henrik2000

Thanks. She would certainly make a great partner for a decent, Thai speaking foreigner. I find it extremely difficult to tell her "just friends, okay mai khrap", but I guess it's in my responsibility to get around to do it.

Thanks. It all sounds quite right.

Thanks. I guess you are right and things turned out the way you predict.

Thanks, interesting to see that two guys have the same "problem", and interesting to read the replies in your thread. Do you now regret not to have gone? I refuse quite a lot of invitations from ladies to show me around just because I suspect they see me as a good food ATM. But in this case I decided against some worries to go for it, because sometimes I like to leave my comfort zone to see other people and cultures in a new light. What I saw then at the temple didn't differ much from several other temple occasions into which I sometimes run just by accident (Loy Khratong on Jomtien beach had been far more joyful for me from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. alone). And the lady on that outing was her usual smiling caring companion, obviously without any scheming (I hadn't expected that anyway, still it was nice to get to know her outside her restaurant). So for me I am glad I accepted the invitation in spite of some doubts beforehand and small awkward moments on the night itself that perhaps are quite natural.

Yes, letting her down gently... Are there YouTube tutorials for that? It's the very hard part. (If she does have serious designs which I don't know.) She casually took my hand as we crossed busy roads and as you say, sometimes touched my arm or leg while talking. It seemed all very friendly and innocent.

Thanks, in the end it happened about as you suggest. As per the lady's design, I floated the Khratong that she had selected. She had none for herself. At the 100 temple stalls before the pool, I suggested several times to get another Khratong for her but she dragged me away with a smile. Not impossible that she wanted me to insist more on getting another Khratong for herself.

Hi all, thanks for many interesting comments! In the end I followed an advice by my local condo service worker. She said I should get her flowers after the Khratong action, so I took my lady to a flower stall at 11 pm and let her choose some. As predicted by the local condo service worker, my lady chose only roses in two colors and I had to urge her several times to take more than three (a big bunch finally cost less than one single rose in my country). Before, she had filmed me as I floated the Khratong and had talked to a monk who confirmed that it was okay if we floated one Khratong for two people. When floating the Khratong, my hand touched the very seedy water of that temple pool; I thought it was a typically nice Thai caring gesture when she took out a little bottle and sprayed hand sanitizer into my hands. We then went to an atmospheric, crowded mid-range restaurant with almost only Thai customers (she had waited until I suggested a restaurant, but happily agreed). The atmosphere there was quite upbeat with all staff and musicians in beautiful traditional dress (and sneakers). While she never made any attempt to share any cost, she ordered extremely little (roses, food, drink) (unlike other, much richer Thai ladies in my experience who at the restaurant table order so much seafood at my expense that they can take home half of it). We parted ways in a friendly way in front of her apartment door with her repeating her thankyous for everything, and later she sent me a few nice, unobtrusive messages including a photo of the roses in her place. The weird thing is that I would like to take her out again, before I leave for a while, in spite of the 98% language barrier (but she doesn't need to talk much and still feels comfortable and happy-go-lucky as it seems, while aforementioned much richer Thai ladies were absolute motormouths (in excellent English)). Even though it might be sensible not to take her out again if I don't have serious designs. When I picked her up in her restaurant, all co-workers and boss were all smiles, supportive and made friendly jokes as we set off (some of those co-workers quite desirable and anglophone, and I think the atmosphere was very comfortable for all parties). For our next outing I would likely pick her up in her restaurant again (only 2 days off per month). It can't be good to meet her in that public situation and then perhaps to disappear for a long while. -- About aforementioned local condo service worker: she lives together with a much older, slightly ailing, but mobile Westerner. I noted the quite big Khratong in her office and she said she bought it for herself (100 THB) and will float it herself. I replied, that was very sad and the westerner should be with her when she chose and floated the Khratong. She replied in her basic English, "only important to care", and I didn't want to inquire what that was supposed to mean.

