hedonist44

No, not true.

I have worked here for seven years and for the four years (while employed) had to submit a so called 'certificate', where they check your blood pressure, use the stethoscope to listen to your hear/lungs ..sign certificate and that was it ..100 Baht any clinic.

Last three years however, since I am now self-employed...never asked about the health certificate..go figure!

P.S : I renewed my WP today.

Do not say "Not true" unless you know for sure. I just went with a pal of mine who needed a heath certificate for a work permit. They took his blood and he had to wait 2 hours for the results. The times are a changing, so do your home work before offering your advice!

I've been here over 20 years and have learned to keep my mouth shut. You guys living out in the sticks with nothing better to do but sit on the PC all day pretending to know everything, giving advice that only hurts others in the long run. do everyone favor and shut the hel_l up!

why don't you allow foreigners to own land in Thailand

I think they did once, somewhere by the sea... everything was snapped up (by Germans i was told).

In my opinion the coast of Thailand is near enough ruined, sure, its great if you have the cash, but im sure that most Thai's cannot afford a room on the more beautiful spots. Everything is either farang owned or targetted to farang.

I say it's more or less ruined, but thats me comparing it to the Indian ocean beaches of Tanzania, and Mozambique.

If farang were allowed to own land, I think this place would rapidly disintegrate, I have a feeling that the baby boomers would swamp this place, which is great for the baby boomers, but would also generate huge amounts of hatred.

After all these years you clog heads just don't get it do you? Listen up, your in Thailand, live with it or get the hel_l out. stop wasting bandwith and our time....

About time , not that obese people are not wonderful human beings , it just sucks to have to sit next to a sweaty heavy breathing pig.

Jimmy, it amazes me to no end how morons like yourself take the time out of your day to show the rest of the world that people like you are living next to the rest of us. What a pity indeed.

I don't see how it's anything other than them making more money. They should give an alternative such as Paper bags as in the rest of the world. I have always been asked, "Paper or Plastic", why not here? Who the hel_l carries around cloth shopping bags? It's not practical for one thing and I would not do it. So it's nice to think they are helping the enviroment, but it's actually lining their own pockets and everyone is to thick to see it.

I live (when not working elsewhere in Thailand) in Chiang Mai, and drive a motorcycle from BKK to CM on a regular basis, but it's a big bike. I would never attempt riding a small bike (Honda Dream), even in my wildest dreams. I'm sure there will be someone here that will say that they do it all the time, and no big deal. But the reality of it is, your putting you lives in harms way, big time. Take a bus and then buy a bike after you get to CM. Chiang Mai is a great place to live, enjoy your stay there....

I know there's a lot of places to buy a good burger, but I've got my own special way of grilling and am looking for some good beef. I tried some from Rimping and Lotus and both were dry and below average in my opinion. Maybe some quality kwai wouldn't be so bad.

I have had good luck at the Rimping (Hangdong) branch. But it would be a tad better with more fat added for sure. I will try to get them to do so next trip in. They also have great pre-formed lamb burgers, if you like a variation in burger flavors. I know I love it once a month or so.

It must something to do with be my age, but full size tables always used to have six legs

Six legs for snooker tables...4 legs for 8 ball.

G'day

I'm looking for this butter wannabe. Does anyone know where I may find this? Went to a couple of Rimpings but they don't carry it.

thanks

Matt

If it is NOT butter, than your body CAN NOT process it, like margarine. Flies wont even touch the stuff. Do yourself a favor and just eat the real thing, but use it sparingly.

Just had some last week in pattaya. It was bought at the new Villa market on 2nd road accross from Royal Garden. Have not seen it here in CM unfortuneatley.

As the Elegance is rather new, you wouldn't have a problem to use one or either, I assume.

Just check your manual.

However I do not follow the biofuel hype and take regular as often as I can.

My HD can use Bioful Ethanol (which is the one offered in TH), but I who knows, what they put in your tank!

Been hearing from quite a few guys with harleys that the ethanol 95 is ok if you ride often, but if you let your bike sit for any amount of time at all, it will srew up your o-rings and seals in the carbs. The newer H-D's all have fuel injection, so not sure about these. I know I will not put the Ethanol in my 97' H-D and will put up with the 91 gas with the occasional pinging, even though I have retarded the timing

Thanks Soutpeel and Mario2008. I was on a one year work permitt and knew about the 6 month thing, but I was not sure if I was going to stay full time here again, so did not move the house. Now that I am on a one year retirement visa, I may well have missed the boat. Looks like I'll have to wait untill I start a new project ehre and have another work permit. Thanks to you both for your responces...

