Mousehound

Do some research online. The size of the squares in proportion to the pieces is important. If you have brass pieces and have a wooden board made you might like to consider brass protective corners that will link the pieces and protect the wooden board as well. A really nice set is a joy, so please don't rush.

The chess club meets at The Pub weekly - members there may be able to help.

http://www.thepubchiangmai.com/event/chess-club-meet-2/

^{TV member AJ Alex may be the person to ask. Send him a pm.}

My chicken coop is leaning a bit to the left after the recent shakes, but it should just increase the value as it's now an National Historic Site, The Leaning Chicken House of Chiang Mai

If you promote this as an attraction to force prices up be careful. You will have to state if it leans to the left or the right and someone on TV will interpret this as a political comment. Further, you may well face litigation from a well known chicken food outlet. (I use the term food loosely, naturally).

On a more serious note my wife's family are from Christchurch in NZ and it earthquakes loom high in our demons. As I suspect they do with those that have lived through them in California or elsewhere. Glad to hear that there was no great damage done in CM.

Must be really hard up for news. Surely just a storm in a 'D' cup!

A bath tube in a restaurant ? That's what I call innovation.

Can't beat a clean restaurant.

Fitting kitchens is a bit of an art - requires patience really. Very few floors are really flat and walls perpendicular. That is why professional kitchen installers/makers can make a living. A compromise I have found is to buy cheap mass produced doors and units and build the kitchen with any parts that don't really fit being custom built. Mostly I use IKEA or similar. However, lately I have just gone in with required material and built from scratch. In the end it has been as quick if not quicker and usually a better design. I get post forming done to order.

Air Asia return as low as 1550 Bht

My agent with HCC told me it was the evacuation part that came into play if there were current travel warnings....when you purchased the policy...so you can be grandfathered in. Many will deny you coverage if you are participating in illegal activities.

ALL should deny cover if you are participating in illegal activity - but that is a standard clause in any policy at any time.

I checked with Zurich insurance and no problems with Thailand unless the Australian Government states "do not travel". That is unless you break the law of course. I personally have no concerns about Thailand as the "caution" notice has not really changed in the last five years. Interestingly the Oz government warning for those going to Brazil is far more worrying yet travel insurance is offered for that destination - for soccer fans.

The warning for Brazil is at the same level as Thailand but I know which destination would be safer.

The Brazil DEFAT post:

• Exercise a high degree of caution
• Reconsider your need to travel
• Do not travel
• 
  

• We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Brazil because of the high levels of serious and violent crime, particularly in major cities.
• Pay close attention to your personal security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
• Australians planning to attend the 2014 FIFA World Cup should read our World Cup travel bulletin in addition to this travel advice.
• Large scale industrial strikes and protests are expected to occur across Brazil in the lead up to and during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Demonstrations could occur at any time and may turn violent with little or no warning. We recommend Australians avoid all demonstrations and protests and monitor local media for information about expected demonstrations.
• The incidence of violent crime, including muggings, armed robbery, kidnappings and sexual assault, is significant. See Safety and security: Crime for more information.

Even with this it seems you can get insurance cover.

Give it to him, and let him do your garden once a month for the next 18 month, problem solved.

And tell the Benz owner it's not cool to park in front of his house on a public road - playing kids, pissing dogs, drunk gardeners, car thieves, envy neighbours, rain, sun and so on and so forth...

I agree and this is exactly what I have done in the past, have even turned out pretty good as I always get them more customers if they are any good at gardening ir clearing brush etc etc etc. Hire him, and give him an advance - gotta learn to trust people some time, and iof he absconds with the cash................so be it. You will feel better about yourself.

The OP knows what the answer is in his heart otherwise he would never have made the post.

Money given in exchange for his skill is a good option - so long as you don't take advantage of the situation. I would be looking at a way to help get the kids to school - it may be their only chance to get out of the poverty trap. Good deeds may not be returned by those you bestow them on, but I have had plenty of fortune in my life, at least to know that the world is a far better place because of them.

I'm wondering how it might go if I went in the afternoon a couple of days ahead of my ultimate day to file the one year retirement extension, to get an appointment, for the next day. Anybody use this strategy successfully?

Standing in that line from 6 AM is an ordeal that I can't face again. Shifting from foot to foot, feeling the heat rise, watching people use various little tricks to cut in...The worst part of all for me is to have to listen to some loudmouth blabbing away (usually one of my US compatriots, alas) before a captive audience about their various fascinating experiences here in the Mystic East. They are always the hero in their own narrative. Like listening to Joseph Conrad, come back to life. (Well, not quite.)

I must say, using an agent is an appealing idea.

Would that be Conrad's..". Secret Agent" then?

