connda

Is there any place in Chiang Mai that can do custom dry pack canning. I'd like to can some rice, grains, and other staple items.

Thanks!

Why isn't 99.9% investment-grade silver bullion and coins traded in Thailand like it is in other countries such as the US and Canada?

I have a 2010 calendar that it's time to get rid of. Normally I'd just toss the calendar in the trash. However, this particular wall calendar has a picture of the King and Queen on it.

It sort of seems disrespectful to toss pictures of the Royal family into the garbage bin.

So I've got a bit of a dilemma -- I don't want to inadvertently do anything that could be considered to be disrespectful, but I don't want a bunch of old calendars stacking up in my small apartment.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

Does anyone know where I can find a list of prices for new cars and trucks sold in Thailand that are 500,000 baht or less.

I'm on a budget and I'm paying cash (no financing). I'm retiring here and whatever I buy I will drive into the ground (I don't care about resale value).

Considering that buying a used car seems like a crap shoot here in the LOS, I've decided to go for the new a vehicle.

Thanks!

What kind of person in Thailand can afford a brand new Fortuner, carries a handgun and is willing to shoot it at strangers? who are driving BMW's!!!

This must be someone that is very sure of their ground like the son of a politician or top cop.

+1

I don't know what you're all talking about the pilot.. but thats a normal reaction for some thai..

but the point is, that there are LOADS of these lunatics driving around.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was some drug abusing retard pulling the trigger again.which of course... bought his driving licence for 500 baht or doesn't even have it..

for all who drive the Thai roads... Please stay calm when an idiot wants to pass you or whatever...you never know these days what they have been eating or if they are armed..

I almost got into such a thing myself because of such a madman's doing

I know what you mean. When I first started driving here, the mrs and I were driving down the road on my motorcycle when a shiny SUV pulls out from the right, crosses traffic driving backwards, and then stops with the SUV blocking the two left lanes of traffic. I hit the horn while I was braking. Both the driver and passenger rolled down their windows and just start screaming -- and the look on their faces was just unbridled rage. Over what? Someone on a Honda 125 beeped at them? I racked it up to excess alcohol, yaa baa, and who know what else as I gingerly drove around them and exited the scene.

Three years later, I find I let that sort of stupidity go when I see it. There are wayyyyy too many screwed-up drivers here in the LOS.

When I am riding my motorbike, I sometimes get these SUVs behind me, blinding me with their high beams. I just pull over to the side and let them pass. They know they are blinding others... and they don't care.

What happened to "kreng jai"; consideration for others?

On Thanon Thai there's no Kreng Jai!

BTW, it's not like I haven't seen road rage stupidity that included flying bullets in the USA. It happens!

But with that said, at least in the US, the vast majority of drivers display some semblance of road courtesy. However in Thailand it's every man, woman, and unlicensed 16 year old girl for themselves. Given just about everyone's lack of respect for everyone else on the road, I'm surprise there aren't more violent road rage incidents than there are. I'm I painting with a broad brush? Yep! But if the shoe fits.....

By the way, if you think things are different in, let's say, the United States -- think again.

My only child was killed in a one car accident as a passenger. The driver was 20 years old. The driver failed to navigate an S turn at the end of a long straightaway and the car went off to road killing my child. The driver walked away uninjured.

The information I received from various sources was that the driver was involved in a street race and had entered the corner at a high rate of speed (in excess of 100 mph). Interestingly enough, when the police arrived, no one would admit to a street race. A blood alcohol test was performed on the driver that came back negative and the driver was released.

I forensics team checked out the scene and in the final police report it was determined that the driver entered the corner at over 60 mph when the posted speed limit was 30 mph. I find this interesting because I drove that same corner in excess of 70 mph without difficulty a few days later -- which leads me to believe the racing scenario was probably true and the forensic report was flawed or deliberately understated. The report concluded that the accident was caused by the drivers age and relative inexperience as a driver and he was charged with simple negligent driving. The reporting officer seemed to have a very sympathetic bias toward the driver. The death of my child was inconsequential. We were able to see a copy of the driver's driving record which included a number of speeding offenses and moving violations. We contacted the Justice Department and were told that the prior violations would have no bearing on this case and the driver would only be charged based on the police report. The driver walked away with a $400 fine (roughly 12000 baht at the time). We file a civil suit against the driver. The family hired a lawyer. The lawyer simply came back with a statement that the driver, at 20 years old, was no longer a dependent of the family, therefore the family could not be financially held responsible for the crash. Then the driver declared bankruptcy to avoid any financial consequence for his action. The driver nor the family ever expressed any remorse whatsoever for my child's death..

