Swastika Flags Flown During Donald Trump Boat Parade in Florida

[zziffle]

The board members did very well at getting me sorted out about how the song-thaews work. The only thing I would add to that repository of wisdom is to try to detect how much blue smoke is coming out the back of the truck as it approaches, and don't flag it down if you can see the exhaust. You'll be sucking those fumes every time the truck comes to a stop.

Next step for me is to get a residency certificate (or whatever its called) so I can get a driver's license and register a motorbike in my name. I'm on a one month rental at Pacific Mansion while I look for more permanent digs. My questions are:

Where's the immigration office that I need to go to for the residency cert?

Do I need to get there early in the day?

Is there any point applying based on my one month rental, or do I need to wait until I'm ensconced somewhere more permanent? (I hope not - I may go month-to-month until April when I know of a good serviced apartment becoming available.)

Plastic water bottles:

I just flang them into the trash, but feel mildly guilty every time I do this. Is there a way to get them into a recycling stream here? I hope this isn't a laughable question.

And lastly, beginner's language.

I always thought drinking water was "naam duum" but a sweet waitress insists that what I wanted to ask for was "naam phao". I assume she's right, right?

Thanks!!!!....

[CMSteve]

1. Chiang Mai Immigration is one the way to the airport, between airport plaza and airport.

Probably not a problem to get one while you are at the Pacific Mansion, as long as the contract doesn't say "1 month" in giant red letters(or anything else really noticable)

2. Although it would be better if we all used reusable water containers, almost 99% of all recyclealbe do actually get recycled. Because there is cash paid for bottles, papers, etc, there are "pickers" that comb through trash and pull out all the recycleables. very little is missed.

3. You are both right. You are saying "drinking water", she is saying "plain water"

[asanee]

3. You are both right. You are saying "drinking water", she is saying "plain water"

Naam as such is a useless word-there should be something hehind. It means anyu fluid.

Usually in normal Thai restrts-certainly here in CM;

nam plao= the jugs sitting on tables (if they have them) -you order-or are automaticlly given, a cup of ice, to help yourself (in BKK they still often charge 1 or 2 bt for it-in CM I have never seen this)

nam deum= bottled drinking water, in glass or plastic-will be charged-you can take the unfinished bottle with you, if so wished. In better restrts there may even be a choice of which type.

[elektrified]

I think you need a proper rental/lease agreement to get a residency certificate (usually one year contract), don't you?

[ShopBoy]

1. Plastic bottles.

Just junk them anywhere you want (i mean garbage bin) it will eventually be recycled as there is cash to be made from it as mention by CMSteve.

The trash collector will single out what can be recycle/sold when they pick the thrash or it will be pick up by waste picker it they made it before the trash truck arrives.

2. Language

e.g 1

Cute Waitress : Nam Duum ? (drink water ? asking you what kind of drink do you want)

zziffle : Nam Plao Kub (Plain water please)

e.g2

zziffle : Nam Duum ? (It's like asking what kind of drink you do have)

Cute Waitress : Nam Plao ? Pepsi ? Coke ? Fanta Kiow ? Fanta Deang ? Kek Huay ? (Asking you what kind of drink do you want)

Edited November 14, 2011 by ShopBoy

[NancyL]

You don't need a one-year contract to get a residency cert. Just a letter from the place where you're staying, saying that you're staying there. Most serviced apartments and condos have one they download and fill in from their office computer.

About recycling -- we try to make it a little easier for the trash pickers and put the recycleables in a separate bag, not sealed (or better yet, empty box -- they recycle cardboard) when we sit out our trash. I know I wouldn't want to pick thru the food scraps and used kitty litter that ends up in our trash bags!

Unknown to us, our Thai neighbors had been watching our evening ritual of taking out the trash, and then grabbing the recycle bag the moment Hubby returned to the house. Apparently, some nights they even waited up for this event if we were eating late. Finally, their English-speaking son asked us if we could please put the recycle bag in a special hidden place in front of their house if we took out the trash after they went to bed. If they didn't grab the recycle bag right away some other trash pickers would have it before they got up in the morning.

[uptheos]

You don't need a one-year contract to get a residency cert. Just a letter from the place where you're staying, saying that you're staying there. Most serviced apartments and condos have one they download and fill in from their office computer.

Do you need a copy of the owners ID?

[uptheos]

OP "Next step for me is to get a residency certificate (or whatever its called) so I can get a driver's license and register a motorbike in my name".

Other posters will correct me if I'm wrong, but if you put both down on the application, you can use the one certificate for motorbike and licence, saving you 500 Baht....................(I know for sure you used to be able to do that).

PS Don't ask or expect a receipt for your payment at immigration.

[expatmakmak]

1. Plastic bottles.

Just junk them anywhere you want (i mean garbage bin) it will eventually be recycled as there is cash to be made from it as mention by CMSteve.

The trash collector will single out what can be recycle/sold when they pick the thrash or it will be pick up by waste picker it they made it before the trash truck arrives.

2. Language

e.g 1

Cute Waitress : Nam Duum ? (drink water ? asking you what kind of drink do you want)

zziffle : Nam Plao Kub (Plain water please)

e.g2

zziffle : Nam Duum ? (It's like asking what kind of drink you do have)

Cute Waitress : Nam Plao ? Pepsi ? Coke ? Fanta Kiow ? Fanta Deang ? Kek Huay ? (Asking you what kind of drink do you want)

Dee mak!

