Wee Jimmy

Mahseer, don't forget an ice-bucket......but the cheap polystyrene buckets are for sale here, too.

If you go to Udon try Makro as they have loads of frozen western food including bacon, sausage & fish. Makro is a lot cheaper.

I have a just got back from the UK where I got a new passport.

Do I have to have my retirement visa transferred into the new passport or do I carry the 2 passports?

Thanks

Wee Jimmy.

go to the airport light, do a U turn, shortly on left have many small bikes

Steal one out of the Macro car park?

These wee Honda scooters you are talking about I'm sure are called Honda Dio's. They are a bugger to start but when running are OK. If your intent on getting a little 50cc scooter try to get a Honda Chaly. Much better.

[Watch your baggage allowance with Gulf Air, they are very stricked.

Moonrakers just make sure that you let your old licence run out first before applying for a new one. If it is still in date then they will only give you another one year one. Strange but true...OIT.

HL

That is true for changing from an expiring 1 year license to a 5 year one, but there may be a difference between that and renewing a 5 year license.

Some people have posted that you can apply up to 3 months before the 5 year expires and others up to 12 months after. Several posters gave no indication of whether or not the 5 year had expired when they got it renewed, unfortunately.

As you say: TiT

I have just renewed my 5 year licence. It was not due for renewal until June. I had no problem with the renewal. Go to licence office then they will send you to immigration to get proof of residence letter then back to get your photo taken and get your new licence. I've heard of guys having to get a medical but in my case I wasn't asked for one.

Good Luck.

On a previous posting I mentioned that ‘’The Meeting Place’’ in Nong Khai had opened again. I was there yesterday and was told that from 1/04/09 (Wednesday) all drinks are 50 Baht and this includes the spirit drinks. Everyday I am told there will also be a variety of 50 Bhat meals.

This is not an advert for ‘’The Meeting Place’’ it’s info for all who don’t know about it and for those on visa runs.

They also have budget accommodation.

Wee Jimmy

Used to use them very regularly and never a problem - still do for new places and peak periods - both as Precision Reservations previously and now Agoda. A few years back I booked a couple of weeks with them but changed my plans a week in. Planned on sorting out a refund when I got home but discovered that they had already done it. I have always found the details on their website more comprehensive than some of the others out there.

Beware when booking a Hotel with AGODA.

On the 27th of February we booked a 2 night stay at the Royal Asia Lodge Hotel Soi 8 , Sukhumvit Bangkok for the 2nd & 3rd March. The write up from AGODA about the Royal Asia Lodge impressed us but what a disappointment we had. Firstly, the hotel was about 1 kilometre form Sukomvit Road; we were not told about this.

To add to this the safe was broken, air con blew out hot air, room filthy & food disgusting, we actually walked out of the restaurant again disgusted and went to check out.

After the breakfast carry on (morning of the second day) we moved to another hotel for the remaining nights until my wife’s Visa was ready. Before leaving The Royal Asia Lodge Hotel we asked the hotel for a refund as we had paid for the 2nd night and we were told to contact AGODA for the refund. We have been fighting this for 1 month now & AGODA keep telling us that they are investigating the case.

It’s not a lot of money, (in fact they can now stuff it up their rectums). It’s the principle of the matter which is annoying us. The purpose of this post is to warn others about AGODA and the Royal Asia Lodge Hotel.

No doubt some of you have used AGODA and the Royal Asia Lodge Hotel and have been satisfied. My wife and I will never ever use the services of these seething lying horrible cheating BASKETS again.

We were coned.

Don’t let it happen to you.

Now I’ve vented my anger I’m away for a beer.

Wee Jimmy.

Never had a problem with either Sawasdee, or Agoda, would the OP & WeeJimmy kindly disclose the hotels in question.

I don't think it appropriate to give this info on an open forum at themoment. The situation might yet be resolved if AGODA repay the money for the night which we didn't stay. However, if you are keen to know you can PM me and I will give you the name of the Hotel.

Wee Jimmy.

Nong Khai Immigration.

