Cent

Do you expats living in Isaan ever have any regrets.

I mean the people that have uprooted from thier native country and decided to live there permanently.

Do you ever feel homesick in a big way?

What about the food? How much do you miss the food from back home?

The language?

The Thai way?

If you have a Thai wife, has she forgotten any of the english ( or other ) that she used to be good at? Do you crave a chance to talk in your native tongue?

If you live in the sticks and miles away from other people or even a small village, what do you do?

I am only asking because I may be one of you in the future and probably a lot of others will have the same option.

Vegemite,

No regrets, just a few things missed at times.

One thing to gauge how you will do living in the boonies is what you already do where you live now. Do you have hobbies and interests you could indulge in in the village or anywhere? Are you easily bored? Do you require lots of nightlife? (Although in Surin this is easily done as well on a smaller scale if one so chooses.) But if you are a one night a week partier it can be done with some small effort and expense. even from the villages in most places. The internet makes a big difference and having access is a big help at times. Learning to speak Thai/some Lao/some Khmen is a plus, although as some have stated here it seems it gets harder as you get older (or lazier as is my case I suspect :-) )

Another thing is your income. This can make a huge difference in your Isaan lifestyle. Being able to afford to get away every few weeks or months as needed makes it all that much more enjoyable and easy to handle. Just scratching by on a small income/retirement would limit you and affect your enjoyment living upcountry.

One thing I have done is joined a Video store and I rent DVD's once or twice a week to get some English language movies to watch. I don't have UBC but the local cable, which does have one good movie channel to watch English language movies. But the DVD's help as well. And it is cheap enough to buy the DVD's in BKK. I can get them from a guy I can call to meet me when in Bangers for 80 baht each, and stock up when ever I am down there.

It all depends on what your comfort level is and what rocks your boat and what will drive you batty with boredom really.

I have a home gym, a nice mountain bike brought from the states, a couple motocykes, etc. which makes life easier as well and more enjoyable.

Cent

p.s. Oi, here's a question! Any of you Farang Connection farangs play chess? I have a chess set and would be up for playing a few games once in a while at the Farang Connection or at home and at others homes. ANyone up for a game? (Thais don't seem to be that into chess around these here parts. And Thai checkers drives me nuts! :-) )

A previous time we were writing about this subject, there was much discussion about missing certain family members back in our mother countries. I still think this will be the big one for me once I make the move. I am very close with my older son... anone have intent to visit regularly and find themselves staying in Thailand for longer periods? I'm thinking this is likely to happen to me.

Surfer, (and OP)

That is my own conundrum at times. I miss my three grown kids in the states. I now do a 5 months in Thailand, one month in the states cycle to see them and my Ma and friends. Gives you a nice holiday back to the homeland, and a good counterbalance that makes me see why I like living in Thailand so much. Miss the kids, but for a couple grand USD a year for two trips it makes it much easier to deal with this, and not so expensive, although the airline prices keep going up as the oil prices go up. Also, thanks to TV.com, I have installed Skype on my computer and had my kids install as well. So we now can talk to each other all the time for basically nothing for hours if need be. Add a webcam and it is even better. My daughter is having my first grandkid in December and I'll be there for the birth and a few weeks after (get the taxes done and all). With the webcam I can even see the tyke as he/she grows up and the grandkid can see Gramps as well. SO easy to do now with these modern technologies. :-)

I agree with those who spoke about a man having his wheels, 2 or 4. Four is best though, and I have taken my truck all over the country over the years I've had it. It does make a big difference and gives you the freedom you need to keep from feeling isolated or trapped in the countryside. I now live in Surin and spend my weekends in the village house, but if it wasn't for the schooling of our daughter in a decent Surin school I could easily move back up to the village full time again. We could have stayed in the village but that entails a 50 minute drive each way to bring the daughter to school in Surin. Much easier, and inexpensive, is a rental and live in Surin. Only thing against the village is there is no internet access up there, so I'd have to do the satellite connection thing for more baht. But not renting a house in Surin would save the baht and could/wouldbe used for that as well. Not a problem really. A wash in expenses.

