BradinAsia

wife, child I would say chiang maai. it has all you would need

+1

Absolutely agree.

Chiang Mai is the nicest place I've ever lived. It has everything a family could want -- except beaches.

Having lived a year amongst the constant tourist hubbub of white sand beaches , for me Chiang Mai

offers a much better life and I can fly to white sand beaches in Cha Am or Hua Hin as often as I like.

Chiang Mai has modern infrastructure, very good roads, great hospitals, lots of good schools, world-

class shopping malls, unbeatable supermarkets with excellent customer service, a no-hassle police

force and a friendly immigration office. You would be hard pressed to find any place to compare.

Having lived 26 years in Japan, Philippines and Thailand, and having studied retirement destinations

all over Asia, I'd be interested to hear any serious recommendations from anyone who's lived at least

5 yrs in Chiang Mai and knows a better place to live -- just out of curiosity, coz I ain't leaving here...

Which airport in Hua Hin or Cha Am are you are flying into?? Or do you have an ultralight and just land on the beach?? And what white sand? Last time I was in Hua Hin, the beach was like concrete slab.

Last time (2 yrs ago) we flew to Hua Hin on SGA. Has the Hua Hin airport closed since then? We stayed at Hyatt Regency,

the beach felt and looked like white sand (see attached photo), didn't see any concrete slabs there.

Added note: I see now that SGA stopped service in Mar 2014. But the good news is that Kan Air plans to add a Chiang Mai-

Hua Hin route this month. Evidently Hua Hin airport is still operating.

The idea that in Thailand cars are built to a lower standard is a popular old wives tale on ThaiVisa

but it has little connection to reality. I used to work for Honda company and can assure you Hondas

built in Marysville, Ohio, Saitama, Japan, or Rayong, Thailand are all built to the same standards.

I don't doubt the quality is similar, but as far as standards Your Mileage May Vary. Where this "old wives tale" originates from is not build quality, but the practice of omitting some safety features in vehicles built in the emerging markets. It is clearly evident today in the safety equipment specs of the average vehicle sold in Thailand today.

More importantly, in the years long gone, buying a brand known for it's safety in the First World may not have guaranteed you the same level of protection in other markets. Missing side impact protection bars (verified by peeking under the door panel of one Japanese brand), solid tube replacing the bumper impact shock absorbers, use of lesser gauge metal in non structural areas (that nonetheless contribute to safety as crumple zones), were all practices used to cut costs. My colleague's new locally manufactured Japanese car weighted 30kg less than official weight on the C.M. airport cargo scale, while my new & imported version of the same model was 10kg over. These checks were done in response to a newspaper article (either B.P. or Nation) highlighting the problem at the time, as my colleague was furious at having paid a premium for a 'safe' brand. The negative publicity has diminished this practice .

Sounds like a very amateurish conspiracy theory idea. The 30 kg difference in weight between 2 cars made for different markets hardly proves any thing to a reasonable person.

All your statistics are rubbish because Thailand doesn't count the cause of death from motor vehicle accident if the patient dies after reaching the hospital. In reality Thailand is a distant 1st place. #2 Namibia at 1/30th the size of Thailand shouldn't really count anyway being as small as it is.

The only reason the US is as high as it is is because they keep very accurate statistics when compared to most other countries.

Keep in mind too that most cars on the roads of Thailand are built to a much lower standard than those in the US and other first world country.

Speaking of rubbish, I think your entire post would fairly well fit that category.

The idea that in Thailand cars are built to a lower standard is a popular old wives tale on ThaiVisa

but it has little connection to reality. I used to work for Honda company and can assure you Hondas

built in Marysville, Ohio, Saitama, Japan, or Ayutthaya, Thailand are all built to the same standards.

Also, your argument about statistics is very weak. Do you really care about Namibia?

