...Ken
-
Posts
84 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Downloads
Posts posted by ...Ken
-
-
I have to go to Mae Sai and back on sunday the 12th of August. Leaving at 08.00 hrs and back in Chiangmai around 16.00 hrs. If anybody needs to do a visa run there's a free seat going..MM
Hello Maejo,
It is a bit late.....never checked prior. My 12 year old daughter and I are going to Chiengsaen Tomorrow. Going to to Jinghong, China.
Quite enjoy a pleaant chat enroute and pay for your fuel.
I'm at the Montri . Room 516
Ken Chaytor
-
I like Chiang Dao Nest. (your first link) But haven't tried any of the other ones. (and probably won't try them on any future trip either).
For the intrepid backwoods travellers like Chanchao you can visit a number of tribal villages surrounding Chiengdao and simply ask to stay the night. Most Lisu villages in the Chiengdao area are quite accomodating and you may find more beginner English speaking Lisu than you will rural Thais. Accomodations are very basic and usually 'with' the family. A one night experience is usually enough.
I understand it is damned cold at the moment, thankfully I left before the cold set in. Probably a fair few "pee phong" aka a red nose that the ghosts like to eat ( Kham Muang) .
.....Ken
-
Every year, North of Chiengmai, there is one month....between Dec. 15 and Jan. 15 when it gets cold. I have huddled around many a Thai campfire in the back yard trying to keep warm both in the evening and the mornings. The 'Musers' have that nice inside warm fire in the wood framed sand box to keep warm and cheery around. ...and that efficient woamn who keeps getting up and applying that piece of Mai Pradoo to smoulder, to keep the edge off, 'till dawn. I never received a satisfactory answer of why Thais remain cold in their houses while the 'Musers' are quite content when it gets cold. The primary Thai response of "not our custom" is the usual refrain.
When I am in my teak house with my wood stove going, the realatives camp out in my front room until it gets late.....however, this isn't too different than sitting around their own back yard campfires...just cleaner. Many years ago when I had a bamboo house and a 'Muser style' camp fire, indoors, my Thai relatives all commented on how pleasant and cheery the winter nights were.
However, they would never put their own heat inside their own homes.
I am wondering if some enterprising Fallang/Thai entrepeneurs can travel the villages in the North and sell cheap Chinese electric heaters ? But, being somewhat familiar with rural Northern Thais........I figure the chances are 50/50. Maybe if you showed up between 6:00 and 10:00 PM , you might stand a chance to make a sale.
...Ken
-
I've found Nassar of 'Sharez Jewelers' on Thapae Road to be one of the most honest gem dealers I've ever encountered. His stones are good quality, and his prices hard to beat unless you're a gem dealer yourself. I've bought a lot of loose stones from him over the past few years, as well as having stones set. All have been at a fraction of their appraised value in the US.
The Fly Fisherman
mongoose, exactly what the fisherman answered. she just wants a few stones. ruby, sapphire etc. semi precious.
perfect. will give it a go. where exactly is sheraz on thapae road?
I have never bought from Sharez, but I used to hire him to appraise rough rubies and spinel. He did give me some good advice early on, which was "just because it is genuine , does not necessarly make it desired". I had been so intent on insuring that the 'thuptiem' was genuine I had picked up some rather homely specimens.
Walking into a stone shop and basically saying I want your best ruby for 3 grand is like walking into a used car dealer and saying give me your best used car for 3 grand.
Buy yourseld a 10 power loupe and a book on how to basically identify the stones you are interested in. Going to the big gems places out in Sankaphaeng is no guarantee of quality either. However, the best way to begin to get an idea of price and quality look at at least 50 different rubies at a full range of prices using your loupe ,after learning how to use it. Ruby is the easiest to separate the obvious fakes because of the so called 'silk' that can easily be seen within the ruby with a ten power loupe. Also look for inclusions. Inclusions are good sign that it is probably authentic. Clour can be changed by heat or radiation, but don't worry about that. Star rubies are quite fantastic but make sure that the 'star' moves about as you move the ruby. Created stars tend to stay at a fixed point and these bogus stars are available in the 'better Sangkhapaeng gem shops. Last point, don't expect that pretty ruby salesgirl to know what she is talking about, she's primarily there to have you looking at her and not what you are buying....talk to the boss in back.
