Tarqin

Interesting article. Seems in this case the usual 'wife' ripped him off story.

Trying to get my head around being a falang beggar in Thailand. How low is that?

Know of quite a few desperate falangs in Pattaya. Burned their bridges back home. One stole his kids savings for a one way ticket.

They wash around as 'bar managers' etc etc and generally do not seem to be having a good time.

Mr. Wong's name came up on another thread so I thought I would ask if anyone knows what happened with him?

To those who don't know him he runs a watch shop in the market on South Pattaya Road opposite the Wat.

Up to say 5 years ago he was the MAN for high quality fake watches and many people I knew with real Rolexs trusted this guy to mend them. He was a real Pattaya institution doing phenomenal business.

Then he went all loopy. He has lost nearly all his expat business through yelling and swearing at them and regularly tells those stupid enough to enter his shop to fuc_k off. As such his business had all but disappeared.

To rub salt in the wounds everyone now goes to Sarah who runs a stall in the same market just down and round the corned from Mr. Wongs shop AND Sarah is I believe his sister (or sister in law not too sure).

Does anyone know why he just went seemingly insane one day?

Getting bored.

Have a first degree in history of art. Wondering if there is a University of other Establishment in/near Pattaya where I could study Thai art.

In all seriousness, course would need to be in English.

Angeles is OK but its basically two streets. A weekend destination at best.

The lower budget long stayers are definitely trending over to Snooky. Cambodia is becoming the Thailand of 20 years ago but for me I have learned the hard way not to be more than a 30 minute drive from a western standard medical facility.

Pattaya definitely down and hurting now but the solution as always with the Thais is put the prices up to compensate.

The political situation is worrying many.

Thank god for alchohol...

OK not Pattaya related but BIG NEWS!

Obama wins.

Well I'm still in 'wonderful back home London'. fuc_king SNOWED yesterday (so much for global warming). My £200 a night '4 star hotel' is a dump none of whose staff speak any English. Plane back Friday. I can not wait...

I agree that the doom and gloom merchants do do a Pattaya has died thread each low season BUT I am currently in London visiting family and friends and can tell you that the recession here is bad and the most worrying thing is that even market professionals I know do not know what the hel_l is happening.

Lloyd's TSB was seen as unbreakable, its busted. Banco Santander probably the most profitable bank in the world due to its Latin America business is plunging. The European currencies are in freefall.

Everyone I know is just praying they hang on to their jobs and houses. Holidays and spending are nowhere on the agenda. Got to have a knock on effect on Thailand.

Mind you I am more worried what the Thais will do to us expat Brits when the UK government refuse to hand over Thaksin.

Yup. Its a clause in every travel insurance contract I have ever seen.

An official FO advisory notice invalidates the insurance. I believe the same system exists in Australia as well. Its the kiss of death for UK tourism to any country.

Would make me very happy as I could travel coach for a change on a virtually empty plane to Heathrow but not so hot if your a hotel owner.

Bear up boys. Someone I know at the UK Foreign Office tells me they are mulling a formal warning against travel to Bangkok following the recent violence. If this happens then it automatically invalidates travel insurance. In which case travellers from the UK will drop off to virtually none.

As I always say when these 'clean up Pattaya' threads surface.

It COULD happen. Pattaya COULD go upmarket. Pattaya COULD become a family resort.

But it would require co-ordination planning and investment for the long term.

So guess whether it will happen or not?

As I have posted on the Pattaya forum there has been an exponential rise in the number of ladyboys in Pattaya and the rumour is that a lot were kicked out of Phuket.

Does anyone know anything about this?

Wow. Will post on Phuket forum and see if anyone knows.

Quote from my favourite Soi 6 librarian only a month ago.

'Polis no come Soi 6. Tlee munet plaid'.

So if the authorities are enforcing anything on Soi 6 the situation is serious but as all clean ups in the past it won't last.

Amongst the usual cat calling on other threads someone makes an accurate observation namely that in the last say three months the number of Ladyboys in Pattaya seems to have increased exponentially.

Does anyone have any rationale explanation for this?

Naughty Humph.

Dave T is tall and when I first met him was whippet thin. He is now a lard bucket. Must be a happy marriage...

Anton I do not know.

Harris Black I do. I was sitting at the next table when he introduced himself to Dave T in the Blues Factory, some years ago now.

He is a small pudgy guy and reading his 'exploits' back in Canada they only extend to things that got him probation and usually involved trying to scam young women.