And there you have it -- justice in the United States. How do you say it in Thailand -- Same Same but Different.

Truly sad story and am very sorry you lost you son and felt no justice was served.

I am not in any way advocating one way or another whose justice is more right but it should be noted that one difference here in Thailand is that the majority of Thais don't get satisfaction, as we often do in the west, by seeing somebody punished (incarcerated, huge fines, death penalty ...). They would much rather see some form of compensation which they believe, in a case like this, honors the dead by having something good come from their death (helping the family). Many of us in the west would see the money as blood money or as profiting from the death of a loved one and often use a civil actions, as you attempted, to punish the person who escaped criminal responsibility.

My point being is that as a victim, to the above tragedy, your wishes and desires should play heavily in what justice is served by the courts. The same should be true in this case. None of us can assume what the victims want but the few I have heard from have not demanded prison, met with the family and accepted the token sums they have so far given (last I read a week ago the girl had met w/5 families and the mother I believe 2 more). There was one family who was upset that the family had not reached out to them yet or given them anything and believe I read about 1 family who was not ready to meet with them yet. I doubt most people in the west would be ready or want to hear an apology within the first week regardless of how sincere it was as our grieving in cases like this often needs to go through a blame stage and we don't want to see the person we believe responsible as a person. Again, just pointing out differences and not saying one way is better than the other but I guess simply saying that I wish the authorities took your feelings and needs into mind more in handling your tragic circumstances and hope the same happens with the family's of the van tragedy.

You point is well taken and I understand what you are saying -- I hadn't considered that perspective before.

Very honestly, I probably would not have brought a civil suit against the driver had he simply expressed remorse. But he never did then and never has since. Yeah, and the civil suit was an attempt to get him to accept some responsibility for his actions. But I can't live his life, I can only live mine. So over the years I've come to accept what happened and move on. And I took the word "Fair" out of my dictionary long before that incident happened. We live in an imperfect world -- you either accept it or it drives you crazy. I can continue to live in Thailand because I can accept the biases and inconsistencies without taking them personally.

By the way, if you think things are different in, let's say, the United States -- think again.

My only child was killed in a one car accident as a passenger. The driver was 20 years old. The driver failed to navigate an S turn at the end of a long straightaway and the car went off to road killing my child. The driver walked away uninjured.

The information I received from various sources was that the driver was involved in a street race and had entered the corner at a high rate of speed (in excess of 100 mph). Interestingly enough, when the police arrived, no one would admit to a street race. A blood alcohol test was performed on the driver that came back negative and the driver was released. No arrest.

I forensics team checked out the scene and in the final police report it was determined that the driver entered the corner at over 60 mph when the posted speed limit was 30 mph. I find this interesting because I drove that same corner in excess of 70 mph without difficulty a few days later -- which leads me to believe the racing scenario was probably true and the forensic report was flawed or deliberately understated. The report concluded that the accident was caused by the drivers age and relative inexperience as a driver and he was charged with simple negligent driving. The reporting officer seemed to have a very sympathetic bias toward the driver. The death of my child was inconsequential. We were able to see a copy of the driver's driving record which included a number of speeding offenses and moving violations. We contacted the Justice Department and were told that the prior violations would have no bearing on this case and the driver would only be charged based on the police report. The driver walked away with a $400 fine (roughly 12000 baht at the time). We file a civil suit against the driver. The family hired a lawyer. The lawyer simply came back with a statement that the driver, at 20 years old, was no longer a dependent of the family, therefore the family could not be financially held responsible for the crash. Then the driver declared bankruptcy to avoid any financial consequence for his action. The driver nor the family ever expressed any remorse whatsoever for my child's death..

And there you have it -- justice in the United States. How do you say it in Thailand -- Same Same but Different.

