Money, Chiang Mai? Don't Leave Home Without It!

[Hanouf]

I find it just a bit freaky that less than a few hours after I post on this website that does not use HTTPS encryption, I have some old timer of this forum with more than 4000 posts; I need to watch my words, so I will not say stalking, but following me around the internet to dig up additional information on me at other website!!! Yikes, that is really freaky.

 

I guess the internet has changed too.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Hanouf
spelling

[NancyL]

18 minutes ago, Hanouf said:

I find it just a bit freaky that less than a few hours after I post on this website that does not use HTTPS encryption, I have some old timer of this forum with more than 4000 posts; I need to watch my words, so I will not say stalking, but following me around the internet to dig up additional information on me at other website!!! Yikes, that is really freaky.

 

I guess the internet has changed too.

I can't decided what is stranger -- that the OP placed the same rather odd post on two different websites or that someone discovered that.  Actually, the latter isn't that strange.  Those of us who have posted on ThaiVisa for a time know that there are people here with nothing better to do than "research" what others are writing.  

[Hanouf]

So speaks NacyL, with more than 7000 posts along with the others old timers with thousands of post on this forum alone!!!! Sorry  for stepping on someone else' s turf!!!! Strange indeed.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎3‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 2:35 PM, cmsally said:

The OP has a point (its not just confined to CM), the last 20 yrs has been noticeably defined by an upsurge of consumerism. The era of brand names/celebrity/disposable.

Maybe the marketers/psychologists helped in making preservation, environment, sustainability more untrendy and undesirable. If that was the case they seem to have largely succeeded , one just hopes they have a plan regarding where to go from here!

IMO the only "plan" they have is in making money. I doubt they care about the environment.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎3‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 2:47 PM, heybruce said:

The last twenty years?  Consumerism began with the industrial revolution, when average men first could afford more than one suit and women more than one dress.  We've never looked back.

 

Chiang Mai is very different than what it was twenty years ago, and twenty years ago it was very different than it was forty years ago.  Chiang Mai is more accessible and more comfortable.  The Thai people who live here like that.  But of course an accessible, comfortable place attracts a different type of tourists than hard to reach, somewhat backwards places.

LOL. I first fronted up in C M in the mid 70s and it hasn't changed much. Traffic was shocking around the moat back then and still is. Temples haven't changed much, and I reckon the pavements are the same as back then, just a bit more decrepit.

Only differences would be in the newly developed areas, which would have been rice paddy back then, but the old city, not much change.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎3‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 12:37 AM, elektrified said:

They are definitely here. You just haven't seen them.

The claim was luxury car motorcades at La Meridien. I have not ever seen such. I have no doubt some Arab sheiks visit for "fun", but they ain't in motorcades on Loi Kroh.

[cmsally]

The old city a lot has changed a lot. Just for starters the "block" opposite Wat Phra Singh (south corner opposite entrance ) which now houses numerous coffee shops, heaven knows how many hostels, and on the front side a discount shop/bank/tuition etc etc.

That block used to house one out door restaurant, maybe a couple of houses at the back.

The soi that I live on (not very long). 3 huge new hotel projects, which however much they put eco or colonial in the name are simply large concrete blocks that have replaced a teak house with a large garden.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎3‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 4:01 PM, scorecard said:

 

In fact IMO the Meridien nowadays struggles to even make 4 stars.

 

A couple of years back some friends from Germany (parents and 3 kids) booked the meridien online, they flew into CM and we went to the Meridien to greet when they arrived at the hotel:

 

- Door staff unfocused, some guests taking care of luggage themselves

- Lobby staff unorganized and lacking in any attempt at customer service let alone international / 5 star customer service. Lots of staff chit-chat with each other in Thai and quests lost and confused what's happening.

- Reception couldn't find the booking, then after pushed by my Thai son they found the booking, then wrong size room and reception staff annoyed that the guest wouldn't accept a much smaller room.

- Took well over an hour for luggage to be delivered to the room.

- Dinner was supposed to be discounted but total confusion, guests ended up paying full price, restaurant supervisor refused to check with the lobby. 

