3 hours ago, hank75 said:

You’re in for a shock when you finally make it to Vietnam 😆

Or India!

3 hours ago, hank75 said:

You’re in for a shock when you finally make it to Vietnam 😆

Uh oh. Why’s that? I still have a curiosity about Vietnam. After I booked most of this trip back this spring I second guessed not including it. It’s just hard to imagine that I would like it as much as I do Thailand though. This is my view right now from the top of my Airbnb. There’s a nice cool breeze. So peaceful. Just had about an hour long conversation with an expat who moved here a year ago. Spends most of his time in Bangkok. Just the same thing I hear from everyone who makes the move: No regrets.

24 minutes ago, Keithambrose said:

Other issue in Surawong is continually whistle blowing mainly self important guys letting traffic in and out of side roads, bur very noticeable.

Yes that is annoying. Noticed that a lot in CM.

19 minutes ago, macaroni21 said:

Or India!

Or China!

5 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

Could very well be my hearing is going. Haha. Too many concerts. I just didn’t notice until yesterday how little I’ve heard sirens on this trip when in the big cities. Seems constant in the US and cities I visited around the world.

Since you like concerts, you should go to Thai rock concerts or at least to pubs with Thai rock bands playing live music. The Thais really know how to rock and roll. I have seen many Tiktok videos of Thai rock concerts (the songs are sung in Thai of course).but I could never convince my guy to go with me. He's Vietnamese and prefers slow Vietnamese love songs. ❤️

54 minutes ago, aaroninatl said:

Uh oh. Why’s that? I still have a curiosity about Vietnam.

Don’t worry I enjoy Vietnam too. Cute boys, great food, good weather, many things to like. I just prefer Thailand more. The one thing I absolutely despise about Vietnam is the incessant honking, the congestion, the complete disregard for traffic rules. Let’s just say crossing Surawong Road in front of Le Meridien, which is already nerve wracking, is far better than crossing any street in Vietnam.

38 minutes ago, hank75 said:

Let’s just say crossing Surawong Road in front of Le Meridien, which is already nerve wracking, is far better than crossing any street in Vietnam.

When I was in Vietnam a local told me how to cross the road when there are hundreds of motorcycles and scooters bearing down on you.

The trick is to step onto the street, look straight ahead and just walk across it. DONT STOP! The locals will simply go around you.

And it worked!

Still, I had the feeling I was taking my life into my hands.

So no need to worry, aaron.

“The trick is to step onto the street, look straight ahead and just walk across it. DONT STOP! The locals will simply go around you.””

This is the way to get across the street in Vietnam. However, it only really works with the motorbikes. If there are cars and trucks in the mix, then it gets far more complicated. They can’t maneuver around you so easily, but they also don’t stop either.

9 minutes ago, Travelingguy said:

“The trick is to step onto the street, look straight ahead and just walk across it. DONT STOP! The locals will simply go around you.””

This is the way to get across the street in Vietnam. However, it only really works with the motorbikes. If there are cars and trucks in the mix, then it gets far more complicated. They can’t maneuver around you so easily, but they also don’t stop either.

Don't tell him that. Don't listen to Travelingguy, a-447. Just cross anywhere, anytime you like without looking left and right. Don't worry; Buddha will protect you, I promise. 🫶

11 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

I was the only one in the place at that hour and they were so sweet. I think my bill was 200 baht and I left 400.

that's throwing money away but nothing wrong with being generous as likely we have it much better that that waitress

in many times when I did bar hopping with forum and non-forum friends in Thailand I got upset with them only twice and situation was identical - drink tab arrived for 400 and they left 100 ( change from 500 ) for the waiter who just brought that drink. Several minutes later there was big cock or f**ck show and how much performers got ? Also 100 which I considered greatly unfair for the boys parading naked for our pleasure. ( 100 for boys is ok but 20 would suffice for waiter, at least it's that what I do)

8 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

they seem to have removed those souped up tuk tuks, that made such a racket? I hope so, they were a real pain. I hope its not just me not noticing!

you are not alone.

generally new generation vehicles are much more quiet. Several years ago when green light flashed on intersection it was racket of all those motorsais taking off like angry wasps. Now it's sooo quiet in comparison

8 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

Will be sure to visit Thong Lor.

