The Dancer

I have the attached from way back when. The US embassy website may have current info.

Thanks, Xircal.

I am looking for European import canned fish, e.g., sardines, herring, etc. (not local brands like Sealect, Ayam, Sumaco, et al). Foodland on Soi 5 used to have Rugenfisch and other canned products from Denmark. Now nothing. The Tops near me has an off and on supply of stuff. Lazada and Tesco online didn't turn up anything.

Anyone know where to find this? Thanks.

4 minutes ago, mcfish said:

Yes late at night was the worst congestion due to the massive number of tourists leaving the hotel's for the evening. Day time is just to hot.

You have you're wires crossed there was never a total crack down before. I live in the middle of it

On that stretch of lower Suk it's tourists crawling the night plus people from the clubs and bars on Suks 4 and 11 emptying at 2am looking for afterhours action. Which is a problem for nobody because it's just them bumping merrily into each other and the vendors keeping them happy with food and drink and making a living in the process.

The earlier crackdown wasn't total like it seemed tonight. They shut down all the alcocarts but let the food stalls operate, who gave us beer to drink in glasses, no exposed bottles. 

I was out of the country for a couple of weeks. Got back yesterday and decided to go get a late beer tonight where I always go, a little alco/food cart on Suk between Sois 5 and 7. Walked from the corner of 3 all the way to 11. Not a single vendor. And almost no people. What's usually the busiest stretch of Suk was empty. Friday night 3am felt like a no-alcohol Monday night with an election happening. In fact, walking back I got this eerie feeling that somehow I'd been zapped back to the hicky Midwest town which I'd escaped 11 years ago (where it's empty like this everywhere every day soon as it gets dark).

Now, I understand complaints about street stalls during the day clogging the way to proper shops and offices and getting in the way of pedestrians. But late night?

And it's not just tourists out for fun being inconvenienced. People making a living operating those stalls are Thai and a lot of locals, staff from entertainment joints in the vicinity particularly, stop by these places after work for food and beverage.

In any case, I hope it's temporary. There was a similar crackdown a few months ago which lasted a couple of weeks before things got back to normal.

9 hours ago, Crossy said:

If you don't mind him being around he'll be making a meal of any roaches and the like in your condo

Yep, keeping a mildly venomous snake to ward away the roaches reminds me of when I got married to cure me of my one-night habits.

For a stretch of about 200 meters west of Victory Monument, on the north side of the street across from the Rachawithi Hospital, there's a line of pharmacies and med supply stores. From what I understand you can find there pretty much everything under the sun med-related. I would take a look.

I know there was a thread on TV not too long ago about this very scam but couldn't find it. Here's what happened about 30 mins. ago in the Tops at the basement of the Century Mall.

I am standing with my cart looking around trying to remember what to buy. A mid-eastern guy and  gal approach me. The guy's 20ish short slight build sharply dressed, otherwise unremarkable. The woman seemed in her 30s, nondescript, plump with a head scarf and holding a baby in front.

Guy: Hello, you are Thai?

Me: No, but I can speak some Thai. Can I help you?

Guy: Where you from?

Me: US

Guy: I am from Dubai (offers hand, we shake). You know how much $100?

Me: About 3500 baht.

Guy: Oh, you have 1000 baht. Can show?

At this time a bell rings - thanks TV, you're worth the subscription - and the woman must have caught that on my face. She speaks rapidly to the guy in a language I couldn't make out (didn't sound Arabic though). The guy doesn't seem convinced and leans toward me and raises his hand like he's holding a note. The woman speaks some more and this time gets to him. The next minute they are gone. 

I check my belongings. Back pocket wallet, check. Side pocket phone, check. Ok, so I am unscathed. Curious still I look for them in the aisles. Nope, they've vanished.

So, what was supposed to have happened? It was an aborted scam of that I have no doubt. In any case, thought I should let folks out there know.

8 hours ago, tropo said:

To be honest, unless you pay the 1500 - 2000 baht, the shoes will fall apart quickly. Even the more expensive ones don't last. Unless we catch them on sale in the malls, I usually pay at least 2000 baht for a shoe, and that's only average quality. If you want leather or suede, expect to pay well over 3000 baht.

Sorry not to be able to answer the OP but a comment about the above. Thai women know exactly the quality of shoes, handbags and dresses they are getting for a few hundred baht. The whole is idea is to wear them while they gleam, shoot a dozen selfies, post them on FB and then when the shine comes off in a couple of weeks to toss the stuff and go off shopping again.

What to hold on for keeps is brand names. But then you are talking serious money.

