brain1

It is short sighted of the banks, as come August 2019 the security on monies held in Thai banks drop to 1 million Baht. People will look at both situations and come to the conclusion the only safe place for money in the Kingdom is under the mattress

Funny today i had my 10th Lazada delivery, two of the five products were broken or not as per their description. The broken item; an intricate part of the item was broken off, but magically not within the plastic bag it arrived in, how does that happen?

The second item was advertised as 100% cotton but turns out to be 100% polyester.

Neither seller wants to do anything about their faults and trying to add an honest review is impossible. Added to this I tried to top up my Lazada wallet, my payment went missing. While I have the Tesco Lotus receipt, Lazada could not locate the money paid 5 days previously, they put me onto their external payment facilitator who then tells me after a few hours they have the money and will pay me back in 2-3 weeks.

If this was not Thailand it would almost be comical. I would suggest you only use this company when both the seller provides a returns policy and you pay cash on delivery, then before you place your order, take a spoonful of Thai logic and a sip of blind acceptance and wait for the fun to start.

“In most of us, by the age of thirty, the character has set like plaster, and will never soften again.”

That quote was made famous by Harvard psychologist William James in his 1890 book The Principles of Psychology, and is believed to be the first time modern psychology introduced the idea that one’s personality becomes fixed after a certain age.

More than a century since James’s influential text, we know that, unfortunately, our brains start to solidify by the age of 25, but that, fortunately, change is still possible after. The key is continuously creating new pathways and connections to break apart stuck neural patterns in the brain.

Simply put, when the brain is young and not yet fully formed, there’s a lot of flexibility and plasticity, which explains why kids learn so quickly, says Deborah Ancona, a professor of management and organizational studies at MIT.

With the above in mind, changing the Kingdom’s mind set is never going to be easy and should be approached via two separate routes.

The most efficient route is to start with educating the young. Charities in Thailand have tried, but their plans I feel fall short as they are traditionally based on a limited life span;  budgets are set aside and once spent the charity moves on. Plus they do not include, augmenting all those that are affected by road accidents. Schools should be made to do more e.g. take to heart their duty of care for their students, not allowing children or parents to enter or leave a school without wearing a crash helmet.

The second and hardest route is to change the mind of the older generation, a possible answer is to use the approach taken by the UK charity ‘Road Peace’, when it brought in 20 mile an hour speed restrictions outside schools.

They simply put an emotional and equally important financial cost to a road accident or fatality, with the intent that the shear huge costs involved, will make those in power sit up and notice. (The overall monetary cost of a fatality is estimated to be as much as 1 million GBP, based on both direct and indirect costs).

Following either route, must involve all manner of people who are caught up in an accident, who in turn can then relay their own experiences regarding the consequences of not wearing a crash helmet.

They include but are not limited to; families and friends of the injured or dead, school personal, employers and employees, the  emergency services; ambulance, fire and police. Hospital staff and their facilities, coroners, council workers who have to clean the roads or and re-install street furniture, (lights, lamp posts railing etc.) and lastly insurers and policy holders.

                                 “The use of a ‘Carrot or Stick’ works across all age groups”

As with many other countries in the world if you die without leaving a Will 'Intestate' Rules apply therefore dependent on the value of your Thai assets you may not want to spend money on a Will see https://www.thailandlaw.org/intestate-succession-in-thailand.html

I took my son (he is nine years old), to the UK over xmas 2017 without his mum, he has both a Thai and UK passport (both show my surname), got stopped at immigration, for 15 mins, had a letter from his mum, (which included her telephone No), copy of his birth cert and copy of his mum's ID.

The officer spoke only to explain they were simply doing their job,. Funny enough boarder control in the UK also spoke to my son to ask him his name.

As others have stated the learning curve can mean your early demise, have you ever considered a franchise? Asia BackPackers have a hostel/resort/bar on Koh Chang with a 50% deposit of around a million baht you not only get an existing profitable business you also get their back up in taking the business forward. Google them if you want to know more.

