HeyNow

Just posted a similar question on general topics. Trying to find an optician who sells RGP lenses. Out here they tell me they no longer have them in Thailand. As for contact lens solution I just use the soft lens stuff, have for years and no problem. Jim

RGP lenses are definitely available in Thailand. Or at least they were a year and a half ago, when I got my last pair.

I got a referral from CM Ram Hospital for a specialist on Chang Phuak road. I didn't write down the exact address and I don't have a business card. But the doctor's name was Napaporn Tananuwat and as of late 2009, her number was 053-213-003. She speaks excellent English, but her staff are Thai-speaking only, so far as I could tell. Her clinic is a bit north of the bus station, on the left hand side of the street as you head up Chang Phuak from the moat.

As I recall, you have to make a deposit on any lenses you order, so bring some cash. I think I paid a 5,000 baht deposit then paid the balance upon receipt of the goods.

As for contact lens solution, Dr. Napaporn might have some. Once, when she had none, she directed me to a large optometry store directly across from Sriphat Hospital that was selling Boston Advance solutions. This is the type where you have a daily disinfectant/lubricating solution and a separate protein removal solution. Personally, I prefer the one-step "Simplus" solutions, but I haven't found those in CM yet.

Hope this helps!

There are several stores along the north side of the moat that sell army surplus gear. You'll see them on your left as you travel along the outer road (i.e. the one that runs clockwise around the moat, as opposed to the inner road). Most are on toward the northeast corner. Not sure if they actually have permethrin sprays, but that would be the first place I'd look.

Another potential place to look would be the huge sporting goods store in Central Kad Suan Kaew; I recall that they had a decent selection of camping gear, and that might include permethrin spray.

Hope this helps.

Does anyone else have trouble with certain types of fabric coming out very, um, crunchy after they''ve been machine-washed them and hung to dry? They don't come off the line stiff, per se, but my towels, t-shirts- and jeans always come out very rough and hard. That's is pretty shocking to one who comes from a land where the towels are oh-so-fluffy! Interestingly, synthetic fabrics like polyester don't seem to be as affected. Likewise, items made of very thin cotton such as bedsheets and boxers don't seem to be affected, either.

I've tried varying the amount of laundry soap and fabric softener we use. We've tried gentler detergents, such as "Baby Mild." We've tried adding vinegar to rinses and extra rinses. But none of this has helped. Ironing does seem to take the hardness out of the jeans and shirts. And I've observed that the towels will soften after being used once or twice.

My guess right now is that the problem is with the muubaan water supply; it comes from an underground well, which I believe is very "hard" - that is, the water has a high mineral content. And I'm guessing that short of buying an electric dryer, there's no way to avoid this.

Thoughts?

Let's compare to a restaurant known for its ribs, for instance, how do they compare to the Salsa Kitchen's falling-off-the-bone original ribs? They are by far the best that I ever experienced in Thailand, however that said, I have never tried Coaches, but certainly will after the OP's recommendation.

Funny you mention.... we talked about Salsa kitchen ribs too. The Coach ribs as i put in the header are the best now in CM for us, although i like the potato salad that comes with the salsa ribs. Salsa are very good too.But for us we liked the barbacue sause much better at Coaches and the ribs were fallen off the bone, really falling off the bone .

You know it is a great feeling when you go to a little place to eat for the first time and you are surprised in a good way..

FWIW, a friend of mine couldn't stop raving about the Coach's pizza. He said it was "just like American pizza." Granted, that's a bit ambiguous, but he does have pretty good sensibilities when it comes to pizza and his sheer enthusiasm definitely raises my interest.

Hello,

I'm looking to buy a children's bicycle with coaster brakes (i.e. the type of brake that operates by back-pedaling). Has anyone seen these for sale in Chiang Mai? It seems that all bikes being sold here have hand-operated brakes, even the smallest bikes for older toddlers.

I spoke with one gentleman at a shop on the northeast corner of the moat. He said he'd heard of a place in the Saraphi area selling bikes with coaster brakes, but I neglected to ask him for the shop's location.

Any leads would be much appreciated.

Sincerely,

HeyNow

A quick update: Rimping now stocks a finely-ground 100% whole wheat flour. I can't recall the brand name off hand. But it comes in a 2 kilogram bag that has a green and yellow trim. The bag goes for 68 baht, I believe.

As with other items at Rimping, stock can vary and the flour hasn't always been available. I got a bag several months ago, then when that bag ran out, I had to wait about another month until it was available again. Best to stock up when you see it's there.

I've used this flour in baking yeast breads, quick breads, pancakes, and cookies. Good stuff, much more usable than the coarsely-ground stuff that comes in the small, brown paper bags.

Cheers,

HeyNow

I don't mean to go too far off topic here, but there's an interesting article I found online today that may be of some interest to the original poster. This may work well in lieu of a bread machine:

Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day

I'm planning to try this out myself in the coming week, as it sounds very promising.

