tfc

Only thing that didn't arrive has a parcel with Belgian chocolates. Someone had a good time I'm sure. Everything else gets here even if it has a hefty "duty" on it.

Thaepae gate area for sure.

I only eat Pizza company at the airport because frankly it and Burger King have been the best food once through immigration. This says more about the quality of the other eateries in the airport than about these two places as I don't touch them when not at the airport.

I think this is a relatively new apartment block so I haven't been able to find any reviews on TV or google yet - so wanted to know if anyone had actually stayed there and their overall experience and opinion on the place.

http://www.thexym.com

I'm still looking for a high end Thai restaurant in Chiang Mai. By this I mean not just the decor but the quality of the food. All the best Thai food I've had has been between the prices of 40-70 baht a head and trust me I don't mind spending if someone guarantees a good feed, it just seems that as the price goes up the quality goes down.

Not so for Dukes however which is why I'd choose it as my number one. A close 2nd on my list would be a nameless Thai place that is nearby to where I live.

I know 2 people who've seen her more as a curiosity from what I gather. Both of them were fairly neutral about the experience. Their response to me may also be due to them knowing me - I'm not a 100% doubter in things outside the norm but I always want to know if they at least were 100% convinced and if so specifically why.

I try out things like Chinese Medicine and healing and I've not problem as long as I get tangible results. I haven't had a lot of tangible and recognizable benefit from acupuncture but Chinese herbs I have and the diagnosis seems to be fairly good. Luckily acupuncture is a lot cheaper in Chiang Mai than it is in Australia (100 bucks a session! <deleted>!) though so it's not as much of a kick in the nuts when it doesn't work.

The most benefit I've had from any of the more fringe therapies was a Kinesiologist who helped a funky ankle that I'd had for 2 years heal in a week. I allow that it could have been a coincidence but nothing else I tried from acupuncture, physio, myotherapy, massage and other stuff would help. Having said that the second time I went back for another issue it didn't do much.

I do the BKK to Vegas run several times a year. An Ambien CR right after boarding let's me sleep around 7-8 hours. Perfect. Booze let's me get to sleep for a bit, but not for long and I wake up feeling worse.

Do you need a doctor's script for Ambien?

Your posting outside of Thailand right?

There are always choices without having to fly business class , although just the excitement of biz class and better wine and extra attention keeps me awake anyway . Make sure you get the earliest flight for the longest destination. 20 hours from 7am is a lot easier on the body than a 20 hour 7pm flight for those that cant sleep.

I'm in Thailand but I like to get scripts and a note from the doc when traveling so that I can just show something if needed to customs.

I do the BKK to Vegas run several times a year. An Ambien CR right after boarding let's me sleep around 7-8 hours. Perfect. Booze let's me get to sleep for a bit, but not for long and I wake up feeling worse.

Do you need a doctor's script for Ambien?

Thanks - that was exactly the information that I was looking for. All up it sounds like a pretty straightforward thing.

Going to KL to get a non-immigrant B visa has anyone had recent experience with how long the process takes? I know that the tourist visas are usually a drop off one day, pick up the next day type of thing and am wanting to know if it is like this or?

I always try to declare anything that I'm remotely unsure about, even vitamins or herbs. 99% of the time they take one look at me and just wave me through. I guess they figure (quite rightly) that I'm harmless. Same as in Malaysia. If I have anything that requires a prescription I always also ask for a letter from the doctor and am ready to present both.

When I was in Phuket I knew a guy who did steroids under his doctor's supervision. No prescription needed at the pharmacy though, he just walked in asked if they had steroids and they brought out a big list and asked what he wanted. When my girlfriend needed some Panadeine after a wisdom tooth extraction though it was "no, that has codeine so is illegal here." I find it funny that what can be bought so easily over the counter in Australia like Panadeine can't be bought there, yet things like valium, xanax and steroids are just given out OTC. Just how the rules work though I guess.

