kandahar

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&i...b6884458b352d35

Copy this, paste it into the address bar and there you are.

Looks like you have several good answers already. I found some other info to add.

The restaurant is indeed the Muang Thong Restaurant. 889/1-2 Phaholyothin Road, Chiang Rai, 57000, Phone 053-711162 and 053-716511. It is located about 1/2 block away from the Wiang Inn, same side of the street and there is an "art" shop across the street. They have decent food but I don't eat there because they don't wash their water glasses with hot water and I get a whiff of the river with every drink.

The coffee shop is indeed the Doi Chaang Coffee and Art House. 542/2 Rattanakhet Road, Wiang Muang, Chiang Rai, 57000, Phone 053-752918. The shop is on the same street as the Wiang Inn but in the opposite direction as the restaurant, opposite side of the street and is about three blocks from the Wiang Inn. Not sure about the "center of community life" thing but it may well be the community center for the art folks here.

Good luck to you.

I know both places but I don't know the names of them. You're right, the coffee shop is across from a church. The restaurant you speak of also has a second floor where they serve but many people don't know about it. I'll get the info for you when I get out and about if someone else doesn't provide it before then. Might be a couple of days.

I see you have left Thailand. You writing a book?

Do you know what "Diamond in the rough" means? Not much of a compliment for a place that you're trying to compliment. Maybe the place has a long ways to go to be decent and you really meant it?

Okay. Good luck.

OP, I don't have a recommendation for a TA in CR. Never have needed one here. However, I do use a company in BKK and have used them for several years with no complaint. I just e-mail a woman named Jane and tell her what I'm looking for. She replies, sends me some info, I commit to the plan I want and I'm on my way. She has gotten me around the world pretty nicely.

I do find a lot of the booking sites to be a pain and a time waster. That's why I don't use them. I much prefer to let someone else do it quicker for me. I have bounced some of the fares she has given me against the web offered fares and find that she does quite well by me.

If you want, I'll PM you with her e-mail address and you can see what she offers. I have e-mailed her from a variety of countries and she gets me on my way.

Here's an edit: I wanted to add that I have often had to change to my plans during trips and an e-mail to her has always smoothed my way without any fuss. She does a good job and has never gotten aggravated at me about my changes.

You're not the only one.

A good list of where to find what, especially if it isn't found easily throughout the area, would be a good thing.

A list of where not to buy stuff might not be so good. That could give the appearance of not being such good neighbors. Maybe one person's reason for adding something to the "do not buy" list would be from one experience that others might not encounter on their own trip to that place. Lots of personal issues could come into play with the "do not buy" list. Of course the same can happen with the other list but it wouldn't come off as negative.

I haven't really had any experiences bad enough to add a place in this town. However, there are a few that I won't go back to. I think my experiences in those places and the way I was treated is because I couldn't speak the language. I understand perfectly the treatment I get as I have seen the same thing in my home country when someone shows up who can't speak English. Actually, people are a lot more hateful about it in my home country than the local Thai people here. It is frustrating for the people that have to deal with that person that can't communicate and I understand that.

Getting back to the good list, though, a person could post bad experiences they had in any shop. Anyone perusing the list could easily weigh the comments and decide for themselves.

A list would save a lot of time on searches.

A list would stay pretty current. If a shop goes out of business (constantly happening), it would get reported pretty soon and removed from the list or be annotated as "Closed", I would guess.

Comments concerning the charges for locals compared to Farang would be helpful.

Finding personnel in shops who speak the different languages that we are comfortable with could be annotated.

I can't see that a list would hurt anyone. If someone doesn't use it, that is up to them. If those that do use it, or want to help others, would add to it and leave constructive comments, it could be a good thing. But again, it is a big project for someone to build to begin with.

The other thing that comes to mind is the opportunity to flame. I know there is one place in this town that would give some people the perfect opportunity to slam if they had that chance. I can see the thing turning into trouble pretty quick in that respect.

So, there's pros and cons. I'm sure others can see a lot deeper into it than I have. I really haven't put that much thought into it. But there are online documents (Google) out there that can be accessed, shared and edited by anyone and everyone on the forum wanting to give it a shot. Just have to start it, post the link and see if it takes off and survives. If so, it can be added if the moderators agree to pin it.

Quote: : "I mean I would love to buy a license plate and green book but at the moment it is too expensive for me.... and will take awhile. So how to go about it???'