He tries anything on with the big boys I think he'll find himself in more trouble than he can handle.

Agreed Sot.

However a great deal of fun can be had by not telling the Thais you speak Thai...

Before coming to Thailand I too pored endlessly over Excel spreadsheets and questioned people extensively on this and other websites.

So let me change the emphasis and give you my number one cost saving tip.

LEARN TO SPEAK THAI. And read it if you can.

This opens you to a whole new world where the best bargains can be had and the prices are Thai prices as opposed to rammed up for the falangs.

Seriously this will enhance your Thailand experience 100% and cut your expenses by half.

Well try this for even handed comment.

Lek Bar Soi 7.

Bog standard Soi 7 bar and all that entails.

Nothing much to set it aside from its neighbours.

Lek works her arse off. Charlie samples too much of his own stock. Again nothing unusual there.

Never eaten there so can't comment on the food.

Ta Da.

I keep my cash in my left pocket try to sit on the edge of the baht bus on the left side and hold my hand firmly on the cash at all times. I don't care if this telegraphs were it is.

The one time they got me I was half way in the bus. The woman opposite dropped a baby in front of me. I instinctively caught it. The person of my left dipped me and immediately exited the bus whilst it was moving slowly in traffic.

I noticed and immediately started screaming but the bus was speeding up again and the women with the baby when questioned denied all knowledge.

Sometimes what can you do?

At a Go Go Soi 1 Pattaya with 3 mates. We all were going to a party at a bar Soi 9 Jomtien.

Got 4 motor scooter guys (don't know why a baht bus hire would have been cheaper). All aboard I yelled out 1,000 baht bonus to the first one there.

We all arrived in one peice but it took me several rounds to be forgiven.

I didn't see the thing on the TPV's taking down Uzbek prostitutes but it seems like things are getting tasty again.

Those with memories will recall the antics of one particular TPV who was involved in baiting katoeys in to robberies and was involved in taking down Jade House.

At the time a dossier of photographs names and addresses of TPV's was put together and circulated to interested parties and action was being considered.

Luckily for them they drew back from the brink that time. They may not be so lucky this time.

Bounder,

You condemn yourself with your own words.

'It is argued by many Thai lawyers that there are structures that can be created that are in fact legal'

And its argued by some lawyers that there aren't it being a fundamental and highly emotional concept in Thailand that non-Thais can not own land.

'I am aware of a lawyer who has created ownership structures, which have been examined by the authorities, who have confirmed that, to their mind, the company owning the land/house is perfectly legal. However, it remains an area that is far from clear.'

And I am aware of such lawyers also. The point is that the legal profession in Thailand is for falangs as reliable as the court system. What 'authorities' have confirmed this structure is legal? Could you march in to court with such authority or would everything be up for grabs as usual? Likely this lawyer (and possibly you) are trying to sell this structure to falangs and Captain Tarqin's sensible guide for sensible investors is never take investment advice from someone who is trying to sell you things.

Next to your enforcement statement. So you have 180 days to sell land, presumably to a Thai, and where everyone knows its a fire sale. What price do you think you will get? You can't sell it? The 'authorities' are 'obliged' to get you market value. Who's defining market value in this situation for a piece of land you have failed to sell on the open market?

By all means dream dear boy. I will keep my money in the bank.

Spaghetti Bobs AKA Restaurant Bar Nong. Thappraya Road. Best Italian in town and great prices plus they own the Thai place next door so tilac can munch all the fried cockroaches she wants.

Is open and located next to a very busy road but otherwise can't be beat.

Owning a property through a company is not a little dodgy it is completely illegal. The company is supposed to be a trading company. If it doesn't trade its a paper sham and you can lose your property if investigated.

Do I know anyone who has lost a property? No. There were strong rumours pre-coup that the local politicians were going to take all the property so set up on Samui so they could cash in on the massive price rises there.

The argument is always that the Thais will never do this as it will crash the economy etc. I call this the economists argument.

If you believe that Thais are logical, practical, and plan for the long term then by all means believe this.

Me? I rent. I can afford to buy. I could buy the whole block I live in but I rent. This is for many reasons, the main ones being Pattaya property prices are at least 100% overvalued plus if a lunatic moves in next door I can move out but at the end of the day I am not paying a premium for a property I can list in my own name and I will not buy an asset who's title I can not defend in court.