Jey Spa is not far from there

4 hours ago, jason1975 said:

I am trying to understand the mute function. If you mute someone, you won't see any of his posts in your forum topic? So you wouldn't know even if he says something bad about you?

correct with exception when somebody will quote that poster in response ( like i did to your post here )

3 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

Just the same thing I hear from everyone who makes the move: No regrets.

people with regrets either moved back or joined local branch of infamous PFC (Pattaya Flying Club)

17 minutes ago, vinapu said:

that's throwing money away but nothing wrong with being generous as likely we have it much better that that waitress

in many times when I did bar hopping with forum and non-forum friends in Thailand I got upset with them only twice and situation was identical - drink tab arrived for 400 and they left 100 ( change from 500 ) for the waiter who just brought that drink. Several minutes later there was big cock or f**ck show and how much performers got ? Also 100 which I considered greatly unfair for the boys parading naked for our pleasure. ( 100 for boys is ok but 20 would suffice for waiter, at least it's that what I do)

I agree with you that waiter whose job only to serve drinks shouldnt get the same tip as the big cock show guys parading their goods. But in ocassion where waiter is more of my type, and the big cock show guy isnt, i might tend to be biased and tips the waiter more, and no tip to the unsolicited big cock guy who come to me. Sad reality but sadly it is a reality.

2 hours ago, a-447 said:

When I was in Vietnam a local told me how to cross the road when there are hundreds of motorcycles and scooters bearing down on you.

The trick is to step onto the street, look straight ahead and just walk across it. DONT STOP! The locals will simply go around you.

And it worked!

I learned the same from locals in Cairo, applied in Vietnam with pleasure and yes , indeed it's how it works . Just go, walk , don't speed up.

Evening fellas... not much to share tonight. Roamed around the old city today, spent sunset at the pool talking fun stuff like visas and healthcare with an expat. Then ended up taking I think Jason's advice and hit up a blues/rock club with the expat and his girlfriend. Good times. Parted ways with them and went to another Muay Thai event next door at the Night Bazaar that was just starting. There was this one boxer who was so my type. Shaggy blond haired guy from I think Austria. Probably not available to be off'd though. Unfortunately there were no mamasans to consult.

12 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

This is my view right now from the top of my Airbnb.

Not sure if you're into visiting Buddhist temples or not. In your first photo, on the right, high up on the mountain, the golden lights are the stupa and buildings of Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, a favorite on the list of must see spots of many visitors to Chiang Mai. Perhaps your friend from Bangkok would like to see it with you when he visits you.

It's easy to reach the mountain temple by shared songtaew (red truck). The departure spot for the shared ride is on Suthep Road, right near the Chiang Mai Zoo. The fare one way is around 60-80 baht. After seeing the temple, the songtaews wait for passengers at the bottom of the stairs, to head back down the mountain.

If you do go, there's a great view overlooking the entire city of Chiang Mai from the temple grounds.

Love it @daydreamer thx. I haven’t really started looking at things to do once he gets here. That sounds like a win. I’ve been to a couple temples but other than that, not much touristy stuff. Just neighborhood visits. If it ends up being Chiang Mai, it’s going to be Nimman for sure. So I’m gonna have a little fun now. Today I’m doing the super touristy elephant sanctuary visit.

11 minutes ago, daydreamer said:

Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, a favorite on the list of must see spots of many visitors to Chiang Mai. Perhaps your friend from Bangkok would like to see it with you when he visits you.

Seconded, great idea. While Bangkok has amazing rooftop views there’s really something about seeing an expanse of city ringed by mountains. Thanks for sharing pics.

Another excursion option is a day trip to Mon Jam or Mae Kampong. Mon Jam has beautiful views, flower gardens, animal farms and a great lookout point at Skywalk Monjam (complete with Buddha Hand for a photo op). When I was there, I was lucky enough to come across some local hill tribe festivity with a small street market and wooden go karts, so we took a spin with the local boys.

I did doi inthanon visit, and coupled it with par chor canyon in mae wang national park. There are several waterfalls too. Advisable to hire a car and guide (i used woody)

For doi suthep, i used the seongthaw. U can take the red seongthaw from across the north of old city gate to the zoo to get to another one that will take you to the temple. It can be a while to get going as they will wait until the seongthaw is full before depart especially during low season. Another option is to negotiate with the driver to take you up as private hire.

30 minutes ago, daydreamer said:

In your first photo, on the right, high up on the mountain, the golden lights are the stupa and buildings of Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, a favorite on the list of must see spots of many visitors to Chiang Mai...

Agreed. Doi Suthep temple sits atop Doi Suthep or Suthep Mountain, one of the highest peaks in the north. It's probably the most famous tourist spot in Chiang Mai; didn't any of your social media influencers tell you about it? Favourite times to go are early morning when the air is fresh and cool and you can see the morning dew on the leaves and blooming petals or just before sunset, which is popular with couples.