Last comment....It is well accepted that if you are from North America you will get better quality and prices at the Tuscon,Arizona Gem Show than you will (generally) get in Thailand.
...Ken
-
Would anyone here know an American living in the Doi Saket area by the name of Jack Selby ?
I'm only here for a few days and trying to contact him.
Thanks ...Ken
-
[
It might be a good idea to book something in advance. With Ratchapruek the town has seemed really busy the last couple of weeks.
Yes ...I'd agree it is busy.
Since I have never previously needed to make reservations in Thailand I flew into BKK at midnight, called 15 hotels got lucky on the 16 th one. They had one room left. I later found out it was due to the air conditioner being broke. Had to wait only 4 hours to fly on expensive Thai airways on standby. Arrived last Saturday in CM....., no rooms anywhere I could find. Rented a m/c and drove to a friend's house near Ma Malai to sleep on his sofa. Went up to Mae Salong.....all booked up.....rode over to Mae Sai...booked up. Finally landed in Chieng Rai to a good hotel. One sore arse later, but with the holiday ending tomorrow it might be feasible to find a bed in CM.
....Ken
-
You can order cast iron woodstoves, steel woodstoves, pot bellied wood stoves, stone woodstoves, and even the stove kits (cast iron doors, legs, flue pipes, caulking, etc.) to make very nice looking oil drum stoves (even double barrel models!) from Lehman's of Kidron, Ohio. They service the Amish communities with every conceivable non-electric product for the home or farm, and will ship internationally. See their website at http://www.lehmans.com
I've bought many different items from them, and find them to be completely reliable, ship quickly, and have great customer service!
The Fly Fisherman
Looks just what the doctor ordered BUT!!
Yeah.........but DO NOT forget that elbow !
I did manage to find an incredible Thai chap who understood what I rquired and constructed a sheet metal elbow. They have to be able to 'swivel' to line up with the chimney. Not an easy task to hand make.
A good wood stove is one consideration for that one month of cold, but a truck/car heater running off the engine would be another assest that would make night time driving up country a damned site more pleasant. Any of you have heaters in your trucks/cars ?
...Ken
Inexpensive Cast Iron Box Stoves
Heat for under $200
Don't buy one of these cast iron stoves if you desire high quality. They are for places where a cheap stove makes sense: cabin, shop, garage or basement. Not air tight so it burns hotter and faster. Built-in stovepipe damper controls fire. Exempt from EPA requirements. 1-year warranty, imported.
With a $200 price tag plus the $500 shipping charge to Thailand AND the twelve week delivery, would hardly seem a plausable option. Not forgetting the excessive duty on arrival. It would also arrive just in time for the hottest time of the year! The OP is freezing his nuts off now, and needs a quick solution.
There is a company in Chotana that welds and fabricates steel security shutters out of heavy gauge steel, and I'm sure if you gave them a sketch of what you are after, they could come up with what you need. Thais are great at innovation. I'll try and get their exact address for you...MM
-
On a similar note, has anyone got any ideas where to get hold of a cast iron wood burning stove.
I've been unable to find any in Thailand on the internet, they make alot of them in China but only seem to sell them by the container load.
Im thinking a pot bellied stove would be perfect for winter in the mountains.
I had a steel wood stove welded up years ago out of mild steel. It is about 18" x 28". The door is the problem of course, as it won't stay air tight as the mild steel warps a bit with the heat. But it is still quite usable. The biggest problem I had was finding someone who could make sheet metal chimney pipe with the required elbows. We bring it into the house come December and January, when we are there, and then store it under the house for the rest of the year. Damned cosy when it gets down to 6 degrees. I place a few good sized river stones on the top to warm them up before slipping them under the bedcovers.