Only thing I really miss at times are my few good friends back in Beantown, and some regional foods from Boston and the US that are harder to find here, and certain ethnic foods I enjoyed in the states. I love Thai food, but I do need some farang food (good as well) to feel completely at ease and comfortable. So, a trip to Bangkok or Pattaya at times for good Italian or Mexican (yes, you can get decent Mex in Thailand). The Farang Connection here in Surin has some fine farang foods and some great choices for beers and liquors as well that help a man stay healthy and fit and not getting bored with diet or choice of bevvies. :-)

As others have said, you need to do a test run to see if you could live here (the longer the test run the better) and you can easily find some good farang company with a bit of searching about, or through places such as ThaiVisa which makes it all so much easier.

Let us know how you get on.

Cent

There are rumours going around the community to the fact that land has been purchased for a Big 'C' in Burriram have you heard anything.

macb

I haven't heard any rumors of this. Yours is the first inkling. But, they built a Makro here in Surin a few years back, then last year or so they built a Tesco Lotus and a BigC. The BigC is going gangbusters with loads of business. Tesco is slow compared to BigC. I'd think there would be a good customer base for a BigC in Buriram. It has made a difference in Surin with the amount of farang foods one can now buy between the three places. Just a few years back we had nothing really of these 'superstore' places, now we have three. And that is how I heard about BigC being put up here ... rumors of land acquisition. I'd say, expect a BigC in your neighborhood soon. :-)

Cent

Great night - many tks for your generous hospitality and the hard work of your attentive staff Lampy.

Captions invited - first prize a night out in Surin, 2nd prize two nights out in Surin!

"Captions invited - first prize a night out in Surin, 2nd prize two nights out in Surin!"

Okay, see! I told you the little thing still worked!

Great night was had by all. About 25 Thai Visa members made it to the bash, including Jai Dee, Kurgen, Jayenram, Thaddeus, GEAussie,Bergen,Cent, George, Pnustadt, Lampard(of course) with Bronco (Australia) & Totster (UK) providing the coverage via the web-cam. ( please excuse me for those I left out, as I'm still not sure of everyones TV name) Highlight of the evening though was Yorky NOT falling over. There was a row of seats reserved for this usual spectacle, but the lad denied us this time round. A couple of new TV members left a bit disgruntled, and staggered off muttering in the general direction of Soi Kola.

Yorky gave Kurgen some right stick when he left at around 10, but as soon as he was out of sight, the York threw the towel in himself and retired.

Wish I could have stayed longer! Had a fun time talking and drinking a couple Chang's with the Ubon crew. Nice gents. I'll have to make a trip up there to see them again. Had a wedding to go to Sunday in our village and my wife and family wouldn't let me stay out to play. :-( All in all a great time, thanks Martyn! Next year it's the Grolsch on for free isn't it? :-) I'll be there.

Cent

Tip - I don't think anything will be resolved in your mind until you haul your arse back there and thats the god's honest truth mate.

That is a puzzle to me, the fact that Tip has not rushed back to see her. Forget all these PI clowns. Come back and check it out for yourself or keep cool and forget it.

Harry,

Tip does state that leaving now could affect his employment/job/work. Also, if it is true that a Thai cop is involved with his wife it could turn out to be that there could be some possible physical threats if he catches them together, ruins the cop's gig and income stream, gets violent with him (plausible in the heat of the moment), his wife could get very angry-especially if it all turns out to be a hoax, etc. Not smart to just rush in not knowing what you are facing and what the truth actually is. I still say, get the info by using an reliable P.I. Know what the deal is before bracing her with the facts found or not found. The whole thing could be a ruse by a jealous neighbor, friend, relative, co-worker, farang wanna be lover, ex lover, whatever. Bad things have been known to happen in these sorts of situations. Throw in a Thai cop to the mix and a farang needs to be extremely careful. Just look at the cop in Kanchanaburi that killed that young couple, and many other dodgy deaths of farangs over the past few years in the news. If this is for real it is not be be taken lightly. People do awful things when caught out and where maybe money or love is involved.

hel_l, this 'e-mail informer' could even be the supposed Thai cop himself trying to get Tip to leave his wife because the COP is in love with her. From what Tip says his wife sounds like a keeper and a truly nice woman that many men would love to be with.

