KhunHehe

This topic is pointless without photos!

Okay if you insist......

I was highly entertained by this young lady, people kept offering her drinks and she ended up mao mak mak........my lady kept kicking me below the table for commenting on it.

" theblether, stop talk about mao, maybe she get in big trouble with boss "

She would have been too drunk to have known the difference anyway

Everyone his own taste but personally I don't think Thai girls are that 'pretty', 'beautiful', 'attractive' at all. They lack every sexy, cool, smart, seducing and feminine appearance. Just kids.

And they can't dress. It's rare to see one in a matching ensemble. In Sai Gon they can dress.

Avoid Chiang Mai for several reasons: The air is thick with smoke from late January to mid to late April. It's awful. Chiang Mai enjoys a magical reputation among the Thai, and the residents believe it. A bit of an attitude. I believe the people in Bangkok are much, much nicer. Chiang Mai is a party town. Many Bangkok retirees means a lot of bars and loud music. Good luck getting sleep anywhere. I lived in Chiang Mai for 14 months and moved 7 times. In no place did I ever feel settled because of noise, the feel of the aparment, or noisy neighbors (not just Thai...older farang bringing home bar girls and laughing, giggling in the corridors, the booming voices of the Yeropians, the loud televisions, talking on cell phones outside the paper thin doors, booming bass radiating from bars which spring up EVERYWHERE. Yes, I was near 700-year stadium and CMU, but, believe it or not, the quietest place I stayed was the old city, but the building was old, and the occupants were old, and it felt like a convalescent home.

Not happy.

Chiang Rai was the same for multiple reasons. First, there's little or no farang food up there, fewer people speak English. The people are nice--not as schemy-scammy-saccharine-sweet as those in Chiang Mai because they're not in on the game, but the only people who seem to take a genuine interest in men there are the massage/bar girls. (Of course, this is true countrywide.) I was in Koh Chang for a month. Boring. Packed with smelly Russians and other tourists. A bit dirty--litter everywhere on this island paradise and in two days you've seen it all. Places to stay there? Very high end hotels and somewhat low end monthly rentals. Nothing in between. And the internet? What internet?

I'm now in Bangkok. No smoke issues. No noise issues. Lots to do. The airport is nearby with easy access and cheap flights EVERYWHERE. Immigration is a bit removed, but they're very efficient. The US Embassy is well organized, efficient and happy.

I would strongly consider Hong Kong--if you have the money. I would consider Sai Gon. I really liked Sai Gon. The people in Burma are very, very nice.

The people in China are nice, too, but getting a visa from the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok is a SERIOUS nightmare. These people are not masters of customer service.

My advice: Come to Thailand, target mid to low-range hotels, pack very, very lightly (laundry services for the most part are very, very good and very cheap), and look around. A lot of feeling good here is a lot about the people you're around. Don't believe the guide books or ANYTHING you read on the internet. Explore. Go on an adventure. It won't be easy, but it's far from impossible.

fearing condo bubble...this is the mother of all bubblicious bubbles.

"I'll buy in five years," I told a young female agent showing me a Phra Khanong two-bedroom unit for 15,000,000 baht.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because it'll be less than half price then," I responded knowing that my free lunch invite had just been canceled. (True. I was not given the buffet and drinks in the lobby but was ushered off the elevator on the ground floor and presented a saccharine smile.)

"How do you know that?" she asked. [We were boarding the elevator when she asked.]

"How long have you been in this business?" I asked.

"Three years," she said proudly.

"So you have seen prices escalate. [quizzical look] Go up every day," I said. [Elevator doors opening on the ground floor.]

"Yes, why?"

"Because you can't imagine prices falling, and because it seems crazy, it will happen." [Agent boards elevator, nonplussed.]

I had the same discussion with colleagues in the US who were doubling down on real estate before the crash, internet stocks before the 2001 tumble, and, most recently, when wandering through Chinatown, Bangkok and the Chinese gold shops were packed after gold fell about $50 to around $1,700 USD.

That's one nice thing about getting old. The eyes may not work as well, but they see a lot more.

I surmise that you are a multi millionaire (Western srandards) by now since you seem to have the ability to predict the future !

Growing old sometimes instilled in oneself delusion of grandeur !I

Actually, you're right. And I owe it all to hard knocks, hard work, and finally enjoying life in SE Asia.

I would offer my condolences on your financial situation (based on the snide envy your post shows), but I know that your little bank account is very narak, as the Thai say, and cute plays well here.

Your sense of humor, on the other hand, appears as impoverished as your ability to learn from others. Don't count on experience to be your guide. I see your ilk falling off bar stools, remounting, and falling again. But there's always a smile handy...like a baby full of gas.

fearing condo bubble...this is the mother of all bubblicious bubbles.

"I'll buy in five years," I told a young female agent showing me a Phra Khanong two-bedroom unit for 15,000,000 baht.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because it'll be less than half price then," I responded knowing that my free lunch invite had just been canceled. (True. I was not given the buffet and drinks in the lobby but was ushered off the elevator on the ground floor and presented a saccharine smile.)

"How do you know that?" she asked. [We were boarding the elevator when she asked.]

"How long have you been in this business?" I asked.

"Three years," she said proudly.

"So you have seen prices escalate. [quizzical look] Go up every day," I said. [Elevator doors opening on the ground floor.]

"Yes, why?"

"Because you can't imagine prices falling, and because it seems crazy, it will happen." [Agent boards elevator, nonplussed.]

