iLuvThai

As a driving instructor in Canada a man that drives when I'm in Chiang Rai province, I can conclude that most drivers from everywhere are terrible drivers when in other countries and some even in their own homeland. Driving on the left side of the road is something I'm not accustomed to but I only drive in the day light hours with my Thai wife by my side. I stick to the speed limit and use my signals always even though I'm the beginning I was always activating the wipers. Many drivers will pass me on hills and curves with double solid lines. My point is as a driving instructor I'm not claiming to be perfect but I've trained many foreigners and the MO is always the same, if they drove in their homeland they need to still do training in Canada (Class1) unless they came from USA. They still drive like they're home. I guarantee to foreigners coming to Thailand are guilty of the same. 

Funny story to end my rant. One day I just got into the office for lunch. A lady walked in asking if we are a driving school of course I said yes and asked her if she was looking to obtain her Class 1 license. She said no, car license (Class 5). I said we only teach truck drivers and said you don't have your car license, as she looked to be late 20's.  She said she and her husband just arrived in Canada from Mexico a few months ago with a Mexican drivers license and that she actually challenged the road test and failed. I asked why? She was told at the end of the road test that she failed because she NEVER used her turn signals. Her response to the examiner was, I didn't think you had to because no one else did. I said Welcome to Brandon.

Drive Safe and Be Well.

I always thought you couldn't take a job away from a Thai person for example I have a CDL license here in Canada but when I come to Thailand if I was able to get a work permit could I drive tractor trailer?

15 hours ago, lost in isaan said:

Hello dear members,
I would be happy to get some ideas and inputs from old-timers in Thailand :)

A bit about my situation:
I moved to Isaan around a year and a half ago and built a cheap house to see if I want to settle down here and experience life firsthand. The house was a valuable learning experience, allowing me to observe its construction from scratch. Overall, I have enjoyed my time here and am now planning the next steps, which involves building a "proper" house.

Initially, I planned to build a decent-sized ~600-800 sqm house, but lately, I have been considering something bigger.

My wife comes from a very poor farming family and she has created a mental barrier for herself convincing that she's not "good enough" to have something luxurious. Last time we went to iconsiam, i had to convince her to go there with me, because she thought it's not for people of her "status". She has done well in life, relying on no one, got educated enough with free goverment education. Got a decent job and attended university while working. When i met her in bangkok, she had a "good" office job by thai standards, but in my view she was basically a slave working 12h per day, 6 days a week, living in a small one-room <deleted>hole with a pay that is laughable by western standards.

My wife already considers me rich for being able to live without working and for being able to build a 1-million baht house. I've been living quite humbly and only hinted her that i had some extra money, but she has no idea how much.

 

Life in isaan can be boring sometimes, so why not have some fun? I have some "<deleted> you" money and slowly planning to build a huge mansion in middle of rice fields. I already know that i have 0 need for house that big, it's mainly to heal my wives mindset of her inferiority complex planted by thai society. Your wealth and power should not limit and define you as a person. I know there's better ways to do it, but why not? I'm also not investing on someting i can't afford to lose.
My question is regarding the downsides of owning a big mansion in middle of nowhere. Is it worth the effort?
Here's some i thought so far:
- I have to hire staff to keep it clean.
- More people will annoy us when wealth is obvious. It's been quiet so far. Only had some people asking for money when we first moved to the village.  (I like to keep to myself mostly)
- Visible jealousy

- Unwanted attention. Potential thieves and people with bad intentions.

- I have seen how power and money can change character. Might happen to my wife.

 

Picture of the house i currently plan to build

 

I think you're looking for attention building a house like that photo. Do what you want is your money, but I'm pretty sure changing someone's financial thermostat in Thailand is probably not a fantastic idea. Knowing you can Provide for your families needs is in my opinion a better use of resources because you can live humble and still do everything you might want to do. If you want to spoil her, take her somewhere awesome and stay in and stay in a 5 star resorts. Again you'll do what you want but I know what I would do if I had that kind of bread. Be well.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

CENTRAL Investigation Bureau (CIB) posted a warning on their webpage that upskirting is now increasing with perverts secretly snapping photos up women’s skirts to sell them to secret online groups, Naewna newspaper said.