So, even though it would be nice to just chuck it all and fly over and face her with these suspicions and accusations, I think Tip is being level-headed enough to at least take this all into account and see if he can find the truth. Although I think he is waiting too long to hire a good PI and just find out the truth as much as it can be detected. He's letting the e-mails get to him and cause doubts about his wife's fidelity. That's not good.

As I said before in an earlier post, Tip, get the PI and get the truth, for you, for your wife's sake, and for your marriage's sake before believing anything in this sad scene. You owe it to both of you before making any decisions or taking any action.

Cent

In my opinion, hiring a P.I. isn't something I would do for the following reasons...

1) You'll have to relate your situation to a total stranger whom you have never met and negotiate a money transfer from half way around the world. How will you know he is even serving your interests?

2) If, God forbid, he finds the scenario in your email to be true, what's stopping him from approaching the lady in question and offering her a clean slate if she'll match what you are paying?

He'll give her a 5 star rating, she'll be more cautious and you'll be out whatever you paid the P.I.

Just my opinion.....good luck.

Buckwheat,

Good reasons there. I don't think the money transfer will be much of a problem. I've also wondered how many of these so-called detectives play both sides of a situation like this. I guess he'll need to find a 'reliable' P.I. that is recommended by someone he can trust. Does anyone here know one they can recommend? In case he does want a good Private Investigator in Bangkok?

Cent

Ok , brainstorming ..thinking out of the box - how about Plan C

"Let sleeping dogs lie"

If she's getting her oats elsewhere, then it might as well be with a policeman than a tuk tuk driver. At least the house is protected.

If you're 10,000 miles away, doesn't make much difference if she's having an occasional schlumpfing. If you were there it would be you, you're not so she adapts. You're still numero uno. Think of the copper as no more than a sexual aid, eg dildo

Papa,

And then what? He gets his wife tested for HIV and other std's after she has been bopping the cop while he ignores it all as he is still "#1"? Goofiest thing I've ever heard of in a way for dealing with something like this. Thai men are known for their aversion to wearing the latex, and Thai cops (and I know, my BIL is one) are known for being a bunch of playboys who cheat around whenever they get the chance. I know a local Thai cop who caught HIV from his mai noi (who was screwing around on him as well) and gave it to his wife as well. Both are dead now and their kids are orphaned. Smart way to deal with it all? Yeah, right. Nice to be liberal with your wife's sexual urges while you are away, but in this day and age it can also be dangerous.

If his wife is fooling around, has a Thai husband, boyfriend, whatever, best thing he can do is know what the heck is going on to protect himself from the many things that could hurt him in this, financially as well.

Tip, get the PI, now, a good 'real' P.I. that comes recommended and does 'real' detecting and surveilance, and find out what is really happening if possible, then deal with it when you have the info to make an informed decision. If the PI gives her a clean bill then forget about it, or try to find out who is trying to harm you both, OP. Until you know for sure this will hurt you, eat you up with not knowing, and damage your marriage even if she is innocent of these charges in the e-mail sent you. She does not ever have to know you hired the P.I. You are doing this for yourself, but also for her and your marriage. Don't live with the doubt any longer. Get it done.

JMHO

Cent

p.s. And good luck whatever you find out and do, Tippaporn. I know you are feeling very stressed now. Best of luck.

We plan to start a bicycle trip in Bangkok soon. We need to send one of the bicycles by cargo in order to get the luggage under the weight limit of 20 kg each. Will we have to pay any duty/VAT/taxes when we pick it up in Bangkok? How much would that be? Are we better off paying the overweight on the plane? Do they have a storing charge for the bicycle? We might have to store it there for a month or so. The cargo company couldn’t provide any of this information…

I brought my Trek over a couple years ago, as luggage, on United. No problems with customs. I have the bike here in Surin. Bring less clothing maybe to make weight and buy the clothes you'll need in Thailand? Cheaper than getting whacked a duty fee sending the bike as cargo. Also, maybe just rent some bikes here? If you are only coming as a tourist no need to bring the bikes along unless they are some specialty sort of cycles? Should be easy enough to rent for a Bangkok cycle tour. There are a few bicycle tour groups in Bangkok as well. Some have internet sites you could peruse to see what your options might be. Just some thoughts.

