Bob

I've never understood why some people get a bit ruffled when one calls the free 30-day stamp you get a visa. A visa, under any reasonable dictionary definition you can find anywhere, is written permission to stay within a country and that's exactly what the free 30-day stamp does. The practical difference between, let's say, between a 60-day Tourist Visa or a 60/90 day Non-Immigrant visa that one obtains in your home country versus the free 30-day deal you get on arrival is only the cost and the time you're permitted to stay; other than that, calling one a duck and the other a goose is merely a pedantic exercise.

Again, Z, sorry, but I remain confused. You're talking about flying into Thailand and obtaining a 30-day visa/exemption on arrival? And, then, going and trying to get a re-entry permit so you could, let's say, go to Cambodia on the 5th day and then, when you arrive back on the 7th day, you'd still have 23 more days to go on your original 30-day visa/exemption? If you can make that work, all the power to you but I've never heard of anybody doing that nor have I read anything anywhere (including Thai Visa's extensive postings on the general subject) indicating that a re-entry stamp works with one of those "on-arrival-visa/exemption" deals. But, if you can do it, it'd be helpful if you posted your experience here or somewhere as I'd guess there's somebody somewhere who might want to do the same thing.

Z, I'm a bit confused by your question. If you arrive, as you say, as a "tourist", then I'm presuming you get the "free-on-arrival 30-day visa stamp." If that's the case, I don't believe that a re-entry permit has anything to do with that type of "visa" (when you leave, your 30-day stay is cancelled and you get a new one (30 days if you fly back in) when you come back. Does that answer your question? [if....and I'm only talking theory here......a re-entry permit would allow a free 30-day visa (some people call it an exemption) to continue while you're gone, it'd be silly to spend a 1000 baht for a re-entry permit when getting the new 30-day when you get back is free anyway]. If, however, you're saying you show up with a formal "Tourist" visa (that's good for 60 days), then yes, a re-entry permit would allow you to leave and return with your Tourist visa still intact (although your 60 days is still running even while you're gone).

Lol. Typically, it'd be written in English "kee-niaow" or some such thing. The "kee" part generally means "prone to be" and the "niaw" part means sticky. Thus, prone to be sticky....which means "stingy" in English. I'm sure you heard of "kao niaow" (sticky rice). As to the "kewl" part, yea, it's an American teenage way of saying or spelling "cool."

I don't think you read the comments very well. I, like a few others, were talking about normal massage services, not the male massage joints (where I think everyone would agree that you tip much higher). But I don't go to a male massage place for a Thai massage and I can assure you that paying somebody at a normal Thai massage place (such as the Blind Institute or the Olde Thai Medicine Hospital here in Chiangmai) 100 to 200 baht tip is appropriate for a massage that costs 250-400 baht. Why anybody would go to a male massage place for a good Thai massage is generally beyond me. I know that some actually give good massages (the manager of the now-defunct BBB massage place here in Chiangmai trained at Wat Po in Bangkok and then taught most of his staff to give good Thai massages) but I don't go to those places solely for a Thai massage. For one thing, why go pay 500-1,000 baht for a massage and then pay an equal amount in a tip when, for the amounts I mentioned above, you can go to a legitmate Thai massage place/school and typically always get a great Thai massage. Again, I'm talking about a normal Thai massage there and not referring to any sexual adventure, naked masseurs, or whatever.

With your 12-hour layover (hmmmm....I see your travel planning skills aren't exactly top-notch either), hope you don't terrorize the entire Inchon airport! Have a safe journey (and I do hope you remember where you're going.....).

A friend of mine flying back to the states late Monday night called me about 9PM Monday and, in a partial panic, said he had totally forgotten to get a re-entry permit (meaning, as he thought, his one-year visa would disappear and he'd have to go get a new one when he returned in a couple of weeks). I suggested (beyond telling him humorously he was a dumbass for forgetting something as important as that) that he ask the immigration guys at the airport if he could get one there and/or if he could talk to their supervisor if the regular guys told him no. Well, no need. To my friend's surprise (and mine), there's a desk there (Chiangmai Airport, International terminal) - right below a sign that said "Re-entry Permits" - manned by four Thai immigration ladies and my friend said it took him all of 4 or 5 minutes to get the permit. My friend did happen to have a couple of extra photos (and we guessed that no photo services would be available at all at the airport or certainly not later in the evening) with his passport so, other than filling out the usual form, he was all set. The cost, of course, was 1000 baht for the single re-entry permit. I had no clue that this service was offerred at the Chiangmai airport but I'd guess (but don't know) that Suvarnabhumi probably has a like service. It's certainly not wise to wait until the last second to get your re-entry permit but it's nice to know it's available if you've somehow totally forgotten to do so.

All you need to do is google the topic as it's been discussed a thousand times. For any involving for remuneration (money, dinner, whatever) of any kind, the legal age limit for sex in Thailand is 18 years of age. If you violate that rule, you'll run the risk of spending time in a horrible Thai prison (and, if you should happen to violate the rule, I actually hope you are able to have that experience). If you're from the US, you can be prosecuted in the US for having sex with anybody under 18 anywhere in the world even if the age-of-consent in that other nation is below 18 years of age.

What two consenting adults do is none of my business but, for me, the notion of sticking a fist up anyone's ass is disgusting and, in my view, likely harmful to the receiver. And I'm doubtful that you'll find any young Thai man willing to participate (and, I'm also hopeful you won't).

