Chiang Rai’s Cast of Characters

[villagefarang]

It must be hard for newcomers to sort through who’s who on this forum when they first arrive and expecting them to PM everyone is a bit much. Asking for introductions is too vague and boring in my opinion, but still it might be nice to know a little bit about other members.

Before offering up my shorthand take on a few fellow members, perhaps I should go first. I am the resident picture guy, with an original photo for nearly every occasion. Jack of all trades but master of none, I moved to Thailand younger than most and have called this place home longer than most. In other words 30 years in Bangkok and a little over 6 in Chiang Rai.

Here is my brief sample of our Cast of Characters.

Sceadugenga is our book and movie guy and another old Asia hand.

Harrry is our resident expert on disabilities and can comment on pretty much any topic with his dry and biting wit.

Pomchop reminds us, with such eloquence, to slow down and smell the roses.

DonaldBattles is perhaps our oldest member so we make allowances for him being a little grumpy and cynical at times. He is an author and restauranteur.

Scorpio is mister brevity, always composed and concise, using as few words as possible.

Garry is our resident Ducati guy and loves Chiang Rai, but like so many others, has to divide his time between work and Thailand.

Boomerangutang is our resident environmentalist.

Joel Barlow is our resident historian and has written extensively about Chiang Rai.

There are several people who are vying for the title of most banned member and most frequently reborn.

There are several new guys who are slowly but surely making their presence known here on the forum but I would rather they say something about themselves.

My list is long but it would be nice to hear from others as there are many members I find difficult to get a read on, simply because they don’t offer much of themselves.

Perhaps I am being naive but I think we can keep this light and fun, while getting to know a little more about each other.

Edited August 31, 2013 by villagefarang

[villagefarang]

I almost forgot gerry1011, our resident Hi-So replete with royal linage, Lamborghini and a football club.

[kevvy]

hi and good morning.

A little about myself. I was disabled and in a wheelchair (long story ) had several operations and after 2 years i could walk .to describe myself who really i am , honestly i am a caring and loving person,try to be understanding . And really love to help people who need help .. that's all and if you want to know me better , then be my friend.

I loved the way of life here , I love Thailand with so much passion. I have many Thai friends and I dont think of them as Thai , just my Friends . I am exited to move to the Chiang Rai region.

I am a person that keeps to myself but still like to meet new people who I can have a coffee with .I like all the regulars here on Chiang Rai forum as they treat everyone with respect and it makes up some of my day reading the posts.

I love to go fishing , camping . national parks and cooking, Dont like the bars, and my wife is very exited about going back up north as she came from the north.The weather up there is great as i have been told , cool seasons and hot ones as well.

Just want to say "thanks " for all those who accepted me on this forum.

kevvy

[Trembly]

Trembly : prodigal son of Chiang Rai and resident loog-krueng (for Chiang Rai at least, it seems).

[scorpio1945]

Thanks. I need to stay in character.

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[sceadugenga]

Expats are always a diverse crowd anywhere.

Some merge into the local community easily, others try to establish their own way of life in a foreign land; both ways work and both fail depending on the individual.

Many change; they invest heavily, both financially and personally, in their new lives and the less successful often resent those that succeed.

Concern is part of many lives; sickness in a strange hospital, a poorly funded retirement and finding a decent education for children born at a time most people worry about their grand children are some examples.

Things that would not matter in Yorkshire or Nebraska become all important here and often those wishing to move on have no where else to go.

My advice to newcomers is not to expect to find heaven on earth here, the basic ingredients are certainly available but you need the desire and the tools to build it yourself.

Make friends, there are good people in Chiang Rai, but when all is said and done it will be home and family that really matter.

Sceadugenga in philosophical mode.

Edited September 1, 2013 by sceadugenga

[harrry]

Thanks. I need to stay in character.

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Too verbose.....words after first full stup redundant.

[villagefarang]

I like this. Guess we will have to add resident philosopher and harbinger of good sense to your title.

Expats are always a diverse crowd anywhere.

Some merge into the local community easily, others try to establish their own way of life in a foreign land; both ways work and both fail depending on the individual.

Many change; they invest heavily, both financially and personally, in their new lives and the less successful often resent those that succeed.

Concern is part of many lives; sickness in a strange hospital, a poorly funded retirement and finding a decent education for children born at a time most people worry about their grand children are some examples.

Things that would not matter in Yorkshire or Nebraska become all important here and often those wishing to move on have no where else to go.

My advice to newcomers is not to expect to find heaven on earth here, the basic ingredients are certainly available but you need the desire and the tools to build it yourself.

Make friends, there are good people in Chiang Rai, but when all is said and done it will be home and family that really matter.

