Ireland32

Haha there seems to be an old rift between Bangkok and Up-country even in driving skills.

We Bangkokians try to avoid the "baan nok" drivers, who consistently and stubbornly occupy the right most lane at all times, especially Toyota Vios and all pick-up trucks with 25 people in the back.

And if you see a car with a license plate from outside Bangkok approaching the "Easy Pass" booth, change lane, because chances are he cannot read and has no EasyPass.

A Bangkok car sometimes lets you change lanes, whereas a baan-nok driver accelerates as soon as you put the indicators, passes you with a horn and then merges to your lane in front of you.

Bangkok people will never understand up-country people and vice-versa.

. Just like San Francisco drivers never use turn signals, I don't use them here except passing, no one with let u in, unless they re on phone , there's always a gap as they yak on their telephones

Thanks for the responses so far.

Yes, I would probably need to work but frankly at this point I'm probably (more like definitely) unemployable (gaps the size of the Holland tunnel).

Thus the emphasis on low cost.

I assume it being the U.S. some kind of car would be needed almost everywhere.

Except for places like San Francisco (seriously can't afford) or Chicago (like it but TOO cold).

If it comes to this, I'm sure gonna miss the baht buses. Even the drivers!

. Go to Sausalito, buy a boat , sailboat , oil burner, whatever for a few thousand and you can live aboard a boat for under 600 a month, it's the last boat slips in Sausalito, right before you go NB on 101 take a right, and follow road all the way to the end, I think the cheapest slips in Sausalito that allows live a boards, Richardson Marina or something like that, nothing like a sleep on the water, maybe rent it out or Air B and B , when not there by the month or more, my bro has a 45 ft there, it's the cheapest way to go in Bay Area

Makheua Phuang (the little flavourful pea sized things, Makheua Pro (the golf ball "eggplants") the fresh coriander leaf, so where is it ? Available at farmers market my friend!

I asked this to a Thai family running a small restaurant and takeout in one of the most expensive beach communities in Orange County, CA, inhabited mostly by rich white people. They laughed. "our customers don't need they just want chicken, pay another $4 for EXTRA chicken" ! (Their Gaeng Kiew Wan Gai is just a giant pile of sliced chicken breast lightly coated in green curry with a few sprigs of basil and red pepper slices). Clear they could put in more effort but it would increase the price and even though people in Corona del Mar can afford it the effort would be a waste.

I have been to some "upscale" Indian and Mexican restaurants in the SoCal area and they were always based on "scene", food being secondary to guys buying $16 dollar drinks at the bar chasing snatch. Problem with that is when a such place becomes passe' it is not sustainable. A famous restauranteur Danny Meyer opened "Tabla" (Indian) in NYC in the 1990's. Noted Indian musician Zakir Hussain personally told me personally it was dreck. Looks like it is closed now and there are many places called Tabla around the country now. Used to be an upscale Thai place at South Coast Plaza ten years ago, they certainly were not pulling $25-35 for entree plates. If that is what the author is talking about why so-called "Ethnic" food can't but French can, I'm not convinced the reason is completely based on Eurocentrism and bias. To get the profit premium you have to provide a scene, in location, and put value on the plate. Sushi does this with pricy imported fish shipped by air and the expensive Chinese with whole fish, and shellfish prepared to order and sold "market price".

Don't forget the solidified bird spit and sustainably farmed Japanese fish fins and abalone.

The author makes valid points here but may be a victim of Orientalism and own subtle bias. For example appearing to state that mediocre Japanese food in middle America is bad because it is cooked by Chinese. It is mediocre because it contains cheap ingredients prepared with little care. I agree that Japanese food followed a different trajectory in the US. The first restaurant with a sushi bar in NYC (Nippon) opened in 1963 on upper east side steps from Counsul General of Japan. Don't think it was intended for mass consumption, nor did anyone imagine that decades later "sushi" would be available at every Supermarket. Many of the uber-cool diners at Nobu in LA pay because of hype, it is "the place to be" and they don't have the experience to know what they are eating anyway. There are plenty of excellent places where food just as good is prepared by Japanese cooks in SoCal at reasonable prices, perhaps even more exclusive because they are smaller, may not take reservations, and you wait for a table standing outside in a strip-mall parking lot. I can tell everybody from experience once you get to the downstairs dining room at Nobu's "Matsuhisa Aspen" the food is no better than average Japanese food one can get anywhere, just more expensive. It is produced by recent culinary school grads all with piercings and some with Chefs Knife tattoos on their arms and served by Kids who are more interested in snowboarding and hustling for "tips" and know nothing of Japanese culture. Unfortunately for cooks, like my good friend, their labour is fungible. There are always jobs but here is no great money in the restaurant business unless one is a celebrity chef or has ownership rights making "profits", not wages.

So Americans will pay for the far flung "Branded" establisments of celebrity chefs in Vegas, etc, even though quality control suffers hugely and it is poor value. They will pay for very simple italian food (served in a bowl) because the "Trattoria" is trendy and located in a vineyard in Napa Valley. They will pay vast sums to eat pricy cuts of beef at so-called "Steakhouses", and order $500 wines on the company expense account. I'm not saying working the grill at Charlie Palmers is easy, but it is a basic skill and what does it come with fries and creamed spinach? Cafeteria food. Will Silicon Valley execs plan a business dinner at one of the expensive Chinese restaurants in the area? Perhaps in a private dining room, not on the main floor for sure, noisy and brightly lit with screaming brats running around, with no surgically enhanced tarted-up waitresses to flirt with.

