WinnieTheKhwai

7 hours ago, trianglechoke said:

WOW, I live in Chiang Mai. Although I don't live near that area everyone I know goes for a drink inn that general area now and again and I have never seen or heard anything. I don't even recall seeing pairs of young guys either.

Right.  So don't believe everything you read, especially not when written by people who have a direct financial interest in exaggeration and sensationalization. It's a little said to see this originate at Reuters, actually.  It seems more on the level of a British tabloid.

6 hours ago, Lupatria said:

It is estimated by Mahidol University that CPs amounted to about 36,000 children out of 150,000-200,000 prostitutes. The Center for the Protection of Children's Rights estimates that Thai and foreign child prostitutes aged under 11 years, in 1996, amounted to about 800,000 out of a total 2 million prostitutes. 

Stuff like that is what gave NGOs such a bad rep in Thailand.  800,000 child prostitutes under 11..   Pull the other one.

21 hours ago, MekkOne said:

So, if you have a small GH or Hostel (I MEAN LESS THAN 4 ROOM AND NO MORE THAN 20 GUESTS) you don't need an hotel license, you have to register your business at the local office (amphoe) saying to them that you accepting guest. This is the law and this is how some of this places where registered and licensed (they were not illegal). 

And those are still not illegal, and are not being closed down.  BTW there is a little more to it than just notifying the district office, it does involve inspection and some rules to follow.  Nothing too difficult though; some rules are a little silly but not particularly difficult to follow.

The trouble is with places that are far bigger than 4 rooms.

17 hours ago, JAZZDOG said:

IMHO you people are over the top freaking out. Common sense says if the RTP were in the midst of shutting down 90% of the hotel industry that it would be the BIGGEST story in the country.

Yes.  Also, there would be hordes of homeless tourists roaming the streets, looking for a place to stay.  That doesn't seem to be happening.

Wat Ket covers a really big area.  Anything more specific?

They tend to be near markets or apartment buildings. 

On 6/3/2018 at 4:23 PM, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

How can it be that Land inside the walls of the old city sells at valuations more than Manhattan but nothing can be built there?

You can build lots of things.  Just not skyscrapers.   Which is an excellent policy.

19 hours ago, cmsally said:

Some that have been ordered to close are still operational especially on weekends. 

What is special about weekends?

17 hours ago, MekkOne said:

in Krabi thy did fines to people, 10k, 20k and someone 40k, someone was fined 20k for 2 plastic cones on the road aside the building for delimitation of the parking spot... 

GOOD!  And far too lenient a fine for the parking spot hoarders.   I can't think of a strong enough punishment for that. ?

1 hour ago, Puwa said:

At a maximum, the bouncers should discard the outside drink and make the customer buy one from Zoe in order to stay. No need to punch, kick, or smash bottles. That's just criminal thuggery posing as security.

What makes you think that's not exactly what they're doing?

Just in case:  If you know of anyone who needs to quickly relocate a bunch of people to legal/licensed accommodation then send me a message;  if know of several places with accommodation at various price levels, from basic guesthouse level, to mid-range hostels, to full holiday rental homes.  (not my places)

Especially at the lower end there is lots of availability.  (So that also makes me think that the impact so far isn't too big, or else there'd be a wave of Chinese/Farang homeless people looking for a room. ? ) 

On 6/5/2018 at 12:06 AM, cyberfarang said:

Does this mean that Spotlight has lost it`s Gogo status and is now just a plain beerbar?

No.  It's better than ever, actually.

23 hours ago, idman said:

Spotlight is still the best Go Go bar in Chiang Mai, even at the new location.  The layout is OK but is a far cryfrom the original site.  Not to my liking as the oval shape bar is not at the new location.  The talent level however is still the same, top shelf stuff.

Can we compromise on the stuff being at least closer to the top shelf than the bottom one, relative to other tourist bars around Thailand?

21 hours ago, millwall_fan said:

When you say Spotlight is still the best Go-Go bar in Chiang Mai......isn't it the only Go-Go bar in Chiang Mai? Know ye of any others? 

Foxy Lady.

17 hours ago, rumak said:

This truly is one time I just have to say ......"you should have been here 20 years ago ! "

20 years ago wasn't exactly top shelf either.   It's probably better now, although 20 years ago the girls spoke better Thai.   

Sometimes these checkpoints have a happier ending.

https://www.facebook.com/byhotnewsthailand/videos/1996775080342059/ 

7 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Airbnb is easy to crack upon. Door to door, just check who's listed in TM30. A simple mobile app to immigration db will do.

Door to door, like razzia style in every condo building, checking papers?  That'll be fun for everyone.   If they're even home.  The good thing about tourists is that they're mostly out, doing touristy stuff. 

But you mean check who was recently registered for TM30 and then check those units?  I guess that's doable.. and the TM30 information will also show visa type so if that's a visa-free entry or tourist visa then they should catch quite a few, yes.

(And in case someone wonders, yes, many hosts have a very good relation with the condo reception people and pay them some money to take care of handling keys, providing basic information like where to do laundry and where the pool is, and take care of TM30 registration.  They'll just pay reception 300-500 Baht or so per time to keep them very happy. That's easily 600-1000 Baht a week shopping money for them for just one unit, and they could do it for multiple units.)

