DaamNaam

The con artist here is not the health food store but whoever gave the OP the idea that Chiang Mai had it all and at low prices. Perhaps it was self inflicted.

Not at all true.

Many local products are on offer too, not just imported stuff.

And certainly affordable.

Aden on Nimmenhemin are certainly no "rip offs". Try them out.

There are several others on Suthep Rd near Suan Dok that are good also.

http://www.chiangmainews.com/foodguide/eclecticfood.php?sub=30

Given so many excellent English speaking Thai doctors practicing in and around Chiang Mai, why any need to seek out a Farang doctor?

If you must know....................I need a native English speaking Dr to help me with a VA form that requires more than the basic English that the local Drs speak. I have consulted with several Thai Drs and they admit that the level of legalise English required was over their heads.

now satisfied??

Chiang Mai Ram do my offshore medicals as do Bangkok Hospital, Rachawithee too. No "falang" doctors there.

They all speak English.

Buy a bike lock, cheap enough, problem solved.

Central festival has 2 new guitar shops. One looks el-cheapo the other the real deal. Worth a look perhaps.

@DaamNaam - nice-looking furniture, there (and an even nicer-looking house!).

After 5 years the wicker(?) sofa and lounge chair still look very nice. May I ask -

- did the cushions come as part of the furniture, or were they purchased separately ?

- do you remember (roughly) what the arrangement cost (back then) ?

Cheers

Hey,

The cushions came with it, though in a standard beige, no colour options, but we liked it anyway.

The set (a 3 seater sofa, 2 chairs and a coffee table) were around 25,000, think he asked 30,000 originally.

My wife was just saying she thinks it would be well over 40,000 now.

Free delivery and the guy was a nice chap too.

It just cost 6000 baht to re upholster the cushions, and they were new really, all new foam too. So not bad value, and they look great.

This guy has been there as long as i can remember (16 years plus), so that says something here.

All the best.

Ragu at Promenada. Nothing in town comes close.

The pepperoni flatbread has been 155 since we have been going there (since it opened). They only have the one menu. No difference day or night.

On another note, the mushroom ravioli is still on the specials board, it is mind blowing. Save your bread sticks to dip in this succulent sauce.

Anyone living here can buy this stuff themselves at wholesale rates from the Pool Supplies shop on Mahidol Rd (Near the Ping River bridge), or from Siam Pools.

We just had an LED light flood and needed changing and we are well over our warranty period, John the MD at Siam pools came out today himself and had his tech install a new one, no charge.

They are true to their word in after sales and service as well.

Why get a company based in Isaan (or wherever) to do what can be done locally already.

We do not believe anyone is suggesting for a moment that an Isan based company should come all the way to CM to change a light. In fact the idea strikes us as a bit odd.

Where did I say that? Nowhere.

I said (if you read it correctly) that theres no need to get the pool supplies you are trying to sell us all on here.

Nothing at all about a light, nada, zip, zilch.

Anyone living here can buy this stuff themselves at wholesale rates from the Pool Supplies shop on Mahidol Rd (Near the Ping River bridge), or from Siam Pools.

We just had an LED light flood and needed changing and we are well over our warranty period, John the MD at Siam pools came out today himself and had his tech install a new one, no charge.

They are true to their word in after sales and service as well.

Why get a company based in Isaan (or wherever) to do what can be done locally already.

The OP is wasting his time going to Baan Tawai for household furniture. That area mostly deals with arts and crafts and specialist types of furniture, mainly for export or fancy stuff.

Here is where I have always gone to buy my furniture:

http://www.chiangmailocator.com/chiang-mai-shops-5647:sb-furniture-hod-rd

http://www.indexlivingmall.com/store/detail-en.php?id=14

https://www.facebook.com/megafurnituremarket

What rubbish. None of these places have wicker or cane furniture.

We got ours 5 years ago (and he is till there) half way between Hang Dong Rd intersection and Ban Tawai turn off, the shops on the left hand side. Makes great hardy furniture. Ours is still in mint condition, just had cushions re upholstered though.

All the car accessory shops will sell them and have them on stock for the most common models.

They didn't a few years back when i was looking, had to order it and was same price as the dealer ones. I ended up with a Toyota one same day, not "order from Bangkok, 2 weeks".

Good luck on your search.

Be nice if the gov built a metro; offer the jobs to the songteaw drivers and not re-issue licences for the removed capacity. Half be a fine service; for the red ones anyway.

Another problem with songteaw is how many of them belch filthy black smoke all over the place.

Other trucks too- I hope these increased check points can start to instigate some emissions testing too; I have seen many signs around warning about them but haven't seen it in action.

For this to happen you have to first kill the wicked witch of the west and bring me her broomstick.

Good luck with that.

I would fear for your personal safety.

Great reply ; thanks.

I would indeed not suggest such a biz for normal Falang retirees or other wise, and I did actually consider this as a first pop of worry in to my brain. But for me, fortunately my in laws have a solid car rental biz; are well connected and have staff and face etc to deal with all the ins and outs , day to day management, etc.

Its not a joke. If you knew who owned most of the towns tuktuks you would reconsider. Just look into it a bit more. Just asking on here shows you know next to nothing on the matter.

To get a correct fitting one (moulded) you may have to use the cars model dealership.

Although there are after market car accessory places around town that may be able to order one, or have in stock.

As stated, our comments are: 'according to feedback' (and we receive a lot of emails every day and in many languages).

