WinnieTheKhwai

It depends a little on the time of day as well, specifically while close to Bangkok where traffic can be heavy.

I think 8 hours is a reasonable average to expect, given you stop occasionally for fuel or to grab a quick bite to eat. My best time is 7 hours (driving alone), but it may also take 9 hours if you have to (want to) stop more often, or take it easy.

> I dont mean to be pedantic, but

It's a natural talent!!!

Anyway, the Middle East is to the West of us, so I think it qualifies as Western. Those Westies tend to call the whole wide world East of Istanbul 'East' as well, and everyone from Georgia to Papua New Guinea 'Asian' , so... so... [ err, no particular point ]

I strongly disagree with her views and actions against gay people. In addition I think it's a political mistake to include that in their agenda; lots of gay Thais like democracy (and/or Thaksin) too. Other than that she made a lot of sense and I agree with many of the points she makes. The military coup and shredding the 1997 constitution was a disaster for the country. So were the Yellow airport blockade, and the red riots in Bangkok.

> what is the ratio of serious illness due to the type of polution chiang mai sees every year in the dry season and pig flu?

Oh fukc.. Game on.

At my office people got bored wearing face masks, no mask in sight this morning. Guess the hype is past the top in the Hype-Bell-curve.

PDA's used to be all the rage in the business world before just about every Phone gained PDA features, and every PDA gained phone features.

There is however a killer PDA out there that is truly excellent for web browsing, (Exchange) e-mail, note taking, etc, etc.. It's the iPod Touch running the iPhone 3.0 software.

Compared to the iPhone you don't get a phone, camera and GPS. You do get everything else, in a thinner package with better battery life. It really is the first small mobile device on which it is a joy to browse the web and do e-mail.. The keyboard typo-correction has improved, so much so that when you just hit the general area where a key is, the software will figure out the word.. You can type on it as fast as a real physical keyboard a la Blackberry or Nokia E71. And then there's games, viewing pictures, watching videos and of course listening to music.. (I almost never use my iPod to listen to music, it's almost strictly a internet / PDA device! )

Oh yes, you do need a WiFi connection of course to connect to the Internet.. I have a Nokia E51 phone though, on which you can install the free JoikuSpot app that turns the thing into a mobile WiFi access point: problem solved. It's almost uncanny how the iPod is everything the E51 isn't, and the other way around.

E51 has a really good phone, camera, long battery life, non-crippled Bluetooth so you can swap files/music/pictures with other people, and can multi-task applications so you can stay online on Skype when doing other things.

iPod does not have multi tasking (Booo! this is my main gripe), no phone, battery lasts about a day when doing internet stuff, and no camera, but it has that glorious touch screen and super slick user interface..

The perfect combo. iPod touch costs just 8000 baht. A steal, just keep your old phone to use as a phone.

I agree, it's a great phone. Only drawback (if you can call it that) is that it doesn't have a big touch screen so browsing the web is a bit tricky.

I dont know your phone. I simply find google maps very poor (I cant read Thai). There maybe a better GPS map program that you could install.

- Nokia Maps (Doesn't it come with Nokia maps? I think Google is an optional download?)

- Route 66

Is there currently any problems getting books via amazon to chiang mai?

No, because:

- Books are tax exempt

- You don't have to ship them with DHL/FedEx and all those guys. You ship them regular airmai, and you make sure to include some text that says "BOOKS / PRINTED MATTER - NOT FOR RESALE - NO COMMERCIAL VALUE"

(Amazon allows you to enter some shipping notes, use that to your advantage)

Do a forum search or check this thread...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Recommend-Ta...&hl=neramit

On Neramit, the guy is gettting a little rusty/forgetful though.. It's still a decent shop, but you have to document all your requirements very carefully and make sure he's written it all down, including the price. I'd still recommend him though... But then again I never tried any other shop so take it for what it's worth.

Not sure if a comparison to places like Half Moon is fair; the business model there centers more around showing an interest in male customers....

> How is it you know the Thai legalities in this? Just wondering.

A former military government printed millions of booklets of the new constitution. We read it, before using it as toilet paper.

Isn't there somewhere in the rules about a visa extension that you can or must pay an income to the Thai spouse whereupon she pays taxes on this money.

No.

Isn't this money hers to do with as she pleases? i.e. purchase land?

As a free Thai citizen, ANY Thai has the right to do with their money as he/she pleases, provided they obtained that money legally, as income, a gift, an inheritance, a lottery win or otherwise. Current efforts probably don't even sync with the mess that currently passes for a constitution.

I have a different take from most of you, different from the camp that says 'you can't/shouldn't own land anyway so quit whining' and also different from the camp that says 'my wife and I should be able to own a small plot or a house and live on it'. This is because it isn't about you, it's about her.

My point is that the foreign party completely doesn't matter in any of this, it's the rights of Thai women that are under threat. In the Bad Old Days, Thai women who were married to foreigners were prevented from legally owning land! So by marrying a foreigner, they lost some of their constitutional rights. Even more peculiar, this de facto applied selectively to Thai women marrying a foreign man, and not to Thai men marrying a foreign woman, making it a sexist situation as well.

Happily this situation ended over a decade ago.