All your statistics are rubbish because Thailand doesn't count the cause of death from motor vehicle accident if the patient dies after reaching the hospital. In reality Thailand is a distant 1st place. #2 Namibia at 1/30th the size of Thailand shouldn't really count anyway being as small as it is.

The only reason the US is as high as it is is because they keep very accurate statistics when compared to most other countries.

Keep in mind too that most cars on the roads of Thailand are built to a much lower standard than those in the US and other first world country.

Speaking of rubbish, I think your entire post would fairly well fit that category.

The idea that in Thailand cars are built to a lower standard is a popular old wives tale on ThaiVisa

but it has little connection to reality. I used to work for Honda company and can assure you Hondas

built in Marysville, Ohio, Saitama, Japan, or Rayong, Thailand are all built to the same standards.

Also, your argument about statistics is very weak. Do you really care about Namibia?

"it occurs to me that the empirical evidence does not support the conclusion while the hard statistics do"

LolWut?

Think he meant Anectdotal, but is trying so hard to be erudite.....

I think people who are truly erudite are more likely to think one thing and type another.

They are also less likely to deride other folks for a minor slip of tongue (or keyboard).

Waldo, very well said. One of the better posts I've ever read on TV.

I have no need to know what he did or said, but laws are applied/interpreted by the courts, usually based on precedent - not the current government nor the police/army. The guy would have been wise to have looked at what happened to the previous person who did whatever this trick was.

New Zealand might be demonstrating their own brand of international ineptitude. Whilst they might not agree with Thailand's laws concerning lese majeste they probably don't agree with a bunch of laws in other countries but there's no fuss being made.

It's distinctly possible that the situation is not as is currently being reported. Let's wait and see what the Wellington folks reply to Bangkok with............

So what would you expect NZ to do? Send them back. The 112 law is being abused. It is being used to silence all dissent, real and perceived.I could make a claim of LM against you. Would you take your chances with the Thai courts? While the intention behind the statute may be fine, the way it is now being applied is all a load of <deleted>. Good on NZ.

I am not discussing the rights or wrongs of any specific law. The law exists, same as many other laws. Freedom of speech is not a right - it is a responsibility.

Freedom of speech is seen as a responsibility by many authoritarian regimes, such as Thailand. In the U.S, freedom of speech

used to be a much flaunted Constitutional right. Nowadays, freedom of speech in the U.S. is largely theoretical since the gov't

became more repressive and authoritarian with the de facto suspension of the Constitution in Sept 2001.

Got super drunk before christmas and bought ex falang gf bussiness class to come see me here in thai Obv massive regret next day when i woke up.

Had the best holidays ever with her and thai gf sleeping same bed.

So stop beeing a cheap <deleted> and buy your gf a plane ticket. Can prob find offers for like 500€ or so 2 way if you know where to look.

Oh and stop listening to old rusty expats on tv lol. YOLO bro.

My suggestion to the OP, don't listen to anyone who advises throwing money at women.

In Japan, they have a term of derision for such guys -- it roughly translates as "The space under their nose

is too long." Such blokes are seen as naive and gullible and they attract all the wrong kind of ladies.

Sensible guys take a more calm and conservative approach and in the long run the best type of ladies will

appreciate their good sense and practical judgment. Of course, if you have money to burn and just need a

bed warmer for the night, that's an option too, but don't ever look at such a lady as a "keeper."

I guess it all depends on how serious you are with the girl.

**********************

I think this way ...she is not serious about you but you are probably yes.

To be honest I already tasted similar scenarios by myself in past.

100% same like yours scenario mate until I did found one who actually is not willing to come to Aus at all.......

1.She said she can not afford it even if I pay half....

2.She said that she is affraid of being in different culture even on vacation because that much she knows from media and how farangs are behaving in Thailand

she must know me better.

Now when she finaly know me better and madly in love with me ...she would like to save some money for herself to feel independent on trip like that but she still say "I am not ready"

As you see there is a lot of different ladies in los.

You are still young and have huge potential in your life.