Cheers,

HeyNow

Does anyone know of a place in Chiang Mai that prints photo books, similar to what you might get online at Shutterfly or Snapfish? Details on location, price and quality would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

HeyNow

Could you explain in more detail what you mean by "the Night Bazaar building?" I understand the Night Bazaar as an area, but I'm not sure which building your referring to. Which street do you mean?

I believe I've been to the book store you mentioned - it has 3 or 4 stories, no? Lots of art supplies? Can't say I saw a chess set there, but then again, I wasn't looking for one at the time.

Chess sets (mostly carved wood but some soft-stone) in the basement of the Night Bazaar building - north side of the street......... there's a section that is nothing but games, wooden puzzles etc.

As a general observation, the quality of most stuff inside the building seems way better than the souvenir/knock-off/tat stuff on the street stalls.

I also recommend the upper floor of the large book-store/stationery place on Rachawith - about 50-100 metres along from UN Irish pub heading east towards the moat.

Has anyone seen wooden chess sets on sale in Chiang Mai? Or has anyone tried having one custom made by a wood worker? If so, where and at what cost?

Kind regards,

HeyNow

Has anyone seen genuine Victorinox Swiss Army Knives on sale anywhere in Chiang Mai? A friend of mine lost his and I'd like to help him replace it. I've been keeping my eye out, particularly as I've strolled through Airport Plaza, but I haven't spied anything yet.

Thanks in advance for any leads.

- HeyNow

There is an expat guy in the city who sends out an email with a list of local runs in the area too. It would be worth getting on his list.

A friend of mine mentioned this same expat gentleman. Does anyone know his name or his email? I'm having a tough time finding out about races and I'd really like to get on his list, if it's still in use.

I'm trying to find a couple of baking-related items in CM, but haven't had much luck. Specifically, I'm looking for A) a 100% whole wheat bread and finely ground whole wheat flour.

With regard to the bread, it seems to be standard practice to sell "whole" wheat bread that's no more than 50% whole wheat. This seems to hold true even at specialty places such as Dacheeso. Speaking with one of the employees, I was told that 100% whole wheat breads come out too hard. This is plainly not true, as you can get soft, 100% whole wheat breads in other countries. I suspect it has to do with the kinds of whole wheat that are available here.

Which brings me to the next point; with regard to the wheat, I've found places (e.g. Rimping) selling whole wheat flour, but it's coarsely ground. It can be mixed with all-purpose flour for cooking or baking, but it's not suitable for use in making your own 100% whole wheat baked goods. I need a finer grind. There's a newish baking place on Chiangmai-Lamphun Road, but I've already checked with them and they don't have a finely ground whole wheat flour.

Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.

The Honda dealership on the super highway have the best panel / paint shop in Chiang Mai. It's one of only 3 that have a paint oven. First class repairs, not sure about "cheap charlie" though.

I believe there are several Honda dealerships along the length of the Superhighway. Moreover, some people consider Mahidon road to be part of the Super, so it's not exactly clear to me where this dealership is. I know this is a bit of an old post, but can anyone clarify exactly which dealership we're talking about here?

The link to the PCD website is helpful, but has anyone come across data that tracks air quality in CM through the course of a day?

If the trend here is anything like it is where I'm from, then CM's air quality is worst in the daytime and best in the wee hours of the morning and late evening. Then again, this might not hold true; the burning smell seems to be quite strong in the evening, roughly between 7 PM and 9 PM.

Comments (and links to hard data, in particular) are very welcome!

Cheers,

HeyNow

Hello everyone,

I'd like to purchase a quality telescope for myself and my family to enjoy. I'm thinking of the Astroscan, which is one being sold by Edmund Scientifics. Unfortunately, they doesn't ship internationally. Shipping something like a telescope overseas would be fraught with risk for both seller and buyer.

It's a shot in the dark, but has anyone found a shop selling this or a comparable telescope for sale in Chiang Mai? Thanks.

Can you order a replacement from the original supplier and have it posted? Saves worring about tests etc.

No, unfortunately not, because I don't have my original prescription. Moreover, the prescription I had back in the US was based on exam I had done two years ago, and as far as I know, optometrists won't give out prescription info that old.

Realthaideal, thanks for the info about how long it might take. My only reservation is that I've never dealt with Ram before (or made us of any health care provider here, for that matter) and my Thai is nil at this point. But you're right, 1 hour is not so bad. So barring any other suggestions, I may go that route.

After my second week in Chiang Mai, I accidentally cracked one of my hard (RGP) contact lenses. I only brought one pair. I've been using my glasses now for several weeks, but I really miss the lenses. So I'm eager to get a replacement pair.

I've called a couple places, but they could only order the lenses. They didn't have the equipment to do the exam. One of them told me that I'd have to go to Ram (i.e. the hospital) to get the exam, and I'd rather not hassle with that if possible.

So here's my question: does anyone know of a place in Chiang Mai where I can get both the exam and the lenses? Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

-HeyNow