Went to renew my 5 year car and bike licence in Nong Khai today. I got to the Licensing Office at 9.30am and was directed to Immigration to get a proof of residence letter. Arrived at immigration at about 9.50am and as I was due to do my 90 day report next Monday and get a re-entry permit for a week later I combined all 3 items at Immigration and was out again by 10.30am. Great service at immigration now and they were all smiles.

Back to the licence office and was out of there within the hour. Thing are moving faster now.

It’s not all gloom at Nong Khai.

Wee Jimmy.

Try SkyScanner. Put in your Departure (BKK) to Edinburgh and your dates. Found a flight with British Airways, returning with EasiJet for 37,000 baht.

Best wishes, Peter

Why not go to Glasgow with Emirates? Fare is about 37,000 Baht and get the bus/train accross to Edinburgh. Another option would be Gulf Air to London then BMI up to Edinburgh.

Good Luck

Hay a gid trip.

Did you not read the 'Terms and Conditions' before pressing the 'confirm' button?

You could try and contact you credit card company and explain to them that the room isn't how it was desribed and perhaps they might be able to sort something out though I doubt it will be resolved immediately.

Worth a try!

If you do decide to go the credit card route, see if you can get photos of the room as it is and included with your letter requesting cancellation of the charge. Be sure to include a screen shot of the ad to illustrate what the hotel said it was, and turned out not to be.

Depending on what credit card you have, and issued by what bank in what country, you'll have a good change of canceling.

Mac

I don't think you have, ones you booked you hooked, the website who ever it is, does not like to loose the 10% deposit which the hotel never get"s anyway

We are having the same broblem with a room we booked through AGODA. We cancelled the seconed night for the same reason you cancelled and they are reluctant to refund the money. I've given them until Friday and if I don't get a refund I'll blacken the name of AGODA and the hotel on every website I can.

The answer is to go look before you pay, i have certainly learnt this by my misstake...

Thought I'd let you all know that The Meeting Place (Nong Khai) is open for business again. As from last Saturday Dave from Nobbi's has branched out and opened it.

Good luck Dave'

Wee Jimmy.

I remember meeting place from years ago. Had a few day time libations. Alan was funny, always a few characters floating around.

does anyone know if Paul? from samlor pub, vientianne is still around.

Found this account of a tourists experience at Meeting place. Anyone recognise themselves or others?

Joe's Lament

"The women there have lovely thighs...."

The old man broke into a violent fit of laughter, launching his breath, spiced with curry and whiskey, across the bar.

"That's what they told me when I said I was coming out here," he continued, running his hand over his thin hair.

Thought I'd let you all know that The Meeting place is open for business again. Dave from Nobbi's has taken it over.

Best of luck Dave as it's had a few owners.

Wee Jimmy.

He never explained who "they" were, but I took "out here" to mean Thailand... specifically Northeastern Thailand, near the border of Laos, this rickety wooden outpost, this particular bar.

My backpack slid off my shoulders and dropped to the floor. I made no effort to pick it up. That morning Andy and I had set out before dawn to fly from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh to Bangkok to Udon Thani. From there we caught a minibus to Nong Khai and arrived around 8PM at this bar. We were heading, in our own roundabout way, to Laos.

Traveling to Laos through northern Cambodia would have been suicidal. So instead we followed a complex jigsaw pattern, all the way to this carefully selected location - The Meeting Place in Nong Khai. Visas into Laos are sometimes hard to come by, but according to several sources, the Australian owner of this border town bar could deliver the paperwork no problem.

The route from Siem Reap to Nong Khai sounded easy enough in theory, back when we mapped it out over a couple of drinks in Washington, D.C. But by the time we staggered through the door, I was ready to drop.

The drunk man across the bar draped his lanky frame over an Australian couple's table and began to stroke the woman's arm. "You're a very pretty lady," he slurred. He had the most stereotypical cockney accent I've ever heard - the kind I didn't believe existed. The "shine your shoes, guvnah?" type of accent in My Fair Lady. The Australian woman did her best to ignore his advances. As he caressed her hand, the woman and her husband carried on their conversation as if the drunk was a waiter refilling her water glass.