Quote: "My bike is a bit loud, as I have a custom made exhaust with no muffler"

I feel for you, man. I feel compelled to help you out here. Okay. Here's how you go about it. You can afford a custom muffler to insure that people trying to sleep, can't sleep. You can probably afford a lot of other stuff that contributes to your personal pleasure. I just make that guess based on the "reasoning" and "logic" that you have put on display here. You sound like a real winner contributing to the ol' society and the ol' society is just screwing you over. Man! I just really feel for you.

So, here's what you gotta do. Go back to where you came from. If your parents are still living, tell them that they have really left out some things concerning your upbringing and education in the ways of life. If they aren't living, find a kind uncle. Anyway, tell them your problem and they will see that they have indeed short-changed you on how to get along in the world. Forgive them for that. You were obviously a handful. Of course, the first thing they will explain is that you need the proper amount of money in the bank to live the kind of life you want. Maybe they can help you get a job and save some money for that green book and license plate. In the telling of the story, they will also hear that they haven't properly instilled in you the desire to be decent in other people's countries. They will slowly explain another principle to you, kind of a "When in Rome, act like you were raised by decent people" kind of thing. Listen carefully to this part. When in Rome, you aren't a Roman. And when you're in Thailand, you're not a Thai. Some of them can't afford the book and plate. They couldn't even afford the Honda Dream they bought IF it was legal and had all the papers. The fact that it didn't have all the papers was why it was cheap enough for them to buy it.

You're a Farang. You're a guest here, along with tens of thousands more of us. You came here because it is nice, warm, cheap and whatever else tripped your trigger. Now you want to know how to get over, to get out of paying what is due the government? Oh, yeah! Thailand needs more of you. All of the advantages you have in your guest country aren't enough, are they?

Man, take responsibility for yourself. Go home. Get a job. Save your money. Come back when you can afford to live here. You, with your ME!, ME!, ME! way of thinking only make things harder for the ethical people that contribute to this good thing we have here in Thailand.

When you get home, PM me, let me know how the new job is going. Say "HI" to your parents for me. Trust me, I'll never let them know how you dishonoured them on a public forum like you did. Your secret is safe with me. While you're away, I'll keep you posted on the weather and relevant news. Man, we're sure gonna miss you while you're away. And let me know when you get back to Thailand. I'm REALLY anxious to see what number they give you for your new, fully paid license plate. Some of those numbers are really lucky, ya know? Man, you're gonna be so proud and so are Mom and Dad. Gosh! I'm just so excited for you! chriz777 is going to be all grown up next time we see him. WOW!!

You're welcome.

Well, here's the thing: I don't look at my profile page. I already know me. And there's only one entity's approval or rating that I seek in this life. As for me rating you or anyone else, or providing negative comments about any of the posters, I don't see that as necessary for me. If someone intentionally does something bad here, we'll all see it and know it without someone else pointing it out to us. This group seems to be smart enough to figure those things out for themselves. The truth is, my own faults keep me plenty busy. I haven't time for getting too involved in others'. I do notice that you provide positive feedback to posters that contribute to the success of this thing and a pat on the back for those people is always a good thing.

As for helping, it seems lots of people throughout TV help a lot and often. In my recent responses to posts, it seems that people have just been asking things that I happen to know a little bit about or things that I have an interest in. If someone asks about welding, I'll probably try to provide an answer. That's just a skill that I happen to have and I can contribute a little there. I have some experience in some things and none in others. I won't get involved much in things I don't know about but with the pool of experience out there, it seems that every question gets answered in at least one way and sometimes, in many ways. I have a lot of experience in power generation and several other fields too but I am so burnt out on some of them that I just can't get interested enough to get involved. So, like a lot of others here, I often have some answers but just choose to sit on the sidelines for personal reasons.

I do see some people browsing a subject for several days before they finally weigh in with something meaningful. I perceive that lots of people throughout this TV thing have the ability to answer things but often just keep quiet and see what others offer first. Maybe that is because they want to know if there are other answers that they don't know about and maybe it is because they feel they answer too often and they want others get involved more and make this thing more successful. Either of those is a good thing.

I know I'm going to ask questions here sometimes and I'll get answers or help. If I'm going to benefit from this thing, it is only fair to give some too. So, ratings or not, critiques good or bad, I'll do what I think is right.

Hey Jahil.

Good to hear you intend to stay and build in Wiang Chai.