Sceadugenga in philosophical mode.

[anto]

I AM AN OCCASIONAL LURKER .Living in C.M.

[Trembly]

Back in CR from Sunday - Wednesday.

Anyone up for meeting in town / Rong-Khoon area?

[sceadugenga]

I'm tied up early in the week and wont have the chance to get to town until Thursday earliest, maybe next time?

[villagefarang]

I AM AN OCCASIONAL LURKER .Living in C.M.

You are in good company, it would seem. We have lots of lurkers hanging about at the bottom of the page.

[sceadugenga]

Your not talking about Onthedarkside are you?

[harrry]

Your not talking about Onthedarkside are you?

He couldn't be a lurker.....he posts here a lot.

[villagefarang]

The dark one is one of us, protecting the seven kingdoms from those on the other side of the wall.

[villagefarang]

Back in CR from Sunday - Wednesday.

Anyone up for meeting in town / Rong-Khoon area?

There is a good chance I will be in town between Monday and Wednesday but not sure when. A friend is coming up from CM for the motorcycle ride and we have plans to get together, somewhere the gang leader won’t see us.

[onthedarkside]

Your not talking about Onthedarkside are you?

Just keeping an eye on you guys to make sure you all play fair

[Phatyanak]

Did someone (villagefarang) say motorcycle ride..! I hope one day I can ride along. This is only my 3rd post, Sooooo..... Hey all, my name is Steve, and I'm from the USA. Portuguese by race..! Been married to a Thai lady for better than 20 year's now. Been living in Korat for the past, almost, 3 year's now. When our home sell's we'll be moving to Chiang Rai. The sooner the better..! I enjoy motorcycling and fishing, but as Kevvy already know's, I hav'nt done much of either since I've been here. Getting to know Chiang Rai a little, thank's to those on the forum. I love Thailand, though some day's are better than other's. Hope to meet up with those who don't mind associating with other farang. Both Thai and farang alike..! Until then... so long..!

Phatyanak

Edited September 29, 2013 by onthedarkside
font and colour reformatted

[villagefarang]

Did someone (villagefarang) say motorcycle ride..! I hope one day I can ride along. This is only my 3rd post, Sooooo..... Hey all, my name is Steve, and I'm from the USA. Portuguese by race..! Been married to a Thai lady for better than 20 year's now. Been living in Korat for the past, almost, 3 year's now. When our home sell's we'll be moving to Chiang Rai. The sooner the better..! I enjoy motorcycling and fishing, but as Kevvy already know's, I hav'nt done much of either since I've been here. Getting to know Chiang Rai a little, thank's to those on the forum. I love Thailand, though some day's are better than other's. Hope to meet up with those who don't mind associating with other farang. Both Thai and farang alike..! Until then... so long..!

Phatyanak

I sold my Ninja 650, but while I had it, I really enjoyed all the fantastic mountain roads that make Northern Thailand a riding Mecca. Now I prefer the mountain bike and photography.

Chiang Rai has a lot to offer and I am sure you will find plenty to do up here.

[Trembly]

Sorry for the much belayed reply folks, I don't mean to be rude. Been hella busy, and I ended up getting completely consumed by family stuff while up in Chiang Rai anyway.

Hopefully I'll be up in time for the Chiang Rai - Thai Visa get-together that's bound to happen!

[sceadugenga]

We usually get together at Christmas but if we have enough people around and not busy at the same time there's no reason not to meet up for a coffee.

[villagefarang]

Sorry for the much belayed reply folks, I don't mean to be rude. Been hella busy, and I ended up getting completely consumed by family stuff while up in Chiang Rai anyway.

Hopefully I'll be up in time for the Chiang Rai - Thai Visa get-together that's bound to happen!

Better late than never, but your situation is very understandable.

When planning to visit Chiang Rai people often think they are going to have more time than they do. If you have family in the area, it is very easy to lose track of time. Driving can also take up more time than one expects when exploring the mountains and rivers.

Unless you plan a trip specifically around visiting certain people, like kevjohn did not long ago, it is easy to get too busy and not follow up. It happens more often than you might think.

[gerry1011]

I am not sure how I should introduce myself to newcomers in Chiangrai or on the Chiangrai forum...

I am a happy resident of Chiangrai, who ended up in this region by total coincidence, and have been very lucky to be able to enrich my life here with plenty of positive experiences... For the rest I am not sure where to begin.

But, when it comes to the Chiangrai forum I probably belong to the group of discreet visitors who do not participate much. Maybe too discreet...

Even if I don't post a lot in the Chiangrai forum, I really enjoy to drop by and read the posts.

