Gsxrnz

never golfed in Thailand so this is a bit new to me. i have a couple questions if you would be so kind. (sincerely)

1) do you need to have a caddy in all courses in Thailand?

2) i notice the word "she" a few times but never "he." are they always female?

3) if yes to questions 2, do they actually advise or are they just there to pull you clubs (no pun intended) and something to stare at.

Sorry if number 3 is a bit sexist, but most women I know dont really know much about golf, and its an all female thing then it sounds a bit like knowledge of the games is not the primary concern.

1. If there are caddies at the course, a Falang must use one. Some courses (small rural or navy) don't have them, you can drag your own trolley which they supply.

2. Yes there are some males, but reasonably rare. Usually on the bigger pro courses.

3. My girl caddy is excellent. She pulls clubs, advises me, tells me to calm down and play safe, reminds me of the wind and that I better use the 7 and not the 8, can pick a really good putting line and is tuned in to my pace of putting, cleans my shoes, cleans the heads every week with water and a brush, puts the bag in the truck, organises other caddies for the group, makes sure we jump the queue if she can get away with it, sells me new balls really cheap.....she can actually play a fair game of golf herself. If she was half way decent looking I'd marry her, but she's got a face only a mother could love.

My mates have found that you're best to try a few caddies and pick one you like as a regular. The better they know you, the more fun they are, the better job they do, the more they want to retain you as a regular customer, the more they are tuned into your game, the more help they can give you. They're not going to help you fix your slice, but a good one can make a difference to your game.

The guys that go for the prettiest one, or the cutest body, and change caddies every week are usually not satisfied with them as caddies and get no real help with their game.

Put my golf clubs on the back of the truck. Too heavy for the mere-baan to lift.

She can drag them off when I get home though.

Pattaya, my group, friends and myself: 200 if I am really unhappy. 250 the norm. 300 for a very good caddie, doesnt happen often. Never had any problems, I wonder that so many ppl tip 300 as standard.

Had a mate that tipped 200 for his semi-regular caddy. He wondered why he couldn't get her every time. Obviously if she had a choice of getting a customer before he arrived that she knew would tip 300, she'd take that customer instead of him.

If I were her, I'd do the same.

Yes, I also consider them as useless.

Can you please elaborate on your opinion?

I tip 300 in Pattaya and play 3 times a week. . Have a regular caddy that I sms in the morning and she organises the caddies for the group that are playing. She knows all our regulars and keeps them in line for us. I might tip an extra 100 if she is able to use her Julius Marlow wedge without being seen .

She always buys me a Birthday present. This year it was a polo shirt and a cap. She also gets me brand new Srixon balls for 150B a dozen, still in the box. Not sure which truck they fell off, don't really care.

I reckon caddies make the day more fun, even if you're playing serious golf. They're always up for a laugh.

We occasionally get a "trolley dragger" if one of our regulars is away or sick. After two holes, if it's evident they're lazy or not willing to participate, we just tell my caddy (she's sort of the camp leader) that this particular caddy is no good so please send her back and get a replacement. This has happened twice with no problems and no hard feelings.

Get a stuffed owl

And a stuffed cat. Well Ok, maybe a concrete one. Stick them on the roof, change their locations now and again.

Next time, have the contract written by a lawyer domiciled in the country of the borrower as though the debt existed in that country. The laws of that country therefore apply. Situations like yours are therefore easier to handle.

You can structure it so that payments can be multi-currency etc, payable ayywhere in the world. You should also have the borrowers lawyer acknowledge that the contract is legal and binding, and that you are a preferential creditor in case of default, bankruptcy and/or death.

It's no harder than doing it locally, you still pay legal fees, and you will also have a proper Purchase/Sale Agreement plus a Vendors Loan Agreement. I've done it several times and no problems - even if the borrower dies, you still have a claim on his Estate. Interest should be mandatory in any debt by the way.

As to your present case - either name the SOB, or at least give clues such that we TV members can conclude who it is and spread the word.

