MartinBKK

Im looking for a pet shop as near to Sukhumvit Soi 49 as possible. Id be grateful if you could recommend a good one.

Thanks.

Wow what a great response!!

I really want to thank everyone for their views and opinions which i have read with interest.

Cheers.

I have a similar budget to yours Beavis however i don't pay a GF allowance. Im single and don't pay anything for ladies or to ladies. I don't think you can call your existence simple though if you are paying 51k pcm for an apartment i think most would say your living very well.

I think i can live well on 100k pcm however you adapt your lifestyle to your means. I could live on 30k per month and be very happy in Thailand however I wouldn't be able to afford my current accomodation.

I've been in Thailand for almost 2 years and whilst i find Thai ladies extremely attractive i am becoming disillusioned with the attitude of many. Whilst I didn't come here to look for ladies im not getting any younger and id like to find a lady to settle down with and build a life together. However, a pretty face is not enough for me. Im looking for a soulmate. Someone i can relate to on every level. Someone i can talk to about current affairs, sports, travel or whatever it might be. From my experience thus far im not so sure that i see my long term future with a Thai lady any longer.

I have met all sorts of ladies since ive been here both educated and uneducated. Many work in bars, restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, banks or other financial companies. I have met university students and ladies who have travelled extensively outside Thailand. The message i am getting from all of them is quite clear.

"I want to marry a farang".

"Why only a farang" i ask.

"They take care very good".

OR

"They have more money".

Before i came to Thailand i believed in true love. Loving someone for who they are and not what they had. For richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. When i looked at a potential partner the amount of money they made was honestly bottom of the list. Now i have a serious question. How many who have Thai wives honestly believe their wife would stay with them if they lost everything they had? How many of you met your wife before you became financially successful?

Im not even against the idea of financially taking care of someone if they are taking good care of me. I want them to enter the relationship for the right reasons though. A lot of people have told me that Thai ladies are really good at taking care of their husbands. They cook, clean and do everything in the home. They never lift a finger they say. I have to tell you that this is not my experience here in Bangkok. The majority are lazy and do not expect to do anything in the home.

Im slowly losing hope that i can find what im looking for in Thailand so im begging you Thai visa users. Can you help restore my faith in Thai women? Have you had a different experience to me? Im really interested to hear your views.

Thanks for all the advice. I have decided to move back to Soi 13 however i think Moonfruit has a good idea too. Living near the skytrain is very important from my experience. I just didnt realise how bad the traffic was until i moved.

It is difficult to find places to rent. How does your wife find your places Moonfruit?

Thanks for the response RAZZELL. The building was the Sethiwan Residence in Sukhumvit Soi 13.

For the first year i lived in BKK i rented a furnished apartment in Sukhumvit 13 which i loved - everything except the price. Rent was 42000 but after utilities and other charges the total was around 55000. The location was fantastic though i really loved being able to walk everywhere - i never took taxis.

I then moved to a really nice townhouse in On Nut Soi 80. It was brand new when i moved in and i bought a houseful of furniture, installed air con etc. I spent around 100000 in total and now it's very comfortable. The monthly rent is only 8000 baht but i spend around 7000 baht on taxis. Total accomodation costs including utilities and taxis around 25000. I am still living here now.

Whilst i love my house (and the price) i hate the location. In peak traffic it takes around 45 mins to get to the skytrain and perhaps an hour or more to get to Sukhumvit. It is not near to any shops and restaurants and it takes 15 mins to walk to get a taxi. I am also living here alone whereas before my TGF lived here too. There are are no farangs nearby and thus sometimes i get lonely. However, i have an extra 30000 baht in my pocket every month which makes me smile sometimes.

I have found out that my old apartment is available again. In my heart I really want to take it as i was so happy there before however the thought of paying 55000 for my monthly accomodation has stopped me so far.

Please help me. I keep changing my mind and can't make a decision.

Should i move back to my old place or stay where i am?

Thanks for your advice.

NB. I have looked round many other apartments and havent found anything i like. I guess i am just too fussy!!

Just a word of warning. I was 5 days late paying my bill this month and i was disconnected. Absolute nightmare as a whole day of work was lost due to no internet, pc's etc. Took 8 hrs to come back on after i went to pay.

5 days late - Amazing Thailand.

I think we all know that this has no chance of being enforced however the concept is also quite ridiculous.