Cent

Don’t forget that Cobra’s shoot back, normally a blast of venom straight in you’re eyes,

Dippyrick,

Go see your local cop and promise him a box of beers if he comes around and takes out the varmint. Had something like this happen in the village house years back where the cobra got under the huge reefer we had for the shop. Wife's Mama's cat clued in my wife that it was under there (hissing at the reefer and would not go away even when wife gave it a kick). Wife looks under the fridge, spots the cobra, runs away screaming. Thai village guys come along and dispatch the thing with sticks and sharpened 'hoe', and yes, they cooked it and ate it later. Also had one get up in our ceiling once. Never saw it, but it left it's shed skin up there. Big one if the skin was anything to go by. Certain times of the year they are much more active and moving about day and night. Breeding season now? I can't remember when it is.

Cent

...making a mistake. It's not that simple though. Here is my situation.

I'm friends with girl who works at one of the nearby bars. I'm not really sexually active with her but I see her almost every day. The bar is close to my apartment and I go there for a couple of drinks before bed.

The other day I had been drinking a little more than usual and the bar girl had mentioned that she was going home on Sunday to see her family. She then invited me to come and see her family. In my slightly tipsy state and the fact that I haven't seen much of Thailand yet...... I thought ....."OK. Why not take a week to see the countryside." After reading up on this though it seems that meeting a girl's parents is almost one step away from marriage. Plus my Thai is very basic at this point and I would hate to offend her family by accident if I did go.

The bottom line is this......I don't think it would be a good idea for me to meet my friend's parents. It may and I may have already sent mixed signals to my Thai friend by telling her I would meet her parents. I'm looking for a polite way to let her off easy and let her know that although I would be honored to meet her family and that I think shes a very wonderful person, I don't think it's good idea at this point in time. ....or something of that nature. Any suggestions?

Oh yeah...Just to clarify and complicate the problem a bit more. I've only slept with her once and it happened to be on the night of this talk. The talk happened before though.

cjnst2,

Just tell her you were drunk when you said you'd go, and tell her you can't go. She works at a bar. She'll understand. And, if she is truly your friend, rather than just an acquaintance you see at the bar when you are drinking, she'll forgive you your drunken promise and remain your friend.

If you really do want to experience the upcountry life for a week maybe set up a future week away with her to her village/home area. You stay in a local hotel. She can sleep in her parents home. Unless of course you are trying to be more than just a 'friend' to her. :-) Then bring the sin sot money and gold and have the local Buddhist wedding! :-O

The thing is SHE should be the one worrying about how your coming to her village home and meeting her parents will be perceived by the neighbors and family. Not you. If she is inviting you along obviously she has no problems with this and foresees none. Don't worry so much about this. Just enjoy it if you do go, and have a nice experience. I would be careful though as to what you may be 'expected' to pay/finance on this trip abroad in the Isaan. A box of Leo or Chang beers for a family party would be sufficient, and maybe some food one night. Since she is your friend why not just explain to her your questions about this stuff? It wouldn't hurt, surely.

Cent

Do you have a publisher? I think they would take care of this for you, and part of their job would be to make sure nothing inappropriate is printed. There are several publishers here specializing in books written about Thailand by farang.

Thanks, camerata; I'll consider that. No, I don't have a publisher yet; I'm totally new at this. I don't mind getting it copyrighted by myself, although I don't want to self-publish.

Please feel free to PM or to e-mail me any handy sources you know, for publishers in Thailand, although volume 2 might be censored. This double novel is hardly a typical one by a farang, since volume 1 takes place in Mexico. Besides, nobody takes drugs or kills a prostitute (although there is one human trafficking chapter, and lots of sex and violence). Also, it's about Catholics and Mennonites, and gay sex. But when it's not gory, it's very funny!

