californiabeachboy

I am coming to CM for the first time in a couple of weeks (I have been to other places in Thailand before). I want to do some cycling while I am there and have some questions. I am just a casual cyclist, just looking to explore a bit.

I understand there is a Sunday morning bike ride near old town. I will not have my bike with me so need to rent one. The ride appears to start as 7:00 in the morning so I assume no bike rental shops will be open. Should I just rent on Saturday and keep it in the hotel room with me? Is that the best way to go? I will be staying in either close in North, NorthWest or West CM.

I want to do a half-day cultural tour of CM on the bike. I have done an Internet search and a few companies offer them. Any comments on some of the companies offering the tours, or the tours? It is a nice way to explore a city as a newbie, so that is on my list of things to do.

About the mosquitoes. I am told they don't fly very fast so I can probably outrun them on my bike. But I am curious as to whether the recent floods have increased the mossie problem when you stop for a water or a beer. I am trying to decide if I want to go out of town a bit on the bike.

Thanks.

Thanks for the responses. My problem is that the initial price is a really a false price, as it only applies to people who have no checked baggage, don't want to pick a seat (i.e. you get a middle seat), have an SCB card, etc. That would be ok if they had a link to the fees and charges page (which apparently exists, but is not disclosed on the bookings page). If you notice, once you have picked your flights, they make you check a box that outlines terms and conditions, and fare rules, but conspicuously absent is any information on the additional fees that might be applicable. That information is not disclosed until you have put in your personal details. It was so nice to go to the other airline and the fee that was quoted was so real.

Imagine going to a grocery store that has the prices marked for the items, but after you have put them in the basket, when you go to the checkout counter they say - the price is higher because you have more than ten items, you are using a credit card, you have too much beer (might happen), etc. I think most of us would say that is deceptive.

The bottom line for me is that Bangkok Airways in this case was about 25% cheaper, and seemed more honest. We will see about the flight....

Cheers.

Rather than put up another rant about Air Asia, I just want to pass on some information.

I just booked a trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. This is my second domestic trip in Thailand. The first was from Bkk to Phuket, and I was a rookie. I fell into the trap of going on Air Asia and the starting price was so good, but as we all know, that is the start, then the real numbers start to appear (in the US we call that "bait and switch").

The problem I have with Air Asia is that in order to get the actual price you need to put in all sorts of personal information. So I completely made up my name (No Mas, for those of you who speak a little bit of Spanish), address, email etc. and they accepted it. Then I got the real price (regular baggage, no meal, no insurance, and pick my seat) and the price was about 25% higher than Bangkok Airways, so I booked on Bangkok Airways.

The flight I took to Phuket last time was ok - it was about an hour delayed out of Phuket, but that happens. In my opinion, from my brief experience, the problem with Air Asia is not necessarily the flight itself, but the deceptive marketing. Just work around that, and see what you get?

Cheers.

Mr. NoMas

One of the problems with trying to budget is that I believe many of us overestimate our ability to live the "Thai Way". I don't live in Thailand, but I have come over there several times for about a month each time to explore what it would be like to live there. Two things I have learned:

1. I found that the humidity there kills me. I would be running the air conditioner all year long in Bangkok, and in Chiang Mai 8 months a year for most of the day. I live near the beach in the US and because I never need the air conditioner nor the heater my electricity bill runs about 20 USD per month (for cooking and lights), and I figured it would at least triple that amount in Thailand, and maybe more.

2. I overestimated my ability to eat Thai food all the time. I love Thai food, but I also love Italian food, Mexican food, and even American food. After about 10 days in Thailand I would kill for a baked potato. On my last visit I checked the prices of some of the Western food in the grocery markets and found that most of it is more expensive there than here at home.

After crunching the numbers, I concluded that for me Thailand would be no cheaper. There are many reasons to live in Thailand, but unless you can live like a local, I don't think cost is one of them.

Thanks for the information - very helpful.