I think it's very good of you to sorn the newbies, and you made it easy for him to lian. Geng!

[Joop50]

"The only thing I would add to that repository of wisdom is to try to detect how much blue smoke is coming out the back of the truck as it approaches, and don't flag it down if you can see the exhaust. You'll be sucking those fumes every time the truck comes to a stop.

Next step for me is to get a residency certificate (or whatever its called) so I can get a driver's license and register a motorbike in my name."

You are so hooked on the exhaust already, that you want even more....

[NancyL]

You don't need a one-year contract to get a residency cert. Just a letter from the place where you're staying, saying that you're staying there. Most serviced apartments and condos have one they download and fill in from their office computer.

Do you need a copy of the owners ID?

I haven't been asked for one. For example, the manager of the building of my rental condo churned out a letter on his computer, but no one ever asked me to identify who actually owned the condo. I wouldn't have known them if they walked in the door -- all the agent told us was that the condo unit was owned by a "rich family in Bangkok".

[zziffle]

Not sure anyone cares, but I thought I'd update this thread with the conclusion of the adventure.

Got the residency cert today. No big deal.

I asked the Pacific Mansion office folks for a letter for immigration. They seemed to know what I was talking about and produced a 3 page Thai document. I think it's just a copy of my one-month rental contract.

Headed out in the morning, threw my empty water bottles in the trash bin, had some soup and naam duum - they weren't handing out naam plao at this particular restaurant. Caught a songtoew to Airport Plaza and walked for 5 minutes to immigration. With impeccable timing, I got there at the crack of 12:00, so waited an hour for lunch to be over.

In a private message, it was suggested that immigration would not care about rental contracts. They would only want to see what kind of visa I had to make sure I was allowed to stay for more than 90 days. I'm here on a multi-entry O-A.

The immigration guy I talked to was cheery and seemed competent, but didn't speak any English, and I speak no Thai (yet). However, interestingly, he did find a problem with the multi-entry aspect of my visa. He managed to communicate that because it was multi-entry, this meant I was travelling in and out of the country, and hence not resident, and hence no residency cert for me. I whipped out the trusty rental contract and this changed everything. No problem.

I brought a passport photo but was told I would need two. So, out the back, 100 baht later, and I have three. When it came time to collect the documents, they only wanted one photo. So I've got two spares.

Sat on the seats for 45 minutes, near the pay phone with the "Real men don't buy girls" sticker on it, and watched the interesting array of characters parade through the chaos. Including a couple of young (20?) western women/girls wearing Jesus Christ t-shirts and clutching "The Plan of The Lord" binders.

Name gets called, they hand me the residency cert letter, I hand them 500 baht, and all is right in the world.

Walk back to the Plaza, catch a songtoew with a "Real men don't buy girls" sticker on the back of it, and off to the Kawasaki dealer to drool over my next bike.

Next stop - driver's license. This is fun, this settling in to Chiang Mai. I get to deal with paper work and bureaucracy almost every day!! Tomorrow it's signing a one-year lease for a great unit out at Galae Thong. Looks like I'm committed to toughing things out here for at least that long.

[ludditeman]

Walk back to the Plaza, catch a songtoew with a "Real men don't buy girls" sticker on the back of it, and off to the Kawasaki dealer to drool over my next bike.

I blame the girls in the 'Jesus' t-shirts for the stickers.

I'm betting they don't know anything about real men, after making their promise to Jesus at age 14.

[OriginalPoster]

Walk back to the Plaza, catch a songtoew with a "Real men don't buy girls" sticker on the back of it, and off to the Kawasaki dealer to drool over my next bike.

I blame the girls in the 'Jesus' t-shirts for the stickers.

I'm betting they don't know anything about real men, after making their promise to Jesus at age 14.

Jesus is alright with me.

[Semper]

OP "Next step for me is to get a residency certificate (or whatever its called) so I can get a driver's license and register a motorbike in my name".

Other posters will correct me if I'm wrong, but if you put both down on the application, you can use the one certificate for motorbike and licence, saving you 500 Baht....................(I know for sure you used to be able to do that).

PS Don't ask or expect a receipt for your payment at immigration.

I think they are done in 2 different places. License on HD road and the bike registration near Nong Hoi market.

[kjhbigv]

"Next stop - driver's license. This is fun, this settling in to Chiang Mai. I get to deal with paper work and bureaucracy almost every day!! Tomorrow it's signing a one-year lease for a great unit out at Galae Thong. Looks like I'm committed to toughing things out here for at least that long."

Don't forget to get your medical certificate from the hospital 500m before the driving licence place on the left hand side on the road to Hang Dong. Cost is 100 baht. Basically, just a blood pressure test and a piece of paper, takes 10 mins.

You will get a one year temporary licence. If you drive a car and a bike, there is one for each! You will have to take a test, which (as long as you have a foreign driving licence) is a 5 minute job and very straightforward.

Re water bottles, why not get reusable bottles and just fill them up at the machine in your apartment lobby, cheaper and no wasted plastic bottles!

Edited November 16, 2011 by kjhbigv

[zziffle]

Re water bottles, why not get reusable bottles and just fill them up at the machine in your apartment lobby, cheaper and no wasted plastic bottles!

An excellent idea! The only obstacle being that there is no water machine in the lobby here, or anywhere nearby in the neighbourhood that I can see. I'm pretty sure Galae Thong will have a couple of 'em though.