PB,

Here's a url to a site you might find interesting and informative on copyright.

http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

Cent

Hahaha!

"2. Another idea is to have katoeys with you as ghosts are afraid of katoeys."

Uh, what if the ghost is the ghost of a katoey? Does this still work? Or is this just an excuse to sleep with katoeys?

Cent

Justsignedin,

I have a story in my Blog that relates to some of these Thai beliefs in my blog here. 'Under the Protection of the Three Brothers Pii'. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/blog/cent/index.php?

Also I have a couple more stories of my own experiences with ghosts in Thailand over on www.thailandstories.com

One titled 'I See Dead People' and another about my wife's grandfather's ghost titled "Grandpa Comes for a Visit' you might like to read if you are interested in this stuff.

Cent

Something I was told, everyone has two types of muscle. Fast twitch and slow twitch. Some people have more/higher percentage fast twitch muscle mass, which burns more calories than slow twitch. Genetic. Some people can eat the same or even more than other people and remain slim due to their genetically having more fast twitch muscle. Add to that some people remain very active, while many just drive the car and sit on the couch. Many Thai dishes are high in protien and low in fats as well (although the curries with coconut milk are quite fattening). Watch what she eats. In Isaan they do eat tons of Som Tam (not fattening at all) and nam prik. I see Isaan women wanting to lose weight eat mostly Som tam and other extremely spicy dishes, with shrimp, frog, insects, and other things that are mostly protien as well. Also, I do see the oils they use to fry things is sometimes better than the vegetable oils we use in the west. I only found 100% soybean oil here in Thailand. Hard to find in the states, and usually mixed with other oils. Soybean oil is very good for light frying in a wok and not as fattening as some/most mixed vegetable oils.

Just some thoughts on the subject.

Cent

leftcross,

Give the man the kupie doll! Finally, someone with a good and valid point that shows how 'some' of the bar owners do use the barfine to make money, rather than as a way to keep their 'employees' from running off with the first guy that wants to bring them to their hotel room!

"some of the excuses on here are laughable."

Yes, they are.

"tell you what, next time talk to a girl all night and then as soon as the pimp shuts the bar tell him you are taking one of his girls home for the night. see if he says it's ok."

Most will want the barfine money, for sure! It has nothing to do with losing the girl's service as an employee. If this were the case the bar owners would simply hire the girls as dancers, waitresses, cashiers, and barstaff, pay them accordingly (plus they make tips, which with good service could be a decent amount as well), and not let ANY of their staff leave before the end of their shifts. Are they pretty barstaff or dancers to attract drinking customers (and this is, or was at least, a custom done worldwide for centuries to gain male custom in bars)? Or are they hookers allowed to work the customers (and provide some bar services) until they are wanted to do their ancient custom?

"these guys are making money off the poorest and most vulnerable members of thai society."

To be fair, I think most farang bar owners would rather not do this, but go with the flow, as it is ingrained in the Thai society and it would be very hard to compete against those bars that do provide these services using the bar fine system of 'recompense' for the establishment losing their 'employees' presence and work provided. You are spot on though. If this was the actual reason for the bar fine, then if the woman completed her shift, and later went off with a man, there should be no problem with the bar fine not being paid, yes? And if this is somehow not the case, then I'd like the bar owners and their defenders of the bar fines to please explain why this would not be so. I've heard of girls (bar girls/gogo dancers) seen after hours with a man and having it demanded of them to pay the bar fine the next day when returning to work. Why? They finished their 'shift' and the busines didn't lose their employ for the evening.

As for your comment on 'poorest' and most vulnerable, many of these working girls are hardly poor (especially compared to their Thai sisters working in the usual jobs they can get) and all in the farang 'bar scene system' seem to be there of their own choice (some with heavy pressure from family to make lots of money to be sure, but not there not of their own 'choice'). They may be making what some would consider poor choices, but they are hardly slaves being chained to their barstools and the hotel beds they end up in.

"how can anyone defend that???"

