martijn12345

I once heard a story (from somebody in a pub @1am, not always reliable info) that he wanted a camera. And found out it was 8000 baht cheaper in KL, Malaysia. Return ticket with Airasia 4000 baht ofzo. A nice saving, a day well spend.

Electronics in Thailand is dramatic at the moment. Only + is the cheap stuff from China/Korea that is not available in Europe/USA. But the decent brands, no matter if it's a camera or what. It;s not available or expensive. This week tried to find a Media Player in Chiang Mai. Been everywhere, nobody has it, or even knows what it is. Heard some shops in BKK sell them at 25% more then European price.

Try Esplanade....many quiet places to study and many thai students use the facilities for that purpose as well

Seriously ? This is the CM forum

For those who are confused. It's a nice, big aircon shoppingmall on Rachadapisek, Bangkok.

I have been kinda passively looking for Panasonic camera. And so far haven't seen a single one her in CM. They sell allll kinds of camera's but no Panasonic. Weird right?

Before you reroute your traffic to Amsterdam think first.

I also get aroud 45 msec for a ping tp networking4all but let's do a simple calculation:

Distance Chaing Mai - Amsterdam about 10k km, speed-of-light around 200k km per sec

and ping is a round trip delay meter so the distance travelled is 20k km.

The time the light needs is 100 milisec, without any router computer etc delay :jap:

If you think ping of 45 is real, there must be some bridges for sale somewhere

It totally depends on the area where you stay. If lots of ppl use one provider in your area, the speeds will be terrible. If you are the only one on another network, you might get great speeds. So what might work well in Doi Saket, is perhaps horrible near Huai Kaew rd. Best is to ask around or check what other ppl in the area have, and what is fast. (don't ask Thai ppl as they still think 512Kb is HI SPEED). Either take one that is fast, or one that nobody has

I stay out on the road to Hang Dong, I use the old 3Mb cable internet from True Cable, often download with 340-350 Kb/s happy with that. But all networks slow down from 4pm - 11 pm.

I've tried various Honda dealers to give me a good deal on a new Wave, none were interested in giving any discount or any fair credit deal. So I bought 2th hand as well. Yes maybe you pay a bit more then when you buy privately. But you can always go back to the shop when there is something wrong, been a few times with minor things, never a problem... They fixed it straight away for free. I know another shop probably charges you the enormous amount of 28 baht to fix that small thing, but I like the service

No that is Thai style economics. I was having a look around a resort last week near Mae Hong Son, asked how much the rooms were. They were 500 baht per night, I said that is rather expensive for these kind of rooms, in this area. The owner replied that I was right, normal price was 300 baht, but since business was so bad, she had no other choice but to increase the prices.

Thnx for the Gouda cheese advice, got my slicer already from Robinsons

I know Holland is a very small market, but bookings for summer season (July - August) are still up from last year, even after troubles. Seems like last years credit crisis had a much bigger effect. Also I imagine that many ppl who spend last years summer at home, say ' This year we're gonna go on a real trip again as we stayed home last year' .

For the rest, enjoy the free parking spaces Mondays-Fridays for now

I also thought the heat would be kinda over now. Last week was traveling up to Chiang Rai, Pai, Mae Hong Son, rain every day which made nights comfortable without aircon, even the few nights I was in Chiang Mai, I slept without aircon. But this week it's terribly hot again

Very busy in Lotus. Yesterday wanted to check something in Airport Plaza. There was a traffic jam waiting in line about 30 minutes just to park your car. I can garantee a waiting list inside at FUJI and Swensons as well.

It's easy. It's hot, so Thais go out for shopping malls and supermarkets. Hence farang try not to go there as it's busy. It's hot outside so CM residents stay inside. Tourists aren't here as Thailand is dangerous and about 20% more expensive for european (not sure about dollar - baht rate) tourists compared to last year. Also people stay either at home, or travel to South Africa, cause of futbon

But as far as I've heard, tourists are coming back later this year, and over the whole year there might still be a rise in tourism compared to last year (credit crisis). Beats me how Thailand pulls that off in the light of what's happened. But since I kinda make my living in this field, I'm just praying for it to be true.

I know all those hardware stores sell them, like home pro. But do all of them sell them for roughly the same price as local hardware stores or are the Home Pro ones more expensive?

Do all these shop deliver them home and install them, at what costs?

So it's more a question of where to do this cheaply, as I always think Home Pro and such are expensive, but this is not really based on much, just my feeling I dont know much about these kind of things.

Thnx for all the advise so far.

