Dean1953

Any place around Chiang Mai that I could buy some grafted macadamia trees?

IMG_2673.mov I had galvanized gutters installed in 2005 when my house was built. The first to go were the ones in the back of my house. I took the second floor roof off that was over the far back end of my house and put a tiled patio in its place. I just had an awning put on top, so those gutters aren’t necessarily. After I leave to go back to the U.S. in a week, my old small entryway into the house will be torn down and a much larger entryway will be built with a large awning that will divert water coming off the front roof to mango trees planted on the side. The only gutters that I have left are on my garage, which work fine, and the one at the top of my house on the side, which has a large hole in the middle. I want it replaced with a stainless steel version that will outlast me at age 71. The lady that takes care of my house wants to try to have the old gutter repaired, which is BS. It’s going to be hard to find someone to work that high up, let alone trying to fix the old gutter. Any suggestions on a SS gutter would be appreciated! IMG_2673.mov IMG_2673.mov IMG_2674.mov

After having an awing placed over my tiled second floor patio, mainly because water leaked through several areas onto my exterior walls below (but also because the tiles got way too hot during the day to walk on barefoot), I just have 2 projects left to finish in the next 2-2.5 years before I move back permanently. The front door has a small overhang seperate roof that is 19 years old and for the last 2 years is being held up by 2 teak logs. Also, the exterior of my house is brick in the first level, that I repainted last year. The second level is teak siding that needs to be sanded and restained. I would like to buy a ladder that extends far enough to reach the highest spot on my house. Looking on Facebook Marketplace and googling extension ladders, I find combination ladders. Ladders that can be used as step ladders and converted to extension ladders. I want something like what I have in the U.S., a Louisville ladder that extends to either 28 or 36 feet and has a weight load of at least 250 pounds. Does anyone know of a store in Chiangmai which has them? If not, someplace in Thailand? Thanks!

I sent an email to Thai VietJet partially to clarify how the 40 kilos that I bought on their website can be distributed with 2 checked bags. The email concerns my purchase of the 40 kilos through the Thai VietJet app while logged in. In retrospect, I should have bought the kilos through eDreams, the 3rd party travel agency that I bough my ticket. When I look at my reservation on the app, it details my reservation in detail, except for purchasing the checked baggage 40 kilos. I can’t find the email confirming the purchase but I did make a copy of my bank statement where I was charged $36 for the 49 kilos. I haven’t heard back from Thai VietJet yet but may have to stop at the CNX airport in advance of 30 May flight to confirm that I won’t have any problems on 30 May when I fly to BKK.

This is my electronics shipment. Anything that I might need in Milwaukee tool products, I stock up on over the period of a year. I take advantage of Christmas sales, last minute sales, reconditioned tools and all sorts of blades I would love to bring a Milwaukee lawn mower but it weighs 70 pounds. I’ve probably made at least 10 trips in 10 years. I have all the clothes and tennis shoes that I would ever need. I have a teak house, so any tool that cuts wood is fair game for me to bring. After this trip, I have maybe 3-4 more trips before I move back to CM in 3 years. I let my wife have use of my suitcases on the way home. Usually, she wants Thai food stuffs that are legal to bring back to the U.S., along with spices.

I’m taking the train to CM next week, after arriving at BKK. I’ll have plenty of time to go by the VietJet checkin counter, or their office at the airport

I’m taking Thai Viet jet airlines on 30 May from CNX to BKK, then 5.5 hours later, I catch a flight to LAX I originally was going to send luggage by train and go pick it up on arriving at BKK. I finally checked the Thai Viet Jet website and 40 kilos of luggage was $36, so I paid it. On my receipt, it shows one luggage and the amount paid in Baht. Now, there’s some doubt that I’ll be allowed 2 bags, with 20 kilos apiece. I sent them the question on Messenger but haven’t heard back yet. I can’t imagine that they would allow 1 bag with 40 kilos in it but I’ve seen airlines do stranger things. If nobody knows, I arrive at BKK from LAX on 1 May, and I have 10 hours to kill before my train to Chiangmai leaves. That gives me plenty of rime to ask someone with Thai Vier Jet whether I’m allowed one or two bags and to plan accordingly. But if anyone here knows, I would appreciate it.

I had cataract surgery at Rutnin on my left eye about 20 years ago. I think it was less than 35,000 baht. I have my right eye checked every couple of years and so far, Doctors have told me I don’t need it yet. Living in the U.S. with Medicare, I’ll be over my deductible by this Summer. I’d like to get a couple of elective surgeries done this fall, including cataract surgery on my right eye. In 2 years, I expect to retire in Chiangmai.

Yes there is a pvc pipe sticking out above where the septic tank was buried. That part was done in December, while I was there. The laying of the concrete base and putting the pavers back down has been this week.

The worker and my caretaker at the house talked with a company that sells pavers and the problem with cutting blocks in half is , with the amount of rain in rainy season, the pieces might float out If I had done it, I would have cut the pieces, put some concrete in the hole, push the cut pieces in place and wiped off the excess concrete. They weren’t going to do that, so they did it yesterday with a lot of concrete. I guess that it will grow on me with time

I know that there are lots of places to buy them. I bought these at a business lot across the street from Global House. I’ll ask either the installer or my Thai neighbor that watches over my house whien I’m not there if they know of anyplace closer to Bo Sang, where my house is. The only other place where I have a smaller patio, using the same pavers, and having the same sand base under the pavers, after 12-13 years of mailing unsupervised growth, the grass grew high enough between the pavers that you couldn’t see the pavers any longer. I pulled all the pavers off and hired someone else to pour a concrete base there and put the pavers on top. He decided to fill in where the half square pavers would have fit with concrete. It looks alright but I’d prefer to use the half pavers this time.

