phutoie2

Some have left for good, every year at our golf club we have the "absent friends" tournament.

Buried in the Chinese temple grounds or cremated in one of the many wats around here.

They are all fondly remembered on the day.

Apologies for derailing another "cost of living thread"

There is one I use when it town, its on the road down the back of the Big C back entrance. The card I have is in Thai but the tel number is 056 72511778.

Only been open a few years, modern, clean and plenty of parking but if you have no transport, its a bit out of town. Prices about 350-400 Baht.

In town you can still get a room in the good old Burapa Hotel, I think its a bit faded now and could do with an up date, very popular with the locals. Big snooker room down stairs, disco on the top floor, and yes the soapy massage place is still going, not that I have been .

Must be one of those many selective Thai laws, I see countless Thai men ride up on motorcycles etc, walk into the local shops without shirts on. Well it is a bit rural here.

Living in rural village near Laos. Never saw Thai men riding motorcycles without T-shirt. And "countless Thai men", not just one! Don't believe you.

Well we obviously frequent different areas. In the village I have spent time in it is rare to see thai men wear shirts at all unless visiting the Wat.

I think you frequent a different Thailand

Yes, yes, I was totally making it all up, I bow to both your vast experience on the subject. Must have been aliens.

Anymore gems on Thai culture??, we should be aware of either in Bangkok or your rural village near Laos?.

Must be one of those many selective Thai laws, I see countless Thai men ride up on motorcycles etc, walk into the local shops without shirts on. Well it is a bit rural here.

The above post looks good if I could make some sense out of it, whats wrong with the quotes??

Thanks. I used USD rather than GBP for two reasons, firstly, I work for a US law firm in London and get paid in USD and secondly most of the articles I have read on cost of living quote USD. I'm dual-qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales and also an attorney in New York, which is why I used the term lawyer. I hope that answers your questions back to me!

I'm retired from a US airline age 77, with Thai wife and 2 children and own my condo and automobile. We don't go out drinking, but drink a little at home, go out for dinner about twice a week. I have medical insurance on my family for about 50,000 baht a year, car insurance for 25000 a year and my utilities cost around 120,000 per year becasue we run the airconditioner 24/7. Annual condo fees are another 30,000/yr Gas for car and motorbike about 10,000/yr. My son's school costs 250,000/yr.

My income from social security and pension is only $37,000 a year. I earn another $20,000 from other things. I live well, but not lavishly and my income just about covers my expenses. Hope this helps.

wow aircon on 24/7. You not acclimatised yet?.

Do they have a safe carpark ?

Don Muang Mansion - 118/7 Saranakom Road. Cheap and cheerful. You won't find that on Agoda.

Yes, and security guarded, free if you stay there. Recently had a holiday to Krabi and stayed one night at the mansion, and left my truck there for a further 4 nights, 100 Baht a day. The hotel does a shuttle service to the airport 120 Baht a room.

Reiterate my point, cheap and cheerful but only 600 THB a night. You get aircon, fridge and decent shower & bed. You can get into trouble if you stray into certain bars there, be careful.

The hotel is poor in food department but plenty of good food in the area.

Check that the 2.7L petrol is available in 4 door pickup, used to be only in the 2 door and Tuners.

In the two door the 2.7 is no slouch.

If I was the cousin maybe best to go on a holiday before being hauled in next. If this has any ounce of truth it stinks.

Bridge, what bridge?

cant go to Aussie either can he ?....for the same reason

He's seems to be speaking for the Americans again. His assumption just because Obama ain't invited him. The billionaire Wall St. connected Thaksin, a convicted criminal fugitive with 15 outstanding criminal court cases got a visa ok on a private visit, unusual for America. And the former PM Ms. Yingluck was always dropping hints about a "White House invitation" that never came.

Who America invites, allows in and doesn't invite or prohibits is there business. Hypocrisy is up the them.

As for Aussie - why would he want to visit a piss pot country with an idiot PM?

Excuse me but Australia, not "Aussie" is a great country and every bit as good as the USA. Besides, why would the Thai PM need to go to the USA anyway? What does the USA sell that I can find in Thailand? A few car care products? Give me a break, at least I can find a lot of Aussie meat and food products here in Thailand and with most foreign investment in Thailand from China, Japan and other neighboring countries, the USA is pretty irrelevant in Thailand. They certainly won't be building that high speed train from Kunming, that's for sure.

USA -irrelevant, they still supply the bulk of munitions and equipment to the Thai armed forces. Though others, Ukraine, China, Sweden, Germany are muscling in.

Mine was 178/120 a couple of years ago..now it is about 110/70 after I re-evaluated my unhealthy lifestyle and lost 20 kg and now drink sparingly once a week. Your blood pressure is a by product of your lifestyle.

Partly true.

Or you could be just a product of your parents.

That's a fall back line from the medical mob when they fail to diagnose what is actually wrong with you.

Personally, I find the 'head in the sand' brigade more annoying than the whiners. There is nothing wrong in seeing a place for what it is, to walk around with blinkers on makes people appear none too clever and somewhat in denial. The author of the article sounds like a bitter person himself, and etiquette is a word usually associated with politeness, so completely misused in the context that he chose for it.