To me, the atmosphere of the Chiangrai forum is a bit like the way I see our province. Peaceful, friendly and enjoyable.

I don't find the same positive atmosphere of the Chiangrai forum in the other forums.

Could it be because Chiangrai attracts more peaceful and positive people?

It could be. But one sure thing is that a forum like this one needs drivers.

We are very lucky that the Chiangrai forum has nice, positive and friendly drivers who keep up with the good atmosphere... such as Villagefarang.

Without such drivers this local forum would be far less enjoyable.

Sent from my iPhone...

[villagefarang]

I very much appreciate your kind words gerry1011.

I very much think of myself as a co-driver, sharing duties with Sceadugenga and Pomchop. Harrry and Scorpio1945 are usually waiting in the wings with a one-liner at the ready. Many people ask questions but too few give answers. Where do people think the answers come from?

It would be great if more people would step up and create some content but if it is not heartfelt it ends up being nothing more than filler which is not very interesting. However, new guys can really contribute a lot, as they can often relate better to other new guys, since they are going through some of the same stuff.

Just a reminder guys, this forum is not some abstract idea or program, it is us. If you want it to live and prosper, it is up to you to feed it by giving back. I am sure many of you have more to offer than you suspect.

New drivers are always welcome.

[gerry1011]

You are right that this forum is us, and that with more drivers to add interesting content, it would be much more interesting and lively.

However, it is not that easy to achieve. The problem is that most of us see a lot of negativity and extremely mediocre, and many times aggressive or totally unarticulated posts on Thaivisa.

It is very unfortunate since it makes so that many just read but never post, or post very little. Forget about being a forum driver.

Many of us have been discouraged to participate in constructive conversations on the TV forums, which most times end up, or immediately start, in the same negative way. So, members like me also stick to basic posts or do no post at all.

Not everyone was born as wise as you seems to be. This forum would be a wonder if we could get rid of the mediocre negativity.

But then, I guess it would not be "us", human beings, with all our differences...

Sent from my iPhone...

[villagefarang]

Wow, you really seem to get it. I have always said there is room for everyone on this forum as long as we maintain a modicum of civility and decency. Several members have disagreed with that and have flounced off the page, as they seemed to want everything their own way or no way at all.

A little tolerance can go a long way but it seems not everyone is endowed with that capacity. In this polarized world we now live in, there seems little tolerance for difference of opinion, with the less articulate falling back on insult, vulgarity and aggression to fend off ideas they do not understand.

The workings of a forum are very simple, actually. If you want to read more on a particular topic, post about it.

We can cover nuts and bolts question, social networking, literature, history, entertainment, sports, food, you name it. You vote for what you want by posting about it. No one on this forum is going to write lengthy dissertations on what this forum is or is not.

It is your forum, so make it what you want it to be, but please allow others to do the same.

[sceadugenga]

In terms of post count I'm probably one of the senior members here.. (no cracks about age please)... and over the years I've seen many people come and go.

Some I genuinely miss, others not so much.

It's always amazed me that what would be a relatively trivial problem in real life can become a life or death situation on a forum.

Something I've always loathed is when off forum issues are allowed to escalate here while the gleeful mob cheer on the contenders.

Human nature will dictate that some things will be said in anger, or even tongue in cheek and taken the wrong way, but please think twice about how you respond, is it really worth getting yourself further upset by the moderation process?

[Phatyanak]

I totally agree in that, as a newbie to forum's in general, the negative and literally stupid remark's given by many in TV forum's overall, is a turn-off. But as far as I can tell, though I only viewed here a short time before joining, the Chiang Rai Forum is a far cry from the other's I've viewed. The majority of folk's here use common sense in their post's and replies, and are much friendlier toward other's. Villagefarang, sceadugenga and gerry1011 are perfect example's. Class A folk's in my book..!

Phatyanak

Edited October 6, 2013 by onthedarkside
font & colour reformatted

[sceadugenga]

Welcome to the forum Phatyanak and thanks for the kind words.

[boomerangutang]

in the OP, I'm referred to as an environmentalist. I can go with that, thanks. I probably qualify also as one of the most banned in the bunch, but keep coming back, because I like T.Visa overall.

I 1st visited C.Rai nearly 30 years ago. I met an Akha gal in Krabi, and she took me up here, and we stayed most of the time in her village west of Mae Chan. It took me over a decade to move here, and have been here 15 years. Come visit me at the Adventure Park 3 Km NW of town with the name of a primitive Australian weapon (am I allowed to mention its name?). I write books and have produced 2 audio books. I also like growing all sorts of plants. Perhaps we can do some plant trades. Indeed, that's a big part of the reason I moved to C.Rai, was to grow exotic plants.