WinnieTheKhwai

Right, I wouldn't go back but just continue on. You then emerge near Tha Ton and Fang in Chiang Mai province. I think that's actually faster too if you're already at Doi Mae Salong.

Thanks guys - yes I know about the Loi Kroh clinic but was hoping to find a clinic open sometime that dealt in STDs specificallly. Seems rather odd if there isn't one.

Why would a clinic limit itself only to STDs? Not exactly brain surgery that would require super special skills.. Loi Kroh clinic as mentioned above does tests for STDs, among many other things.

> Does anyone know how to get from Mae Sai to Mae Salong by car?

Google does.

Google Maps

> Would it be easier to go to Chiang Rai first?

Not if you're coming from Mae Sai.

Go Pattaya for a break,

it is not unspoiled by any means, but the air is better

I don't doubt it's healthier, but it smells like an open sewer most of the time though.

But of course there are other attractions there.

You don't need a residence, you'd just need 'a holiday'. Thailand's a cheap place to holiday, remember? Great time to visit the South.

So far it's not that bad though frankly, just average for the time of year. And it's the same in all Northern provinces.

I for one don't trust the Nation; they have shown they have an agenda and I don't like it.

So will ignore.

Basically it comes down to burning more calories than you take in... What I find most people fail to do properly when dieting is EXERCISE!!! If you haven't joined a gym yet, I suggest you do. You don't have to work out like crazy, but building some muscle tone and doing a little extra cardio will do wonders for your body and make you feel much better.

Actually I'd suggest to lose like 10kgs first and then start thinking about exercise. Exercise will be far easier and more enjoyable after shedding some weight! (Losing an initial 10 kgs will take just 2 months, if that.)

> Put Less in the Mouth, and get More Exercise!

While that's basically true, the choice of a particular diet & exercise regime plan can mean either complete torture, or quickly becoming second nature without feeling deprived of anything other than unneeded pounds.

I also agree that you wouldn't need a nutricionist, plenty of info out there on the internet.

For men in particular, I think various low carbing strategies work very well. Some choice google terms here include Atkins, South Beach and the Zone Diet. The latter in particular gets real scientific about it, telling you what type of foods work well together, will make you healthier overall and will fill you up for longer and will lose you a lot of weight in the process.

In the most basic form, low carbing is easy, just lay off the rice, noodles, pasta, pizza, potatos, cakes and anything with (added) sugar in it. (incl. sweet fruits). So that's plenty of BBQ meats, fish, salads and most vegetables generally. No problem with fat/oil either, your body will adapt to burning it rather than storing it.

A main advantage is also that you can still have a life; some weird diets will mean that going to a restaurant for a business of social event becomes ridiculous.. But on low-carb you just order whatever you'd normally order, just not the side of potatoes, rice or pasta.

Losing weight quickly becomes easy, the only real challenge is in figuring out what types of carbs to add back into your diet and work out something that you can maintain after the initial big weight loss. (Again the Zone diet book is very good at that.)

About a month. Usually March. But that's a shit month anyway, very hot and dry.

I think this site is best: http://www.jasminehomes.co.th/ Should be many around the 2 mil. mark.

(Search for example: http://www.jasminehomes.co.th/listing_brow...=House+for+sale )

Some that look a particularly good match (and are all under 2 million) include:

http://www.jasminehomes.co.th/listingview.php?listingID=1531

http://www.jasminehomes.co.th/listingview.php?listingID=1489

http://www.jasminehomes.co.th/listingview.php?listingID=905

Beyond that, it's a matter of driving around and asking around.

That's strange, a 'what's this snake' topic on this forum where the snake isn't flattened or cut in half!

I don't care about the cost but the garden is quite big I'm sure she'd just find another way, she's very small and agile. The only sure way would be inside the house.....

[...]

it's very difficult to confine her in the garden, she can escape through anything. She could even get herself out of the cage thing she was in at the animal hospital!

I'm completely amazed by this topic. Zero evidence of anything, but you show a complete inability to control your dog even on the most basic level.

Try kicking it when it attempts to break out from the garden.

I know I wouldn't take it lightly if a dog got into my yard.. I have young kids and any dog getting near to them will regret it.

Please wake up to what you are doing.

I live in the Lampang area, and can testify to the bad air problem.

I like the area, but would not have settled here, had I known about the pollution before. It is hard to relocate now, house built and container delivered. Welcome to your retirement in paradise.

