mamborobert

The OP has lost me here.

Thinks Ab is doing a good job but that Thaksin comes first and need for democracy comes second.

As I recall Thaksin was voted in TWICE in a democratic vote, the ouctome of which has met UN and EU requirements.

Ab came in through a defacto coup.

There is a grassroots movement (and also the reds) concerned that their candidate, voted in twice, has been illegally ousted by the military and the Bangkok elite. The Reds are perhaps just the more vocal group. Grass roots people have been disenfracnhised by the appointed of Ab.

You can despise the reds no problem, but that does not mean that Thaksin is any less legitimately elected or that a coup installed Ab is more legitimate. If you want democracy the people have spoken...TWICE. Intersting would be what would happen if Thaksin was allowed to run again, despite the negative press and court outcome. What would all the pundits be saying if he was voted in democratically again.

Thaksin is by no means squeakly clean.....but he is legitimately elected, unlike Ab.

Speaking of my local Thai freinds.....none are red shirt members or supporters......All however love, and that is he correct word, Thaksin.

It may have been trickle down economics, he may have been corrupt, he may have been a lot of things. But they all remember that he did some things tangible (not money gifts) for them and their families to better their lives.

His motives may have been questionable. He may have been trying to develop a power base...but hey thats what all Western politicians do as well, but he is the first one to show interest (even self interest) in the rural people of N Thailand...and he was voted in...twice.

As for the claims of people supporting him being led, or rural or uneduated....they get heard, they get to vote too, its called democracy.

You can argue to the cows come home that Chiang Mai is or is not a Red Shirt stronghold, or whether they are thugs, but for me this will aways be Thaksin country.

Lets have a little perspective here......it was a nothing incident.

I would always think twice about travelling into the city at night, but thats because of the driving skills of the majority of the Thai population. Even night time is safe than the 3.00 to 5.00pm time bracket where its Russian roulette at every intersection.

There will be more "innocent" road fatalities this Songkran in Chiang Mai than have been in the last few coups nation wide.

Simple solution: For those who are complaining and saying negative things about C.M., why not move on? That way those of us who appreciate the simple life here can enjoy it without having to hear others bitch and moan about it. I never could understand why ex-pats would live someplace that they don't like.

Perhaps they should all move to Manilla - plenty of desperate women and a goldmine of things to complain about there!

I can't recommend Manila as a place to live but having a darling Made in Manila is a good thing here ! (communicable/gossip proof/big boobs/great laugh/no soupchicken)

Have lived in most of SE Asia. I spent 8 months in Manila (Pasay, Paranaque, Makati etc) almost every city in Metro Manila

You can't even compare the two. I will say that the use of English is more widespread and so a lot easier to socialise and get around, and from a purely personal point of view the girls were much nicer.

But, shot guns everywhere, stabbings, robberies, corruption, armed guards at McDonalds and every shopping centre, road floodings, karaoke plus, and some of the biggest deviants you could find on the planet...the list is endless.

You certainly could not live there on a pension, maybe Angeles but too many Yanks for me.

I did have a ball, but as the saying goes "nice place to visit but I would'nt want to live there".

Living wise Chiang Mai has it hands down any day of the week.

Once more something starts out abount monks and ends up about Roman Catholicism.

Monks are men, as are Jews, Islamics, Orthodoxes, Baptists etc. We all have feet of clay like mortal men. We all make mistakes, some are truly reprehensible.

As UG pointed out, they can be hypocrites. Certainly this Pope is not unblemished by any means. I too was raised a Catholic, and yes whilst there was dogma we were also encouraged to think critically. If anything that critical thinking has lead many to question not their Christianity but certainly their Catholocism. Being a lapsed Catholic should be a choice on census forms now there are so many. No doubt that the affluence, double standrads, hypocrisy and scandals have all contributed to this growing new found sub branch of the faith.

I am not an appologist by any means. As they say Christians forgive and fools forget. They should all be punished to the full extent of the law, if not more so given their position of trust.

Look they have done bad, no doubt, but whilst we are about precepts of religion, Catholicism has one credo that is quite apt for Easter, that being Redemption.

We are now on the most holy day of the Christian calendar

Can we at least please give it a rest for Easter.