Underneath my patio is my septic tank, which cracked and drained a section of sand out to the creek behind my house. Rather than pulling out the septic tank, which also had a considerable amount of sand in it, a new septic tank was installed next to the old one. All of this was done while I was at my house in December. A person that occasionally works on stuff at my house was contracted to pour a concrete base and reinstall the pavers on top, which he has done as of yesterday. My question is whether I can buy paver square blocks already in half size? Or, do I have to cut them in half, to fit them in the sides of the patio? If the latter, I know what I’ll be doing in May when I get back. Thanks!

That’s why I’m not overly concerned about it. She has a Pharmacy degree from a U.S. University. Her future Ks in the U.S., working. Now that she knows what a PITA Thai officials are, I’m sure that she will be prepared next time she comes to Thailand.

The step daughter in question has an older sister who was 17 in 2008 and presumably has a Thai ID card. She has a brother who was 14 in 2008 and I’m not sure if he has one. The youngest in the family, my 15 year old son, who was 11 months old in 2008 when we all moved, does not have a Thai ID card.

My step daughter was 12 in 2008, when she moved to the States. What you say makes sense. I’m now quoting my daughter directly, to avoid any confusion; “We went with birth certificate, the blue house book (basically to show that i live in a house in thailand), thai passport, mom, and Thai school grade report” She’s running out of time and patience this trip to get it done. She is right about her 15 year old brother who was born in Thailand and moved to the States at 11 months old and now looks like me, getting a Thai ID card. Besides, if there is any chance of his having to serve in the military, that’s reason enough to give up his Thai citizenship

I relayed the information to my step daughter. Her response was that she and her mother had gone with her Thai and U.S. passports, her birth certificate, the blue house book and several report cards from Thai schools. I think that she is frustrated and upset enough to give up trying this trip. Other than getting a lawyer with connections or offering tea money, I don’t know what else she could have done.

Our family moved to the U.S. in 2008, when my step daughter was 12 years old. She just finished pharmacy school in the U.S. and the whole family is at our house in Chiangmai for a month. She wants to get a thai ID card and has been to 2 government offices but was denied. She went with her mother, who does have a thai ID card, along with her birth certificate and her grade cards and letters from the school, stating that she went to their school through 7th grade. The thai official refuse to grant an ID without proof from a local government official who was an official and knew her before she moved to the U.S. I recommended contacting a thai lawyer that specializes in immigration. I think that she is resigned to not getting it this trip but to try again on a subsequent trip to Thailand. They are leaving on 15 July, so she still has some time to do it. Any suggestions?

I used Top Charon last October for prescription sun glasses for 3,600 and have been pleased with them. My step son sat on them and broke the hinge off. When back in Chiangmai in February, they were nice enough to put them in a new frame at no cost. I needed regular glasses and reading glasses but Top Charon wanted around $400 for those. My Medicare PPO insurance gave me a $500 credit for eye glasses (and dental and hearing aids) and I used it at Costco here for regular and reading glasses for $230. If I haven’t used the remaining credit by December, I’ll buy another pair of sunglasses

After talking with the lady last night, and agreeing to let it go until my next visit in December, I receive these pictures this morning. I don’t know what to think, except that this looks a lot cleaner than having a piece of wood behind it

I’ll bet that I can get my impact drill to drill through 4 holes that were partially started with wood drill bits

Yeah, the possibility that they ruined the stone underneath the wood has crossed my mind. In that case, I have 2 options. My neighbor, the concrete guy, did the veneer and can replace damaged stone Or, I can just paint the wood black and hope it takes 15 years to rot. That’s beyond my expiration date

I am curious why you consider my telling the lady that I didn’t like the way the letters were put on wood instead of the stone as bad manners? I guess that, 15 years ago, you would have considered me bad mannered when I fired the Thai that installed my sprinkler system with at least 7 major leaks? I have no doubt that the wood window frames will be fine. It’s only the upstairs windows that have metal frames that I’m replacing. The downstairs already have teak wooden window frames. That he did several years ago

I have very few absolutes but I will only buy tools in Thailand as a last resort. The warranty is <deleted> and if they are imported, are much more expensive than tools in the U.S. I’ll bring masonry drill bits next time for my impact drill.

Actually, the instructions were crystal clear. I really micro managed this job to the smallest detail. My problem is that the lady asked the guy working on my wood window screens to put the letters up, instead of my neighbor who works with concrete every day. Of course, he is going to use wood. concerning the size of the letters and whether they are hard to see, that doesn’t bother me. I live on a dead end street in a rural area. No body would be relying on the letters to find the house. Anytime I have a delivery, they have my phone number and either call me or the lady that takes care of my house. And that isn’t very often I just talked with the lady. I convinced her that I should wait until December to decide to keep or fix. She wanted to paint the wood black but I felt that whoever painted it, except me, would get black paint all over the stone. In work on my house, I’ve always had to clean stain and paint off of floors and walls from other people’s work. I’d rather do it myself