Don't waste you feelings on such ladies who don't have decency to understand others.

They are purely after easy life .

Beside...woman wants to be on same level as a man hence ok treat it 50/50

If not then look fir another one

There is tons of it.

+1

Oh come on guys, who pays is realistically going to be what kind of a budget someone is on. Everybody here isn't a old codger living with a guaranteed pension every month, a student living on a loan isn't going to be able to pay for everything. The girl has a job, so she can pay also. Who said the trip was for him, are you really going to imply that she wouldn't enjoy a trip to Europe? You gotta be kidding me. My vote says she pays her own way in this situation .

I wouldnt pay hard earned money to visit europe, especially if I was making a thai wage.

I agree. What is there worth seeing in Europe if you've already seen it once?

Why not invite your family and european friends to visit you in Thailand --

for them a lower cost than traveling in Europe and more fun here.

Failure? I didn't "fail" as an expat in Thailand. I just decided after a 1 year's retirement extension that I preferred the first world amenities in the US. I don't care for bars, bar girls, or an excess of alcohol and Thailand is a craphole compared to "most parts" of the US.

Thailand turned into a nice place to visit about once a year for a max of 180 days but usually more like 90. Then I get on a plane and return to everything that makes a first world country comfortable, and to weather that doesn't melt me with heat and humidity.

I'm not skint. I can do what I want to do so "cost of living" isn't an issue even though living well in Thailand doesn't seem that cheap to me.

"...Thailand is a craphole compared to "most parts" of the U.S."

If that's your opinion you're welcome to it, but I find it very odd that you have been able to find only "craphole"

areas in Thailand. The area where I live is so much nicer than anywhere I ever lived in the U.S. -- I could write

a book about how much better life is here.

A very recent example -- my wife just gave birth to our baby here on 30 Dec. We were 3 days in the hospital

and back home today. In my whole life, I have never experienced a more genuinely friendly, caring and totally

professional medical staff anywhere. Not in Japan (16 yrs), not in the U.S. (30 yrs) nor anywhere else.

Not only was the medical care much better, but the cost was about 90% less than in the U.S. According to

WebMd.com, "The charge for an uncomplicated cesarean section was about $15,800 in 2008." Our total cost here

​was less than $1,500 including the c/section surgery and all the hospital costs including 3-day stay.

Yet you say Thailand doesn't seem that cheap to you...

Good luck to you. I sincerely hope you enjoy your life in the U.S. As for me, I escaped from there over 20 yrs

ago and I never plan to go back to that police state craphole that you call "first-world"...

Dept is not an abbreviation for Deputy, but for Department. Who writes this stuff?

You give them gold or money.

They give you nothing.

But, we need to ask ourselves -- Who is the dummy in this equation?

Nobody puts a gun to our head and says we must get into a relationship.

Can we have sympathy for dumb-axx blokes who whine endlessly about

their own bad choices in life.

By being untrained, stupid, and lacking in a single iota of common sense.

OH! and Thai...

You left out "being human."

I can assure you that accidents like this happen all too often in your home country and mine.

Every time a Thai does something wrong -- Wham! All the Thaivisa hyper-judgmental freaks

start coming out of the woodwork.

Ok "the professional driver" reluctantly slowed, eventually stopped at a great distance and casually walked back to the toddler while one of his young passenger children jumped out of the vehicle and ran to assist the very young toddler which the professional driver just ran over with his van. This all happens in Thailand by a local professional d.u.m.b.ass.. Hows that?

Maybe you should get back on your meds...

Good god, what a monkey! How the fark do you hit a child that you have just dropped off???

By being untrained, stupid, and lacking in a single iota of common sense.

OH! and Thai...

You left out "being human."

I can assure you that accidents like this happen all too often in your home country and mine.

Every time a Thai does something wrong -- Wham! All the Thaivisa hyper-judgmental freaks

start coming out of the woodwork.

Not really a problem. I'm not an American. I'm from Texas.

