BFD

Defintely agree with many of the books mentioned here, particularly Bukowski. In fact, just about anything written by him is worth the time (and I've read everything he's written).

I just finished 'Shantaram' by Gregory David Roberts, and I highly endorse it. It's a messed-up semi-autbiographical novel of a man who escapes from prison in Australia and flees to India. There, he becomes a passport forger, a drug dealer, founds a free clinic in a slum, fights as a Mujaheddin freedom fighter for the Afghan army, and attempts to unravel the secrets of the origin of the universe. Not exactly a quick read at 900 pages, but it flies by relatively quickly.

Currently reading Freakonomics by Stephen Leavitt and Pale Fire by Nabokov. Freak is good, but Pale Fire is something approaching genius.

This is a really good topic.

BFD!

I think it's cuz they're being sold for 3 Euros elsewhere....

It's true that a beer costs $6US where I'm from, but that doesn't mean I'm going to pay 190B at Cheap Charlie's!

BFD!

Yeah, the dog thing is very strange. Happened to me in Chiang Mai just two nights ago. I was walking down a pretty quiet road at about 10pm. I'd say there were about six or seven people closer to them, but three dogs charged straight for me. I actually had to kick one of them before they were convinced that they weren't just going to be able to treat me like a pincushion.

I suppose we just smell too unfamiliar to them, so they charge for the Farang. However, the Immigration theory makes some sense too, what with the recent changes. What a good way to put the stray dog population to good use!

BFD!

Hi there folks, I apologize if this has already been addressed. I used teh search engine, but came up with way too many posts with 'Canada' in them. I guess we Canadians are like a virus, in that we've infected every part of the globe...

Anyway, I'm going back to Canada for a few weeks at the start of July and I'm wondering what I can bring home. I'd like to bring home cigarettes and liquor; does anyone know the limit before I have to pay duty on them? Also, I have a number of DVDs that are perhaps of dubious origin; is it stupid to try to bring 5-10 of them back to Canada with me?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

BFD!

My advice is to checkout a topic I started in the Bangkok forum. The post is called 'Reccommendations Around Thong Lor/On Nut'. Some very helpful advice on there. I ended up getting a place for 14k, about 400m from the BTS.

Hope that helps,

BFD!

Link says file cannot be found. Can you tell us the name of the program and then we can find it 'elsewhere' (wink, wink)?

Thanks,

BFD!

Hey man, some of those 'fugly' games are still way more fun than the new ones! Case in point, I still play 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2' on my Super Nintendo emulator way more than any other game I own (and I have a fairly kick ass comp, as well as a PS2).

Just something about the gameplay of those games was far superior. As usual, to each their own.

BFD!

Well, I've just joined the ranks of TVers that live in baan Saran Nuch. I met with the manager yesterday and she showed me one of the one-bedroom apartments. I must say that I was quite impressed with the professionalism and friendliness of the staff.

I take possession at the beginning of August, so I'll make sure I have some Sangsom ready for those of you that helped me out!

Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

BFD!

I finally got down to Baan Sarach Nuch yesterday, but was unable to get in to see one of the apartments, since none are vacant (a good sign, really). There's supposed to be one vacated near the end of July, so I was wondering if any of the TVers here could give me a bit of a description of the apartments (ie. is your bedroom bigger than your living room, your balcony bigger than your bathroom, etc).

Any help would again be very appreciated.

Thanks,

BFD!

I came here three years ago to visit my brother and just fell in love with the place. I resolved during that trip to go back to Canada, finish up my Education degree and hound the international schools in BKK until I got a job. I did exactly that, and now have lived here for ten months. What's more, I have just signed a two-year contract at another international school, so Bangkok will have me for at least that much longer.

To answer your question, however, it is the Thai people themselves that I enjoy so much about this place. My brother's wife (who is Thai) has always been the most accomodating person, but I thought it was just because we were family. It turns out that complete strangers have the same degree of kindness here in LOS.

I know that many posters will be quick to pounce on me, saying that I haven't yet glimsped the undercurrent of greed and manipulation in the heart of all Thais. To counter that, all I can say is that I've been beaten and robbed in Bangkok, yet I still maintain that the citizens of this country are nicer than anywhere I've ever been. Remember, I hail from that land of 'polite-to-a-fault' citizens: Canada.

BFD!

PS: How do you make a Canadian apologize?

Step on his foot.

And let us not forget that the Khmer actually call us 'Barangs' (note the B ), meaning they've got at least the same undercurrent of separation that has labelled us farangs here. While it might just be a 'quirk' they picked up from their big brother to the west, the Cambodians still have their own word for us.

That said, apart from a few very isolated incidents, I have felt no ill effects from having white skin.

BFD!

Except the suntan lotion is so expensive!

