Where To Enjoy Coffee In The Rai...

[kandahar]

jubby, it looks like VF let you off easy on this one. He must have been tired.

Well, here it is. jubby, you're wrong. I know, it hurts.

Some of those coffee houses are buzzing. Some of the people in them are buzzing.

Some of the bars are buzzing also. And some of the people in them are buzzing.

Different buzzes, different overall costs.

Getting 5 baht coffee at home is a good thing. I enjoy a 5 baht cup at home with my wife, often. "Often" meaning, I drink coffee at home all morning, every morning. She has one cup and is finished for the day. I usually have a few cups later in the afternoon as well. I function well with coffee. But public coffee houses are okay.

The pastime of swilling coffee in public places has had its share of detractors:

“Coffee leads men to trifle away their time, scald their chops, and spend their money, all for a little base, black, thick, nasty, bitter, stinking nauseous puddle water.”

The Women's Petition Against Coffee (1674)

But coffee itself has had its promoters:

“As soon as coffee is in your stomach, there is a general commotion. Ideas begin to move...similes arise, the paper is covered. Coffee is your ally and writing ceases to be a struggle.”

Honoré de Balzac (1799-1859)

And just for fun, my favorite coffee quote:

"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; if this is tea, please bring me some coffee."

Abraham Lincoln

In the case of the coffee shops, there are many positives to consider. People watching. Running into old friends. Meeting new friends. Tasting a different brew that hits the spot. Eavesdropping on the local gossip. Taking note of the social changes.

Coffee shops are okay. The more, the merrier. The different decorating schemes and themes alone make it worthwhile to visit some of them. My favorites are the ones done in an antique setting. And while VF often ends up in those shops just because he needs to kill some time while the wife is shopping, I usually go alone, to get away from the grind here and use the time to put my brain into a relaxed mode for a while. They are relaxing places to visit, normally. It is nice to have those places to go to when the mood or the need is right.

I am usually the only Farang in the place, no matter which shop I go to. Thais go to those shops a lot more than you think they do. The wife went to order a take-out coffee for me today at my favorite place for iced coffee. She gave up and came home. The lady making the coffee told her that there were twenty orders ahead of hers. Sometimes that place is dead. Sometimes it is full. Anyway, the sister-in-law went back later and returned with my order. She didn't have to wait.

So, whether it is 30 baht or 60 baht, the coffee shops are much more attractive to me than the bars. I know I'm not likely to have a crash on the way home from a coffee shop. The beer thing can cost a family a lot more than just the cost of the beer over time. I don't have that problem with coffee. And I have tried the beer thing when I was younger. I tried EVERYTHING when I was younger. The coffee thing is affordable and no unwanted family, social or financial ramifications. Unless of course, the year is 1674 and The Women's Petition Against Coffee gets its way.

[svenivan]

This is why I choose to go to a bar instead of a coffeeshop!

And I often have a small shot of whisky "for the road" to really be on the safe side! Just to wet my lips.

These "girls" are looking for coffeedrinkers!

[kandahar]

Well, woe is me after previewing the gorgeous women in your pic that seek guys like me. Unfortunately, my heart is already promised. And she doesn't look ANYTHING like these beauties in the pic. My loss. I shall mope about for the rest of this day, sure.

[svenivan]

Well, woe is me after previewing the gorgeous women in your pic that seek guys like me. Unfortunately, my heart is already promised. And she doesn't look ANYTHING like these beauties in the pic. My loss. I shall mope about for the rest of this day, sure.

Gorgeous ?

Another reason to avoid too much coffee !

It must affect some peoples brain in a very dangerous way!

[mcgriffith]

Nothing wrong with loving coffee, and the strong stuff as well.

I start every day with coffee, and a little bit of baguette sliced and toasted, with butter.

A little red wine with dinner, no problem.

And a Kahlua Coffee....nice finish to the evening

[sceadugenga]

I could be down your way Saturday, give me a PM if you fancy a Chiang Mai coffee around lunch time.

[jubby]

Well Thanks for that Khandahar. Its nice to be wrong sometimes

I hadn't realised Coffee was the subject of prohibition so long ago. Amazing.

