mamborobert

In a similar vein, I am in Australia for a few weeks.

I was going to get some stuff for local kids in Chiang Mai as a suprise and they are all in the Thai scouts.

Is there something particular you think would be best. I thought about some good woggles as the ones in Chiang Mai are a bit "tiiny", having said that the scarves in CM are a lot thinnner so I am not sure the woggles here would not slip off.

Any other ideas?

FOR SURE THIS WILL END UP LIKE THE SOUTH,,TIME TO LEAVE I THINK.

Your right of course....we are getting more and more like Dixieland, an opressed poor rural class seeking equal representation.

Unless of course you are talking about Islamic extremists seeking a separate state or unification with a Islamic Malaysian state in which case your reasoning on the similarities has lost me.

My former work colleague used this company when buying house (in wifes name) and lease on a business. Was happy both times. English language not a problem at all apparently. Also had accountants able to go over a business proposition (that he subsequently turned down).

ww.chiangmailegalandbusiness.com

On Nitaya Wangpaiboon, comes recomended by quite a few embassies, what is perhaps not know by some is the esteem she is held in as a Human Rights and Environmental lawyer. She is an odd combination who at one point accused the Thai government of sending spies into "every mosque in Chiang Mai". http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/arch...8/01/2003321346

I came accross her a well referenced source when doing some IRC support work with the Islamic community.

Even in Bangkok the curfew is not a curfew, there are that many exceptons its ridiculous.

Whilst people are hurting (financially and pride), the idea of a curfew in these circumstances is that the polcie and army can act lawfully and detain someone when they want to. They do not want to detain everyone who beaks curfew. By simply having the statute active it gives them discretion to intervene earlier if it looks like something is massing. Your average citizen and tourist has very little to fear as many here and in Bangkok can attest to.

Its not "brave" to break the curfew, no one has been wrongfully arrested, shot, tortured as a result of the curfew.

Hopefully things will quieten down further this week, and altogether by Buddha's birthday on Friday If ever there was a day that should be quiet and non violent by all parties (army police and protesters) thats the one. If something big escalates on Friday we can truly say that this place has lost the plot and its one for young and old.

I have been in a bar in CM when the "Music Police" paid a vist, somes bars had a license on the wall and had no problems. One (the one I was in (did not). At first it was two young well dressed guys. The farang owner pretended to be a customer and left the bar manager to wear it all. As no assistance was coming the two guys disappeared, came back later with uniformed police and a video camera, all in all they wer every professional, I was more impresssed with them than the bar owner abandoning his staff (as I gather he had no work permit). Ended up as a 25k baht fine at the police station, all for the sake of (from memory a 5 or 8k baht license). They did take away a few dozen burned cd's as well never to return. Came back a few days later and the license is up on the wall.

99.9% of bar owners don't have work permits and can't even spell the word.

I hear you ok on that issue, wonder who the .1 is

I was still suprised at how quickly this guy abandoned his staff, I mean even if he said he was the owner all it would be was a quick trip to the station and (probably a larger) fine. As it is the girl got threatened with the over night stay and this guy did f all. Not sure if he was worried about getting a bigger fine, or his own welfare (I think the later). Anyhow ...not having a work permit and owning or running bar I can let slide,abandoning your staff, and female staff at that, to save your own skin, for being too tight to get a license when everyone else managed to, is the bit I find hard to wear. The girls were pretty much terrified at getting in trouble with BIB and I gather most had kids to go back to that night or morning, just can't understand some guys.

I have been in a bar in CM when the "Music Police" paid a vist, somes bars had a license on the wall and had no problems. One (the one I was in (did not). At first it was two young well dressed guys. The farang owner pretended to be a customer and left the bar manager to wear it all. As no assistance was coming the two guys disappeared, came back later with uniformed police and a video camera, all in all they wer every professional, I was more impresssed with them than the bar owner abandoning his staff (as I gather he had no work permit). Ended up as a 25k baht fine at the police station, all for the sake of (from memory a 5 or 8k baht license). They did take away a few dozen burned cd's as well never to return. Came back a few days later and the license is up on the wall.

See what happens when a city runs out of Guiness !

Farewell M Hulot and hope you grace us with your views again

Ye, I'm up for that.... Tuskers seem to be on the ball, so to speak. Chaz, the owner is on about having sports quiz etc... in-between matches.