This high season is pretty low, increased competition for money, police owned jet skis, corrupt police everywhere, why is anyone surprised this shit is happening? These Irish guys will go home and tell their friends, who will tell their friends, etc etc , next high season even lower, blah blah.

This is not Disney Land people, pay attention.Give then what they want, the police are in on it, and live to play another day.

The best thing to do is: don't rent jet skis (or any other equipment) in Pattaya and Puket. If you're an expat who is living here, educate you're friends who are visiting to the types of scams that are being run here. You can eventually put these jerks out of business by simply boycotting their services. Maybe and even better idea -- find a different location other than Pattaya or Puket. There are many other beautiful places to visit in Thailand where the service providers are relatively honest business-people trying to make a living without ripping off tourists. Just don't play the game.

Try Dokmai Massage on Thapae Soi 1. It's a small place owned by a very friendly, English-speaking Thai woman named Ooy. She does oil massage and traditional Thai massage. Oil massage is 250 baht / hr and Thai massage is 200 baht / hr, although you could probably talk her into a discount. She even has an espresso machine in case you want a coffee fix (which I do).. There is a shower in the restroom. Ooy is a wealth of information about the local area and she really helped me when I visited Chiang Mai. I've attached a Google Earth placemark to her business. Enjoy!

Dokmai Massage.kmz

There are many guest houses all over CM, especially between Thapae Road and Loi Kroh Road, and inside the moated area.. Many rent on an extended basis and you can probably get a room with a fan for between 2000 - 3500 baht. I suggest just coming here, rent a room for a couple of days and walk around to the various guest houses until you find something that you like within your price range. There are numerous places to rent bikes also. Generally a 125 cc bike will run you 150 baht a day. Obviously cheaper if you rent by the week or month. Again, just walk around - they are everywhere. However, they will want your passport for collateral. This is standard practice. Make a copy of your passport to carry with you. If you want something bigger than a 125cc, look up Tony's Big Bikes Chiang Mai on the Internet. If you want a nice massage, try Dokmai Massage on Thapae Soi 1 (see Google Earth placemark). The owner, Ooy, is a very nice, talkative Thai lady and she can give you all sorts of information about the local area and a great massage too. She helped me find a place for 2000 baht a month last year. Have fun!

Dokmai Massage.kmz

Dongtawan. On Loi Kroh next to the night bazaar isn't bad. It has a decent pool also.

But as Heybruce said you might want to broaden your search.

I agree with the Dongtawan Hotel. The Fitness center is located on the 4th floor. Well equipped with both free-weights and machines, although the free-weight selection is a bit limited compared to clubs I've used in the U.S.. They have a pool outside on the roof, but it's not really a lap pool. Membership fee is $1000 baht a month. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the facilities are well maintained. Located at the end of Loi Kroh on the right side of the road just before you get to the Night Market. They have a parking garage and the fitness center will validate your parking -- i.e., free parking.

Try Prirate's Cove. Nice owners and staff. Very airy. Free internet. And the food's pretty good. They also rent motorcycles. See attached Google Earth placemark.

Pirates Cove Bar.kmz

I have a question here; have you been diagnosed and tested positive for Dengue?

Yes, I was.

I came down with Dengue fever about two months ago. Since then, I've been experiencing fatigue and a loss of energy on almost a daily basis. I've been trying to eat right, get rest, and even exercise to get my energy levels back to normal. I just read on the internet that Dengue can cause long term, post infection fatigue. Dandy!

Has anyone had any experience with fatigue after getting Dengue? How long did it take you to start feeling OK again?

Up in the N/E corner, inside moat road, there is a bike shop where I've seen a variety of bike accessories and they may be able to help. Possibly a little longer "goose neck" mount to raise up more or different bars altogether?

Great. Thanks for the map link.

You can lower the seat (saddle) as the thai people do.

Yeah...can't drop the seat. I've got "farang" legs. Not the short stubby Thai variety.

I recently bought a mountain bike that I'd like to have modified. The handle bars are simply too low for me to ride comfortably. The bars are set at the highest position -- can't raise them any higher.

So, I'm looking for someone who can do custom bike work. I need to have the handlebars reshaped or rebuilt. I like the bike, but I don't ride it much. I'm forced to lean too far forward which makes my back uncomfortable.