The most miserable expats here are the ones who seem to have no interests. The happiest have at least 3 interests, perhaps 1 sporting and 2 intellectual. And often a full time job on top of that. Too much time on your hands is a big problem. Highest points on the misery index always go to the alcoholics and the old sex-pats. Those two groups just seem to be caught in a nightmare cycle of despair.

Totally agree. Two types of farangs here, those who sit and think and those who just sit.

Mind you I have no objections reading the odd rant on here, so more entertaining than the rose tinted mob. "my life is wonderful since moving here__________"

I just renewed my passport in Bangkok it came in 17 days. (17th Feb to 4th March). Staff were polite and efficient.

It cost 106.01 Pounds and was sent by DHL not the Thai PO !

With the new pp they gave me the blank form to certify to Immigration that my pp was genuine.

I took it the Embassy and waited 12 minutes while they stamped and signed it....no Charge.

Likewise, no complaints from me also, plus two cracking nights out in Bangkok. Some of that fee you quote goes to DHL, nice little earner for them.

Used to be in the parcel delivery service myself many years back. DHL were always referred to as documents handled & lost.

I would dream of BP like that, two weeks back at Sara Buri hospital mine was recorded on the machine at 198/119. Told to sit down for 30 mins and then had a few more checks done. Sent for for EKG and later on an echo cardio test. Doc said heart far to big. Now on 300mg aspirin a day and some calcium channel blockers. Oh yep, red card on the alcohol too.

I always told Mrs PT that I had a big heart. Soldier on.

There was an interesting article on Motley a few days age. General concesus is the Euro will be sub 30 before August with no recovery until 2018....90 cents-$US

Wow, that if correct will thin out some the weekly market club, Euro crowd.

Tyre shops here will say go on age, 4 to 5 years is about right. My mate has just replaced the Bridgestones on his 3L Isuzu VGS truck with Nexen's for about 4k a tyre. They are a South Korean brand, I have them, N7000s on my Vigo. Good road holding and quiet.

George Best said he was the hardest player he ever played against. A fine player in that era, also not forgetting his success at Derby County. RIP.

Just bought an Asus zenfone 5 through Lazarda. Good efficient service from them. Nice phone with some good features but two issues. Very poor battery life and the volume control has just gone very low. Currently I am viewing an Indian Q & A forum on Asus products. The battery issue appears to be a common thread. Any ideas/comments.

PM the brunt of some mild mockery. I'll bet his definition of mild will be vastly different to the rest of us.

" I'll bet his definition ..."

Odd use of "brunt" as well. Normally one is the "butt of a joke" or mockery and he may "bear the brunt" of it.

Saying he is the brunt, makes no sense. Probably the author was afraid to use the word "butt" in a headline and/or was the student/victim of one the many highly talented (and otherwise unemployable) farang English teachers who come to Thailand.

Really. You should read more English language newspapers and magazines - you'll find the expression " the brunt of some criticism" often used. Normally with a verb - maybe is, was, bore for example.

You should also read the forum rules on this not being an English language tuition site although I'm sure your comments are as much an attempt to belittle the OP as anything else.

Probably frustrated because you can't get a job as a highly talented farang teacher.

yawn. Plenty of jobs going out there for teachers, talented or un. Your just peeved because your not running one of these Uni's. Stop going on about forum rules too. Its not clever or cool.

But most can see through PTP's caddy inspired BS.

not difficult to see thru yours.

If they can prove it it would yet again prove how violent red shirts are and makes me wonder why foreigners still support them. The PTP just has an armed terrorist wing just like the guy with the funny mustache in the 30ies had. I would not be surprised if they are behind it but its not as violent as the Trad incident where they gunned down young children, and have that action celebrated at their meeting. So perhaps its not them.. not enough carnage done.

Still not sure here myself as the damage is not that much, could be that they are a bit more careful now as they lost their protection (PTP no longer in power) and know that if people died they would face real punishment. Before they could murder all they want and have the likes of Charlem to protect them.

outstanding analysis, when you have a spare minute pop along to Police HQ and inform them, especially the bit about PTP's armed terror wing. They may not have worked that one out.

Thought we had been spared drivel like this after the glorious 22nd.

I am a baker and occasionally make pitta bread and Turkish flat bread for customers, sells well. As the above poster's recipe but I add some olive oil and a small amount of sugar.

The secret is not too much yeast, about 5gm per 1kg of flour. Use cheap old AP flour as well, just as good.

I bake them on hot stones in the oven. You can fry them too if you wish.

You can clean that thing as much as you like..............Makes nooooooooooo difference........

you stick in your own golden motoring decade, some of us live in more modern times. Jeez at one time I thought you actually new something about the motoring industry too.

wash and oil mine up every 6 months, you be surprised how much dust gets washed out. This is in a Vigo truck. Pick up a copy of any Thai pickup truck performance mag, plenty for sale these days.

http://www.knfilters.com/air_filter.aspx