You may want to look at this list of festivals in April 2016 which does i believe show events in Phuket

http://asia-backpackers.com/april-festivals-across-thailand/

As someone else that lives in Pattaya, I enjoyed the post and some of the authors original comments are proved by a number of the responses "people who have never even been here will snicker every time the name “Pattaya” is mentioned"

I wonder if it should be a pre-requisite for those who comment on Pattaya, that they should state where they live in Thailand (I doubt many do) and if they have any first hand and recent knowledge of Pattaya, plus if they ever did visit Pattaya they should state WHY they did so in the first place! Surely they did not all go to Pattaya to save the souls of bar girls?

I only suggest this as too many who comment seem to fall into the definition of 'Trolls' (loved this article on the attributes of a troll as it may well sum up a number of those that may be posting here where they can let their fingers do what their brains are possibly unable to acheive: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-online-secrets/201409/internet-trolls-are-narcissists-psychopaths-and-sadists).

You only have to look at the tourist numbers including families who come to Pattaya to appreciate that while it does have its seedy side (as does so many other cities in the Kingdom, along with almost every other major metropolises on the planet) Pattaya is not all about the sex industry

No because today had alway been a great day (my Mom's & Daughters birthday).....

Unfortunately neither is still with us - so Friday the 13th has really no impact .....

I always took uni number 13 when available as I always thought we're in charge of our own luck department.....

Read this today on Thai Superstitions

The weird and even bizarre Thai superstitions found in Thailand for today Friday 13th

http://asia-backpackers.com/thai-superstitions/

Why not ask Asia BackPackers in Thailand they are a Franchisor for hostels and the biggest in Asia

http://asia-backpackers.com/ or [email protected]

Information on Rocket festivals in Issan: http://asia-backpackers.com/rocket-festivals-in-thailand/

Take a look at the franchise option with Asia BackPackers.

http://asia-backpackers.com/

They have 3 locations at present and their bigger hostels are providing the income you require. A word of warning this is a full time, hands on opportunity, if you are not willing to put the effort in this option is not for you.

One thing you note when you have friends visiting you in Thailand is just how little we expats seem to know about the hundreds of festivals that take place every year in this country. In part that is probably down to the use of the Thai Lunar Calendar (or indeed other lunar calendars) that govern the actual dates of the festival. While some do have dates, most refer the reader to a lunar calendar or are based around the date of a major event which is already set by a lunar calendar. Combine this with the fact the TAT show little to nothing on what’s going on in the kingdom and I suppose we expats are not alone in our ignorance.

Has anyone heard or attended the following festival supposedly happening in Ang Thong in December and early January. If so do you have any reference web addresses or dates for this year? Other than the 1-2 paragraphs that pop up everywhere but give no real insight into the event.

1. God Kuan-U Invitation and Dragon Parade Procession

2. Ngan Mueang U - Khao, U- Nam (City of Rice and Water Bowl Fair) and Annual Red Cross Fair

for a list of things to do other than beer bars try http://asia-backpackers.com/udon/things-to-do-and-see/

For those travelling the Kanchanaburi line ,over the bridge etc,best not to join the gathering and waiting clan on the platform,probably japs and chinks as you will get a right battering on trying to get on the train. Walk a hundred yards or so off the platform towards the direction of the oncoming train,it slows down considerably as it comes out of the bend,jump on as it comes to the halt and grab your seat on the left side of the train,other side all you will get is a good view of rock face,throw a jacket or something to put down on the opposite seat for your partner

A treat to see the oriental faces as they are denied the best seat of the house,especially as it goes over the river

thanksfor the heads up just to clarify is that the left hand side in the direction of the train as it pulls into the station and or the same side of the train as you board it. Do not want to get on the wrong side and have the Japs laughing at me lol

Thats it the direction of the train as it approaches the bridge

sorry I still do not understand what side do I sit on if I take your advice and jump on the train before it comes to a standstill at the station in Bangkok, is it the left hand side going into the station (I assume the train does not turn around but simply travels back the way it came) or the left hand side coming out of the station.