30 minutes ago, RichardL said:

Are the sort of people who'd normally book into those large and expensive hotels going to be people who use AirBnB?

Sometimes, although usually the reason for using AirBnB is that a family or group of friends gets a whole house privately to themselves, with a kitchen, etc.   But yes it does happen that people who book an AirBnB but need another day when it's not available then subsequently check into the Meridien or another nice hotel.  It's not usually a money thing, unless at the very low-end. 

Although I will say that hosts who go low in their rates and amenities will very often get more price conscious guests, even a group of backpackers who don't even know each other all that well but just met up on an island or wherever and then go 'hey let's get an AirBnB together and split the cost'.   It's best to stay above that level, it's WAY better hosting a middle class family from China than a group of Farang backpackers. 

26 minutes ago, mokwit said:

No. I have never seen people dragging their luggage for hundreds of yards up the soi coz they are too cheap to get a taxi from the airport outside of high end hotels, only outside condo buildings - that is a dead giveaway of a AirBnB renter BTW. I can tell which sopis have airBnB rentals just by seeing the luggage haulers.

You find cheapness everywhere. I very often wheel luggage way deep into sois of Sukhumvit to some hotel there.  And hosts who do it right will just offer to pick up guests somewhere convenient. Above and beyond and all that, plus you get to tell them stuff on the drive over and sell trips, tours and activities.

9 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

What if I say the people staying in my condo are my friends and they aren't paying me. I highly doubt the RTP have the nous to trace transactions through AirBnb. 

Yeah, but half your guests will be half your age and straight out of Changsha, not speaking a word of English.

Good luck flipping between Google Translate and WeChat to explain they didn't book on AirBnB but are old friends.

10 hours ago, reenatinnakor said:

Accommodation is so cheap in thailand... Why would anyone want to use airbnb here? 

Because hotels persist living in the last century, when most travelers were single business people or a couple on a romantic weekend trip.  World has moved on, people travel with groups of friends, a family with kids and maybe grandma for good measure, and for those groups it's a LOT more civilized of an experience when you have a real home to yourself with a living room, proper kitchen, a garden or patio, etc. 

Many AirBnB listings aren't even cheaper than hotels, and AirBnB itself aims to go further up-market with all kinds of cool places and travel experiences. 

3 hours ago, Orac said:

Depends if they try and enforce it - not exactly rocket science for one of the many enforcement agencies here to turn up at a condo and then check ab&b for rooms for rent in it.

The location is typically not indicated exactly on the AirBnB site.   It's not completely impossible to figure out especially for certain well-known condominium buildings but the exact address and unit number typically doesn't show (unless the host puts it in the description), so they'd have to make a booking, or possibly send a message and ask which floor / which unit.  Again not that hard to do because hosts will readily tell anyone who asks.  If there is ever any serious kind of enforcement then this may change. (as opposed to virtually no enforcement right now, unless a condo operator or neighbor files a complaint.)

2 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

I have never seen a developer that sells specifically on the strength of short term rental, they sell on broad rental returns, ie: 10% return on long term legal rental.

Have you checked in the last two years. :)  It's definitely a big part of the equation right now in certain areas.

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

You bring up an interesting point, why dont you get breakfast as part of an airBNB stay ?

At some places you might.  The listing will tell you what's included.

14 minutes ago, Keira1 said:

Been visiting Thailand the last 18 years...getting more and more disappointed over this country, was actually planning my next trip using only airbnb, but now I know for sure, will not go to Thailand. Too much plastic, pollution, tourists, restrictions... forget it, I'm going elsewhere from now on...

Where?

http://avherald.com/h?article=4b88003f

On 5/8/2018 at 4:34 PM, ubonjoe said:

Not sure where the office is located. It is after security as far as I know. It is only open when there are international flights leaving.

Just after security but go to the desk on the left before going through immigration, of course.

On 4/28/2018 at 6:12 AM, simoh1490 said:

In post number 204, LolaS writes that PCD sensors are only for research now. Meanwhile, Airvisual (thaiaaqi use http://kaiterra.com) is owned by IQAir, the Swiss manufacturers of IQAir air purifiers. 

 

There does seem to be an over-reliance on IQAir reporting and I wonder how sensible it is to believe it all given that it is modelled data and that it comes from a company that sells air purifiers! 

 

I'm happy to believe I may be missing something here and if somebody can point out what that is, I'll be very pleased and I can move on. I for example do not live in greater Chiang Mai, who is measuring the air around me and how are they do that, using which sensors, and that question goes for anyone in any location other than greater Chiang Mai?

It's definitely not only for research because the PCD and related outlets issue daily warnings and advisories based on the PCD readings. Plus it's made available publicly for anyone to use for any purpose, including the aqicn.org site uses PCD data (among other sources) 

If you do not live in greater Chiang Mai then you can buy a particle counter, either teh IQAir/AirVisual one or otherwise.  Although -local sources aside- the value will be in between any of the nearby sensors: if it's a bad day in Chiang Mai it will also be a bad day in Samoeng, Pai, Lampang, etc.  It's very widespread. 

