Tongdee

Since moving to Thailand many of my heath problems have cleared up. Not from tablets or medical doctors but from diet.

Lots of FRESH (that does not mean reconstituded, "May Contain", anything added, or packaged) tropical fruit.

Pomegrante- break em open eat the beads. Coconut- the vendors put small young coconuts on ice, when I buy they wack the top off & provide a straw.

Ripe Papaya- peel slice & eat, Sum tam - Green papaya salad, watermellon -need I explain. And the fantastic Thai food with lots of fresh herbs & vegtables.

Tumeric & ginger are both fantastic medicine for all arthritic conditions. Garlic & hot peppers multiple benifits.

I believe the pesticides sprayed on crops where permited by law & or promoted by monsanto (Monsatan), Dow, and other chemical & seed companys

are destroying the health of consumers. I attribute these pesticides & the factory farming methods of animal production,overcrowding, hormones, antibiotics etc.

to my decline in health previous to moving to Thailand. I attribute my return to health to the food, regular massage, regular excercize of body & mind leading to better sleep.

Lead a better lifestyle your health will return.

Golf ball sized tumerick & same sized ginger mixed in with the vegtables however you cook em have helped many friends with arthritic conditions

Please correct me if You know this to be wrong. I understand there is no such thing as parental kidnap in Thailand. The police would have no charge for the mother, and no duty to enforce any law of the land. Dorthy we are not in Kansas.

The problem with agnosticism is that it leads to Pascal's Wager. If you don't know whether or not (a) God exists, would it not be wiser to act as if there were one, considering the consequences (none if one doesn't exist, eternal damnation or bliss if there is one and you picked the right/wrong one)?

I imagine being agnostic as standing in front of a naked electric wire, not knowing if it is live or not. Now you can say "I don't know if touching this wire will kill me or not", but unless you're taping for "Jackass 4", you're not going to touch that wire.

Faith would mean trusting your 25 years younger Thai wife or her brother to flip the breaker.

An atheist of course uses an instrument of science to test for a live current.

But seriously, how does someone who labels himself "agnostic" manage not to be either atheist of believer?

I don't see any problem with Pascal's wager.

His words were primarily directed at the church, at a time when being an atheist could cost one his life.

"acting as if" = make believe.

Your example about the wire is flawed. Let's say the wire is connected to a switch.

The Atheist will see the switch in the "off" position and touch the wire.

It's rather the Agnostic who will test the wire for current, because he doesn't know the switch, maybe it has been wired wrong inside, or the "on" and "off" labels are swapped.

The Agnostic will also have tested the wire tester on live current before and after the test to make sure it tests correctly.

The Agnostic knows something is not there when it has been proven that it is not there.

The Atheist will jump to conclusions.

For example, let's say the wire is not connected to anything - the atheist will trust his knowledge and touch the wire. Maybe static electricity will kill him.

My soulution (pun intended) would be to find a good religious person and throw them onto the wire knowing their invisible freind in the sky will save them from the laws of physics....55555

Well, no that's not true at all. I know plenty of muslims and none of them think or act that way. They're just normal folk- my best mate is a muslim and I'd struggle to name a smarter person I know, able to debate cheerfully and see both sides of the argument.

Dunno, maybe moslims are something different that I've never come across. Moslims who hate jews and catholics but hate intelligent people even more. Like intelligent people who spell good.

I would totally agree that on a whole Muslims are the one's who dislike atheists the most. I spend lot of time in middle-east.

Seems they take it very personally and would rather have a christian or even a Jew.

I would have a lot of trouble calling anyone smart who really believes totally in whatever religion they subscribe too.

Educated maybe-smart , no.

If for example a Muslim/Christian truly and utterly believes in what is written in the Qur'an/bible they cannot be called "smart'.

They have opted,usually because they have been brain washed at young age ( Muslims are very guilty of this) to suspend all forms of rational logic to belief in things we all know is absurdly wrong-and yet they cling to it.

