Skorz

Hi there,

Looking to rent a 3 bed townhouse in BKK, close proximity to skytrain. Need anytime after October 1st 2011.

Needs aircon, internet and parking as minimum.

msg me for budget.

Thanks.

Hi there,

Can any of you good people please recommend shipping company? We're hoping to ship around 200 cubic feet of furniture from Bristol (UK) to Bangkok.

All help much appreciated.

Thanks.

I'm not a Lawyer but i think this a far better agreement, much cheaper to set up and it's for your life.

Usufruct Agreements in Thailand

Usufruct contracts are governed by sections 1417 to 1428 of the Commercial and Civil Code of Thailand. A usufruct is a right granted by the owner(s) of the land/house in favor of a usufructuary whereby this person has the right to possess, use and enjoy the benefits of an immovable property (section 1417 CCCT). The usufructuary has the right to manage the property (sect 1414 CCCT). It can be on a piece of land, on a house or on both of them.

I tried to get a usufruct stamp (yes, one exists) from the lands department in Koh Samui. My wife was present and fully supported the stamp as it made our marriage 'equal' and took pressure off her from her mother who was taking a very keen interest in our assets. The land officer (the big boss in the office might I add) refused to issue one to us despite both parties asking and our land title being clear, undisputed chanote in my wifes name. His reasoning was that she shouldn't trust me because I was farang and a usufruct stamp was going against the interests of the country.

Seriously.

I am a recovering Alcoholic. I drank heavily for at least 20 years, and when I moved to Thailand in 2006 my alcohol consumption went off the chart. The last three years of my drinking saw me putting away at least 10 large Chang Beers a day, on top of a big bottle of Thai rum or similar. I was drinking from 7am until around 10pm, seven days a week, frequently more at weekends. To make matters worse, all my friends were also raging drunks. Our merry little fellowship of bloated alcoholics would tootle around on our motorbikes, going from bar to bar under the guise of 'business meetings' when really our main objective was to pour beer down our necks until our miserable wives dragged us home. Upon reflection, everybody outside of our drinking circle considered us bloody idiots and I now know one of the main reasons my company went bust was because nobody would do business with me on account of my being a drunk.

Physically I gained around 20kg of blubber in 2 years. I didn't smoke yet I could hardly walk up a flight of stairs. I was about as flexible as a brick, could barely bend over and had constant pain in my lower back and abdomen. I knew that my liver was severely enlarged towards the end of my drinking. My kidneys were also having a bit of problem as was my pancreas. Another horrible side effect was infectious wounds. Every little scratch or insect bite would turn into a huge open sore. My feet and lower legs were constantly swollen and festering and I was constantly picking up urethral infections due in part to being constantly dehydrated. My Doctor tells me that had I continued along the road I was travelling down, I would almost certainly have died before reaching 50.

2 of my friends died. Both of them younger than me. Both of them drunks. One died when he tried to sober up without the help of Xanex, the other had a stroke. He was 37. A third unlucky associtate drove his motorbike into a parked lorry a few weeks later. His skull was smashed in. Not surprisingly, he was a pi**ed as a priest at the time of the crash.

I decided to sober up.

Nothing worked.

I fell off the wagon about 50 times in as many days

Every-time I fell off, I got even more drunk than before.

I went into rehab in Bangkok. It didn't work. I signed myself out after 4 days.

I was trapped. In fact, it was about then that I had a proper 'rock-bottom' and woke up wallet-less, crazy hungover and totally covered in my own shit in some bar in down town Bangkok. I realised that I was an out of control, drunken ex-patriot alcoholic.

Last chance for me, and I knew it. Except this time, something was different and I know it. It didn't matter what anybody said to me, nothing could make me stop drinking, and I mean nothing. I didn't give a toss about anything except the bottle. I just couldn't have cared if everybody I knew, myself included, suddenly burst into flames and rolled into a lime lined pit in the middle of the jungle. I was even starting to fantasise about blowing the heads off those who refused to conform to my growing insanity and take seriously my delusional business ideas with the little Chinese 9mm semi auto pistol I used to keep in a tin under my bed. So, I'd lost it. I'd finally met the devil whilst covered in my own shit in some flithy bar at 5am on a damp Tuesday morning in down town Bangkok. And the thing that had changed? This time, when I said 'I'm never drinking again' I actually meant it, and more importantly, I believed it.

This time I really did dry out. The withdraw was as expected , totally horrific. A few hours after waking up on the floor of the bar the fear set in. The sweats, insane rushes of paranoia, nightmares and vomiting/shits lasted around 5 days, the first 2 days being something I seriously didn't think at the time that I'd survive. Many don't.

A few days later when I was capable of semi-rational speech I went to AA.

Now here is the thing about AA that most sceptics don't realise.

You don't have to believe in god, a higher power, Jesus or any of that kind of stuff. I know I don't. Not for even a second.

There are 12 steps in AA, the first step is all I've really needed and it simply states that you accept that you are pretty much powerless over your levels of drinking.

Sure, there are some other steps, the most interesting of which is saying sorry to every body you've ever upset. Nice if mean it.

Anyway, enough rambling. AA works. It is the only thing that has ever worked for me. I don't believe in god and I have no intention of starting to believe in god. AA works for all sorts of people on all levels. Quite simply, all you have to do is genuinely, honestly want to stop drinking.

There is a catch though. For the AA thing to work, you have to really understand yourself and your drinking and realise that you can never drink again. The reason for this is that unfortunately, if you're anything like me, one drink will eventually lead to 10 large changs and a bottle rum. A relapsed alcoholic will usually revert to a state far worse than before they sobered up, often in a startlingly short amount of time - often a few weeks.

The death rate amongst relapsed alcoholics is as can be expected, quite high.

If you're serious about quitting, and you've come to realise that your drinking is out of your control, go see a doctor, get some Xanex/valium (these stop you having alcoholic fits when you go cold turkey) and go to a local AA meeting. The only people who truly understand about being a drunk, are of course other drunks, not some judgemental dip stick medical graduate, not your parents, brother, dog etc and most certainly not your wife or kids.

AA is self supporting, non religious, very friendly and CHEAP!!!! (contribution based).

Being sober is bloody great. I'll get to see my Grandchildren now.