College connection to Chiang Mai

[Guest]

I just read in the magazine from the college I will be at in the fall that a group from the school has done work in Chiang Mai, and recently helped install a new water tank and filtration system.

Perhaps if this continues, it may be my chance to make it over with a group from school. Of course breaking away and making it to the big city could be an entirely different challenge.

[relpax]

I did a 5 week rotation at a major Bangkok hospital during my first year of residency. I did this mainly because my residency paid me to go to another hospital (and basically spend my money and time exploring LBs). That being said, it is so much easier to just buy a plane ticket and go. What is keeping you from doing that Grunyen?

[Tomcat]

I love those petite white skinned CMai Ladyboys .Its a bit of a drive to BKK but you may find that the local talent is better if you can unearth it. In a car i think its a six hour drive to BKK, maybe more.....

Simon Cabaret is still a main tug for tourists ( if its still there...anyone been lately)

[buttafly]

More like 10, TC

take the overnight train or just fly, it takes an hour and is really cheap

CM USED to have some serious talent but the MonkeyMan seems to think they have all moved to BKK and Pattaya and it's quite a dead zone up there now; even the Simon....again, ask MM, he was there in the winter.

Grunyen....better learn Thai if you want to spend any real time there, it's not the same as Pattaya or BKK in the english-speaking regard.

[Road Runner]

7 hours by car  -  yes I have done it!

I understand the bus is 12-13 hours and the train 12. I think the train is probably the best way to go if you don't want to shell out for the airfare.


The big university to the north west of the city centre used to be a real hot bed of ladyboy activity.
Problem with CM is that you have to get in with one girl up there and then they all start appearing as if by magic.

As Buttafly says you will do much better there if you can speak at least some basic Thai.


RR.

[buttafly]

Thanks, RR....have never driven a car up there, only heard about that 12-hour bus ride from the ladyboys

[Road Runner]

The road between CM and BKK is good and you only hit traffic south of Nakhon Sawan so it's easy to maintain around 100 K/h.

The buses stop just about everywhere on the way down so are never going to match a car.

RR.

[buttafly]

I remember when Ponlien, bless her little ladyboy heart, had her operation in BKK to remove her penis and was discharged 2 days later; and then had to take that 12-hour ride back to her home base! Errr, no matter how smooth that bus ride was, no matter how slow he went, no matter how many bumps there were on the road or not, there is NO WAY that could not have been painful!!

[blairforce1]

(Tomcat @ Jun. 14 2007,20:35) I love those petite white skinned CMai Ladyboys .Its a bit of a drive to BKK but you may find that the local talent is better if you can unearth it. In a car i think its a six hour drive to BKK, maybe more.....

Its only a 1 hour flight and I think Thai Air run flights every hour or so.

[moe666]

Fly!!!!!!!!!! The train ride sucks. If you think you are going to sleep forgetaboutit. The train rattles, clanks and bucks for 12 hours, you will doze a bit but it is not cool at all leave it for the backpackers.

[Guest]

Grunyen. There are a lot of 5 man multi-media companies here who outsource 'hard' work on a project by project basis. Why don't you try out a few projects like that and see if it grows over time? Might help the finances and any future thoughts of visiting or moving. I've tried working with about 6 of these different web companies and they work almost totally on an outsourcing model, outsourcing hard work to farangs, and easier work within Thailand.

[Guest]

(relpax @ Jun. 14 2007,16:41)  That being said, it is so much easier to just buy a plane ticket and go.  What is keeping you from doing that Grunyen?

Thanks Relpax, believe me I would love to.

I've got two more years of school minimum, and then I plan to spend another year on my masters.

I have no income right now, and I'm trying to hold on to my savings as much as possible to pay for school. I've been fortunate enough to get good scholarships so far, and save a lot of my money, but grad school is expensive.

I've had a lot of trouble job hunting. I don't really want to work full time because I want to concentrate on school 100%. I'm not getting any younger, and I want to get this crap over with.

The problem is any McJob I apply for that would be easy, they think I'm overqualified for. All those jobs are geared toward high schools kids with no experience.

I may just end up delivering pizzas a few nights a week, but that will only keep me afloat, I don't think I'll be racking up Thai vacation money.

I do have one scholarship I am waiting to hear about in a month that could pay off hugely. If it does, it may be more than I need for all the rest of my school. That might give me the opportunity to go, but then I'd still have to find some time to break away.

Hey Ziggy, I'm sending you a PM to follow up on what you said. That sounds interesting.

[SamplerDoc]

  Anybody have a good map of LOS that is at least somewhat detailed?  Any online?  To Date I haven't found any.  Thanks Guys  

[Road Runner]

Hello SamplerDoc,

I guess you want one for all of LOS as opposed to just Bangkok.  If so I have never found a decent one either.

You can find online maps for some of the big cities but they vary greatly.
Bangkok is covered several times over  -  the one for Korat only shows about 1/3rd of the city  

There is a decent one for Chiang Mai but I don't have a reference to hand at the moment and I'm just off to bed  

RR.

[PigDogg]

(grunyen @ Jun. 14 2007,12:00) I have no income right now, and I'm trying to hold on to my savings as much as possible to pay for school.

The big expense is the airfare and if one is determined they can fly for free using United Mileage Plus frequent flier miles even if you've never flown before.

It takes 60K miles to fly free.

You get their credit card and get 20K miles.

The folowing year they offer their business credit card. Get maybe another 20K miles.

Put 10K into Fidelity for 9 months earning 5% interest. That'll give 15K miles.

Same same with Ameritrade, 15K miles.

A Netbank savings and checking account with almost no money say a grand, about 10K miles.

That's 80K, 20K more than you need.

Now if this is your one big trip make it good and tack on Bali using no extras miles.