I stood across the room, admiring the grace with which they endured his pawing. Andy ducked into the back to find Alan, the owner, while I stretched and sat down at the bar. I could feel lines of sweat where my backpack had pressed up against my shirt. My long hair was lumped into a lopsided ponytail; flyaway strands brushed against my cheeks. My eyelids hovered at half mast, and my posture fell into an unattractive slump.

A black boxer, its tail wagging furiously, pressed his cold nose against my leg. He wore a heavy metal chain and padlock around his neck. With his black hair and chain link collar, the dog reminded me of Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols. I scratched behind his ears, and he flopped over onto his back, exposing his embarrassingly large, uncastrated self. I slid off the bar stool and sat down next to him on the floor.

Across the room, a young boy played with a plastic frog. His mother smiled at me from behind the bar. Behind her, taped to the wall, was a poster of a Thai woman grinding papayas between her spread open thighs.

When the Australian couple stood up to leave, the old man insisted upon walking them to the door. Actually, he supported himself on the woman's elbow as he bumbled towards the door. He fondled her hand for a few more seconds and mumbled affections. Finally she pulled her hand away, smiled politely and left. He stood dazed in the doorway for a moment or two, then shook his shaggy mane like a wet dog. Finally he dropped his gangly butt on a bar stool and ordered a drink. Then suddenly, he got up and disappeared into the lavatory.

Andy emerged from the back room, sat down next to me and scratched the dog's throat. He said the owner was pretty cool and could take care of the visas in the morning. He started to pet the dog's stomach but quickly retracted his hand when he saw its enormous genitals. He shook his head in amazement, smiled and went back to scratching the dog's throat.

"I figured we could stay here tonight." Andy tilted his head towards the stairs. "The room's a dump, even the owner said that, but for three bucks a night, I won't complain."

I didn't feel like standing up, let alone putting on my backpack and wandering around the city to look for a hotel. Too tired to talk, I simply nodded in agreement.

"The owner tells me the rooms are for customers who are too drunk to go home." Andy wiped his face with his shirt tail and smiled. "It should be interesting."

The bartender, it turned out, was the owner's wife. Since no other customers were in the bar, she and a friend sat down on a couch by the door. A tan colored poodle ran out from behind the bar and jumped into her lap. She was a beautiful Thai woman, in her late twenties, early thirties. Her son, who looked about nine years old, sat on a chair beside them. The women joked with each other in Thai, then after a few minutes, turned to us and asked about our travels. As Andy told them about Cambodia, the owner's wife leaned back and tucked her foot under her thigh.

Suddenly, the lavatory door flew open, and the old drunk stumbled out. He flashed a goofy grin and sat down next to the owner's wife. She poked at his back and laughed. I couldn't understand what she was saying since she was speaking in Thai, but I could tell she was teasing him about something. He answered back in Thai, but by the look on his face, it was clear that his stuttered comeback was no match for her wit. Her friend put her hand over her mouth, trying to suppress a laugh. Even the boy pressed his lips together trying to hold it in. Finally, the owner's wife pulled a piece of masking tape off the man's back. The tape had words on it: "Joe" and then something in Thai. The women giggled and patted the drunk man on the shoulder. He ran his hand through his hair and laughed along.

When the laughter calmed down, the boy ran off to bed, and the friend headed home. I started to get up off the floor, but the dog whined, so I decided to pet him for just a few more minutes. The owner's wife pulled down a rack of metal bars and secured a heavy padlock. She switched off all but a few lights, and left us alone with drunk Joe, who was, as he announced, too tanked to make it home to his wife.

Joe struggled to his feet, and just as I thought he was turning toward the stairs, he made an awkward jerky adjustment and staggered over to Andy and me.

"Is she your wife?" Joe asked Andy, tilting his head toward me. "Yes," Andy lied.

Joe continued as if Andy hadn't said anything, "Because I wouldn't want to get a punch in the nose."

"Not from me," Andy smiled. "But you might get one from her."

Joe threw his head back and laughed.

"I warned you," Andy shrugged.

The old man was harmless really. He was way too uncoordinated to pose any real threat. His willowy frame couldn't stand up to a good gust of wind at this point, let alone any defensive reaction from me. Andy and I could see that, and besides, he had captured our interest.