 

Upskirting is happening at various places such as BTS stations, footbridges, escalators and bathrooms.

 

CIB urged women to take the following precautionary steps:

– When sitting or climbing stairs try to cover the hem of your skirt with something heavy like a book or a handbag;

 

by TNR Staff

A representative image of upskirting. Credit: Dw.com

 

Full story: THAI NEWSROOM 2024-01-29

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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I came here for the comments. 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

British Social Media Influencer Parachutes from Pattaya Condo and Fatally Hits The Ground in Tragic Accident
By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

 

Pattaya — A 33-year-old British man tragically lost his life when the parachute he was using malfunctioned after jumping from a condominium complex in Pattaya.

The tragedy took place on Saturday, January 27th, at an unspecified condominium complex in the Naklua sub-district of the Banglamung district, Chonburi province. Pattaya police and emergency responders swiftly arrived at the scene following a report received around 7:30 PM.

 

There, authorities found the lifeless body of a 33-year-old British national (name withheld pending family permission) sprawled on the ground near the condominium’s exit. The victim had suffered fatal injuries while clutching a blue parachute, which the police suspected he had deployed in a failed attempt to slow his descent. Authorities covered the body with a white sheet before transporting him to a nearby hospital.

 

During an interview with the condominium clerk, 33-year-old Mr. Kanet, it was revealed that the victim and his friends had gained unauthorized access to the premises, parking their car outside before scaling the building for a daring parachute descent. 

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2024-01-29

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

It never fails to amaze me why anyone would jump from a perfectly good air plane or in this case, a building. 

Women never seize to amaze me. Hoping she wouldn't catch her husband cheating like he has before, she stabs the girl friend. Not that I'm advocating violence, why wouldn't she just kick him to the curb? 

12 hours ago, smedly said:

yet more senseless loss of life on Thailands dangerous roads, you can make a guess what caused this to happen - driver fatigue - speeding - lack of driving skills - mobile phone use - mechanical failure etc etc etc but the fact remains - at least 14 people are dead due to all or a combination or one of the above

 

RIP

I'm curious if anyone knows if Thailand has any hours of service rules for commercial drivers, log book rules or anything along those lines. 

With a 01:00 crash I wonder if the driver was up all day then schedule to make this run without any rest beforehand.

Terrible situation reguardless of the cause. R.I.P.

On 9/2/2023 at 2:14 AM, hotchilli said:

A yellow Toyota sedan... I'm just of to the opticians for a check-up

I asked my Thai wife what color she would call that car, she replied with a color I've never heard anyone refer to a vehicle ever in my 61 years. She called it "Blonde." That's not too far off from yellow and she never read the story. ????

A Farang guy that's been living in Thailand for many years that I follow on YouTube might have the answer you are looking for.

https://youtu.be/mMhFbSJL6BM?si=jDdmSuO8KG59cVjr

22 hours ago, bob smith said:

I have this thai acquaintance that i know through mrs smith.

He came into my life about 5 years ago or so.

first time i met him I could sense something wasnt quite right about him and in fact after our first meeting i told my wife that i didnt want him to come to our house again.

mrs smith was adamant that he was OK and I should give him another shot.

so i did.

 

Since then i have blocked him/ceased contact with him on numerous occasions but he always seems to wriggle his way back into my life somehow. Sometimes he shows up at my house totally unannounced, beers in hand.

 

its hard because his wife works with mrs smith so I cant remove him completely.

He is a bit of a nutcase i think

some of the stuff he comes out with beggars belief when hes had a drink.

To be honest im bored of him but i know that even if i block all contact one day he will just show up at my door again.

 

do people like this never get the message?

what should i do?

Should i tell him to his face that i hate him or just continue to placate him when he arrives at my house uninvited and milk him for everything he has got?

 

he claims that he likes farang but when he is drunk you can see the jealousy/envy/animosity in his eyes.

he is of Thai chinese heritage. 

 

another thing is he likes to copy me. the way i look/dress/act etc. its as if he is a doppleganger. 

what motivates such people?

 

Its a tricky one....