They try, but I find the arguments a bit dodgy myself. And no, I am not a cheap charlie and when I indulged at times in the bar scene I never had a problem paying any bar fines. It's the nature of the beast, and inexpensive to boot.

"if you want to dabble then you should pay the girl direct so she gets all the cash. give her the money you would have paid for the pimp's fee."

Therein lies the problem or crux of the matter. Most of the women working these jobs want the protection the bar environment gives them, and the natural bonding and friendships they make with their compatriates working with them. Also, it is safer than 'freelancing', provides a small income on top of what they make going with men (and women), keeps them off the dangerous night time sois, out of the sun and rain, away from the greedy corrupt cops, and provides them with an area where the customers are coming to them in a (relatively) safe and sanuk environment.

The way I would see this working would be for the bar owners to hire permanent staff that do not go with customers any time the customer wants, and have a fixed shift to work. Then, let the 'freelancers' come into their bar looking for customers, as long as they pay their way by buying a drink like any other customer. Cola is fine, it wouldn't need to be alcohol, but one drink an hour should be sufficient to claim their seat at the bar (and really, if they are good looking most would not have to pay for their own drinks anyway). The men would still come, as that is what many are there for, the 'take-away' women of the night. The bar would still make money, AND, be able to keep their actual 'working' staff to run their business while doing so.

But, TIT, this is Thailand. This is the system in place, and most bar owners that have women working for them that can be 'bar fined' are simply stuck with the current business model. Pimps? I guess you could use the word. A bit strong in my book though. Fascilitators maybe? But, how can they compete with the bars using this system already? My way would eliminate the bar fine and probably draw MORE customers. And no, I do not own a beer bar or go-go bar, nor would I ever consider it.

Cent

Hello to all homestay hosts in Thailand, especially with a current website. Would like to co-ordinate all the homestays with mutual benefits in mind. Please provide particulars.

Eric,

Don't know what this homestay is exactly, but I received an e-mail from a guy up in the Roi Et area recently about his village homestay ideas. Here's the link so you can see if this is what you are looking for: http://www.thethailife.com

Cent

A2396,

"The biting ones are referred to as Fire Ants there. The bite (s) can be dangerous, if you have an allergic reaction to them. Be careful,"

I may have an allergy to these bastards myself. Last weekend while up in the village one got on my arn and bit me good and proper before I got him off. These are the small red biting ants, which I believe are fire ants like in the states. I had a welt from this that eventually spead to be the size of three silver dollars. Took two days before the welt finally went away. Whatever it is they inject as a poison is pretty damned strong. I can't imagine getting bit by a bunch at the same time. It felt like someone had pressed a lit cigarette onto my arm. I've never had a reaction to insect bites before. Does anyone know what it is they inject with their sting?

Cent

bena,

"why do they go inside the electric kettle though???? sick of drinking anted coffee"

I've had this problem myself. You need to empty the electric kettle once you are finished using it for the day. The ants want the water, and seem to know exactly where to find it. :-) I've had a few mornings of ant flavored coffee. Now I empty the pot at night and refill it in the morning just before starting the kettle boiling.

Cent

i have a serious problem with ants in my house- both the red biting bastards and the very tiny black ones. i have tried spraying and unabashed killing sprees... but nothing seems to get rid of them. they are in all my packaged food, in my kettle (and thus in my morning coffee), they crawl on my bed and bite me in the night, etc. any tips for getting rid of them?

Girlx,

I have had a battle with the ants for a while myself. Once I started using the plastic ant baits found in the pest aisle of the BigC, Makro, or Tesco shops I eventually won. These take a while to work, but are the most effective (and not unsightly as the chalk lines are to my eyes) way to win your battle against these little buggers. I've used the ant baits now for a couple years and rarely see an ant in the house. The bait is brought back to the nest and kills the queen I think. The ants then move on to better pastures. I use two or three baits in each room, more in the kitchen. Just place them in the corners of the room and wait a couple weeks. Soon there will be no ants around. Replace these baits every couple of months with new ones. I do also use the double bowl/water apparatus in the village. Problem solved.

Cent

We have been looking for a live-in nanny locally, but have exhausted all the options (not many).