If you can't get the cash off him, take it out in revenge through the employment of some locals (covertly, and anonymously of course - these things can be handled over the phone and an ATM deposit). I'm sure he's got a face that he values.

Too late for what???

Can you imagine if a military officer said something like that in US or Europe - they would be asked to resign immediately.

It would probably be classed as Treason or something similar.

The lounges are only for members or 1st/business class.

If you're flying cattle class you have to sit with the great unwashed in the general seating area.

My experiences with the Russians I've come across in Jomtien/Pattaya:

Many occasions they push in at any form of queuing, and generally barge their way around with no consideration for personal space. My daughter's been knocked over by fat women twice in a 7/11.

Generally rude and vocal. Have seen many of them get very vocal with street vendors - yes they can be a pain, but Russians seem to be overly rude in waving them away and speaking in obviously rude tones.

Have seen on 6 or 7 occasions at beach chair places on the beach that the vendor demands payment for the chair as soon as the Russians sit down, and if food/beer is ordered they take the cash C.O.D. No bin in the traditional sense for them. Have also seen 3 or 4 arguments when bins were allowed and the Russians refused to pay for the chairs. The language barrier made it look very unpleasant.

Have been asked for cigarettes by youngish Russian males many times. They just made smoking motions as they approached me while I was smoking. I remembered from a novel I read that Hooy na ny means something like "no <deleted> way" in Russian, so I've trotted that out. None of them expected it and most buggered off smartish. One of them laughed and tried to talk in very bad English - I gave him a ciggie. Of course if a drop-dead little Hottie asks for a smoke (which hasn't happened yet), my response would be somewhat different.

At the markets I've overheard Thai stall holders telling their staff or kids to keep their eyes on the "thieving Russians". They will also bargain on something that is only a few baht, such as 15 baht worth of vegetables.

At my village pool, they generally won't respond when given a smile/wave and an international "Hallo". A few do, maybe 1 in 5. Even their kids don't want to mix with European or Thai kids in the pool.

My general conclusions are that the lack of English language (and our lack of Russian) is a pre-determined barrier to interaction. This in itself will immediately create limitations in possible interaction, and therefore dissuades one (us or them) from attempting.

Secondly, many of the Russian tourists are first time travellers. They have had probably nil experience or exposure to any culture other than their own, and they are now in an Asian country along with westerners from many European countries. This is a totally new experience and probably further dissuades any interaction.

Perhaps the perceived aloofness means that we westerners don't give them a fair shake of the stick and we do not have a true impression of what they are really like. Perhaps in their own environment that act and behave totally differently.

However, from what I have seen, they are certainly a different breed of fish.

I have observed more obvious homophobia among the Russians than other groups in Pattaya, even much more so than Muslims from the Middle East or Indians, which might surprise many. The main reason I say this is watching how they react on baht buses when there are either Thai ladyboys or older white man / younger Thai man couples. Sometimes it is overt, pointing and laughing at them directly, more so to the ladyboys. Sometimes it is hostile looks and STARING more so to the gay male intergenerational couples. I have not noticed any visible hostility towards gay men together who are the same race and age but I'm not sure they even register as gay to these observers.

So far I have not heard of any bashing incidents when the homophobic Russians "mix" with visible sexual minorities, but I wouldn't be surprised if I did.

JT - didn't you post a while ago that middle aged Russian women were regularly hitting on you at Big C?

Somebody should design a board game based on Thai politics.

The only problem is that the ideal name for the game, "Trivial Pursuit", has already been used.

That's why we where thongs(flip flops).

The tan will hide the shackle marks on our feet.

Kiwis don't like thongs,hard to chase sheep without a sturdy pair of runners.

Kiwis don't wear thongs, they wear Jandals, which is the correct name for what Orstrayliuns call thongs.

But she was infact telling the truth, Australia ( other than the native aboriginies) was in fact colonised largely by convicts.

Or is that not the case ? Have I been misinformed ?

