Hummin

Alchohol was fun when younger, now I enjoy a glass or two in good comapany and dinners. Alchohol is not good for old men, who already have lifestyle problems and health challenges.

Stavanger can be rougher than north of polar circle. It is more wet and raw cold weaher year around. Lived on the west coast 15 years all together at 3 different locations. Also lived 4 years north Norway on an island. I prefer North Norway, since more dry weather, and real winters, and not to bad summers. The only plague, is mosquito and flies inside country. Still, it is temporarily while she gain her citizenship. After that she will stay 4 months in Thailand every year.

It is all about timing, and also expectstions. Thailand was great until the heat, pollution and latest unsecurity about future taxation. It hit me pretty much a the same time last year. Im not willing to pay tax on tax to be allowed to spend my money here, and nothing in return. It doesnt help my Norwegian krone have plummeted against thai baht either.

We both sees it as a temporary project, so it is not for rest of my life. Things can change, and we keep a plan b and c.

I can promise you, she is the biggest driver to move north after we have travelled both in the winter with Hurtigruta, (cruise ferry) up to Tromsø, and drive down again + round trip with car last summer. Fresh fish, berries, mushrooms, wild meat is something she enjoy. So far been there on tourist visa 6×3 months year around in Norway total. She love Norway and the potential. Do you know how many thais there is who work at Svalbard? https://www.proquest.com/docview/197470266?sourcetype=Scholarly Journals

Reminds me of Brazil, Just utside the tourist strips, this is the reality you have to deal with.

Same source?

I stayed one night in Jomtien at the Palm Beach hotel during Christmas before heading down to Ban Chang, and have no doubt in my mind, I would chosen Ban Chang anytime before Pattaya or Jomtien. I had the same feeling as I useally had in Benidorm 30 years ago. Still, if I was single, lonely, and 70 years, I might had lived in one of the Base towers close to central in Pattaya. If I had no other options than Thailand

And again today

I did the same test, and trust me, it shows 20 here to, but surprise it is closer to 100 outside

And you feel you have the need to tell him? Happiness is when you accept your fate, and leave past behind you, and live today with a person who makes you happy.

I have clean air in my room to in Isaan, air purifier. High rise buildings do not prevent bad air quality, only if they have decent air system, or you buy an air purifier. I enjoy outdoor life, and thats my problem, I do not thrive inside at all

I can't really relate, but I understand what you saying, but still, they should know, and in my eyes, to many are doing the same mistakes over and over. The worst is those who get burnt, comes out as women bashers, and treats every women like whores. You see them daily here at the forum, repeatedly expressing the same negativity against women and others relationships. It becomes a mission for them to drag everyone down in the same mudpool as theirs.

Back home is agreeable a wide wide term, soI understand your point. Coming from a healthy environment and a country I still love and adore, my choice is colored by my personal opinion and background as well age. I feel I have many more years in me to work, and also hunt, fish, pick food, as well live a bit more sustainable life than I manage to do here in Thailand. Chopp wood, make fire, and experience the dark cold winters under the stars and northern lights, is priceless Just eat cold water fish, crabs, lobsters, rain deer, year around There is so much to do, compared to becoming stuck in Thailand where the political landscape will change, Asian countries will expand and everything will become more expensive, and we are the white guys who more and more Asians starts to despise. Sad but true Asians are Not so different from us, when it comes to colours and who is living in the neighborhood. I believe China will be a great influence on Thailand, and what about us then? Reminding you of how the trade war will escalate, and Thailand is treated by the west as not trustworthy for our high tech weapons they obviously wants to buy. I gamble on my own heritage, but still keep our home in Thailand.

Sorry, good western restaurants Chez Andy is ok, and also have a few bottles of wine of quality. Except from Chez Andy, haven't come across of any worth mentioning. But please enlighten me. I also made a tread a couple of years ago, and got no replies. Not one reply

the only drawback in Korat is the lack of western restaurants. However there is a few.

no problem to find cheaper, same as beer is possible to be found cheaper in other bars. You pay for location and hopefully better hygiene, equipment and materials used

through your own eyes and experiences you know, we all have our illusions, and I have mine, you have yours, I choose mine

I truly think the golden age in Asia is up, especially for us who can expect to live another 30+ years. We do have a base in Thailand, but I have moved back to Norway, and my wife will follow next year, and build our next home, and both will start working. I actually miss working after being semi-retired, and the potential for both living quality and also a healthy lifestyle is much better in Norway. I actually got bored after travelling all over Thailand several times by motorbikes, car and also in my earlier days by public transport. Have tried to settle with a small farm, and that would be perfect for me, if it was not for the extreme heat last year and pollution that finally broke my wibe. We have been travelling most of the time, and will head down south next week again, but to be true I'm tired of constantly having to travel to kill my boredom, or escaping the smoke from burning fields and forests. I do not expect the pollution to change in the near future, that's why I make my move now, and not later when it is maybe too late. So for the younger ones who dream about Asia, sorry, but it is decades to late.

I had quite a bit travelling experience in work and sports before I landed in Thailand, where I the first years didnt get involved with local girls. A few once and awhile at some beach bars who worked at the Islands, but to be true, it was not normal for those of us who where there for climbing and freediving to get involved with locals. And through those few who got involved with locals I learned alot because I stayed long time at the same places. First later when I moved to Patong, I truly learned the reality of those hot spots living among them as described in an earlier post. Later periodic in Pattaya or Jomtien as well. What surprises me most, is the common main mistake most first timers or men who just arrived for their retirement do, is to jump on the very first and best. Not before landed, and they are captured in the net of an "Black widow spider". The best advise I can give, is to take your time, and learn the womens true nature, then when it is time to get serious, meet her friends and family, and you will now your girl. Any red flags about their friends and family, or how she treats you, you will know where this will end. Simple as that. Their best trick is the silence treatment, and also having sex for then talk about money in some way you feel the need to contribute. Im not talking about pocket money, but donations to fix house, car, buy something, business idea,,,,,,,,,,,,, starts with small money, but all red flags

At least they have clean air in LA

Have you fact checked the story, if that picture is real, it looks like a miracle to me

Should the houses be rebuilt in the very same critical areas? I guess there is possible to built firewalls and make the area safe, and for now at least 20-30 years before there will be any danger for a large fire again, but we all know, we humans tends to build in critical areas out of convenience. The place I wanted to move in Brazil, experience their worst 3 years drought in man made history The droughts of 2023 and 2024 cover an area of 5 million square kilometers—more than half of Brazil's territory—affecting over 70% of municipalities, with 201 classified as experiencing extreme dryness. In addition to natural events like El Niño, there's no denying that human activity is driving these droughts. Brazil is burning. Between January and August 2024, the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) recorded over 110,000 wildfires that have burned through 114,000 km2—an alarming 116% increase compared to the same period last year. While the fires have spread across the country, they are concentrated in the Legal Amazon states of Mato Grosso, Pará, Amazonas, and Tocantins, as well as in Mato Grosso do Sul, home to about 22 million people. This crisis follows devastating floods in Rio Grande do Sul in June, which killed more than 200 people and displaced nearly 400,000 more https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/brazil-burning-fires-drought-and-looming-environmental-crisis

Pattaya Other Choices before Pattaya, Ban Chang where I just visited a couple of friends on holiday. Nice little part in Rayong. I would also choose Hua Hin before Pattaya, and Korat before Udon Thani. Pattaya is smelly and dirty as well overcrowded with alot of Traffic almost year around now. Hua Hin, mostly in the prime high season and weekends and not that smelly from.

Your friend Polaky?