The current efforts that I see going on to me represent a move back to the Bad Old Days: Any Thai woman who wants to own land and who happens to be married to a foreigner will now have to fight for her right to own property, and demonstrate how she obtained the money. This INCLUDES cases where the Thai woman actually does have money herself, or for example sells family land to purchase another plot: it will now all be under government/legal scrutiny because of the person she chose to marry.

My personal situation is pretty similar to the above, except that we had the good sense not to register any marriage exactly for the reason that we didn't trust the Thai government to not go back on the 1997 Constitution which cemented equal rights for Thai women. Since then we've of course seen that constitution shredded in a military coup, and in return got something doctored to cater to particular powers-that-be. And they might just get away with putting extra scrutiny on business deals by women, who may have to end up proving that the're not married to a foreigner and/or demonstrate where the money came from.

> Newbie Farangs from socialist nations typically don't expect things like medical fees or police

> fines to be up for scrutiny and debate, but, in Thailand, they are.

What do police fines have to do with anything?

Agreed, Patriciachas, Nothing. He is trying to fog the issue.

> Your mileage may vary. I never waited an hour at Sripat in 6.4 years.

What has mileage to do with medical costs in Chiangmai

On second thought let me revise my opinion, you need the best help money can buy.

Wouldn't necessarily be better for furniture if quality and care is a requirement... Nim See Seng is a company that sends a truck of any size and a couple of dudes. No specific experience in taking care of furniture is implied. It won't be expensive though.

Oh and furthermore.. medical treatment is not a loaf of bread or a tv set you buy.. In other words... your advise is worthless.

No, it's actually very similar to buying any other product/service combination, as several people above have already pointed out to you.

Newbie Farangs from socialist nations typically don't expect things like medical fees or police fines to be up for scrutiny and debate, but, in Thailand, they are.

What as police fines got to do with medical costs at ram hospital.(Nothing)

Agreed, Patriciachas, Nothing He is trying to fog the issue

It's called 'giving an example' that highlights certain cultural differences that are beneficial to be aware of. Feel free to disrAgreed, Patriciachas, Nothing

He is trying to fog the issueegard.

Fortunately I'm young enough to not require medical attention on a monthly basis but it appears I strayed into a famous Grumpy-Farang Bickering Match. The floor is yours.

I don't think I agree. A lot of the development going on is actually very tasteful; you could point at som brain dead hotels like the Meridien and Shangri La (and Amora), but any walk through the old town area will reveal that many new boutique developments are stunningly beautiful and work very well in the environment.

The thing about removing temples is just hyperbole; makes it hard to take other claims at face value to be honest. And 'new super highways' : Guess what, those are the Middle and Outer ring which actually channel development AWAY from the old town. So it's all good.

Nimmanhaemin: Same.. it's WAY out of town, it used to a be suburbia basically.. Very nice developments there, and, would you rather yuppify that area way out near CMU or would you yuppify Talad Warorot or the old town? Yuppies are people too, and people spending money in those areas is what drives the economy. Don't like it? ME NEITHER, I'm no yuppie, but please have a quick look at what is happening in the Santhithamm neighbourhood.. It used to be the grimmest area in Chiang Mai but there's a real buzz and vibe to it now, and a lot of the people who don't like the yuppiness or expense of Nimmanhaemin are going there to hang or live.

River front area: Same. Thapae Road: Some of the old shop houses are very nice, many are renovated instead of just torn down. Shows a lot of Chiang Mai people appreciate the identity and uniqueness of the architecture.

I agree we need to be critical of road widening proposals especially in the old town area and immediately around it. But looking at the bigger picture, and seeing what's actually being built, I think it's all good and very exciting.

Oh and furthermore.. medical treatment is not a loaf of bread or a tv set you buy.. In other words... your advise is worthless.

No, it's actually very similar to buying any other product/service combination, as several people above have already pointed out to you.

Newbie Farangs from socialist nations typically don't expect things like medical fees or police fines to be up for scrutiny and debate, but, in Thailand, they are.

Clearly it is not possible, or very difficult to cater for being both a 'Bar and Restaurant'.

Just about every Thai aimed watering hole also serves food. It'd be very uncommon to find any kind of pub or karaoke or brothel even that doesn't serve food.

If you want to talk 'difficult' then it'd be a decent bar that also serves good espresso.

How about just asking in advance, just like for any other servic or product you buy? And then optionally compare with other hospitals.

Because nobody has actually broken any rules they signed up for?

I don't see the issue; it's considered a sin, but then we are all sinners... Join the queue at the confession booth.

You don't have to actually buy something, you just ask for the stamp at any shop where you've ever bought something, or ever plan to buy something in the future.

> Yeah I would trust them 100%. Used them loads of times for legal docs to and from the UK, never a problem.

Legal docs don't have LCD screens that can crack.

And legal docs don't have import duty, and most courier companies are in cohorts with corrupt customs officials and will rip you a new ####### on duty and tax. (This is the pessimistic view. The optimistic view is that they're not actively in on it but just don't give a shit on what charges customs feel they want to add, still ripping you a new #######.)

Yup, agreed. Basically it's following Highway #1 all the way to Lampang, where you turn left on to Highway #11 to Chiang Mai.

Google Maps will show this as well if you plug in the departure and destination.

If you want to stop somewhere, Kamphaeng Phet is interesting.