48 minutes ago, daydreamer said:

It's easy to reach the mountain temple by shared songtaew (red truck). The departure spot for the shared ride is on Suthep Road, right near the Chiang Mai Zoo. The fare one way is around 60-80 baht. After seeing the temple, the songtaews wait for passengers at the bottom of the stairs, to head back down the mountain.

If you do go, there's a great view overlooking the entire city of Chiang Mai from the temple grounds.

There are several ways to get to Doi Suthep. One is as daydreamer suggested (and if you're in the area you might want to visit the zoo at the foot of the mountain). You can also hire a red songtaew from Changpueak Gate, which is the north gate of the old city you went to. Note that these shared songtaews only go when it's full or when the driver has met his quota. Of course you can charter the whole songtaew for a negotiated price. Some people struggle getting on and getting off them so worth bearing this in mind if you have weight or mobility issues, get tired easily or are easily irritable.

Another more convenient way and one which I think you'd like is to hire a Grabcar which will cost about 400 to 500 Baht from your accommodation although prices may have gone up now since the illegal American invasion of Iran.

I've been up Doi Suthep by car, songtaew and my current favourite, on a big bike driven by my partner. Nothing beats the feeling of the wind blowing on my face and it's fun being able to stop at the various viewpoints and waterfalls on the way up. The only sad part is that people won't be able to see the Hermes headscarf under my helmet but at least I get to wear my Jackie O sunnies - oops, sorry, I know you disapprove of these non-butch, non-macho moments. 🙏🏻

There is a very long flight of stairs to reach the temple but not to worry, there's an elevator type thingy that goes to the top if you have weight and mobility issues. You need to buy a ticket and pay an entrance fee.

Dress - this is very important when visiting temples and royal grounds - and degree of enforcement varies with the temple. For Doi Suthep temple, no tank tops, no sleeveless shirts, no shorts for men. Shirts or t-shirts with sleeves and long pants only. I personally prefer light linen and cottons - nothing heavy that will stink when one sweats like jeans.🤮

Lastly food - and I know you've been waiting for this - sorry there are no 7-11s but there are stalls selling drinks and snacks at the foot of the temple so don't worry, you won't go hungry. I suggest you try the local coffee from the stalls and their steamed desserts. The local chains like Roastniyom are fine - have you tried their brownies? - but you might want to let your pink dollar (oops, sorry, another gay reference!) trickle down to the street hawkers, many of whom are hilltribe native to the area.

As for the views of and from Doi Suthep, it really depends on the time of day and year. On a clear, non-cloudy day the view of the city from Doi Suthep is fantastic and the mountain looks majestic from the city as its great protector. But during the burning season the mountain is hidden by smoke and haze for about two months and sadly some of the burning is on the mountain itself and one can see spots of the hill forests burning from the city

There are a lot more things to see on Doi Suthep and different ways of enjoying it but they'll have to wait as I've got some gay errands to attend to. 🫢 Enjoy your day, you big macho stud you! Grrrr. 💪🤭

1 hour ago, aaroninatl said:

Love it @daydreamer thx. I haven’t really started looking at things to do once he gets here.

If you're looking for something else to do, there are a couple really popular walking street night markets every weekend. The largest one is on Sunday evenings, and stretches along the main east-west road in the old walled city, beginning at ThaPae Gate, and going west all the way to Wat Phra Singh. The market also extends into side streets.

Wats along the route open their grounds to become large open-air food courts. There is no alcohol available at these food courts, as they are inside temple grounds.

Very popular with both locals and tourists. Vendors sell a wide variety of prepared foods, handicrafts, artwork, souvenirs, etc.

On Saturday evenings, there is a similar walking street market at Wua Lai Road, beginning at Chiang Mai Gate, at the southern end of the moat.

It's worth a couple hours either night to eat, shop, and soak up the local Lanna festive atmosphere. The markets both begin about 5 PM, and wind down by about 10 PM.

Here's another suggestion.

I took a long-tail boat up the river to a raft hotel.

As the name suggests, your room in on a raft on the edge of the river.

During the day I went for a walk into the jungle, where I came across an elementary school. It was just a simple gazebo with a thatched roof. The teacher only had a blackboard and the kids didn't have any writing equipment at all - no paper, no pencils.

The little kids were absolutely delightful. They waved and smiled and seemed so happy.

There was also an elephant sanctuary.

'Look at all the bamboo! Where are the pandas?' asked an American lady.

6 minutes ago, a-447 said:

Look at all the bamboo! Where are the pandas?' asked an American lady.

And what happened next, Miss Nancy?

Please don't keep us waiting, Nancy Drew!