I should pint out that the village and the valley are called Doi Chang. Doi Chaang is the name of a coffee company established several years ago by a consortium of Bangkok and foreign businessmen who have laid now claim to the original coffee of the area. Amazing what money (distributed to the right people) will do.

If you want to get to know the original coffee growers of the valley, the company is called Doi Chang and is based in the middle of the village of Doi Chang.

I should point out that point is spelled point and not pint....

Yes, you're right and the signs reflect this.

I was probably thinking of the coffee when I typed.

Here are some good things I am thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day.

Yesterday was Loy Krathong here in Thailand, a lovely holiday though our animals are not fond of the noise. Today is Thanksgiving and I am feeling thankful in so many ways. It is easy to glance over what we are thankful for and take for granted all the little things which go into making us happy and our lives fulfilling.

Health and fitness are high on my list, for without them I would not be able to enjoy much of what makes life worth living for me. Doctors and medication are not part of my life and I am thankful for that. I have no vices or addictions except coffee perhaps and of course the love of a good woman.

Love is way up there on the list of things to be thankful for. To love and to be loved adds an element of joy and comfort which I am not sure can be compensated for by other things in life. I would not trade the relationship I have with my wife for anything.

I am thankful that I found Thailand when I did, in my early twenties, and that I have been permitted to live here for the majority of my life.

I am thankful for this beautiful weather we are having right now. Cool clear nights with a full moon to illuminate the fields and mountains, a touch of fog in the mornings for mood enhancement and warm sunny days to brighten the spirits. The light this time of year is amazing.

I am thankful I don’t live too close to town, even though that means a long drive to do certain things. Living in Bangkok for thirty years I grew accustom to it taking an hour to get anywhere and often much longer. Now I live less than an hour from Chiang Rai and really enjoy the drive. Part of that is down to not living on a schedule, having nice roads with varied scenery and having a comfortable fun vehicle to get me where I am going.

What are you thankful for on this beautiful day?

Here are some good things I am thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day.

Yesterday was Loy Krathong here in Thailand, a lovely holiday though our animals are not fond of the noise. Today is Thanksgiving and I am feeling thankful in so many ways. It is easy to glance over what we are thankful for and take for granted all the little things which go into making us happy and our lives fulfilling.

Health and fitness are high on my list, for without them I would not be able to enjoy much of what makes life worth living for me. Doctors and medication are not part of my life and I am thankful for that. I have no vices or addictions except coffee perhaps and of course the love of a good woman.

Love is way up there on the list of things to be thankful for. To love and to be loved adds an element of joy and comfort which I am not sure can be compensated for by other things in life. I would not trade the relationship I have with my wife for anything.

I am thankful that I found Thailand when I did, in my early twenties, and that I have been permitted to live here for the majority of my life.

I am thankful for this beautiful weather we are having right now. Cool clear nights with a full moon to illuminate the fields and mountains, a touch of fog in the mornings for mood enhancement and warm sunny days to brighten the spirits. The light this time of year is amazing.

I am thankful I don’t live too close to town, even though that means a long drive to do certain things. Living in Bangkok for thirty years I grew accustom to it taking an hour to get anywhere and often much longer. Now I live less than an hour from Chiang Rai and really enjoy the drive. Part of that is down to not living on a schedule, having nice roads with varied scenery and having a comfortable fun vehicle to get me where I am going.

What are you thankful for on this beautiful day?

I live in rural Khampaeng Phet, also in a valley, but not quite as nice as your place though it suits us.

I am thankful that at 71 I woke up this morning as I have done for the last 71 and a bit years.

That my wife and son still love me as I do them.

That I was lucky enough to find and (still be able to) fix a water pipe leak.

Last night was a beautiful moonlit night and today is a little cool and cloudy.

Like you I live far from the big town, though the big village is only 6 km away and I am still fit enough to ride my motorbike or drive truck there and back.

The only schedule I have is to cut the grass and scrub and keep it down on about 2 rai which gives me exercise, keeps me fitter than I would be otherwise and keeps my blood pressure down.

I am also thankful to watch the sunrises and sunsets as some of them are beautiful.

I only found Thailand in my late 40s but I have done a lot of travelling in my working life. Now I am happily retired and have been lining up here for 12 years which, apart from growing up as a child is the longest I have ever lived in the same house.

I am thinking a Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet at Le Meridien tonight might be a good thing.

My True TV died on Sunday. True said it would be Wednesday before a technician would come and fix. On Monday tech shows up and fixes it. That is a good thing.

Went to afternoon market. Bought a kilo of potatoes. Asked for it in my horrible Thai...Man Farang. Thais thought it was hilarious that a falang asked for man farang so about six gather around to listen to me and have a good hearted laugh. That is a good thing.