How sad...I'm an American - from America (USA)

Such an admission could be damaging to your health and welfare, not to mention your reputation by implication...

The NewYork times has an interesting article on this topic

"White House and Republicans Clash Over C.I.A. Torture Report

By MARK LANDLER and PETER BAKER

DEC. 8, 2014

WASHINGTON — With the long-awaited Senate report on the use of torture by the United States government — a detailed account that will shed an unsparing light on the Central Intelligence Agency’s darkest practices after the September 2001 terrorist attacks — set to be released Tuesday, the Obama administration and its Republican critics clashed over the wisdom of making it public, and the risk that it will set off a backlash overseas."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/us/politics/white-house-and-gop-clash-over-torture-report.html

Yes, leave it to our wonderful liberal Democrats to scatter information that should be in-house (even if true) all over the world and put Americans in danger.

Those cobras would kill their own mothers to score a political point.

Based on my observations of the Dems and the Reps since 1952, whatever the Dems do

(or are even alleged to have done) the Reps will put a negative spin on it.

Such monotonous and boring behavior, just watching it could turn you to a pillar of salt.

Call Wichananart

Shop 053 271533

Mobile 0816656994

The shop in at the end of the road the Global is on, you turn left t at the end, and its 100mtrs on the LHS

My Thai next door neighbor used this goy, and I took my father in law, I was very impressed

The guy speaks excellent English, he would and liked in the USA for a few years

I'd like to resurrect this thread to ask a question.

HullyGully, you say the shop is on the road that Global is on. I'm very confused by that.

Global House is on Rt 3029 which is the second ring road, a loop around the city.

Exact where do you turn left at the end? On Hang Dong Road? On Rt 1317 at Promenada?

Please clarify. Thanks in advance.

You are obviously one of those folks who are disgruntled bcoz Thais don't think and act like folks in your home country.

Think about this big major issue of "running red lights." In my country and probably in yours, folks often squeak through

the light on yellow, and sometimes (God forbid) even stretch that just a bit into the red. In Thailand they simply stretch that

just a bit further -- and often 6 or 8 vehicles squeak thru even after the light has turned red.

Everybody but you and a few stiff-necked grouches understands this and accepts it as a very simple and practical way of

expediting traffic flow. Since everyone is accustomed to this and accepts it, it creates very little risk. The opposing traffic

simply waits a bit. Everybody is cool and there's no damage done to anyone.

It is merely the difference in mindset.

Obviously, you (and some other TVers) see traffic laws as something etched in stone -- if you violate these sacred decrees

you deserve to be arrested and hauled off to jail. "How can any society survive if they don't strictly enforce their traffic laws?"

Where in blue blazes did that idea come from anyway?

In the U.S., traffic enforcement involves just such a hard-line approach and the highway patrol in 50 states issues thousands

and thousand of speeding tickets every day.

Question 1: Is this actually intended to make roads safer? The answer: Absolutely not, it is intended as a cash cow to help the

local governments balance their (often bloated) budgets.

Question 2: Does this strict enforcement in fact make roads safer? Answer: No, U.S. traffic death rates are more than twice as

high as those of Germany and Japan where they do not resort to such draconian methods of traffic law enforcement.

During my 16 years living, working and driving in Japan I got 2 speeding tickets and 2 parking tickets. That's about my average

for one month driving in the U.S. In Japan, the police very seldom give speeding tickets except in specific areas which have had

a spate of accidents due to speeding -- a reasonable, practical and more effective approach to traffic safety.

In Thailand, a traffic light is sometimes placed at pedestrian crosswalks where there is no intersection. Chiang Mai has several

of these. I find it quite interesting that Thais take a very practical approach to these traffic lights. Invariably, a pedestrian pushes

the button, traffic stops, the pedestrian crosses and the vehicles promptly continue on their way not waiting for the green light.

