Andreas84

Yeah, I was wondering about the same thing. Although I will probably not come until after one month or so. I guess that by that time things should have slightly come back to normal, unless something unexpected happens? I would also be interested in knowing if CM is still pretty much the same as it was 1,5 years ago. No important changes or issues I should know about?

I have understood that Thailand has become a little bit stricter regarding entry etc, like you need to show upon arrival that you have booked a hotel etc?

Previously I could get a triple entry tourist visa from the Thai Embassy in Norway (two years ago), which would enable me to stay for nine months total, doing two border runs. I do not know if the embassy still offers this, but I hope so. Is there any general changes in Thailands policies which would indicate that this has probably changed?

Is it still possible to stay for quite some time, using a multiple entry tourist visa then perhaps going to Laos or so, getting a new one etc? Any changes during the last one-two years one should be aware of?

Hi,

I will soon move to Thailand - I am coming on a tourist visa to begin with, and will see how it develops - whether there will be several tourist visas or some kind of employment after a while.

I need to send some personal belongings - clothes, books etc (at least 20 kg, probably 30, or if 30 is not allowed, then perhaps send two packages) Probably I will send them from the UK. I wonder if there would generally be any hassle with customs, such as having to pay a lot for this go get through, or that it does not get through, etc? Should I mark it simply as personal belongings (books, clothes) and not declare any value?

Any input appreciated!

Try this product.

Cost is about USD 30, but there is no need to reach back and point the nozzel. Just turn the knob and wiggle a bit until you hit the right spot.

For those who are looking for something to keep handy in case you are in the woods/on the road and need to take a "big healthy one" here is a lifesaver. The Toto Portable Bidet

And of course there are the high end models: Toto

Enjoy and keep yourself clean!

TheWalkingMan

Anyone have experience with any portable bidet products, such as the one Mentioned in the quoted post? As I am going to the UK for a while, I might buy one to use while I am there. I see most of them only have a water tank of around 200 ml, so I guess it must be far from having the real thing, but still better than toilet paper alone. Any product recommendations?

I want to print 500 or 1.000 copies of the debut album of my band Okular (www.myspace.com/okularmetal) (for sale and promotional use) It will be identical to a print I will do in Europe.

I am looking for a reliable company offering professional cd replication service either in Bangkok or Phuket. I have found one company in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who seems to be good, but I might rather do it in Thailand later this year.

I will then send the cds by mail, mostly to different media worldwide, for promotion, and I guess it is somewhat cheaper to do this from Thailand compared with Malaysia. Any input on this? Can I find the exact prices online, on the Thai Postal Service website or so?

Hi,

can anyone recommend a good internet forum for Malaysia (or Kuala Lumpur, specifically?

I am looking for three things, and I post it here, too, in case somebody might know:

a professional female vocalist to record some vocals for my progressive metal album which will be released soon.

a good bookshop (used or second hand) I am looking specifically for a good selection in the fields of psychology and spirituality.

Good shops for organic food, health products, nutritional supplements etc.

Thanks :.)

For the last six years now i have been using The Swiss Garden Hotel. Its well situated, clean, comfortable and above all gives a very good breakfast. I would reccommend it to anybody.

Will be back there again this year for the Sepang F1.

What do you usually pay? And is there no internet possibility in the room (I have my own laptop)

Hi,

I will soon go to Kuala Lumpur for three days, before I travel to Hong Kong. I need to find a reasonably priced (Preferable between 25-50 USdollar pr night) yet good hotel, which will make my stay as hasslefree as possible. There should be internet access in the room, because most of the time I will spend working on the computer, and it should be clean, reliable etc. Preferably not too far from the airport/difficult to travel back and forth from the airport - somewhere centrally located would be good, with many opportunities for eating etc within short distance.

Any suggestions is warmly appreciated!

i know this is a southeastasia forum, but I would like to also ask if someone knows a hotel meeting similar criteria in Hong Kong. There my budget would be 130 USdollars pr night. It need not have internetaccess, but should be centrally located, making it practical to explore the city.

if there is any place in Asia which is comparable to CM, I would be interested in knowing about it :-)

Baggio

What/where is that?

 Thanks a lot to all of you!

I think you guys are right. And I do not think Vietnam could be better than Chiang Mai. But if there is any place in Asia which is comparable to CM, I would be interested in knowing about it :-)

Hi,

I am considering to live in HCMC or thereabouts, in Vietnam, for three months or more. Previously I stayed for over three months in Chiang Mai. There, many of my needs were met and I wonder if HCMC (or other places in Asia) are comparable with respects to the following:

1. Accomodation. Is it possible to find western/modern style accomodation, in a convenient location, size 60-110 m2, in the price range equal to 10-20.00 bht pr month? And is it possible to rent this kind of accomodation for as little as three months? On the following link, is one example by what I mean: http://www.houseinch...Condo/C571.aspx

That one is 63m2 for 18.000 bht monthly. Or like this, 85 m2 condo for 18.000 bht monthly, in Chiang Mai: http://www.houseinch...ide-3/C208.aspx

2. Transport: Is it possible to live in HCMC and get by with public transport, Tuk-Tuk or equivalent etc?

3. Food: To what extent is there an availability of imported foods/imported health foods? Is there any availability of i.e. organic eggs, organic vegetables, organic rice, organic coldpressed coconut and olive oils etc? Any "health food" restaurants? Is HCMC in example comparable at all to Bangkok in this regard?

