BradinAsia

1 hour ago, albertik said:

No happy ending for this lad.  I suggest just pay up and move on unless of course this 1000 bht will break your bank.

How can you say no happy ending? Do you know for a fact that he did not reach an orgasm?

On 2/20/2020 at 7:58 PM, DLock said:

She is her hooker, and by definition, her job is to provide sexual services in exchange for money.

 

Did he think think this was a free sampler?

Maybe he didn't like the idea of (1) not  being asked up front if he wanted a hand job (being billed for unsolicited services), (2) not being told the price in advance (violation of truth in lending laws), and (3) the hooker trying to charge him 4 times the normal rate (price gouging). When I say normal rate, that's bcoz I used to get hand jobs at Soi 22 for THB200. Has inflation been that much in 20 years???

11 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

No rare mirrors or brain failure? Wait, i see the car has rare mirrors, so it has to be brain failure. Total surprise....

What the hale is "rare mirrors?"

On 8/15/2019 at 7:22 PM, Matzzon said:

It´s also nothing new. This has been posted many times before on Thai Visa.

A few years ago, I lived in Chiang Mai. Left in 2016 and came back to the Philippines. We miss a lot of things about Thailand, especially son-tam. But it's nice to be in a place where my annual immig. cost is 310 pesos (about 185 baht) and the immig. officers are polite & friendly and we never have to wait more than a few minutes. The main things I didn't like about Thailand was the ludicrous rules at immigration, the snottiness of the IOs, and the 20,000 baht or so we paid to an agency every year to take care of all the P.I.T.A. immig. stuff for us. In the Philippines, I go to the Immig. office once a year (anytime during Jan-Feb), pay 310 pesos and go home until the next year. So freaking simple.

4 hours ago, sirineou said:

 Most of as have medical insurance,and  social services   back home  .

I had a congenital heart condition that cost $240.000 to repair in the US , my out of pocket cost was $1200. , my med insurance pict up the rest. I doubt I would have being better of in Thailand  cost wise.

But when I hit oil , perhaps I will join the Arabs at the 5 star hospitals.    

The medical insurance companies back home are obvious not all the same. As a retired U.S. gov't employee, during my last

4 year stay in Chiang Mai, I had no problem submitting my Chiang Mai hospital bills to my GEHA health insurance. Even the

most expensive hospitals. Of course, I paid up front and then submitted the bill to GEHA by mail for reimbursement.

In the long run, the results were much the same as if I had been living in the U.S. But, maybe some insurance companies

won't pay for overseas medical care, I don't know. GEHA was happy to pay bcoz they saved a lot of money.

1 hour ago, LomSak27 said:

 

For a good 80 per cent of the population developing the country into a giant Pattaya seems both a good thing and praiseworthy goal and that has been a fact for a very long time.
 

Pray tell, where did you dig up this gleaming jewel of wisdom? Maybe from deep in your nether regions.

2 minutes ago, tomas557 said:

 

For some odd reason the majority of expats is not from the US, even the Aussie you were responding to isn't from the US, and this option is available only to US and I think UK citizens.

That brings up a good point.

Lots of expats on TVF have made a big issue with the PITA requirements for proof of income.

Once a year I had to get a form from the U.S. Consulate that showed my income. HOWEVER,

I filled out the form myself and entered the amount of my income. All the consulate guy did

was let me swear it was true -- and he notarized the form. 

The whole process took about 1 minute and they never ask for any proof of income ever.

But evidently it isn't so smooth and easy for the Brits. I don't think Thai immigration can 

be blamed for that hassle. It seems to be a policy of the U.K. consul.

I'm not British, so I don't really know. Just wondering why it's such a pain for Brits.

How about Aussies?

On 7/21/2018 at 11:27 AM, masuk said:

I moved to Thailand 6 years ago, and in the first 48hrs, discovered I'd been scammed.  Names can't be mentioned, but the volunteer teaching job had cost me $600, and the program had been cancelled.  So much for selling all my household goods plus an almost new car.

Working at anything was not permitted, not even on-line teaching, so I changed my visa to include a retirement extension, which I've renewed ever since.  Just the ghastly annual queues and pre-dawn waits.

But to be honest, it was the deteriorating finances which eventually broke my staying power.  The baht had been 30 per Aussie $, but gradually dwindled, and along with bank charges both ends, and the Thai bank giving a very poor exchange rate, the telegraphic transfer of my pension was costing me $70 each time.

