busgen

Well nice to know now, that someone is trying to get a car on her name, but nobody takes the effort to tell you how you can own a car in the LOS.

Let me start with the remark, that I will tell you the official way, as designed by the government.

To OWN a car in the LOS you don't need a driver license. You need a driver license to DRIVE a car. So don't worry about that.

In order to buy a car you either need a work permit or a document from the immigration police, stating that you're living in a certain place. Cost about 200-400 Baht (for the document).

Officially it is not possible for a tourist to own a car. If you live in Thailand or stay for a longer time, than it is possible.

With the document from immigration or work permit, your passport with visa (and sometimes a rental contract of your home/home owner papers) you can obtain a car.

Amazingly enough nobody asks you in proces for your driver license. I don't know how this is arranged in the rest of the world, but were I'm from it's impossible to buy or rent a car without a driver license.

In the LOS it would save a lot of trouble, but of course also a lot of turn over for the automotive industry.

Homestay. for me personally; I like to have someone around. Someone who is at home when I come home from work, someone who I can share my daily experiences with, someone who does the household with me, etc, etc............a partner. Sounds normally, doesn't it?

For more than one year I'm living with a young Thai man. We shared a lot of ups and downs and both of us invested a lot in each other. He gave up his 'regular' life to live with someone double his age; he minimized his nightly visits to bars and hangouts where his friends use to hang and he tries to integrate in some kind of Western culture.

I invested a lot of sleepless nights, misunderstandings, money of course and a lot of head aches.

Now, after a year, we are at the point that our relation is stabil. We have our duties in and around the house; I go to work every day and what he does is up 2 him, as long as he is at home when I arrive from work and does some simple chores.

Basically it is functioning now. He is happy and I am happy, but it took some time and we moved from Pattaya to Bang Saen.

Pattaya is a very special city. I am a bit cautious in my word choice. Special because of the many different lives that are lived over there.

If you bump into a (young) man from Pattaya and both of you intend to stay together for a longer time, than please be aware of the fact that:

- the Thai man may be a lot younger than you are;

- the Thai man is living in his country with its specific (valuable) culture

- in a lot of cases, the Thai partner has a social life that is active after closing hours of the bars, etc. This is the case, whether the Thai partner works in the 'scene' or not.

- you shouldn't try to force your Western culture into your partner's throat. The both of you should integrate.

- don't base your relationship on a lot of rules and regulations; Thai are a bit ignorant in case of regulations and rules and if you want your partner to live in a certain (Western) way, than you have to be patient. A Thai learns most by experience.

- let each other free. Don't put your Thai partner on a leash.

I've had a few Thai partners for the last 3 years (all after each other), but the last one is a stayer! He is not entirely gay but ever so nice. We found in each other the person we wanted to find. He found his father who died 7 years ago and I found a nice young man with a good heart on the right place.

We stay in Bang Saen during the week and we 'move' to Pattaya during the weekend. He visits his friends and family, I do some shopping, visit my friends and we go out together. Pretty ok!!

Again, it took some time and 'investment' to get this far. Of course we had some troubles over the time and there were times that I brought him back to his family, but knowing the life he lives when he is on his own made me take him back, every time.

He caused a lot of problems for himself and for me, but that seems to be a part of life.

Now my friend is in his hometown near Korat. He has to take care of some paperwork for the Thai army. Before he left he said: I am sure you will have many boys here!!

I answered: Ow my God, no!!!! I will have a few weeks holiday..........absolutely no boys!!!! He didn't understand that one!

It's getting better and better,

I didn't come to Thailand to get laid, neither did I come to Thailand to fulfill an possible emptyness in my life with a Thai guy. I never pay for sex.

Probably you guys are so desperate in finding your real love overhere, that you don't want to see what's it all about. You accept everything even if it is hard to deal with.

No Dumpster you weren't harsh........you are just an harsh..hole: blaming me for judging things and people I obviously know nothing about, but what do you do? Judging me on one expression without asking for more back ground information on why and what?

BTW, What attracted you to Thailand? And before arriving, were you not clued up enough to know about all the sad stories of misfortune or did you think it wouldn't happen to me. I'm not that stupid?

So I was right...............you just don't want to see what's happening!!