4. To what extent is there an availability of alternative health treatments, yoga studios etc? are some of these run by westerners?

I am very interested to know about cities in Asia which meets these requirements. (And right now I am considering HCMC specifically)

Any input appreciated!

Thanks all, that was a lot of good input!

Anyway, it seems like it will be difficult to take really good driving lessons - emphasising driving skills and safety in the traffic - in the way one can do in the west. Am I right? Because, even more than taking the drivers licence in itself, I want proper training.

Proper training????????????

Hehe, are you indicating it is not the right country for that?

As some other people have expressed, I am afraid as well that a project like this could destroy the Chiang Mai I love. And I generally do not see what good theme parks has done for this world. For sure, I believe a project like this could provide more opportunities for people to be distracted and wasting their money, but I think the world does not need more of that.. Could of course also be that they make some good movies, but it is easy for me to assume that the majority of the movies would advocate values which go against the evolution of mankind. :-) I mean, by encouraging and supporting a mindless following of consumerist mentality, not questioning established views etc. But I might be wrong, it might not be so black&white.

I heard from a man whom I came across in CM that there will be built a major film studio - I believe in the San Khampaeng area - and if I remember correctly it would be almost like the "asian" hollywood, the way this man described it. He claimed that it would be ready in a few years, and that the prices in Chiang Mai will double or triple as a result of this, as it would attract a lot of people. I looked it briefly up on the net, and it looks like there is indeed going to be some studio built, but I have a feeling that this man was perhaps exaggerating things a bit or perhaps a lot. I never met anyone else who talked about it. I have not kept up with this forum all the time, but I cannot remember it being discussed here either.

So, has anyone heard about this film studio? Is it a real thing? and to what extent do you think it will have a major impact on Chiang Mai?

Thanks :-)

<Andreas84>

Looking at your requirements, I cannot think of any area better than that in which you were previously resident. Good luck with your hunt for a condo.

Regards

Hi all, thanks, I think that was some useful advice. Yes, it is probably true what Contractor says, but I would like to try something new or at least consider it.

"Sois off Suthep Road, West of the Canal Road and South of the University. "

- that sounds quite good, still somewhat in the same area, though. to some extent...

"There's also new Punna condos going up opposite the back end of the Universiity. "

Might also be worth checking out.

But I am curious to know more about other parts of the town.

Altough it might be more trafficky, not so good views etc, Twin Peaks and Peak Garden which are nearby Shangri La hotel along Chang Klan might also be worth considering. Would be very interested to hear some more suggestions for that area, or other areas of the city than those already mentioned. But I guess one the challenges with many areas, is that they do not have very good accomodation, right? (read: modern condos)

Perhaps there are really only a few areas which have the kind of accomodation I am looking for, and also meet most of my other needs (nice views, not too traficky, somewhat peaceful, some trees, still somewhat central etc)

Thanks :-)

Thanks all, that was a lot of good input!

Anyway, it seems like it will be difficult to take really good driving lessons - emphasising driving skills and safety in the traffic - in the way one can do in the west. Am I right? Because, even more than taking the drivers licence in itself, I want proper training.

Hi, I have been living in CM earlier this year and in 2009, and may come back next year. Previously I rented a Condo at "Sritanna Condo 2" off Huay Kaew Rd, and I think that area + Nimmanhemin is a good location. However, I would be interested to try something new next time. Could anyone suggest an alternative location which may meet my needs?

Below are the main criteria for what I perceive as a good location to live. You might also mention specific condominum buildings and websites showing some examples.

* Good availability of TukTuks and Song Thaews (meaning it is no must to drive a vehicle myself)

* Walking distance to a basic range of shops where basic needs can be met

* Nice views, somewhat quiet (not right in the middle of the traffic, has some nice trees etc) yet still quite centrally located

* Not too dirty, "primitive" etc

* Should be access to a gym not more than 5-10 minutes away by TukTuk

I generally like to spend some time around the moon muang area. Tha Phae gate is also ok. So it could be somewhere perhaps not too far from those. Have to admit that I am not so good with maps and do not know all parts of town. But generally I prefer living in a condo, not house, and with a modern standard. I will try to find something for around 15.000 bht pr month, around 70-80 m2 (must have a western kitchen + good workspace). It can be good to avoid the most touristy areas. Maybe that sounds strange, as moon muang and tha phae gate, which I mentioned, may have a touristy feel. I believe there are some very decent accomodation also around the night bazaar area, but I would not want to be right in the middle of that. Maybe there are some options at the beginning of Chang Klan rd as well, but to far off into Chang Klan rd. would not be central enough.