Thanks again for your help

For those travelling the Kanchanaburi line ,over the bridge etc,best not to join the gathering and waiting clan on the platform,probably japs and chinks as you will get a right battering on trying to get on the train. Walk a hundred yards or so off the platform towards the direction of the oncoming train,it slows down considerably as it comes out of the bend,jump on as it comes to the halt and grab your seat on the left side of the train,other side all you will get is a good view of rock face,throw a jacket or something to put down on the opposite seat for your partner

A treat to see the oriental faces as they are denied the best seat of the house,especially as it goes over the river

thanksfor the heads up just to clarify is that the left hand side in the direction of the train as it pulls into the station and or the same side of the train as you board it. Do not want to get on the wrong side and have the Japs laughing at me lol

Read another good train story from Asia Backpacker http://asia-backpackers.com/mind-the-gap/

here is the story without the pics (sorry)

Umbrella Pull down Market Thailand

Mind the gap

“Mind The Gap” is a cry many of us will recognize from travelling on the London Underground system (‘The Tube’ as it is known by Londoners), the message is broadcasted on the station and trains to warn people of the dangers of the gap between the platform and the carriage of the train, it was remembering this announcement that reminded me of a rail trip I took some while back in Thailand with family and friends.

This is my second post on travelling in the Kingdom of Thailand by a combination of train and peddle power or indeed motor bike, on my first post http://asia-backpackers.com/thailand-bike-rail/I pointed out that travelling from A-B riding a peddle cycle, in most of the populated areas of Thailand can be both mentally and physically challenging if not downright dangerous. I also added details of a short journey from Bangkok to Pattaya as an alternative to taking a bus or cab.

In this post I want to take you further afield and detail a journey to the world famous Maeklong Railway Market, nicknamed (Thai: Talad Rom Hoop), literally meaning the 'Umbrella Pull down Market' starting from Bangkok and travelling along the Maeklong Railway line. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maeklong_

'Umbrella Pull down Market'

In some ways Thailand’s markets are quite strange, they are not full of the same noises you associate with Indian or for that matter London markets, where you will hear both the bedlam of the people trying to sell their wares and the buyers trying to barter for a better deal. This I believe comes down to the Asian culture of being that bit more reserved when dealing with strangers, further more Thai’s are not familiar or comfortable with the barter system, this can be seen clearly in their faces and particularly in the older people, where you witness the almost tangible discomfort they feel when being asked for a discount, that said their markets are full of their own character and in general are protected from the both the elements of the sun and rain (well almost the rain) by a vast mass of canopies. This protection comes at a cost as the air under them can be stifling hot and very sticky.

One such market has its own way of providing a unique air flow system. The Maeklong Railway Market is a single long, narrow row of shops selling in the main fresh fish products, (it is one of the largest fish markets in Thailand). As with all Thai markets there is an abundance of different fresh and cooked foods to sample along with the obligator live hens, repeatedly screeching out for everyone to hear and for the locals to simply ignore.

The shops face each other, with each owner choosing to lay their wares on tables and the floor at the front of their premises, with so much produce on offer their goods meet their neighbours produce on each side of them and almost meet their neighbours selection opposite, the only two things stopping them meeting in the centre is the need of the customer to make their way down the middle of this long straight corridor, and the fact that there is also a small gauge railway line running down the middle of this mass of food.

The traders here will tell you that the market has been in existence for as long as the railway (since 1905) and that both go about their business without to many worries regarding the others proximity, except for the 7-8 occasions a day 7 days per week, when a siren blast from the 4 metre high, 100 ton plus locomotive, spurns the shop owners into action and they quite casually pull back their canopies which reach from their shop to the neighbours opposite. On first glance it appears the whole operation looks like a fluid, precise mechanised action with each owner waiting for their allotted turn to act.

With so much practise over so many years the vendors have gotten the need to remove specific items from the path of the train down to a fine art, with other items that are on display near the tracks left in situ, the result is that the train trudges very slowly through the market, safely past the owners and directly over the food without causing a single bruise to either the people or their goods. Once the train has passed by each shop, the shop owners return their goods and canopies to their original positions and every one goes about their business as if nothing had happened.

A bewildering almost staged performance and well worth the trip.

How to get there from Bangkok

There are two main alternatives by mini bus or by rail, with the rail route providing two further options depending if you want to be on the train as it passes through the market or witness its approach at ground level as it rattles it’s way past the shops, both rail options have a short ferry trip thrown in the middle of the journey.

By Bus

By far the easiest route: Take the BTS Skytrain to Victoria Monument and ask around for a bus going to Maeklong Market, do note the route is not that well-advertised, the trip should cost 70-80 Baht per person each way and goes direct.