Smart people do not cling like that.

They see the evidence and go where it leads. They do not cling using the weakest/lamest forms of excuses/logic/rational

They get angry quickly because that is all they can do.

As for locals, well, there is no religion here really,its a bare resemblance of what Buddhism is really all about.A philosophy that because a religion to suit the agenda of those who stil use it today to control the masses.

I am very close to being an athiest. God--- extremely improbable 99.999% no. The fraction of possible is just enough to allow myself to believe that I am open minded. However I do believe there are smart "Believers". I personally think they are deluded not stupid. To say they have reached their faith through the scientific method,,,, aaahhhhh no. Science works when everone questions it. Religion only works when no one questions it. Faith is not evidence based.

Deserve it

Why do they deserve it?

1. What was the drug?

2. Were they smuggling?

3. Were they selling?

4. What quantity?

If it was a drug purchased in China for personal use I think death is a bit harsh and I believe, so would you, if it was you or someone you love.

The law is not a secret. you & I have choises none of which are the legality of what they have done or appropriate punishment for alledged crime. The number of people this earth can support is limited.These people have generously allowed other people a little more space, in a brazen manner, I will add. I thank them for leaving a few more resources for those of us that want to live at least a little longer. And perhaps see them next lifetime...

Deserve it

Why do they deserve it?

1. What was the drug?

2. Were they smuggling?

3. Were they selling?

4. What quantity?

If it was a drug purchased in China for personal use I think death is a bit harsh and I believe, so would you, if it was you or someone you love.

ima_folung Your post has saved me a lot of typing. Very similar thoughts on the topic. Canadian so hockey is part of what I prefer to avoid.

Common interests= good. red skin, green skin, white, black don't care. If you play classical guitar, violin, viola, cello, any instriment played in a symphony at whatever level,

then we have a common interest. I will be freindly & helpful in any way I can be. That's the "we".

Oh you play guitar---- on to thier favorite rock or blues hero from years gone by.. I am already bored.....

"Oh look a beer bar full of white people swilling beer and watching eyecandy hanging on to a chrome pole: AAAAhhhhh not today

. After a sit at an "expat pub" beside "I do nothing and I am really good at it" drinks a lot of beer & gossips at black belt level, HHHHmmmm am I bored yet.

My scottish wife blah blah blah, the resident foodie spending a kings ransom on every second meal. Harmless enough all of them,

altho people with a superiority complex are seldom that interesting? To someone with similar interests perhaps.

To me I am more lonely sitting amonxt them than I am alone. The odd tidbit of local knowledge, useful but hardly top secret stuff.

I find that I do the things that I do & other people of interest to me are already on the path. We have common interests.

The expectation some folung have of being treated like a long lost friend cause they are white?????????????? No

There are three main reasons I tend to avoid the run of expats here in Bangkok.

1. Too many Brits who want to talk about the U.K. (I've been there but have no interest in U.K. politics, "football", or "how the bloody Asians" are taking away "their country".).
2. I 've been there before, and am not interested in the bar/bargirl/pub scene anymore. ( I am now rapidly approaching 68 years of age, and am not interested in having women half my age or less using the same old come on lines I first heard over 40 years ago when I was in my twenties)
3. And I dislike the implied racist attitude of many expats who seem to refer to all Thais as "them or they" and expats as "us or we".

I am an American by birth, I do no care about poofers in shorts kicking a volleyball around a football field,

And I am a individual, a me, not a member of a group, and I have my own opinions.

So if you as an expat can avoid talking about:

• Politics or "football" in the U.K.
• The bloody "Asians" and how they are ruining "old Blighty".
• Thai bargirls/hookers/ and your exploits with them.
• And you can't stop referring to Thais as "them" and "Farangs" as "us"

If you can do all that, then maybe we can talk about some topic we are both interested in.

Otherwise we have no common interests we can talk about.