I'm kinda getting away from the original topic but I can offer some assistance. I have a family member in local government in Wiang Chai that can answer your permit/paperwork questions, I have some lawyers in the family for your rental agreements and I know of one dude that can draw up your house. I'll get back to you with answers when you let me know you're ready to start. You can PM me too, if you want to do it that way. Just let me know if you need me.

Back to the original topic, though, a good list of Farang friendly businesses along this line may be a good idea for the CR forum. Then again, it may already be out there. I haven't looked. It would be kind of cool to have all of the info categorized in one place. Maybe something along the lines of the Google Map that Sven contributed with categories and recommendations, testimonials and disclaimers so readers could get a feel for the kind of experience the posters had with each business or advertiser listed. Really kind of a big project but once it is set up, everyone contributing would whittle down the workload pretty quick.

The truth is though, as many people have pointed out in many threads here, you can generally get any info you ask for in a matter of time if you just ask the questions here, in any thread. Lots of people with lots of experiences and most seem very willing to help. With the forum "as is", it sure seems like a great tool available to all of us in need.

It is a civet. They make coffee from the excrement of them here in Thailand. Never tried it. Probably won't.

http://www.doichaangcoffee.com/doi-chaang-...om-civet-to-cup

Yeah, that sounds like it. I can never remember the name of the place but several guys have told me about the deli across the street.

I never notice if there is parking for cars available at that place. We usually go on motorcycles. But when we do go anywhere in the car, I usually park several blocks from my destination and walk from there. I have parked at the park a few blocks from that restaurant before and walked to several nearby restaurants.

I have a friend that will only park right in front of the places he wants to visit and he will drive around the block for a long time, waiting for a spot to open. I grumble at him about driving in circles when I go with him. When he rides with me, I park even farther away from where we're going, just to hear him grumble about walking so far. Often, when we arrive at wherever we're going, there is an open space nearby and THAT really gets him going. Good fun.

"Near" is relevant. Maybe this isn't close enough to the night bazaar to suit you but I'll throw it out there anyway. Walk out of the night bazaar main entrance and turn right. Continuing away from the night bazaar and walking towards the river on the main drag, proceed to the third traffic light. Maybe a ten minute walk for me, tops. On the nearest corner on your right at that light is a great cafe. They serve Thai dishes. But they also serve some western food with a leaning towards Italian. I eat there often and they have really good food. It is one of the few places I have found that serve several dishes with cheese in them. A rare treat for me in CR. I recommend the calzone. They offer a few but the one with sausage in it is special. The seafood salad is good, too. They serve several seafood dishes, with the salmon steak being the stand-out dish in that category. I believe they have some steaks. They have decent pizza. I don't think they have burgers. Can't recall the entire menu but they offer a lot. I think they offer beer but not sure about other adult drinks.

We generally go with several people, order lots of different things and everyone just helps themselves proportionately to the different dishes. Great way to sample a lot and try to decide what one would order if he/she went there alone. Have never had a negative comment from our companions and they end up being return customers.

The cafe offers a big dessert selection but I haven't found anything yet that suits me. The desserts aren't made with the type of ingredients I prefer even though the stuff looks especially appetizing. Hard for me to find a decent western dessert in this town.

Service is great, toilets are clean, staff is friendly and knowledgeable, plenty of seating and tables outside for the smokers. The place almost always has customers but isn't crowded. I think maybe it is just "undiscovered" at this time. Serving time is always quick.

I think they are always closed on the last Thursday of the month. Not sure of any holiday closing schedules.

I hope this helps. If this place isn't western enough for you, I can't help you any further. I really don't care much for the offerings on the main drag near the night bazaar and don't have any recommendations closer than this.

Good to know about that. I may need that one day.

If a member doesn't put his location in his profile it won't show up in a location search. It's up to the members to place the information there.

I understand that. I was just wondering why people don't and thought it might be nice to see who is in the Rai.

Hey VF. Good morning.

I see that early on is this thread, you got some pretty honest answers to your initial inquiry. The ol' forum can bring out some good folks, can't it?

I've thought about this a bit and here is my take on it. I don't put my info into any of these profile pages on the Internet because I'm just kind of a private guy. I usually don't want to share much about myself unless I know who I'm sharing it with. Truly, as the Internet gets bigger and is exploited by bad people more, I feel less inclined to put much out there. Even typing in this forum is against my better judgement. But I do like to contribute to good things so I make some exceptions, hoping the good outweighs the bad. That's just me. I'm sure other folks have different reasons.

