AFIAK Medicare provides no foreign coverage. My wife has a medicare advantage plan that does provide reimbursement for emergency situations abroad, but only what they would have paid here.
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Features
Driving around Chiang Mai
- Thread starter Swammerdami
- Start date
Tharmas
Veteran Member
Medicare supplemental plan F provides emergency coverage for individuals who happen to be abroad, but only up to $50,000. I don't know if that's lifetime or per occurrence. Unfortunately, Plan F was discontinued for recipients who qualified for Medicare after 2020.
Copernicus
Industrial Grade Linguist
OTOH, medical care in many foreign countries is so much cheaper than in the US and many retirees really don't need to rely on Medicare as much as Americans back home do.
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
Bangkok has two excellent hospitals that cater to "medical tourists." They look like 5-star hotels; the one where my cardiologist works has a grand piano and pianist in the lobby! The total bill for my cardiac stent surgery 18 years ago was $8500. Most of that was for the stent itself. I arrived at the hospital in VERY bad shape, on the verge of failure. (It was only after they'd confirmed via angiogram that I needed a stent that he discussed choices. A "non-coated" stent would have been MUCH cheaper, but I decided to go for the top-of-the-line stent.) What would it cost for an uninsured person to install a stent in the U.S. 18 years ago? (I think prices have gone up here; a new stent might be double what I paid 18 years ago.)
More recent;y I stopped at a public hospital just to buy some meds, mentioned that I'd had slight chest pain; they rushed me to ER for an EKG. Later when I was paying for my meds, the doctor rushed up — He'd overlooked that I was a foreigner so the EKG was not free. I had to pay $8 or something. Can you get an $8 EKG in the states?
(I have no insurance here. The prices I quote are total, not just co-pays.)
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
Today is Chinese New Year, one of FOUR New Years celebrated in Thailand. It is not a banking holiday here, nor particularly relevant to non-Chinese, but a very large portion of Thais (especially the well-to-do) are ethnic Chinese. Some uniformed female employees wear Chinese garb during this celebration, or at least wear red.
Chinese New Year is a multi-day affair, but the details vary from country to country. In Thailand it is a 3-day holiday with the 3rd day (today, the 22nd) coinciding with the New Moon. The three days are called Wan Jai, Wan Wai (or Wan Kin), Wan Thiao — Shopping Day, Worshiping (or Eating) Day, Visiting Day.
Chinese New Year is sometimes called Spring Festival. January may seem rather early to be called "Spring." I only wish. Winter seems to be over; heat is coming; I think we'll need a trip to mountains just to try out my pretty warm jacket!
The other three New Years celebrated here — each much bigger events than the Chinese New Year — are
* Loy Krathong/Yi Peng — Full Moon of the 12th lunar month, usually* 74 days before Chinese New Year (* - always? I'm not sure; the Chinese and Thai lunar calendars operate differently)
* January 1
* Songkran — New Year on the ancient Thai solar calendar: April 13-15. This is by far the biggest holiday here. In Chiang Mai you will often hear "Happy New Year" on this holiday, but the association isn't usually made in rural Central Thailand.
Chinese New Year is a multi-day affair, but the details vary from country to country. In Thailand it is a 3-day holiday with the 3rd day (today, the 22nd) coinciding with the New Moon. The three days are called Wan Jai, Wan Wai (or Wan Kin), Wan Thiao — Shopping Day, Worshiping (or Eating) Day, Visiting Day.
Chinese New Year is sometimes called Spring Festival. January may seem rather early to be called "Spring." I only wish. Winter seems to be over; heat is coming; I think we'll need a trip to mountains just to try out my pretty warm jacket!
The other three New Years celebrated here — each much bigger events than the Chinese New Year — are
* Loy Krathong/Yi Peng — Full Moon of the 12th lunar month, usually* 74 days before Chinese New Year (* - always? I'm not sure; the Chinese and Thai lunar calendars operate differently)
* January 1
* Songkran — New Year on the ancient Thai solar calendar: April 13-15. This is by far the biggest holiday here. In Chiang Mai you will often hear "Happy New Year" on this holiday, but the association isn't usually made in rural Central Thailand.
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
I'd hoped this might develop into an interesting discussion of Chiang Mai, or even Thailand in general. Perhaps the "Driving" in thread title was a poor choice.
But even though I love Chiang Mai in several ways, Driving is interesting to talk about!