Joe plopped down next to me and picked up my hand. He sat with one knee up in the air and the other on the floor. Then he began caressing the back of my hand in sloppy, crooked strokes. I politely pulled my hand away, but he grabbed for it, like a child reaching for a butterfly that had escaped his grasp.

"It's OK," he reassured. "I'm drunk. I only want to talk to you." He mumbled something else in a soothing tone, then staring talking about white women. The dog moaned and shook his leg, trying to wrestle my attention away from Joe.

The owner's wife came back out to wipe off the bar. She chastised Joe in Thai, and in turn, he let out a loud, guttural "gaaaaahhhh." She shook her head and went back to her room.

Joe turned his attention back to my hand. I let him paw it. What the hel_l. He was a drunk old man. There was no danger in this guy.

"I'm going to talk to you like a Thai woman," he forewarned. Then he spoke gently, soothingly in Thai, as if he had forgotten how to woo women in English. As he worked his charm, his eyebrows moved up and inward. His head tilted slightly to the left. I stared at the blue veins under his thin white skin and the deep wrinkles that framed his eyes. He drew my hand up to his mouth to kiss it. His black teeth hung precariously from his gray gums, and instinctively I pulled my hand away.

"Please," he dropped his head. "I'm drunk," he informed us again, just in case we had forgotten. "I only get drunk once every three months. I live in a village 15 kilometers away, and every three months, I come here to drink. A man can do that, can't he?"

He pleaded with us to have a drink with him, just one beer. But who knows how long that could last. Out of nowhere, he shifted subjects.

"I can't speak good Thai," he began. "My son can speak English, Thai, Isaan (the Thai dialect of northeast Thailand)." I've been here seven years and I still only speak Isaan. My son can sit in a room and speak English to me, Thai to his mother, and Isaan to his grandmother. Changing languages by just turning his head."

Joe changed subjects again, trying desperately to keep our attention. "He killed his first snake the other day," he said of his son. "We weren't mad. It could have killed him. It wasn't a big snake, but it was poisonous. If we hadn't gotten the antidote in a couple hours, if it bit him that is, he would have died."

"What kind of snake was it," I cut in.

"Oh, I dunno," he tumbled over his words. "It had stripes and green and colors. It was deadly poisonous though."

The dog wagged his tail as I scratched his neck. Meanwhile Joe rambled on about how he didn't normally like westerners, not even his own kind. But we were OK as far as he was concerned. The owner's wife called out to the dog from her room, but he just kept wagging his tail. Joe kicked the dog and pointed to the back room. The pup let out a high pitched yelp and ran away. Then, knowing that he finally had our undivided attention, he picked up my hand again. But just as he launched into a string of Thai affections, another westerner appeared at the metal gate.

"Where's Alan?" The man asked with a non-descript North American accent. Dressed in a cutoff shirt and a camouflage vest, he was an intimidating figure. He had tattoos all the way up his muscular arms, short hair and a kind a weathered mercenary look about him.

"He's in bed," I answered looking up at him.

"Eight o'clock and he's in f----n' bed?" The stranger scoffed.

"Are you ex-military?" Joe pointed to his camouflage vest.

"<deleted>> no," he jerked his chin upward to accentuate his denial.

Joe picked himself up off the floor. "I'll get Alan," he slurred.

"Tell him Bob from Canada is here."

Joe stumbled off to the other room.

"And tell that Aussie bastard he owes me a thousand baht!" The Canadian called after him. "I'm going around the back entrance," he added, then disappeared around the corner.

Alan, the Australian owner of the bar, came out from his room. Joe followed close behind trying to tuck in his shirt tail. Alan had white hair, ruddy cheeks and a barkeep's nonchalant demeanor. He casually nodded our way.

As Andy and I stood up, Canadian Bob came in through the back. Alan slapped him on the shoulder like an old drinking buddy and poured a couple beers.

Joe, still trying to tuck in his shirt tail, urged us to have beer with them. But Andy and I were too tired and admittedly too intimidated by the paramilitary Canadian. Still trying to hold our attention, Joe quipped, "Where are from in the States?"

