WinnieTheKhwai

Does this guy get a jury trial, or before a judge or judges? Or simply meets a fatal accident out behind the shed treatment?

What are the legal scenes in T'land for such crimes?

No jury in Thailand but will get trial. Death penalty seems apt, but would be commuted to life in jail due to confession.

I'm getting some signs there will be noise today, especially if there's a re-enactment planned.

He's been caught. Thai guy from Chonburi. (Naklua).

He also knew the victim for some time. Not a meet up with a complete stranger.

All news links are in Thai at this time so I'm not sure I can link. For reference though: http://news.voicetv.co.th/thailand/193284.html

just trying to point out that there are some nasty people out there and to go into a hotel room with a complete stranger has to be one of the more risky professions. Yes she had the right to be safe but lets get real here. Morn was a very nice girl but lets face it she was taking a risk.

The girl was a Loi Kroh girl. She worked at Wan bar in the boxing area. She loved to go to Spicy and was well endowed "up top". The suspect is a Thai man, believed to be mentally unstable (that sounds like a major understatement!).

Anyway, RIP young lady.

-Mestizo

Correction, it was Subaru Bar. If anyone is interested , they are currently taking up collections at some of the bars to help get the body prepared and transported back to Issan. No bank account setup, so will need to be a cash donation into the cash box.

-Mestizo

Do you know her name by chance? Not her full name, but her nickname.

Her full name and pictures are in the local press so I think it would be ok to post this just for people to confirm if they knew her or not.

This is her on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/minnie.love.3591

I didn't know her well but did meet her a couple times; it's pretty much the only bar that I visit in that area. Fun, joyful girl.

Still shocked that this could happen. I cannot imagine what her friends and family are going through. Hope she is in a better place.

Nope. It's 12-15.

In the past when the 16th was on a weekend I had slight hopes for some more watery fun, but no such luck.

^ Actually hope it was negative not positive.

I'm going to make an NRA-type argument here but bear with me. It's not the high powered guns that are a problem per say, it's some of the idiots out there. I personally make an effort to get a high powered gun. And a couple PVC tubes. But you can use those sensibly and appropriately: when going at it with other burly men, fire away. With kids though and at close range a little squirt on the torso really isn't going to cut them in half. You can watch me do that a couple of times in the video I posted in the 'Hiding from Songkran' topic. (Not the vid I posted this morning in the main Songkran topic.).

And with PVC tube guns you can use those even baby-safe: put your finger firmly on the business end and a slight gentle spray comes out. Which by the way can also be really good with very cold water, as you can get a sustained spray at close range on non-babies for a really long time, to the point that they're going "What the f..?!" when it doesn't end after 10 seconds or so. )

Now, as for an actual hazard, that would be big burly men with small to mid-sized buckets that they can hurl with force. That's not something to do in a crowd because if you hit someone on the head mid-hurl, (bucket and all) then that's not pretty. When out with kids that's actually the main thing I watch out for (that and traffic). So would the answer be to ban the humble plastic bucket? Clearly it's not. Maybe some lessons in common sense for foreign visitors and juvenile locals would be appropriate though.

Lot of wind and no rain in Banwangtan ,Hang Dong,power out. Guess it wasn't our turn for much needed rain.

Much needed rain.. you almost drowned overthere three days ago!

Yeah right, tried to plant some trees yesterday and the ground was bone dry.You need days of steady rain, aka rainy season, for it to soak right in not flash flooding that tends to run off.

Anyone who has lived off the land will confirm that fact.Meanwhile the storms just freshen things up if you are lucky to have then fall in your part of the world..

Right, for planting trees it's better to wait until after the hot season. I was thinking of a freshen things up-scenario.

One big scam in my opinion.

Arrived to Chiang Mai airport last night at 10pm and wanted to use that new service.

Went to Shuttle Bus stop. Schedule is right there, next bus should leave at 10:30 pm. Bus is scheduled every 30 min, with last one at 3:30am. It was 10:20 at that moment.

