Johpa
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Posts posted by Johpa
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BUT Chiangmai will never enjoy "what could be" in the form of a continuation of the superhighway from Huay Kaew via Nimmanhaemin to Suthep Road and then continueing on via Wing 41 to the airport.
With the correct decals on your car and with a Thai driver one can take the shortcut through the Air Force base to CNX. I alway have my neighbor, who is a mia noi of a Thai general, drive me to the airport taking that route.
Happy Trails
Johpa
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Sometimes I would be woken up in the middle of the night with a punch in the ribs. My wife just had a dream about me Butterflying and now she is pi**ed at me because how could I do such a thing. I did nothing but she would be angry at me for at least half the day. Has this happened to you?
What is your experience?
Yes, I have been hit in the ribs for the very same reason.
I have been married to a Thai woman for almost 17 years now and for almost 17 years I have woken up not knowing whether my wife wife will be especially moody, sullen, or depressed from some dream that she had. Bottom line is that the relationship between Thai women and dreams sucks big time if you happen to have to wake up next to such a woman on a daily basis.
Happy Trails
Johpa
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Leena's in Anusarn was, the last time I was there perhaps the biggest rip off joint in Chiangmai. I can't understand that they have any customers.
I am surprised that any of the establishments at Anusorn have customers these days, which is too bad as it once was a great traditional night time Thai food court.
Happy Trails
Johpa
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Yes.. But I assumed it moved from Santitham to other places. Just like it moved away from Kamphaeng Din before.
Admittedly it has been many, many years, but I don't remember seeing underage women in the vicinity of Kampeng Din (AKA the wall) or around Santitham.
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Just wondering if anyone here has been to the Mae Sa elephant camp recently and taken pictures of my newest family member who was born around November 28th to our elephant Mae Noi. My kids would really like to see any pics as they will not be back to Chiang Mai until late June.
Happy Trails
Johpa
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I also think Buddhism is a way of life, as I think Christianity can also be a way of life for the christians...
Allow a new member to add a few thoughts.
My father-in-law, who dwells up in the hills above Chiang Mai, is a devout animist whose beliefs are every much a way of life as is Buddhism or Christianity is to their adherents. For one to proclaim a belief system as a way of life is to proclaim nothing unless you are trying to elevate your beliefs above another's beliefs. It is all "amen," I believe, in the end and some I know believe in the Tooth Fairy. Bottom line is that there is no difference between believing in Jesus and believing in the Tooth Fairy or believing in the enlightment of Buddha.
My two decades worth of connections up North leads me to believe that all Thais are fundamentally animist. The spirits, the phiis, the riak khwaan ceremonies are far more important to their daily lives than is "bun" and "baap." What matters to animists is the rote expression of their beliefs in the form of specific prayers or chants. Failing to perform the ceremony correctly can lead to suffering. And the Thais who convert to Christianity are animist to the core. For them the profession of their belief is all that matters, no different than my in-laws profession of their concerns towards the spirits, the ta mu x'a of their religion. I mean have any of you ever tried to engage in a religious conversation with a member of the Hope of Bangkok Church?
The funny thing is that most of my in-law's peers in the neighboring village are Christian and get semi-annual visits from Dr. Amnuay's ( a very good man) minions from Phayap Univ. But whenever life gets tough, they always sneak off to my in-laws house outside the village ( a baan lang diow) and ask my father-in-law to do some of that old time animist routine as he is the last of a great tradition, a minor tradition to the anthropologists, of Karen animists.
And it is not just the pure hill folks. In the local Khon Muang village where we maintain a homestead, the people do support a small wat, but it is to old Uey Khiow they go to first to relieve both their psychic and spiritual pains using the old K'mu animist techniques once common to the region. (The other contribution of K'mu culture in the "hood" is an abundance of slang terms used by the local men that is not easily understood by both this poor farang, not to mention the rare city Khon Muang visitor.)