Anyone know someone who can do custom bike work in CM?

Thanks!

I've been having my family forward my mail to me in Thailand, but the longer I live here, the less my family seems to be willing to help me. I'm not being told when I have important mail arrive and it takes forever to get them to mail important documents to me. However, I need to maintain a physical address in the US for a number of reasons. So, I'm starting to believe that a mail forwarding service may be my best answer.

Does anyone from the US who is residing in Thailand have any experience using USA-based mail forwarding services. I'd like some feedback from people who have had first hand experience with US-based mail forwarding services (both good and bad) who can make informed recommendations from personal experience. So please -- don't reply with "look on the Internet".

Thanks!

I seem to recall having seen links at some point, but the best I know of off the top of my head are:

http://bet.obec.go.t...8/news/scan.pdf

It contains an explanation of all the test parts and has some sample questions.

Also this:

http://www.karn.tv/thai.html

Scroll to the รวมข้อสอบ section and download the ป.6 test (direct PDF link here). These sample tests are intended for Thai children, not foreigners, but will perhaps give you more of an idea of the level of questions to be asked.

This definitely will help. Thanks for the info!

Does anyone know if there are any published study guides and practice tests for the Pratom 6 Level Thai Language Certification Test which is approved by the Thai Ministry of Education.

I'm interested in any resources that have been published explicitly to prepare students for this test.

Thanks!!!

Naga

"It should be a couple of years before banks can recoup the loss with other kinds of revenue."

Translation : We can raise the international ATM fees from 150 to 300 baht the first year, and then from 300 to 600 baht the next year. If the farangs don't like it, they can go home. And the stupid tourists can go vacation in Malaysia or Vietnam. Otherwise they can pay.

Yeah -- I just started having the same problem connecting to Facebook a couple of days ago. I don't get the MICT message, but Facebook will simply not load completely. ISP is Maxnet. Tried Firefox, Chrome, and IE with no success. Tried changing my MAC and IP addresses but no joy, so they don't seem to be targeting individual computers although they may be targeting the router's.

I tried connecting with https and it worked. I've added HTTPS Everywhere to my Firefox browser and all is well. You can download the Firefox plug-in at https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere. The plug-in is configurable and you can write your own Javascript-based rulesets.

This is a cultural issue at many levels: whether it's the diversion of resources to enrich certain "entitled" individuals who feed at the top of the educational food chain; to Pu Yai school administrators who will not lower themselves to interacting with the rank-and-file teachers; to the teachers who find it impossible to enforce anything that resembles educational diligence and excellence in the classroom to the utter detriment of their students; to the students and parents who believe that learning will somehow take place if the student simple shows up for class -- no thought or effort required once you're there because of course, the teachers are not allowed to fail students. The rigidity of the Thai cultural system simply does not allow positive change to happen.

The only way change happens is when change in embraced. That sounds simple enough. Change requires a willingness to change, and then an investigation of the organizational processes to determine what works and what is truly lacking. But that involves self-critique, and self-critique leads the admission that perhaps there is something wrong with the system, and identifying defects in the system leads to loss of face -- and ain't nobody from the highest head of MOE down though the system to the lowest student in the most destitute, underfunded village school is going to suffer a loss of face. Uh Uh -- No way -- Ain't gonna happen here! There is no working feedback loop -- those of lower status won't risk rocking the boat by offering opinions and suggestions to their superiors and those with higher status don't want to hear it anyway. Maintain the status quo at all costs. So the system remains broke.

The educational system in Thailand is culture bound. It needs to become culturally acceptable to embrace change for the betterment of the country though the education of the Thai children. And until some enlightened, altruist, educated, and capable individuals are able to come to power within the political and educational bureaucracies of this country, then you can pretty safely bet that nothing is going to change for the better anytime soon. Which is pretty sad because pretty soon, Thailand is going to have difficulties keeping up with the Zhang's, the Najib's, the Nguyễn's, the Suharto's, and Guptas in this rapidly developing Asian region. But ironically, that just might be the catalyst needed for change!

Anyway I go to the bed now for I go to shopping tomorrow.