- Second evening we joined our friends for dinner, service staff lazy, claimed they had no wine list, my Thai son looked around and found several wine list books near the service desk.Two waitresses came to take the food order, they chatted in Thai the whole time paying little attention to what the guests were saying/asking and neither could speak more than a few words in English, son had to translate everything. Many food items on the menu not available, what came was not acceptable for a place claiming to be 5 star. 

- and more...

 

My son called a friend at Shangi La and got a better deal, our friends moved to the Shangri La.

 

 

 

I had intended pampering myself with a stay at one of the flash hotels around the night market, so I did some research. After reading the customer reviews of them all I decided not to bother.

 

neither could speak more than a few words in English,

Seems to me that English education in Thai schools has utterly failed, as it's rare to find any Thai in TOURIST businesses that speak good English.

I asked the English speaking Thai guy in a shop I use frequently how he learned English and he said it was by watching English language movies.

I think the tourism industry has expanded too quickly for them to be choosy as to staff, and they take anyone that can walk, and looks good.

[thaibeachlovers]

11 minutes ago, cmsally said:

eThe old city a lot has changed a lot. Just for starters the "block" opposite Wat Phra Singh (south corner opposite entrance ) which now houses numerous coffee shops, heaven knows how many hostels, and on the front side a discount shop/bank/tuition etc etc.

That block used to house one out door restaurant, maybe a couple of houses at the back.

The soi that I live on (not very long). 3 huge new hotel projects, which however much they put eco or colonial in the name are simply large concrete blocks that have replaced a teak house with a large garden.

Shame about the old houses being replaced. They are doing the same thing they did to the good beaches and ruining them catering to tourists that don't care about the history or environment as long as they have a flash room and a swimming pool. Greed is destroying Thailand environment as surely as society is being destroyed by smartphones.

 

My comment about nothing much changing in C M is because the place looks similar now to what it looked like in the 70s. I don't think it looks "different" to 40 years ago. Individual shops etc are always changing, but the roads and the wall and the moat haven't changed much, if at all. At least they haven't allowed skyscrapers inside the moat. Hua Hin old town was ruined by a horrid big hotel right in the middle of it.

Conversely, between the 70s and the 90s, Singapore changed so radically I didn't recognise the place, and was unable to find my old haunts without extreme difficulty.

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by thaibeachlovers

[sanemax]

On 3/5/2018 at 1:43 PM, Hanouf said:

Wow, I can’t believe all of the shiny new Mercedes Benzes and abandoned VW vans, I am seeing around Chiang Mai, Thailand.

O.K., tell me the locations of where the "abandoned VW vans" are

[cmsally]

Around mid/late 80's Tapae gate was completely rebuilt. Also I think it was Japanese funding that extended /slightly rebuilt some wall sections (however they were responsible for dismantling it in the second war I believe). They also funded some "attractive road surfacing" for the inner city, which has now been replaced with tarmac again! There is a max. of 4 storeys height level for new buildings so there is something to be grateful for .

[thaibeachlovers]

15 hours ago, rumak said:

We live out in the countryside.   Peace and love still evident .  You are welcome to come and help till the

orchard in exchange for good vibes and a nice view.   As other posters note:  cities anywhere are not the

spiritual meccas of the world.   They are where you buy your MePhone and drink cappuchinos.

 

LOL.

You'd need to offer more than good vibes and a nice view to get me to sweat for you.

 

MePhone

Thanks for that. I've been looking for a more easily posted description than <deleted>phone. 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, elektrified said:

That's true. But I do have to say that there was something nice about coming to Thailand years back and in the morning going out to  the street or to the beach and buying a 10 Baht cafe boran or two, an entire papaya for 10 Baht (they were long and kind of pink - never see them anymore), and just taking in the scenery and relaxing before starting the day. Now it's much more like anywhere else.... Some of the charm is gone.

they were long and kind of pink - never see them anymore

My ex probably ate them all. She was always going on about papaya salad.

[canthai55]

52 minutes ago, cmsally said:

 a teak house with a large garden.

