haha

Something HAS been done by the looks of it, the girl in the office has said something because they are saying hello to me and offering me motorbike when I leave the house.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...a story.

when I first came to bangkok, I used to live in this apartment off of sukhumvit.

anyway, whenever I walked down the street, the motorcycle taxi guys at the corner of the street would say something to me in thai. since I didn't know what they were saying, I assumed that they saying hello to me. so, I returned the greeting.

shortly thereafter, I started going to school to learn how to speak thai. one day, I realized what the motorcycle taxi guys were saying to me.

...they were calling me fat.

"huan" "huan" "huan" everyday, I would hear them say "huan". they said it with a monotone with no emotion. reminded me of some frogs in a pond at night. "huan".

at first, I didn't know what to make of it. for a second, I got mad. but then, I said to myself that it wasn't worth the effort to confront them. so, for months, I heard these guys call me fat everytime I passed them.

then, one day, I decided to tell them something. and lo and behold with buddha as my witness - the "huan" stopped.

what did I say to them, you ask?

I told them in thai that "yes, I'm fat. I'm also old, poor, stupid, ugly, and broken hearted."

they all looked at me with this surprise look, and said nothing.

get this. the word got out about me. and soon, I never heard anybody for miles around calling me "huan" anymore.

moral of the story: bangkok is a big city with many small neighborhoods where everybody knows what everybody else is doing.

..or maybe the fat girl at your apartment complex reads thaivisa.com.

just curious...

I have many friends who own property in thailand.

do you think they should be concerned if a "coup" occurs?

personally, I was thinking of buying a condo here in the near future. but I'm wondering about the logic of doing that now.

my 2 cents...

if you are single, you can go out with as many other single people as you want. that's the way buddha made us.

with that said.

I once experienced the same treatment as the OP. it occurred at an apartment complex near petchaburi soi 37. the name of the place was petchsiam apartments.

I lived at the place for about 2 years. the first year was ok. had no problems at all. then, all of a sudden, the security guards started giving me problems. and one day, my apartment was broken into. nothing was taken. but everything was turned over. I left shortly after that.

I'm not sure what caused the shift in their attitude. the only thing I could figure out was that whenever the security guards asked me where I was going in the morning, I never said I was going to work. ..my usual replies were

1) going to the gym,

2) going bowling,

3) getting something to eat,

4) visit a friend.

the place had a fat girl working in the manager's office. it was also located next to a muslim neighborhood where sermons were announced over the loudspeakers every morning.

personally, I liked the place. included cable tv, aircon, and they allowed you to get a dedicated phone line. for 3k baht a month, it was perfect for a single guy on a budget - which I am.

in all the places I've lived in over the years here in bangkok, this is the only one where I got attitude from the manager and the security guards.

...just one of those things.

move on - live and let live.

freedom of speech is a very powerful concept that must be respected.

..but it shouldn't be used as a shield for those who which to "slander" others.

in the states, there are laws against slander.

the following is a website that talks about everything and anything in pattaya.

enjoy!

..even has information on apartments, houses, etc.

http://www.pattaya.lap.hu/

I love taco bell. and shakey's pizza. back in oregon, they had this shakey's pizza that had on their menu a smoked oyster pizza. probably the best pizza that I have ever eaten.

..even better than a pepperoni pizza. and that is saying a lot.

taco bell? ..give me 3 beef tacos and a pepsi over a big mac any day.

my favorite dish here in thailand is padkowpao gai topped with a kai dao.

ahhhhh. ooohhhhh.

it's sizzler tonight, and their all you can eat salad bar for 111 baht. think I'll get the teriyaki chicken entree to go with it. and an bottomless coke.

..just 2 more hours to go for dinner.

food - the second most important thing in life.

..eat slow at your own risk.

I remember discussing with a mia noi her loyalty to the person supporting her. I asked her if she felt any hostilities towards the man in this case for making her a minor wife.

her reply was quote, "anybody who would be willing to support me in my time of need is someone who deserves my complete loyalty."

this was a person who had no financial means and as she put it would starve without outside assistance.

in the past, I, like many, thought it would be degrading to be in a relationship where there were more than one man and woman together.

but I have since become more understanding of the choices that people have to make in this world to just survive.

many of us in this world are so spoiled that we cannot see pass our individual egos - myself included.

but I am trying to be more open minded. especially with all the new scenarios I have thrust myself into in my life here overseas.

my 2 cents...