I want to install another sink in our rented house. Not looking for anything fancy. Just a cheap thai style sink. Like half table/half sink. It needs to be installed in the kitchen all connections for water and drain are there already.

Can anybody recommend me a cheap but decent local shop. preferable airport plaza/road to hang dong area.

That is the bottom of the barrel!

Last night, just for references sake, checked out The Fabric. Have to say, pretty obvious that this is the other end of the after 2am scale offered in Chiang Mai.

Okay thanks for the replies. I will ask again in CMR then.

The things sold in Boots is not what I'm looking for these are standard, I need custom made ones.

I'm not even sure if podotherapist is the correct word, it's what google translate gave me. Anyway. I have lay-in soles in my shoes and they are wearing down. I need these as my feet are not perfect and need to be corrected,otherwise a nerve will get stuck between bones which is painfull. Standard lay-in soles don't work, I need them personally made for my feet. I used to get them at home, but as they are very expensive (and my insurance doesn't cover them anymore) and I'm not home I would like to know if I would be able to find a professional in Chiang Mai. I've asked in CMR, but they said they didn't have one working there and no idea about the rest of the city. But I assume I'm not the only one with these soles in my shoes.

South Korean stopt wearing shirts with Guus Hidding prints by now I guess. I've seen the shop too in Chan Klan, sure they have a lot of shirts. Not sure they have ALL shirts. And on the nightbazaar they do have some shirts as well.

Well, so far we have-

A report of a tragic death (unsubstantiated).

A poll (that seems to have a tenuous connection to the above).

Much pontificating and rending of clothes, breast beating, etc. by the warm-milk-and-into-bed-by-9 crowd.

And the rather ironic report by one member, stating he believes the original poster owns a rival bar (in the neighborhood).

If true, that would certainly be a rather damning conflict-of-interest angle to this whole affair (or should I term it a tempest in a teapot?).

Hmmm....

Maejo, you have some high police connections. If you get a chance, run this story by them. Let us know what they say.

I was not even sugesting the story wasn't true. Even if it is true, then still that doesn't mean Spicy isn't a CM institute. I'm betting that most nightlife venues in Chiang Mai that have been around for as long as Spicy, have had their fair share of incidents. Tragic as it is, some ppl just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Chance greatly reduce when u take a hot coco and go off to bed at 9pm every day, but then I could've stayed in Europe as well.

This is another sad story and my condolences to the family and friends of the victim. I think damian500 has a fair point to ask why has there been nothing printed in the media? Not to say this story is false but since Ive been in Chiangmai Ive been told alot of stories, that have turned out to be false. A couple of weeks ago, I was told by our Thai neighbour that a bomb went off in Chiangmai Sunday market last week killing over 10 people. Our neighbour owns a restaurant in the Sunday market area and has got this info from a friend of hers, and it's been passed on as truth without anyone actually seeing it. I checked every newspaper, watched the news and nothing on a mass killing in Chiangmai. Although many people tell lies for the benifit of a good story, I doubt this to be the case here, I think information just gets jumbled, and wires get crossed along the way. I don't have the time to investigate every thing I hear, so I have to evaluate with the facts I recieve and trust I make the right judgment. R.I.P unknown woman, may justice be served on the nut job that ended your life.

Yeah, heard (and not believed it) too, that would have been all over the news. Furthermore a week before me, my visiting family and GF went off to Phuket, we received some phone calls from her family, not to go, as Tsunami's had been prededicted for the next week .

Oh and remember, always turn of your phone when a thunderstorm is coming, the lightning will addept to GSM frequenties and seek out to hit your telephone. Only in Thailand.

Furthermore, I think it's not fair to only picture Spicy as a low trash dirt pit. I've had many nights of good fun there when I was still backpacking, I have some friends who still end up their on occasions, for old times sake. It's a one-in-it's kind place in Chiang Mai. But indeed a place to be extra careful in a otherwise safe city.

As its been kicked up already I might as well post our findings.

We've seen 2 shops near CMU, but not really what the GF was looking for and another one was closed. Couldn't find the ones that I can see clearly now on the posted pics (thnx Dave2). We happen to come across a shop that has a large selection of paints and frames. Folow Moon Muang Road past Tha Phae Gate all the way till the end and go round the corner (after 3 years still no idea what the name of that road is LOL). And after about 300 meter on the left side, there is a shop not looking special at all,kinda like a standard Chinese stationary shop. They told us that most shops around CMU actually buy their paint with them. The GF was rather pleased with the selection of frames and paints, but they didn't have all the exact colours she needed from the exact brand that she wanted. But that happens on a daily basis, as the world is not ready for her yet.