Can anyone put a name to this dragonfly. I took this shot at the hot springs on the way to Sampankaeng near Chiang Mai.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Are you that poor up in CM that you cant afford a frying pan?

yes i am that poor, any chance you could shout me some pancakes?

I'm no chef--but, even I can make pancakes.

what time do i come over?

Don't get in a 'flap jack'.

I understand that a couple require 800 000 each to retire in Thailand. However, if we were to use say half ie 800 000 (400 000 each) and our pension as a top up - how does it work as our pension can only paid to a joint account and we get a joint pension?

There is no requirement for both to have 800k baht in the bank unless both apply for the extension fo stay.

If one applies the other can have a dependent extension with only 800k in the bank in the name of only the one who has the extension.

If you have a joint account 1.6 million is needed in the bank.

You can have a joint account and then have one in the persons name that is applying for the extension that you top up to 800k 90 days before you apply for the extension.

Thanks for the reply. But what concerns me was this:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/686171-retirement-visa-extension-restrictions-for-foreign-married-couples/

Does this mean that things have been relaxed again or do we need to be in effect treated as separate entities, in which case the fact we have a State Couples Pension could pose a problem.

Some offices will accept a joint account with at lest 1.6 million baht in it. Otherwise the person that applies must have an account in their name only with at least 800K baht in it. As I wrote you could have a joint account and then use that money to top up the other account that is in the applicants name only.

In your example of two pension incomes the person doing the extension could use a income letter combined with money in the bank, The money in the bank could come from the others income or both to reach the required amount.

Thanks for the clarification Ubonjoe. It is obviously a way of trying to stop "couples" that are not actually together getting around things.

I understand that a couple require 800 000 each to retire in Thailand. However, if we were to use say half ie 800 000 (400 000 each) and our pension as a top up - how does it work as our pension can only paid to a joint account and we get a joint pension?

There is no requirement for both to have 800k baht in the bank unless both apply for the extension fo stay.

If one applies the other can have a dependent extension with only 800k in the bank in the name of only the one who has the extension.

If you have a joint account 1.6 million is needed in the bank.

You can have a joint account and then have one in the persons name that is applying for the extension that you top up to 800k 90 days before you apply for the extension.

Thanks for the reply. But what concerns me was this:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/686171-retirement-visa-extension-restrictions-for-foreign-married-couples/

Does this mean that things have been relaxed again or do we need to be in effect treated as separate entities, in which case the fact we have a State Couples Pension could pose a problem.

Some offices will accept a joint account with at lest 1.6 million baht in it. Otherwise the person that applies must have an account in their name only with at least 800K baht in it. As I wrote you could have a joint account and then use that money to top up the other account that is in the applicants name only.

In your example of two pension incomes the person doing the extension could use a income letter combined with money in the bank, The money in the bank could come from the others income or both to reach the required amount.

OK - I get it now. obviously it is to try to stop "couples" that are not really together.

Thanks Ubonjoe for your comments.

I understand that a couple require 800 000 each to retire in Thailand. However, if we were to use say half ie 800 000 (400 000 each) and our pension as a top up - how does it work as our pension can only paid to a joint account and we get a joint pension?

There is no requirement for both to have 800k baht in the bank unless both apply for the extension fo stay.

If one applies the other can have a dependent extension with only 800k in the bank in the name of only the one who has the extension.

If you have a joint account 1.6 million is needed in the bank.

You can have a joint account and then have one in the persons name that is applying for the extension that you top up to 800k 90 days before you apply for the extension.

Thanks for the reply. But what concerns me was this:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/686171-retirement-visa-extension-restrictions-for-foreign-married-couples/

Does this mean that things have been relaxed again or do we need to be in effect treated as separate entities, in which case the fact we have a State Couples Pension could pose a problem.

I understand that a couple require 800 000 each to retire in Thailand. However, if we were to use say half ie 800 000 (400 000 each) and our pension as a top up - how does it work as our pension can only paid to a joint account and we get a joint pension?

Inverted

common lora.JPG

Common Lora looking for breakfast

Nice Iora shot - female? Distinct white eye and dull green crown/nape but dark wings. I am interested if the female has a white eye and the male brown. Does anyone know?

Music:

North gate Jazz - a big mix of people there.

http://purechiangmai.com/north-gate-jazz-co-op

For Motorbike:

http://www.riderscorner.net/

Photography:

http://www.cmphotogroup.com/igroops/cmpg

The CM Photographic Group are pretty active.

North Wheels also OK I understand.

Splendid idea! Simply an age since I had a good pot of afternoon tea with salmon and cucumber sandwiches - sans crusts. Just as well I remembered to pack my cravat.