Hi all, thanks for more interesting input in an interesting dilemma. When I was under the headphones, and the guy approached me first, he held the bag clearly my way, so his question must have been about the bag and not a tsunami warning. I am sure he would have placed the bag next to me, had I agreed to watch it. Personally I would not in my life ask a total stranger to watch my bag. You can prepare yourself for such situations by not bringing too much and maybe by carrying a waterproof pouch which is sold for situations just like that. That's why I was not even able to assume he might ask me to watch his plastic bag (plus I had been wrapped up in totally different thoughts for a while). In Gambia, West Africa, I once went for a dip and left a half-transparent plastic bag with towel, change clothes and small money on the beach. A big guy appeared, looked happily at the bag, then at me and said, “oh is that one for me”, and started to walk away with my plastic bag. I shouted “police” etc (he was double my size, weight, height), and he dropped the bag and ran away. A vaguely similar thing happened nearby in Sierra Leone where taking away my bag with change things etc was announced, but not executed, while I soaked in the waters. I also happily assist to make other people's life a little easier or nicer, but this is not an eligible situation in my view, and in some other people’s view too, as we now know. When someone hurls abuse or aggressiveness at me, I try to “not even ignore them”, at least outwardly; invertly I cannot. I would certainly not talk back and pour oil into the fire

It smells from your reply. Just like you.

Hi all, thanks for more interesting comments!

Nice auto correction... Thanks for your thoughts.

Today on Jomtien beach I was sitting in the sand, with noise canceling earphones and deep sunk in (earphone-compatible) work. The headphones are easily visible for anybody walking past, by their cables and black color. A middle-aged westerner and a younger Thai lady walked past me towards the water, held a yellow plastic bag my way and asked something. I didn't hear one word, because of the noise-canceling headphones, but assumed they asked if that bag was mine, what else could they mean? So I made a no-no gesture with my hands. They left the bag at the water's edge, splashed 10 minutes in the water and walked back past me, shouting something again my way. This time I took the earphones off, and we had this dialogue: I: “Sorry?” Man: “Thanks!” I: “Thanks for what?” Man: “Thanks for NOTHING!” I: “What do you mean?” Man: “Thanks for NOT watching our bag.” I: “0h sorry, you see I had the headphones in and was just assuming that you - " Man, interrupting: “Okay okay, have a WONDERFUL day!” He walked off with a superior air, no longer listening to my reply, and the lady laughed happily. He had shown her who the master is, especially as they towered upright over me, sitting below in the sand. — No need to comment on their behavior, but would YOU watch a stranger's bag on the beach? Especially when you're occupied with headphone and complicated thoughts and sometimes trek to bathroom or snack stalls? I rather wouldn't watch a stranger’s bag on a Thai beach: - Someone might run off with HIS bag in MY care (either planned by him or not) - The bag might contain illegal stuff and be part of a setup Or would you?

Hello, Does it have a special meaning when a single lady makes a Khratong (miniature boat) for a single man and he floats it? Can my willingness to join this plan cause inconveniences? I would like to stay single and just friendly with that lady. Is there anything I could or should bring for her in return? I want to invite her for dinner, drink and/or live music after the temple, but I'm not sure she's up for it. Background: I had asked my longtime Jomtien waitress for a good spot to observe the Loy Khratong doings. She suggested a certain temple, and after a little while she said: She would make a Khratong for me and I should come to her restaurant at 10:00 p.m. closure time. Then we could visit the temple together and I (not she) could float her Khratong; the temple would be busy even after 10:00 p.m.; her Thai boss (married to someone else) nodded at this. Before that, she said, I could also watch Loy Khratong on the beach while she was working. I know that lady only as a longtime repeat customer in her resto, with the occasional small talk about life partners, kids, whereabouts, rainy season. She is 50, has almost no English (I have a little Thai) and obviously very little foreigner exposure; the resto is not in a nightlife area and serves no tourist food. She might not even know much about the nightlife scene. I guess seen from outside she and me would make a suitable match. I like her, because she is super-smiley, caring and cute, but I have no further designs. I would enjoy going out with this friendly local lady and see Loy Khratong from a local point of view - if there is no punishment and no disappointment. We should say goodbye at the temple, at the restaurant after the temple or at the latest at her doorstep, if she likes to be safeguarded to her doorstep. I wondered if Loy Khratong is (not traditionally, but in everyday practice) a couple's thing. I have observed Loy Khratong so far only once at Bangkok's Phra Athit, and it seemed to be only couples and very romantic. – This question is meant seriously and I'd welcome especially non-cynical replies. I should have posted it earlier, but lost sight of this forum in the days it was not available recently. Thanks 🕯️

Hi all, thanks for some recommendations including Regency and Red Label / 100 Pipers. I just remembered that also the Thais sometimes drink neat. They send mini glasses of whiskey to the musicians on stage (sometimes accompanied by one hundred THB and or song requests) and for special toasts they also drink neat from these mini glasses at the table. By the way, one singer once told me that he could easily drink 12 - 15 mini glasses of liquer per night on stage without even forgetting a single line of text, let alone falling off stage. I don't know if it is true or just a show off of manliness. Also I always wondered if these musicians sometimes fake drinking all the brandy sent up stage.