I have searched everywhere on here and have not found what I was looking for, so hopefully this is not a reduntent post. If so I appolozise. I just rolled my one year work permit into a one year retirement visa and am thinking of moving everything from my home in China to my home here in Chiang Mai. My question is, am I able to bring in a container of my personal house old goods, (clothing,furniture,stereos and so on) with out paying duty? I have heard over the years that I would be able to bring in one shipment, but have never verified. Any advise on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...

I prefer Thai Air or Nok Air to DMK.

Thai Air is good because it flies to DMK, they provide a free "snack box", you can pre-select your seat from their website, and you can earn Star Alliance miles. The only drawback is the price of the tickets. If I am flying on business, I will usually have the staff arrange this flight for me.

Nok Air is also good, as they fly to DMK, have *THE* cutest air hostesses of all, provide a free Auntie Anne hotdog pretzel, you can pre-select your seat from their website, and the tickets are very affordable. The drawbacks are that you have to pay for a drink separately and you can not earn airline miles. If I am flying on my own dime, I will usually book this flight for my self.

Air Asia. The only good thing I can really say about Air Asia, is that they are affordable. The things I don't like about Air Asia is that they only fly into/ out of Suvarnabhumi and there is no assigned seating (unless you get there early and queue up early, the chances of you getting stuck in a middle seat are high).

Flying in and out of DMK airport is so much more preferable. Its much closer to town which means a much cheaper and shorter cab ride. The check-in and security lines are much shorter. Its a much shorter walk to the terminal. This means that I can leave much later to the airport than I ever could if I was flying out of Suvarnabhumi. Additionally, the food in the domestic terminal at Suvarnabhumi sucks. There is basically a single restaurant that is outrageously expensive. There are at least 2 at DMK, one of which is a Burger King! I'll take a reasonably priced Burger King over the Suvarnabhumi airport any day!

-Mestizo

Well, I like driving down myself. Having worked 10 years in China and having to use the airports there, I would rather not bother with crowds and the hassle of getting to and from in taxis. But you do have to have the time to do so and not be on a tight schedule. I enjoy getting in the truck, kicking off the shoes and having a nice ride with plenty of time to think and to be by myself for 8 hours or so. I know this is not everyone's idea of a relaxing time, but I like driving with an open window while not in big cities and heavy traffic.

I've know three girls under 30 that have died of lung cancer here and had never smoked, but had worked in bars for a long time.

You might think about the fact that around 30% of thai people carry TB, though not all these the highly infectious kind.

This is the reason why all visa apps fpr more than tourist visit demand a certificate stating clear of TB for UK

Please provide a source for this statement.

The U.K. goverment demands that all Thai nationals who are coming to the UK for moore than 6 months must have a TB check, I know this because my Fiance, now wife, had to have the test.

Please, I mean this most seriously. I am an amateur sociologist and have published often on sociological subjects......

What a load of rubbish, if that were true you would understand men on this PLANET are here for sex, not just the ones coming to Thailand.

TROLL

I agree this is a very trollish thread.

I give it another half an hour before it really de-generates and gets binned.

I totally agree. if he has to ask, then he needs to be somewhere else.

What ever you decide to do, do it while the Mother is around. I made the mistake of not doing so and the Mother of my 8 year old Thai son was killed. He has an American passport as well as a Thai passport and I am on the birth certificate as well. I was told however that the Grandmother has legal rights over him now that the Mother is dead. I have him now and the family is not hassling me, but I have yet to take him out of country on my own. I am looking into it further.

Well of course it's not a good idea, but this is Thailand where alot of children are made to be on their own at an early age. Not un common at all, and we have no right to say one way or the other. We can surley be concerned and try to monitor the situation from afar, but thaat's as far as it should go unless of course you do see evidence of abuse.

Belive me Cab Drivers are the same the world over and Sydney has some of the worst with a combination of Arabic ,Chinese ,Filipinos,indian and Vietnamese.

Yesterday i get i hail a cab in Sydney,the driver a Arabic guy stops,i hop in the front seat and tell him up to Darlinghurst,about a 8 dollar fare,i noticed when he puts on his taxi meter the fare starts at 3 dolars but he also tries to put on another button for a booking fee of 2 dollars so i watch to see he doesnt add the 2 dollars but then he starts asking me "where do you work",do you earn good money" so i told him i didnt work,when we got to my desto he didnt add that 2 dollar booking fee but im sure he was going to.