...Ken
-
San Kham Peng
..Hot Springs...
Dip you toes in the water (sulphur springs) feels great afterwards.
Hmmm, hotsprings.
There is a secret wee hotspring at Ping Koung. Turn LEFT just before the intersection over to Phrowe and into a lane amongst the small cluster of houses that heads to the Maenam Ping.
Not left on the paved road leading towards Nong Oak and Myanmar.
The hotspring is actually in the river's edge. Not overly impressive, but in the middle of a winter evening bring a shovel to dig a trough and with a dozen beer you can lay back and watch the few locals smile at you. The adjacent land is owned by a group of Bangkok doctors who will not sell.
...Ken
-
QUOTE(Blinky Bill @ 2006-10-17 17:59:46)
I have been in Thailand for a long time and personally have never known of anyone who has been "set up" by the police. A few claim to have been but the truth be known they have in fact been involved one way or the other.
Well... Blink,
There was this time......... when a teak deal went sour with a 'forest police' chap and I was forced to 'discredit' his enforcer. I later learned that a .32 is not a good bluffing match against an AK.
We left on a 'holiday' to Tachilek quickly. While gone my brother in law, while out hunting at night saw a light under our house. It was the 'forest police' with his enforcer hiding a wad of opium amongst my floor joists. It all ended with my extended family convincing the enforcer that they would kill his family.
The 'forest policeman' was removed from our district and we all lived happily ever after.
Sure the teak deal through the police was 'grey' but that opium was definitely black.
...Ken
-
The farmers that supply the food (the ones I know) generally grow two crops. One for sale in Chiengmai and one for local consumption. The chemical rich crops go to Chiengmai. Very few rural Thais will buy strawberries, cucumbers, garlic, watermelon......etc. in CM. They know what was sprayed upon it. Although it does look 'picture perfect'.
So what do you suggest to do about vegetables for people who live in Chiang Mai and want to get stuff that isnt as heavily sprayed with pesticides?
Nevermind, It's bullshit. farmers do not grow two crops, they only manage one.. The idea is to take the best looking quality to town to sell, and eat the rest or sell local for very cheap.. Living anywhere still has the same problems...
Hmmm, bullshit eh?
Must be nice sunning yourself on the banks of d' nile.
...Ken
-
I’m shortly moving to Chiang Mai. My experience elsewhere in Thailand is that the 99% of the red meat available at a butcher or open market is pork – beef seems the rarely available 1%. (Restaurants or cooked products of course are a different matter.) Plenty of cows and even goats in the countryside – herds often being walked across fields or along roads - the sole purpose for rearing them I presume is meat, not dairy. Is fresh beef and goat meat readily available in Chiang Mai? Dare I ask about other meats like venison? Or game?
Can I find non-battery chicken or eggs?
Organic vegetables?
I do have a car, and if necessary I’d be prepared to go to the source – in the countryside if necessary.
Would appreciate any information on any of these queries. Thanks a lot.
bhc
Food quality in Chiengmai is exceptionally poor.
The farmers that supply the food (the ones I know) generally grow two crops. One for sale in Chiengmai and one for local consumption. The chemical rich crops go to Chiengmai. Very few rural Thais will buy strawberries, cucumbers, garlic, watermelon......etc. in CM. They know what was sprayed upon it. Although it does look 'picture perfect'.
'Wild boar' is another scam. This is just 'Muser' pig (aka Vietnamese pot belly pig). Hillfolks grow these pigs . Thais won't eat them because of the trichnosis worms. That is why Thais grow their pigs in wood crates off the ground. Not because they are mean and miserly.....but to avoid trichnosis in their pork.
Rice field rats are good to eat. Check out the markets that show 'splayed' rats/frogs/chickens. The splayed ones are to show that the organs are tumor free. The ones that are really disgusting end up in your 'coi tee oh' .
