popshirt

Many Thais think, that farangs think, they are superior to them and look down on them.

If I can sense that in any situation then I automatically become "Humble and Friendly" and on a "level".

I don't look down on anyone and if I'm in a situation where a local is instantly unfriendly I will reverse it so they know I'm friendly and not some big, "I am" arrogant farang!

It works for me and I have lived here permanently for 3 years and love the place.

This tallies with my own experience and I think is the best "advice" so far!

Didinoel, you wrote: ~ Would be staying at Boutique Raft Resort, River Kwai - anyone stayed here before? Any comments .. I understand that this resort is about an hour away from Kanchanaburi town

We just returned from there, it is a beautiful resort and a very nice experience to spend the night in a "floating room", the hotel is up to 5 star standards in my opinion, rooms are beautiful and the river is rushing along outside with ample deckchairs, etc. Best of all there is no development on the other side of the river so the view is just water and trees, nothing commercial. The food in the restaurant is good, beds comfortable, we did not experience mosquitoes and the staff were helpful and friendly. The rooms come with air con.

Not recommended for elderly people or those with physical handicaps as there are rather narrow wooden walkways (some without handhold) between the pontoon platforms for the cabins.

Yes it is about an hour out of Kanchanaburi town; we had a car, not sure what arrangements can be made for car and driver.

And it was quiet at night, a rare thing in Thailand, as the rooms have no tv or audio equipment!

I'm here, but not for Thai women or the food.

ditto

Want a good sandwich...go to Au Bon pain

I second that! Their Arizona chicken sandwich is delicious, no skin and no fat, and with jalapenos...........yummmmm!

Next best thing about Au Bon Pain is the consistency and quality of their food, unusual for Thailand.

I have always his admired his forthrightness and he used to be stunningly handsome. But he is a Brit and it is his duty to complain, so he does.

Prickly Heat does wonders for my sweaty balls, i love the stuff.

It does do wonders for me too but I am told it tastes AWFUL

S E Asian men tend to have small peni in my experience, usually passive as well.

Maybe you should get out more. Maybe more true of Chinese/Thai but Thai/Thai, Malay, Khmer, Lao, no, not in my vast experience.

It happened again yesterday and is still centered. I have tried control F5 many times and nothing changes, all or most of the text and topic titles are centered. I also cannot access "My Assistant". This happened after voting in a poll. Will it work itself out over time?

what, pray tell, is marmite?

I much prefer the chorizo image to "breaking wind" association of beans.

Is this the Rumbold who is/was the manager of Grace Brothers?

I was a Rice and Chorizo Queen before coming here. After 6.5 years here, communication remains the biggest problem.

I was a chorizo queen for years with many Mexican bfs and also Cuban, Puerto Rican and even a Venezuelan. My first long term relationship was with a French-Canadian. I have always been attracted to the "other" as I am rather typically caucasian of French-German background. What I like most about ethnic Thais is that they are relatively untainted by the Christian tradition and for this reason I am not attracted to Filipinos. The "other" for me here is Asian and Buddhist. This is an experiential challenge I enjoy and is as stimulating for me as the long conversations I have with selected farang friends.

I agree with the OP that deep conversations are nearly impossible with Thais even when they are fully bilingual simply because Thai culture does not support "deep conversations". Some may disagree on this. My bf is a Chula graduate and has lived abroad, but he does not enjoy deep conversations, in fact I wonder sometimes if he even posesses the art of conversation beyond the usual about food, work, family and so on. But I am old enough to have learned that I will not have all my needs met by one person so I have others in my life who fill those needs.

I also spend a few months each year in California where I have many Latino friends. Viva chorizo!

I'm FedUp too. I am in the US now and offered to FedEx about 20 pages of documents relating to university admission to a friend in Bangkok.

For the one small envelope FedEx charged US $52.

I paid it but won't use them again. That is a ridiculous charge!

Re: AMMONIA

whatever you do, don't mix ammonia with chlorine bleach, it is an explosive combination.

but

I have never been able to find ammonia for sale in Thailand, I have looked everywhere and asked many people, it just doesn't seem to be available.............if anyone knows where to buy it, please pm me or post here thanks

I initiate wire transfers from Citi to Kasikorn about once a month online.

Citi has a US address and phone number for me even though I live in Thailand most of the time.