Never watched a match in half moon, although heard bad reports about the staff there!

top bloke that Chaz!! (hes really a rugby supporter)

Rugby? isn't that that minority sport with a funny shaped ball? haha

No, thats Aussie Rules....a very small world cup competition, only surpassed by the US Baseball "World Series"

After Football, Rugby is probably my favourite international support, union of course (I was too good looking for league).

$64.00 question folks

Why does the commentary make mention of Thaksin photo being next to Gandhi (a promoter of NON violent protest as a means to change) and Che (a good idealist at that time, but a failed military leader who was abandoned even by the Cubans in the end) and later shows close ups of the two photos, but no mention of the only other photo on the wall, and no close up, Nelson Mandela.

What has Nelson done to offend Al Jazeera?

First of all Dave2 good pics and thanks for them

You have to take the laughs when you can get them in times like this.

I particularly liked pic 14. The sign posted to lampost on left "Urgen condo for sale".

Methinks there will be more than a few hotels, guest houses, and Loi Kroh bars feeling the pinch over the next few months (I know I am still a master of the bleeding obvious).

one of the better spots in chiang mai to be at tonight might just as well be at home! and stay home!

Let me get this right....go outside for a few ales and risk a quick and violent death, or, stay and home and argue with wifey who wants to watch Thai soapies at 9.00pm in which case I could still meet a quick and violent death, or end up watching the soaps for a slow and miserable death.

Guess I will tempt fate once more and go the wrong way across the Iron Bridge...Loi Kroh here I come ( I will wear a helmet and my non confrontational dead head t shirt)

Thats a nice collection of four wheel drives that the poor farmers have there.

I have worked in Banking and Insurance and we regularly put "hold" orders on bank accounts. Its not being garnished as such (because nothing has been taken), but the holding order can stay in effect until a debt has been paid (and that can be a government or civil debt). Banks will almost always honour these hold orders because they never know when they will have to issue a hold order and expect reciprocal arrangements. Things have gone a bit bad when it gets to this point though. Like the man said, this is not them stopping you have your money, its them stopping the,selves have THEIR money that you owe, until its paid back. I would also suggest that you play kindly and quickly, you can sign over approval to withdraw funds equal to the debt and they will lift theholder order, if you don't you will eventually end up paying or not having access to that money, and then they can perhaps drag their feet for a few days/weeks before lifting the hold order.

noticed your name b/w, couldnt be from my neck of the woods could you?

From Newcastle or a Minstrel?

It is rumored that Steven Seagall has a house in the area.

The OP is about Gordon Ramsey! are Seagall and Ramsey related? Pray tell what is the connection? SF!

The connection is that they are both prats.

Bring back Graham Kerr and the Galloping Gourmet.

Jeez that's showing yor age. I think I studied it under ancient history.

As I recall that show ended its first run in 1971

I have always found it a hard choice.

I mean, there is going to down the pub with a few mates, talking shit, watching the world go by, solving the worlds problems, then a lazy walk home to wifey verses going to CMU Science Dept and cranking up their electron micrioscope to see if I can actually find (by magnifying some 2000 times) my level of disinterest in Gordon Ramsay.

"yum....dancing prawn".....is that a food dish or describing Gordo with the LB's?

I have some understanding of BB's situation, and also how quick people are to criticize.

But for me there was one more insidious aspect to the simple act of walking round the local shops with my daughter, and that was the amount of men my own age that would be looking at a 15 year old girl with something more than a passing interest. It used to, and still does, make me extremely angry to the point that sometimes in summer, I would rather she went off by myself than have Dad in tow (while being seen with Dad in public is still not teenage a faux pas).

Its comments like the "freelancer" title that annoy me, it says more than about the author than the girl. Do you think that about every young girl? Is 12 years of age ok to call a freelancer, or just 15? I wonder if someone thinks the same of your daughter/neice/cousin/sister?

As far as I can see there has been only one serious incident in the current political fracas but this has caused immeasurable trauma, consternation, sorrow, and pain for some residents.

We seem to be out of Guiness.

I know I have seen this before. Great characterisations, romance, revenge, motor bike accident, jealousy, pretty girl, bad family, and personal angst.

This is a draft plot for a Thai soap opera right?

I have a few months work again in Chiang Mai and for work reasons would ideally like to be somewhere near the train station and Doctor Wong's at the end of Kong Sai road.

Basically my leg is a bit buggered (so no flights for a while), and walking for say fifteen minutes is ok but after that I am starting to struggle. I don't want to have to rely on tuk tuks, and motorcycling is temporarily off the agenda as well

I am looking at maybe four months so the Bossotel is not really ideal for that period as would get stir crazy after a while.