Many foreigners (tourists and long-term stayers) live in or near the charming Old City of Chiang Mai. Today I walked a lane I've never walked before: filled with dozens of very small shops: restaurants, cannabis, hair and nail, tattooes, massage, coffee, etc. Much of the lane is brick-paved: I should have taken a photo. Take it on foot, bicycle or motorcycle though you'll want to avoid outdoors when it's raining, smoke-polluted or very hot. Cars are allowed on the lane. It's two-way, though cooperation is needed if oppositely-headed cars pass each other. One tourist spent ten very happy days in the Old City and then en route to Airport, was surprised to learn that there was much more to this city than just the square-mile inside Moon Muang Road!
Plenty of such lanes in the Old City, or elsewhere in Chiang Mai. Older and/or more affluent foreigners frequent the Nimman area to the west of Old City.
I do take some photos on my phone, but not worth the bother of transferring to laptop. A sign outside a largish hotel said "Vocancy since 1957."
Thailand has developed significantly over the past decades. As just one example, rural towns once featured crackpot doctors and uncredentialed pill shops. Now pharmacies and many other businesses are regulated intensively. But because of this development, some of Thailand's uniquenesses abate. The following driving anecdotes are from 25 years ago.
Oversimplifying a bit, there are three types of driver:
(1) Bangkok driver. These guys and gals travel at high-speed on BKK's elevated (toll) expressway. When their lane is disappearing (without warning!) instead of slowing to merge, they race to get ahead of the driver blocking their required lane change. Because of the toll, taxis always ask permission to use the expressway. I size up the driver and usually say No. I think many of these drivers learned to drive with Grand Theft Auto or such.
I observed much driving in rural Thailand, or on the Asia Highway1 and could guess who had Bangkok plates: They traveled much faster than rural drivers.
True story:
Once, northbound on the Asia Highway I was in the passing lane going 75 mph alongside a truck going 65 mph. (Even the truck was technically over the speed limit, but speeds were monitored only at very few well-known stations.) Glancing in the rear-view mirror I saw two small sedans coming up fast. I like to be a cooperative driver, so hesitated for a second. Should I speed up and pull in front of the truck? Or slow, and get in behind him?
It was already too late. I think the two cars must have been doing 150 mph2 or thereabouts! They were past me in almost the blink of an eye, and soon gone in the distance ahead. There are only two northbound lanes at that point in the Highway, but were momentarily four abreast! One speeding car passed in the left gravel shoulder on the left; the other in the narrow dirt shoulder on the right. These were simply too fast to get a look at the driver but on another occasion I glimpsed a driver doing 125 mph or so. She was young and pretty, wearing a business suit.
The saving grace in Bangkok is that traffic jams keep traffic slow, as long as you avoid the Expressway. These repressed drivers, already perturbed by Bangkok life, "put the pedal to the metal" on the low-traffic rural roads.
Notes:
1. The Asia Highway is a planned route from Singapore to Beijing. In Thailand it refers to the leg from Bangkok to Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai.
2. We use kph of course, but I have divided speed estimates by 1.609344 for Anglophonic metrico phobes.
(2) Rural drivers. Some drove down the middle of a two-lane road, as "that's the safest place." Another True Story:
My crummy used car needed repairs and it was my responsibility to buy the replacement parts. This required a visit to the big city more than a hour away. A neighbor agreed to be paid to drive me in his pickup, but when we got to the big city he insisted that I look for a parts store only along the Highway. He refused to enter the city as he couldn't cope with traffic lights.
(3) Chiang Mai drivers. Hats off! to Chiang Mai drivers who must contend with motorcycles, narrow lanes, labyrinthine routing, difficult turns and so on.
All for now.
But even though I love Chiang Mai in several ways, Driving is interesting to talk about!
Many foreigners (tourists and long-term stayers) live in or near the charming Old City of Chiang Mai. Today I walked a lane I've never walked before: filled with dozens of very small shops: restaurants, cannabis, hair and nail, tattooes, massage, coffee, etc. Much of the lane is brick-paved: I should have taken a photo. Take it on foot, bicycle or motorcycle though you'll want to avoid outdoors when it's raining, smoke-polluted or very hot. Cars are allowed on the lane. It's two-way, though cooperation is needed if oppositely-headed cars pass each other. One tourist spent ten very happy days in the Old City and then en route to Airport, was surprised to learn that there was much more to this city than just the square-mile inside Moon Muang Road!
Plenty of such lanes in the Old City, or elsewhere in Chiang Mai. Older and/or more affluent foreigners frequent the Nimman area to the west of Old City.
