WinnieTheKhwai

THE PRESIDENT HOTEL COFFEE SHOP HAS BREAKFAST MENU AND AT 5:00 A.M. IS WHEN THE KEREOKY GIRLS ARE DONE ALL 50 OR SO OF THEM ... SOMETIMES HAVE LEFT THERE AT 5:00AM BUT U CAN WALK INTO THE COFFEE SHOP AT 5:00AM TOO. I EAT THAI FOOD THERE BUT THEY DO HAVE A BREAKFAST MENU WITH PHOTOS IF IT IS TOO EARLY TO SEE STRAIGHT . NEXT LATE NITE I WILL WOLF TWO OR THREE BREAKFAST SELECTIONS DOWN WITH MY BEER AND REPORT BACK.. I ALMOST ORDERED BREAKFAST THE OTHER NIGHT(MORNING) BUT WENT THAI INSTEAD... THE SWEE THING IS YOU CAN GULP DOWN YOUR EGGEY WEGGIES WHILE GALKING AT LONG LEGGED, WHITE SKINNED BEAUTIES WHILE SMASHING BACK COFFEE.. A FINE HEALTHY WAY TO START THE DAY FOR MANY....

Thank you, thank you, thank you..! I forgot all about the President hotel... Didn't also know it was open that late..

Did the girls learn to dance though, I mean something other than the Geriatric's Line Dance?

Swain, that's ludicrous. Are you even in Chiang Mai?

Please leave if you can't deal with 16.something days of haze a year in March and abslutely stellar clarity the rest of the year. (Rainy season, anyone? Please. )

Honestly they're no worse (or different) than guys..

BBC, CNN, and The Economist. Nothing from inside Thailand (esp. mainstream media) as it can't be trusted.

Maybe they could remove the bit where a government can be overthrown because the PM still does a weekly cooking show?

Bakery at the Oriental Dhara Dhevi. Absolutely without a doubt the best in Chiang Mai. (It's located in the little shopping 'village' on the right hand side when driving into the place). Cakes, pastries and ice cream are also to die for. Discounts apply after 7pm.

So that would be North of the Chang Phuak bus station on Chotana Road? 2km North from the gate you're already at Khuang Singh intersection with the Superhighway.

Wouldn't it be great if there was a forum where we could just share all information on anything.. Kind of awkward to do it in PMs. I'll send you a PM anyway tough.

Or better, try a big building materials store. Like Noppadon Phanich. (Super highway on the inside (left side), in between San Dek intersection (Doi Saket Rd) and Mae Jo intersection.

If you live outside of town (10 - 12 minutes), you will avoid some of the pollution during the bad weeks (approx. 4) - not all, but most.

No, you *won't*. Check the data again, it's a yearly seasonal thing that affects the ENTIRE region. It's NOT city pollution. In fact the very rural province of Mae Hong Son was much worse this year than Chiang Mai.

So you will NOT avoid it, no matter what you do, short of moving to Phuket or Pattaya for the month of March.

That said, I don't think it's that big a deal. But some people are more affected by it than others.

Anyway, a comparison between Patters and Chiang Mai:

Some things are a bit cheaper in Chiang Mai, such as land, houses and rent, some things are a bit more expensive, such as diesel/gasoline. How it will work out in your particular case cost-wise will depend a lot on your lifestyle.

The biggest negatives for Chiang Mai include the following, and note that these will not be negatives to everyone, including myself. I'm merely listing some common viewpoints:

- Abysmal tourist sex scene. Regular Thai nightlife in terms of pubs, clubs and restaurants is probably better than Pattaya though.

- Crap air / air pollution in the month of March, very hot weather in April

- No beach nearby.

To me the biggest negatives for Pattaya inlcude

- So many other Farangs set a really bad example.. You're always treated as 'the tourist' , or as the Farang pervert. Either way an object to be taken advantage of.

- Meeting 'regular' non-working girls may actually be harder because of the stigma related to being seen with a Farang..

- Uncomfortably hot and humid most of the year. Nothing wrong with the air quality though.

- Not much in the way of natural beauty nearby, other than beaches.