Last Monday i put on my old clothes and go downtown to the not so good Sydney City suburb of Redfern so i can go to the op shops there.

I get the Subway train there and dodge the beggars outside the railway station and walk to the op shops after being called "white trash" etc etc from the beggars and junkies,so i look in the Mr Finklesteins Pawn shop,bought a camera etc and anyway i decide to hail a cab,this is at 4pm,well past the 1 hour Cab change over,no bloody cab would stop for me until i worked out that i actually looked like a junkie in the clothe i wa wearing.

I felt very embarrassed trying to get vacant cabs to stop,the area was becoming deserted as i saw the many op shops and pawn shops closing whilst it was still daylight pulling down there steel shutters.

I knew at 6pm the Traffic lights are turned off to allow cars to not stop because of Robbery .So all i wanted to do was to take my bargain camera and go home,so i thought maybe i should just go back to the train station and again dodge the aggressive beggars.

One cab stopped,wind down his passenger window,a asian guy,"where you go",he asked.,

"Up to Darlinghurst" i said,trying to sound effeminate so he doesnt get scared.

"ok ,he said,"my meter not work,how much you give me"?

I looked at him nervously,"well its usually 10 dollars" i said.

As i was talking to him a large Aboriginal lady walks up to me,"got a f...... smoke c...t"?

I looked up her stunned,"ummmm no , i apologised.

The cab driver put his foot on the accelator obviouly thinking she would hop in his cab,so i shouted out almost in a begging way,"Nooooo pleeeeeeese"!

He braked suddenly and i quickly walked up and tried to open the door but it was locked,"you give me 15 dollar ok" the cab driver said,

I looked at his face,i could see he was a South East Asian,so i nodded yes,as i looked sideways to see a group of Aboriginal kids aged in their early teens smashing a payphone metres away from me.

I went to open the cab door again,but it was locked,the asian cab driver with his laughing eyes looked up at me again,"15 dollar ,he shouts ,

"Yes yes ,i said,still trying to open the door,

"NOW !!!!!,he shouts,putting his open hand out toward the passenger window,

Not wanting him to take off with my money,i smiled at him and said "yes yes i have it",pulling out a 20 dollar note,wondering if he was going to give me change.

"Give to me",he shouts thru the partially opened pasenger window.

I pratically begged him to open the door which he finally does and he tells me to get in the back seat whilst wringling his nose as in i seem to stink to him.

I then gave him the 20 dollar note,he drives up to Darlinghurst in a mad state,before i direct him to Oxford street,

"OUT,"he shouts as i tell him where to stop,he then hands me a 2 dollar coin.and i get out as he takes off with a sscreech.

Last month i hop into a cab at 5am on a Sunday morning not wanting to walk home,because of the drunks still out,a cab driver stops at the red traffic light and i walk over and get into the front seat next to him, and a guy with a American accent is driving .

I told him my destination and he still stops without moving.

He then says" Hey buddy thats only up the road,why dont you walk"?

I said"well i only just finished work and i got to walk pat the nightclubs which are just closing"

He still stays at the now green traffic lights,i look at him and see he looks like John Lennon with long hair and round glasses.

He looks like his thinking and all of a sudden the car behind us starts blasting its horn because the traffic lights are green now.

The cab driver reaches under his seat and pulls out what looks like a baseball bat and gets out of the cab and walks to the car behind us and i can hear shouting" you got a problem asshol_e" to a car behind us.

I look back and see the car quickly swerve around him and get in the next lane and take off.

The American driver gets in and says "f... punks"

He then looks over at me and says" oh yere,where were we,please refresh my memory"

I said "mate all i wanna do is go down Oxford Street":

He looks plainly in my eyes and says "oh yere,you aint gonna run on me now are ya"?

I was shocked,i said ,trying to remain friendly "as i thought he was joking,i said look at me im a middle aged overweight guy,why would i run off without paying.

As he was driving me the short distance he starts telling me that "sally" his "girl" has met a lot of drunken Aussies.

The fare was 5.60 and i gave him 10 as i was scared.Only later did i realise "Sally" was his baseball bat.

Well I got to tell you aall, if I was a taxi driver in Bangkok, I surley would want the right to refuse a fare. Can you possibly imagine what a driver runs up against during one shift alone? Give the guys a break, or find and alternative way of getting around.