MESmith

Walk around the zoo. It's good for you, as long as the air is clean.

I wouldn't recommend anyone to come to Chiang Mai for anything but a holiday. Too polluted now, not just the burning, but the fumes from too many cars in a bowl of a valley. Too much uncontrolled development. Too much noise pollution. There are beautiful places to visit, at the right time of year, but, to be honest, any newbie thinking of settling here needs his / her head examining. And costs are sky rocketing both from inflation within Thailand & the strength of the baht. Mind you, if any newbie wants to buy my wife's house, "Go for it"

Are you recommending another country than Thailand.

I'm not a travel agent.

I drive a 3.2 and have no idea if a 2.2 is faster or not.. If not

carrying any weight it could be, all I know the acceleration on the 3.2 is

good where it matters and that is from 80 to 120 to overtake. Most roads I go on 100 kph is as fast as I and most road

users go

The 2.2 is waaaaaaaaaaaaay down on HP and torque than the 3.2 and they have the same final drive ratio. Noooooooooooo contest.

Drove to Mae Sai & back from Chiang Mai today on hwy 118. I wouldn't want any more power with my 2.2 Ranger. Awesome acceleration up the hills. Overtaking with ease. On one steep climb, I was relieved the vigo in front got out the way into the slow lane. Anymore power I may have gone airborne.

Mapguy, thanks, yes...

Yes, the infamous London 'killer smog' did lead to correction. But the notion that somehow modern 1952 England acted quickly and right away is not the case; this killing smoke occurred after decades of 'pea soupers' that were doing the same killing, more slowly, since well before that century began. It was not identified and accepted as a problem for decades, since we humans don't like to change; also, someone's economic interests opposed such a change. That's the same here. Consider those unconcerned by global warming, sez I, before chiding oriental farmers who don't 'get' it.

I guess that's my point: Thais behave exactly as have we expats and our ancestors. Knowledge fights against perceived economic interests before much ever happens. I suggest that everyone here complaining about evolutions in Thailand have little memory of their own nation's struggles to their present conditions. And that's why we feel that we have the standing to complain

Excellent point!

Such a shame that thailand can't learn from other country's experiences. Always feel they have to reinvent the wheel. Up to them, their cuntry.

Try the Kodak shop to the east of Narawat Bridge left side heading from the river towards Railway Station. Got UK passport photos done last week. They'll print to your requirements. They also have a chart on the wall with various embassy specs.

I think late night flights should head 270.

If the OP is concerned about resale value, surely the Isuzu is the safer bet than the Vigo. soon the vigo will be replaced, the Isuzu is a new model. At the end of the day, buy the one you like. They're all decent trucks, that do the job.

Never mind the regular traffic, imagine what the extra songthaew and tuk-tuk brigade will do as they queue in both designated and undesignated areas trolling for pick-ups and making unpredictable drop-offs. Like the front of KSK x10. Also, there's that snafu confluence on the Mahidol side of Airport Plaza where the songthaews peel away into oncoming traffic trying to make that right turn up into the city, as traffic also merges with those coming off Hang Dong road. I expect fun elements from both of those malls to make themselves overly apparent around the entrances and exits of the new mall as soon as it opens. Could be called the Chiang Mai comedy festival....except for those who live around there/ have to pass thru daily.

Don't worry, new Central Mall opening on 118, Promenada on 1017. Who in their right mind will want to go to Maya unless they live in that area

Isn't public transport in cm "brilliant "?

Update on beers available at the duty free on the bridge.

The Bulgarian stout @50bt 500ml cans has finished

Guinness Export is back, @60bt per can Also have Burmese ABC stout at the same price.

Paulaner 500ml bottles @75bt

Just back from Mae Sai. The area north of Khun Chae NP around Doi Mot & the hot springs is smoking. So much smoke coming from near the mountain tops, I thought it might be an area of active volcanoes. After crossing the pass on 118, south of Khun Chae, towards CM, the forest was green, the air much clearer.

Correct M.E Smith, they should be banned from th O.S. Lane due to the Hi c of g.,and governed to 65 Kph.

Where do you drive over 160kph? On a recent trip on the BKK ring road / toll road, cruising at 120 - 130 kph, very few cars were going much more. Another keyboard bullsh1tter? Byee

99 MPH jeeeez thats fast..

We are talking high c of g pickups on Thai roads.

100 mph is fastest I've ever driven. Chevy Suburban in Saudi & old MGB GT on UK motorway (fortunately with the latter had all 3 lanes to myself).

I could approve the layout of an F1 circuit in my garden. Doesn't mean it will happen

Has anyone had their BT 50 3.2 R chipped yet? I find that mine has enough power although it doesn't seem instant. An Australian review I read said that the Ford 3.2 pulled like a V8 from low down in the rev range whereas the Mazda's power came in at higher revs. I was wondering if a chip would solve this and up the power to about 250 bhp.

sad day yesterday, I raced a XLT 2.2 AT vs my Mazda 3.2 AT. The ford from 0 to 160km beat me at every step of the way.

Just goes to show, the Mazda was designed for women

I'll get my coat......

EDIT: I just realized you said canal *east* of the city. Thought you meant the Canal Road. So no, assuming you mean Mae Kha canal, that of course isn't suitable (it's borderline an open sewer), even if there was easy access to the water, which there isn't. Other places that get people celebrating and splashing water over Songkran are Huay Tueng Thao and Ob Khan.

I know it's an open sewer. Just wondering whether folk still treated it as a water source for songkran. There's enough stupidity going on in the city (throwing buckets of water at motorbikes on main roads for eg) So why not using this canal. It wouldn't surprise me

Wait, what? The old Bar Beer Center at Thapae Gate was clean and well organized?

[

You had to be careful you didn't touch anything when taking a pee

Distant memories of Bar Beer Centre in the early 90s, & LK in the late 90s. Even with beer goggles, don't remember too many "stunners". Golden age - never existed

Yes, that's my point of view too.

So far I'm yet to receive a single picture of a stunningly hot woman™ in a Chiang Mai bar in the nineties (or before).

I did however send out a couple samples of the current squad to some contributors to this topic. You can't look at those images and still maintain that it used to be significantly better at any time in the past.

And I went through my own collection too; lots of nice memories and very nice ladies, but prettier than today.. no.

At least we were more "hansum" back then

Very heavy in Mae Hia. First time this year I had to turn the windshield wipers on coming home from work. Maybe nearly time to pull my garden sprinklers out and put them away.

Still in full sprinkler mode out on the parched SanKamphaeng plains

ps get this freaking quote system sorted

please.....

You know this Quote system defaults to BBCode Mode now

But if you click that 1st icon in the upper left of the reply box it turns it back off.

Which is easier to deal with IMHO

Distant memories of Bar Beer Centre in the early 90s, & LK in the late 90s. Even with beer goggles, don't remember too many "stunners". Golden age - never existed

Very heavy in Mae Hia. First time this year I had to turn the windshield wipers on coming home from work. Maybe nearly time to pull my garden sprinklers out and put them away.

Still in full sprinkler mode out on the parched SanKamphaeng plains

ps get this freaking quote system sorted

please.....