Priority Number One, as all of us Yanks know, is to not find yourself with your feet on US soil with a serious medical condition that is not covered by insurance - it can take away 30 years of savings before you can scream health care reform. Having read the above posts, Bupa will not work (coverage only for accidents leaves a gaping hole in coverage) and it may not be long term coverage anyway. And I would always want coverage for hypertension, simply because excluding that coverage seems to leave the door open for claims by the insurer that my condition is related to hypertension. The bottom line is that I don't see any Thai insurance that works for me before I am eligible for medicare, and maybe not even after.

As for the self-insurance, I understand some are willing to do that, but it is not for me. Insurance buys me peace of mind. Plus, while it may work if you are spending the entire year in Thailand, I am not sure self-insurance works so well when you are planning on spending a few months a year in high medical cost countries, as I am planning to do. Also, I have found that I am more willing to go get preventive medical tests when it is covered by insurance (as some such tests here in the US are not subject to the deductible). So in that way I have found that insurance actually may improve my health and catch something early.

The way I feel at the moment is that I am going to keep my home base here until I turn 65, then see what is available to add to my US Medicare coverage if I am so inclined. I like living here in California, my only thought was that I may want to move my "base" over to Thailand at some point in time in the future so I am looking at options, and insurance is one of the big items. But since I can come over there to Thailand for at least 6 months at a time, and possibly longer, and maintain my health coverage here in the US (which based on the above sounds pretty good compared to Thailand), that sounds best to me.

Thanks again.

Cheers.

Thanks for more good info. I am expanding my search to include North of Old Town - from Chang Puak Road and to the West of it (Santitham?). DD Park looks like a possibility.

Cheers

Thanks to all for the responses. The hang-up seems to be the need for a pool. Empire looked good but no pool. It sounds like I could really expand the choices by looking at nearby health clubs/gyms so I will do that. The only reason a gym is important is that I have spent a lot of time in Bangkok and points South and when I try to go for a run or a bike ride (could be deadly) the heat and humidity kills me. But CM in the winter may be easier to deal with regarding outdoor exercise. I will wander around while I am there and maybe expand the search area as suggested. www.therealcenteroftheuniverse.com sounds interesting (I can check in but can I check out?)- it looked nice.

Thanks for the help.

Cheers.

I am coming to Chiang Mai next month for a few days. I have been to Thailand several times before, but not CM. The purpose of my visit is to scope out some places that I may want to rent early next year for several weeks or 2-4 months (I will just get a hotel for this visit). I have done some searching on the net and have a few possibilities but I thought I would post here as I am sure there are places I have not found out about. I plan to do a lot of walking around to check areas/places while I am there (weather and soi dogs permitting), but maybe someone can give me a heads up on places to look at.

My requests are:

1. Somewhere on the West or Northwest side of town, between Old Town and Chiang Mai University, slightly North or South of Huay Kaew Road.

2. Must have a pool, gym and a kitchen. It is only me so size really doesn't matter as long as it is over 30 square meters.

3. Around 5-10,000 baht on a weekly basis or 20-25,000 baht for a month, all-inclusive.

So far, I am aware of Nakorn Ping Condo, Hillside 4 and Trio, all of which may have private owners who do short term stays. There is also Punna, but I am not sure if there is a pool - there may be more than one site. I am aware of Kantary Hills, but probably above my budget.

If anyone has any other suggestions I would love to hear them. Feel free to PM me if you prefer.

Thanks for your help.

Definitely check with your U.S. health insurance company to see what coverage they'd offer for you in Thailand. When we came over here for fairly short stays, we just continued to pay our U.S. health insurance which would cover emergency treatments at a variety of Chiang Mai hospitals, all listed on the health insurance company's website. Also, look into travel insurance options. If anything serious arises, you'll want to return to the U.S. and other procedures are inexpensive here.

I agree that you should check with your local US insurer. I am considering spending several months a year in Thailand and my US insurance policy states that I am covered for emergency treatment while I am "temporarily" overseas. When I called them and asked about a 6 month trip to Thailand they said I am covered. You may still want to get local insurance to be super careful, but I used my US coverage once a few years ago (in Australia, not Thailand) and they paid with no problem.