Not that it's entirely on topic but the mention of the number of Chinese people reminded me that China is a lot closer to Thailand than most people think. I've asked several of my Thai family and friends this question and all of them were absolutely gobsmacked to learn that China is only 110 km away from Thailand. Considering that a fit person could walk that in a day, is it any surprise that Thailand and the other surrounding countries have such a strong Chinese influence?

The equivalent of almost three marathons in one day? I guess that makes me clinically unfit then...

See your just not looking at how easy it really is....don't forget that half of that distance is really steep down hill slopes

There is a good range at the front office of the Entertainment Complex on Loi Kroh (its the same office that manages the bars and the mock boxing they have their a few nights a week. Its usually open in teh day time as well from maybe 1.00pm.

Having said, its Thailand, there are Thai boxing shorts in the markets, especially the night market and Warrot, oodles and oodles of them.

Ehm... 14.

(That's my bet on the number of posts it takes before we get to a 'my wife is better than your wife' type of discussion.)

<Gets popcorn>

WTK.

I'll sorta meet you half way on this

My Thai girlfreind is better than my wife

I wondered where all the fans went after the 2008 season

Would'nt you be better ordering it over the web. The company is in Canada and they could ship it direct to your mum probably quicker and cheaper than you. They probably have a distribution centre in teh states. If your mum thinks it would be cheaper here that may not be so. I would worry that anything you get here might be a chinese mock up and perhaps actually hurt your mum. try there web site http://www.ookisa.com/

Incidentally if anyone is interested in following this, the guys name is Andrew Bond, a long time resident of Chiang Mai who is taking part in the Cape Epic in South Africa, and has been publishing a very good blog at

http://www.cape-epic.mountainbikingthailand.com/

Intersting use of latin, with an apt nick.

Cerbera is the latin name for a plant genus which has the unusual trait of having all of its parts (leaves, flowers, root etc) as being poisonous.

The genus itself is named after Cerberus, the three headed dog in Greek mythology who checked that none but the dead may enter hel_l, and also make sure that no one left hel_l. He was a susbtantial failure at even that as Hercules, Hermes, Orpheus, Aeneas and a host of others managed to get in and out past this rather pitiful creature.

Before we start...I am not and never have been a Freemason.

My father is of different ilk however and will be visiting me mid year and likes dropping in on different lodges on his trips (has done so in South Africa, the states, the Phillipines, Hong Kong and others).

As far as I can see there is (or was?) a French speaking lodge (Lodge Les 7 Niveaux de la Sagesse No. 891) in Chiang Mai.

Does any one know if there is an English speaking lodge in Chiang Mai, or are (and this may be a silly question) English speakers welcome at the French lodge assuming that it is still up and running.

If Chiang Mai has none does anyone know where the nearest lodge to Chiang Mai is? I would have thought there is one given the number of expats and other guilds, associations, veterans groups that exits in the community. While I am at it, for the Aussies here...is there an RSL sub branch?

thanks to all

Understand completely where you are coming from.

My helmet was 640 baht, and if I coudl have got a 1200 baht one that fit I would have got it.

While I am still "hansum" I would like to stay that way.

A 180 baht helmet is ok for a 180 baht head....must be very fugly.

Next time I am in Oz m going to pick up a Shoei.

No matter how good we think we are, or are, others are not so good and they will eventually hit you, and you will come a cropper. I wold rather that not happen while wearing a reconstituted ice cream tub.

I am always suprised at the off hand unsolicited comments that people slip out about Thaksin. Just because people are "uneduated" does not mean that they are stupid or dumb, or should have less of a say, or can work out who out of different corrupt alternatives will do the best for them..

I went to my local eatery (In Chiang Mai) and was having a bit of a joke with the waitresses (most of whom are from further North in the Chiang Rai region) about would they be open in the next few days and would I be able to get a meal or were they all going down to Bangers with the red shirts. Nutt answered that she would be staying, and not wearing a red shirt, but that "Thaksin is in my heart", and the others nodded in agreement.

Not everyone that supports Thaksin is a red shirt.

I'm out of Chiandg Mai for a month or so but used to play chess regularly with school kids and adults there. There was a club of sorts on the 3rd floor of Panthip Plaza. Don't know the hours as such but I would just walk up when there was people there and have a few games. Skill level varies but there is always a few kids that are serious students. Language never was a problem as the moves are universal (not like every other rule here for cards/pool/driving etc).

Its easy to spot (as is sort of open plan) with chess motifs and tables set up.