Same to you, Michael (i.e, Happy Loy Krathong). Staying here in Chiangmai (other than Sukothai, only place to be for Loy Krathong!). Attended the opening ceremonies last night at the Three Kings monument, will attend the opening events and parade tomorrow night at Taepae Gate, and will hit the big night parade on Thursday night. After that, I'll take a nap. For those that don't know, "Loy" (ลอย) means to float in air or water and Krathong (really "gra-tong" (กระทง)) is a small container made from banana leaves or, even more specifically, a small boat floated on Loy Krathong. The lanterns floated into the air are called "khom loy" (โคมลอย) which literally means "floating lantern." The Loy Krathong festival celebrated throughout all of Thailand coincides with the traditional Lanna festival known as "Yee Ping" (ยี่เป็ง which means nothing more than the the second month - and the festival/celebration is held during the full moon of the second month of the traditional Lanna calendar). That is likely why Loy Krathong is such a big deal up here.

I recognized the statue of Benito Juarez (the one in Chicago) so figured the Lincoln statue had to be in Mexico somewhere. As to where, I would have guessed Mexico City (I was thinking that, when Koko said something about blocking out some recognizable things in the photo, they might have been some other statuary or even the big angel in Mexico City).

If it is, I'm surprised it's not covered with a white sheet! Just kidding, I know there must be a few people who live there who aren't rednecks.

Actually, Heyguy, I'm always grateful that you advise as to where you will be. I find that information very useful.

There are many statues of Lincoln all over the US with most of them, I think, centered around the midwest and State of Illinois. There are even several statues of him as a young man and boy. And I know there are several statues of Lincoln outside the US with one or more in England and one somewhat famous one somewhere in Havana, Cuba. But, as noted, this particular statue seems a bit strange to me. The legs are very tall and it seems (maybe it's the camera angle) Lincoln is depicted as even skinnier than he was. But I'm somewhat guessing that's a key in at least one of the hands of this statue and that's not untypical of some Lincoln statues, the key representing his freeing the shackles of the slaves. With the apparently clear, blue, sky in the background, I'd guess we can pretty much dismiss Thailand as the location...hehe.

I have no clue where it is but I will say that it seems unlike any Lincoln statue I've ever seen and I'm guessing it's not in the United States.

I emailed the article to a Swedish friend here in Chiangmai and he happened to shortly thereafter discuss the topic with his boyfriend who's from a very small village about 50 kilometers south of Udon Thani. My Swedish friend asked his bf :"Would you ever do something like that to me?" and the bf responded: "Sure!" (unsure how tongue-in-cheek the reply was). And, when my Swedish friend asked: "Well, what about if I do it to you?!?", the bf responded without missing a beat: "Well, then I'll be a ladyboy!" The boyfriend also mentioned that one of the wives in the village "fed the ducks" last year when she caught her husband cheating on her.

Just a bit strong and you're obviously either ignoring other peoples' customs or suggesting our (US) customs ought to be imposed everywhere. I, like you, was raised in the US and have this almost compulsory and ingrained attitude about when (every time) and how much (probably too much) to tip. By now I'm used to the funny looks I get from Thai friends when I leave at least a small tip at places that it's frankly traditional that nobody else tips (at least here in Thailand). But, being from the US, I simply can't help myself. Do what you want to do but it's a bit presumptuous/stupid to tell us yanks that we're doing it "wrong" or that we're "ruining it" for everybody else; on the other hand, it's equally presumptuous and ignornant for us yanks to call somebody else a cheapskate because they either doing what comes naturally to them and/or they actually are conforming to local Thai customs. As for tipping at legitmate massage places, it's expected even here in Thailand; however (and I don't care if anybody thinks what I do is too much or too little), I typically tip about half of what the massage cost might be. Whether that's right or wrong, hell if I know but I do know the people getting the tips from me over the years seem quite satisfied.

Maybe, instead of passports, money and other valuables, one might want to keep the knives in the safe. Read it here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/nov/19/improbable-research-thai-women-cut-off-penis/print

Air Bagan flies between Yangon and Chiangmai on Thursdays and Sundays. I've wanted to go over there for a while and recently checked it out.

Like Joseph said, he also avoided a couple of trips to Bangkok so, as far as I'm concerned, he's ahead of the game. Here in Chiangmai, we have a couple of travel agencies which, for a reasonable fee (about 1000 baht plus the usual Burma visa fee), they'll take care of the paperwork for you. That's a pretty reasonable deal to me (I'd pay a lot more than that to avoid having to go to Bangkok). For those in Bangkok, obviously just do it yourself and go to the Myanmar embassy. I could be wrong but I've got to believe Pattaya has a travel agency or two that will take care of the paperwork for you.

Methinks Khun Koko made a large funny....

Next time you're up here in the boonies (Chiangmai), give the Olde Thai Medicine Hospital a try. They teach massage there and you can get a very good Thai massage for 2 hours for 300 baht (it used to be 250 baht for years!). And you can choose whether you want "man" or "lady." However, no happy endings there (other than feeling great from a good massage).

Of course, non-yanks really don't give a rip about Thanksgiving but occasionally we rope one or two into celebrating with us. The absolute best Thanksgiving spread I've ever experienced here (Chiangmai) was at the Amari Hotel but, alas, that hotel remains closed for long-term renovations. This year a few of us are heading for Dukes which reputedly also has a pretty good Thanksgiving buffet. We shall see.....gobble, gobble.

Damn. Michael's got handsome dudes staying over all the time providing "comfort" and occasionally he perhaps brings new talent home. And yet he's yearning to also partake in happy endings at massage parlors. No criticism at all intended, Michael. I just want to know your diet.

I don't believe most of that poll. It seems to me that "socializing" would have been either #1 or #2 (and certainly above a few of those other categories). The #4 category you mentioned wouldn't have even made my list. But had to laugh when I saw that "Facebook" was listed as #2 of the worst activities. While I don't have any use for Facebook, people really have to have their priorities skewed to hell to think that Facebook is second only to recovering from illness in the realm of life's problems.