Happy Trails
Johpa
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my best friend here is a muslim thai woman from an anti israeli very muslim family, who married a religious jew-- i kid u not...
Yea, I read about that couple in the late, and not so great, Odzer's book Patpong Sisters. The marriage between the Israeli and the Muslim girl from the south was one of the best parts of her gonzo journalism on Thailand.
Happy Trails
Johpa
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People in the South are treated like second class citizens.... killing them will not solve the bigger problem.
People in the South are treated like second class citizens as are peoples up north. And peoples from Isaan are treated much worse than the Southern Thai folks. Jeez, you all know how the Akha are treated, and trust me the Karen and Lahu are trated almost as poorly and they all are treated much worse than Muslims in Pattani.
The fallacy being promoted by the "separatists" is that the second class treatment is connected to the Southern most provinces being Muslim.
But I agree, killing 100 poorly educated disenfranchised kids in a setup ambush without attempting to find alternatives will probably not help matters. But then again, the everyone knows the Royal Thai Police rarely take prisoners.
Happy Trails
Johpa
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Johpa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good to see you here too!!! ;-)
I don't think Blue Moon has closed. There's actually some kind of bar in the street-front part of it that I think wasn't used before. But I haven't been to Blue Moon in ages.
Cheers,
Chanchao
Glad to hear such a historical establishment as the Blue Moon has not closed its doors. I am still mourning the loss of the Hennesy Club.
I decided to join here after reading some of the discusions regarding the Matthews arrest and deportation. Alas, the thread had been ended by whoever the powers are in this forum before I arrived.
And it looks like these forums could use another old hand curmudgeon to keep people honest. Besides, I'll be back up in the hills this summer for a visit and hope to get some visitors to come by and alleviate my village fever symptoms. Those who look down upon us Mae Khong drinkers need not apply.
Happy Trails
Johpa
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Just curious as to what the collective wisdom here is regarding my daughter's visa into Thailand this summer. She will be staying about 33 days, just a few days over the free 30 day tourist visa given upon arrival. Should we just pay the overstay charges at Don Muang when she returns or pay up front a larger sum, after adding mailing fees and photos, for a 60 day tourist visa from a consulate?
Happy Trails
Johpa
What is her age and nationality ?
She is only 12, a US citizen, traveling with her Thai mother. I estimate total expenses for a tourist visa from a local consulate to be around 1,600TB after all expenses here stateside. One use to be able to get a 7 day extension on a 30 day tourist visa at Thai immigration offices, but I do not know if that is still an option or what the cost of such an extension would be. Alas, it has been almost 15 years since I was on first name basis with the folks at immgration in Chiang Mai and I no longer have any personal contacts there and be able to jump to the front of the line, so to speak, as I once was able to do. Look, I know it is all a bit much over a trifling amount, but a penny saved is a penny earned. : )
Happy Trails
Johpa
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Just curious as to what the collective wisdom here is regarding my daughter's visa into Thailand this summer. She will be staying about 33 days, just a few days over the free 30 day tourist visa given upon arrival. Should we just pay the overstay charges at Don Muang when she returns or pay up front a larger sum, after adding mailing fees and photos, for a 60 day tourist visa from a consulate?
Happy Trails
Johpa
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While on the (assumed) topic, I just have to laugh when driving along Moon Muang on a Saturday night and seeing this huge pile of girls sitting outside some place close to the old Blue Moon..
Having not been in town for a few years, and new to this forum, has the Blue Moon closed its doors?
Happy Trails
Johpa
Buddhist Or Anamist
in Buddhism
Posted
Yea, I felt that way for the first six months in Thailand back around 1981. Then I learned to speak Thai and began to hang around with Thai folks and began to talk to monks and realized that they all were no better or worse than other believers. One of the funniest moments in all my years spent in-country was watching the local monk with yellow robe flailing in the wind being literally chased down the dirt road by angry villagers after being caught doing the nasty with a village lass.
So now I do like most of my Thai peers and worship the Holy Mother, Mae Khong, in her most revered bottled form.