Check with your local insurer, then if you are still concerned, get something in Thailand to give you peace of mind.

Good Luck!

Great story - we could all learn from it. Next time I am near Cha-am, I want to have dinner with Ms. Bergdahl.

I am a 60 year old retired American citizen seriously considering moving over to Thailand. I am eligible for the retirement visa, and I have been to Thailand before, so those areas are covered. The one issue I have not resolved involves health insurance. In about 4 1/2 years I will be eligible for US Medicare. I know it does not cover me overseas, but it still would have some use as a "backup" in case of serious problems. I am considering the pluses and minuses of waiting for Medicare to kick in before I come over there, and then buy a local policy, or move over in a year or so and buy Thai insurance that will cover me as I travel back here to the US (and I also will be traveling to Australia).

As I see my two options:

1. Wait until I turn 65, enroll in Medicare, then move over to Thailand and get the appropriate policy there, covering me in Thailand and trips to Australia, and make sure it covers me for transport back to the US for serious issues, and rely on Medicare (plus maybe a supplement) in the US. The advantage of this is that is is simpler and easier. The disadvantage is that I understand from reading some of the posts here it is difficult to get health insurance in Thailand when you are 65 or over.

2. Move over around 62 or 63, get full coverage in Thailand that also covers me in Australia and the US, then when I turn 65 decide if anything needs to change when I enroll in Medicare.

Luckily I am in very good health with no prior health conditions other than I take a diuretic for mild high blood pressure. But I am not one of those brave souls who will ever not be fully covered. I am not worried about the little things like doctor's appointments etc., but the big ticket items, like getting hit by a motorbike while I am walking down the sidewalk in Thailand (about a 50-50 chance based on my prior experience in Thailand).

For reference I now pay about 330 USD per month for a high-deductible policy in which I pay the first $2500 and then it pays 100% after that up to 5 million. I would like to have something close to that in Thailand, not necessarily 100%, and maybe up to 1 million (if it costs more than that just shoot me and put the money to better use).

I am sure I am not the first old-dog US citizen to go through this, so I would appreciate any thoughts or personal experiences regarding the advantages or risks.

Thanks.

Cheers.

The bottom line is that monks are still people, most good and some, not so much. I really don't see anything about becoming a monk that changes the fundamental nature of people - it only changes the outward appearance.

The key word for me in this post is "emotional" connection. A sexual connection? Yes it is cheating unless your partner knows about it and approves (doesn't just SAY he/she approves, but really does approve). But an emotional connection is more difficult. I have an emotional connection with some women - that is I like them, care about them, but have no sexual interest at all. I don't think that is cheating. Like most men, I think in physical terms when it comes to cheating.

I have flown Cathay out of LA three times in the last couple of years and just booked my fourth flight. I know some have complained about the new seats in economy, but I like them. I am a bit over 6 foot and when I use the old style seats and the person on front reclines, my knees are at my chin, and that doesn't happen with the newer seats.

I also like the fact that once I have flown a couple of flights with them across the Pacific, I am a member of their Marco Polo Club, which allows me to use their business class lounge even if I am flying economy. It helps on those tedious layovers.

No big deal. I went through a body scanner on my last trip from US to Thailand when flying out of US. It added 15 seconds to a 15 hour trip. For those who feel it is a violation of your privacy, big brother, etc. I understand what you are saying... but, maybe we can have two different flights - for those who feel scanners are a violation, and those who do not. I will always be on the second.

Nothing like fried meat with heart clogging creamy gravy loaded with butter

it keeps calling my name.

My cholesterol went up just looking at that photo.

I have visited Thailand several times, also looking at retirement, and also signed up for an online social/dating service. One thing I have learned as a result of meeting women in Thailand online first and then in person is - Never talk about money or sex online. If they bring it up, I am gone. From your original post I believe you discussed the issue of money online, and I think that opens the door to all types of abuse. For me, I just keep it friendly, almost like chatting with someone in a coffee shop, and then move to the next step in person.

