thehelmsman

Is Costas gone for good or simply taking a long siesta?

It doesn't smell that way when I make it. Perhaps you're doing it wrong?

So, you actually make your owm som tam? lao or thai style?

Thai style. I'm not sure what's so remarkable about that, though.

Good for you, but the thai style also explains why it doesn't have a foul odor.

It doesn't smell that way when I make it. Perhaps you're doing it wrong?

So, you actually make your owm som tam? lao or thai style?

Was that your wifes breath you're referring to?

My wife wanted a baby girl and that's what we have. Some pretty ugly talk about the peasant class.

And it is not necessary to be critical of questions people just ask out of interest. A reply is good, but advice from someone who does not know my situation is unwarranted and uncalled for.

Yeah, but it's funny heh. Buy yourself 2 ice buckets of equal size, 2 10 baht bags of ice, put ice in said buckets. One you keep water in, one you don't. Report back.

Save your money and geta motorbike. Why would you want to be a regular bus rider if its not necessary?

If you want a good laugh outta them, find a low doorway and bap your head on ity by accident. You'll have them howling...

What's foolish is to believe that life here will be like one long holiday, and that Thailand really is the carefree paradise that tourists perceive it as. If you were naive enough to come here with those expectations, then you're setting yourself up for a disappointment.

Six years so far and it's been one big long holiday for me, no disappointments yet.

I'm guessing your idea of a holiday isn't necessarily the same as anyone else's.

Holiday to me means cycling, running and hiking every day.

When I was younger it meant, sailing, diving, ski-ing and swimming.

Only the sports change!

What's your idea of a holiday then?

My favorite sporting event is 12oz. curls with good friends or new friends.

When you are fed up with Western world dogmas and you discover the anathema Thailand you think you found the real place to live your life, until 10 years later you realise Thailand is a lie.

Then cynicism comes in at hand.

Only if you were stupid enough to mistake a holiday destination for your future home.

Some of us were more realistic about Thailand in the first place.

You assume alot as always, so those of us whose lifestyle allows us to make Thailand our home after spending time here are stupid. My home can be anywhere, but I have a family here so this is where I live.

The unrealistic aspect to living in Thailand is to burn your bridge on your way here.

When did I say that? I spent time here before moving here. I imagine most people do.

What's foolish is to believe that life here will be like one long holiday, and that Thailand really is the carefree paradise that tourists perceive it as. If you were naive enough to come here with those expectations, then you're setting yourself up for a disappointment.

I'm not sure what you're getting at with the bridge burning stuff, though.

As in selling all you own in your home country to invest in your new life in LOS.

With enough money you can overcome any disappointments.

OP - Report back in 7-8 yrs. and tell us she hasn't gained weight.

When you are fed up with Western world dogmas and you discover the anathema Thailand you think you found the real place to live your life, until 10 years later you realise Thailand is a lie.

Then cynicism comes in at hand.

Only if you were stupid enough to mistake a holiday destination for your future home.

Some of us were more realistic about Thailand in the first place.

You assume alot as always, so those of us whose lifestyle allows us to make Thailand our home after spending time here are stupid. My home can be anywhere, but I have a family here so this is where I live.

The unrealistic aspect to living in Thailand is to burn your bridge on your way here.

It's more than a few baht: the bus fare from Jomtien for 2 persons is 268 baht; the shuttle to DM is free. If my math is correct, I can pocket 1132 baht, plus any tip for the taxi driver....

Math maybe correct, for me the ease of taking a taxi is priceless.

Nothing gets a good laugh like knocking your head. They'd love Jerry Lewis.

It takes about 2 hours to take the shuttle bus to Suv from Jomtien(where we live - 2 blocks from the bus station) and they drop us off around Gate 4 on the 2nd level. We can take the shuttle to Don Muang between Gate 2 and 3 on that same level, so it's an easy transit....

Why would you not simply take a taxi, from Jomtein its 1200 including toll roads to BKK, or as I paid Jomtein to Don Muang 1400 baht. I don't get foreigners trying to save a few baht.

Good job -

Back to the topic - If you live away from tourist areas you have to learn a little for survival. Numbers is probably the first practical thing to learn. I used to hate it when the old lady at the small market would look scared when I walked in to buy something usually Leo. Learned numbers and now she only chuckles. You have to start somewhere. My little girl giggles when I try to speak a little thai.

Most rice now is sown by a man with a backpack firing the rice out of a blower and all is cut by machine near me, very very little is now done by hand here.

So, I asked why they don't plant the rice the way you describe. Answer is if only seeds are planted to many pesticides are required to kill the grass. If shoots are planted in the regular way not as many weeds take over. The rice is mainly for themselves. The rice grown for sales would or could use the seed planting method because no one would care about excess pesticides.

Makes you think about what you buy in the stores.