Like this one ? Saw on my way back from Nan today ...

 

Now ... how do I win the lottery ?

[heybruce]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. I first fronted up in C M in the mid 70s and it hasn't changed much. Traffic was shocking around the moat back then and still is. Temples haven't changed much, and I reckon the pavements are the same as back then, just a bit more decrepit.

Only differences would be in the newly developed areas, which would have been rice paddy back then, but the old city, not much change.

I first visited Chiang Mai in 2000 and recall far less traffic and people in the old city raising chickens.  Building restrictions have prevented the old city from changing much architecturally, but the lives of the people have changed significantly.  Outside of the old city, where there appear to be no restrictions on development, the changes are obvious.

[heybruce]

4 hours ago, Hanouf said:

I find it just a bit freaky that less than a few hours after I post on this website that does not use HTTPS encryption, I have some old timer of this forum with more than 4000 posts; I need to watch my words, so I will not say stalking, but following me around the internet to dig up additional information on me at other website!!! Yikes, that is really freaky.

 

I guess the internet has changed too.

Allow me to put your mind at ease.  Cyberfarang happened to notice you posted the same words at two sites.  His interest in you ends there.  He is not stalking you.  The data he has on you is not one ten thousandth of what Google, Amazon, social media and the apps on your phone have collected, are collecting, and will continue to collect on you.  While cyberfarang has no further interest in you, the businesses holding incredibly detailed data on your activities are constantly trying to use this date to manipulate your actions to their advantage.

 

Feel better now?

Edited March 8, 2018 by heybruce

[thaibeachlovers]

9 minutes ago, heybruce said:

Allow me to put your mind at ease.  Thaibeachlovers happened to notice you posted the same words at two sites.  His interest in you ends there.  He is not stalking you.  The data he has on you is not one ten thousandth of what Google, Amazon, social media and the apps on your phone have collected, are collecting, and will continue to collect on you.  While thaibeachlovers has no further interest in you, the businesses holding incredibly detailed data on your activities are constantly trying to use this date to manipulate your actions to their advantage.

 

Feel better now?

Please change your post. It was not I that noticed he has 2 posts same on different websites, though that may have been in a post I quoted.

 

I see you did so already, so thanks. No need to respond to my PM.

Edited March 8, 2018 by thaibeachlovers

[heybruce]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Please change your post. It was not I that noticed he has 2 posts same on different websites, though that may have been in a post I quoted.

My apologies.  The post has been edited.

[canthai55]

5 hours ago, Hanouf said:

I guess the internet has changed too.

You posted on a public internet forum and are surprised that people searched ?

Sounds like it is maybe you that should change - post BS and do not be surprised to be called out on it.

[rumak]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL.

You'd need to offer more than good vibes and a nice view to get me to sweat for you.

 

MePhone

Thanks for that. I've been looking for a more easily posted description than <deleted>phone. 

 

See, that's just what the OP was saying.  It's all about money nowadays !  LOL.......... Funny, I haven't heard from him either   

[cyberfarang]

On 3/6/2018 at 2:35 PM, cmsally said:

The OP has a point (its not just confined to CM), the last 20 yrs has been noticeably defined by an upsurge of consumerism. The era of brand names/celebrity/disposable.

Maybe the marketers/psychologists helped in making preservation, environment, sustainability more untrendy and undesirable. If that was the case they seem to have largely succeeded , one just hopes they have a plan regarding where to go from here!

Welcome to this highly competitive, highly commercialised modern world of decadence.

 

Not only in CM, it`s becoming the same everywhere.

[Justfine]

Not a bad thing. Humans are better off now than any point in history.

[Hanouf]

Okay, now I understand. Thaivisa Properties Inc.; land speculators!!!!! I got it. I was wondering why the majority of the posters have posts in the thousands to tens of thousands.

 

So much for balanced prospective on ravenous gentrification that drives out all of the "poor Thai peasants with no shoes"  (that Western style development has saved from their deprived life of drudgery) from their own town because they are no longer able afford the property prices.