Make friends online, make relationships in person. I just don't believe in making relationships online.

Good luck!

I love cilantro - I can put it on anything and make it better. I have been to Thailand three times now, but I have not found cilantro. When I mention it to my Thai friends they give me a bland look. If I say "coriander" they seem to know what I am talking about, but I believe coriander and cilantro are not the same thing (at least not here in California) - cilantro has a bit more flavor for me.

For my next visit, is there a place I can buy cilantro in Bangkok or Chiang Mai?

Thanks.

Hard to understand why a 63 yr. old man gets out of the car and has a fight with a man half his age, and at the cost of his life. R.I.P. It is sad.

there was a collision, the old guy was cut up, he chased the other guy, this resulted in a collision. the front of his car was badly damaged, I guess they need to get out of the car anyway, but in this case they got out because they wanted to argue/fight, pair of morons squabbling over bad driving.

to be fair to the murderer (and I am not condoning what he did in any way) he was rammed from behind by the older guy. ( unless he braked hard causing the collission)

That's true. Road rage is our primordial, territorial beast at its best/worst unleashed I guess. There's hardly another explanation or excuse needed really.

Someone said in some another post that the Thai Buudhist way and how Thai people really act sometimes are shockingly at odds. I guess this is a good example, especially in regards to a younger man killing a significantly older one.

I thought one of the most telling things in the article was when the younger man was quoted as saying something to the effect of, "I was just so angry, and he spoke rudely to me." All I could think was, "so you killed him?"

I read a good article a few years ago by a psychologist who looked at the behavior of people in road rage incidents. He said that many people who are involved in a traffic dispute revert to the emotional maturity of a two year old. If you have ever watched a two year old throw a tantrum - extreme over-reaction, throwing things, screaming etc. - I think the comparison is somewhat accurate. Of course a two year old cannot do any real damage. Unfortunately, in this case we had a couple of two year olds in adult bodies, so damage was done, and there was no parent there to provide control and discipline.

Hmmm...Seems the Vegas leg is the problem. Great prices to LAX, horrible ones to LAS...and you can't use the flexible date search with the LAS option. We travel back with 2 checked bags each, one carry on and one large backpack each. Makes it hard to break up the return trip with all those bags!!!!!!!

Hopefully, we are just about done bringing all our stuff back over here.

When going to Vegas, I booked a return ticket from BKK to LAX (the first time) or to SDFO respectively (the second time) in Thailand, and a domestic ticket from there to LAS on the internet. You can get domestic tickets in the US for US$ 99 if you book well in advance.

Thanks...I have done that before. It's kind of a pain. If you get delayed, you're screwed as your connecting flight was purchased separately and they aren't really responsible for putting you on the next flight for free. I've experienced this several times before and one reason I try to book via one carrier all the way.

True - I almost got burned that way because I booked my own ticket up to San Francisco, with another ticket on Cathay Pacific over to Asia, and my flight to San Francisco was delayed so I almost missed my connection, and CP (sorry Cathay Pacific) would not have given me much sympathy. I am not sure what it would have cost, but it would have been a lot.

Thanks for the replies - very helpful.

CharlieH - would I be forced to take that amount of baht (say thirty thousand) in cash or is there such a thing as cashier's check or bank check in Thailand that I could make payable to the landlord for, say, one months rent. etc. (do the private landlords there always want cash?). Probably my best option is when I find an apartment, see if the landlord will go down to the bank with me do do that transaction. I just don't feel comfortable walking around Thailand with a large amount of cash on me. I am expecting to spend 20,000 to 30,000 a month for a short term apt. - the 100,000 total expenses was just a high end estimate for everything, including domestic travel.

I am glad to know that Kasikorn bank is a possibility. I have used them to cash my travelers checks and they have always been good to deal with. I go to the same one near Sanam Pao BTS every time so they might recognize me. Plus I have a Thai lawyer friend who might be willing to accompany me and make me appear to be an upstanding citizen of the world.