If this were the U.S. the cops would have a hay day -- "You're breaking the law!" -- and they'd be making a ton of money for the

local governments. The Thai approach is much more reasonable and practical. I just imagine that the average intelligent Thai sees

traffic laws not actually as laws, but as a basic set of rules that need to be applied with common sense.

To many westerners, common sense has no place in law. If you violate the law for whatever reason and in whatever situation,

you are a law-breaker and deserve no mercy.

CMFarang, you say, "There is no way that you could live in Thailand and say these things."

A total of 29 years driving in the U.S. and 28 years in Asia. During 6 years in the Philippines I encountered a lot of wild drivers

and some discourteous ones. During 16 years in Japan I encountered very few wild and discourteous drivers other than a few

motorcyclists.

I don't know where you live, but I drive 1,200-1,500 km per month in and around Chiang Mai. The number of wild or discourteous

drivers I have encountered here is very similar to that of driving in Japan. Also, I see few ​traffic accidents in Chiang Mai -- maybe

on average no more than one per week.

All I can say is -- you see things very differently -- maybe it's your outlook...

For every ticket I issued, I gave three or four warnings on average. Good policing is educating the driving public and not just writing tickets. Such generalize statements about the highway patrol are inaccurate and baseless IMO.

Progress is inevitable and having been coming to Thailand for 20+ years, I can see improvements in driving habits. What seems not to change are the generalizations made by some posters.

Benmart, I agree with you that we cannot make generalized statements about highway patrol officers.

I neglected to mention that the experiences I related about driving in the U.S. were from 1966-1992. Have been gone from there since.

Also, police behavior tended to vary from region to region. While serving in the U.S. Air Force, I had very good experiences with police

in Syracuse, NY and was treated very deplorably by police in San Antonio, Tx.

Ohio was half-way between those extremes. The highway patrol and local police in western Ohio were heavily focused on ticketing

millions of travelers on I-75 to make tons of money for the local governments. They were almost always very polite and professional.

It was not their fault that they were tasked by their superiors to perpetrate a total farce not related to highway safety.

For this, we of course, cannot really fault the individual police officer, the fault lies the system of local government that we allow to

perpetrate this hoax on the public -- the abuse of power in traffic law enforcement for fraudulent purposes.

The average 10-yr-old can see thru this hoax.

What absolute insanity it is to take a perfectly good building and tear it down. It wasn't the owners that were at fault, though they should be punished. All they were doing is what EVERYONE has done in Thailand for years and years; bribe government officials to get pass a law so they could build something they otherwise would not have been able to build.

The destruction of this building is a godawful waste of money, resources and material. It's the reaction of a child, rather than a mature adult. More to the point, the courts should have found someway to keep the building, levy heavy fines on the owners and put the corrupt officials in jail because THEY are the ones that allowed this to happen.

What shear stupidity.

Sheer stupidity could also include the idea that the owners are "not to blame" because they bribed officials...

What would be the purpose, or sense, of partly demolishing the building?

As I read the article, it's not about partially demolishing the building, it's about the timetable

for getting it done. By a certain date it must be at least partly demolished.

Also, keep in mind that clarity of meaning is often blurred in translation.

You must live in a different Chiang Mai than the one I live in.

In all my encounters with the police in Chiang Mai, they have always been polite and professional.

Every place I've lived in my 28 yrs in Asia has its own "traffic culture." In my experience, Chiang Mai's traffic

culture (including driver courtesy) is much better than the U.S., India, Pakistan and the Philippines and very

similar to that of Japan. I've encountered very few discourteous drivers here.

You talk about running red lights as if you just arrived last week. The only "running of red lights" that I've ever

seen here is nothing more than the local habit of half dozen drivers squeaking thru the light after it has turned

red. This actually involves very little risk and is a very different thing from flagrantly running thru a red light.

The local folks including long term expats understand & accept this local habit. Don't know why you don't.

There may be drunk drivers here (do you know any country with no drunk drivers?), but I've never seen one,

so it's surely not such a widespread problem as in the U.S., for example.