We have no immediate plans to enter the construction market in CM for domestic pools - it's simply too far away (with mountain ranges and small roads for much of the journey). This would make our prices disproportionately high on new builds and refurbs, and we would not be able to offer routine after-sales support. In spite of our location however, we can be much quicker in Vientiane in Lao (where we have a depot), central Thailand, and some of the the southern provinces (where we also have a depot). The furthest we go north is Phistanulok, which in fact is practically (as the crow flies) directly east of our main depot.

We do however have a high conversion rate in CM on enquiries for blueprints and BoQ, complete sets of technical equipment for DIY builds and/or constructions being done by the 'house builder'. The comments accompanying such enquiries are often on the lines of 'we are unable to locate a pool organisation in CM that inspires confidence'. We also regularly receive requests for advice from people who feel their constructor may not be doing things quite right, or who may be supplying unknown (read: "pirate copies") brands of equipment, or has made a complete mess of things and been fired.

However, if you are from Siam Pools, or closely connected with them, you are welcome to contact us. We receive at least 4 enquiries a week from CM and neighbouring provinces asking for quotations for domestic pools or on-site construction help which we unfortunately have to decline.

I had a pool built by them if you had bothered to read my posts. I have nothing else to do with them.

As i said we had a few issues with them but got them sorted in the end.

Those 35bt pressed concrete pavers have one advantage over most others being they're beveled on the edge to accommodate slight difference in levels. They're also porous. How's your surface drainage if concreted instead?

That is a good point actually, hadn't considered drainage. I guess if I go the concreted route I'll have to incorprate decent drainage for the run off. Something like this? ...

I really like the idea of stamping the concete, this looks really nice...

Where can I get concrete stamps from in Chiang Mai?

Good luck with that. I would say you have little or no chance unless you buy them yourself, and they will be very expensive for sure.

We used Winfloor to do ours and it wasn't as expensive as i had first thought. The finished product just can't be beaten. Brilliant.

I had a great bargaining session with a songtaew driver:

In my almost-fluent (5%) Thai, I said "4 baht"

he said 17 baht

I said 8, he said 12

I said 9, he said 10

I then lowered back to 3

This went on for one hour, and then I decided to walk one block north to my destination.

Not even a bit funny sir.

Your post of not being funny, is not funny. I don't understand, did this insult you? Did you think I had malice in my post against others? Are you against attempted humor? Please list all your rules for what is funny.......please let the people who liked my post know your rules.

this is exactly why i am sick of TV.

You waste one hour of an honest working citizen over nothing and think it is funny. It is people like you who give the Thais a false impression of Farongs.

While I am here I was wondering about some of the posters who figure taking songthaew's of the road would help lesson traffic. How about an answer like cut back the single driver vehicles.

Of course it would help. But what is Somchai going to do for work? Farming? Too hard, anything else, too hard.

There is probably only need for less than half of them in reality. Unfortunately CM has a reality all of its own.

It's life Jim, but not as we know it.

Based near Udon Thani - unfortunately still quite a long way from Chiang Mai for pool construction, but (we believe) we are the largest and most well equipped pool construction company north of Bangkok. According to the feedback we receive, CM appears to be poorly served with reliable pool firms - don't hesitate to contact us if you think we can help in any way.

It's not "poorly served" at all. Are you building pools here too? If not are you planning to?

Again, Siam Pools are well established here and do a fine job.

Keith was the manager at Siam Pools. Sadly he passed away a few months ago.

They did a fine job on our pool, a few hiccups like any building project here but all sorted out in the end.

The woman thats manager now seems very intelligent and has excellent English skills. She personally comes to see whats going on during all phases. This was lacking in the past.

If you are a single farang living alone in Chiang Mai ( or anywhere else in Thailand ) and like myself you are " not materialistic " ie you rent a nice house for under 3,000 baht and ride a bicycle and don't drink/smoke and keep away from farang food you can live on under 8,000 baht a month " all in " easy!!!!

just seen a pig ,fly by my window

Must have plenty of energy, i just seen it fly past my window too.

Hi Folks,

Just a quick warning to Brits who might be thinking about getting their Residence Certificate from the British Consulate, in Chiang Mai. It's a convenient 10 minute in-and-out procedure, but it comes at a cost!

A few years ago I paid a whopping 1,900 Baht for this 2 Baht piece of paper with a stamp on it. I remember complaining about how outrageous the profit was for such quick and minor service. The lady behind the counter said that almost everybody complained about that. In fact, they had received so many official complaints over time that administrators were looking into revising the fee. Well, they did that alright!

I've just been to get another one this morning in preparation for my driving license renewal next week. To my shock, that fee is now 3,080 B.

It seems that rip-off Britain follows us no matter where we UK nationals end up living.

I only went there because I can't stand queueing at the immigration department that processes a residence certificate for 500 Baht, but I will grin and bear it if ever I need another one!

I wonder be surprised if British Consulates and Embassies provide the most expensive services in the world?

Cheers,

Stubby

Stubby, You haven't been paying attention. For a residence letter you go to the Thai Immigration Dept opp Promenada.There is no waiting providing you have all the docs and photo (listed on many threads discussed on here) Go in the morning and you can pick it up next day, after lunch, for 500 b or if you are like me, a cheap charlie, pick it up in in 2 weeks for FREE.Repeat there is no waiting unlike the cattle yard in town.

Seems like Stubby has been drinking far too many stubbies.

Stamped concrete looks fantastic too.