Does anyone no of, or have any suggestions as to how we go about getting one?

We had one bad experience (she spent her months salary calling her boyfriend all day and night), and since then haven't found anyone else locally.

Andy

Andy,

Well, as a live-in she wouldn't necessarily need to be a Korat local would she. What sort of terms are you giving? Salary, days off, etc. What is the job description, nanny, any maid work or cooking, etc.? I'd think an older single woman without kids might be a better option than a younger girl/woman possibly.

Cent

A friend and I treated a local orphange here in Udon to a Ice Cream party today. Teribbly expensive 350 baht each.

Couldn't buy the smiles in a miliion years, trust me we got much then we gave.

Ray,

Yes, easy and inexpensive to do, and it really can be a positive thing for the kids. Many never get out of their own village and/or see much of their own land, history and culture. We do things in our village like this for the kids. One thing is filling up the truck with a bunch of the kids and women and taking them to the nearby waterfalls (a half hour's drive or so) to cool down on a hot day. Buying them all a feed is quite inexpensive, waters, ice creams, etc. It surely won't break the bank. I also like taking the kids to see the local ruins hereabouts so they can see some of their history. Khao Phanom Rung is a favorite for everyone. Nice place and filled with history. Many other smaller Khmer ruins around here as well. And the kids love it.

Cent

Hi there!

Does anyone know of any old cheap trucks for sale?

I'm talking 20 yrs old or something, under 50,000 baht.

I've seen those little old Mazdas for 45,000bht and that is the sort of thing. If it had air con that would be a major plus, but my expectations are pretty low.

example:

Any old truck that drives would be ok. just looking for a working ride, cosmetics are NOT the key here for me.

I'm sure I could hook you up with a little finders fee at the Pasinee Bar or Ginza, depending on how you like your reward...

I'd think 150,000 baht is about as low as you can go to get something halfway decent to drive. I got my Mitsu L200 Aerobody pickup about 4 years ago for 160,000, from a bro-in-law (cop). And that took some haggling really (he wanted 200,000 B-no way Jose). With a bit of work and baht it runs fine and has given me many miles of freedom trouble-free around the country, and gets great gas mileage as well with the 4cyl deisel. But, given the fact that many places in Isaan you are in the middle of nowhere really, you need something reliable. Sucks getting caught in the rain miles from anywhere in the middle of the night. Spend a bit more and get something newer and in good shape. You'll just end up spending the extra 100,000 baht in repairs easily buying a total clunker.

Cent

I took my wife to Surin so that I could go and have lunch at the Farang Connection. We were there just about lunchtime and met the owner who knew right away who I was. Lunch was great. Roast lamb with mint sauce, baked potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and vegetables. All swallowed down with your choice of a wide variety of local and imported beers. I recommend the place to anybody who would like a good meal and good company.

Read more about this and a variety of other Isaan topics on my BLOG

I had a steak there a couple weeks ago that was huge! Great deal, and a good steak. I haven't done the Sunday roast dinner yet. Have to try that next weekend. What I love about the FC is the great selection of beers and liquors, fine expat company, as well as the fine feeds they produce and the owner always ensuring your meal is satisfactory and enjoyable. I'd recommend it to anyone coming up to Surin or living here, and have many times. Try the large Grolsch beers. Excellent brew to find in the hinterlands of Isaan!

Cent

Cent

There's an absolutley bonkers electrical storm cracking off over Khon kaen right now, I've not seen or heard anything like it for years. It's virtually daylight outside!

Loving it!

We are having daily/nightly thunder storms in Surin now the past couple of weeks or so. I drove through one of the worst storms I've ever seen about 2 weeks ago. Scared the crap out of me. I also once had a lightning bolt strike the road maybe 20 feet from my truck one time a few years ago here. Have also seen a house get struck during one storm last year as I was sitting on the veranda having a cold one admiring nature's fury that night. Was told a funny/strange story the next day from the teenaged girl who lived in the house that got struck. It hit her room and entered the house, leaving a small blackened hole in the ceiling of her room. I'll have to write that one up soon. I have some pics I took as well. I love the storms.

Cent