On 9/8/2016 at 11:08 PM, SchadeBoy said:

... TGs Are Uneducated, but why is it that so called intelligent Westerners ...

You seem to be equating uneducated, or lacking much formal education, with being unintelligent. Not so in spades. As not so is the converse that a college degree automatically means smart (in any field other than the specialization).

Suppose a highly-educated farang engineer/lawyer/banker/what have you on a 6-figure expat package picks up a beautiful Thai freelancer from a Soi 11 club and takes her back to his penthouse apartment. Guess whose turf they are still on? And whose street smarts will pay off at the end. And whose Ivy League post-grad degree won't matter the paper it's written on.

Of course, this is not to suggest that the situation will always be adversarial. Hopefully not. But if it does go that way thenI know who I have my money on.

I would look at the Rangnam Road area. It's bustling, chockablock with eateries (Western and Thai) and cafes, the Century Mall with a supermarket in the basement at one end and a couple more malls in 5min. walking, as is the VM BTS station, and the cherry on top is the Santiphab park in the middle to burn off the night's festivities.

Expats? It's been a while since I lived on Rangnam but I doubt the situation has changed. There are no exclusive expat stations as such, e.g., bars in the Nana area, but you probably couldn't go 100 meters in any direction along Rangnam without passing a farang walking by. Many live in the vicinity and I doubt you'll have a problem meeting up.

For a particular recommendation I would suggest the building I lived in, VP Tower on Soi Chawarkul. Two year ago studios were 10-15k depending on how up in the clouds you wanted to be. A slightly older building but well-maintained with friendly staff.

Let me first say these lessons are 600 baht an hour. Private lessons at a school that's been in business quite a while, has good reviews, and is licensed to get Ed visas. The school has a positive vibe with so far positive employees.

I appreciate the positive responses on here, and am not to sure what the "go home" or "50 baht" responses were about. Nobody should expect a teacher to have no lesson plan ready and I clearly explained my needs up front with the school before I signed up. So there was no reason to start with trying to teach me Hello. There's also no reasons to just say "What do you want to learn today?" which is what she said when I came today. I know it's a difficult role, but I explained it and I'm paying for it. If they can't do it, then they can't do it, but I want to see if I can fix the problem before being direct with them and saying that this isn't working.

And so, I need to know is the farang manager the person to approach, or is it the teacher. Because in some cultures people don't want to hear ideas directly, while other cultures would be upset you went around/over them. What I asked was how to broach this culturally, so that I didn't hurt anyone's feelings. I'm quite aware how to yell at someone -- it's not what I want to do.

Thanks again to the people who tried to help.

You're overthinking this. Just talk to the teacher with a smile and explain the situation. Avoid confrontational and demanding and you should be fine. There's no need to go to the boss.

Think of it this way. The instructor, being a native speaker, is at level 100. Normally, she teaches at say level 5. You want level 7. This will take almost zero extra effort on her part so you're not making an imposition.

Sucks. The problem is restaurants close mostly by 12 so delivery services figure it's not worth staying open either. Of course, there are food places open 24 hrs. Your best bet would be make an arrangement with a motosai based near a restaurant you like to pick up and deliver. They would probably be happy to make the run as it should be a ride through empty streets late night.

I actually do this even earlier at night. It actually works out cheaper than Foodpanda with their markups and silly delivery charges on top of that.

I've bought often from Amazon India because there's an address in India which I have access to where they can deliver. And because they're cheaper especially for cosmetics.

No problems except a couple of months ago they sent me the wrong bottles for an Olay product. Rs. 4000 worth. So I started a chat with customer service at the end of which they said they would refund the money (they did) and didn't ask for the wrong bottles back (worth as much). So I am not complaining.

Bottom line: I am happy.

I have friends (a couple) coming to Bangkok next Wednesday.

I take them to Route 66.

What late club you can recommend if we want to carry on partying? Mixx, Insanity?

Both are good though personally I would pick Mixx. And Wed. is ladies night so it should be hopping. And if you like dancing I find Mixx more danceable than the other late night places.

Forgot to add. Jean Claude van Damme likes Mixx. So can't go wrong there. He was there Th. night.

Must be short on groupies these days if he trawling bangkok clubs

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This was the second time I've seen him at Mixx. And both times he was with his son and others, young people. He looks kind of past it though, not the Kickboxer man at all. I guess money, groupies, Hollywood can do that to a man.

But he seemed to be having a good time and was still there when I left around 3am. And he was gracious with the selfie line.

I have friends (a couple) coming to Bangkok next Wednesday.