I do take some photos on my phone, but not worth the bother of transferring to laptop. A sign outside a largish hotel said "Vocancy since 1957."
Thailand has developed significantly over the past decades. As just one example, rural towns once featured crackpot doctors and uncredentialed pill shops. Now pharmacies and many other businesses are regulated intensively. But because of this development, some of Thailand's uniquenesses abate. The following driving anecdotes are from 25 years ago.
Oversimplifying a bit, there are three types of driver:
(1) Bangkok driver. These guys and gals travel at high-speed on BKK's elevated (toll) expressway. When their lane is disappearing (without warning!) instead of slowing to merge, they race to get ahead of the driver blocking their required lane change. Because of the toll, taxis always ask permission to use the expressway. I size up the driver and usually say No. I think many of these drivers learned to drive with Grand Theft Auto or such.
I observed much driving in rural Thailand, or on the Asia Highway1 and could guess who had Bangkok plates: They traveled much faster than rural drivers.
True story:
Once, northbound on the Asia Highway I was in the passing lane going 75 mph alongside a truck going 65 mph. (Even the truck was technically over the speed limit, but speeds were monitored only at very few well-known stations.) Glancing in the rear-view mirror I saw two small sedans coming up fast. I like to be a cooperative driver, so hesitated for a second. Should I speed up and pull in front of the truck? Or slow, and get in behind him?
It was already too late. I think the two cars must have been doing 150 mph2 or thereabouts! They were past me in almost the blink of an eye, and soon gone in the distance ahead. There are only two northbound lanes at that point in the Highway, but were momentarily four abreast! One speeding car passed in the left gravel shoulder on the left; the other in the narrow dirt shoulder on the right. These were simply too fast to get a look at the driver but on another occasion I glimpsed a driver doing 125 mph or so. She was young and pretty, wearing a business suit.
The saving grace in Bangkok is that traffic jams keep traffic slow, as long as you avoid the Expressway. These repressed drivers, already perturbed by Bangkok life, "put the pedal to the metal" on the low-traffic rural roads.
Notes:
1. The Asia Highway is a planned route from Singapore to Beijing. In Thailand it refers to the leg from Bangkok to Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai.
2. We use kph of course, but I have divided speed estimates by 1.609344 for Anglophonic metrico phobes.
(2) Rural drivers. Some drove down the middle of a two-lane road, as "that's the safest place." Another True Story:
My crummy used car needed repairs and it was my responsibility to buy the replacement parts. This required a visit to the big city more than a hour away. A neighbor agreed to be paid to drive me in his pickup, but when we got to the big city he insisted that I look for a parts store only along the Highway. He refused to enter the city as he couldn't cope with traffic lights.
(3) Chiang Mai drivers. Hats off! to Chiang Mai drivers who must contend with motorcycles, narrow lanes, labyrinthine routing, difficult turns and so on.
All for now.
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
I posted preceding because I witnessed courtesy and wanted to further compliment Chiang Mai drivers. But I got so wrapped up in the amusing(?) anecdotes about Bangkok and rural drivers, I forgot about the U-turns.
To go from Old City to our house we must make a U-turn on a busy road. If we stop at the Big-C on way home we make one of FOUR other U-turns. (Which U-turn depends on traffic: we need to cross 3 lanes to take the most direct U-turn, cross 2 lanes for 2nd-best U; and so on.) In high-traffic conditions, queueing for these U-turns backs up a lane of traffic, exacerbating any jam.
But Thai drivers sympathize and stop, when queue is long, for the U-turners even though it costs us most of a minute. Today, in rain, I stopped with others to let ten U-turners make their turn. Half a kilometer later, other drivers stopped to let me (and several others) make my U-turn.
To go from Old City to our house we must make a U-turn on a busy road. If we stop at the Big-C on way home we make one of FOUR other U-turns. (Which U-turn depends on traffic: we need to cross 3 lanes to take the most direct U-turn, cross 2 lanes for 2nd-best U; and so on.) In high-traffic conditions, queueing for these U-turns backs up a lane of traffic, exacerbating any jam.
But Thai drivers sympathize and stop, when queue is long, for the U-turners even though it costs us most of a minute. Today, in rain, I stopped with others to let ten U-turners make their turn. Half a kilometer later, other drivers stopped to let me (and several others) make my U-turn.