....Ken
-
I would be interested in what ever you find out there [prices and quantaties] and the exact location....if you find it. please post it or pm me.
thanks in advance,
jd
I've just found one shop that sells EPOXY RESIN but it was way too expensive.(1,ooo baht for half a litter!!)
The shop is located near P.R.C(prince royals college) main gate(it's name is "ER" but don't expect it to be written in English, I actually walked in to this shop and asked if they know
You can simply ask people around.
If youre looking for filler, I found EPOXY PUTTY in Global House(newly opened super store similar to Home Pro)and very cheap.
Hope it'd help.
JC
Good epoxy resin is rather dear anywhere. I pay about 3,000 baht for 5 litres in Canada.
If you are building a boat, regardless of size, you do want to use epoxy resin rather than fiberglass resin. Fiberglass resin seldom adheres (long term) properly to wood unless it is supersaturated.
.....Ken
-
Public Health Ministry: two people in Nan died from Leptospriosis
The Ministry of Public Health has indicated that two people in Nan (น่าน) Province died from leptospriosis disease, following the flood situation.
I was interested in leprosy awhile ago........after taking a relative to a leprosy village just past Chieng Dao....because their doctor was more respected than the doctors at the Chieng Dao hospital.
I tell ya....that waiting room was certainly interesting. Nice folks.
From what I understand....the leprosy virus also lives in the soil of Northern Thailand and that is why you should not go bare foot in the rice fields. Seems using a 'rubber' offers all sorts of protection.
...Ken
-
Can anyone recommend a lumber yard that's farang-friendly?
I'd like to build some of my own furniture and stopped by a big lumber yard (behind the BMW dealership on the super highway) yesterday. The service was really bad and the prices seem very high. Took my Thai GF and she said they weren't very helpful in recommending alternative types of wood or answering our other questions. The quote I was given was 124 Bt/meter for 8"x 5/8" "soft wood".
Anyone got a recommendation for a source for lumber - not exotic (not teak)? Am looking for approx. 75 lineal feet of 8" x 5/8".
I can't provide you with a source but I'd suggest that you ask for 'marenti' from Malaysia. It is a pseudo mahoghany and easy to work with. Padauk wood (Mai Pradoo) is not rosewood but passes if you close one eye. It is local and very hard and it polishes up fine. Some hustlers call it Chinese rosewood.
If you cross the bridge and head out towards the train station.....half way out, on your left there is a sawmill. They aren't very friendly either.
I'm sure that Blinky eyed Bill fellow could offer a criticism......or a suggestion.
regards......Ken
-
Those " NO MUSLIMS" signs have been up for the 20 years that I've been living here and I would guess well before that.
I don't have any problem with a business not allowing a__holes on the premises, I object to tarring every member of a nationality or racial or religious group with the same brush.
A sign that says "No Negroes Allowed" is just plain wrong.
You probably remember the "No Jews Allowed" at the Chieng Rai Bier Stubbe. Run by the German ex husband of the Chiengmai Bier Stubbe owner, if I remember correctly.
Rather tacky I agree.
In my experience the Thais don't have anything against Jews but have plenty of anecdotal and first hand negative experiences with Israelis....concerning money. As you know, Foreigners can be forgiven most everything in Thailand . Easier to be a bigot than be miserly.
...Ken
-
Can anyone recommend a decent framing shop that can stretch & frame a 180 x 130cm burmese sequin tapestry (kalaga). Best to use someone who's experienced at this or it will probably end up sagging.
Ta in advance.
Is your 'Burmese' sequin tapestry from Myanmar or a Chiengmai knock off.
The original (50 yrs.) Burmese pieces used small broken pieces of round broken mirror (hand sanded) as the 'sparkle'. If you don't have that.......probably not worth hanging....for another 50 years.