By Train: The more adventurous routes: Both rail routes are in 3 parts

See the train at ground level

Part 1: Take the train from the Wongwain Yai Station http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wongwian_Yai_BTS_Station to Maha Chai- departing every hour from 05:30. The train will stop at the Samut Sankhon station where you alight and catch the ferry. Cost: 10 Baht (You can get the BTS Skytrain to Wongwain Yai and from there it is a 10 minute walk to the railway station, see google for street map)

Part 2: Walk down to the water’s edge and take the waiting ferry, which will take you across the Tha Chin River, this in turn takes but a few minutes. Cost: 4 baht per person.

Part 3: On the other side of the river and parallel with it is the train station, you jump on the next available train to Samut Songkhram (Further 10 Baht) situated on the Mae Khlong River, at the end of the line you will find the Maeklong Market. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maeklong_Railway

Travel on the train through the market

Follow Part 1 above

Part Two: From Samut Sankhon ask for the ferry to Ban Laem railway station (price of 4 baht) this route takes you a kilometre downstream to the Ban Laem station.

Part Three: From there you can board the train to watch the commotion from the safety of the carriages. Be aware the train at times gets very close to the sides of the narrow market, which means you may not have many opportunities to stick your head out of the windows to get the picture you really want, though it does travel very slowly through the market. Cost 10 baht

Of course you could always do both rail trips if you arrive by one route and depart by the other. The railway line is also known as the ‘Secret Railway’ as it is so hard to find any reliable information on train times, therefore check the schedules with the train station before planning your journey.

To get the best vantage point for a picture try to get there for the first train as it can be busy with tourists later in the day.

Why not add to your day out, and take in Bangkok’s most famous Floating Market that of Damnoen Saduak (more on this in a later post), which is nearby to the 'Umbrella Pull down Market'. Incorporating both can be draining on the body and mind as you will not be able to miss the coach loads of tourists who swam the market in the afternoons but it does save on both time and money.

‘In memory of my beautiful sister who I shared this adventure and who will be missed by us all’.

On the two occasions I have dealt with the BE I have found the service to be very poor, if it were any other department it would be found to be unfit for purpose.

1). Applied for a passport, the Thai staff were as helpful as a bucket of sand and rude an impolite as any official I have met in all the years of my travels (I can assure the readers that I am neither a pompous or arrogant sole and will tip my forelock to those where I have to).

2) A family member here feel into a coma and I asked the Embassy for information on what I the procedures were for repatriation and after two emails the only response was an automated reply to inform me that I would get a response.

If Embassies are not there to provide guidance and help to its subjects what are they there for?

I have family coming over here in a few months and was wondering How can one travel by train from Bangkok to Pattaya or vice versa, but also see Mae Klong Market where the street vendor have shops on the railway line and how much will it cost?

Thanking you in advance

Will you post more details I would like to know more. I write blogs for a few mates who have hostels in Vietnam an Thailand and would suggest that you could provide guest blogs can you PM me your email address and I will be happy to put you guys together or if you want you can provide the facts and pics and I will produce the sizzle

I know of 2 companies in Thailand that provide 50% finance options Asia BackPackers and I-Rovers luxury apartments

Taken from a hostel franchise in Pattaya

“Franchising is an organised system of growth by which a business with a successful concept provides other people, in other locations, the rights and knowledge to copy exactly the success of the original.” Paul M Tessller II President Coca-Cola Corp. 1953-71

I have been reading up on the same subject prior to moving full time to Thailand in 2 years time, Franchise models vary from company to company on training, royalties, purchase costs, marketing, non Thai ventures, franchise fees etc etc. The issue for me was is the franchisee simply selling franchises as a way of providing income for them selves with the net result that the franchisee is left with no back up and ultimately no value in the business.

The following is quite a good site (if you look back at their December 2013 posts it explains more about what to look for in a franchise)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thailand-Franchise-Organisation/586975021372970?ref_type=bookmark

I stayed with Asia Backpackers in Udon and they did me a deal on a single room, great place and a good location to tour Isan

I would try both on a short bases and Koh Chang and then make a decision. You will find Koh Chang is the better on prices