Agree very lucky to meet my wife.

Was driving to Vientienne and got lost in Isaan.

I had never been to that part before, just fate that I was in the right place at the right time for me to meet her.

She is already westernized.

8 years on, still tells my mother how lucky she is to be married with me and my mother says I am the lucky one which I am.

I did the right things, cared about and supported her father who she is very close to.

When ever he runs into a rough patch, always there to help him out

Will help him come to the USA with us when all the requirements are met

she says I rescued her from poverty, I feel like she rescued me from myself

Very, very lucky and there is not one day goes by that I do not tell her how lucky I am to have her

wonderful woman.

And I'm sure she is .....you are one lucky man...

But I find curious that she was "already westernized" when you met her .....and in your OP you stated that her father was "dirt poor" so much so you gave him your house and furnishings in Issan when you left .

Issan girl from poor family westernized? What did she do for a living before you met her?

BP - You should listen to yourself. The last post you insisted the OP answer your questions. Why? You are beginning to sound like a broken record.

You guys are comical. So what if the OP went back to the states. Many posts smell of jealousy that he has the money to live life as he wants.

www.thepannaraihotel.com/

Thx

Looks good

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

nice choice, I've stayed there a few times. Good parking, pool and good buffet breakfast

I live in deep Issan and your saying ladyboys are despised is absurd. You don't know what you're talking about. They hold jobs everywhere in day to day life in Issan.

Can you please explain to me why I saw a father beat his own ladyboy son/ daughter after seeing her/ him with makeup and try to scaring off 3 other ladyboy friends with his butcher knife?

I saw this with my own eyes.

Absurdity.. yeah right..

You can't make an asumption based on 1 crazed father. Perhaps it was your presence that set off the old man.

I stop working in a few years and have thought long and hard on where we'll live. We have a 4 yr. old to think about. The house the OP showed us can be bought in Florida for the same if not cheaper price than Thailand. In Florida I'd still be compelled to provide private education for my baby. Where we live in Thailand now the baby can go by herself down the small soi to play with friends. My wife always has a friend to share som tam for lunch and just gossip her heart out. That would be hard to duplicate in the USA.

I didn't see the OP post anything about how much his home cost; did I miss it? Last I saw a similar house in Florida cost 227% more than Thailand.

I've been doing alot of online searches for houses in different areas in Florida and the area he bought. 120K

USD gets you a pretty nice house, pool and not far from beach. Roughly 4mil baht....roughly.

The point is some are passable and that is their ideal.. to be passable. The passable ones make a lot of money from clients, sponsors, multiple farang boyfriends.

The ones starting out will get to that passability eventually within 3 years.

It's a process.. first make money for hormones, then for boob job, then SRS if they desire it.

Along the way they have to work odd jobs.. waitress/ counter girl, then the full blown bargirl for those who can work a schedule and some freelancers who can't put up with a job of dancing 8 hours in high heels, and getting fined for every minute they're not working.

They are often fined for loitering by the police. The ones who work the bars are let go after showing they work in a bar.

And they need motorcycle taxis to get from client to client, back to work.. and they need food/ dresses/ high heels/ jewelery/ makeup.

All this.. taxi/ food/ dress/ makeup/ hormones/ boob job/ srs/ nose job... that is a lot of baht money going from farang -> ladyboy -> thai economy (even without the need to steal). The ladyboys or ladies that can't make ends meet are the ones who tend be criminals and necklace snatchers and put something in customers drinks and then rob em blind.

That's why these ladyboys are tolerated.. nothing more. I've been to issan.. most ladyboys are despised by their own fathers like my sperm made that abomination.. get out of my life and never come back. Which is why many ladyboys will work so hard and send money back home just in the hope to be accepted by their family.

In general the tolerance of ladyboys does not mean Thai's are very accepting.. they're accepting to a point.

You don't even see ladyboys on Thai's soap operas outside of comic relief. And they are limited to Thailand has Talent, Alacazar Cabaret Shows or Miss Tiffany Beauty contests. How is that for a glass ceiling in terms of tolerance?

I live in deep Issan and your saying ladyboys are despised is absurd. You don't know what you're talking about. They hold jobs everywhere in day to day life in Issan.

Beach area renovation has been a constant money make for the elected officials for years, they only make things so they can be redone 2 years down the road. How many times has Pattaya beach road been made over in the past 10 years..

Personally I think getting rid of the walk way seats is a great thing to do, anytime i'am there all i see is a bunch of over 70 men drinking beer and learning at all the girls, certainly not a family venue.

I recently spent a month in Jomtein with wife and 3 yr. daughter walking to the beach at soi 7 everyday. It was sad to see the trees being destroyed. And yes this is a family destination as everyday I saw families lounging in the shade enjoying the beach life. I'll be back again.

Those old guys bother noone, jess... you're quite the prude.