...Ken
-
...Ken
Just a differing opinion, obviously. But you are relying on your feelings it seems, rather than anything 'real'... Were you living here fulltime then?
I have always felt safe here.
My opinions are based on my personal experiences and anecdotal reports from those around me, within a 50 mile radius of Chieng Dao.
Yes, I was living in the wife's village and building up our small farm.
I believe the difference in experiences results from the environments lived in. When your next Fallang neighbour is 50 km away you tend to become more enmeshed in Thai daily life than in Chiengmai. The other rural living expats in our district had very similar experiences to mine.
I believe it goes back to social heirarchy. There are always dominant Thai characters about and if you are an oddity in the social fabric they will seek you out and expect you to acknowledge their position. Most of us have problems with that and that is where the challenges usually begin.
...Ken
-
Rapes/attacks/murders of Fallang were extremely rare 15 plus years ago in Thailand.
I disagree with this. Lets not forget how we hear about such things- through the media and friends. For those here for awhle, they'll have a larger number of friends, and anyone who was living here 15 years ago had NO internet... In my experience, there are around the same number of rapes/attacks/murders for the whole period...
Very pleased to see that you are doing well and we are still at odds.
Let me go back and edit that 'extremely rare' to reasonably rare. You must (?) agree that we had a level of status/respect , in the North, simply because of a commonly held Thai perception that we were of a 'class' apart/above from the average Thai. That perception developed prior to the influx of the great unwashed tourist explosion that started .....1990 (?) and ended, hmmmm...1992 ?
There was also the urban/rural belief that if a Fallang tourist was murdered by a Thai, the Gov't would demand retribution .......swift and mercilessly. Fallang were also protected by the Thai belief that our embassies would force vengeance upon those who committed the attack. We were simply too much trouble to kill. I know that this was the commonly held opinion in the late '80's. I believe that this commonly held belief was a part of tourism promotion by the Thai Government. They had to insure that tourists would know that they would be safe in Thailand.
I remember an altercation with a Hmong chap with a bush knife once. It was over teak of course.
I was able to prevail in this particular situation. Later, when I was trying to understand why the Hmong did not attack me it was explained that the Hmong believed that he could have won if we were on a level playing field...but because I was obviously born with so much luck to have grown large, to not have had my skin grow dark etc. that he thought that my obvious luck was an unfair advantage. Unfortunately.......our 'luck' now offers little tangible advantage in altercations.
Times have changed and the people have also.
It was safer 15 plus years ago...I believe.
...Ken
-
When it comes to tipping in Thailand ....it seems that most tourists and an increasing number of people who stay too long, miss the point of the 'Big Man'. Thais respect the 'Big Man'. The Big Man at the table pays the bill, the big man at the table tips big (with audience attending). The Big Man buys the 'respect' of all Thais around him. The little men OWE the big man. It is all to do with power and control in a class system. You Brits should understand this better than the rest of us.
Many Thais cannot understand the Fallang....when you have the money to be the 'Big Man' why do you act so bleedin' cheap ?
You have to put everything into a cultural context. YOUR opinions don't amount to a pile of dog squat if you are attempting to live in another culture.
Yes.....Thai farmers don't tip.......Thai civil servants seldom tip unless they are trying to get laid for free, but you Fallangland folks are not Thais and are expected to substantiate your position on the Thai social ladder.
Rapes/attacks/murders of Fallang were extremely rare 15 plus years ago in Thailand. The Thais gave us a degree of respect for being 'the big man' simply because we were 'white'. The Thais have since learned through experience that just because we are a Fallang we are not necessarily worthy of THEIR respect.
Being 'kee nee oh' does not make you one of the gang.......it undermines your 'value' in Thai society.
As for christians...they are simply misdirected and deserve no more respect than any fool is due..
...Ken
-
I have avoided this condescending topic......but, bloody 'ell........can't rsist.
Back in '89 a Thai fellow named Dumb (aka 'Dahm') hired another Thai named Nutty (aka 'Nahtti') to kill me. I ended up intimidating Dahm and making a deal with Nhatti .
