fearless1

I had rotator cuff surgery with Dr. Prasit but it was done at Sriphat Medical Center. I was under the assumption that Dr. Prasit specializes in Shoulder issues but he probably is a specialist in many orthopedic arthroscopic procedures. He was recommended to me and he did a great job on my shoulder and I felt very comfortable with him. Maybe you can have the surgery done at Sriphat. The facilities seemed to be just as good as Ram, and the cost would be much lower. The main concern is the surgeon, not the facility.

Seriously, if it's cheap, you won't use it for long. I have found that just doing sets of push-ups squats, and a core exercise such as planks, will benefit you both from a strength and a cardio standpoint. Figure out a way to add a pull-up bar and you will really be set.

They are still open.

The Centara Duangtawan Hotel has an open stairwell and is 25 floors or so. I hike up it sometimes and then go down the elevator. Other than steps you can always hike up the trail towards Doi Suthep. It starts behind the zoo and you can either go half way and stop at the road or go across and continue all the way to the top and then catch the red truck down.

I'm not sure what city you flew into in the USA but I normally get lower prices if I book direct from China Air or EVA. I just booked round trip over Christmas to LAX for 34000 baht.

"The discount card the price to join is 5900baht and the discount for one person in the restaurant is 25% and 35% for two persons"

Not to start a battle but there are two of us and we only pay for one meal. The tax is still for 2 meals though. We have been going for years using the card so I am not mistaken here. In addition we get two free breakfasts. I'm not sure why you have gotten a different plan.

"Please. Like a man in his 30s anywhere in this part of the globe would have trouble getting women, especially since I can pass for 27."

If that is the case why the heck are you on here asking advice.

"And I, on the other hand, do not need to check people's IDs to tell how old they are."

Boy did you miss the point entirely.

It's called the Starwood Priviledge card or something like that. My girlfriend buys it every year for 5900 baht. It includes vouchers for a free night's stay at one of the Starwood hotels (Sheraton, Le Meridian, etc...) and a free massage voucher, among other things. The best thing for us is that when you use it with 2 people, one meal is free. A few meals, a nights stay, and a massage, and the card pays for itself.

We have the discount card and we get 50% off so we tend to go to the Le Meridian buffet quite a bit. I've been there at least 50 times in the last 2 years. I've never been bitten by a mosquito or had a raw leg of lamb. It's not the best buffet in the world but I find it superior to the Holiday Inn. Generally if I want cheap I go to Grandview, if I want middle of the road I go to Le Meridian, and if I want top quality I go to the Mandarin Oriental. It's a miracle I don't weigh 300 lbs.

My experience with Bali leads me to believe that if you are 23 you can find plenty of women and if you are 50 and willing to pay you can probably find women, but if you are in your 30’s you will probably have a tough time. I’m over 50 but most people I hung out with in Bali were in their 20’s. You hang out with people because they are good people, you don’t ask for id first to verify their age and whether they are appropriate for you.

Nat's Honda on Huay Kaew Road is 78,500 with insurance. This includes a 2000 baht voucher in case you want to change the seat. I changed the seat on mine but it still sucks. I need to find someone to put some padding in and even the seat out so I can slide forward and back easier. Does anyone know if there is anyone to do the work on the seat in the Huay Kaew Road area?

Thanks for all the information. Is the rebate for Thai citizens only?

I've been trying that. I've visited Honda and Mazda and called Nissan with no luck. I'm sure there are people here that are more knowledgeable of the local car market than I am. I know there are bigger cars that are available but I'm looking at the Suzuki Swift, Mitsubishi Mirage, Honda Brio, and Nissan March type of cars. Anybody else out there that can possibly be a little helpful.

I'm thinking about getting a small car but it seems like there is always a waiting list. Does anyone know of any dealers here in Chiang Mai that have available economy cars on their lots?

Thanks...

Everybody says that the SX is superior but based on the responses to a past thread on the SX and my observance of bikes people drive here in Chiang Mai, I'm wondering if any of the people giving their opinion actually own the bike.

I think a lot of people give opinions on things based on very little actual experience.

I can't seem to find the schedule showing which days the immigration office is closed.

Thanks...

you only have to ensure its in date prior to the registration application. it doesn't matter after that .

have you ridden a bike in Thailand before if yes just ensure you go carefully and buy the protection. helmet , gloves etc.. what bike are you thinking of?