Stopped at downtown restaurant and wanted Khao Soy. Asked in Thai and they said no have...but thai lady takes me by hand, leads me to the corner to point out a nearby restaurant that has what i want. That is a good thing.

Sometimes I just absolutely love how simple life in Chiang Rai can be and how genuinely nice the people can be.....and that is a good thing.

Yesterday we traveled to an isolated mountain temple in a village inhabited only by mountain people.

Had a wonderful time, even if the kids managed kwai khau at least four or five times - but that was before we started hanging out the ice cream.

Then farang dee...

But the really good (beyond good...!) story I need to tell happened over a period of many years.

Over 10 years ago my house in Canada was burgled and while most of the items stolen were of little value, one was a gold watch I received as a parting gift even more years before that.

In early November I wanted to show my wife the watch but couldn't find it on the manufacturer's website. On a whim, eBay. There it was. Not only the same model of watch, the same watch (at least it appeared that way...).

Purchased it and lo and behold, it was the same watch (stoill had my mark on the back.... It had traveled from canada to India, where it was puchased by a pawnshop, and listed on eBay.

Go figure........... the world really is a tiny place.

Hopefully taken off the burglar's corpse in a New Delhi hospital after he expired of dysentery?

Considering what went on a few years back on this forum, I am feeling vindicated that I have been included on the voting list for poster of the year.

Went down to see the peanut lady in the main market yesterday to get my weekly fix.

She's wandered off and left the stall unattended so after a few minutes a neighbouring stallholder came across and without query or comment weighed out my regular order and took my money.

Seems like even my personal peanut consumption is common knowledge.

The sun came out today and I no longer need a jacket. What a beautiful day.

Flying back into Chiang Rai after spending a week in Bangkok is a very good thing. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my visits to Bangkok, but there is just something calming and relaxing about getting back to the Rai.

I went down with a friend a few weeks back.

Had a steak, bought some clothes, checked a few markets out, enjoyed the hotel pool and facilities and was glad to get home.

That was with 3 days away.

Once a year is more than enough.

http://theussteakhouse.com/

I went down with a friend a few weeks back.

Had a steak, bought some clothes, checked a few markets out, enjoyed the hotel pool and facilities and was glad to get home.

That was with 3 days away.

Once a year is more than enough.

http://theussteakhouse.com/

All our best friends still work in Bangkok so we can handle more than once a year but 3 or 4 days is about right for a nice visit.

So glad that this thread is still going. I started from the beginning and worried all along that I will get to a dead end much respect for CR now. Will visit soonest.

Between the heat, the smoke and Songkran madness this is my least favorite time of year but it sure makes an icy man-cave, with a big screen TV and plenty of movies, a wonderful place to pass the time.

Yes that really does sound good. Although thrilled and thankful to be back, adjusting to heat and smoke is taking its time. With all the water coming an icy man cave does sound like the perfect prescription for our current situation.

Enviously Randell

Give me a message if you need some books Randall.

Interesting place just been built on the river, coffee was so so and we were to early for food but the surroundings were great.

Near the jail on the southern bank.

Driving home this morning from Chiang Mai was a good thing in itself with very little traffic on the 118 and the freedom to enjoy the high speed bends in the mountains. Stopping for coffee at Doi Chaang was very nice as I hadn’t visited since the remodel. Its nice to be home and it was so much fun getting here.

The Royal Project store has a some tasty items, smoked duck breast and smoked pork fillet (described as smoked pork chop).

Vacuum sealed for your convenience, useful deli goods with numerous culinary uses.

The Royal Project store has a some tasty items, smoked duck breast and smoked pork fillet (described as smoked pork chop).

Vacuum sealed for your convenience, useful deli goods with numerous culinary uses.

I'll have to check out those duck breasts - is the Royal Project Store the one on the bottom floor of Central near the food court?

That's the one.

Great veg as well.

That's the one.

Great veg as well.

Whenever we shop at Central the Royal Project shop is always a port of call. They have good veggies as Sceadugenga has stated.

No smoked duck breasts or pork fillet this evening when I checked. They did have some pheasant (or partridge maybe?) that I may try in the future.

It's my fault, I started a stampede, I got the final pack of pork myself on Thursday.

Hopefully they will restock soon.

The pheasant sounds interesting.

The linchees are ripe... well, ripe enough for me anyway, I don't mind them a bit tart so I get to enjoy these closest to the ground while the sweet tooths wait another couple of days....

Someone just put me over 10,000 Likes, so that has to be a good thing.

Someone just put me over 10,000 Likes, so that has to be a good thing.

Must have been Boomerangutang.