Australia was NOT colonised by convicts, Australia was colonised by the British Empire.

Less than 1% of all non indigenous whites were in fact convicts or people working within the prison system.

Like the OP's little Thai "friend" try and read up a little before posting your usual idiotic comments...

Now just hold up there a minute!! Are you suggesting that here on TVisa, we should let the facts get in the way of a good story?!

Good heavens Man, next you'll be calling for informed and balanced debate, the mind boggles!

I am sorry to say they do have a habit of ambling along in the middle of the road oblivious to all, even when sober.

Funny you should say that ,but yesterday outside central one was doing just that ,i clipped his arm with my wing mirror ,,last i saw of him was him shouting and holding his elbow ,might walk on the pavement next time.

Yeah, that's happened to me three times and only one was intentional .

2nd Road/Pattaya Tai area seems to be the worst. They walk 3 abreast and seem to think they have the right of way.

Have ridden a few of the Indian jobs in NZ where they are exported to, this was maybe 10 years ago.

I wouldn't take one if it was a Christmas present. If I wanted to relive the olden days and ride an old style bike, I'd rather buy a Norton or Triumph.

You'll get the same riding experience on a genuine old school bike as you would on a RE (poor handling, no power, piss-all brakes, uncomfortable), including the same routine breakdowns, failing brakes, and bits falling off them.

But you'll look cooler on a Triumph or Norton.

If you eat pork, you are contributing to this.

Out of sight, out of mind.

I love a good bacon butty in the morning, served up with lashings of HP sauce.

The one this morning was just fine and I dare say tomorrows will be just as lovely.

This is absolutely Outrageous!!

HP sauce should be free roaming, but instead the poor little bottles are packed into little cardboard boxes a dozen at a time with no room to move, shipped all over the world in horrific conditions, and then literally slathered mercilessly on bacon butty sandwiches in SE Asia.

I prefer an egg with mine BTW.

The man must be a halfwit. Surely they should be stolen before they are laundered.

I believe that's what all the best panty snatchers do.

As usual, the Japanese do it best. They order theirs in a can - unwashed. Much more civilised. But we have more creative headline writers.

I believe you can also buy used panties from a vending machine in Japan.

Maybe that's an exploitable opportunity in Thailand.

OP - At the risk of getting shot down in flames and being accused of having rose tinted glasses, I will say that from your postings you seem to be highly intelligent, very well informed, have reasonably well balanced opinions, and able to draw reasonable conclusions based on facts/information that you have researched and evaluated.

On that basis you don't need any advice from either the pro or con element on this forum. Any further dialogue would seem superfluous to me. It seems that you have done more due-diligence than most and that you are going into this from a well informed perspective. Many (not all) of the negative response here come from those that possibly didn't do sufficient (or any) due-diligence and had their rose tinted glasses ripped off their face because of it.

However I would assess your situation as being quite different. Your investigative skills as explained thus far make me accept that you're nobody's fool, that you would not suffer fools gladly, and that in most things in life you are generally cautious and speculative, but still prepared to take calculated risks.

Therefore, follow your own path and do what you think is right. If you are taken for a fool at a later date, you can't say that you didn't do the research first and make the investment in your relationship from an informed position. There are some on here that believe ALL Thai women, without exception, are rip-off merchants - they're wrong of course, and much more wrong than they will ever know or accept.

If it all goes swimmingly and she turns out to be your dream come, you picked a winner and good luck to you.

Chock-Dee.

Some of us want to open eyes so stuff we have seen doesn't happen to another. Thats why we post.

Yep, I agree with that TransAm. I certainly didn't mean to be critical of those that post to open the eyes of the "blind" and ill-informed. And as you imply, many of the posts similar to the OP's are from the most blinded individuals imaginable.

But the OP (despite what we may all think as individuals about the wisdom or lack thereof of what he is/wants to do) does appear to have his head screwed on and certainly doesn't appear to be leaping with blind faith.

Cheers