I take them to Route 66.

What late club you can recommend if we want to carry on partying? Mixx, Insanity?

Both are good though personally I would pick Mixx. And Wed. is ladies night so it should be hopping. And if you like dancing I find Mixx more danceable than the other late night places.

Forgot to add. Jean Claude van Damme likes Mixx. So can't go wrong there. He was there Th. night.

I have friends (a couple) coming to Bangkok next Wednesday.

I take them to Route 66.

What late club you can recommend if we want to carry on partying? Mixx, Insanity?

Both are good though personally I would pick Mixx. And Wed. is ladies night so it should be hopping. And if you like dancing I find Mixx more danceable than the other late night places.

Turks have done themselves proud. Ordinary folk came out in the thousands to defend democracy. Even though their President Erdogan is widely considered to be an sob.

I wonder how Thai media are finding their way past the uncomfortable comparisons.

What's the word on the newest incarnation of CM2 in the basement of the Novotel Siam? Play I think it's called.

I actually went there a few weekends ago. It looked beautifully outfitted but was totally empty. It was pouring rain that night though so that might have been it. Anybody been there recently?

Cops closed every club in the city early it seemed tonight, does this happen a lot?

Yep,it leaves Spicy,Boss and Bossy open and guess who owns them?

I left Mixx at about 2:30 tonight. Going strong, people streaming in.

...

I am really starting to believe that most Thai women really do prefer the companionship of a Thai guy. The others just have no choice.

Of course. We would be stupid to think otherwise. Same culture, same language, grew up listening to the same songs, watching the same movies, worshiping the same (Thai/Japanese/Korean) stars, common friends, families that work the same way, ...

As for us, replace every "same" with "different", not to mention we look like we're from ten thousand miles away too. You can hit her on the head with a sackful of dollars and stun her for a while, but when she comes to you're still a stranger. Nothing's going to change that.

Maybe I'm being too cynical but it's probably good to keep this in mind before falling in love with a dark lithe lass with a million dollar smile and an attentive manner. But, of course, that's impossible. It wouldn't be love if you're thinking clearly would it?

(1) $3200 which is bit more than 110,000b is ample income per month to have a comfortable lifestyle here. You have zero financial worries to look out for.

(2) If you rent in a bit upscale (more than the average) building, say where the min rent is 20,000b, your neighbors aren't going to be the type to be partying till late with music blasting and doors open or wandering drunk through the hallways.

(3) Don't stay in the suburbs at first. You don't need to as you can comfortably afford to be in the city where there's a heckuva lot more to do and it's far easier to meet people.

(4) No, you don't need American/farang neighbors to survive. If you do get homesick expats are easy to meet all over the city. And forums like this one will get you all the help you'll ever need.

(5) Thai is a challenging language but learning is a fun project. I would hire a 1-on-1 tutor at first. That way you have a local friend too.

(6) Don't fall in love before being here a year at least. No, I am not being facetious. You're a (relatively) rich single foreigner which means you'll be a magnet for some women, who aren't necessarily gold diggers but who could strip you or your independence pretty quickly. Stay free till you know the ropes.

(7) Have fun. You will. I moved here from the US 12 years ago and it's been a blast.

Bumrungrud doctors all speak good English. Explain your situation and s/he should be happy to write you a med certificate. Obviously, the doctor will want to check you up first.

BTS Phloenchit or Nana.

I suspect it has to do with their business model. They like to make their money off the 2% or whatever it is that they charge the merchant. But to make that income they need you to pay up first. Which would explain the punitive interest rates. They aren't in the business to make personal loans.

Credit cards debts are a slippery slope. Not only are they expensive they could screw up your credit history if you are habitually late. I would get a personal loan from a bank to pay them off.

And they aren't doing anything illegal so you can't complain to the authorities. It's not extortion without coercion. Like rocketboy says don't like em, don't use em.

Clinical depression is a really lousy illness, yes illness. A lot about it came to light in the wake of the that young Germanwings pilot locking the cockpit and crashing his plane into the Alps last year.

It is a severe chronic illness, just like diabetes, arthritis and the like. Apparently, drugs can help ease the suffering but they're not a cure and sometimes end up masking symptoms which would otherwise attract intervention. What was really scary to read is how severely depressed people can seem suddenly a lot recovered and happier to friends and family, when that ``happiness'' is owing to a resolve finally made to die and the anticipation of release from pain.

Hug a random stranger today. I am going out to the mall right now to do just that. If she's cute with long legs that ain't got nothing to do with nothing.