- Not much in the way of history or older architecture to be seen.

But I like both. Both are fairly booming towns that are currenlty growing rapidly. I made the choice to live in Chiang Mai and visit Pattaya occasionally.

won't take your bet. I was in Chiangmai for Songkran in 1971 and I remember it as being full on madness. Being a greenhorn, I didn't know about locking the doors on my vehicle. I figured it out after the doors were opened and buckets of moat water thrown in.

Thank you - thank you - thank you!!

I knew it.

I hope it begins to dawn on Thai leaders how incredibly stupid it is to have a stat of emergency.. The previous government was just as guilty of it as the current one. Honestly all over the world there are huge demonstrations, sometimes very violent ones, and by and large the riot police shows up and deals with it WITHOUT the need for a state of emergency.

They really don't understand how much that scares potential tourists.. Overhere we know it means very little, but as soon as mom and pop in Sweden hear 'State of Emergency' they're seriously not considering travelling here anymore!

In a lot of cases I'm not sure the issue is with google, it's with the sites themselves that just may not provide enough information. Remember all Google does is index stuff that's out there.

> What things do you wish it was easier to find?

People. Including their exact location at any given time. Fortunately Google seems to be working on that.

If you drink enough alcohol, the ice water don't matter too much anymore.

But yeah, I started my days at Number 1 bar largely because they didn't use ice water.. Then once wet and after sufficient alcohol I went out to face the ice water.. When you're completely wet then you don't really feel regular water anymore.

Honourable mention goes to the kids outside the Top North Guesthouse who used water from their roof tanks which was actually WARM! Truly wonderful for a change.

I just had a GREAT idea.. Next year should have at least one Songkran day that's for the very young kids & the elderly (at hart ) at some venue out of town where there's no major water throwing and just having a nice time with some good people, good food and a few beers.. Will include transportation in a mini-van with doors that lock, of course.

There the kids can play without being run over by motorcycle drivers trying to dodge a bucket, or fall into the moat and drown. And the elderly (at hart) can have a right honorable rant-a-thon on how Songkran isn't like people told them it was in 1972. (Even though I'm willing to bet money on it having being a pretty awesome party in 1972, too, and with similar complaints on how it's totally out of control now.. )

The thing is that Chiang Mai is not a recreational city you can "SEE" in a day or so. Although it has historical importance, it is not really a tourist destination like the beach areas in the south. It is a city where it's nice to spend some time and get to know on a more intimate level. Once you've seen a few Thai temples you've mostly seen them all. Chiang Mai's moat and ancient parts of the old walled city are unique, but is that worth traveling an extra 1000 kilometers to see? From my experience, Chiang Mai is a far nicer city for foreigners to live (short or long time) than anywhere else in Thailand, but it is hardly a tourist center.

I agree in part with that. However also for tourists there's a huge attraction to being in a more genuine part of Thailand. Some of the 'basics' of Thai tourism (markets-temples-daily life) are best done in Chiang Mai as it's far more enjoyable, easier to get around and cheaper than trying to do these things in, say, Bangkok.

It's however not something easily explained to a person planning his first Thailand trip.. The tourists who have given themselves a little more time however do tend to visit the North, and by and large find it a complete blessing compared to the ueber-tourist experience in the main Southern / island destinations or Bangkok. This connects with people, and many end up recommending it to others "Don't miss Chiang Mai!"

That said, tell me again why tourism in Chiang Mai needs increasing? Anything that moves it closer to a Southern experience where tourists are treated like cattle almost up to the point where they're prodded with sticks from a tailor shop to a floating market to James Bond island is not really something worth looking forward to.

Obviously written by a tourist that is totally ignorant about how Songkran is celebrated outside of Kao San Road, Pattaya Beachroad, and Chiang Mai's moat area.

I've done it in Pattaya once and trust me, it's NOTHING like Chiang Mai. Never been on Khao San Road but I wouldn't think I'd like it there, too.