Being a farang, of course, I didn't expect free services of any kind, but an unexpected major dental treatment, a few visits to the doctor and a largish pathology bill, and I was cleaned out.

So, tail between my legs, and I'm back in Oz now;  yes rental costs are more than Thailand, but the air is breathable, the beaches and sea are clean, and there are a lot of freebies for us old guys, from bus travel to doctors, rent subsidy, pathology, dentistry, hospital and my medicines bill per month is now $100 less.  

So I'm not complaining.  Apart from almost 3 months of pollution each year in the north, the people are nice, made friends with the locals and farangs, winters are very acceptable.

If I want to complain, I'd like to invite the powers-that-be in Chiang Mai to travel by foot a few days a week, and see how deplorable the footpaths are, the lack of safe crossings and the proliferation of poles and signs, and the accumulation of rubbish in the side streets.

International money transfer can be a huge pain...

I moved to Thailand 5 yrs ago and a friend told me how to bring money from the U.S with zero fees. Every

month I went to Bangkok Bank, gave the lady my debit card from my U.S. bank account and ask for 50,000

baht. (Note: I didn't even have an account at Bangkok Bank. She always asked to se my passport.) 

Within 2-3 minutes she handed me my money and my debit card. I said thank you and paid nothing.

That was one aspect of living in Thailand that is hard to match anywhere. For some odd reason it seems

not many expats in Thailand are totally unaware of this simple and free method. A few years ago when I

mentioned this on TVF, several people told me it couldn't be free. But I did it free for 4 years.

33 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

No problem living in Thailand and not learning Thai language -- as one of our esteemed members here noted, you can always point.

Hahaha... yes, some people can just point. But that would never work for me.

I well recall 20 yrs ago, my first day teaching in a large university. Having had no

breakfast, I was starved when I finally went to the university cafeteria for lunch.

But then I discovered that if I don't speak Thai, I can't eat -- bcoz I don't eat pork.

Went to HR and ask the nice English speaking lady how to say, "I don't want any

pork." It was the very first phrase I learned. "Mai ao moo." Saved my life.

Soon after that I enrolled in Thai language class. Having worked as a linguist my

entire career, I enjoyed that class immensely. I found  many affinities between

Chinese and Thai. Good fun.

12 minutes ago, The manic said:

CM city is truly dreadful. Plenty of nice cities in Issan including Roi et, Nong Khai, Khon Kaen and plenty going on at certain times of the year.

What is so dreadful about CM City? The traffic can be a pain and the smog problem in Feb-April, but what

place is perfect? We lived there 4 years, came back to Tagaytay City, Philippines and now after a year we

miss so many of the good things in CM -- great shopping, great food, great medical care and lots of nice,

friendly people (not all, of course). 

Maybe it has to do with upbringing. I was raised in poverty in the U.S., but now I don't enjoy a low-quality

life. I much prefer a bit of luxury and class. We lived in a nice, brand new luxury 3-BR Condo on the river

in CM for THB21,000/mo. That is hard to beat anywhere in any country.

I know folks who were raised in a low-income environment and now are not very happy in anything else.

I think that kind of person would fit well in Roi-Et or Nong Khai. Nong Khai is one of the most boing

places I've ever been. Khon Kaen isn't much better.

All depends on what makes you happy.

18 hours ago, poanoi said:

cambodia only ever has low quality foam mattresses,

i broke my back after a single night in the first shithole,

i bought the most expensive spring mattress i could find

for the 2nd shithole, but it was still no quality.

its also a possibility that i broke my back so hard in the first night so nothing can change it back,

i cant even tell if a mattress or chair is good or not, for i never sense comfort

I have lived in Asia 26 years this time -- 5 1/2 yrs previously -- including Japan, Philippines, Thailand.

One thing I have much enjoyed in Asia is not having to sleep on big, thick, expensive, uncomfortable

inner-spring mattresses. In the early '90s, I spent a week in a Taipei sleeping on a very firm, dense-

foam mattress. It was the most comfortable sleep I could ever remember. After that, I have refused to

sleep on any other kind of mattress. 

To each his own.

3 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

History would suggest that non-white. non-European, non-Aryan, non-heterosexual, non-male, non-Christian, etc groups tend to have had more need to form advocacy groups out of self-defense. As to being praised or vilified, most of the non groups listed above have paid a price for having the temerity to stand up for their rights, quite often incurring physical injuries, death, bullying, loss of employment and imprisonment for advocating their rights. That may be news to you if you've lived your life in a heterogeneous privileged majority.