Well I have to say your first and second posts prompted my response because they sounded like the words of an ignorant bitter person. If my interpretation was wrong then I stand corrected. However to comment the way you did, in those posts, makes me wonder how you came to your conclusions because they seem very negative towards Thai gays. That is not my experience with Thais here but I have heard similar accounts to yours and read similar on TV .

It is easy to stereotype guys and of course there are many shades of grey, I accept this. I was merely disagreeing with your posts about Thai guys and not judging you. Just because I haven't been burnt by a Thai guy doesnt make me any more superior than someone who has. It's just life but my sympathy towards such guys is dwindling because there are so many stories out there you would think guys would be more clued up to the potential pitfalls. Maybe they are but they choose to ignore them when some cute naked boy tells you he loves you.

That said, I guess this has little to do with gay life in Chonburi.

I think you're right Dumpster on the bitter thing. That's what I did to myself. Especially the first year I tried to buy off my bitterness and that costed me loads of cash.

At this moment (after 3 years) I just say: mai pen arai or boo pen yang and don't bother.

I am absolute NOT against Thai gays, but I am against the Thai gUys who are working in the industry pretending that they are gAy. Sure I understand them; it's 'easy' money.

Oh yes, gay life in Chonburi.....that's our starting point: last year I met some Thai gays (hair dressers) in Chonburi and asked them about gay life in the city.

Either they didn't know or they didn't want to tell, but they went almost every night to an area in Bangkok. Please don't ask where!

It's getting better and better,

I didn't come to Thailand to get laid, neither did I come to Thailand to fulfill an possible emptyness in my life with a Thai guy. I never pay for sex.

Probably you guys are so desperate in finding your real love overhere, that you don't want to see what's it all about. You accept everything even if it is hard to deal with.

No Dumpster you weren't harsh........you are just an harsh..hole: blaming me for judging things and people I obviously know nothing about, but what do you do? Judging me on one expression without asking for more back ground information on why and what?

BTW, What attracted you to Thailand? And before arriving, were you not clued up enough to know about all the sad stories of misfortune or did you think it wouldn't happen to me. I'm not that stupid?

So I was right...............you just don't want to see what's happening!!

Dumpster was a bit harsh

Me harsh.......surely not

Ok I appologise.... rewrite

Oh busgen how terrible for you to have met these terrible Thai guys who have taken you for a ride. It's despicable that they should only think about making money and trying to take it from a western guy. How dare they. They should count themselves lucky that you are interested in them and provide you with all sexual favours for free. Maybe you should start some kind of support group for other victims. You can call the group something like Foreigners Against Thais

Good luck to you and be careful out there. Those naughty Thai boys working in the sex industry are waiting to empty your wallet. They are not working for love even if they say they love you after 10 minutes.

BTW, What attracted you to Thailand? And before arriving, were you not clued up enough to know about all the sad stories of misfortune or did you think it wouldn't happen to me. I'm not that stupid?

Well I might be wrong.......but imagine what would happen if the Thai changed their thoughts, minds and moral concerning earning money in "The Industry?"

Because that's where it's all about: money. And please don't be so naive to think that gays are generally accepted in Thailand.

If a boy tells his family that he is gay, it's only accepted because it brings in cash.

Well we could go on and on with pro's and contra's, yes and no discussions.

People experience this gay thing in their own way.

Believe me, I have had some very good experiences but also some bad ones. In the end everything is revolving about money and not only in the gay scene.

What do you think if you see a straight couple walking hand in hand; she is absolutely gourgeous, Thai and 24 and he must be at the end of his days, foreign and 79.

Is there love involved? Or is it about money?

Hi,

telephone chaos? Mmmm, it's okay. Personally I can live with it. Yes sure, during mobile rush hours it's sometimes hard to get come through, but hey....TIT.

But now I have landed into this topic.........some months ago I've read an article about the fact, that the Thai telephone numbers will be extended to 10 digits.

Since then, no sign or message at all.

Who knows anything about this action?

Don't forget the 11th of June: National Celebration of the King's reign. Not clear if the 12th will be a national holiday.

You're absolutely right.

Try Lumpini Park in Bangkok.

Enter the park and as soon as you enter, keep to the right and follow..................no I am joking.

There are no physical hang outs for teachers as far as I know, but there are plenty of cyber hang outs.