I had the same discussion with colleagues in the US who were doubling down on real estate before the crash, internet stocks before the 2001 tumble, and, most recently, when wandering through Chinatown, Bangkok and the Chinese gold shops were packed after gold fell about $50 to around $1,700 USD.

That's one nice thing about getting old. The eyes may not work as well, but they see a lot more.

In summary, Real Estate anywhere in the world => not good , share anywhere in the world => not good , gold => not good.

Before , it was nice to get some interest on your K . Now it's already nice to just keep your K as it is.

What can we do with our money , please ?

Tell that to the people queuing up overnight in Singapore to buy condo units even before they are built.

They're doing the same thing in Thailand. Some people have a knack for buying at the top. The Japanese are particularly good at it.

fearing condo bubble...this is the mother of all bubblicious bubbles.

"I'll buy in five years," I told a young female agent showing me a Phra Khanong two-bedroom unit for 15,000,000 baht.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because it'll be less than half price then," I responded knowing that my free lunch invite had just been canceled. (True. I was not given the buffet and drinks in the lobby but was ushered off the elevator on the ground floor and presented a saccharine smile.)

"How do you know that?" she asked. [We were boarding the elevator when she asked.]

"How long have you been in this business?" I asked.

"Three years," she said proudly.

"So you have seen prices escalate. [quizzical look] Go up every day," I said. [Elevator doors opening on the ground floor.]

"Yes, why?"

"Because you can't imagine prices falling, and because it seems crazy, it will happen." [Agent boards elevator, nonplussed.]

I had the same discussion with colleagues in the US who were doubling down on real estate before the crash, internet stocks before the 2001 tumble, and, most recently, when wandering through Chinatown, Bangkok and the Chinese gold shops were packed after gold fell about $50 to around $1,700 USD.

That's one nice thing about getting old. The eyes may not work as well, but they see a lot more.

In summary, Real Estate anywhere in the world => not good , share anywhere in the world => not good , gold => not good.

Before , it was nice to get some interest on your K . Now it's already nice to just keep your K as it is.

What can we do with our money , please ?

I wouldn't buy gold, and I wouldn't buy real estate in Thailand. But Thailand was never really good for real estate when one considers how cheap rentals are here (notwithstanding the ridiculous prices one finds on Craigslist). Too many Thai buying condos on the MRT and BTS fringes and awaiting development in those areas. Maybe they're right, but the buildings are sitting vacant, some units rented. Of course, who would want to live way out there and sacrifice convenience while waiting for the malls to be built? It just seems like a bad investment.

The US dollar is losing value in Thailand, and the US market just entered a correction. On the positive side, US corrections over the past year or so have been short lived as the uptrend resumes. I'm sitting tight in equities.

Real estate looks attractive in the US, but that's because prices are firming up, not because they offer more than negligible ROI.

I wouldn't open an online book/media store.

US and Japanese equities are the place to be, but don't buy a set of falling knives.

I was at the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok today. I did not see one westerner get a Visa approved in my line. They turned away 3-4 people just in front of me.

These were not backpackers but older, middle-aged travelers. Some with Thai spouses.

The comments on this thread do not surprise me.

If you go to Hong Kong, it's not an instantaneous process. It could take a day or two--even with rush service.

Good luck.

PS I was turned away, too, and I researched, called, filled out the forms, had the passport photocopies, visa, photos--everything. They wanted a bank statement and letter of invitation from the Chinese government. I had an invitation from the Canton Fair in Guangzhou. They didn't even look at it.

Why don't they make dying on Songkran illegal? If they enforced it, all problems solved.

Khun Troll signing off.

PS Songkran and Christmas have nothing in common here. Thai do drink on Christmas, but that's no different than every other day.

aka Sir Dad (if by "Dad" you mean "dead")

This is so stupid that I refuse to comment.

A new law is a euphemism for taking bribes. Perhaps I'll join the force and party after Songkran, too.

"How dry I am..."

I ask Siri, "Hey, what's that smell?" And she says, "I'm on it," and shows me Lynryd Skynyrd's "That Smell."

There will be no arrests. Just a bunch of plea bargaining (if by "plea bargaining" you mean bribes). The cops will get rich from both the tourists they shake down and the establishments they "tax/license" during the events.

Nothing new.

"It's just a market correction."

hahaha

This isn't just your run of the mill, secondhand dust. This is the real deal.

Lollipop news: Lip service and lots of burning.

Phuket the new Cyprus?

monkey buisiness !!!!! hhahahahahha cool

http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Aarons-Thinking-Putty-Exclusive/dp/B00ADQ3H0G

Hehe.

Money talks. Democracy at work.

Macaques don't need protection. I was chased by one rummaging through the garbage along the road on Koh Chang.

What about the guy walking the baby elephant down Silom in Bangkok?

Amazing Thailand.

The "Duh" file is one of the biggest in Thailand. This isn't smog; it's smoke. Last year was so bad everyone in Chiang Rai went to the hospital, and all my friends in Chiang Mai left.

I like the north, but to put up with smoke 4-6 months out of the year? No thanks.

The French, on the other hand, pop live hamsters like Godiva truffles.

hehe

Ever been to the Philippines? Try a balut. Chickens hatch out in 21 days. They take the egg at 17 days, crack it open and eat the baby chick. If you have a weak stomach you might not want to watch the video below.

I've heard the word "balut," but I've never actually seen this. Disgusting. What percentage of the population actually eats these?

Get over it you wacky tourists. Don't you know that anything narak is good? Anything practical or historical is culturally irrelavent.

Homosexuals discriminate against women.

The French, on the other hand, pop live hamsters like Godiva truffles.

hehe