Only other place I know is a few longer term condo rentals in Supanich/Suphanit, some of which look ok for the period I want (TV/Cable/Fridge/Kitchenette/Internet).

I have looked at a few places in places south of Kawila barracks but it means a big loop walk wise and ideally I would rather be in say ten or so minutes walk from the train/Dr Wong. Anywhere West I know seems to involve crossing the Ping, and East or North involves crossing main arterial roads whch again temporary condition makes we want to try and avoid.

Budget wise I am reasonably flexible but somewhere in the 8000 to 15000 bht a month would be the go.

Fussy litlle blighter aren't I.

Anybody have any tips at all? Thanks in anticipaton.

Please forgive me.....

But the quoted comments that Thai's speak terrible English (quoted by an American no less), and then the reference to playing rugby (over gridiron), and the overall general comments on pariochialism per se reminded me of the old John Cleese (attributed) letter to America.

I am not a pom myself, but there is no humour as good as English humour, spans every taste.

Its off topic, and dare I say a leap from the OP (but tragically not in my mind)

John Cleese Letter to USA

To the citizens of the United States of America, in the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today.

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories. Except Utah, which she does not fancy. Your new prime minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up revocation in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up aluminium. Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour', skipping the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix ize will be replaced by the suffix ise. You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra' e.g. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you can't cope with correct pronunciation.

Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up vocabulary. Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up interspersed. There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary then you won't have to use bad language as often.

2. There is no such thing as "US English". We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of -ize.

3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney,upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents - Scottish dramas such as Taggart will no longer be broadcast with subtitles. While we're talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is Devon. If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become shires e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.

4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters. British sit-coms such as Men Behaving Badly or Red Dwarf will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can't cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.

5. You should relearn your original national anthem, God Save The Queen but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.

6. You should stop playing American football. There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American football is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays American football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US Rugby sevens side by 2005. You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the 'World Series' for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders,your error is understandable. Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls' game called rounders, which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.

7. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don't believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called Indecisive Day.

9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time,you will go metric with immediate effect and conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips. Fries aren't even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat. Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.

11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantity to be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.

12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer,and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. The substances formerly known as American Beer will henceforth be referred to as Near-Frozen Knat's Urine,with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose product will be referred to as Weak Near-Frozen Knat's Urine. This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in Pilsen,Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.

13. From November 10th the UK will harmonise petrol (or Gasoline, as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2005) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon- get used to it).

14. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.

15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy.

16. Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).

Thank you for your co-operation and have a great day.

John Cleese

How can you even compare the two. For me religion (honestly) has no part. I do accept that violence is a part of both and condone neither

One group is seeking to establish a separatist state at the least, or at the very best a half way step of unification with Malaysia.

The other is seeking the restoration of a democratically elected (and we can argue eternally over "corrupt") government.

One wants to destroy in order to build, one wants to rebuild what was destroyed.

I can agree that bias is shown in a lot of things. I have no doubt that had the Balkan states been killing or ethnically cleansing Christians there would have been a lot quicker and larger intervention by the UN and Nato. Same for the Asian Tsunami aid and rebuilding effort, particularly in Aceh, Indonesia.

But for me the "Red issue" is not a red issue at all, its a democracy issue. There are a lot of firebrands with vested interests ready to whip up hysteria for their own gain......just think of weapons of mass destruction.

There are a lot of people that have a vested interest in the status quo and with Thailand having no elections at all.

But fundamentally here the two times elected winning government was overthrown with a coup and some people now sing the praises on the restraint by the government and Abhisit.

Just as Gonzo wanted to challenge thinking on religion...what would our thoughts be if our twice democratically government was thrown out by a coup ..in say the US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Japan etc. I would suggest there would be just as much prolonged and sometimes violent protest seeking restoration of (if not our elected government) democracy (through perhaps another election).

Quoting Casey in CM....wonderful.

The only similarities I can see relevant to CM is that he changed his name, then spent most of his life in self imposed exile and married a woman 23 years young than himself.

Certainly their was vote buying...on both sides...not codoning that at all

My vote gets bought to a degree as well with promises of tax policy or tax refunds, or offsets, or foreign policy decisions etc.

Ab didn't have to do that at all.

But...the cash vote buying was not so much as to make the elections void for UN or EU purposes. You never heard anyone say that the elections which Thaksin won was a complete farce (unlike say the Mugabe). Their were problems...no doubt, same in US with Florida

But more EU and UN complaints and concerns rose out of the Ab takeover than the two Thaksin elections.