"Washington, D.C.," I told him, then asked, "Where are you from in England?"

From that simple question, Joe dove into the drunken, jumbled cliffnotes of his life. He gave us the PG-13 version, I think. A couple f--ks slipped in from time to time, and he threw in a few "I'm going to speak frankly" disclaimers. It turns out he was born in London in 1936. (I swear he looked much older than 61.) His wife died when Joe was in his twenties. Shattered by the loss, he left England and bummed around South America for some time. Several years ago, he and a friend decided it was time to move on. Joe wanted to go to Bolivia (or someplace like that), but his friend insisted that Thailand was the place to be. They decided to wager the location over a game of darts. Joe lost. He challenged his friend to a rematch over a game of pool. Joe lost. After a couple more rematches (and as many losses for Joe), they ended up in Thailand. They set up a business, which flopped because apparently his partner spent all the money on women. He started to talk about various three-somes he'd been involved in, then skipped ahead to the time he and his friend decided to take Thai wives.

"So I took a Thai wife, and I am so lucky. I could have got a bad one, but I got a good one."

After getting hitched, he started his own business selling sod.

"Nobody had sod here," he explained. "But do you know why? Because it doesn't f---ing grow here!"

So then he started a rubber tree business, and now he has a [mumbled] number of trees. But he went on to explain that he's not a happy man, even though his wife is nice. And every three months he comes to town to get drunk and could he please kiss my hand?

He picked up my hand again and brought it to his lips. "It's been so long since I've kissed a white woman," he slobbered. "About..."

I cut him off, "About 20 minutes since the Australian lady left."

His shoulders cringed inward, and he slurred softly, "I didn't kiss her."

Truthfully I don't know if he did or not. I didn't have the right angle, but at any rate, I was by no means the first woman to be "blessed" with his affections.

He lifted my hand again. I didn't pull away. He gently pressed his lips to my knuckles, then tenderly set down my hand. He bowed his head like a gentleman and said goodnight. Dishevelled, flattered and taken back by the tenderness of his kiss, I just nodded. Andy and I walked up the stairs, and Joe joined the men at the bar. I dropped my backpack as soon as we entered our room and curled up on the lumpy mattress. The room was directly above the bar, and light from below shot up through the floor boards. Soon enough, I fell asleep... to the sound of glass clinking and Joe laughing.

Oh goody lets compare how long we have all had it. Me since 1985 How long is that? 24 years right?

I have exactly the same as you describe. It started 18 months ago with earache and pain down the back of my head and as you describes a sore throat gland down the right side. I have taken the same medication as you have taken which has helped. At first I was worried about it and even went as far as going to a BUPA specialist in Edinburgh which cost £250 and no cure. The doctor’s synopsis was that I had Tetanus and would have to live with it. When back here in Thailand I went to a doctor in Udon who prescribed vitamin B tablets which did help. Use ear plugs when in the shower or swimming and avoid loud noises.

Try to keep your mind occupied and don’t think about it as I have found this the best cure. A couple of beers also do wonders.

Good Luck,

Wee Jimmy.

Hope the same judge is on the bench when Taxin is in front of him.

I see Maxnet offers up to 6Mb on the Premier package.

http://www.maxnet.co.th/promotion_inside.php?promtid=58

When I read the old forum posts on this topic, the speeds seem to be all over the place no matter what you pay for. Does paying for a higher speed with Maxnet actually mean getting a higher speed? What is your recent experience? Thank you!

I've got the basic package which will be the ''Indy''. (I'm also 15 Klicks out of town). I've had very poor speed for some time now, until 10 days ago I put up with it. Now when my speed goes down I'm right on the free number complaining and within 5 minutes the speed is away up to 1500-1700Kbps. Get the basic package and see what it's like before getting the bigger one. Remember they will as usual they will try to palm you off wth something that does not work.

Good Luck.

Wee Jimmy.

Seems to be we have to move upcountry: 100 Mbps!! WOW!! (kidding)

!00 Mbps is the speed of your NIC inside your computer!! Maybe you'll have a 2 Mbps package from Maxnet.