The phone number is of a friend in the US who always says "yes" to Citi's calls and they have only called once, over a year ago.

My address is also at this friend's house in the US

I do everything online and usually receive my funds within 24 hours at Kasikorn. I always transfer in US dollars.

I've been very happy with Citibank transfers, especially after numerous nightmare (and humiliating) experiences with Bank of America.

I have been subscribing to The New Yorker for about five years (living in Bkk and Jomtien). I've had no significant problems with delivery and have never paid any duty on issues delivered. Also delivery time is usually within a few days of the issue date.

I have three of the discount cards. The reason I have three is because each time I have signed up the discount card works for the discount but the credits and the "name" in the database is registered to someone else, presumably an employee who is garnering unauthorized credit points. After my third attempt to get it fixed, including a few telephone calls by a Thai friend, I simply gave up and use it for the discount and let the credits go. I don't much like Tops anyway and usually shop at Carrefour.

I now have a refrigerator (freezer on the bottom) that is HUGE. Probably the best advice I was given in Thailand was to get the largest I could afford because so much needs to be stored under refrigeration if only to keep the bugs out of dry foodstuffs. The brand I bought is Fischer-Paykel. I had never heard of it before but learned it is a New Zealand company that manufactures in Australia and now somewhere in Southeast Asia as well. It cost the earth. But it is also the most beautiful appliance I have ever owned. It is sleek brushed stainless steel with no avatars or hood ornaments showing. I think it would not look out of place in a museum of modern art.

Besides all that it performs beautifully

Popshirt...by various accounts.... mail in reporting is allowed in many of the provinces...but supposedly not for those living in BKK.... To what immigration office have you been doing your mail ins???

For almost four years now I have never done 90 day reporting in person. I have used the mail a number of times, there are instructions somewhere in this forum about how to do that (stamped return envelope, etc.) and never had a problem with it. I have also sent an employee to do it for me; he takes a motorbike taxi from the house and returns in about a hour.

Bangkok (Suan Plu)

One person I talked to reminded me that 90 day reporting doesn't have to be done in person. I didn't do it remotely before because I didn't want to mail my passport but this individual said that he sends his by messenger so it's safe. I think I'll do my 90 day reporting that way from now on.

Wayne Davis

Thanks for your report. I think I'll use a messenger in future. Does anyone have any idea how much this service usually costs?

For almost four years now I have never done 90 day reporting in person. I have used the mail a number of times, there are instructions somewhere in this forum about how to do that (stamped return envelope, etc.) and never had a problem with it. I have also sent an employee to do it for me; he takes a motorbike taxi from the house and returns in about a hour.

What I have found in my almost two decades of living here is that Thai people do have compassion but they lack empathy.

A very important distinction and corresponds with my experiences here as well.

sorry I should have mentioned that I paid $1100 US for Evergreen Deluxe (EVA one step up from economy class, business class size seats) for Bkk/Taipei/LAX round trip

$1.000 USD

That's all the way into Phoenix.

Where did yo buy your ticket, may I ask?? that is a decent price.

Yes indeed it is. I just paid around $1100 US for an EVA flight round trip to LAX via Taipei. A "promotion" with no frequent flyer miles.

I just completed doing what you have proposed.

For years I have been renewing at Suan Plu as I live in both Bkk and Jomtien.

I had recently filed the 90 day report in Suan Plu with my Bangkok address.

I did not file another address report before applying for retirement visa renewal.

At Jomtien the renewal process went smoothly except for one thing, they asked for a bank letter verifying that I have a bank account in Thailand IN ADDITION to the embassy letter verifying my income.

The Thai bank letter verification had nothing to do with amounts in the account, simply "must have bank letter".

I got one from K Bank close by, delivered it to the officer and was given an extension.

Bear in mind that at Jomtien you have to leave your passport at the office and pick it up the next day unlike Suan Plu where it is finished in one day.

Also I used my Jomtien address with no questions asked.

I have all those 25 and 50 satang coins in my pocket, I think.

Everytime I try to unload them, it's somewhere that doesn't take them--which I think is illegal.

I toss them in an ornamental box at home and when it is full my houseboy takes them to the local temple.

The monks accept them, happily.

In disposing of the satang in this way the dilemma and irritation of satang is consigned to the "this is Thailand" category and I don't have to think so much.