I don't know about legality - but I have brought it in three times with other vitamins, shown it at customs and been waved on through. I've also order several boxes which have been inspected by customs with the normal fedex feeds and they've been allowed in with no problems other then the rather excessive additional fedex fees.

While the intentions of the massage parlor boss is open to speculation the OP did the right thing 100%.

Whenever I fly home for a visit I purchase through swansons. The first few times I had a package sent here with swansons using FedEx I just had to pay a reasonable duty of about 150 baht. After about 4-5 times at the rate they upped the rate to something like 1700 baht - more than the cost of the package and shipping. So now I just try to bring everything that I need or have friends and family bring me my shipment when they visit.

I was told by a pharmacist in Phuket that codeine was not legal to sell here though I was able to declare and bring one pack through customs with prescription (Panadeine Forte). Perhaps it can be bought with prescription from a doctors clinic I'm not sure.

They replaced the pseudoephedrine with phenylephrine in Australia (but you can still get it at some pharmacies as long as you show ID and they record it) and I notice that in pharmacies here in Thailand they sometimes only stock the latter though a lot of the smaller shops stock both. I noticed when in Australia that the cold and flu meds with phenylephrine did next to nothing for sinus pain and talked to the pharmacist who agreed that it didn't really do much and that I should get the product with pseudoephedrine as it was the only one that was effective.

I hope they don't completely ban it here or that at least it can be bought from a doctor's clinic because it is the only thing that works for me when I get a flu with sinus problems.

Thanks for the replies, that's very helpful.

I'm coming up to Chiang Rai for a few days and wanted to know what a good area is to stay where it's easy to walk around, get food etc. Where I live in Chiang Mai is a predominantly Thai area with very few tourists which is great for what I want for living but it took a while to get to know the area and my way around and I won't be having such a long time in Chiang Rai so I'm looking for an area more similar to the old town area of Chiang Mai ie. easy to walk around, get to different eateries and hire a bike. (By the way, bars aren't really my thing, I'm mainly a foodie).

Any suggestions for good places to stay for a few nights would be appreciated too if anyone has ideas. Budget anywhere between 800-1500 baht/night approx.

Unfortunately, Vit B, niacin and Garlic didn't repel mozzies for me. I use Citronella at the moment and don't seem to have any problems but I'm in Chiang Mai city. I used to use deet when I was in Phuket as the mozzies down in Rawai seem "crazier" with bloodlust but I don't like using deet on a daily basis. I might try this Sketolene stuff. Anecodotal but a mate of mine in Australia related how he was using bushman's 80% deet and watching a mozzie land on him and bite him before he took revenge.

Thanks Kalbo!

Thought I'd bump this just in case anyone happens to know if this supplement is available in Thailand. Theanine is in green tea but drinking too much green tea gets me going to the loo every 10 minutes.

I had it in 2010 and it felt like I was going to die. I ended up spending 5 days in hospital and from what I recall they said not to take Asprin (funnily enough when I told my Doctor back in Australia he looked up the 2011 Oxford medical dictionary and it said "treat with Asprin" - <deleted>?) or any other blood thinning medicines so I was left with paracetamol. I had internal bleeding but not as bad as another lady I met who said she was bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose. I know that they are working on a vaccine at the moment and I hope they get it out soon and it that it works.

Mungkala is best if you only speak English and Dr Rungrat's manner is excellent. Dr. Wang in Warorot market is preferred by my friend (Rungrat puts the needles in and leaves you be, Dr. Wang comes back and turns the needles to adjust the "chi") but he doesn't speak much English at all. Dr Rungrat may send you down here if you need to get some herbs. Get the reception at Mungkala to write out what you need in Thai.

I withdrew from AEON a few days back with an NAB (Australian) card that has no foreign conversion fees nor extra charges for using foreign ATMs - so it's easy to notice for extra fees or charges other than my actual withdrawal - and I still see no extra fees at all.