I am over 25 by the way however i personally feel that 18 is the right age to be able to purchase alcohol. Do you think at 21 or 25 you will make the decision to drink less than you would have at 18. I know that this certainly was not the case for me. Governments are there to keep law and order not babysit the public.

I am interested to head down to RCA one weekend to see what the reaction is there.

Does anyone know what time the border closes at Poipet?

It is 20.00

I like Pattaya but my TGF doesn't feel the same!!

Lacoste you keep telling us that we don't understand and that we haven't lived here very long. I asked my TGF why i shouldnt wear shorts in the city and she couldn't think of a reason.

Im getting the impression you know a lot about Bangkok so perhaps you should just tell us.

Bob

That sounds like fun. Have you any idea where i could look for more information? Once i get to

Kanchantaburi how will i find where to get the scorpion tail boat? Can you book the raft hotels or do you just turn up? If you give me any additional info i would be very grateful.

Many thanks.

Not sure availability...booked couple days in advance on prior occassion at Malibu Resort.

0 38 427277-8

http://www.malibu-samet.com/malibu.htm

Thanks Britmaveric ill give it a try.

Don't you think Koh Samet will be very busy also? Koh Chang is a bit far i think.

I doubt i will be able to get a reservation but if you have the number for a decent hotel on Koh Samet i would be grateful.

Im looking for somewhere to go for a romantic break with my TGF over the holiday period in October (21, 22, 23).

I have checked out the usual places such as Hua Hin, Phuket etc but the prices are extrmely high with limited availability.

I wonder if someone could suggest somewhere which won't have ridiculous prices but is a nice place to visit. We don't particularly want a long journey (from BKK) so somewhere close would be good.

We are a young couple so would like to have plenty to keep us occupied as well as being able to relax.

Thanks for your help.

I have lived here for a while now and i frequently wear shorts in the city. We aren't in a muslim country so please explain to me why i shouldn't rather than saying shorts are a NO NO.

I wouldnt wear a sleeveless shirt outside in any country though.

Think too mut i was taught that if you "save the pennies the pounds will look after themselves".

You obviously have more money than you know what to do with. Why would anyone want to pay uneccesary charges to a greedy bank?

If the OP is making 15 withdrawals per month of 10000 baht this measly $7 is totalling $105. This is $1260 per year. If there are banks available with lower charges, or no charges then who wouldnt want to switch? Perhaps $1260 is not a lot of money to you but it sure is to me.

I am from the UK and have a Nationwide flex account with ATM card. No charges whatsoever and excellent exchange rates.

I have stayed in most of the hotels on that list.

I like both the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit and the Shangri-La. Have tended to stay more in the Sheraton because i like the location however i would recommend both as outstanding hotels.

A couple of people have mentioned Naklua and from the comments this sounds like an area which is not too noisy but is quite accessable to town. Sounds like it meets my criteria. Next week im planning to go and have a good look around. I think i will check out Naklua first and then have a look at the other recommended areas.

Many thanks to everyone for the response!!

Sorry i forgot to mention that any place i rent needs to be in an ADSL area.

I assume all the central areas are but can you get ADSL out of town?

Thanks guys i will research all the suggested areas.

I don't have a car so if i move quite far out what is the transport like? What is the best way to get into town?

Thanks everyone for the helpful information. The sound of loud parties every night does not appeal at all. The most important thing is that i can sleep when it's convenient for me, not for noisy farang tourists!!!!

A house for less than 15,000 baht per month sounds good although i am pretty fussy. I like my accomodation to be of a high standard. My budget is 20k per month although of course i would like to pay less.

Desertcam why would you rent a place further out next time? Did you have problems living at Num Chai? How would i going about finding something further out? Is an agent the best idea? Any publications that i could peruse? If you could drop me a few contacts (for agents) i would be extremely grateful.

I have visited Pattaya a few times now but would appreciate the advice of long stayers who know the city far better than i do.

Im currently considering relocating to Pattaya from Bangkok. I am a young guy who likes some fun from time to time but also appreciates quiet when i want to sleep or work. I would be looking to rent a house NOT an apartment/condo.

Which area of Pattaya offers good value for money, is quiet but has good transport links to the action?

Which area would you prefer to live in when choosing accomodation in Pattaya?

Could you recommend a good rental agent?

I would be grateful for any help you can offer.

Thanks to all for the recommendations. I will check them out.