Quote Originally Posted by ShakeyX View Post
I do wonder though why it is less common to use the participle (I thought they should be used in conjunctions and such).
In fact, participles in Russian are more a sign of the bookish style. Frequent use of participles is uncommon in colloquial speech, although we do use them sometimes. To sound less bookish, try to use relative clauses with separate verbs rather than participles.

In either case, participle or standard verb, the present is used because the fact stated is still true now? right?
In this specific example - yes!

But when it comes to reported speech, present can merely mean the fact was true at the moment of the reported speech:
Я встретил друга на улице. Он сказал мне, что идёт в магазин.
I met a friend in the street. He told me that he was going to the shop.
As you see, we also use present to express simultaneous actions. It is past in the absolute reference frame. But it was present when my friend was speaking to me.

And yeh "кау ман кай" was my best transliteration of ข้าวมันไก่. A thai dish which I less than adequately приготовил
- You mean rice with chicken, right?

BTW, คุณเรียนภาษาไทยได้ไหม?