Location, Scene, cuisine, in that order. Meanwhile the gluttons in middle America must fill their gullets several times a day and they want it cheap.[/quote. Javier's did you like it ?

Be careful with the Lady boi's, they are pickpockets on street , and on bahtbus in Pattaya , be respectful, but a firm no thanks should suffice, No Jetskiis, no gamble, no gold showing, Smile, No driving at night, Have Fun

If it's closed, you always have MK or KFC at Tesco, lol

Did i mention it hurts!!!

nothing a few painkillers won't cure

. Painkillers in Thailand, Tough One

Use an ATM with a higher w/d limit. Krungsi and I believe TMB ATMs do 30,000 Baht per transaction. If I got that wrong, somebody will be along to correct me.

Or you can do an over-the-counter w/d inside the bank using your passport and ATM/Debit card - although not all branches agree to do this type of transaction.

In the past 2 months, I've done on-line ACH transfers from my US bank into my local Bangkok Bank account via the New York Bangkok Bank Branch. If you have a Bangkok Bank account, it's useful to set up the link between accounts so it's always there ready to go, even if you decide not to use it all the time.

Edit: If ATM will be your continued, primary method of accessing cash, you need to organize yourself with a bank and related cards (and credit cards) that do not charge a foreign currency transaction fee and ideally, reimburse you the Thai ATM fees. A well known one is Charles Schwab Bank in Reno, Nevada.

. Credit Unions , usually waive, too

That Isaan restaurant in Term. 21 in Bangkok was very good, maybe they will open a branch in Term.21 , Patt's

Expats, Toyota Camry Drivers, Bus Drivers, people who text whilst driving and my favorite people who don't know what the indicator is for..

Don't block the lane so motorbikes cant filter pass you or align your self next to another cars mirror so your cars mirror are parallel.. When your mirror gets hit don't cry about it, because you wont be able to do a damn about it.

you missed Fortuners, absolute Worst...

lucky but 5,000???

Keenyow...

Americans

. Ridiculous Yank Bashing...

Lao Plates should be Feared, Ridiculous Selfish Habits...

Pattaya forum???? Patong

How many people, when the cashier makes a mistake and gives too much change, point out the mistake and give the excess back?

I would guess most do not...probably the "it's the principle" types, more than others.

I gave back 100 baht to cashier at 7/11 on Soi Kopai, and nobody wanted to talk to me about it, like they were all scared, ran to back room , I didn't even get a thank you, but that wouldn't stop me , doing it again.

Gold Shop

Strange, just today I heard about fake Thai bills for the first time. The wife says the local market is currently not accepting 500 and 1000 baht notes as the area is awash in counterfeit ones.

give us a clue,what area

My friends who had lived in Jomtien Beach for the last

Ten years had enough. They relocated to Costa Rica.

Cost of living is about the same as Thailand, warm weather.

Great food.

Anyone lived in Costa Rica ?? I will visit them over Christmas.

Thinking about doing the move too, Thailand is not what it was

10 years ago, but I guess no place stays the same.

Any helpful info, would be appreciated from someone that

Has lived there.

Too much damn Black beans, it ain't Mexico, San Jose is a Pit, Food Sucks, Beautiful

Sorry i need an update about this, I would like to take a van with reasonable price but i don't know where can i found tour shops in Jomtien will do the transport package for you Minivan + boat.

I know only this two shops in Pattaya

Sea-Air-Land Tours

Soi Post Office (13/2)

Koh-Chang Travel Pattaya

Soi Post Office (13/2)

. How about Champion on Soi PO

Restaurant on Soi Bukao,near Soi Diana, LB Cashier of course shorted me, the "Old" 100baht note , cut in half trick, if somehow , if u have the other half, contact me, lol

We pay our live in15k pm with 1 month bonus at the end of the year.

OB

ridiculous...11 months too and food and lodging, St. Teresa you are...but if u want to, up to you, quite Generous, you can't take it with you.

The minimum wage is 350 baht a day.

Our housekeeper receives 350 baht a day, 3 x meals (the same food as us), overtime, holiday pay etc etc.

She also lives in, comes with us on days out, is invited and enjoys meals out in great restaurants.

Treat an important member of your staff/family well and you will enjoy a happy life.

And she pretends to like it even though you pay less than minimum wage?

whats minimum wage these days? I thought it was 300b.

of course it is, 300, No rise yet from govt, want to make 365, but not yet, 200 baht to work rai in Issan , I'm sure they would rather be a maid and have long life...

No Monday's or Friday's , Good to go

300 a day thai wage, include some food

I am just hijacking this topic don't want to open another one

my Thai nephew just obtained a Thai international licences

can he use this to drive in Australia ? I know he can not use

his normal Thai license which is prohibited in Australia

There is no such hing as an international driving licence is is only a 'permit' which is a translation of your home driving licence, which you must have, into a number of languages. In over forty years I have never been asked for it irrespective of the country I was in. When I applied for a Thai licence I had my UK one translated into Thai, which the authorities here accepted and stated that is what they would prefer. Result, colour test only nothing else was required.

A UK driving licence is only valid for three months when out of the country and yes they do know when because they have access to the British Passport data base.

. In Pattaya they always ask, if you have they not make money...

^LBs have their own bars like Puke Bar ,Soi 6 ,I have never seen a LB dance on a main stream Go Go stage .Somebody mentioned Spotlight in Chiang mai .Yes what a pathetic Go Go that is .Chiang Mai is very poor in the night life department ,not that it bothers me now too much at my advanced age .

Pook Bar just for newbies