Used to go there from time to time in the past. But haven't been there for a long time.

My GF went there when some friends wanted to go there, she was in and out in less then 3 minutes, dirty and bad smell she said. They went off to The Fabric, which she enjoyed a lot more. Kinda like RCA in BKK.

I personally have never been there, so will check it out soon.

Anyway very sad story, I've personally never seen any fights myself but have moved to the other side of the place a few times just to avoid ppl that annoyed me so much I felt like punching them soon.

Have heard some bad stories tho, I think most ppl know what's going on in there, it's not only the 'normal' meatmarket.

RIP, what ever happened. This ain't the right way to go.

Thailand doesn't really have a real 3G network yet. They have some very local tests, but mostly they are on weird frequenties that aren't being used in Europe. So while I enjoyed 7.2Mbit internet 2 years ago in Europe. I'm limited to EDGE here. From what I've read a few months back it's also not likely that real widespread 3G will ever happen in Thailand as everything is going so slowly that most operaters will likely just wait for 4G and try to bet on that one, rather then spending billions of baht to outroll something that will soon be outdated.

After typing, realised Im completely offtopic, but gonna post anyway even tho not about BB.

Use them to buy a book? I'm not good at English and pretty sure there are no difficult words in my post

Cabinet extends curfew 4 days, shortens hours

The Cabinet Tuesday resolved to extend curfew in Bangkok and 23 other provinces from Tuesday to Friday.

The curfew hours will be midnight to 4 am, one hour shortened from earlier curfew periods.

The Cabinet will assess the situation on Saturday and make a decision whether to extend the curfew again.

-- The Nation 2010-05-25

Someone refresh my memory--how much of the violence and illegal protest activity occurred between midnight and 4 a.m.?

True, however, I think that everybody in Thailand is well aware that it will benefit everybody when things go back to normal ASAP. I don't think the government is actively trying to get tourism down below 0 or trying to get as many businesses go bankrupt as possible. So my guess is that they have a reason to do this.

But in the end TIT...

I don't get this whole thing about portraying Abhisit as a power-hungry maniac. It seems pretty clear to me that he is just a talented politician who became the Democrat party's man at the wrong time. Anyway there seems to be a fundamental contradiction in the two charges most often leveled at him: that he is mad for power, and that he is just a puppet of more powerful interests.

Regarding the troubles of the previous Thaksin parties (TRT and PPP), they brought at least some of it on themselves. Calling a snap election then paying small parties to run and lose, in order to validate their own victories, is as fraudulent as you can get.

I noticed that after the Bangkok mayhem, a very pro-Thaksin neighbor who for the last 5 years has had his home and shop literally wallpapered with TRT, PPP, and PT posters, has taken down the signs. Change of heart or change of tactics?

For me anyway, the long hard road to building democracy in Thailand will be built on institutional reform-- creating an independent judiciary, accountable policing, an anti-corruption movement--more than electoral politics, which have proved dodgy. The country has shown its ability to subvert the letter and spirit of electoral law at all levels, from the village ballot box to the inscrutable workings of the EC. Regarding institutional reform, neither side has distinguished itself. Not Team Yellow, with its influence on the courts, and certainly not team Red, with Mr T's impressive track record of disempowering every independent state agency (NCCC, NHRC, NRC...) and centralizing control to himself. I'm not suggesting that there shouldn't be elections, but that I don't see any electoral outcome in itself leading to a more democratic state.

Well said. I agree. If you take a step back and try to see the big pictures and lines. I think that the main goal of the red shirt (a more equal dividing of the economic growth) is a very healthy and understandable one. A pitty, smart powerhungry people have been able to mix it with their own personal interests.

During the whole situation Abisit has shown nothing of powerhunger in my opinion he is really trying to be reasonable and understanding while trying to govern this country the best he can. I can see he has a point in saying this country is not ready for elections at this moment. He is right in saying things need some time to cool down. As long as he is true to his former promises to hold elections as soon as possible, I think that is not a bad plan for the short term.

In the long run Thailand does risk to get into the same circel again, if nothing changes, chances are red side will win elections and yellow side will step in again. Mix this with a King, who is respected by both sides, who is ageing and will sooner or later leave a huge power vacuum, it's not a sensionalist idea to say things ain't over yet.

I hope more people can try to focus on the red lines and major ideas, in stead of zooming into incidents all the time. This all IMHO.

completely on-topic: TIT