As I think it about the why's and why nots, I also realize that I don't have time to be meeting with folks that might see that they share one interest or another with me and want to form a friendship. I'm busier than a cat with diarrhoea. I don't have much time for socializing. Maybe one day, things will slow down and I'll have more time for it.

It seems to me that some people really want the rest of us to know what their interests are. Those folks tend to put quite a bit in the profile pages and I get the feeling that they are pretty proud of the things they put out there for us to learn about them. I don't pay much attention to those things. I much prefer to just get to know someone well and then decide for myself. The picture I form in my mind from reading about someone is often not at all what the real person turns out to be. That's just another reason to steer away from listing the things that I think define me. You never know who is going to see it or if they will interpret what I wrote in the way I meant it to be taken.

I have asked local friends here if they are on TV or read it and I have yet to find anyone that says they have signed up and not one that admits that they do read it often. Most have replied with negative comments about the forum, ussally telling me they don't look at it after they have discovered the types of comments and replies that get posted to an innocent question or request for help or advice. They just get so disgusted with the direction that it takes that they can't bear to read it. Kind of like watching a hanging, you know? Can't watch it because you know the outcome is gruesome. Those people haven't even signed up. They initially read some of the posts and then forgot about TV.

In answer to another of your questions, I am out here. I'm in CR. Lots of others are also. Good people, for the most part. The ones I know and am friends with here are really great. This forum would be a better place if they contributed to making it better instead of avoiding it. But I understand their position on this subject.

That said, I have to say that the CR forum isn't nearly as negative or hateful as some of the others. Seems to me we have a pretty good collection of contributors here. When I asked for help previously, several good people got involved and the outcome was positive.

I don't go to the airport much but here is what I have found. It is easy to get a taxi. The office and waiting drivers are inside the airport, near your arrival gate. The price is quoted before you leave their desk. I have never heard of any taxi problems with the airport group.

Welcome to the city.

I understand the boredom thing. Been there too many times and have changed careers a lot in my life. When I was young and working in a factory, I had so many old guys telling me to run for the door or I would end up like them, same place, same job, same little town, same little life, same everything. I finally saw what they meant and bailed. Haven't regretted it. That steady life is for some folks but wasn't for me. Most of those guys also lost their retirement when the company folded in the late 80's.

But, yeah, I sure do get bored with jobs, doing the same thing day after day. These days, I get to do a lot of creating and I can handle this for a long while. Hopefully, you'll find something that suits you

Hey guys.

Got the product I was looking for and found it right where you said it was. Man, that's a nice shop and good people in there. I paid 1150 baht for a roll of 3/4 inch and what they said is 200 meters, if I understood correctly. Even if it is only 100 meters, I am happy with the price. They had the fittings I needed too.

Thanks to all for the help.

Hey Simon43. Sorry to hear that you have had some bad turns in the financial world. Of course, you're in good company. I know of a few that had their futures secured so well, by the "normal" standards, only to see the world turn upside down on them. These are sure uncertain times.

Lots of talk on TV about the do's and don'ts of business for a Falang in Thailand. Do a little reading on the official sites to make sure you don't cross the line.

I don't know where you live or what may be in demand in your area. But my own particular rule is to watch, listen and study. In most areas, there is a need for something that just can't be found readily. You only have to pay attention to discover what it is that people are wishing they had in that area. So far, in my area, I have started two little businesses that are doing okay and both were based on things that people talked about wanting but couldn't find. One of them was something that I spent a lot of time and money looking for before deciding to just be the guy that sells that item instead of looking for it. With that in mind, just keep an open mind about what folks are wanting or would purchase if it was available. Maybe it is a product, maybe it is a service

Concerning your current skills, I would think you are in great shape to get busier with the web design business instead of looking for another career or degree. There have been LOTS of requests on TV for a web site designer. Maybe there are LOTS of people doing it already but I would guess not. If they were that abundant, people wouldn't be spending so much time looking for them. One thing that won't change: as the days and years go by, more and more businesses want to be online. Thailand is way behind in that area. Many of the businesses that ought to be on the web, aren't. I can't find the sites for the places I need on the web in English and my Thai wife can't find them in Thai. When we finally get a number for a producer and ask them if they have a web page, they say "No, not yet but we are going to." And many of the sites that are out there are really lacking in functionality and professionalism. Seems to me that you are in a good place to just start growing your website design business a little at a time. I myself will be needing someone to put together some sites for me in the near future IF I can find enough good workers to keep up with the demand. Right now, I don’t want any more business because I'm too far behind.