However I have also been in Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan and Khon Kaen for Songkran and there it IS pretty much like Chiang Mai, so lots of fun.. I'm not sure I understand how you think it 'should' be celebrated, but perhaps you live in a village where only the grannies are left in the afternoon, withall the kids and teenagers on 'mainstreet'. (Not saying that's wrong, but it would be a bit quieter so all the more power to you if you like it that way)

However, don't be fooled, in case you should venture up to Long's mainstreet - you're considered having asked for it (just like even Thais consider anything moving on the Chiang Mai moat streets as having asked for it).

So... I don't really see how it's different then. You could say exactly the same for Chiang Mai, with the moat and main roads being the 'main streets'.. I live a bit off the Third Ring and it's exactly the same. I went to markets and temples and visit family all without getting wet in a significant way. (I tend to play with and taunt the little kids, first acting like a big scary Farang (comes naturally) and then smiling and basically inviting a few squirts which dry up in minutes.. )

By the way:

If - in doubt- my giving full throttle convincingly prevented any water blessings.

That is ALWAYS a bad idea. I drive a car obviously but if you do need to be on a motorbike then trying to swerve or dodge water is really HIGHLY dangerous. Sure it's stupid to throw a big load on a moving motorbike, but that's not the choice you're faced with, the choice is if you want to get wet in 38 degree heat, or do you want to swerve and possible end up on the tarmac or -worse- hit someone else.

ESPECIALLY if you consider this party stupid then DONT swerve or try to avoid it. It's only water and it's 38 degrees out so chances are you're dry in 20 minutes. Again I'm not saying I blame you or anything for not getting the party, that's not the point; it's really just advice for next year. I think before next year's party I'll post a list of common safety rules.. With over 10 Songkrans under my belt I don't get hurt much nowadays.

Poster boy for the farang who doesn't understand SK and pisses off Thais and farangs alike.

I think I understand Songkran, and I think this was a person who enjoyed himself immensely. That IS allowed right, even when you're a first time tourist, to enjoy yourself when everyone else does?

So are the cretins going to put their water pistols away after today are are the extra two days' holiday going to be an excuse for an extra two days of idiocy?

Would LOVE another two days..!! Realistically though I don't think it will happen, other than perhaps some small kids in the sois..

Don't be so grumpy, gramps.

I hate Songkran

My first Songkran was in Pattaya . followed by 8 days in hospital with a stomach bug from the dirty water that some people used , (out of the big fish bowls or from puddles)

LOL.. I incurred a fair share of mishaps and injuries over the years during Songkran but it's FAR to much fun to let those get me down..

That's like saying you hate sex because you got a dose of the clap once. No pain, no gain.

( That said of all the places I've seen Songkran, Pattaya was by far the worst. .. but still much better than no Songkran at all )

My situation is slightly the other way around; my wife has voted democrat all her life and likes Abhinocchio.. I on the other hand think the current political system is institutionally unfair and undemocratic so have a lot of sympathy for people willing to fight for that.

Well, wait a minute. I don't throw water on people who indicate they don't want to get wet, or when it's otherwise blatantly obvious that they're not participating.. it's not like there's a shortage on targets. That the guy indicated not wanting to join through nasty looks is unfortunate, but then again if I got all bothered about every ill mannered 'Falung' in this town then I wouldn't be in such a great mood all of the time.

You know what, I bet because of the Bangkok troubles and reduced travel over the holidays, the total number of dead for this month will actually be a lot lower than usual.. So the protests may have been good for something.. less people getting killed on the roads.

so what you are saying is that those involved in the protests are the drunk kamikaze kind??

No, I'm saying that fewer people in the Bangkok region want to travel or celebrate because of the troubles. Fewer people on the road means fewer accidents. But anyway, let's see on Friday what the totals are.

Is it over already...

By the way, I once again noticed how silly it is to read posts like 'I'm going to hole myself up at home with some DVDs and enough food for a week"... When not partying in the streets I found it VERY easy to visit restaurants, markets or do anything else during the day. Didn't get wet unless I wanted to.

Didn't see anything untoward and I was out for four days.. Just fun-fun-fun..

Tesco and Central have them. However I found them a bitch to use. Much easier (and faster) to use the microwave for 30 seconds.