mamborobert

Could you clarify what you mean that might help more...BJJ, Self Defence, MMA, Bodyguard type stuff? etc etc

Also just to train/progress or to get a visa with as well as would make different suggestions.

For straight hand to hand with Ed Visa...for example over in Wat Ket at Kawilla train track entrance

https://hand2handcombat.com/

I get great download speeds from them  Certainly better than my old 3bb.  No problems streaming or with torrents, multiple devices etc.

I think it really does depend where you are, how close to node, and demand on that node.

Had no problems at all for over a year...but there have been two failry significant outages in the last few months, one more than 24 hrs.

As I am not relying for business or earning I can cop a few problems ok but you could see some people (understandably) go ballisitic on their Line chat.

Working fine for me in Wat Ket. just east of Warrorot.

As far as Line best thing you can do is read the messages on Sinet1147 chat page.  It hass been lit up with user messages for teh last three hours...mostly in Thai but that is where they post updates.  They do not usually respond to messages even in Thai as they are flooded with them, which in turn takes resources away from fixing problem.  Whenever I do have a problem this Line group is first thing I check to see if it is all users or just moi.

Thanks for that Awk and WinneTheKwai.

Just on the TAT side I perhaps did not make myself clear.   I was questioning whether or not the AQI web site info on air quality had less creativity that the TAT numbers and announcements on Tourism/arrivals/forecasts/daly expenditure/vacancy rates etc etc.  It appears from both your responses that the link to the Thai site (Awk).

Only a bit bad today and case the outline of Doi Suthep from balcony as my own unscientific test and at lest the temp staying relatively low is helping.

Every day CM still beats the shit ot of living in some other places I have and that is the ultimate benchmark for me.

15 minutes ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

March is typically worst, and most of it usually ends by mid April.   (Except last year, which had a very long drought)

No job with TAT for you with that type of response.

I wonder if/what effect the ban will have on a later period.  Accepting that there have been bans in the past and of dubious success.  And current relatively good conditions is apparently being put down to good weather (which it is I suppose).

Anybody have any idea how reliable the AQI measures are on

http://aqicn.org/city/thailand/chiangmai/city-hall/

Or do they have the same measuring and numerical flexibility guides as TAT?

I wonder how many more customers have gone to G4T that were simply unaware of its existence until this (and similar threads) came to TV.  

They must be laughing all the way to the bank...why bother becoming a TV sponsor...

I do wish the posts would quieten down......simply so I do not have to queue for G4T :)

"Lucky" having BIB on each side and behind to catch him otherwise he could have been hurt.  Still trying to work out why they caught him though.

And for the "presumption of innocence" crowd....I will go with the BIB on this one.  They would have thought long and hard about charging a monk especially when he was approached by this particular boy....

what are the chances that this was his first offence?   zip nil nada

How is this over reacting?

This was not teaching infants to concentrate....it was punishment pure and simple.

These are not children...or teenagers..they are pre schoolers....Infants.

If you bind infants hands and blindfold them surely that is not acceptable.  Why not go the whole hog and have stress positions, sleep deprivation, and white noise.  Is that still acceptable?

The Police cannot do this (publicly) to known criminals and yet it is ok to do to infants?

How many law suits would this crank up in USA/UK/Aust etc.  And its not "the Thai way" clearly the Ed Dept wants to pursue and parents see this as wrong.

And the Director backed  this?   I think they shoudl all get a transfer...teachers and Director.  Pattani or Yala is screaming for teachers.

54 minutes ago, dave2 said:

nahh .. hes been stuffed

 

but hes singing outside the little rock

cafe in nha trang vietnam with backing vocals by michael jackson

and bubbles every night :)

 

dave2

Wrong wrong wrong,  He was at Kad Suan Kaew from 5.30pm to 7.15pm this very night.

You can still catch the second set if you hurry.

2 sets!  Set #1 5:30 – 7:15pm and Set #2 8:30 – 10:30pm.  Set 1 is in the “Food Factory” (aka “The Blue Food Court”) in the basement of Kad Suan Kaew mall, and Set 2 is in Lotus Hotel Pang Suen Kuew nearby.  Enjoy the sounds of “Thai Elvis” and his band, they’re really fun.  At the Food Factory, food and beverages are “up-to-you”.  Always wanted to try one of those Thai-style beer towers?  Now’s your chance.  All the standard Thai dishes are available for 25 – 50 baht.  A fun night out for less than 100 baht.  Gather with a few friends or meet new friends!