Oh I do, especially if I can read it. I'm talking about Thai-oriented venues, Tawan Daeng-like, outside tourist/expat ghettos, where any customer studies the bill for 10 minutes. So do I. Inspired by this thread I asked in my current favourite songs for life joint - semi-open-air, multilevel all dark wood. The waitress made it very clear there is NO corkage fee if I buy a few mixers. She seemed to find my question weird

You're right. I do edit my sentences before posting. And sometimes I hallucinate.

Would you recommend a certain Thai whiskey or warn against certain whiskeys? I have no experience with iced whiskey soda whatsoever, only with small shots of mild neat whiskey of international brands at home in the west. It would be nice (and economical) to get a Thai brand if agreeable, and not just a worldwide tipple.

Oh I do, especially if I can read it. I'm talking about Thai-oriented venues, Tawan Daeng-like, outside tourist/expat ghettos, where any customer studies the bill for 10 minutes. So do I. Inspired by this thread I asked in my current favourite live music joint - semi-open-air, multilevel all dark wood. The waitress made it very clear there is NO corkage fee if I buy a few mixers. She seemed to find my question weird.

Thanks, I see Thai gangs storming live music pubs with whiskey bottle in hand all the time, and they just order the mixers and at least some snacks. But I hadn't imagined they pay a corkage fee; that's interesting info. If I go there alone, a corkage fee of two hundred THB wouldn't be exactly economical. One reason why I ask here in the forum and not straight in the pub, the pub is super noisy and staff don't speak much English and I may not speak enough Thai to fully understand the explanation, and my language understanding suffers reciproce proportionally with noise and distraction levels (while Thais shine more). And sometimes, when they are totally used to something since times of olde, and not used to having to explain it to a total outsider, the explanation maybe a tad wanting.

Hello, is it acceptable if I bring my own whisky bottle to a Thai live music pub and carry the bottle back out, if I order from the pub about three bottles of soda and a dinner like Tom Yam Kung and maybe a few snacks? Is the calories intake with whiskey soda (mixed by Thai waiter) lower than with two bottles of Singha beer? Are there differences in BYO habits between different cities or pubs? (Some of my destinations are Pattaya, Prachuap Khi’, Ayutthaya, Uttaradit.) Thanks for your experiences! ==Important questions above, below only backgrounds== On TH holidays, I go to Thai-oriented music pubs a lot, places like Taiwan Daeng etc (in Pattaya, Sin Lapin Isan and Kon Lah Fun). Instead of drinking beer as usual, I would like to switch to the Thai system of bringing my own Whisky bottle, and then buy soda from the house - and good food also (always with late dinner) (always soda, not coke). I don't go to live music pubs every night, and I go to various pubs in one city - so it doesn't make sense to deposit the whiskey bottle at the pub: I need to bring it in and take it home on the same night. I am mostly alone and I don't need much Whiskey; actually I even like plain soda with a dash of lemon juice. The Whiskey may slightly relax/elate me, but I don't like/need to be seriously affected. Is it even reasonable to plan bringing my own whiskey bottle to these Thai-oriented pubs as a single punter? What is to consider? (I think single customers are sometimes seen as dubious, either because of supposed bad karma or because they bring less profit than a packed table (I will sit also for dinner on a stool at a bar, if there is a bar at all that offers stage view). Should I buy the first full bottle directly at the pub and will this gain me sympathies from staff? I wouldn't need more than 3-4 soda bottles per night and I could do without ice, if the soda itself is cool. I could also accept ice if Thai waiters need it for the Whiskey pouring / mixing ritual. Is a single customer like that acceptable?

I had this experience with flat tyres at 2+ bicycle workshops upcountry. (Others charged 10 Baht for a drop of oil.)

Thanks again for the detailed description. The "Knowing Pharmacy" is exactly where you say on Gmaps, so i just hope to actually meet her on my first foray. Anyway there's even other useful business nearby.

