WinnieTheKhwai

If I'm ever getting married again the ONLY requirement is that it should feature coyote / morlam girls. Honestly, what was I thinking.

That would be rather surprising, since urban Chiang Mai is mostly a pretty Yellow/Democrat kind of place. Once you clear town it's a different story, but this being a mayor election it's only the town area that's voting, obviously. Also, to vote you have to be registered as living in Chiang Mai on a house registration document, meaning that many (poorer) people whove lived in Chiang Mai (town) for years but don't own property don't get to vote.

So to be honest I was expecting a Number 1 landslide. May still happen, depending on which districts are in. Not much you can say about it now.

Thanks for clarifying. Will purchase beer.

(To his defence though, they did spell Carrent as one word. Avis doesn't spell it that way, they spell 'Car Rental' with a space in between.

I don't even notice the small stuff anymore. Heck I'm happy when I open a menu and it doesn't say:

ข้าวผัดปู

Cow Pat Poo

Fried rice with Crap

I couldn't believe how slow Nakhon Chai Air was driving when I tried. I mean safety is good and all that but they manage a full 10 hours to Bangkok.. I prefer Sombat Tour for that reason, they don't drive like snails.

And then, what's that with their separate bus station in Bangkok.. that's real convenient when transiting to the Pattaya bus..

NCR do go to Pattaya direct, but I think 12 hours is optimistic, plus they take the old road past Phitsanulok and stop in damned near every province on the way.. If I bus it to Patters then I take Sombat to Mo Chit and just connect on the Roong Ruang bus which takes 1 hour 45 mins from Mo Chit, especially at the hour you'd make that transition which would be something like 5am.

Nothing beats Air Asia though..

> Daeng as in red "แดง", which seems to be a common nik name for men.

Common for women too.

(For older folks of course, as it must rank up there with the most unfashionable of names right now. )

I don't understand the post however. He thought 'Carrent' was his last name? ( Maybe I should consume more beer before it will start to make sense. )

As for last names, most of the women in my phone contacts list seem to have a bar name as a last name. Scrolling down the list it goes like 'Aom Lucky', 'Bee BBBB', 'Lek Easy', 'Cat Marin', 'Phai Sabai' and so on.

Thailand needs tougher immigration laws, terminate the visa runs and raise the visa minimum funds required.

Impose that all foriegners living in Thailand have to go through Immigration with a requirement that each applicant must have a document from their home country police as to what is or what is not on criminal file about them.

LOL.. Now that would devastate the forum membership.

"It depends". On election days it's actually against the law. On some religious holidays too. But on other days it's only a 'request', which may be enforced depending on the policeman you happen to meet and the mood he's in.

In all cases above however some places get away with it.

It's great living in a corrupt banana <form_of_government>!

> I believe it has to be from an 'official' translator (to be used for citizenship purposes).

Better get that clarified. Because usually the only requirement is that the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs certifies it as a correct translation. Who actually translates it matters none.

However for some nationalities this may be different, so, best to get it clarified what is required. Consulates and embassies might have a list of 'recommended' (==expensive) translators, and these offices may get the certification from the M.F.A. done in-house which saves you the effort of going down to Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok.

But basically anyone can translate it; you could translate it with your wife. Better chance of it being correct too, in my limited experience. You should always check the basics: that any numbers and dates match, and that name translations sync with the same name translated on any other documents.

Through town is probably a bigger chance at a smaller mishap. Out of town towards Mae Jo there is a smaller chance of being hit by a speeding truck.

What to do? Be a naughty boy (or girl, as it may apply) and find a beer somewhere!! I know of at least two bar with a "secret annexe"..

Why not do what everyone else does: big tank in the back and a pump.

http://www.belgianbeerschiangmai.com/ @ the Hoe Garden ( aka Number 1. )

Case closed.

Now that's a good idea.. The gates of course were rebuilt, but the whole wall could be rebuilt as well. You would lose the pavements on the inside most likely though.

It's hard to comment in detail without knowing the full text of the proposal, hence the questions.

So I take it it's not a floating market that you propose but pretty much the Sunday Walking Street market but then located on the river banks? (The *EXCELLENT* Sunday market that's currently free and works very well? ) You'd need to provide parking somewhere in that area, but that can be solved of course.

For the Mae Kha Canal, an issue could be that absolutely everything next to it is completely hideous.. ugly shacks, etc. Paving it over could be the easy part compared to developing things that people would actually want to walk past.

Stop building flashy malls and other buildings messing up the ambience.

Restrict chain stores, restaurants and coffee shops to the shopping centres. None allowed between Nimmenhiem road and ping river!

Regulations are already in place that would prevent a flashy mall being built in the old town area. There's nothing wrong with flashy malls in the right places, i.e. on the ring roads.

I also don't see the need to restrict chain stores in any way; and: what's a chain store? No more Wawi Coffee outlets? Perhaps a law on hideous signage and bill boards would make sense though; allow any store (we're not living under communism after all) but don't put any big Golden Arches out on the street in the town area.

Sorry, but what is he actually proposing?

Paving over Mae Kha canal?? That worked out real well for Bangkok, resulting in a water management nightmare and annual flooding. If you pave over Mae Kha Canal then you may get into trouble at those times of the year that a lot of water must flow through it.. (It's of course obvoious that it needs cleaning up; it's an open sewer)

And then: Thapae River Market? That sounds like Yet Another Artificial Floating Market, please say it aint so. Chiang Mai does not need artificial attractions, and in terms of market, there's a REAL market right there on the river (Ton Lamyai / Kad Luang / Talad Warorot)

Greening: Sure, can never have too much greenery around. It's already quite good for Asia though.

They're not primarily used by people grabbing a complete stranger off the streets in broad daylight.

(That's what Camfrog and Hi5 are for. )

what do you think those love hotels are for?

They're for having sex with your co-workers, fellow-students, karaoke staff, etc.

They're not primarily used by people grabbing a complete stranger off the streets in broad daylight.

Aw shucks, let's stop pretending and just have another good old rant against Farang tourist police.

It's kind of typical to get some typhoon remnants in the area this time of year.. That's what people mean when they say that the main bite of the rainy season is at the end, sort of mid September until mid October.

Usually just means a shitload of rain.

I am now officially confused. A gay activist is against a gay hotel, AND violently opposes gay parades?

Nice advertising technique!!!

Might even work.

Forget it. I just buy abroad.

Well, better Gay than Dead, that's what I always say. Pragmatism before homophobia.

BTW, I don't think gay people should donate blood. Flame away ...

No honestly I agree; what if gay blood makes straight people gay?

Be careful though; sex toys are illegal in Thailand.