I worked for blue shield of california for about 9 years. so, I know a little about insurance companies.

first off, if your monthly compensation is about 2500 dollars a month, you are somewhere in the 28% something tax bracket. ..this is a guess.

that being the case, your gross monthly income (again, I'm guessing here) is about 3500 dollars a month or 40k+ us dollars a year.

for many jobs in the insurance business, this is good pay. the only exceptions at the mid-level would be if you are an actuarial or a sales person.

20 years ago, actuarials who passed the "exams" were commanding 100k+ us dollars a year. who knows what it would be now?

as for the sales reps who sold on commission, their monthly take is an entirely different story.

40k+ us dollars a year is good pay for your average mid-level insurance person back in the states.

coupled with the fact that you will be living in thailand, your money goes a long way here.

personally, I would take the job because I like thailand. but that is me. everybody is different.

on the other hand, if you are an actuarial, and young, you might be hurting your job career by moving here. ..going from 100k+ to 40k+ is a big difference. in this situation, I would rather work at home, and take long vacation in thailand.

it's not unheard of for people to take sabbaticals, so, that is an option you could do to try the job out while still keeping your old job.

we had people who took 6 months off at blue shield for varioius reasons. maybe you could do that just to "test" the waters. nobody needed to know.

for the curious out there...

in the 9 years I worked at blue shield, I started as a rater doing manual rates for 100+ and small groups via ten-key. developed a computer program in dbase/foxbase/foxpro that automated the manual rating process for all health, catastrophic, drug, life. amd dental plans at blue shield which than lead to the automation of the underwriting process at blue shield.

my job titles went from rater to underwriter, network administrator, programmer to systems analyst during the years at blue shield.

...long history.

happy to be living thailand now where it doesn't cost an arm or a leg to have a good time.

I use the permanent address of a trusted friend in the states.

..but I have been considering the following internet options...

http://www.usglobalmail.com/

http://www.myus.com/

most people don't know that they are going to die someday. religion is one of those things that exist to confuse the mind so that they don't know that.

imagine the world where everybody was "aware" that they were going to die someday.

would you settle for less than your fellow man?

would you be content with what you had?

would you tolerate things as much as you currently do?

if you were "aware",

would you sit in traffic for hours a day?

would you listen to someone complaining all day?

would you work on the same job for 40 years?

would you even bother to parent children?

personally, I don't like religions, but I am "aware" that there is a reason for the madness.

mankind would not exist as it does now if it wasn't for the existence of religion.

mankind might not even exist.

I few years ago, I wanted to buy cornmeal like they have in the states. the only place I was able to find it was at the "villa markets". it was in small yellow colored boxes. can't remember the price.

1)  Photocopy your passport.  Keep your original in hotel safety box and only carry your copy.  This should suffice w/most police if id checked.

2)  Email to yourself all pertinent bank/credit card/ financial/ insurance info so that if you lose, u can always look it up on the internet.

3)  Eating at food stalls are ok as long as you make sure all food is thoroughly boiled and cooked to kill bacteria.  (some of my fav food is at stalls)

4)  Buy a proper bike helmet if you plan to ride.

5)  Bring out only enough $ that you are prepared to lose for the day.  Keep all other $ in your ATM.  If you have to take out a larger amount, break it up into 3 locations on your body.  (1.  wallet in pocket, 2. underwear, 3. socks)

6)  Always cover your pin at ATM's and if the machine looks odd, use another one to avoid cash skimming machines.

7)  Keep business cards of hotel or residences that you stay at to show taxi drivers.

8)  Never take any recreational drugs!!!

9)  If you indulge in bargirls, accept that they are "working girls".  Harshly, they are prostitutes.  Never confuse that fact and enjoy your business transaction.  Fall in love, and u r setting yourself up for trouble.  Plenty of non working girls to date.

10)  ALWAYS SMILE. 

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this is a good list. I would add the following..

1) beware of little children selling flowers and chewing gum. many of them are pickpockets.

2) gambling is illegal no matter what amount involved.

3) don't eat oysters - cooked or uncooked - period.

4) if you plan on getting drunk, make sure you have a mate with you.

5) negotiate always with a smile.

6) american express travelers check get a higher exchange rate at the exchange booths. get them in high denominations like 500 dollars or 1000 dollars to avoid excessive service fees.

7) drink plenty of water.

8) if you are a member of 24-hour fitness in the states, you can use the facilities here at california fitness just by showing your membership card at the door.

9) remember always that you are a guest in a foreign country.

someday I might buy. but my mindset right now is that it is better to rent.

a story..