I guess that is the "divide" you are talking about?

Tonbrigebrit you have a correct take on the blame game. Everyone involved in exporting, importing, burning, transporting. wholesale, retail of products created by the use of dirty coal tecnology shares in the blame for climatic degredation. Most of them shuffle the blame off on someone else as well. Unfortunatly I cant see anything changing anytime real soon. The people currently in charge of running the world dont care about much besides there own bank accounts. All we, the little people can do is attempt to contribute as little as we can to the problem and share the knowledge about little things we can do for mother earth...

Tongdee

If the pollution attributed to Global Warming were an elephant, Thailand would be the equivalent of a few nostril hairs. China, alone, will add the equivalent of one new 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant every 10 days for the next ten years.

http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/chinas-growing-coal-use-is-worlds-growing-problem-16999

Thailand is not the problem.

BTW, we are all doomed already, by overpopulation.

rametindallas, you've got to bear in mind that a fair amount of the coal being burnt in China is exported their by Australia and America. Basically, America tries to look good by saying it is burning less coal (well, less of the most polluting types of coal), but it is actually exporting a lot to China.

Also, trees in Russia are being chopped down to sell as timber to China, but Chinese factories are exporting the finished wood product (chairs, tables, beds, other furniture) to America. Basically, Walmart is probably just as responsible for the number of trees chopped as the whole of Thailand !

And all those coal fired power stations in China, I think the Chinese are using the electricity to power the factories that produce cheap goods for America and Europe. Whether coal is burnt in America, Europe, or China, it's the same thing.

For what it is worth I have 22 guitars of my own in Thailand,10 classicals & flamincos, 7 electrics (2 of them Rickenbacker 12 strings electrics) Generally play & or practice (very different from playing) 3 to 5 hours a day.

I seldom play any but the classicals. Except when I am up at strange hours and dont want to disturb the neibours when I play an electric unpluged.

I also repair, ( busy with what is already on my bench if You are not Ekachai Jerakul I am too busy, if you are Eckachai, you already have good repair people avalible) & build Archtops, violins Violas and classical guitars in exotic woods and am moving into the carbon fibre instriments.(learning curve). This is what I do for kicks, not commerce.

I may know some of what I write about.....

Tongdee Classic

On a tangent, I have a Yamaha classical G-60A from the mid 70s (it was used as a rental for guitar students in Japan) that has a slight neck-warp problem. There is no truss rod so not much I can do in that regard. I have fiddled with the nut and saddle, but it's not a real solution. I don't know if this instrument can be salvaged, but does anyone know where I might take it to be examined and possible repaired?

A guitar neck should not be dead straight for maximum playability. It should be concave from the first fret to the 12 or 15 (prefered) on a classical .

If you have a back bow that can be a pain to play (altho I have a beautiful sounding Antonio Aperichio with a mild backbow that I enjoy playing and do not even notice the warp when playing)

Ideal string height at the 12th fret on the bass side is from 3.5 mm to 6mm and from 3mm to 4.5mm on the treble side.

Many excellent classical players who use a wide range of dynamics in there play, prefer the higher action as it is easier to produce a wider range of sound "colorations"

and greater volume without fret buzz.

people who like to play real fast with no concern for dynamics (& people with very weak fingers.) prefer lower action.

Excessive backbow can often be cured by filling the frets. Remove the strings run a long fine flat file along the length of the neck and flatten the tops of the frets that a straight edge (steel ruler) rocks on.

once flattened the frets should be recrowned (filed into a curve with the top at the center of the fret).

The restringing process and bringing the guitar up to pitch should induce appropriate "relief" (the name given to the desired curvature of the neck").

If the fret height is not adequate to file flat & remain playable (that would suprise me with a mid 70's Yamaha {Likely made in Japan} that has not been horribly abused (strung with steel strings or used as a prybar)

The next easiest would be to remove the frets and replace with taller ones that have adequate height to be filed.