As for VF's short answer , its not the first time he's answered a question with a Question.

maybe my Questions are far too tedious for him

I'm a Tea man really, was probably weaned off my mothers breast with 'baby Tea' unfortunately and have been drinking it ever since. I believe its high in antioxidants but probably quite adictive. I still seem to drink 'baby Tea' now. i.e . Tea with milk & sugar.

I believe Tea was controversial in the states also . Didn't they used to have 'Tea Partys' over there around 1770 mark, especially in Boston. Believe they were very extreme parties and may have even led to revolution and Civil War .

[villagefarang]

A little late, but I finally got around to trying the coffee at Amazon. We set off from Chiang Mai this morning without any coffee, so stopped at the first Amazon about 75km out, on the way back to Chiang Rai. Stopped at the next one, too, another 50km down the road. (New bike so didn't want to blast all the way home in one go.) Stopped for breakfast in Chiang Rai, too, before doing the last 50km, home.

Their cappuccino was not my favorite but it did the job and I will no doubt make at least one stop when I return to Chiang Mai for the 1000Km checkup.

[thelightlover]

chiangraicoffee

I have just started this blog. Im going to give little reviews:)

[dindong]

Doi Chuung???????????

[villagefarang]

I've always spelled in Doi Chaang, but what do I know? Our new friend the light lover seems a little light in other areas too.

[jubby]

I've always spelled in Doi Chaang, but what do I know? Our new friend the light lover seems a little light in other areas too.

Chuung , Chaang ; what does it matter. Seems VF's got a Soul Mate or something.

[villagefarang]

I've always spelled in Doi Chaang, but what do I know? Our new friend the light lover seems a little light in other areas too.

Chuung , Chaang ; what does it matter. Seems VF's got a Soul Mate or something.

I swore off Coffee Mate, long ago.

[villagefarang]

Mote, mate, mite, what does it matter? Who cares if they are different words (works, worms etc.)?

[jubby]

Mote, mate, mite, what does it matter? Who cares if they are different words (works, worms etc.)?

Its different VF. No Transliteration involved . Be nice to him/her

[kandahar]

chiangraicoffee

I have just started this blog. Im going to give little reviews:)

Hi TTL. Welcome to the forum.

Feel free to post your reviews here, as well as in your blog. Not much going on here and your contributions will be appreciated by some of us.

Don't get discouraged if your blog doesn't get too many hits. A lot of us just don't have the time to exit the forum to look at outside sites. I, for one, am usually too busy following the updated entries in the "Stinky Water in Fish Tank" thread in the Farming forum.

I think you will find that jubby turns out to be one of your blog's most passionate followers. He's a sucker for a good coffee blog. Please be a responsible blogger and keep the thing current. Too many people start blogs and then let them go idle, disappointing the passionate followers. jubby deserves better.

I suspect that VF will steal a peek at your blog fairly often as well. He is always looking for pointers on improving his blog. He is too proud to accept advice from jubby but he searches in earnest for improvements from other sources. His blog has some dedicated followers and I met both of them a few days ago.

Good luck. And don't ignore the small hole-in-the-wall places. Some of those places have no ambience whatsoever but they turn out some magical product.

Edited June 10, 2010 by kandahar

[villagefarang]

I suspect that VF will steal a peek at your blog fairly often as well. He is always looking for pointers on improving his blog. He is too proud to accept advice from jubby but he searches in earnest for improvements from other sources. His blog has some dedicated followers and I met both of them a few days ago.

Wow, you mean I missed one?

[villagefarang]

Okay, maybe I don't take Jubby's advice on much, but I'm just trying to be helpful and constructive to the OP. If one is going to blog about commercial enterprises, you really ought to get your facts straight. At least spell the names of the establishments correctly and don't give false or erroneous testimony.

Hopefully the OP will put some effort into the blog and produce a worthwhile document. (By the way, he made the correction and thanked me.)

Edited June 11, 2010 by villagefarang

[jubby]

Okay, maybe I don't take Jubby's advice on much, but I'm just trying to be helpful and constructive to the OP. If one is going to blog about commercial enterprises, you really ought to get your facts straight. At least spell the names of the establishments correctly and don't give false or erroneous testimony.