Bus was waitng. No customers around, just driver. Driver insisted me to pay 300 baht for the ride, and he will go only with me. I said no, I want to go with the scheduled bus, and pay 40 baht for the ride, as it is advertised in the local news.

Driver laughed. Said if bus is not full, he will not go.

Then chinese couple came. Driver told them the same story. They accepted to pay 300 baht. Bus left with them only. So how the hell they can get the bus full if they do like that ?

It was 10:25pm. I was waiting until 10:40pm for possible scheduled bus, but nothing came.

Left with the taxi for 120 baht to Nimman.

So my question is : is it driver scamming ? Or this is normal policy when low number of customers ? I guess this is new service and people at the airport have no idea about this shuttle bus, plus it was late night time (bus still busy airport time).

I didn't have a good feeling about it, especially knowing that taxi is 120 baht.

At that time you will also have regular red bus songthaews passing that will take you for 40 baht. (Possibly not to Nimman, but downtown wasn't a problem for 40 baht last time. (Driver actually didn't ask for any specific amount, but gave him 40 anyway.)

^ Yes, pool party is a great way for kids to get something of Songkran without having to take them downtown. Older kids tend to love going downtown but for the very young ones it's often a bit too much, not to mention that it's not exactly relaxing for parents as you always have to watch them to make sure they don't jump into traffic, into the moat or get bumped into in crowds.

Anyway there are lots of ways to celebrate Songkran that don't involve doing what I was doing yesterday (I shot some video. ) and to each his own.

For the people who enjoy the party though, there is this.

Note that there is also the religious aspect, and I'll get some of that this morning.

Did Lucky Bar sell alcohol from 14:00-17:00 or did the authorities enforce their Fatwa?

Don't know about Lucky, but did witness the government silliness on Loy Kroh today. Really awkward. It lasted maybe 30 minutes though without music and drinks, then back to normal. Corruption still rife, government change or not. Just different people pocketing the money.

^ Yes, pool party is a great way for kids to get something of Songkran without having to take them downtown. Older kids tend to love going downtown but for the very young ones it's often a bit too much, not to mention that it's not exactly relaxing for parents as you always have to watch them to make sure they don't jump into traffic, into the moat or get bumped into in crowds.

Anyway there are lots of ways to celebrate Songkran that don't involve doing what I was doing yesterday (I shot some video. ) and to each his own.

For the people who enjoy the party though, there is this.

Note that there is also the religious aspect, and I'll get some of that this morning.

Oh great, another duplicate topic.

(But at least with a descriptive title for a change.)

I'm back...

Wow.

It was fun. I'll see if I can post a video sometime.

LOL!

Either way, I do wish you a very Happy Thai New Year!!

On the same token, I may be less prolific in forum contributions over the coming three days. Possibly that balances things out when it comes to silliness, when you can take up some of the slack.

I don't really have too much of an issue with the list; just that Art in Paradise doesn't belong on a list that aims to indicate things that are nearly free. You can of course argue that it's not exactly expensive, but then pick a different title for the list. Because if Art in Paradise is nearly free then so is just about anything else.

Anyway, this is my list. Not specifically of cheap things, although just about all of them are affordable, if not completely free.

It also hits home that the HuffPo list omits things that area really cool but actually ARE completely free, such as Wiang Kum Kam ruins and Ob Khan.

---

This isn’t anywhere near a full list of “must-do’s”, but we do enjoy the following locations.