Suradit, this is one of the most intelligent posts I have encountered on TV in many years. It's just too bad that so many folks are not capable of seeing the reality that you so accurately describe, especially since it is as obvious-as-the-nose-on-your-face . 

3 hours ago, Pib said:

Assuming you were using the USAA Visa Debit Card there WAS A FEE ON THE USAA END as the USAA Visa debit card (and Mastercard debit card replaced by the Visa debit card) has a 1% foreign transaction fee whether the withdrawal/purchase is done at an ATM, bank counter or merchant.    Each time you used the USAA Visa debit card for a Bt50,000 counter withdrawal USAA charged the 1% fee which amounts to Bt500 or almost $15.   And if you ever used the debit card in a Thai ATM there is no reimbursement by USAA which means another Bt220 fee...USAA does reimburse within the U.S.

 

Due to the 1% foreign transaction fee I only used the USAA Debit card once outside the U.S. just to confirm the card truly worked and yes, the 1% fee was  applied.   The USAA Visa Debit card (and earlier Mastercard debit card) now lives in the darkness of my safe due to it's 1% foreign transaction fee.

 

Now using no foreign transaction fee debit cards like the frequently mentioned Schwab debit card which has no foreign transaction fee is indeed fee-free on both ends.  

 

Now if you use a USAA Visa "credit card" for a cash advance there is no foreign transaction fee but a 3% cash advance fee.

 

From USAA Website regarding their Visa debit card

Pib, for the transaction that I described (teller withdrawal) which I did dozens of times there was NO FEE on the USAA end nor on the Bangkok Bank

end. Also, your statement about foreign transaction fees used to be true but no longer. One of the reasons USAA gave for switching from MasterCard

to Visa was precisely to allow USAA customers too avoid the foreign transaction fees. I have a Privilege Card from Barclays Bank, but quit using it due

to the foreign transaction fees. I now use a USAA Visa credit card and a USAA ATM/debit card and neither one incurs a foreign transction fee for any

transactions that I have done for more than a year, whether an POS purchase or ATM withdrawal. I'm curious when it was that you incurred the USAA

foreign transaction fee could not have been in the last year. I don't know about "cash advance" because I have no reason to use that.

If you still doubt what I'm saying, here is an excerpt from an email to me from USAA in Feb 21, 2016 --

Dear ....  .......,

At this time, your USAA Rate Advantage Platinum MasterCard^® credit card ending in XXXX will be changing to a USAA Rate Advantage Visa^® Platinum

credit card. Your new Visa credit card will be in the mail in the next 7-10 days.

The switch to Visa is making it possible for USAA Bank to make your card even better. For example, when you start using your new Visa card abroad,

you will no longer pay any foreign transaction fees.

Khun PhD,

Yes, it's true that Bangkok Bank is the only Thai bank authorized to handle direct deposits of monthly annuity payments from the U.S. However, if your purpose

is to get your funds from the U.S. there is a much better and simpler way. I lived in Chiang Mai four years (just left there in April) and this is how I did it.

(1)  I set up a direct deposit of my retirement pay to my U.S. bank. (If you get an account with USAA (San Antonio, TX), they are by far the best bank in existence.)

(2)  Every month, I went to Bangkok Bank (not one of the smaller branches, they can't do this),  gave the lady at the desk my USAA Visa/ATM card and asked if I can

please withdraw 50,000 baht. Note: You need no Bangkok Bank account and your daily withdrawal limit is what you set up with USAA (all done on their website).

(3)  The lady at the desk asks me if I want in cash. I say yes, please.

(4)  She asks for my passport, I give it to her, she copies it and I sign the copy.

(5)  Not more than one minute later she hands me 50,000 baht.

(6)  There is NO FEE at either end. It's as simple and easy as falling off a chair.

An American friend told me about this when I first arrived in Chiang Mai. Forget about direct deposit to Bangkok Bank, it's a waste of time.

6 hours ago, dvg said:

Who knows were we can eat Alaskan King crab in Chiang Mai?There should be a restaurant

in the mountains,but that is a 2 hour drive.

Uhm... there should be a restaurant in what mountains?  A 2 hour drive from where?

3 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

Just how cruel can any person get for their self gratification to put any creature through the experience you wish to subject them to?

 

Scottie, do you jump to conclusions much?

It was my first and only time in that restaurant. I certainly had no idea that my sashimi order would be served while still alive.