A stressful time with 'Dumb and Nutty'.....but we are all on speaking terms today.
....Ken
-
Does anyone have a contact for a credentialed counselor (in CM area) with experience in substance abuse/alcohol dependency? Looked on the "I drink too much" board and elsewhere, no luck.
It may not apply to your post directly, but those knowing people with opiate addictions can google the word ibogaine vvand look for the website ibogaine dossiere . It is a drug that comes from the plant 'tabernanthe iboga' in West Africa and has the ability to eliminate physical and psychological withdrawal from opiate addiction without withdrawal distress.
...Ken
-
There is no problem having dual nationality with Thailand but you can meet officers who might not like it too much. The Thai passport alone should have been used for entry into Thailand and the reason for no TM.6 (issued at departure of Thai) the fact that this was her first entry using passport. This is normal for the many passports obtained overseas so should not have been a big problem - even if she had to take it to the next level. But many Thai would prefer to avoid that.
I do not believe she can do anything now at the airport but she should easily obtain a one year extension of stay from immigration Hqs on Soi Suan Plau using her Canadian passport. She will probably have to file out a TM.7 and have a 4x6 cm photo and pay the normal 1,900 baht but it will provide a one year stay (although she should report her address every 90 days if this method is used - unless immigration tells her otherwise).
Lop is correct, she will be able to file for a one year extension based on being a 'former' thai national. This will enable her to stay in Thailand.
In actual fact she is a Thai national, still. But, as lopburi3 has said, it was a case of meeting a Thai official at the airport not knowing the rules. Many many members of this site and their wives do indeed have thai dual nationailty and travel doing the passport swap without any problems whatsoever (I am one of them).
Next time she flies out of the country, she should check out on her Canadian passport, and when returning, use her Thai PP again. If in the unlikely situation she meets an uncooperative official, she should inisist on speaking to a senior offical and asserting her rights. It has happened occasionally to others, and the senior offical will allow her to enter as a Thai, which is her right.
Last time she left Thailand she checked out on her Canadian passport and it was the entering Thailand without a previous 'check out' stamp in her Thai passport that caused the problem.
Not easy for a Thai woman with jet lag at midnight to demand her right to see a senior official.
I wonder if , when she leaves, she can show airline/Thai immigration her Canadian passport for proof of visa not required and have them stamp her Thai passport out ?
The 1 year residency is an option we will look into. The problem is not her Thai citizenship as she can stay forever in Thailand....it is her Canadian passport that will accrue the penalty if it does not leave the kingdom....and wishes to be used in the future to leave/enter Thailand.
She is a polite middle aged woman, so we will see how she does at immigration.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I will post the results.
...Ken
-
Great story, a common one though.
I hope the father, and all those like him some day die a painful slow death for his actions.
"Do bad, get bad"
What I find interesting is that it is usually the mothers who lease their daughters. It appears that the fathers usually only have this option/right if the mother is absent.
When the parent provides their child (property) into debt bondage that child gets a percentage of each service provided, which is either used to pay off the bondage debt, sent home or spent on makeup etc..
I was at a procurement once. The mother was a widowed opium addict with a retarded son and a 13 year old daughter. The mother simply could not provide for her daughter and the son was close to ferral. I remember the negotiations well; the 'agent' was offering to pay 3 baht of gold for the daughter and the Hmong woman insisted on 3 baht of silver because silver in trade for daughters was her custom. She finally accepted the gold. These arrangements, as the op stated, are usually quite contractually 'proper'.
This particular situation was quite tragic, but I have also seen numerous times when village girls
in their teens plot amongst themselves to run off and get rich down south. They are certailny not all victims.
...Ken
Page Of Remembrance
in Chiang Mai
Posted
David Francis died in May of 2008. He lived up past Mae Taeng for over 20 years and wrote sometimes for Good Morning Chiangmai and others.