Speaking of finding enough good workers, I perceive a real need in my area for a man-power type business that provides good workers to employers in need, from day-laborers right on up to some of the top professions. That is just one need that jumps out at me every time I get discouraged with the workforce I deal with here.

Simon43, here's the thing. You're as smart as the next guy. Look around, see what's needed and isn't there. I advise against getting into something that is already covered. It is tough to get into a market that already has lots of competition. In this country, people will lose money in a business just to stay in business. ”What the market will bear” isn't applicable here. Wierd thing, but it seems that it happens everywhere in Thailand. Focus on what isn't there and is needed and then make sure you're the guy that does it best. If you have success, folks will copy you quickly. Be the best and folks with a sense of value for the money will seek you out. Those are the customers you want. They pay decent money for decent product and service. No matter what business you are in, you won’t be able to afford to go head on with the folks that sell crap (services and product) for next to nothing. Don’t even start down that road. Let your customers know right up front that if they want the cheapest, they need to keep on walking because you’re a “quality” guy.

Good luck, fella. Keep your head up.

Thanks hmj and mumbojumbo.

I'm needing the rolls so I'll go to the place near the old bus station. Sounds like the same place that VF mentioned. I have seen that store many times but thought it was pretty much just another pump store.

Gonna get this invention off the ground this week if they have the stuff in stock.

Cool. I'll check tomorrow. Thanks for the info and thanks for taking the time to ask questions as you were out and about. I'll post here with the results.

If you're all you say you are, just smile and go about your business. If you're less than that, then start swinging and join the crowd.

The only way to contribute to a good society is to be one of the good ones. Already enough out there trying to tear it down and make the rest of us be like them.

Losing face? You're killing me. Do your family and friends KNOW you? That's all that matters. Passer-bys and spectators aren't anything to your life and neither is their judgement of you. You are the man you are and you don't need to occupy your life with trying to prove to people you don't even know that you're what THEY expect or want you to be. You know that.

So far, you're doing so well. Glad to have you on the team. Keep on living the good life.

Added two restaurants- Kae's Casa and Nice Kitchen

Okay, good man. Here's the skinny based on info from my supplier:

Leaving town on the super highway headed to Mae Sai, cross the big river bridge and start looking on your left. Before you get to the first intersection with traffic lights after the bridge (the turn to Rom Kok Resort), there is supposed to be a big shop on the left that advertises in English. My fella said that the sign says "Stanless". He wrote that down on a paper. I asked him if he meant "stainless" for stainless steel and he said he meant "Stanless". I dunno about that. He says the sign also says "P. D." They weld stainless and aluminum as well as typical steel. According to him, it is a big shop and it is obvious from the road that it is a steel fabrication place. He didn't have a phone number for them.

If this doesn't pan out, let me know. I use another major shop on the opposite side of town. That guy has a shear, a break and a roller and he has a lot of contacts in this area. He knows everyone that does anything with metal and steel here. He's kind of out of my way today but if you need more help, I'll go have a cup of coffee with him in a day or two and get some more answers.

There are two big steel shops on the way to the new bus station. Both are open buildings and you can see the steel-working machines inside and both are AFTER you have left the city proper. The guy I do business with and knows all of the folks in the business is in the first one, which is a big orange colored building. Both are on the right as you are headed to the new bus station. The first one (orange building) is right across the street from a gas station. Can’t recall the brand of that station. Great people in there. They do all of my shearing and bending. They also sell me all of the scrap strips I need, which is a lot cheaper than buying the flat strips in any of the retail shops in town. I get it at about half the price. Anyway, that is the shop that I will go to for more answers if the first answer doesn’t get you what you need. If you’re in that area, feel free to stop in and ask them. They don’t speak English but if you have a Thai with you who can translate, you’ll be fine.

Sorry about any typos. I’m in a hurry. Finished a nice steel bed for the mother-in-law and I’m trying to get it painted today while the sun is shining.

Kandahar, I don`t know where your based but popping into the nearest water authority yard might be helpful

Okay. Thanks. If something else doesn't pop up, I'll look into that. I live on the edge of the city of CR.

I do have in-laws in local government in the province and will ask them as a last resort. I'm kinda independent and hate to ask them for advice or directions. Usually if I ask, they want to know why I want what I want and then they try to discourage me. But if I just do the projects without getting them involved, they always think it is a good idea when they see it finished.