canopy

Is there a geographic birds eye view map that shows where either of these amazing creatures still roam in the wild in Thailand? For instance, I came across this http://www.tuffydog.com/pics/tigermap.jpg but hoping to see more detail on both in Thailand.

I am not pulling any punches here, but rather just telling it the way I found it. Below is my account of a beautiful place I once wanted to live.

When I visited CR to look for land a year ago the visibility was greatly limited by a brown haze like you see when a car goes down a dirty road, the whole place stank, and my eyes and lungs burned. Even the air conditioned hotel I stayed at, one of the nicest in CR, was burning trash and plastic outside! We complained and they sprayed an air freshener in our room that helped briefly, but left the smoldering pit go on all night. If that is the mentality in the nicest place it seems there is just no hope things are gonna get any better in our generation. I slept that night with the sheets used as sort of a gas mask to little avail; it was still one of the most difficult nights for me to get through. Then I quickly cancelled my CR stay and got back to Bangkok which seemed like a fresh air paradise in comparison. I am an active outdoors person so thick smoke lasting months each year makes CR unworkable. It's got to be terribly unhealthy for a person. I could take it, but why? Or I could be driven from my home for months each year in search of normal air, but why? That's my view, but go see for yourself or look at some photos on the net.

And I strongly disagree with the sentiments given that an annual burning is needed for the health of the forest. Forests did magnificantly since the beginning of time before Thai's came tampering with them in the last generation or two. An environmental impact statement would show annual burnings are doing far more harm to the forests than anyone realizes (not even considering impacts to us humans). A good burn in accordance with natures schedule is healthy, torching absolutely everything, every year is not. The ecosystem top to bottom evolved millions of years on a natural burning schedule and is unfamiliar and hence less able to cope with the madness happening now.

We live in a Phetchabun moo baan. One idea I have is to trade her motorbike in for an expensive and beautiful bicycle. I like the idea because it means she doesn't have to do any boring work outs at all. Instead she gets exercise by default just by going where she goes: market, friends, family, som tam. Greener and cheaper too. But this one carries a bit of downside as I don't want to limit her freedom and people here on bicycles do it only because they are poor so there is the dignity and status part which could be a huge problem. I however do use a bicycle to get around. Most everything is within a few klicks. But I recognize for her such a radical life style change might go over like a lead balloon.

She looks good now, but is getting to the age where metabolism alone isn't going to keep the weight down. Diet alone doesn't seem a reasonable solution because food is such an enjoyment to her. I do not know anyone in the village who does fitness and a lot of the women are plump so I see the writing on the wall so to speak. Is there is a type of fitness program a Thai might do regularly? I keep very fit but don't want to push her to that extreme. Just wish to find something simple a Thai would do regularly that contributes to her maintaining looking good and being healthy would be the goal. Look forward to hearing anything you have thought about or tried.

As my thermometer says it is hitting 99 degrees F in Phetchabun lately, it prompted me to look at historical records on temperature. For the first half of the year, Phetchabun reaches temperatures considerably hotter than Bangkok. Being closer to the pole, I did not expect this. The last half the of the year Phetchabun is usually cooler though insignificantly: just 1 degree or less.

Someone already said it, but it is worth repeating: you don't need to buy any fitness equipment. A good option is bodyweight workout programs. Here is an example home workout I like though there are tougher and easier ones to suit:

Think of diet. We now know natural, organic food sources without all the chemicals and additives are better for a person. Modern fitness is also back to the basics. Most people already know free weights are better than machines. Now there is a growing realization that bodyweight workouts are as incredibly effective as they are simple. Martial arts and military are training like this because it works. You can do very tough workouts that give great results if that is your goal. There are no requirements to spend money on memberships or equipment to get fit. Improvise a little and you will find you already have everything you need.

There are so many beautiful, non polluted places in Thailand to live.

I'd sincerely like to know where as I have posted about this too. I have found nowhere in Thailand that is reliably with fresh air that is remotely close to any form of civilization.

An emphatic me too! Fresh air is only a dream to me now. I live in a Phetchabun moo baan. Here too there are several houses that make charcoal: thick, smoldering, acrid smoke spewing out all the time. Neighbors also burn rubbish which can include plastic trash on a daily basis. And I am not making this up--some burn wood and green stuff just to stay warm when it is 80 degrees outside. I have learned my lesson on cold nights to shut the windows as a precaution. Morning, day, and all night long are never safe from smoke permeating the house. I have driven around other areas with the windows down and yes, there is smoke issues just the same so seems to be an endemic part of the culture. I am now bracing for my first year through the so called "controlled" burning of private and public forests and farmlands as the height of the dry season approaches (I gather "controlled" means they will burn absolutely every square inch they can reach). Sad to say Bangkok air was better than this. The only option I see for country living with good air is to find somewhere as far away from Thai people as possible because I have come to equate neighbors with pollution. Otherwise wonderful and kind people to be around.