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
Like most great cities, Chiang Mai is renowned for its food. My son's birthday so we went to Patus Pasta (which has several exquisite non-pasta dishes). I've promoted it to be My Favorite Restaurant in the World! (Admittedly I've never been a gourmet diner.) We paid the equivalent of $40 US for four people -- How does that compare with good restaurants in the U.S.A.?
The restaurant is a shortish walk from the U.S. Consulate General, a compound of about 3.5 acres(?) surrounded by a very tall wall. The U.S. is preparing a new Consulate General 1.5 miles to the East, 6.6 acres. ( I don't know what will happen to the present site: 3.5 acres in the heart of the city must be worth a pretty penny with or without the tall wall.)
The restaurant is a shortish walk from the U.S. Consulate General, a compound of about 3.5 acres(?) surrounded by a very tall wall. The U.S. is preparing a new Consulate General 1.5 miles to the East, 6.6 acres. ( I don't know what will happen to the present site: 3.5 acres in the heart of the city must be worth a pretty penny with or without the tall wall.)
LoAmmo
Member
I tried driving around Chiang Mai, but after about an hour of, “turn left here,” “take this exit, no this one,” “couldn’t you find a route with MORE traffic?,” I was like, bitch, just walk, or get an Uber.
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
I turn on Google Maps, but am still likely to get lost in the labyrinths. And Google doesn't understand that I'm not trying to drive to the restaurant, but rather to the nearest free parking space.
One GOOD thing about Google Maps is that it doesn't recommend some of the shortcuts that the taxi drivers know about, e.g. to save a half-mile and congestion when approaching Floating Fortune Road from the South. Those (little-used!) short-cuts involve driving on TWO-way roads wide enough only for ONE-way traffic.
One GOOD thing about Google Maps is that it doesn't recommend some of the shortcuts that the taxi drivers know about, e.g. to save a half-mile and congestion when approaching Floating Fortune Road from the South. Those (little-used!) short-cuts involve driving on TWO-way roads wide enough only for ONE-way traffic.
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
Chiang Mai Int'l Airport is closed this evening, from fear that hundreds of thousands of tiny lights will confuse pilots attempting a landing.
Chiang Mai celebrates BOTH the Loy Krathong River Lantern Festival and the Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival, on the same day; or rather 3-day period: Major festivity here, though it's not a government or bank holiday. My daughter doesn't want to participate in polluting the Ping River, so we will "float our wreathes" on-line, clicking to watch our avatar-wreath interact with other avatar wreathes!
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Are parking spaces in Thailand narrower than those in the U.S.? Yesterday, after using multiple manoeuvres to park, I looked at the other cars in the almost completely-full lot. Every car was perfectly centered between its two guide lines. (This is in stark contrast to parking habits in the rest of Thailand, though there's been much improvement in recent decades.) I often complained about drivers when I lived in rural Thailand. Here: Hats off in admiration!
I'm bumping the thread to ask for more questions and discussion of Chiang Mai. One of the most notable things is the sheer beauty of the people here, especially female people. I think there's little doubt that the average female pulchritude here exceeds that of any other large city; this is true whether average is defined to be mode, median, or arithmetic, geometric or harmonic mean. The city is famed worldwide for this. Many of the city's beautiful women leave to seek fortune in Bangkok, Tokyo, Singapore, Dubai etc. but -- although I've not fashioned a Google query to confirm this -- I'm confident that despite this exodus Chiang Mai still stands at #1 in the world by this criterion, at least among largish cities.
Chiang Mai celebrates BOTH the Loy Krathong River Lantern Festival and the Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival, on the same day; or rather 3-day period: Major festivity here, though it's not a government or bank holiday. My daughter doesn't want to participate in polluting the Ping River, so we will "float our wreathes" on-line, clicking to watch our avatar-wreath interact with other avatar wreathes!
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Are parking spaces in Thailand narrower than those in the U.S.? Yesterday, after using multiple manoeuvres to park, I looked at the other cars in the almost completely-full lot. Every car was perfectly centered between its two guide lines. (This is in stark contrast to parking habits in the rest of Thailand, though there's been much improvement in recent decades.) I often complained about drivers when I lived in rural Thailand. Here: Hats off in admiration!