I don't know the speed u7p country but as far as 15 km from city, that means you even quite far from the next exchange and that's slows down the speed.

What yo can do is to check all physical connection of the cable, special outside your house. Make sure that those connection are really good and tighten if possible. Maybe you can solder the cable at the points where they fixed together by screw's or whatsoever. That can helps a bit. Otherwise you relay on Maxnet Techies.

Cheers.

Have had the Maxnet Techies out about 6 times. They changed the ADSL router checked all the lines and the signal strength was away up to 2000 kbps but now is away down again. As I don't know a lot about this subject do you think I'm out of order complaining?

Just done a speed test.

Last Result:

Download Speed: 319 kbps (39.9 KB/sec transfer rate)

Upload Speed: 415 kbps (51.9 KB/sec transfer rate)

Wee Jimmy.

Seems to be we have to move upcountry: 100 Mbps!! WOW!! (kidding)

!00 Mbps is the speed of your NIC inside your computer!! Maybe you'll have a 2 Mbps package from Maxnet.

I don't know the speed u7p country but as far as 15 km from city, that means you even quite far from the next exchange and that's slows down the speed.

What yo can do is to check all physical connection of the cable, special outside your house. Make sure that those connection are really good and tighten if possible. Maybe you can solder the cable at the points where they fixed together by screw's or whatsoever. That can helps a bit. Otherwise you relay on Maxnet Techies.

Cheers.

Have had the Maxnet Techies out about 6 times. They changed the ADSL router checked all the lines and the signal strength was away up to 2000 kbps but now is away down again. As I don't know a lot about this subject do you think I'm out of order complaining?

Wee Jimmy.

I have the basic Maxnet ADSL Package of 100.0 Mbps Can some one enlighten me as to what download speed I should have.

At the moment I get an average of 330-360 kbps download speed. When I complain to Maxnet the speed goes way up to 1600 kbps for a couple of hours then back to what I started with 330-360 and some times less. I'm in a village 15 klms outside of the town. My friend has the same package and lives in town, he gets 1750 kbps constantly.

What do you computer guys reckon?

Wee Jimmy.

Might sound stupid.

There is a place up the hill, I think its called The Windmill. Run by a pommie bloke. Had the best ###### English Breakfast. Nice thick pork sausage, baked beans, best looking bacon, fried tomatoe and a cup of tea for 90baht.

Really nice bloke runs it. Also happy to have a chat. Does good trade with poms and the occassional Ozzie.

We always go there everytime we are in Pattaya riding the big bikes.

Nomad

Can you give more directions to the Windmill please.

thanks.

Thank you both for your advise. I am already five years behind on my national insurance contributions. Thing is, the tax man might ask what I have been doing these last few years!!!

Syl.

I'm 23 years behind, but I'm still going to claim on the 16 years I paid UK contributions, ... when I'm 65. Wonder what ever happened to the UK graduated pension scheme we were all forced to pay into many many years ago. I guess the money I paid in (was deducted from my pay) will get me nothing ....

In your case if you don't pay any more into the system you will get 16 thirtieths of the basic state pension but you can bring this up to date before you are 65 yrs old. You now only require 30 yrs contribution to get the basic state pension.

Yes still on the 4th of every month. You wont see me there as I give Ban Dung a wide birth on market days.

Eddies is on the corner of Soi 5 and the main drag, 3 roads back from the arch at the entry to the parks and Wat coming in from the Udon side. There is on other opposite the ESSO service station on the salt road exit.

Thans very much. Will go on Wednesday.

Wee Jimmy.

Can some of you guys up there in Ban Dung tell me if the market is still there on the 4th of the month?

Secondly, directions to a farang bar from the market.

Thanks,

Wee Jimmy

Offer some money to the person in charge. It worked for me. I waited 5 years but once he knew he would get a a bit money I had the phone installed within 2 weeks;

Wee Jimmy.

Been offered a job abroad and not to sure what i would have to do if i took it.On a retirement visa from Hull.

Please advise me

I've been doing this on a retirement visa for 10 years. Don't see as it's anyone's business why you go out of the country, you coud be going on a holiday.