ASHTONITE

Tsing Tao is made with rice... possibly Sapporo or another Japanese beer... i dont think Bud is made with rice... just hops and barley and a poor brewing recipe. The strange thing is that many Americans drink the crap :-)

Amen to that... Budweiser i think is the worst beer on the planet :-) and then after that is COORS! Horrible... actually... i cant think of one national brand American beer that is tasty... only ones are Local Brews... Like RED OAK in North Carolina... Sierra Nevada Ale.... or perhaps FAT TIRE.

Hi,

I am looking to buy 2 bikes 250cc to 400cc... what are the best bikes from your experience that are good for both around town and traveling 200 - 300 km for a nice long ride?

Hey.... even some Americans DESPISE Light American Beer.... :-) I got spoiled living in Easter Europe for 7 years.

All all these Superbowl parties going on at 06:00 am... or did anyone get smart and going to tape the game and have an afternoon or evening party... so we can drink beer.. eat pizza... hamburgers... and potato chips :-)

Hi,

I posted a question in another thread ( Pool finally arrives in Chiang Mai ) we oddly enough is advertising :-)

Anyway.... I am looking for a place to buy a second hand 3ft X 6ft pool table and supplies.

Know where I can get one?

Thanks,

--Ashton

Black Artemis... well said... the main point both of us are making... is you have to put the effort into making it work... you get out of a relationship what you put into it. And I do agree... Thai's will give more than you give if you try. I feel the same... Thailand is more my home that the USA... I have not lived in America for over 10 years now... no plans of going back.

Maybe you forget to put the :-) Smiley faces next to Gangs :-)

:-) it is like comparing Apples to Oranges... or buying a Toyota and a BMW. If I compare the price of a BMW to a TOYOTA... the price is 50% cheaper... most of the time you get what you pay for.

In relative terms costs are the same for each airline traveling to same market segment... Etthad for example is trying to BREAK IN to the Thai Market and thus my offer a special fare. 99% of the time there are heavy restrictions... specific time periods and even days of the week you can get this fare. And the number of seats at this far are certainly limited. Often the are also NON-REFUNDABLE.

Airline seat pricing is based on many factors... capacity of the aircraft, price of fuel, market segment and the largest factor is demand. Thai airways price for that flight is 40,000 THB... and they are most likely 80% full already for the flight in question... and Etthad's flight is at 20,000 THB... and still has seats available... there is a reason for that :-)

If your travel plans fit the requirements of the fare and you are 100% sure you will travel... go for it. Like I said... deals are out there... just red the fine print... they are often not what they appear to be.

I always call the airlines direct.. check with 2-3 travel agencies and about 5 websites before I book my ticket.

I would have to say the 69 THB SUB OF THE DAY at subway is not a bad deal... you can make it your way and is tasty...

Unfortunately violence is everywhere.... can't hide from it... we all try to avoid it. Nobody knows how long they have to live... I think the lesson from this sad event is that we should try our best to avoid putting ourselves in a position or place that would increase the chances of a violent crime being committed.

RIP

I have been working with Travel Management companies for over 5 years... there is no such thing as a 40-50% discount for AIR TICKETS! :-) Good luck

YES... Nokia gave you the location. NICE STORE!

Did you come across any unique teas in your searches that may not be sold everywhere... I am always interested in trying new types of Tea.

I hate to sound like a shill for that place at the airport but they do carry some very unusual teas. One I tried on Friday was called 10000 mile tea. I wasnt very taken with their jasmine and the manager had me try this one. A beautiful tea that naturally has a peach taste. They also offer a superb tea which I call "Have you lost your mind? tea" because it costs 2000 Baht for 200 grams. But when you consider that it takes only 1.5 grams to make 5 mugs of tea, it's not really so much. Their sticky rice tea (tea that naturally has the flavor of sticky rice) is the best I've had in Chiang Mai. anyway, they will ply you with free samples of tea there.

You might want to consider a trip to mae salong. It's a beautiful place. The merchants are ethnic chinese and the workers are akha.

Thanks... I will give it a try. I have heard MAE SALONG is a good place to go... i think next weekend i will carve out a day trip and check it out. THANKS AGAIN!

Does anyone know if a Bar or Restaurant will TAPE the game and then play it in the evening :-) going to a place at 06:30am to watch football... hmmm.... not for me.

I want to eat chicken wings... pizza... chips... and drink beer. :-) Not the best thing to do at 06:30am... and watching the big game and eating Ham and Eggs... just does not seem right to me :-)

I am happy not to see it in the morning... not watch the news and go to a SUPERBOWL party in the evening... where you can really enjoy it.

There are some nice stops along the way... HOT SPRING... and the WHITE TEMPLE... or whatever it is :-)

The trip is easy... but be prepared for a long... mostly boring car ride :-)

Hi Matt,

Some very good questions...