I'm bumping the thread to ask for more questions and discussion of Chiang Mai. One of the most notable things is the sheer beauty of the people here, especially female people. I think there's little doubt that the average female pulchritude here exceeds that of any other large city; this is true whether average is defined to be mode, median, or arithmetic, geometric or harmonic mean. The city is famed worldwide for this. Many of the city's beautiful women leave to seek fortune in Bangkok, Tokyo, Singapore, Dubai etc. but -- although I've not fashioned a Google query to confirm this -- I'm confident that despite this exodus Chiang Mai still stands at #1 in the world by this criterion, at least among largish cities.
bilby
Fair dinkum thinkum
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Last night, I got stuck following a house along Toohey Road at Tarragindi. It knocked over a (small) tree on its right, while attempting to pass a parked car on its left; And then the escorts spent about ten minutes dismantling part of the traffic lights at the intersection of Marshall Road, because the two-lane separation between them was slightly less than the width of the building.
I was on time when I first caught up to them; three hundred metres later, I was running twenty minutes late, and at risk of exceeding my statutory fatigue management drive time limit.
I had to transfer my passengers to the following service (which had caught up, and was literally right behind me), and go directly back to the depot via the busway, instead of completing my route. I made it back exactly at my scheduled time, despite having taken a massive shortcut.
It's not uncommon for people to move entire houses here. There's even a used house lot next to the Bruce Highway, where people can go and pick out a house, to be delivered to wherever they want it.
Needless to say, they can easily take up all of a nominally two-way road, plus a fair bit of overhang on both sides.
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
I've been complimenting Chiang Mai drivers, and Chiang Mai governance more generally on the smoothness of traffic, despite the labyrinths, narrow lanes, zig-zags and interesting U-turns.
But I must make a partial retraction.
The city -- especially the Old City -- is riddled with big holes, mostly because of a major campaign to move electric wires to underground. They tear up one big hole, operate there for a few days, fill it in, make a new hole a bit further on. When the hole closes a lane they put up orange-colored plastic barriers. Driving becomes a zig-zag between the holes. Once, presented with a large number of such barriers ahead, I even rolled down the window to ask another driver whether I could get through. (Many of these half-blocked roads are 2-way roads, but we make do with courtesy and cleverness.) Google maps knows, indirectly, about much of this. (I'd be helpless without Google Maps unless I stick to the few routes I'm very familiar with.)
The holes come and go so quickly, that I've wondered about the engineering. How much new structural support is needed to make the road usable again, after being torn up and quickly refilled? These holes are NOT small -- about the size of a car. I've assumed that if the road appears covered and the orange barriers are gone, then the road is safe for traffic. Gullible me.
Today I learn that several cars traveling over newly replaced road have been breaking through the thin surface and falling into the hole!
(I guess these thin surfaces are temporary, and the road is reconstructed properly after a day or two. But shouldn't they be marked as Do Not? Perhaps they're OK for very light cars and heavy cars are supposed to be smart?)
This may add to my incentives to abandon self-driving and switch to taxis.
But I must make a partial retraction.
The city -- especially the Old City -- is riddled with big holes, mostly because of a major campaign to move electric wires to underground. They tear up one big hole, operate there for a few days, fill it in, make a new hole a bit further on. When the hole closes a lane they put up orange-colored plastic barriers. Driving becomes a zig-zag between the holes. Once, presented with a large number of such barriers ahead, I even rolled down the window to ask another driver whether I could get through. (Many of these half-blocked roads are 2-way roads, but we make do with courtesy and cleverness.) Google maps knows, indirectly, about much of this. (I'd be helpless without Google Maps unless I stick to the few routes I'm very familiar with.)
The holes come and go so quickly, that I've wondered about the engineering. How much new structural support is needed to make the road usable again, after being torn up and quickly refilled? These holes are NOT small -- about the size of a car. I've assumed that if the road appears covered and the orange barriers are gone, then the road is safe for traffic. Gullible me.
Today I learn that several cars traveling over newly replaced road have been breaking through the thin surface and falling into the hole!
(I guess these thin surfaces are temporary, and the road is reconstructed properly after a day or two. But shouldn't they be marked as Do Not? Perhaps they're OK for very light cars and heavy cars are supposed to be smart?)
This may add to my incentives to abandon self-driving and switch to taxis.
Elixir
Made in America
Since you put “self driving” and “taxis” in the same sentence, I have to wonder…
They prob’ly don’t have a lot of self driving taxis trying to navigate the urban obstacle course, eh?
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
I've been remiss about posting to this thread. In part that's because my response to "Driving in Chiang Mai" is
Seriously, if you visit Chiang Mai, room in the same neighborhood you want to browse. Or rent a motorbike for easy navigation and parking. (I do not, "A man has to know his limitations." My deteriorating and easily distracted brain is barely able to drive a 4-wheeler safely.)