I've ridden bikes in Thailand. I was looking to buy the PCX, but since I didn't have the residence certificate they wouldn't sell it to me. I thought I only needed the certificate later when the new license plate came in. For some reason I was under the impression that you only purchase from the dealer and when the permanent plate comes in, you had to register the bike.

If you buy a new motorbike and the dealer asks for a certificate of residence, does that mean they will handle the whole registration process? I’m kind of confused as to whether I will need to still handle the registration on my own in the future when the license plate comes in. The reason I ask is that I know it’s been taking a while to get new plates and I’m concerned I might need to make a second trip to immigration to get the residence certificate. I’m in Chiang Mai and the dealer is Nat’s Honda. They don’t speak much English and the forms are all in Thai, so I can’t really get a reliable answer from them.

I would go with my girlfriend but she is dead set against me getting a bike as she is sure I will end up killing myself.

They just unloaded some Clicks at Nat's in Chiang Mai that have the idle/stop feature.

I'm not sure but I think that is the only difference from the other Click's that are at the store.

The price was about 1500 baht higher than the bikes without the feature.

To be fair to them they had no idea what to charge and they were simply following standard procedure when someone orders a special order.

Dave can you clarify this please?

It is what staff will charge when a customer creates their own menu or dish. For instance shrimp substituted for chicken in a fried rice would not cost the same as a chicken fried rice. Pat or his wife changed a Pak Ki Mau with Shrimp to Seafood Pak Ki Mau so staff charged them a seafood dish price. I probably would have left the price the same and allowed the substitution for a good customer.

I just checked with staff and they were aware of the complaint that they thought the dish was expensive and the waiter was instructed to change the price but he did not do so. His mistake and we did not follow through.

I would also like to point out that Pat dinned and enjoyed our Happy Hour at The River Market which runs from 4:30 to 6:00. He received a free Long Island Iced Tea, 20% discount for his wife's wine and they had 2 sushi rolls at half price. Total discounts of 383 Baht for a bill of 960 Baht or about 40% discount.

Happy Hour at The River Market runs from 4:30 to 6 and it's 1/2 priced sushi, buy 1 get 1 free cocktail, no sharing, and 20% discount on domestic beer and house wine.

Actually Pat is a woman. I was with her and I did have a Long Island Ice Tea, and I have no complaints.

Assuming you live here, why haven't you got a Thai license or an International Drivers Permit?

Is it legal to drive here on a NY License?? Not having the correct driving permit will affect your insurance!

Why put yourself in that situation...

Yes, I live here 1/2 of every year, sometimes more, but again I live on Koh Phangan and we never have police pullovers for no reason. Once in a very blue moon they will set up road blocks and ticket people with no helmets, usually when they need to raise some cash. Pay the 200 and on your way, never once have I or anyone I know been asked for a license.

If today's incident did nothing else it reminded me that I need to get one eventually, at least for the times I leave KPG.

If you live here 6mths + every year why not put yourself out and get legal, saves more bother than it causes it's also a useful photo I/D. I don't see checking driving licenses and people without helmets as no reason!!

The big issue tho is the invalidity of your insurance should you be involved in an accident by simply not having the correct license.

I wear a helmet because if or when I have an accident ( and if you drive here on a regular basis the chances are it's only a matter of time) that will crack before my skull,even the cheap ones, but there are some farangs who complain about that too when pulled over without one. Would they drive a m/c in their own country without wearing one??

It's so easy to live here just obey the rules. I can just imagine what would happen if a foreigner is stopped in NY without the the correct permit.....and it would cost a dam_n site more as well.

If the rules here were anything like NY, nobody would be here. I've been here 7 years without a Thai license. I've never been stopped for any reason. I've been lucky obviously and it's time to get the license.

I didn't realize you couldn't ride a rented motorbike with a NY license.

How good a player are you? I would like to hit for exercise and I can keep the ball in play but I haven't played for a while. I used to hit at 700 year stadium a few years ago but shoulder surgery set me back. I'm feeling fine now.

I was just in Kamala recently. I had no problems whatsoever. The ocean was a little rough but I didn't encounter any rip tides in my 2 hours per day swims. I'll definitely go back there again and I prefer the low season.

To be fair, he was comparing the click and the fino; both have the single shock. I agree that having 2 shocks is better than one, but do you know of anyone who has had an accident which can be directly attributed to having one shock? I just got back from Koh Chang. It's pretty hilly there and the roads can be rough and dangerous at times. Most of the bikes I saw there were clicks. Maybe having a single shock isn't ideal, but maybe it's good enough.