1) I would have to say from my experience in Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai looking for property and land... you never find a good deal from signs on the side of the road. And if you can read the sign in English... really a bad deal :-) Over priced from the start.

2) The best land is really not advertised... because once it is... well... agents and everyone else wants a piece of the pie and the price gets bigger. If you have local friends... have them ask around... I have bought the best properties from word of mouth... Uncle.. Aunt... brother... sister or cousin is selling etc.

3) I never do the negotiating myself... I look at a house... or property... alone.... then I have my Thai trusted friends get details and negotiate. 90% of the time Thai's will always get a better deal than you will!

4) Buying a house and home is a big step here in Thailand... location is everything. Take your time... dont rush it. In many areas you dont have to worry about being surrounded by poor people. Most have a POLICE box... you pay about 500 THB per month the police come 2 -4 times a day.

5) Communities are a lot safer in general... but you can have a nice house outside the Moo Baan... important thing is to not make yourself a target. :-) Know the area.... understand the people... 90% of the time you will be OK.

6) Phones... cable... electric... internet... always best to check out what services may or may not be available in the area before buying. If available... easy to source and get to your home... if not... you dont want to go down that path :-)

7) Everyone likes a good location to sell things... I have found that most Thais are respectful of others house and property... they usually dont just setup shop in front of your place. If they do... have someone ask them to leave... nicely of course... and they will. Some may come to ask you how much to sell Mangoes in front of your good location.

Know what you want... and then get help to find it. There are a lot of deals out there... but if you have read in City Life recently there are also some SCAM artists out there too... and they are not THAI .... Some Farang can be just as bad. Never pay a deposit to anyone... always do everything through a reputable legal firm... better to be safe than sorry.

I think it is a positive thing to hear feedback about people's experience at different restaurants... some people love it and others will hate it. You can have a bad experience at the best of places.

Al lot of back and forth on this thread and calling people names... best to keep it to the facts and be constructive with the criticism...

WOW... I have to say that I am surprised at some of the comments here... First of all one must understand that no place on earth is perfect... and there is good points and bad points about every location.

As with any country... Thailand is not for everyone. And I don't agree with the comment about the THAI people will never accept you and you will always be a Farang. I have lived in several countries... and it really comes down to how you treat the local people... and if you respect them. I have a lot of Thai friends... they treat me as their own and would do anything for me... because they respect me and I respect them... I treat them the same as I want to be treated and i get the same in return. The Thai people for the most part want to treat you as one of them... but it really depends on the type of person you are and how you treat them... their families... friends... religion... and their KING.

The friends you choose are also an important part of your successful integration in any culture or country. If you act as a farang... you will be treated like one.

I have lived in BANGKOK and PHUKET.... now CHIANG MAI.... there are a lot of reasons that I chose to live here... each place has something different or better than the other... people are a bit different too. I chose CM because it has the right mix for me. I fit in more... and treated more like one of their own.

Just think in your heart about the kind of person you are... and what you want in life... and a place to live... and also think about what your are willing to do to make it work. Nothing is easy :-)

Take your time... the right choice will come to you. Sometimes you also have to TAKE A CHANCE... and try a place... you never know what life will throw your way. Rent a place for 2 weeks and take a look around... meet some locals...

Good luck

Did you come across any unique teas in your searches that may not be sold everywhere... I am always interested in trying new types of Tea.

Aitch is right... it's like asking how much is a used car without stating the YEAR, MAKE or MODEL you desire. It all depends on your lifestyle and budget... and a little bit of luck in finding a great deal.

Market is good right now.. there is a lot out there and prices are dropping due to economic situation.

Good Luck!

Something my father used to tell me... IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE HEAT.... STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN! :-)

Thanks everyone... a lot of good information. Is being able to apply for Citizenship in 5 years worth going through this process for PR? Are there any other advantages that you may be aware of by having PR?

I understand that it is very difficult to get Thai Citizenship... so it looks like PR process might actually help. And is it best to speak Thai before going through this process?

Regards,

I found this information... I was wondering if anyone actually obtained this... and can give me any pointers.

<h2 id="permanent">Permanent residence</h2> This is granted to people who have been living here for more than five years or have a wife and family to support, however the one-off fee of 195,000 baht (95,000 baht if you’re married to a Thai) is rather ridiculous and renders this option largely unreasonable to most. In addition, you have to show you have an income of at least 40,000 baht per month and a bank balance of 400,000 baht, not to mention a mountain of paper work. It does however save you the ongoing hassle of renewing your work permit of spousal visa each year - which isn't straightforward we might add. However only a few are given out per year.

OK... I will give it a try... thank you. No idea there was a dog market... for pets or food? :-P

As I said in my first post... THE TRUTH MAY NEVER BE KNOWN! In any event this situation is unfortunate... no matter his sexual orientation.

Hi... it is directly across the street from the HOLIDAY INN.