Any input appreciated

Hi,

I would be interested to take some driving lessons (driving a car) in CM, most likely next year, as I am not in CM at the moment. A few questions:

Can someone recommend a good school for that?

What approximately can I expect to pay pr hour?

Can I as a westerner obtain a drivers license for cars in CM which will be valid within Thailand? (I have no drivers license from any other country)

Would that drivers licence be valid in any other countries as well?

Are there any complicated rules in regards to buying a (used) car in thailand - let's say somewhere in the pricerange of 50.000 Baht to 250.000 baht?

Thanks :-)

it's better to leave the smell at home than to walk around all day with an unclean azzhole...all sorts of associated embarrassment can be avoided, like bein' fitted out inna $2000 suit an' tryin' to impress and ye stink ob shit...

Haha, I got a good laugh from that one!

And by the way, as another poster commented, I do not think anyone meant that it would be good to use warm water for the bumspray, just that the water could be too cold in the wintertime in certain countries. I believe one poster stated he lives in the US, and that although the water is cold in the winter, he finds it refreshing? Anyway, that sounds promising.

Sleepyjohns' suggestion  "it's worth fitting a small water tank in line which can warm up to ambient temperature", seems like a good idea.

 Thanks, orang37! :-)

Raw egg-white does contain a Biotin (Vitamin B7, not B3) binding protein, Avidin, which simply means that if you eat the whole raw egg you lose most of the biotin in the yolk.

I think I do not quite understand this sentence. You mean that due to Avidin, which binds both the biotin in the yolk, AND the biotion in the gut/from other foods, one can potentially get biotin-deficiency by eating too much egg white? Or what exactly does Biotin-binding mean - that the biotin is transported out of the body without being utilized? Is it necessary, then, too eat the Yolk and the White at different times, in order to utilize the biotin?

I always eat both the white and the yolk. I know some people claim it gives too much cholesterol. But as far as I understand, there is not necessarily any relation between the amount of cholesterol consumed by food, and the amount of cholesterol in the blood. At least I have eaten about 5 eggs daily for 2-3 years now, and my cholesterol levels have been checked several times in this period, and they are perfectly normal.

Good post, by the way!

Use the typical boiler that is used in Thailand for hot water. No problem.

Is that "boiler" easily available in the west? How would it be connected to the bumspray - in the same way as it is used for the showers? 

As was mentioned by a previous poster, the bumspray can be installed like this: "Just buy a 'T' fitting and attach to the little pipe coming outta the wall that supplies the toilet tank, you will then have two outlets: one for the toilet tank supply and one for your new bum sprayer...wrap the threads with jointing tape and attach both. "

I guess, then, that from the outlet which will be used for the bumspray, the water will first go into the box for heating the water, then the bumspray will be connected to that box?

 Good to see I am not the only one who is open to unusual dietary practices :-)

I tried the duck eggs before, as well. Good stuff!

"Interestingly the white which is high in protein is only 50% of its amino acids bioavailable raw and around 90% if cooked."

That could be a concern for me, but actually, aren't many people expressing the opposite? At least that is my impression...

Nice post Andreas84!! I found some goat's whey yesterday at Rimping so I'm gonna start stocking up.

Thanks! Cool, tell me how it works for you. How do you like the taste of the goat whey? Quite intense, huh? :-)

You might look up a previous post on Liquid Goat Whey, which is sold in many healthfood stores (Baan Suan Paak, near President Hotel, or Aden on Nimmanhemin rd, near WarmUp). The producer will get the university to measure the protein content. 

At RimPing near the airport, they sell almond powder for 235 baht pr 500 g bags. That gives about 20-25 grams of protein, pr 100 g serving, I guess. I simply mix the powder with water, then drink it. I take one or two servings pr day. For sure much more expensive than protein powder, if you think costwise only in terms of protein, but this also has many other nutritional benefits. I guess quite a lot of calories (around 700-900?) pr 100 g, from healthy fat etc. And I believe it also contains some minerals etc, like magnesium. 

Also, I eat perhaps 6 raw eggs pr day (organic eggs). Put 2-3 eggs in a glass, then swallow. Done in ten seconds, and actually no big deal once I got used to it. I barely get any vomiting reflex from doing this, anymore! Haha. And if I do, I just laugh about it! It is just a conditioned response, due to some idea about raw eggs not being a comfortable thing to have in the mouth etc. I believe quickly swallowing some raw eggs provides much better nutritional value than any highly processed proteinpowder, from genetically manipulated soya or from cows on hormones fed GMO foods etc. After a workout, I drink a bottle of raw goat milk or goat whey. 

Would be interesting to hear your experience, if you try any of this :-)