As I was not looking for a game at a paticular time this place suited me. If ever I was in or near Panthip I would duck in and if there were games on then I would stay a few hours, if not adjourn for liquid refreshments before the walk home.

There are signs up but to tell the truth I never bothered reading what they said as far as schedules or start times.

Its not an Aussie Slouch hat though it was modelled on it

The picture is the same as that used in Vietnam by the US 1st Air Commando Group (as was their name from 1963). When they were initially deployed to Vietnam they were the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron.

They used to have it wth Vietnam as two words VIET-NAM.

It was not the official uniform issued (which were baseball caps with very limited sun protection). They used to get the local Vietnamese to sew the hats up out of anything including old fatigues or disturbed camouglage patterns so for there are literally dozens of different materials, but all usually had the words VIET-NAM and had the clips on both sides unlike the Aussie version which had one side on issue.

I think you would be hard pushed to find an original if thats what you are after. Having said that I would have thought you could get one mocked up at somewhere like the Warrot Markets fairly cheaply. Your farang head may be non standard for some of the Thai surplus stores.

I have seen semi flash new ones (without Thailand or VIET-NAM) on them in some of the shops near the Kawilla barracks (in particular on Kong Sai Road opposite the San Pakoy markets). There is also a place in the markets but that usually sells new stuff as well.

Apart from the Thai side its also hard on the Philippines side.

They check visas for all departures from the Philippines to make sure that anyone who might be working is registered with the OFW (Office of Filipino Welfare) to ensure any salary is in accordnace with government regs and that the government gets its remittance. Every day a heap of peopel are offloaded iff planes in Manila and Clark (on tourist visas with no confirmable return date) because the government thinks they are going to work. Nannies and House Maids (young ladies or girls) darw a lot of attention when they are going to Hong Kong or the Persian Gulf becaue there have been so many instances of bad treatment (even deaths)....but mainly the Philippines government wants there cut. Its actually illegal to recruit direct, you must go through the POEA (Philppines Overseas Employment Agency).

If you think you can bypass these rules (by say employing direct from one already here) it can have ramifications for the lady AND her family if she is found out (which happens most of the time) when dobbed in by envious neighbours or family, or through money or phone transfers and the like.

Don't worry from my similar experience it will reappear in a day or two. Thats what happened to my orange fluro sandals.

I bought bright orange fluro so they were easier to see in the day and dusk. The sandals was made of very very firm rubber and would have had to be literally torn apart.

After the faithful hound took off with one I found it no worries.

It went through the dog like a dose of salts and there were bright orange speckled doggie doo all over the backyard.

The pooch is now very gun shy of the remaining orphan sandal.

Firstly these are in no way as good as the OP's.

But I have the old Mercedes classics...

Watching your mother-in- law go over a cliff in your brand new Mercedes

and

Accidentally driving your new Mercedes over a cliff but achieving 65 miles per gallon on the way down.

From a contrarian perspective, sentiment against the USD is so extreme that you have to bet on a rally.

If USD debt gets paid down (deficits contract) then that is a net contraction in the USD money supply - and if the supply of something drops, it's price goes up.

Everyone is busy shorting the dollar because of the deficits, perfect set up for a rally.

Similar scenario for GBP but i'd say wait a bit - whichever gov't gets in will have to address the deficits but it won't happen til after the election.

...Though I could be completely wrong

Jeez I like your optimism but it borders on outright lunacy.

Right now most US debt is owned by the Chinese....and every time overtures get made towards the Dalai Llama or Taiwan, China threatens to dump the US dollar which woud basically ruin it. This is why the US wants China to float their currency. The moment they do so literally billions in US debt gets wiped out.

hmmmm

Would you care to give an illustration of what you're talking about? Always eager to learn.

There is a good article from Reuters today at

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE61B01A20100302

And also the Washington Post

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/0...than-indicated/

Right now most US debt is owned by the Chinese....and every time overtures get made towards the Dalai Llama or Taiwan, China threatens to dump the US dollar which woud basically ruin it. This is why the US wants China to float their currency. The moment they do so literally billions in US debt gets wiped out.

is this what the tooth fairy whispered in your ear last night?

for the record (and the not so informed)... CNY floating and revaluating does not take a single cent of U.S. debt. you can dance a mambo on that

True enough...it does not take a cent of the actual debt, it does however takes billions off the repayments and interest that the US pays, and also redresses the trade imbalance. The trade imbalance is what contributes to growing US debt (to China specifically).