Sorry my bench is overloaded & I wont be taking on any more repairs in the forseeable future.

I do not know firsthand anyone in Chiang Mai that I can recomend for the job, but it is not highly technical for those who understand the concept. Do it yourself, it is easy...

Tongdee of Ramirez.

True....Classical Guitars have 3 nylon strings and 3 metal. The wide neck is hard on small fingers for barred chords. I would not recommend a classical guitar to start on. You can always buy lighter guage strings on a standard acoustic (western) style...if his fingers suffer. But he has to build callouses. Electric can use extra light.....easiest of all, actually.

wrong... classical guitars have 6 strings that are all nylon, gut, or carbon cored. 3 or more of the strings are comonly wrapped with windings of metal or nylon. 2 or 3 strings are comonly plain, apearing like fishing line. The Savarez strings I favor for my Jose Ramirez guitars and many others are all wound The lower sounding strings with silver & copper the higher sounding strings with nylon. Classical guitars are by far the best to learn on if comparing similar quality. The high action & wide flat neck on a classical makes learning good technique essential, Makes fingerpicking much easier and allows a wide pallet of tone to be expressed. Classical players find any other style of guitar play (excepting flamenco) rather easy(if not boring) and excell at any if they have obtained any proficiency. I do not recomend starting anyone out on a low quality instriment as this can create the opposite of perfect pitch if the intonation is out. A better strategy is to look for a quality used instriment, definitely with expert assistance to assess the intonation of the instriment. A quality instriment is a pleasure to play hence gets played, practiced more. It will also hold its value better than a cheap instriment. Someone in this forum has dissed plywood soundboards in favor of solid wood soundboards. With older more careful people that are not likely to abuse a guitar I would agree, they can be made to sound much better. With a child however the durability of a laminated soundboard could be a plus. As for buying a child & or a beginner an electric, I can say there are no positives to this move. Another point & an important one is along with the guitar locate an instructor right in the beginning to keep bad habits from developing. Wrong finger position in the beginning can become a habit very quickly and can be very hard to break. Bad posture------if it hurts to play---you know how much practice will happen. Not learning some of the basics in the beginning, like reading standard notation can hold back otherwise talented individuals. The cost of proper instruction in the beginning is very reasonable. Any yamaha guitar from the very cheapest right up to concert quality will play in tune. If it is in tune anywhere on the neck it will be in tune everywhere. That cannot be said of many of the chineese el cheapos. How much to spend???? You are in control there. The classicals I play run 30,000 to 130,000 baht. They are a high priority item with me and within my budget when I bought them. Stick to what you can afford. bring a knowledgable advisor when shopping.

Tongdee Classic

Funny how the Thais never consider anyone else with noise or intrusion , but oh boy, a Falang makes noise or any other problem and they are all over him! Selfish lot of people , takes some time to assimilate here.

Folung me got shut down for using a band saw in my carport at three in the afternoon???? TIT

Yep, at 55 you only have one thing this 30 year old girl wants,

An enhanced lifestyle.

How could it be any different?