 

Of course, the other plausible explanation for the muscular response from these older timers is that it is just an obsessive compulsive issue with lonely old expats that are shut-ins that are experiencing cabin fever.   My I had a beautiful trek in the hills today.

[Justfine]

1 minute ago, Hanouf said:

Okay, now I understand. Thaivisa Properties Inc.; land speculators!!!!! I got it. I was wondering why the majority of the posters have posts in the thousands to tens of thousands.

 

So much for balanced prospective on ravenous gentrification that drives out all of the "poor Thai peasants with no shoes"  (that Western style development has saved from their deprived life of drudgery) from their own town because they are no longer able afford the property prices.

 

Of course, the other plausible explanation for the muscular response from these older timers is that it is just an obsessive compulsive issue with lonely old expats that are shut-ins that are experiencing cabin fever.   My I had a beautiful trek in the hills today.

What are you talking about?

[moe666]

23 hours ago, rumak said:

We live out in the countryside.   Peace and love still evident .  You are welcome to come and help till the

orchard in exchange for good vibes and a nice view.   As other posters note:  cities anywhere are not the

spiritual meccas of the world.   They are where you buy your MePhone and drink cappuchinos.

 

You do not have to go to the cave to meditate just open your closet door. If you cannot meditate any where you are your first barrier. If you cannot find peace and calmness within then you will never find it running away to the country

[heybruce]

1 hour ago, Hanouf said:

Okay, now I understand. Thaivisa Properties Inc.; land speculators!!!!! I got it. I was wondering why the majority of the posters have posts in the thousands to tens of thousands.

 

So much for balanced prospective on ravenous gentrification that drives out all of the "poor Thai peasants with no shoes"  (that Western style development has saved from their deprived life of drudgery) from their own town because they are no longer able afford the property prices.

 

Of course, the other plausible explanation for the muscular response from these older timers is that it is just an obsessive compulsive issue with lonely old expats that are shut-ins that are experiencing cabin fever.   My I had a beautiful trek in the hills today.

You are going back to incoherent word salad posts again.  People who have used Thai Visa for many years have a high post count.  You've posted six times in four days, if you do the math you'll see you're on track for over 500 posts in your first year.

 

How many local Thai people do you know?  How many of them want to go back to the way things were twenty years ago?

[rumak]

1 hour ago, moe666 said:

You do not have to go to the cave to meditate just open your closet door. If you cannot meditate any where you are your first barrier. If you cannot find peace and calmness within then you will never find it running away to the country

ommmmmmmmmmm

ommmmmmmmmmmm

ommmmmmc donald had a farm.......eeeeiiiiiiiii  eeeeeeiiiiiiiii ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Justfine]

1 hour ago, moe666 said:

You do not have to go to the cave to meditate just open your closet door. If you cannot meditate any where you are your first barrier. If you cannot find peace and calmness within then you will never find it running away to the country

Or have a backyard. Can set up an area for it.

[moe666]

12 hours ago, Hanouf said:

Okay, now I understand. Thaivisa Properties Inc.; land speculators!!!!! I got it. I was wondering why the majority of the posters have posts in the thousands to tens of thousands.

 

So much for balanced prospective on ravenous gentrification that drives out all of the "poor Thai peasants with no shoes"  (that Western style development has saved from their deprived life of drudgery) from their own town because they are no longer able afford the property prices.

 

Of course, the other plausible explanation for the muscular response from these older timers is that it is just an obsessive compulsive issue with lonely old expats that are shut-ins that are experiencing cabin fever.   My I had a beautiful trek in the hills today.

Hey good for you, the shoeless Thais you seem to be worried about do not have time for a trek. But really how many shoeless Thais have you seen, unless their monks they usually have shoes. Ok you have trolled here enough. time for you to go away.

[VillageIdiot]

1 hour ago, moe666 said:

Hey good for you, the shoeless Thais you seem to be worried about do not have time for a trek. But really how many shoeless Thais have you seen, unless their monks they usually have shoes. Ok you have trolled here enough. time for you to go away.

The search for "shoeless Thais" in Chiang Mai is on all fours with the search for "abandoned VW vans."