This story has a easy solution. Everytime he comes by, tell him you're on your Way to a church meeting. To learn about the saving Grace of Jesus Christ, and he's more than welcome to come with you. If that doesn't have him running in the opposite direction, ask your wife how she would feel if you went golfing or name your entertainment of choice while she had to entertain this dude by herself. If she doesn't realize that he's a couple of tomatoes shy of a thick sauce now, maybe she will after a few hours alone with said individual.

Good luck and btw of course don't leave your wife alone with him. And secondly this is not intended to offend Christian as I'm one, I just know that most non-believers want nothing to do with the subject of Jesus Christ. If he does want to go with you you better know how to find a Church and fast.

On 8/20/2023 at 9:34 PM, Tropicalevo said:

Nothing to do with 'managing their children'.

Everything to do with the evils of the Thai education system.

The pervert who organised this pretended to be one of the school's teachers.

Thai children do what the teacher tells them - without question.

Not just a Thai issue. If you don't believe me, watch the 3 part documentary on Netflix called Don't Pickup the Phone. 

I'm truly surprised that Google does not know the answer to this question no matter how I ask it I'm hoping somebody here, especially a Canadian can answer this question. Can I Thai citizen, in other words my wife, apply for a US visa from Canada or does she have to do that from Thailand?

9 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Or idiots pulling out in front of you.

At night time when turning a semi into the road from a stop with a load on isn't a fast action and sometimes at night you may see head lights down the road but you can't tell how fast they are coming. Add to the equation that to many people drive with there eyes on the smartphone and this is one of the biggest reasons for accidents like this, distracted driving. I've driven truck for 37 years and seen far to many similar accidents. I've also been to Thailand 5 times and the majority of drivers I've witnessed drive faster than the speed limit. Look up and live.

7 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

This makes no sense at all. And it wasn't the company's anyway, it's mine. I lost some looking exactly like it. Or I can claim that I did, a skill I learned from Indians out late at night in Pattaya.

Yeah I didn't get that sentence either. In fact I was thinking it looked exactly like my money. 

14 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

Bristol,

 

why don’t you answer the question the other way around….

 

why is there no respect for bicyclists by car drivers here?

 

I know a number of cyclists in my own compound…a question of respect or fear? They won’t ride with me in the surrounding villages b/c of immense fear about driving behaviors here….they won’t leave our own moobaan…it has nothing to do with cyclists’ respect.

From all the places in Thailand I have been in the 5 times I've been there, the infrastructure is bicycle friendly. I ride a bike here where I live, you couldn't pay me to do it in Thailand. Plus as a long haul truck driver in North America for over 30+ years my experience with bicyclist had not been a pleasant one. May she rest in peace.

13 hours ago, Gold Star said:

Not surprised.

His choices in life seem to gravitate towards things well known for unreliability. 

Both the Pattaya girl, and the Ducati.

You know the saying, "if it's got t*t$ or tires it's going to give you problems."

Had zero issues when I went for my 1 month stay in Thailand starting in Phuket sandbox in February. From Canada there where many hoops to jump thru but I took my time going through all the information and the trip was great. 

After my first trip to Thailand in 2017 I returned home to Thailand and first purchase was a bum gun. No leaking issues. Since that first one I moved into a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom Apt. Bathroom 1 had my trusted bum gun, bathroom 2 I installed a bidet very similar to this and like it better then a bum gun. https://www.brondell.com/freshspa-easy-bidet-attachment/

On 1/27/2022 at 5:29 AM, Neeranam said:

Why would anyone want to marry a 50 year old?

In my view, getting married is only for the sake of the kids. 

 

 

This is why I married a nearly 50 year old. 

1) I wanted someone close to my age so that when we are walking around together I don't look like a child molester.

2) If I married a 20-30 year old she would most likely want to have children or has children that's still in need of being cared for. My wife has a daughter but her daughter is old enough to be self sufficient which she is. 

3) I wouldn't have anything in common with a 20-30 year old, I dispise that generation taste in music and I'm not into the club scene.

Best of all My Thai wife owns her own home and rubber tree farm. I have a nice place to retire to and she treats me 100 times better than my 1st wife of 24 years. 