In Bangkok, I did experience police accepting bribes to "forgive" traffic violations. In Chiang Mai, I've never

experienced this, never seen it or ever heard of anyone else experiencing it. Maybe you learned this on TV.

Chiang Mai -- including the local drivers and the police -- is the nicest place I've ever lived in my 73 yrs. It

seems to me that you brought your negative attitude with you so I doubt you will ever find relief.

Good luck to you in your arduous life.

Hmmm.....unbelievable post. It's O.K. to run red lights and it "involves very little risk". Better to drive here than in the USA..... Very few discourteous drivers...Never seen a drunk driver here and on and on. There is no way that you could live in Thailand and say these things.

FG over to you!

You are obviously one of those folks who are disgruntled bcoz Thais don't think and act like folks in your home country.

Think about this big major issue of "running red lights." In my country and probably in yours, folks often squeak through

the light on yellow, and sometimes (God forbid) even stretch that just a bit into the red. In Thailand they simply stretch that

just a bit further -- and often 6 or 8 vehicles squeak thru even after the light has turned red.

Everybody but you and a few stiff-necked grouches understands this and accepts it as a very simple and practical way of

expediting traffic flow. Since everyone is accustomed to this and accepts it, it creates very little risk. The opposing traffic

simply waits a bit. Everybody is cool and there's no damage done to anyone.

It is merely the difference in mindset.

Obviously, you (and some other TVers) see traffic laws as something etched in stone -- if you violate these sacred decrees

you deserve to be arrested and hauled off to jail. "How can any society survive if they don't strictly enforce their traffic laws?"

Where in blue blazes did that idea come from anyway?

In the U.S., traffic enforcement involves just such a hard-line approach and the highway patrol in 50 states issues thousands

and thousand of speeding tickets every day.

Question 1: Is this actually intended to make roads safer? The answer: Absolutely not, it is intended as a cash cow to help the

local governments balance their (often bloated) budgets.

Question 2: Does this strict enforcement in fact make roads safer? Answer: No, U.S. traffic death rates are more than twice as

high as those of Germany and Japan where they do not resort to such draconian methods of traffic law enforcement.

During my 16 years living, working and driving in Japan I got 2 speeding tickets and 2 parking tickets. That's about my average

for one month driving in the U.S. In Japan, the police very seldom give speeding tickets except in specific areas which have had

a spate of accidents due to speeding -- a reasonable, practical and more effective approach to traffic safety.

In Thailand, a traffic light is sometimes placed at pedestrian crosswalks where there is no intersection. Chiang Mai has several

of these. I find it quite interesting that Thais take a very practical approach to these traffic lights. Invariably, a pedestrian pushes

the button, traffic stops, the pedestrian crosses and the vehicles promptly continue on their way not waiting for the green light.

If this were the U.S. the cops would have a hay day -- "You're breaking the law!" -- and they'd be making a ton of money for the

local governments. The Thai approach is much more reasonable and practical. I just imagine that the average intelligent Thai sees

traffic laws not actually as laws, but as a basic set of rules that need to be applied with common sense.

To many westerners, common sense has no place in law. If you violate the law for whatever reason and in whatever situation,

you are a law-breaker and deserve no mercy.

CMFarang, you say, "There is no way that you could live in Thailand and say these things."

A total of 29 years driving in the U.S. and 28 years in Asia. During 6 years in the Philippines I encountered a lot of wild drivers

and some discourteous ones. During 16 years in Japan I encountered very few wild and discourteous drivers other than a few

motorcyclists.

I don't know where you live, but I drive 1,200-1,500 km per month in and around Chiang Mai. The number of wild or discourteous

drivers I have encountered here is very similar to that of driving in Japan. Also, I see few ​traffic accidents in Chiang Mai -- maybe

on average no more than one per week.

All I can say is -- you see things very differently -- maybe it's your outlook...