Well, the answer is simple; most of the year the air quality in Lampang is very good. You just need to move to Hua Hin or Samui or Phuket from late February to April. Easy.

50% pay raises for Kamnan and Headmen! Hundreds of Baht for school uniforms for all! 2000 baht for the monthly low paid! Farmers debt forgiveness! 1 billion for health care clinics sand workers! Free electric and water continued! BJT daily allowances and sign up fees that have PTP MPs drueling! Doesnt look like they are abandoning the electoral system to me. Looks more like they and their current allies are making sure they will win the next election or at least increasing the chances. Those PADites and supporters that do still want New Politics and there are some probably wont like these developments at all.

Well, who knows what they might like or dislike. I don't think there's a whole lot of unity right now on either the PAD side or on the Red side for that matter. Many on the PAD side just wanted a government catering more to the urban middle classes, i.e. a Democrat government. They're basically happy and have no incentive whatsoever to rock the boat further.

At the same time on the Red side, a faction are just fans of Thaksin, while others may have genuine concerns for developing a Thai political system that's more democratic and not a form of managed democracy that we see today.

It's looking a like a stable situation however with nobody really being able to do anything major. As we've seen, many people even on this forum support managed democracy, and frankly for foreigners this could be a good thing. (Esp those foreigners thinking mainly about themselves and not Thailand's future and political freedoms)

Dear Chiang Mai residents, any suggestions as to the best location for the soon coming Walen School of Thai in Chiang Mai?

How much space do you think it's going to need? Are you looking at an existing building or to build something?

I think as probably most of your students would be fairly new arrivals to Thailand, probably an inner city location is best. (People tend to live there initially before migrating away from town to one of the moobans). Or of course something that can be easily reached by public transport.

Indeed best check it out in international media.

As you know online freedoms are being reduced as we speak in Thailand.

But that discussion is not on topic here, nor is it appropriate.

I think that article doesn't make a distinction between tropical rainforest / evergreen forest, and the stuff that you get around Northern Thailand which is not rainforest, and dries up to a crisp every year in Feb-April anyways.

So even though that's normal for the North, for some reason we don't get really massive wildfires, just the localized slow burning of dead leaves and such.

I agree with that.

And you'd expect division right, as not everyone comes from the same political corner, they just are currently somewhat united in not liking the way the current government came to power.

I think you will find that it ranges from 'people who just like Thaksin' to staunch communists and everything in between. I thought Giles Ungpakorn latest article/manifesto was very interesting reading, but even within that single manifesto there were many different angles to the situation.

I know I'm adding Kasikorn bank to my collection of banks if they don't charge for ATM withdrawals nationwide..

Can someone confirm, that if you open an account in Chiang Mai and withdraw from -say- a Bangkok ATM from that bank that there is no fee?

I saw it for sale at Dacheeso last Saturday.

Dacheeso is inside Amorn Niwet village, off the Hang Dong Road (going out of town), a left turn after the Esso gas station and JUST before the Siam Commercial Bank. (So before you get to Tesco).

Once inside Amorn Niwet just keep going straight until you see "The Hideaway" restaurant on the left, that's where the shop is. (Part of the restaurant)

( But if riding a bike on Huay Kaew scares you then I wonder how you find the Hang Dong road. )

Please tell me where it is sold cheaper than Thai beer??

In Laos.

At Thai premium prices I don't think it's worth the risk of getting a bottle from a bad batch. Their QC really isn't up to scratch. (Guess their customer's occasional blasting headaches are their QC.. )

> My wife has been buying pork and beef at the wet market and we pay about 120 and 140/kilo respectively.

That's pretty expensive! More than what Makro charges anyway.

If you deposit on your own account and you're in the same region as your own bank branch is then there's no charge.

Same applies to withdrawing from an ATM.. even if you withdraw from your own bank's ATM but outside of your own branch' region then you're paying 20 baht.

It's all a bit antiquated. But then 'the stellar banking system' was not among my reasons to move here.

Off-topic posts and replies to them have been deleted.

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Maestro

Thank you. I for one would like the Chiang Mai forum to remain a friendly and respectful place to be!

I'd also prefer to discuss the actual national politics involved rather than guessing why some activist political groups may not like other groups sharing roughly similar political goals. (But I recognize that this is not the place to do that)