• · City Walks – The old town center of Chiang Mai has many temples, wooden houses, little shops, markets and schools, and relatively low traffic.
• · Doi Suthep Mountain and the temple overlooking the town. You can turn this into a full day trip if you drive yourself and stop at the streams & waterfalls along the way. After visiting the temple you can go further up past towards the summit of Doi Pui. Best time may be later in the afternoon when crowds are fewer and the air is clearer, giving better views.
• · Wat Umong is a forest temple out towards the University area. There is an ancient tunnel structure and the temple is set in very park-like surroundings.
• · Courses & classes: attend a cooking school or massage class. Also, there are many traditional massage parlors & spas around town
• · If in Chiang Mai on a weekend don’t miss the Sunday Evening walking street market, from Thapae Gate down Ratchadamnoen Rd. On Saturday there is a night market at Wualai Rd.
• · Wiang Khum Kam is a historical site with many temple ruins dotted around the present-day village. From the main visitor center you can tour the area in a horse drawn carriage. Or just get a map and explore by bicycle or motorbike. Don’t expect it to be like Sukhothai, but I do enjoy how very old temple ruins are intermixed with the present day village.
• · Ob Khan is a lesser known national park, where the Khan River flows through a rocky gorge/canyon. When it’s not too cold or too rainy it’s a great place for a swim too.
• · Another place to go for a swim is the Huay Tueng Thao Lake. There are rafts and restaurants where you can order food, and one side of the lake is dedicated to swimming.
• · Mae Kampong is a village in the mountains east of town. It’s a very beautiful area that feels a lot more remote than it actually is in kilometers from town. Requires a car or motorbike to get there unless you sign up for the ‘Flight of the Gibbon’ treetop zipline excursion which is in the same area.
• · A good day trip by car or motorbike is the Mae Sa Valley loop, basically around the mountain. There are waterfalls, the botanical garden, several hotel/resorts and especially near the Northern end some more artificial attractions such as bungee jumping, snake shows, elephant camps, the Tiger Kingdom petting zoo and others.
• · Pai / Mae Hong Son province is a great area for a multi-day trip. Or book a trek / tour where you visit mountain / hilltribe villages, go rafting, ride an elephant, etc. Some elephant camps are better than others (from the elephant’s point of view). Elephant Nature Park is an often praised one, but there are other good ones as well that are less expensive.
• · Chiang Mai Zoo and/or the Night Safari can be good places to visit with kids. Chiang Mai zoo is not as good as top zoos in the West, but still quite okay by Asian standards.
• · “Kantoke” is a dining experience where you watch traditional dancing and cultural shows. A big one is the Chiang Mai Cultural Center. Cozier is Huan Khajao: goo.gl/KCljBx
• · Nimmanhaemin Road is a very trendy area for younger locals and visitors alike, with many up-market pubs, restaurants and music bars. (Many are down the sois off the main road).
• · Another interesting nightlife area is the “Reggae Area” at the intersection of Ratwithi Road and Ratchapakinai Road in the old town. This attracts Western backpacker types but also Thais who appreciate the alternative vibe. Biggest place there: zoeinyellowchiangmai.com
• Several shopping malls opened recently, the biggest one of all is the new Central Festival, on the Superhighway ring road. An older but still popular one is Airport Plaza towards the airport. All major malls have movie theaters and other attractions.

Lot of wind and no rain in Banwangtan ,Hang Dong,power out. Guess it wasn't our turn for much needed rain.

Much needed rain.. you almost drowned overthere three days ago!

Bottom line....

Once you're sick of the Usual trappings of the old city and such you MUST get outside the city to see the REAL Thailand?

Drive scooter, enjoy. Be very careful. You can't see this in the city...ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1428684926.461648.jpg

Right.. though you could also just do that in a car, and live to post about it.

What is the water depth needed for these?

I have a pond with filter system and everything but these fish are really big, would want to make sure they have enough space.

do they eat beans on toast? And does this have anything to do with CM?

Oh hush; let's enjoy it while it lasts.

A great movie I downloaded recently was Nightcrawler, which is brilliant in so many ways, not just as a thriller but also as a critique on news media, and on entrepreneurial / corporate BS towards employees. Was never much of a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal but what he manages here I don't think I've ever seen before. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nightcrawler

Also, I finally discovered the Popcorn Time app for Windows (also Apple, etc.) to watch TV shows and movies. It's brilliant and super easy. Lots of good stuff for the kids too; started on "Paddington" which looked really fun.

Not sure if I'm the only one but this solid complaining about a country other than Thailand feels kind of refreshing.

Sanpatong. Not too far.

Got some stuff north of Lamphun.

Got some stuff in Chiang Mai. :/