I met this older guy who complained bitterly about his experience with condos here in thailand.

he told me he lost money on a condo he sold.

evidently, he bought a studio condo for about a million baht. but for whatever reason he decided to sell it about 8 months later. during that eight months, the property went up in value.

well, as it turns out. he told me that if you don't own the property for more than 5 years, you can't keep any of the profits you make on the property. you have to give it ALL to the thai government.

not only did he have to give ALL his profits to the thai government. he also had to pay some fees amounting to 65k baht to process the money he paid to the government. ..which is why he lost money on the deal.

I don't know if his story is true. but I would definitely check up on it for those of you who are thinking of speculating on property here in thailand.

do a search on google for free wi-fi sites...

I got this info with just one search...

http://www.wififreespot.com/asia.html

my take on marriage....

I know of many people who have good marriages. on the other hand, I also know of many that didn't work out. if you want scary stories, I could probably keep up with anybody. but there's something about a happy marriage that I would give my life for. if you find that right person, it is worth the risk.

ahhhh. but how to find that person? yes. the big question.

here's what I would do.

find someone who enjoys your company. someone who can sit with you for hours on end without complaining. someone who will make love with you everyday for as long as you want.

at the end of 2 years, if she is still with you - marry her on the spot.

if for some reason, it doesn't work out. ..it doesn't matter.

2 years of bliss is worth all the money in the world.

kids? ..well, I love kids. so, if kids popped up, I wouldn't mind taking care of them.

if it did turn out to be a "good" scam, I wouldn't mind. anybody that would put out for 2 years without complaining would be worth every penny. wouldn't you agree?

..imagine all the happy memories.

if you are worried about all the money that you will have to share with her if you separate, just don't show all your marbles on the table. most people don't. and that includes men and women both.

..to the audience in the back. yeah. I know. you are saying quote, "who would want to stay with me for 2 years???" my answer to that is - my parents did. so, there is hope. right?

..to the golddiggers in the back who can't wait to take this guy to the cleaners. give it your best shot.

..to the guys in the back who are wondering if I'm interested in guys. my answer is no.

my 2 cents...

I subscribe to both www.jbh.com and www.stansberryresearch.com

these are financial related websites that provide info on investments. the jbh site has a free service that provides you interest rates for fixed investments.

on a regular basis, I see offerings of 6+%. typically, you will be buying a long term bond or cd that has a callable feature. for example, the bond is for 20 years, but you can call them in after 2 years. if you need more info on it, subscribe to the free service.

as for the iceland bonds, I got that info from the stansberryresearch guys. I'm not suppose to pass their info to unpaying customers. so, if you want more info on that, you will need to go to them for the info.

I guess I could give you a little info on the iceland bonds though. just a little... a stock broker may be able to get them for you. but the key to the bonds is to get the "index-to-inflation" bonds.

check it out....

I still believe the thai government can get the interest rates easy by just buying into the us market. many countries do...

I feel for the kids. they probably don't have enough legitimate activities to keep their minds and bodies busy. (correct me if I'm wrong.)

they need activities to keep them involved mentally and physically. to make them happy.

in the states, we had all sorts of sports activities at school. football, basketball, track and field, baseball, fencing, wrestling, kung &lt;deleted&gt;, karate, judo. I mean there were so many different sports available. there was something for everyone.

and to top it off, we had sports competition between schools at different levels from city, district, state, and even at the international level.

this makes for a very busy kid.

I think traveling is good for young folks. it makes them grow up faster. at 19, you go on an one year adventure, and still return to school. no loss, all gain.

..just remember you are not invincible, and you should be ok. enjoy your life. get those happy memories.

also...

don't forget girls can make babies.

I know this guy who came over and had 2 kids before he was age 24. talk about stressed out and confused. ..you don't want to be in this situation.

I agree with others posting that you should have "some" money before coming over. especially since you have a family. it would be irresponsible on your part to put your family in possible dire straits without proper preparation.

at age 30, you are a spring chicken with many moons to go (hopefully). if I were in your shoes, I would work a little longer and save a little more before making the move.

on the other hand, if your wifes family in thailand have some sort of way of helping you out. like helping you open up a store, or can assist you financially, then, I would consider making the move sooner.

before I made the move over, I did a few years of coming over for long 6 month vacations. maybe you can consider that instead of just packing up and moving over without a probation period.

some friends of mine work 8 months of the year in the USA, and visit thailand for the other 4 months. as an IT person, you could do this if you are a consultant. ..that's what I did.