I dont know where you picked up this narrow minded misconception nor do I care. Asians are different than "americans" in many ways one of which is age discrimination for relationships. Most Thai ladys are much more mature mentally & emotionally than Thai men the same age & realize that many Thai men of 30 years are closer in maturity & stability to teenagers than "Adults". A man of 55 is much more likely to stick around & help pay the bills if she gets pregnant, or sick than a 30 year old. Also much less likely to be out with other Ladies, less likely to get into pick a drug, less likely to call from jail, or the hospital for idiotic driving habits. Also much less likely to beat her or display other aberant macho behavior. Yes, you are right in that those things would make for an enhanced lifestyle for her. Also when 30 year old accumulates enough $$$ or credit to buy a macho big motorcycle, and show the world what a hero he is, he would be likely to do just that. The 55 year old would likely still drive a practical vehicle within his budget and still have funding enough for emergencys. She has a Regular job. That is a good thing for so many reasons. Doesn't ask for $$$,,,,,, a real good sign. You are willing and able ho help with cash. also a good sign. I will add confirmation that a cart full of household items is a far better help than cash. Anything that can be converted into a improving a secret Thai boyfriends (many ladies have one) lifestyle (in his mind) must be a cause of concern. Paying for english lessons ??? Do you speak english well? Do you give her regular english lessons? If she wants to learn english, you should. If she doesn' want english lessons from you but does want cash "for english lessons" strike one...take her to the dentist. If she is real she will apreciate this. If she has a secret Thai Lover, he will tell her to get you to buy her gold, or the all time favorite, a house. (in her name of course, folung cannot own land) Dont want to "waste" money every month on rent.HHHHhhhmmmm Good luck in relationships does not come from luck. It comes from 2 people(or more) trying to make it work.

25 years ago I wandered into Wat Po at the ripe old age of 32 with assorted pains & energy blockages all over. I felt far far older than I do now. A one hour massage from a well trained & strong man removed all the energy blockages, most of the aches & pains, and made me feel like I was 19 again. the energy returned, I started sleeping better. the power came back. Didn't tell him a thing about what hurt or anything else. Pure genius. excellent training for all who work there. Yes some are better than others. Been going back every return to The Kingdom. I belive 850 baht for a 2 hour session at the Wat Po school of massage Near thr temple. I do donate heavy in eternal thanks for my rescued health. The blind massage people are generally very good. Had a couple excellent massuses at a Temple inside the TaePae gate in Chiang Mai last year.130baht As for the earth moving???????? as long as I keep moving well, alls well. The prettyest girls are seldom the best at massage for health. & the priciest are not always any better than the 150 baht places.

Hi dude or dudete as it may be. I am a guitarist first of all, atempting to play clarinet (regular & bass), violin, & keyboards. As much for the understanding & brain excercise as to ever play non guitar instriments well. I now play almost exclusively classical music altho I have played rock, blues, pop etc. I will be attending to the David Russel concert in Krungtep november 30, then most likeley heading north. My current project in works include Carnival in Venice Written by Paganini Varrience by Tarrega, Caprice 24, wow that moves. Love to try them both with a bass & guitar through a wah wah. Along with much of the stuff I can currently play. I am interested in expanding my musical horizons, Like PhaYao the evening dinner market. The pla tap tim from kwam phayao is delicious & of course always so fresh. P.M (dont know what that means but will make it work somehow for a fellow music lover)me & we'll take it from there.

Tongdee

Buying gold---good Idea.The price will likely continue to rise, or more corectly the value of paper currency will continue to fall. From a Jeweler---Bad Idea!!! From a Gold shop, yes do your own due dilligence. Most Thai gold is 96.5% Totaly acceptable at most gold shops in asia, and far better gold than what is sold as gold jewellry in north america. (check price)So called four nines gold (99.99%)is my prefference, altho three nines (99.9%)is readily accepted by almost all buyers. My own prefference is the Canadian Maple Leaf (99.99%). There is a Five Nines (99.999%)Leaf avalible in some places.( bar also) I have never seen one. Would buy at a small premium just cause. Thai gold shops pay no premium for coin vs bar. I find coin more convient. If purchase is investment purpose many "clued In" people see much more upside in silver(traditional value relative to gold can bring it up a long ways), platinum is a winner if the world economy tanks or rocks due to industrial uses. "Paper gold"--- any variation on You get a ticket stating you own it & I store it "for you" is as close to a ponzi scheme as you can get. The operators of these can sell up to 100 times as much gold as they actually posess. If you are O.K. with that I will rev up my printer & emboss some certificates just for you. the prices change worldwide by the minute. at the time of this writing Kitco is quoting

Gold $1385us 983euro

Silver $26.31us 18.17euro

Platinum $1754us 1249euro Bought & sold Platinum in Kuala Lampur years ago likely still can

Back on topic any "GOLD SHOP" likely bet for Bar

DO NOT buy Gold??????? from a "Jewler"

Tongdee

Beer prices and taxes have been going up here in Happy Land...