I was approached once by a woman (about 40) and a younger fella (about 23 or so) and they gave me some 'scratch cards' along with the survey. I had just moved here, so I was jubilant when I scratched the 'GRAND PRIZE' on the scratch card. They explained to me that all I had to do was go to the Taipan hotel and listen to some Swiss guy explain to me about his Membership Card to get low prices on hotels around the world. Oh yeah, I had to pretend that I was only in Thailand for a few weeks and that I didn't know any Thai.

I actually went to the sales-pitch and listened to this high-pressure salesman yell at me for awhile about how I would be stupid not to jmp on board with this deal. I can't remember exactly, but I think the price was somewhere in the 250,000B range for a lifetime membership. It actually looked like a pretty good deal, considering how much I want to travel in the future, but I just don't have $8,000 burning a hole in my pocket, you know?

Anyway, I endured the yelling and got my GRAND PRIZE: a Taipan Hotel bag.

With wheels.

BFD!

Very kind of you, Swindonabroad!

Now, does anyone know of a good moving company to bring a truckload of stuff from Nonthaburi to On nut?

Thanks,

BFD!

I hope to be one soon!

BFD!

Thanks for the heads-up, Kevc.

This has never happened to me (knock on rattan), but it's happened to a few friends of mine (both male and female). Unfortunately for the girls, the perpetrator usually got away with something far more valuable than material goods.

Whatever happened to good old-fashioned con artists like Eddie Murphy in 'Trading Places'? Oh wait, they're still around, too, at Sala Daeng station...

BFD!

Hahaha,

I just had my email to the sales department bounce back to me. The reason specified was that the user was 'over quota'. I can only hope this isn't a by-product of using pre-paid internet cards

BFD!

Thanks Ballbreaker,

From what I can tell, this place seems pretty okay. I'm just a bit wary of the pre-paid internet card thing. Do you know if a dedicated internet line is possible?

Anyway, I've sent an email to the sales and rentals department, so I'll probably come down to see it this week.

Thanks for the suggestions; please keep them coming!

BFD!

Thanks for the replies so far, friends.

I'll try to get down there sometime this week (stuck way the hel_l up in Nonthaburi now).

Thanks,

BFD!

I know that this should be in the Accommodation Finding Forum, but I saw a post a little ways down asking about a place near Silom and there were several very helpful replies. Hopefully lightning strikes twice.

I'm looking for a place within walking distance of either the On Nut station or the Thonglor station. I'm starting a new job in August, and it provides a free bus service from either of those stations. I'm going back to Canada for most of July, but I'd like to start renting about the 24th of July or so.

Does anyone know if I could pay my two-month deposit in June, but not have my renting 'activated' until i return in July?

I'd like to spend somewhere between 12-18k per month, with 20k being my absolute upper limit.

For requirements:

The single most important thing to me is that it's within walking distance of the skytrain. By walking distance, I mean like under 1km.

I'd also like at least a one-bedroom (I'm trying to avoid studios for the rest of my life). At least 50 square meters.

I'd like a balcony.

It has to be Internet-ready.

If you know of anything that fulfills all or most of these requirements, it would help me out a ton. If I end up renting the place you recommend, you'll be getting a big bottle of Sangsom, on me! Although I might ask to drink it with you...

Thanks kindly,

BFD!

Wow, I don't think I could get any sleep at all if I took a Red Bull before bed. I always say 'take' a Red Bull, rather than 'drink', since the effects are so hallucinogenic and crazy for me.

I usually drink a boatload of water the night before going to sleep. If I have to work the next day, I set my alarm about an hour earlier than I have to. I pop two Paracetemols and then go back to sleep for that blissful hour. When I finally wake up, I feel like 1000B!

I'd say it works everytime, but we all know that's a complete and utter lie. However, it helps from time to time.

BFD!

ISB is highly recommended.

By me.

BFD!

Went with my sister-in-law (Thai) there a few weeks back, and even she couldn't believe what her country was capable of in terms of efficiency. She said, "BFD, are we in Canada?" "No piisupai," I replied, "In Canada we'd have to get in line in order to have the privilege of getting into another line. At the end of _that_ line, the teller will take his or her standard three-hour coffee break."

It gives me hope that this kind of thing might become somewhat more widespread.

BFD!

I bought a standalone DVD player from Carrefour that has yet to display any sort of 'disc error' when it comes to playing PC-format files. It's called 'Kenny', and it's a small, black and white player that goes for about 1700B. Very highly recommended, it seems to be able to play just about anything.

Your mileage, of course, may vary.

BFD!

...planting their SEEDS of discontent.

(notice how we're basically using plural 4-letter words now?)

BFD!

I'm going to reiterate a question that was asked earlier in this thread:

Does anyone have any information on the identity of the foreigners? I also have some friends down in that area that I haven't heard from in a few days.

Thanks,

BFD!