Cheers.

First, someone mentioned its illegal to shoot someone in one's own home in the US, this is a state by state issue and many have what is called the 'make my day law" or Castle law allowing the use of deadly force if someone is in your home.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine

As for the idea that murderers would not be released on bail in other countries, google search is your friend and yields stories from the UK, the US, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada. I stopped looking after the third page.

http://www.google.co.th/search?hl=en&rlz=1G1ACAW_THTH437&sa=X&ei=go0lTuXkDcTYrQfp942-CQ&ved=0CBYQvwUoAQ&q=murderers+released+on+bail&spell=1&biw=1326&bih=572

The fact I post this information does not mean I condone it, but sometimes a few facts are necessary.

It doesn't happen very often in the US, but on occasion, usually when there is some circumstance (i.e. mercy killing) when the judge believes there is at least a possibility that the facts will show it was justified (hard to imagine from the info posted here).

I think the reason it shows up on a Google search is that it is news when it DOES happen, so it gets news coverage, and therefor shows up on Google.

I just talked with a Thai lawyer friend of mine, who said it is also rare in Thailand. Who knows what goes through the Judge's mind in these situations. I just hope that when the dust settles and the facts are out, justice is done.

I am in the process of booking a ticket from San Diego to Bangkok for October on Cathay Pacific. I just checked their website and they still say you get two bags of 23 kilos each for free - no change from last time I flew in March (you get a third bag free if you are a member of the Marco Polo Club).

The feeder flight from San Diego to LA is on AA, and last time I talked to them in March they said they follow the same baggage fee on their domestic leg as the international carrier, so I got two free 23k bags on that leg as well.

For info, I found a ticket for $1,370 for a flight from San Diego to LA then to Hong Kong, a couple of days layover in HK, then on to Bangkok and same on reverse.

That's a great fare! I've not been able to find cheap flights from here to Vegas. What site did you use to book the ticket? Or did you call them directly/use an agent?

About a year or so ago, when I first started coming over to Thailand, I looked at the various carriers, and decided that Cathay Pacific worked best, so now I just go onto their website and click on "multi-city/stopover" and put in my cities. Every once in a while I look at other carriers, but it never works out. I then call CP's reservations agent with any questions and they are very good with answers.

The other thing I like about CP is that if you are a member of Marco Polo Club you can use their business class lounge even if you are flying economy, which is nice for those tedious layovers, and you get preference for a bulkhead seat

The thing I don't like is that they charge me $150-$200 (they don't break it out) for the roundtrip, 25 minute flight from SD to LA (that is included in the $1370 I quoted above), about a 2 1/2 hours drive. If I didn't hate LA traffic so much I would drive up there.

I will be coming over to Thailand for a 4 month visit as a tourist (visa issues are ok). I have been there before but only for a month or so, and I just use travelers checks and my debit card so real easy. I have read the postings here on how to open a Thai bank account, but for a 4 month stay on a tourist visa it sounds doubtful (even though I will probably be doing this every year).

If I decide to stay at a serviced apartment, no problem - they will take my card and I can use my Schwab card for ATMs. But if I decide to rent an apartment on a short term basis from a private owner, I assume they will not take debit cards. I am sure I am not the first person in this situation. I am curious as to what others have done as a visitor (I am from the US) to cover their expenses on a long term visit. I will probably want to bring over about 100,000 baht per month for living expenses, all inclusive.

Thanks

I am in the process of booking a ticket from San Diego to Bangkok for October on Cathay Pacific. I just checked their website and they still say you get two bags of 23 kilos each for free - no change from last time I flew in March (you get a third bag free if you are a member of the Marco Polo Club).

The feeder flight from San Diego to LA is on AA, and last time I talked to them in March they said they follow the same baggage fee on their domestic leg as the international carrier, so I got two free 23k bags on that leg as well.

For info, I found a ticket for $1,370 for a flight from San Diego to LA then to Hong Kong, a couple of days layover in HK, then on to Bangkok and same on reverse.