Hopefully the OP will put some effort into the blog and produce a worthwhile document. (By the way, he made the correction and thanked me.)

Well lets all thank VF for keeping the OP on the straight and narrow and offering his constructive advice.

I do believe Kandahars last post had a hidden subliminal message. Hidden to everyone except me ofcourse

He just can't give us the attention we need these days, He's far too busy in the farming Section.

I do believe that subliminal message was a queue for another song.

So would you Good folks believe I'm going to leave you with a John Denver track.

Oh and be careful out there with your new Mia Noi's and don't do anything I would do, right ! YEEEEE AHHHHH !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzldLJcorbo

[svenivan]

I, for one, am usually too busy following the updated entries in the "Stinky Water in Fish Tank" thread in the Farming forum.

That is interesting!

Are you going to grow Russian catfish or Big oei in your Ornamental Ponds?

So when are you planning to go out on the market with your products and where?

We eat a lot of fish so we might be good customers if the quality and the price is right!

Looking forward to that!

[jubby]

Thanks for posting Sven. I was beginning to think there was only me , Kd & VF out there

scary thought for sure.

Now I wonder what John Denver would have said about Ornamental garden Ponds

Ahhh. maybe... Just Maybee

Edited June 11, 2010 by jubby

[kandahar]

I, for one, am usually too busy following the updated entries in the "Stinky Water in Fish Tank" thread in the Farming forum.

That is interesting!

Are you going to grow Russian catfish or Big oei in your Ornamental Ponds?

So when are you planning to go out on the market with your products and where?

We eat a lot of fish so we might be good customers if the quality and the price is right!

Looking forward to that!

It is much more interesting than it seems. It turns out that the guy was trying to raise fish in his septic tank.

Now that that problem has been solved, I guess I'll have to find a new thread to follow for a while.

[PhilB]

I, for one, am usually too busy following the updated entries in the "Stinky Water in Fish Tank" thread in the Farming forum.

That is interesting!

Are you going to grow Russian catfish or Big oei in your Ornamental Ponds?

So when are you planning to go out on the market with your products and where?

We eat a lot of fish so we might be good customers if the quality and the price is right!

Looking forward to that!

It is much more interesting than it seems. It turns out that the guy was trying to raise fish in his septic tank.

Now that that problem has been solved, I guess I'll have to find a new thread to follow for a while.

I was going to check out that thread, but now that I know the answer kinda takes the fun out of it. You think someone would have a moment of clarity and realise that (used) septic tanks and fish probally dont go together.

[villagefarang]

Since this is the coffee thread, it seems appropriate at this point considering our digression, that someone brings up the subject of Kopi Luwak. Would you or wouldn't you drink the stuff?

[sceadugenga]

Wiki

Kopi Luwak...

Sales by the cup

In November 2006 Herveys Range Heritage Tea Rooms, a small cafe in the hills outside Townsville in Queensland, Australia, put kopi luwak coffee on its menu at AUD50.00 (US $33.00) a cup, selling about seven cups a week, which gained nationwide Australian and international press. In April 2008 the brasserie at Peter Jones department store in London's Sloane Square began selling a blend of kopi luwak and Blue Mountain called Caffe Raro for £50 (US $99.00) a cup.

At that price you'd have to be paying...

Edited June 13, 2010 by sceadugenga

[villagefarang]

Cost is of course a consideration but I was thinking more in terms of the source of this infamous coffee product. Thought someone should try to find some tenuous link between coffee and septic tanks.

[sceadugenga]

The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank

[villagefarang]

Perhaps it is not where you enjoy coffee, rather who you enjoy coffee with. I enjoyed coffee with Scea and Lannaman today. Nice to see you guys again.

[sceadugenga]

Most enjoyable VF, and congratulations to Lannaman on the new addition to the family.

[skybluestu]

I know this is about where to enjoy Coffee but I wanted to post about which Tea I enjoy too, hopefully nobody will object as it's also a caffeine based beverage.

OK, so it's also off-topic as it's not about where I enjoy it either because I drink it at home but Tops English Breakfast Tea is a lovely brew, if you enjoy a cuppa and not tried it yet then drop by Tops on your next trip to town, you won't be disappointed!