I was as shocked by this as the fish was.

3 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

Seriously?  For Chiang Mai for actual sea fish, as in not farmed?    So you would be looking for someone to not just truck fresh, refrigerated (not frozen) fish up, but also lots of weight and bulk in water to keep them alive?  Just so you can seem them flipping and kicking for a minute before purchase?

 

It's far more common to ship them iced; it only takes an hour by air, or refrigerated truck overnight which is perfectly fine to keep things in good condition.

Winnie, no offense intended, but if I knew the answers to all your questions I wouldn't have started this thread.

I grew up in Ohio in the 1950s, only fish we ever saw was fishy smelling river fish, which I loathed. My first real experience with edible fish was in the 1960s in Japan. The fish was so fresh, one time I had shishamo sashimi (it was the whole fish),  it actually tried to jump off my plate. Certainly, not for squeamish folks. Shishamo was not my favorite, but I used to eat magurozushi 4-5 times a week. Still eat it here often. Never get tired of that. But my wife and son can't do magurozushi.

11 minutes ago, moe666 said:

How fresh do you think any fish caught a week out from port, usually frozen. If you live close to a fish market and can buy from the local fisherman who only go out short distance then maybe you are getting fresh fish.

"How fresh do you think any fish caught a week out from port..."

Moe, thanks for your comment, but I have no idea about that. And that's why I started this thread. In Japan, for at least the last 50 years, fishermen go out at 4:00 a.m. and return about dawn. By noon, fresh fish (including sushi grade) is distributed all over the country. Some remote areas are several hundred km from the ocean.

In the 2009 thread on this subject posters talked about buying fish "alive and kicking" in Chiang Mai. Just hoping upon hope that it may still be available here, and if so, where?

8 minutes ago, CMKiwi said:

I'm not too sure that the 'Dory' fish the you buy here in Rimping is from the sea. Pangasius (Dory) is a fresh water fish.... similar to catfish.

 

Yes it's cheap, Makro also sell it.  But it just doesn't have the taste of ocean fish.  There have been a lot of contraversial reports about Dory fish and one can read into them as one pleases.

 

Personally I don't mind Dory and it does go well with a curry or other strong spice to actually give it some taste.

Yes, I think you are correct. We also don't really care for fresh water fish. Just our personal taste.

Today, at Rimping we found some frozen fish from Japan -- aji and hokke -- the same kinds we had in Ootoya. Not sure what's the English names. During my years in Japan, I learned only the Japanese names. Maybe aji is mackerel, I'm not sure, I'll have to look it up. The frozen fish from Japan is quite good. I used to often eat hokke in Japan and loved it.

Nice fresh ocean fish would be great, but maybe we'll have to be satified with Rimping's frozen fish from Japan until we return to the Philippines where fresh ocean fish is readily available everywhere.

13 hours ago, hawker9000 said:

If I had a nickel for every time a Thai apologist posted this, practically word for word, on TV...

 

You'd get rich a lot quicker if you had a nickel for every time a pseudo-intellectual Thai-basher posted their condescending rubbish on TV.

There was a thread on this subject in late 2009. At that time, the consensus seemed to be -- if its not alive and kicking don't buy it.

After more than 4 years in Chiang Mai that still seems like very good advice. The only excellent fish we've had here was in Ootoya Japanese Restaurant. But, we wanted to enjoy their fish 2-3 times a week we would have to accept a huge increase in our monthly food budget. We'd much prefer to prepare the fish ourselves at home. So we're still here (for now) searching for a good source (fish market, not restaurant) of fresh seafood, especially real ocean fish.

The YouTube videos showing prawn being prepared for export in Vietnam by being injected with some kind of dodgy chemical to make it look plumper are much too scary. Also, with the cases of food poisoning our family and friends have experienced, we don't want to take any more chances with bad seafood. Can anyone recommend a good fish market with "live-and-kicking" fresh ocean fish? At this point, the main issue for us is freshness and quality, not low price.

There must be others on this forum who have faced this kind of problem. Thanks in advance for any help.

8 hours ago, BlindMagician said:

 

Its not anti Thailand, its anti the highly prevalent behavioral characteristics that we all know are part of the relatively low level of educated masses in this country. Keep your own xenophobic subconscious interpretations out of it - just look at the facts, the daily behaviour of so many random people that one might observe.

"xenophobic subconscious interpretations..."

This fits you perfectly, clueless blind magician.