I could make some interesting posts if I used my camera regularly. Two days ago, a taxi took me along a lane so narrow there were only a few inches separating us from the building wall on the left, and only a few inches separating us from the building wall on the right! To confirm what I already knew I asked the driver "This is a 2-way street, right?" He grinned and nodded. Google Maps is somehow smart enough not to recommend such lanes. I find them absolutely amazing. They are ridiculously narrow even for one-way; that they are two-way and have no warning signs seems utterly absurd.
Before there was Google Maps, some people might have used an engraved map of the Old City area (labyrinth) on display at the Tha Phae Gate plaza.
I've drawn a red arrow pointing to afore-mentioned one-way lane. Other lanes in the area are just as precarious.
Don't.
Yesterday I drove to one of my favorite breakfast spots, dodging traffic jams and going out of my way so I could approach from the East. (It being an odd-numbered day, parking would be disallowed on the street's North side.) Finally there, it turned out there were zero parking spaces within hundreds of yards. I gave up, deciding to return by taxi if at all.Seriously, if you visit Chiang Mai, room in the same neighborhood you want to browse. Or rent a motorbike for easy navigation and parking. (I do not, "A man has to know his limitations." My deteriorating and easily distracted brain is barely able to drive a 4-wheeler safely.)
I could make some interesting posts if I used my camera regularly. Two days ago, a taxi took me along a lane so narrow there were only a few inches separating us from the building wall on the left, and only a few inches separating us from the building wall on the right! To confirm what I already knew I asked the driver "This is a 2-way street, right?" He grinned and nodded. Google Maps is somehow smart enough not to recommend such lanes. I find them absolutely amazing. They are ridiculously narrow even for one-way; that they are two-way and have no warning signs seems utterly absurd.
Before there was Google Maps, some people might have used an engraved map of the Old City area (labyrinth) on display at the Tha Phae Gate plaza.
I've drawn a red arrow pointing to afore-mentioned one-way lane. Other lanes in the area are just as precarious.
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
Sometimes English text doesn't read exactly as the writer intended. Assuming "vocancy" is a misspelling of "vacancy", does it seem odd that the hotel is advertising it has had one since 1957?
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
Thais like to party! Farang holidays like Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's Day are all observed, as are THREE New Years' Days -- Four if you include Loy Krathong, celebrating the final Full Moon in the ancient Thai Lunar calendar.
The Year of the Dragon begins in six days. Yesterday I noticed they are constructing a bamboo dragon on the ground floor of the Central Airport (shopping) Plaza.
You see workers tying little pieces of bamboo together at the bottom of 2nd image, I wish I'd dropped by a day or two ago -- How much of the giant dragon was assembled on-site?
The Tha Phae Gate plaza, perhaps the quintessential Chiang Mai venue for taking photos, etc., is continually being decorated and redecorated for various reasons. I took photos there a year ago when we were ushering in the Year of the Rabbit:
The Year of the Dragon begins in six days. Yesterday I noticed they are constructing a bamboo dragon on the ground floor of the Central Airport (shopping) Plaza.
You see workers tying little pieces of bamboo together at the bottom of 2nd image, I wish I'd dropped by a day or two ago -- How much of the giant dragon was assembled on-site?
The Tha Phae Gate plaza, perhaps the quintessential Chiang Mai venue for taking photos, etc., is continually being decorated and redecorated for various reasons. I took photos there a year ago when we were ushering in the Year of the Rabbit:
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
I'm not sure whether this is funny enough to post, but the sign on the green plank translates as "This car is green." (Literally translated word-by-word as "Car classifier this color green.")
No, that does NOT mean that this "baht-bus" is environmentally friendly. It means that, despite the yellow color, this baht-bus follows the route of green-colored baht-buses.
No, that does NOT mean that this "baht-bus" is environmentally friendly. It means that, despite the yellow color, this baht-bus follows the route of green-colored baht-buses.
Jarhyn
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@Swammerdami I would visit, but sadly Thailand is a... Let's just say that as an adult with a penis who is involved in kink communities, my reputation would not survive the visit.
Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
If you're alluding to sex tourism, I'm afraid that aspect of Thailand is greatly exaggerated. Especially regarding "normal" cities like Chiang Mai in contrast to the infamous Pattaya.
I'm rather certain that the size of the "adult entertainment industry" is MUCH huger in the U.S. than in Thailand.