As far as I know the Assumption Schools, Colleges and Universities hire their teachers by means of the St. Gabriels foundation.

I know one of the people of this foundation as a very strict, concious and reliable person. I can't imagine that the St. Gabriel Foundation is behind this scream for teachers or some scam, but this is Amazing Thailand and you never know how a wind blows.

Officially and I mean officially....it is not possible to teach LEGALLY without a degree.

Yes, there is great demand for native English speaking teachers, but there is also a lot of competition.

Teaching English as a foreign language is big business in Thailand and more language centers focus on big contracts with local government school organizations.

I have some experiences in Chonburi province and the provincial Ministery of Education doesn't submit licences without a degree and no teacher's license means, no work permit.

And working in Thailand without a WP is illegal, even volunteers need a WP.

Please don't take the risk of getting caught; it means, detaining, deportation and so on!!!

There are several possibilities in Pattaya: personally I attended T&T but I found the quality and service minimal.

I've good experiences with WorldwideTEFL: they offer up to guaranteed job and work permit.

Please take care of the necessary paperwork before you go/come to Thailand: non-immigrant B visum, a degree (any field), valid passport.

Without a university degree you might face problems in obtaining a teacher's license.

If the non-immigrant B visum is no option, than try to get a tourist visum for at least 3 months, this is the time you need for a proper TEFL/TESOL course. In these 3 months you have to go to Laos or Malaysia for a non immigrant B.

Why non-immigrant B? That's what you need for a work permit.

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Living in and around Pattaya for some years now I have the strong idea that Pattaya is absolutely not Thai.

More and more I discuss, with Thai and Farangs, about the fact that Pattaya is a very sick city and needs treatment.

Pattaya is a city which contains inhabitants from all over Thailand (Thai) and all over the world (foreigners). This results in an amazing mixture of cultures, believes, back grounds and strange ideas.

The prove that Pattaya is more or less a geographical cancer is that there are social casualties every day, Thai as well as foreigners.

Pattaya is a magnet for people (Thai as well as foreigners) who like to live on the dark side of live.

Pattaya is a place where Thai can make easy and quick cash and where foreigners make that possible.

Of course, there are numbers of people who live in Pattaya, happy and forever. They usually live on 'the other side of Sukhumvit' in a nice piece of property.

In the 1980's, Pattaya had approx. 6,500 born Pattayans. Of course has grown slightly over the years, but at this moment Pattaya can accomodate about 600,000 people. It's like you take a dwarf and put a pick up truck on his back: the load is too heavy!!!

Well, dear readers, I can go on and on............but let me get one thing straight: I love Thailand and especially the E-San, but whenever I have to go to Pattaya it is as entering another world.

Gay life in Chonburi City,

uhm.....I've read the posts and replies and I wonder what you think about the Thai in general.

Gays are NOT generally accepted here.

In the wel known gay areas: BKK Silom, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai you will find out that the majority of the men, working in the scene, is NOT gay or don't admit that they are.

The men who are gay, are not out in 99 out of 100 cases. Their families are not aware of their beloved being gay.

If you visit the outback (where ever), with your (gay) friend, you will be introduced to family and friends as a boss, a friend or a care taker but in most cases never as a lover.

Of course, there are gays in Thailand and maybe, maybe, the percentage will be statistically slightly higher than in the rest of the world, but please don't think that gays are generally accepted in Thailand.

Chonburi City, the most boring and dreadful city I know in Thailand. But what else can you expect of an industrial town. Sure there are gay bars, but if you ask around: nobody knows!!!

In Chonburi City there are some disco's and lot's of karaoke bars and sure some gays are being employed, but there are no real boy bars, beer bars or gogo-bars.

Take care of your eye-contact: staring at people can be seen as very offensive, especially after some beer shings or mekong coke.

I live in Bang Saen at the moment and from what I see there is that you can expect more gay movement. Bang Saen is the number 2 beach resort of Chonburi province and it is a typical Thai resort. The 'gay' there move along the beach and in some pubs, clubs near the beach.

Bang Saen will be grow out to be Pattaya number 2 in, let's say, 5 years. There are more and more better class hotels, restaurants, clubs and pubs. The number of 'farangs' is growing and for now, prices of real estate are reasonable.

Of course it won't take long before the first 'public' gay bar will be opened (no it won't be me).

Joseph