9 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

Do they build hotels over night there? How many years or man/hours did it take to get this insight?

It is a nationwide execise already started in Phuket.  In early Jan hotels were given 30 days to get their license current,  At that time it was reported that in CM alone there were 600 unlicensed premises (apartment blocks/dorms/hotels/guest houses etc).

Same report said that nationally over 60% of rooms were not licensed and Deputy PM had a 5 year plan to bring them into the fold, the 30 day grace being the first part followed by enforcement and education and promotion and so on.

Looks like it is actually cranking up here.  At least a few of teh hotels seemed to have got the license issue cleaned up in teh 30 day grace period.

37 minutes ago, idman said:

So let me see now. In all of the replys to the original post no one but myself qustions who the <deleted> is this Australian Police Liason person is? What right does he have to pull over any driver and tell him he has to pay a fine. When did these types of earslings show up and think they are the traffic police? I am looking forward to the day when one of these w%#£×&s tries to extort a single satang from me.

Sent from my SM-T805 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

Have seen this guy a number of times.   For a while I heard his name tossed around as potential Hon Consul.  He is not an AFP Liason....he is voluntary tourist police.  BIB pull over and you can get referred to him by them.

I posted about him here when I most recently come across him.  He has been doing this type of work for yonkers and you will often see him in photos on CM108 doing interpreting/assisting with errant Tourists.

Citylife extract from 2012 below:  http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/citylife-articles/mod-oz/

Aussie on the Beat

I met Laurie Simmons at his award-winning guesthouse on Tha Pae. He had just returned from the police station, setting the scene nicely for our interview with the city’s only Australian tourist police volunteer. Simmons welcomed us into a spacious office previously used as the hub of his lucrative e-bay business. Born and bred in Sydney, Simmons worked for the Australian police for 24 years. 

“In the late seventies the Australian government was into multiculturalism. I was sent to learn Thai. Back then I didn’t even like pepper on my food!” Simmons developed a passion for a language in a country he had never even been to. “I impressed the commanders with my language ability and got into helping on human trafficking cases.”

After working in Thailand for a number of international cases and marrying a Thai lady, Simmons eventually relocated to Chiang Mai for early retirement, though there was no golf, smoking pipe and cosy slippers for this young pensioner.  Helping out with a couple of incidents with the local bobbies quickly became a regular 30 to 50+ hour week assisting the tourist police. 

 “I’ve been to every type of incident, from lost passports, domestic rows to road accidents, suicides, murders and narcotics. There are many things which are simply a miscommunication.” 

“I was once called out to diffuse a situation where an unfaithful expat had a revengeful knife hanging out of his back. Another time a man phoned us, he was hiding in the shed. All you could hear was the ‘pinging’ sounds of bullets his jealous wife was shooting at him from outside.”

He told me about another incident where a naive tourist had criticised some elephant mahouts for using the elephants to make money on the streets. The tourist ended up getting slashed with a machete, whilst the three mahouts escaped the scene by elephant; the reflector lights clipped to the elephant tails swinging side to side as the large mammals trundled up Loi Kroh. Speedy getaway, it was not!

“Everyone asks me what I get out of this,” explains Simmons. “Recently there was a very violent incident; my friend wondered why on earth I would want to be involved with such danger whilst not even getting paid. But for me it’s not about the money. I have a decent pension and businesses. For me it’s about giving something back to the local community. Yes it can be risky, and not everyone can do it. It takes a certain person to deal with dead bodies and drunk people.” 

I have the Thai license..easy enough to do (and did the whole test here for mc).  I was suprised by how many Thais do not have a license at all where I first lived in CM.  They all new how rto drive but questioned tehlogic of taking a day off work and spending money to get a test for a  license to do what they alread knew they could do .  At certain known times for police blocks I would get asked to do a run for them every now and again.

As a side I am not sure how successful one would be carrying a non Thai license on the basis of being a tourist....and then having the bike/car in your name on the basis of being a resident.  Appreciate that many (including myself) do not carry the original Green book with them.  As it is now half the time as soon as BIB see I pull out the Thai license they are waiving me on without examining it and have seen the rego sticker

In OZ (WA at least) you MUST carry your IDP with you IF your license is not in English.  