Star Trek Enterprise comes on on saturday at 9pm.

I'm not sure, but I believe you can get bonds in the united states paying 6%. these are the ones where you invest a minimum of over a million dollars.

I know that many other countries like iceland have bonds paying 10%.

standard cds in the states are paying around 4.33% now.

so, all thailand really needs to do to get that 6% is to invest in the usa. ..just like china and many other countries are doing.

CDs in the states are backed fully by the government of the united states. right? how much safer can you get?

...makes sense for thailand to let their citizens share in the profits instead of letting the banks hog all the interest.

which is what they were doing if you think about it.

happy citizens make for a more stable country.

imagine this scenario....

you have a franchise like a burger king, or a mcdonalds. and the number of people who eat at your restaurant is similiar to the crowds that exist in the united states.

..then, consider that you are paying your employees about 25 baht an hour, or maybe 200 baht a day.

200x8=1600 baht in total daily salary outlay for 8 employees. (40 us dollars)

let's say your average "extra value meal" is about 75 baht or approximately 2 us dollars.

..have you figured it out yet? it shouldn't be too hard if you have a college education.

now, take this one step further, and apply the numbers to some of the big corporations here like the banks, etc.

did you know that many thai people work 6 days a week, 12 hours a day? some only get 2 days off a month.

another step further...

thailand is better off than many of its neighboring countries.

I have met engineers in the philippines making 1 dollar a day. and from what I've read in the newspapers, there are over 200 million people in indonesia living on less than that.

after much thought on this in the past, I came away with the belief that the solution to this is "education". but the people have to realize this before it will bring any rewards. more importantly, the "ruling class" would have to be willing to allow this "education" to take hold. and if they want their country to prosper, they will.

my 2 cents...

it has been my experience that many caucasian folks can't tell the correct ages of asians, and vice versa.

many times, I have had foreign friends make critical comments about couples where the guys are in their 50's, and their girlfriends/wives are in their 20's.

more often than not... asian girls in their 20's are mistaken by foreigners as being age 12 or 13.

on a few occasions, I took some of my "judgemental" friends to the chulalongkorn university to walk around. and they were surprised that the students they saw walking around there were actually college age.

on the reverse side, I have had asian friends look at some of my caucasian friends and comment on how "young" and handsome they looked even though I knew them to be over age 50.

when asked, they would reply that my friends age was around 30 to 35.

..even I have mistaken peoples ages. I was looking at this caucasian lady the other day whom I thought was age 40+ and was told that she was in fact in her 20's.

in no way am I trying to justify the actions of pedophiles with this reply. but I think people are too quick to make judgements without the facts, and this needs to be pointed out.

common sense...

if someone is really scared of you, they will run away.

if someone is a little scared of you, they will not talk to you.

if someone is interested in you, they will talk to you.

if someone really likes you, they will look into your eyes, and smile.

when a guy likes a girl, the guy usually stands next to the girl hoping to catch her attention.

when a girl likes a guy, she usually does the same, but more often likes to parade in front of them again hoping to catch the persons attention.

I'm not an expert by any means. but this is my experience.

your 5 minute discussion with the girl is a "maybe". if she does another 5 minute discussion with you, it's a "hopeful". another 5 minutes would make it "first base"

.....with 3 more bases to go for a home run.

to me, the most important thing in life is happy memories. or rather, the pursuit of them.

...can you sit alone somewhere and then smile because of some treasured memory that comes to mind?

ahhhhhh! ooooohhhhhh!

if you can say yes, then, you can understand what I'm saying.

if not, then, in my opinion, you need to reconsider where you should be.

the reason why I live in thailand right now is because I find myself gathering many happy memories here. when this stops, it will be time to leave.

I have many happy memories from my life while in san francisco which I will treasure for the rest of my life. but after close to 20 years of living there, the happy memories just stopped coming. and so, it was time to leave.

I think part of the reason for my interest in thailand at this time in my life is because it doesn't cost me an arm and leg to live here. so, money is not as big of a concern - which in turn feeds my happiness.

my greatest fear is being 10 minutes from death and not being able to think of a happy moment in my life. ..I have seen people at their deathbed who cried realizing that they cannot remember a happy moment in their life.

..it is a sobering feeling that humbles you to the realization of just how small you are in this universe.

with this new awareness, go forward, and find happiness.

a tip: wishing your fellow man happiness can also bring you happiness.

..to happy memories.