A few more years and you will be speaking Mandarin

And if you want to know what your mum whispered to me last night, give her a call. She misses you and always likes to hear from you.

From a contrarian perspective, sentiment against the USD is so extreme that you have to bet on a rally.

If USD debt gets paid down (deficits contract) then that is a net contraction in the USD money supply - and if the supply of something drops, it's price goes up.

Everyone is busy shorting the dollar because of the deficits, perfect set up for a rally.

Similar scenario for GBP but i'd say wait a bit - whichever gov't gets in will have to address the deficits but it won't happen til after the election.

...Though I could be completely wrong

Jeez I like your optimism but it borders on outright lunacy.

Right now most US debt is owned by the Chinese....and every time overtures get made towards the Dalai Llama or Taiwan, China threatens to dump the US dollar which woud basically ruin it. This is why the US wants China to float their currency. The moment they do so literally billions in US debt gets wiped out.

The Pound and the Euro are in deep trouble and it will get worse!

nobody seems to notice that the "SuperBaht" strengthened vs. US-Dollar too? in five years from 42.20 to now 32.63!

It aint really the SuperBaht...its just the UK and a few other Euro currencies have gone down very sharply in the last six months, and all indications are that there is further to fall.

The US Dollar went down has goen down against the Baht by 3.5% in the last six months.

In six months the Pound has gone down 10.48% against the Baht. In the same period the Australian Dollar has gone up 5.18%.

In the last six months the Australian Dollar has gone up 17.49% against the pound and is perhaps looking at parity with the US Dollar this year ...especially after the Reserve Bank in Australia raised official interest rates again today.

Like an earlier poster mentioned...good days ahead for the Australian and Canadian Dollars...and it will be a long long time till we have the Great back in Great Britain...Greece, Ireland, Iceland and Spain are basket cases altogether...and that list is getting bigger as well

Is this something more serious?.

Over the past few weeks I have seen a few posts that simply vanished.

Certainly anything that could be seen as a sideways comments about the mods is zapped pretty quickly, even in my opinion when it is innocous. Now thats the rule so I really have no problem with that. I mean I like free speech and all but this is not free its a business, its a community, and it does need rules, though sometimes they appear harshly applied (to me anyways). Nevertheless them's the rules.

Now it seems that some passing political comments vanish, now again, well and good if it something that threatens the viability or livelihood of the board. I am no judge of defamation or slander but certainly acknowledge that adverse comments can draw some rebuke/reaction that may not be favourable to the board, TIT. So again no problems there, its a judgement call by the mods. Again, deleting the post in such matters is probably a wise move (as opposed to closing it).

Likewise a few weeks ago there was a post on TRL which seems to have gone, and Kevin seems MIA. I suppose soemthing has happenned. I don't need to know what, but the why would be good.

The Chiang Mai board is extremely popular, and a very good resource. I have read the rules.

Perhaps it would be worthwhile the mods clearly articulating any change in philosophy (Chiang Mai board specific or otherwise). Or better still when a post is deleted all together have some innocous entry (leaving the OP's) details as Topic Starter, but changing the topic title (ie to deleted) and perhaps point to a rule...ie deleted rule 5.

If the OP then has a probelm with that then perhpas they could discuss it very briefly and cvily with the mod.

I thank you may be making a mountain out of a mole hill over the OP. There is nothing derogatory in his post and mine came out of the Chiang Mai Mail. The mods have a job to do and as I may not agree or disagree all the time with them I'll still support them. This is strictly a technical problem.

I appreciate that this is a technical issue.

There has been the odd occasion where a news article cited from Thairath for example has been closed until it is reported in a TV sponsor (again no probelm).

I agree the mods have a job to do, an important job, and one I recognised and validated in my post. I too remain suportive of the mods and their absolute right to censor.

My concern is not the lack of transperancy in some of these decisions. My concern is the lack of an even edited trail of deleted posts (to which I simply made a suggestion to address if possible by leaving the Op name and a topic of deleted rule 5) so that repeat posts are not generated or others fall foul in the future.

With some of the posts deleted one does not know if they are derogatory or not, and as advised before I trust the mods that they are, thats why the post text is gone, all I am suggesting is that there is some minimal reference to the post so that people do not see posts simply vanish (for non technical reasons) on any regular basis as a purely educative exercise.