You can still do 90 day reports by mail to Bangkok without a problem. That has not changed.

The mail in to Bangkok is meant for those that live far away from their office.

You are making an assumption about visa type here. I repeat: MY VISA REQUIRES ME TO GO EVERY 90 DAYS IN PERSON, NO EXCEPTIONS. Please take it offline with PM if you can't fathom this. So this new rule really hurts me quadruple more than people who have a visa like you are talking about.

14 hour drive, 4 times a year. Think of a 14 hour plane ride, that's a long way. These trips will be so wasteful in time and fuel, making me part of Thailand's traffic problem, feeling like an idiot mosying down the road that long for what? Navigating those mountain passes is hairy; you've got 10 wheel trucks doing 20 and pickups doing 120. Around the blind hairpins there is often someone in "your" lane. I am a careful driver, but I recognize this is a hazardous drive. In the US there is a law that truck drivers cannot drive more than 10 hours a day because it impairs judgement. It astonishes me we now we are asked to do 14 hours for this. I am sure there will be accidents due to so many people forced into these long trips into unfamiliar roads and people may die as a result. Some people get enjoyment out of road trips, I don't. I get enjoyment riding my bicycle to get around to have a more eco friendly footprint. Now I am forced to blow 1000km worth of diesel into the air, 4 times a year. Sorry if my assessment is harsh, but this is stupid.

It is one thing is to do sight seeing in Nan which I have already done, but it is another thing to be forced to go there 4 times a year. It is good some of you only have to do this once a year, I don't have that option. So this is both inconvenient and wasteful, something to dread. Driving 14 hours to enjoy a shorter wait is clearly no consolation.

I am in Phetchabun and the PDF says I must go to Nan. THAT IS 14 HOURS OF DRIVING.

Using the Bangkok office was no extra driving since I sometimes go there anyway. The new rules are a catastrophe, this is worse than being stuck doing a visa run bus.

Any province will do, though I am in Phetchabun now and like it. I would like to find land with the following in mind:

1. Documents: NS3 or chanote. It seems lower documents will go bye bye if one simply wants a homestead on a large piece of land and is not running a farm or business.
   
2. High altitude hoping to find cooler weather. For reference Phetchabun city is near sea level and often tops 33C (90+F) during the *cold* season--undesirably hot.
   
3. Privacy by way of purchasing a giant quantity of rai for a buffer zone. Would consider a small amount in a remote, out of the way area not likely to be developed.
   
4. Scenic/wooded rather than clearcut dry grasslands baking in the sun.
   
5. Reasonable pricing in line with what a local would pay for the same thing.
   
6. Do not want to be in a place with a “burning season” with bad air seasonally. Was sight seeing in Chiang Rai last March and the smoky air was a horrifying experience.
   

Do not require electricity or public water. I don’t think it is the type of land most people buy so it seems very difficult to find. I think I could run classified ads until I am blue in the face and it will be totally futile. Any ideas how to go about finding such a place?

I did not care for the bias in the story. Horror music was edited in during the bout, overriding the traditional muay thai music. And when the girl said the (vitamin rich) melon and (not shown) nam prik would taste good, that was left out of the translation. These are examples of bias used to sensationalize the story. The girls like participating in this ancient sport and it makes life better for them and their family. As a sports person, I found it inspiring to see these young student athletes given this chance. Sure beats spending the day playing video games which many of their peers are doing.

Good list of options, but as with the Elite card each comes with its own downsides.

Learn Thai language, no visa runs.

This is a good one, though not for everyone. First, you are tied to specific locales. Not everyone wants to live near the select places available for this forever. Also a law firm that is a board sponsor informed me this would be good for about 3 years max and does not provide a path to permanent residency.

Open a dummy company and pay taxes on fake income' still better use of capital and no visa runs.

I was discouraged by the constant paperwork, costs, overhead, facilities, employees, audits, etc, etc. If a surprise audit (which they WILL do) sees you are a fake such as simply you aren't at your place of work during business hours, you could say good bye to the company and all the up front costs just like that. They are after the fakes and wish to shut them down. Even if you want to create something quasi-legit, the structure is just too rigid and is not malleable to many types of businesses.

Find a 'sponsor' company and simply pay them to employ you (again cheaper)

Don't know how one could go about finding a legit one. If some random company asks for an initial payment up front to come aboard for the visa, who can really trust this is not a scam? Plus there does not seem to be a great deal of future stability with this approach.

Get a non imm O (in the west) based on friends and family.

Get an ED (in the west) based on learning anything, from scuba to Thai culture too almost anything..

Only that in my experience in the USA, I found no consulates willing to offer anything remotely like this.

Get a B (in the west) on 'considering investment'

If from the region get an APEC card.

Have heard about these, though don't know the pros and cons though expect there are some issues otherwise everyone would have one.

'Hey farang (nudge, nudge), we just screwed you with the Elite card, now how about an even more expensive guaranteed deal?'