On 4/28/2018 at 7:33 AM, simoh1490 said:

I've been trying to gather data to prove that pollution levels under an inversion layer increase as the tempreture increases, it's a meteorological fact that it does so but trying to find data to support it is not simple or easy. But what I have come across is a link to a site that shows pollution levels are actually decreasing although as with all these reports it's unclear where the source data come from. I'll throw it out here anyway just for interest sake: http://ourchiangmai.com/2017/05/02/chiang-mai-smog-declines-2017/

I'm seeing that too: higher temperatures improve things temporarily.  Possibly because hot air rises and that takes particles with it?  Perhaps humidity in the air is also related.

14 hours ago, metisdead said:

Some more off topic posts have been removed.  This topic is not a study about atmospheric particulate matters

It isn't?   :0   

Might as well close the topic then and we'll find a FB group somewhere to discuss.

10 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

I have some questions:

 

Various entities are reporting air quality at different locations in Chiang Mai Province but there's only a limited number of sensors, I believe that CMU has a network of fourteen sensors and the PCD has a network of five sensors, four fixed and one mobile, is that still correct?

 

Pollution levels for locations that don't have sensors create readings for them based on models, that is certainly true for IQAir's infamous pollution by location app, is that correct for the remainder of location reports?

 

It used to be that PCD could not directly measure PM2.5 because they didn't have the technology in place, regardless, PM2.5 can be extrapolated from PM10 readings Does CMU or PCD now have the capability to measure PM2.5 directly?

The PCD currently has two fixed-location sensors in the Chiang Mai area, and both now have a PM2.5 capability.  The downtown one (in the old city) is the station with the longest PM2.5 recording history, going back to 2012.

For the Chiang Mai area there are so many sensors now (between the PCD, CMU CDCC and AirVisual / Chiangmaiair.org), all with direct PM2.5 reading that there is no need for extrapolation models or converting PM10 values.  One site that seems to do conversion and regional analysis is http://berkeleyearth.org/air-pollution-overview/   It's still interesting for a regional overview, but not really for daily life decisions like 'is this a good time to go for a walk.'

1 hour ago, chado said:

 

where did you get that diagram from?

It's compiled from the yearly summaries that are available here: http://air4thai.pcd.go.th/webV2/download.php 

The graph has to use PM10 because that data goes back further, and for the Mae Rim station which has been in operation the longest.  That was back when Chiang Mai only had one station, and only measured PM10.   (Actually the rest of the world also used PM10 back then, the move to PM2.5 measuring is more recent although Thailand is behind there.)

1 hour ago, mrmillersr said:

Anyone who posts the air quality is not getting worse is in total denial of the facts. The reality is the dangerous elevated PM 2.5 levels are occurring earlier and lasting longer than the recent past.

Well: No.  Unless you mean compared to last year only.

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Also, it  is not just a matter of contending with this for 1 or 2 months and then happy days are here again.  During the last year,  the only months when PM 2.5 levels averaged in a reasonably safe level were June through October - a total of 5 months out of 12. 

Feel free to define 'reasonably safe' any way you like, but if 'moderate' air quality (yellow on the index as per the US AQI scale) is not to your liking then Asia is just not for you.  Coastal Australia is good, the Canadian Atlantic coast, the alps.. those sort of places.   Note that any other place in Thailand and actually the entirety of Asia doesn't get better air consistently.  

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For those that don't want to admit the problem is getting worse probably are not able to move or just prefer to live in a state of denial.  For others, I suggest you get out while you can and only reconsider moving back to CM if they ever take this matter seriously and do something about it.  I wouldn't, however,  hold my breath on that though - no pun intended.

Here we agree.  Haze in Northern Thailand in Feb-April goes back decades and within our lifetimes we can only reasonably expect a very small improvement.  March/April will remain a great time for a holiday, or for fussing around with air filters around the house. 

Very interesting idea to advertise accommodation on a dating site, and apparently it works.. 

On 4/21/2018 at 10:56 PM, chado said:

is that due to increasing number of the cars?

No.

If it was then you'd have great air in Fang or Mae Hong Son right?   But you don't.

On 4/23/2018 at 5:31 AM, piewarmer said:

It used to be 3 weeks of smoke, now it's 3 months.

LOL,  no. 

Often people only notice if after becoming more aware of the issue, or sometimes people who didn't have health effects can develop them as they grow older.  Looking at the air though it's roughly the same period every year. 

(Although the definition of 'bad' has most definitely evolved.  It used to be that 'bad' days were defined as PM10 going over 120 ug/m3, and the government still uses that as their main indicator although it's shifting there too.   Right now that level is considered an atrocious day, and 'bad' is now measured by PM2.5, with most people considering it bad when the US AQI scale goes into the red which is at 56 ug/m3 PM2.5   

So that's good; tougher standards and higher expectations are good.

On 4/23/2018 at 4:18 PM, mrmillersr said:

This year is most certainly worse than last year as I have the statistics to back it up. 

Everyone has the statistics, you can download it online.   Last year was relatively good, compared to the long term average.  This year is a lot more average: worse than last year but not worse than the years before that.