gomangosteen

gomangsteen - 1,000 baht a kilo??? Wow. Was in Chch and Dunedin last December, but didn't check prices too closely.

You wouldn't expect to see any on sale in December? Generally the NZ season is about the start of first frosts in the north island, May/June each year.

House I once owned (Wellington) one garden fence was well covered by passionfruit vines, they did well there - sheltered from high winds but still close to south coast/sea air which didn't seem to bother them.

Price I quoted was Auckland New World supermarket chain - think they'd have been grown in that region/upper NI most likely

Lick of paint - no prob.... it's been there 20 years..

 

By the way - is that near to Rayong??

 

South of Rayong, this one in Chanthaburi city; though think i know the one you refer to about 60km N from us  - after Klaeng, south of Ban Phe on way to Rayong? (see pic, from Nov 2010)

1997 Asian financial crisis to blame I am told. There's an abandoned hotel complex off the main highway heading south from Chan city to Trat/Koh Chang dating from same era, now overgrown with vines/trees at the entrance to Phlio National Park - would have been an ideal location I'd have thought.

any estimates on how long until exposed (ie never painted) concrete is 'beyond redemption?

An example of an abandoned hotel from 1997 - one of many from around this era in Thailand. 

Site was advertised for sale 2012 @ 96 million.

At almost 20 years exposed to the weather - would there be any hope?

Or demolition the only option?

cheers

Cycle tourists. Woman at the front their guide/group leader, quite a way back a second woman guide encouraging a slower rider along, followed by a minivan with their gear.

The lane they're in is marked as a cycle lane - it was red asphalt but now faded to a pinkish-grey

'People' ? well, almost . . .

Hi

Interested in people's experiences with asthma when changing countries/climates

I (from NZ) developed asthma last teens - years of inhalers, nebulisers and overnighters in hospital.

Except for the years I spent in my 20s living in Australia - Sydney and perth where asthma became a rare event for me, and just the odd Ventolin 'as required'

I've been a competitive distance swimmer and triathlete at national level, though always had the trusty Ventolin at hand 'in case'. Healthy living, even a dietitian!

On my first holiday to Thailand the asthma more than faded, it practically disappeared. I was running and cycling like I'd always wanted to, restrictions gone. First time ever i felt I could give a genuine 100% with no excuses. And many thoughts of 'if only' when looking at competition results that could have been better

Returned to Thailand for 5+ years and no issues whatsoever, decided that just as I had grown into asthma I had grown out of it.

This year I went back to NZ April-July and it hit me the worst of my life, from the very first day till the last - i went for 6mths work but called it quits at 3. Granted it was winter, and it was quite a shock going from high 20s to low 30s to daily temps of 8-9C and overnight lows of minus 2 (but no, I was not sleeping outside).

Back thru Bangkok and it's gone again. Arrived home 4 weeks ago and not a hint of breathing issues.

Simply put, seems I have a reaction against the climate/cold air. Allergic to NZ! I have to go back briefly early 2015 and am dreading it - can't see any way of avoiding the same problems I've just had; I've felt so much better overall minus the medication - and stress that comes with relying on it.

Can't be alone, surely? Anyone else had similar exp returning to a cooler eg UK climate? And how did you manage it?

thanks

When we were in Sa Kaeo province there were passionfruit at many of the fresh fruit markets; I tracked one source, a commercial operation in amphur Khao Chakan, let us pick our own for 20b per kilo

Here in Chanthaburi, where so much fruit is grown, have only seen them for sale 3 times, small quantities, at a fruit market guess just a private grower, 25-30b per kilo. I buy any that I can and freeze it.

I do not know the variety/ies; about twice the size/volume of the ones I once grew in NZ.

Large yellow fruit compared to the purple skinned ones we had in NZ, and a little sweeter too.

Must be a lot of differences in the varieties - I was living in Wellington/NZ and the fruit were picked about time of first winter frosts, May/June.

I was reminded of the prices in June this year when in NZ - in Auckland the New World supermarket chain was selling them at NZ $39.95 per kilo.

Didn't notice when I took this pic - the bike behind is carrying six

^ fantastic

there used to be a clothes dyer - 'pong-pang man' - in our town but I have not seen him for many months now.

2012 the town (pop.4500) had the addition of a third native English speaker, 'Stinky Pete'. Fortunately he departed (a quick flit, unpaid debts) after a few months. At 72 he was agile enough to climb the hedge to the local community swimming pool on Mondays (the one day a week they closed) to avoid paying. It may also have been his one shower per week - if he chose to use their facilities.

He caused an 'incident' over 10b; bought a 20l of water and when he got home discovered a leak in the container. Maybe it was brittle/aged; maybe he'd dropped it down too hard . . . but no, he chose to go back to the shop and shout at the 80+ year old woman there demanding an exchange.

Embarrassing for us - as foreigners he was somehow our 'friend' and my partner was called to smooth things over. His response 'well they should speak f****** English shouldn't they?'

Glad to hear he'd left town.

Where would one find these hordes of backpackers?

In recent years we've hosted touring cyclists, guess they too travel 'cheap', and by necessity travel light in terms of baggage.

Not yet noted any hygiene/cleanliness issues, in fact I'd say the opposite with their easy-wash and quick-dry clothing.

Closest I've witnessed would be a former resident in our town, 'Stinky Pete' an Englishman in early 70s who had evidently passed that tipping point of not caring about his appearance or 'aroma'.

From the limited amount of clothing he appeared to have, it would have comfortably fit into a small backpack.

He left town at short notice - owing rent, and leaving internet, cable tv, electricity bills etc in his wake.

Yes, he must have been a backpacker.

I could well be one too. Five trips to Malaysia last year, one to Laos; Malaysia and NZ this year so far, and carrying just a backpack.

The horror!

At this stage in life I can still carry/wear one, as opposed to meandering along with a trolley-bag behind me.

From the movie Mulholland Drive - Rebekah Del Rio sings Llorando (Roy Orbison's 'Crying')

Seven VW Beetles live around our town - never owned one myself, but doesn't stop me liking them - they do stand out among all the same-looking cars and pickups

There has to be a Herbie 'Love Bug'

and this convertible looked very well-presented

Saturday - a visitor - but had it really been a taxi?

that MZ es150 in post 960 was a 'find' for me

almost a year previously I'd stopped at a roadside place - puncture - and this bike was in the workshop next door, no one to ask and it had no marking/ID I could see. Puzzled over it for some time . . . .then later saw one on the road, problem solved.

Wonder how many came to Thailand, and how many survive 50 years later?

Cyclist-friendly cafe - no real people or cycles in this shot - me and my bike as witness!

Just inside the Thai border, at the Ban Laem/Daung crossing (Chanthaburi) with Cambodia

Chanthaburi coast, 2 August 2014

1963 MZ es150: 143cc 2-stroke, 4 speed, 10hp @ 5500 rpm, top speed 96km/h

and I found a review:

Hi - we left Sa Kaeo province 2011, so info is quite dated - however at that time I had some documents translated by a man in Aran town - I went to the main Aran office of Thai Immigration (the one in town, not the one at the border with PoiPet) and they referred me to him; sorry i no longer have contact details (was at a legal office), but i found the Immigration staff there always helpful in the year we were there, recommend them as an option to ask.

Good luck.

there are many versions of this one, 'Waiting Around To Die' . . . I like this one Calvin Russell and Townes van Zandt best

just needs some reworking of the place names, appropriate for a few expats here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNM4OwJX1H0