teachers don't get this - good educators do get it. look for schools with a principal that is committed to developing a child rather than just skilling. A child that has ability will most likely succeed regardless of the quality of the school. The highest drop out rates from University are from students that have motivated parents and schools that focus on passing exams - these are mostly the top private schools. I am not a church person but those students that come from a background where the family is religious or with high moral standards seem better grounded and tend to do better at school. (There have been notable exceptions to this last statement but as a rule I think it holds true). The parenting of a child is vital. I would say far more important than the school in forming a child. Many children are late bloomers - especially boys. Don't panic if they seem to not be achieving much all the time. Children work and think differently to adults and they are amazingly resilient. They can also achieve things very quickly when they latch onto something that they take to. It is never too late for anyone at any stage of life to improve their education. The cost of a school does not necessarily reflect on its ability to educate your child. Some of the most expensive schools are filled with spoiled brats.

CM is not the same without Took. He was playing quite regularly in BKK. Hope the second closing of the Brassiery is not the end of an era. I had some of the best nights out at the old Brassiery when Took was on fire. Had a few drinks and swapped a few yarns with him and he was always ready to say hi.

Now I only know of Boy at the Night Market and the North Gate Jazz venue for good live music. If anyone has any other place I could try I would be grateful for the info.

Modelling with an attitude.

Snake on the road modelling by Pekka Oilinki, on Flickr

A really nice Whip Snake - not dangerous

Thanks for all the replies - I have several helmets in OZ but don't want to wait 'till I can get there and bring two back. They are so big and awkward on the plane. Also I need those helmets in OZ anyway so thought I would pick up a couple of decent ones in CM. I find the makes vary a lot. I am XL with Arai but XXL with HJC and then some helmets seem to fit my face shape better than others. So eBay can be a problem and I can't wait that long to be honest. Posters above have mentioned a couple of names that I am unaware of - thanks for that. I shall check them out. A good helmet is a costly investment so I don't want to make any mistakes. Theft does worry me and the Arai is a monster helmet which means the inconvenience of carrying the darn thing about and I think I will look for something smaller in CM. I also like the idea of the washable lining. I also have a thin, high tensile wire lock that I can tether it to the bike through the D ring - but the helmet strap could also be cut easily of course. On my 200 SYM with a big box I can get both helmets stored but the PCX would be too small and nothing much on a Yamaha unless I fit retro box.

For sure..... Im currently using an LS2 helmet as I found it better fitting than others. However they (LS2) seem to all have a down side in that the rubber trim around the edge of the helmet always comes loose/off. Ive had 2 helmets and it occurred to both. Its as if the rubber shrinks in the heat. Otherwise I like the brand. The first was a composite helmet, thats one that is full face but has a flip up chin bar. Marvelous but a bit too heavy on long rides.

However..... if you know what fits your head properly, stick with it. Ive tried others that have been recommended to me but found them very uncomfortable.

What brand/size scooter are you looking at? There are a lot out there and some good second hand bargains to be made even from expats (Who tend to maintain them better). And scooters are great around town especially given the narrow streets and sois.

I really like the underbone style - Yamaha would be my choice. But failing that a PCX. I am a pretty heavy bloke (85K) and the cheese n kisses is not too light either. The PCX would be more comfortable and have storage but I do like the Yamahas. But I would also like manoeuvrability, as for longer trips out of town we would use the car.

Re the dome - I have a roundish face (bit like the rest of me) so the Arai suits me, but I will try anything else.

Thanks guys - I'm not super experienced so need all the protection I can get. I'll give both those places a look and then go and have a lunch at Gecko. I made do for a few months in OZ with a cheapish helmet and then got talked into an Arai. The best thing I ever did - far more comfortable and much less wind noise. Also better visibility. If it lasts me four or five years at a couple of bucks a week I think it well worth it and if I come off it may well be the best investment ever. Now I'm looking at buying a scooter in CM I think I will need it even more than I did in OZ.

Helmet2Home down the street from Pantip has a decent selection of Shark and Real helmets. They recently removed their Shoei, Arai, etc helmets as they don't have a TIS stamp (meaning they're not approved for Thai roads, which is absolutely ridiculous as they have a way higher safety standard than some helmets that do carry the stamp), but they may be able to produce one on request...

Their FB page with a map- https://www.facebook.com/helmet2home

Thanks "Flare" - Shark would be fine. Easy place for me to get to also.

Sorry - I need to get them in Chiang Mai - thought I was on the CM forum - can a moderator move this over to CM forum please.

Thanks

I need to get a couple of bone dome's (helmet) and would like to get something that a) fits - I take an XL Arai and an XXL on some makes and one that actually is well made - Nolan or Bell or any good make is fine. I am concerned that there may be copies about and I don't think much of the stuff I have seen the locals wear. Can anyone point me in the right direction to get some quality gear?

Thanks

So you mean that retirement in Thailand would be a final adventure: chatting with friends in cafes, having a few drinks and not having to work as well as sex - WOW when I can I start?

Slightly annoyed

Great shot Goompa

possibly mimicking a cricket?