Not all Thai ladies are into draining your Bank account. 

My last point to ponder is this, it takes very little money to elevate a Thai lady living every month. Whatever country you are from, how much did your ex get from you monthly and I'm the divorce.

It cost me everything to get out of my 1st marriage but worth every penny. Be careful who you choose. Be well and play nice everyone. I'm on my way to Thailand in 2 days. ????????????

On 11/27/2021 at 1:34 AM, overherebc said:

Not many of the expats here speak latin either.

English, whether you like it or not, is useful all over the world. Thai is useful in one country only, 

Yes true, but if you're doing to retire in Thailand why not at least try to learn ภาษาไทยนิดหน่อย

I don't understand why you think Airbnb is a basic website, because I have used them in Canada, USA, Vietnam and Thailand and I've found excellent places to stay at reasonably priced. Yes I compare what I'm getting with Agoda and sometimes Agoda wins out on a specific need. I also run Airbnb space where I live and it's been very beneficial surprisingly even during this pandemic. 

I understand your frustration about not getting the exact location to the property but you could ask Airbnb why and they're very good at answering questions. My guess is it's a privacy issue because you're dealing with mostly private home owners like Myself and I don't want people coming over with low-ball offers.

I also understand your concern about people complaining about the space not being what was listed. It's true there are people doing bait and switch. But be sure to NOT ACCEPT those accommodations and let Airbnb know what's going on they're trying to crack down on this type of behavior. And the people that are doing this will be penalized and removed hopefully. Also know this there are people trying to rent spaces that are scammers as well and I would tell you what they do but that would just give up other people ideas of what they could do and I'm not revealing that. 

And if you're reading this and you are operating an Airbnb space and you want to know something which you may or may not know never ever let somebody talk you into going off the Airbnb platform to accept money to save even a little bit of their Airbnb fee you're opening yourself up for squatter.

I hope this was a little bit of help and good luck with your search.

1 minute ago, mauGR1 said:

I would have given you a "like "except for the last paragraph. 

While i believe that God is eternal,  I believe the damnation is not.

Remember the parable of the lost sheep,  or the prodigal son.

So because you don't believe in damnation, it's not real? What about Lazarus and the rich ruler? Again I'm not going to argue with you or anybody how you live what you believe is between you and God I would just ask you not to go creating a God in your own image to suit you.

Be well.

My short answer is YES!

The following is Part of my long answer to why I believe in God. I thought long and hard how to respond to this question because there is no manner of words that could change your hearts and minds about the existence of God. I'm speaking to you that don't believe. The true believers of the world don't need to be convinced of the existence of God. And only the Holy Spirit can transform the non-believer's heart. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and savior in 1985 does that make me perfect, absolutely not just forgiven. 

I cannot take credit for the following words but I'm going to pass them along so that the world may know.

Jesus real or only Virtual. By Malcolm Muggeridge.

"Literally billions of words, oceans of paint, acres of canvas, mountains of Stone and marble, countless volumes of music and miles of film have been expended on this one man.....The Man Jesus and his story is inexhaustible, and continues to attract the minds and imaginations of the pious and the not So pious, believers and non-believers alike-mine among them.

Well empires Kings and rulers wise and corrupt have come and gone Jesus and his radical and strange doctrine of ethics of Love forgiveness and Resurrection beyond death have survived the movers and the Shakers scoffers and mockers for over 2,000 years."

If we are going to have a conversation about God Let's be honest, I submit to you that I believe most people refuse to believe in God because they enjoy their sinful life. I'm not judging you, your life is between you and God not you and me. And I'm also not going to argue with you because I'll go back to what I said at the beginning, no manner of words are going to change your mind. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can do that that is part of the reason why true believers know the truth because we know where we came from and what we were doing prior to God rolling up his sleeve, reaching down into the pit and pulling us up and setting our feet on a rock. 

God promises forgiveness for our repentance but he doesn't promise tomorrow for our procrastination.

My prayer for you the non-believer is that you keep seeking before your air gets turned off because it will be too late then.

????????????????✝️

https://youtu.be/JzrDs_Vaho4