MESmith

What is the situation at Immigration these days re getting a single re-entry permit? Long queues? What time should I go? I'm not going at 5:00 or 6:00 A.M. thanks. I know what docs to bring and how much.

I thought I read somewhere that you can get a re-entry permit at that Immigration Office out on the San Khampaeng Road near Promenada, but I can't recall where I read it. True? False?

Thanks!

Bump!

Lot's of forest fires on the hills north of SK hotsprings, east of Mae On & southeast of On Tai this afternoon.

So, let's not try to blame it on other nations, regions of Thailand.

This morning I drove out on 1317. Those same areas were thick with smoke. Higher up on the border with Lampang province, the air was very clear & clean. Views across to the north, west & east were clear. The cr@ppy air is homegrown in CM valley.

MESmith,

A question if I may, you seem to have a good handle on the air quality in the North of Thailand!

Normally this time of year I would be down South, but this year I have a baby due in the last week in April so I'm stuck.

Are there any areas within an hour or so of CM that don't get too bad, like the area you refer to above on the Lampang border?

The idea behind the question is to maybe try to find a resort to hang out in for a week or two when the air gets really bad, with the pregnant girlfriend the closer the better....

Thanks.

You might take a look at Mae Kamphong which is at an altitude of about 1100m, NE of CM. They have homestay accomodation & the village is set amidst coffee plantations growing under forest canopy, so here the forest isn't burned. Not sure what air quality will be like when the whole region is smog bound. 1100m might not be high enough.

http://www.tharnthonglodges.com/tharnthong/home.php

Perfect.

Thanks, would welcome input from others that have any ideas on where to get some fresher air in the coming burning season...

Beautiful resort, but probably too low down the valley.

Lot's of forest fires on the hills north of SK hotsprings, east of Mae On & southeast of On Tai this afternoon.

So, let's not try to blame it on other nations, regions of Thailand.

This morning I drove out on 1317. Those same areas were thick with smoke. Higher up on the border with Lampang province, the air was very clear & clean. Views across to the north, west & east were clear. The cr@ppy air is homegrown in CM valley.

MESmith,

A question if I may, you seem to have a good handle on the air quality in the North of Thailand!

Normally this time of year I would be down South, but this year I have a baby due in the last week in April so I'm stuck.

Are there any areas within an hour or so of CM that don't get too bad, like the area you refer to above on the Lampang border?

The idea behind the question is to maybe try to find a resort to hang out in for a week or two when the air gets really bad, with the pregnant girlfriend the closer the better....

Thanks.

You might take a look at Mae Kamphong which is at an altitude of about 1100m, NE of CM. They have homestay accomodation & the village is set amidst coffee plantations growing under forest canopy, so here the forest isn't burned. Not sure what air quality will be like when the whole region is smog bound. 1100m might not be high enough.

We will be (are) seeing more blue plate, left drive cars ...so traffic is getting "interesting".

I would've thought that those who have managed to drive from China to CM are more than capable drivers. Probably a lot more skilled than 90% of the local drivers.

Those chinese renting cars here might be different

I was back in the eastern side of the valley again this morning. Very smokey, & more fires on the hills. It tends to clear by noon, but living in those villages must be awful at night, early morning. Mind you, it's mostly self inflicted.

Lot's of forest fires on the hills north of SK hotsprings, east of Mae On & southeast of On Tai this afternoon.

So, let's not try to blame it on other nations, regions of Thailand.

This morning I drove out on 1317. Those same areas were thick with smoke. Higher up on the border with Lampang province, the air was very clear & clean. Views across to the north, west & east were clear. The cr@ppy air is homegrown in CM valley.

There was a group asking, where is the best chicken fried steak in town?

Palm oil or sunflower oil?

Shame my classic pickup can't drive through Burma

So without AEC, The Transport Ministry didn't care about safe driving & accident prevention?

I thought all the reservoirs were low now & drought on it's way.

No need to worry chaps. Mai pen rai...

This post has to be up there with the guy who asked where to buy deoderant. OP, where would you buy sunscreen in your home country? Now look for a similar kind of shop here. Hint - supermarket, pharmacy, department store....

Try Vuze with KAT. uTorrent doesn't work for me for KAT.

Thanks - I do use the traditional method sometimes but I'm looking for the ready mixed stuff that comes in 1.5 litre bottles.

Sounds like you have a drink problem. 1.5lt of margarita? I thought it was tequila, a little lime juice & salt around the rim.

Half the fun of cycling for me is mixing it up with the traffic and lane splitting/filtering the hell out of it, also having something to help push myself to higher fitness levels, eg keeping up with traffic the entire way around the moat road

Great fun until you get squashed by someone checking their phone.....

But they're FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Last chance to have your say about the proposed highway.

Chalerm Prakiat 80 year hall,

Chiangmai City Hall

February 18th 1pm.

Ask them to build a segregated cycle-lane either side

I was in a large shopping mall the other day and decided to have lunch in a Sante Fe restaurant at 2.15pm.

No beer and worse still no soda water.

I gave up and retired to a Farang bar for a Heineken and a curry for half the price

They clamping down on soda water sales now? O-M-G!!!!

I actually thought my directions were clear enough as I was thinking as a newbie when I replied. I quite enjoy trying to help people but are not fussed with bottle feeding them.

Sometimes one needs to get off ones backside and do a bit of exploring. It's amazing what one can find and you generally remember the location for next time.

Gd luck in your travels.

yeah right mate totally agree let's delete the damn forums and get the off the internet huh! whats the point in having forums if your replies are crap, oh wait that was just an excuse because you suck at giving directions.

maybe you think the best use of thaivisa is making childish jokes and wasting time, god forbid once in a while someone wants some actual advice about a place!

as it happens I am not as mobile as most people, not that that is any of your business.

Good luck with your next request. Hope folk deliberately feed you bs & send you on a wild goose chase

I would've thought the diesel fumes would be more hazardous to your health than the smoke from fires. Not that any of it is good for you. The cr@p from the back of one truck is so intense

Seems like a good excuse for a weekend away

I've not cycled up Doi Suthep (yet), but I do wonder what the difference is between riding up in the smog season & riding up in the cool season, with songteaws & tour buses passing, belching clouds of black diesel fumes in your face.