HeyNow

I was geting this same warning message for a couple of weeks back in January. Then the warning went away unil this past week when it suddenly appeared again. The data (at least for Chiang Mai) has not been updated since January 31st 2012.

GIS has impressive workout facilities. Are you sure that you can't get access somehow? It'd be a real shame if you couldn't.

There's a workout room and pool in Khwan Wiang 2, just a few kilometers east the Samoeng road from World Club. It has stationary bikes, treadmills, an elliptical machine or two, a weight machine and some free weights.

On the plus side, parking is plentiful and admission is cheap at around 40 baht/workout - quite unlike Airport Plaza. You can by a pass that further cuts the cost of access. Nuu, the owner, is a nice person to deal with. Lots of snacks and drinks. The pool and the equipment are serviceable for the most part.

Downsides: there are fans but no air conditioning, so the room is not very usable during the day when it's hot. The facility overall feels a bit run down. Also, it's hard to know when it will be open during the early morning and late evening. But as long as you're not an early/late workout type of person, the owner is usually there between 9AM and 7 PM.

I should qualify what I've said by mentioning that I haven't personally used the workout room in Khwan Wiang for a couple years. I do know that the workout room is still there and that the ownership hasn't changed. But the information I've given here might be outdated in other respects.

Here's a link to Google maps, showing you the location of the clubhouse and gym:

http://maps.google.c...=h&vpsrc=0&z=19

I think that California Wow did downsize perhaps a year or two ago, but I could be wrong.

Cheers,
HeyNow

jamescollister, on 2011-09-28 20:59:04, said:

RGP lenses are definitely available in Thailand. Or at least they were a year and a half ago, when I got my last pair.

I got a referral from CM Ram Hospital for a specialist on Chang Phuak road. I didn't write down the exact address and I don't have a business card. But the doctor's name was Napaporn Tananuwat and as of late 2009, her number was 053-213-003. She speaks excellent English, but her staff are Thai-speaking only, so far as I could tell. Her clinic is a bit north of the bus station, on the left hand side of the street as you head up Chang Phuak from the moat.

As I recall, you have to make a deposit on any lenses you order, so bring some cash. I think I paid a 5,000 baht deposit then paid the balance upon receipt of the goods.

As for contact lens solution, Dr. Napaporn might have some. Once, when she had none, she directed me to a large optometry store directly across from Sriphat Hospital that was selling Boston Advance solutions. This is the type where you have a daily disinfectant/lubricating solution and a separate protein removal solution. Personally, I prefer the one-step "Simplus" solutions, but I haven't found those in CM yet.

Hope this helps!

There are several stores along the north side of the moat that sell army surplus gear. You'll see them on your left as you travel along the outer road (i.e. the one that runs clockwise around the moat, as opposed to the inner road). Most are on toward the northeast corner. Not sure if they actually have permethrin sprays, but that would be the first place I'd look.

Another potential place to look would be the huge sporting goods store in Central Kad Suan Kaew; I recall that they had a decent selection of camping gear, and that might include permethrin spray.

Hope this helps.

yesterday, on 2011-05-11 15:57:55, said:

FWIW, a friend of mine couldn't stop raving about the Coach's pizza. He said it was "just like American pizza." Granted, that's a bit ambiguous, but he does have pretty good sensibilities when it comes to pizza and his sheer enthusiasm definitely raises my interest.