You just gotta be joking. Is it 1st April already?

Thanks, even I got a nice chuckle out of that. But seriously this strategy does not seem like a good fit. Let me explain. I can envision 2 classes of people:

A: Those who are new or uncertain to future stay in Thailand just cannot be sure how long they will be around. 5 years is a long time and they may not be able to stretch out the entire 400K block. Then they face the exact same scenario all over again the second iteration. They can get tourist visas and regardless how long they stay are sure to save money by doing so, albeit with greater inconvenience.

B: Those that are somewhat confident they will be around for a long haul. These people however can easily see that 2 or 3 of these 5 year iterations down the road and they are already paying Elite card sums of money and may wish to stay even longer. Given the Elite pricing is attractive to almost no one, this is bound to be a show stopper for these people. These people might use B visas, some may opt for Elite if convenience is paramount, or even just staying on tourist visas.

So such a strategy does not seem to compare favorably to the existing visas. It might catch a nitch somewhere between groups A and B for those who wish for more convenience and mid term stability and are willing to pay substantially more to get this.

These speaker systems make me wonder how they got by without them before the electricity age. I don't know the justification for announcements blasted at all the sheeple day in and day out, and multiple times a day at that. Seems a case they do it because they can, not because they need to. I admit I don't know much about the current system, but it comes off as a power trip by the speaker. As another annoyed person in the firing line, I would advocate two solutions, but I presume I already know the response--such ideas will be shot down immediately by the speaker and listeners alike because roaring over loudspeakers is absolutely essential to village life. In short, people resist change.

1. low tech: post important news on cork boards at each little mini market that people visit daily and another at the poo yai's house. Then people can gather around, learn, and discuss the news amongst each other at their leisure.

2. high tech: mobile phones now seem endemic in households. Send an SMS voice message (not text since not everyone can read). People can listen at their leisure.

I have been through the archives but am not totally clear. Would be nice to have a FAQ pinned about IDP. Any info to clear up any of these particular questions is appreciated.

Q1: For those with a 5 year Thai DL, in what cases is an international driving permit required? When not required are there cases it is recommended? In my case, I wish to drive in the US where I am a citizen but no longer have a DL there.

Q2: An IDP is a translation of the DL. A Thai 5 year DL and has 2 sections on the front. The top is in Thai and the bottom is the exact same thing in English. Does this mean an IDP is not needed when driving in USA since the translation is on the license itself?

Q3: Where can one apply for an IDP (e.g. any DMV or is it limited to Bangkok / select locations)?

Q4: What things (documents, pictures, etc) are necessary to bring when applying?

Sometimes in the middle of a day I get a spam text messages. Some are from AIS and some are from weird sources like 108live or InfoLove. All of them are Thai script. Is there a way to block senders or otherwise get rid of spam? Did I do something that triggers spam or is it just part of AIS's policy to spam customers?

A month after purchasing a vehicle and waiting for white plates, the Toyota dealer springs on me that I must now give him a tabien ban document in order to be issued white license plates. I gather this document is some sort of home address record. I don't know how to go about getting it. In case it matters, I don't have a work permit and I am not married. Anyone have any advice that might help sort this out?

I was offered the outgoing Vigo model year for 50K less (ExtraCab), but would imagine they are all cleared out by now. Decided to buy the new 4x4 SmartCab at sticker as they wouldn't budge on price, but did get half a dozen options and 1st class insurance thrown in. Nice vehicle, though wish they offered an auto tranny. Another option is unless you are set on Toyota is the Ranger gets you more truck for the buck.

As I sit at my falling apart Index desk, I must tell you the root of the problem is Index sells poorly designed, poorly installed, poor materials that just aren't worth a darn. And if having to rudely fire the people on the floor and go over their heads is their customer service model, that is also a negative to me. I am glad you have endeavored, but nothing written here would ever bring me back to Index as a customer.

Any other input that might be helpful before the thread drifts into obscurity?

While useful, the references are not totally clear and do not answer my questions. So left to read between the lines I will summarize my understanding:

1. There is no general "911" for emergency

2. The numbers are appropriate throughout Thailand, not just Bangkok

3. For a crime in progress dial 195

4. For fire dial 199

5. If someone needs urgent medical attention dial either 1554 or 1669, but how to choose between them?

Corrections/clarifications welcome.

Is there a list of emergency phone numbers or is there a general 911 type number for police, medical, fire, etc? Are the number(s) the same in the provinces?

When buying a new car at Toyota, are all the forms going to be Thai language or is it possible to get English ones? Is it best to have a Thai along or even a lawyer? What have you guys done that works. I am concerned just signing all the forms they put in front of me I may be in for some not so nice surprises.

Second question, is there a checklist of what to do when buying?

If a sofa is too long for the truck bed, is it legal to lower the tailgate with the sofa extending out not more than 2 feet past the bed?

Any other tips to make a cross country move legal and safe?