There are a few benefits in having the local license, ..For example a numbet of times I have used it for domestic plane flights and hotel check in from here to Bangkok and not needed passport so have kept it securely at home.

Just getting my best frock and lipstick on......see you all soon

I can think of at least a few in the last year....not sure of what time frame you are concerned about (ie very recent)

The one that was covered by Tha media was quite high profile due to ownership.  Covered in English here.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30297224 and http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/news/eastin-tan-hotel-temporarily-closed-by-police-over-lack-of-hotel-licence/

Not sure if it is up and running agan now...but the local Thai media was very saturated with coverage of this closure given llinks.

De Chen guesthouse was closed  for not having a licence and reported in CM108.  It is certainly still closed now.  Not open very long and seemed to have Chinese focus...had a pretty full occupancy given location.  I used ot drive past it most evenings.   I seem to recall all the photos of inspectors/police etc on CM108 as remember quite suprised as thought it was a viable business.  Likewise covered in English.  Their web site is still up.

You also more recently had the Pause and Play for not having a licence.

In early December it was reported in the paper we cannot link to that there was over 600 unlicensed guest houses and hotels (mostly dorms and apartments) in CM.  At that point they were all given 30 days to get a license.  I just thought  that now what we thought the "peak" season has passed there  might be a bit of a tidy up so that licensed premises can get a share of the (to me) diminishing market without the bad publicity of guests being turfed on to the street.

The link also discussed Pattaya and Phuket where it appeared that about a third of hotels/guest houses were not licensed....and suggested that 60% of hotels rooms nationally were operating illegally ....and they had a plan to fix within 5 years :)  according to Deputy PM.

Same paper reported less than a week ago that 30 premises had been closed in Pats over last few weeks.

48 minutes ago, jobin said:

I'll be Brutus Erectus.

Not Biggus Dickus?

Looking forward to it and good on Stament for arranging.  Hope all goes very well.  Nick or no nick is ok by me...."I am Spartacus".

24 minutes ago, jippytum said:

Cut to the diamond point .Most people have to use agents because the don't have the funds  to do it themselves

Que

This is the CM forum...not Pattaya.

Whilst that has been a long standing issue in Pats I don't think anyone is suggesting that any agents in CM, or in particular G4S, are doing a scam on the financials by ponying up the required balance.

Perhaps CM has a better class of agents and expats than Pattaya after all....what a suprise

and in a similar theme.,,,and apt to some TV posters :)

Assuming you are  not using euphemisms and can wait a few days.

I bought one from Lazada that clamps to Kitchen bench but lots of other hand held  models...delivered COD.  

http://www.lazada.co.th/catalog/?q=meat+mincer

Rather than the Expat club proper the Op could try some of the Outside Group Activities...http://www.chiangmaiexpatsclub.com/activities/  You may even want to start a club?  NancyL will probably post soon.

If you like cruising weekend runs on the mc then there are a a few clubs, likewise could drop in at Riders Corner where you will have expats and MC tourists to have a yack with or join up with on rides

There are lots of CM based FB clubs/groups beyond Rotary and the Legion,   There is softball, volleyball and FG's Fencing group, HHH, Pickleball, Dancing etc etc Try this as a starter for some ideas http://www.boredbreaker.com/events/

Intellectual conversation is not going to come to your door so I guess best is to work out what you want to talk about/do and then work out where best to meet those groups...but FB in this case can be a good sounding board.  Also some came to CM to actually not have intellectual conversation...conversation yes, but esoteric naval gazing is certainly not on my agenda.....

Stimulation yes by all means bit for some with a lack of other interests  and opportunities conversation becomes "intense".  While BuddhaLady has made some very valid points I would also add that some intellectual conversations with some long term expats can be a Groundhog Day exprience.

1 hour ago, totally thaied up said:

 

 

 

I know of several other spots in Chiang Mai I can go to on a Sunday evening for a fabulous fair of farang food were the service is 5 star and we have no crowds of people. Like I said in my previous posts, we all differ in our tastes and over time we change.

 

Any chance that you could advise what places you are talking about.  Sure it may go they way of Auf Der Au as far as increased popularity with resultant issues but I am sure that most (and I certainly) would be interested in any place that is as good as you have suggested.

Let me know when you find that third gunman on the grassy knoll.

Just now, LarryBird said:

 

Here's a wild concept... Maybe you should ask a Thai.

You are more switched on than me.  I did not even realize that Thais would go to Imigration at Prom to get visas.