Hi, I'm guessing there is, but does anyone know of

a music shop in CM area?

I'd be intrested in pricing up the cost of buying a piano

there vis a vis the cost of shipping one of mine here out there.

Any other musos?

play Piano, guitar, accordion, Northumbrian small pipe, orchestral/brass band percussion, sing and conduct a bit.

Any Am Dram societies or amateur orchestras or choirs?

Is there any kind of Thai bagpipe?

Thanks again (sorry, I know, weird questions!)

David

The closest thing to a bagpipe (and still pretty darn far) I can think of in Thai music (actually it is more Lao / Isaan) is the 'khaen', a large type of bamboo 'mouth organ', for which you need to apply circular breathing to play.

Read more at: http://www.ksanti.net/free-reed/essays/khaenlaos.html

There is a great piano shop out towards the train station that has a large assortment of pianos and violins. He also does repair work at a very reasonable rate. The shops name is acoustics and I can probably get you the phone number and address if it is required.

There are also a great number of music stores focusing almost exclusively on guitars. One such is Music Collection located almost opposite Lanna Hospital on the Superhighway (thank you sabaijai - great tip).

There is also a music shop on the Westernmost part of Sri Donchai Rd. (which runs from the South-Eastern corner of the moat, intersects with Changkhlan Rd. (i.e. the Night Bazaar) and stops at the Chedi Hotel near the river. If you are driving along the moat in a North-South direction down from Thapae Gate and the entrance to Loi Kroh Rd., you will turn left into Sri Donchai Rd. when the moat turns right. After some 100-200 meters, you will notice the music shop on your left hand side.

Another shop focusing on guitars is located in Kat Suan Kaew shopping centre, I believe on the same floor as Black Canyon but on the other side of the escalator chasm and past a corner to the left. The owner and his wife are highly talkative.

There is also a music shop around the corner from Piccolo Roma, Turn left at the Chedi hotel and the shop is just up there on the left.

Do any of these places have sheet music? Particularly, sheet music arranged for guitar, preferably in collections (i.e., 1000 Greatest Guitar Pieces), and preferably, for western music.

Most Thai books have only the lyrics, with guitar chords over them, and those aren't good enough. Likewise, I don't care for tabulature books, the ones that describe where to put your fingers.