Hi all, thanks for some good tips i didn't know about! Thoengthaied, thanks, i might visit that lady on soi 7. The others are a bit further away. While i would expect competitive quality and prices if there's a bunch of tailors behind tukcom, it is just a bit inconvenient if you have nothing else to do in the area and the fixing job is a simple one. Same maybe for soi 18 (soi Arab). From my wonderings around Jomtien in recent years i don't remember a tailor. And yes, of course i want a whole-in-wall (or table-on-the-pavement) business, not a fancy shopfront. I also had nice experiences with helpful tailors upcountry.

Hello, do you recommend an alteration tailor in _Jomtien_ for a few fixing jobs? It's only about 1. putting patches on threadbare parts of sports shorts (cotton only) 2. fixing a slightly torn seam around a jeans zipper 3. replacing the zipper on another jeans (ok, joke away) Apart from job 3, one could almost give the task to one's cleaning lady or laundry lady. Still if you do recommend a tailor in Jomtien I'd like to know (good if near Police Box on the Beach). Google Maps does show a few tailors in Jomtien, including Oslo Tailor, Tailor Shop Khun Ram, Next Fashion – but I guess they sell bespoke suits and shirts to tourists as is typical for Thai tourist ghettos (am not on the ground this week). I do speak basic Thai and managed to negotiate tasks, prices and timings with Thai tailors before. I won't give them time-critical jobs. Thanks!

Hello, Where can I mail-order Thai music CDs, MP3 downloads or MP3 USB drives (preferred) at reasonable prices from the west, to be sent to a Thai adress? If need be, I would only order when already in Thailand. Background: As a tourist coming to Thailand next week, i want to buy a bunch of Audio CDs or MP3 CDs/USB drives with Thai Music released after 2015 (Tai Orathai, Pee Saderd, Carabao etc., MP3 much preferred over Audio CD). I would love to order online right now from Europe and have the discs sent to my hotel in Thailand (delivery while I'm already checked-in, this can be timed). I carry laptop w/ CD drive + USB sticks around. I am fully aware I can get the music streamed on Youtube, Spotify etc. etc. there are very cheap pirate copies available in fish markets and IT malls Still I'd love to order Audio CDs or MP3 CDs/USB drives (preferred) from a reputable online dealer. MP3 download is fine too, if i get regular unlocked MP3s. Shops I tried online: Shopee, Lazada, Boomerangshop.com, YesAsia have very little. Also Grammy record company didn't appeal. Then there's eTHaiCD with more offerings. But when I browse them now from Europe, each CD costs 10 USD – 16 USD incl. worldwide shipping. Whereas in Thailand, such a Thai music CD (from memory) costs 200 THB or less in the shop. Here are 2 offers for simple Thai music on eThaiCD: Luukthung Audio CD 16,50 USD incl worldwide shipping (when displayed in Europe) USB Drive 80 songs Grammy Gold 19,50 USD incl. worldwide shipping (when displayed in Europe; I'd prefer MP3 over Audio CD) Is there a chance to order such discs at reasonable, local THAI prices with delivery to a Thai hotel, while still browsing from Europe? Or could I at least get THAI prices when browsing within Thailand? (Don't want VPN.) Brick-and-mortar-shops: I will not overnight in Bangkok. I lodge in Jomtien/Pattaya, Ayutthaya, Uttaradit and 7 other province towns in Central Thailand. Is there any useful shop on the ground? 2015 I was in Pattaya Central Festival, and the record shop downstairs there had exactly nothing for me. One problem is also that my Thai music taste is outdated (luukthung, morlam, songs-for-life – no Labanoon or 90s bubblegum) and the sales teens find me dubious (I speak Thai, but don't read, i'm polite + clean). If you say there is a very promising brick and mortar shop in Bangkok, I might try to visit it somehow. Again, streaming is no option. Also in Europe I don't want to try a VPN (if that should help). Pirate copies from fish market and IT malls: I've tried those before. But their quality, moral and content is dubious. Also whatever the vendor says, actually he has no idea what's on it and the song-list may be wrong (and it's in Thai script, which I only understand with Google Lens). Also I want only music published after 2016, and the pirate copies are not clear/reliable about the date (neither the vendor). They might give me 80 songs per disc that I already have (and have catalogued). Thanks!