At 7/11 these days, at least around BKK, the regular size cans of Heinekin, Asahi, etc are going for around 38 baht, while the regular size bottles are in the 40-something baht figures. Leo cans are probably low 30s. And so on and so forth... For a real treat, someone should have suggested the OP confine his beer drinking to Archa...

since when is a beer 60 bht in 7/11 id say more like 25 to 30 bht

No problem on that vast fortune.

#1) learn to drink lao khao (Thai moonshine){if you must indulge at all that is} Beer is what millionaire folung drink; expensive. Dont touch it.

#2)find any Thai Village early in your trip. No Thai no prob; you will learn, buy dictionary Eng Thai/Thai Eng

#3)Rent monthly accomadation once settled in ask Thai local villager to rent his/her motorcycle. Youll get a better than Travel agent "guided tour in the 2000Baht a month rent on grannys honda 100. & language lessons of sorts.

Much more interesting, fun, & educational than the trips all the big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ blowhards get. Resorts?? Guided tours... I would rather stay home & rent the video.....

Tongdee

Beer prices and taxes have been going up here in Happy Land...

At 7/11 these days, at least around BKK, the regular size cans of Heinekin, Asahi, etc are going for around 38 baht, while the regular size bottles are in the 40-something baht figures. Leo cans are probably low 30s. And so on and so forth... For a real treat, someone should have suggested the OP confine his beer drinking to Archa...

since when is a beer 60 bht in 7/11 id say more like 25 to 30 bht

Wow How can anyone that ignornant of the ways of the world atain a position of telling anyone anything. In Canada they would be asking "would you like fries with that sir, can I supersize that for you sir". I have been coming to Thailand averaging every second year for 25 years And stay 4 to 6 months.

Why?

#1....Charming, friendly, helpful, polite regular Thai people.

#2....Low priced accomodation, low priced and tastey street stall food, low priced restarants, Reasonable priced entertainment venues ( food drink & music& or dance)

#3....Beutiful islands, uncrowded beaches, Fantastic Temples, scenic naturalwonders..jungles little mountains ( I am canadian need I say more) all avalible at reasonable cost.

#4....Reasonable priced regular thai transportation. Busses, trains Nothing all inclusive, always over half full of regular Thai people.

I started my thai travels paying 100 baht a night for accomadation. Now I am up to 350 baht a night. In total I might average 1000baht a day for 4 or 6 months of the year.

Thats 180,000baht some portion of the Thai economy aquires. In my mind that makes me an asset to Thailand.

If these costs go up I will become an asset of another contry that does offer all of the above at prices I am willing to pay.

Summary Choose

1)....up 180,000 baht every year From me. 180,000baht for like me's

2).....Empty bed where I would have slept. Empty chair in restarant where I would have lunched 000,000baht in Thai economy but

With bragging rights of yer big spending "High Quality Tourists"whom may drop 40,000baht per year. (alibet in 2 weeks )

So hello Hiso stupid who purchased his economics degree without understanding the concepts.

The OPs overblown ego could cost him his life in this part of the world where that condition is so often accompanyed by artillery. On a bike harassing a person in a much larger & heavyer vehicle. If the Merc driver was in the wrong that makes two. In a collision the other driver WILL walk away, you ????? Let fastlane trouble by as fast as you can. Observe the carnage from a safe ( the already mentioned 2 seconds back) distance. Life expectancy will increase.

Macdonalds- I'd be delighted to see a Macdonalds in Chiang Rai. I often stop in a Macdonalds in Thailand. Gauranteed clean toilets. First class washroom facilities are hard to find. I cant imagine eating there though.

Cheers Tongdee