DonaldBattles

Some Thais think you need to screw everybody you can today as there may not be an opportunity tomorrow. They are masters at doing so.

1 hour ago, zaZa9 said:

"Many" means many ...and you are correct.

No need to apologise.

There are many  Thai's who dont like farang  of any type , and plenty who dont even like Thais from other areas .

Theres also plenty of Farang who dislike other Farang enough to wait  watching their pc's , finger poised and ready to attack them , as soon as they post on Thaivisa..555

Its a human condition ... 

Some Berks who would  claim they dont  ''know any Thais" like that are to be commended.

I too dont wish to know any Thais like that either.

Nor Farangs.

But many exist.

When you disagree or question something how many times have you heard " you will never understand Thailand or Thais why don't you go back where you came from". Finally I told my wife that after living in 9 provinces for 35 years and two years in the university learning everything Thai I responded with this. You are right what I don't know I don't need to know. I still don't understand why they dislike farangs so much. Without us who would they cheat?

I met two farangs in Luang Prabang that moved from Thailand there 6 years ago. They said they would never moved back. No big shopping malls and supermarkets but a beautiful city with wonderful people. Everyplace you go you gain something and give up something. I would like to try living in Luang Prabang for a few months but I am to locked into Thailand. Many Laotians come to Thailand to do their shopping.

Think that Hanoi is the future of night entertainment in big city Vietnam. However, a lot of smaller cities already have great night time entertainment. From the internet, it looks like the sex trade may have broken out all over the country. Beautiful girls everywhere. Nov. and Dec. Air Asia has B1000 flights from Bangkok. Economically, Vietnam is on the move with a GDP of 7.38. Good business opportunities. Still below other Asian countries.

3 hours ago, DonaldBattles said:

 

 

I recently completed a 200km drive in Laos all of the roads are bad with big and deep pot holes filled with water. RECOMMEND YOU WAIT AND GO IN JAN. WHEN THE ROADS ARE BETTER. The 18 wheel Chinese trucks have destroyed the roads on the way to Vietnam.  The turn east at Luang Nam Tha. There are many of them. The Chinese cars also are all over the middle of the roads. A bad scene. However, I think that Luang Prabang is one of the most beautiful cities in Asia and well worth a 3 day visit. Remember this was the capital of French Indochina for 200 years.

Should have been 2000 km trip not 200. I started working in Laos in 1990 and fell in love with the wonderful people. I always enjoy visiting. I am fluent in Thai so it was not difficult to learn about 50 Lao words to communicate.

On 8/1/2018 at 6:09 PM, bluesofa said:

From reading the newspaper we can't mention, this seems to be linked to the fact the 'new-improved' 1-metre dual-track railway is soon (this century maybe) to be built, from Den-Chai across to Chiang Rai and finishing at this border post at Ban Huak.

 

I noticed tunnel digging at Boten Laos where the train is coming though. As the Chinese are building the railroad it will be OK. They also branch off to Vietnam to haul their freight for export. The number of trucks the currently are using is destroying the highway in Laos. Recently on a long trip in Laos I did notice that their were Chinese manufacturing firms lining the highway rom Boten to Luang Nam Tha.

On 6/2/2018 at 4:43 PM, tomas557 said:

That must be either ages ago or very old stock. 3 litres of mont clair is now 1115 baht.

23 hours ago, Proboscis said:

Not the best time of year to be driving a bike on the roads in Laos. In the rainy season, the road to Louang Prabang can get washed away but that is not your biggest problem, which is the lack of visibility and the lack of skills of the local drivers. I have driven in many parts of the world and the only place where I have been really frightened by the lack of care has been on the main roads in Laos. I used to drive a bike in Vietnam but I stick to a four wheel drive in Laos.

I recently completed a 200km drive in Laos all of the roads are bad with big and deep pot holes filled with water. RECOMMEND YOU WAIT AND GO IN JAN. WHEN THE ROADS ARE BETTER. The 18 wheel Chinese trucks have destroyed the roads on the way to Vietnam.  The turn east at Luang Nam Tha. There are many of them. The Chinese cars also are all over the middle of the roads. A bad scene. However, I think that Luang Prabang is one of the most beautiful cities in Asia and well worth a 3 day visit. Remember this was the capital of French Indochina for 200 years.

Take a close look at Hanoi I think the night life there is better and cheaper. LOTS OF IT!

Do not attempt to go to Luang Prabang entering Laos from Nan Province. The road is impossible and land slides.

The Chinese Government had the balls to ban trow away plastic bags 6 years ago. Reusable bags are available for sale in all stores in China. When will the Thai government get smart and do the same?

Warning to those traveling to Luang Prabang Laos. Do not enter from Nan Province as the road is very dangerous and almost unusable.

A little off post but my wife is trying to find some black and white kittens around 3-4 months old. If anyone knows contact me at Email [email protected] or phone 081 894 6401.

Does anyone have information on the scheduled completion of the Chiang Rai bypass road and bridge.

New  boxes of Montclair are now 3 liters for B995. It is the desire to keep Thais from eating or drinking anything imported. They protect the foreign reserves. With 420% import tax on rot gut you are not getting much value. Last time I was there Tachilek in Burma dos not have any box wines.

Somethings  here will never change.

After having lived here 34 years in 9 provinces I am convinced that nothing will ever change in my lifetime.The four different languages represent 4 different cultures and is almost impossible for the average Farang to understand. I spent one year 5 hours per day in the university in Bangkok learning everything Thai. The longer I stay here the less I know. My wife tells me that I don't understand Thailand and culture. Guess she is right. After all of these years what else is there that I need to know?

I have lived and worked in 9 provinces in Thailand over 34 years. Why would you assume that I have lived in the same house all this time. The screens in my house in Chiang Rai are 5 years old and in good shape. The mess holes in the screens are large enough for a mosquito to crawl through.

This year is worst I have seen it in 34 years. The mosquitoes can get through the holes in the window screens. 

Makro Chiang Rai and Tops Chiang Rai no longer has box wine. Tops has some box beer. Also, I am told that across the border in Mae Sai they have no box wine. God only knows what the crazies are up to. I will try some Lao Khao with a lot of grape juice on my wife and will let you know if it works. After the first glass I think she will like it. 420% tax on wine is not enough.

47 minutes ago, sceadugenga said:

OK, so you turn right at the Airport road intersection.

 

Thanks for that.

It is my thinking that the government has not bought off the road from the contractor and will not do so until it is finished per contract. In the meantime, the contractor does what he wishes as it is still his road.

9 hours ago, sceadugenga said:

The trucks carrying filling to the new ring road have torn it up badly, it got a patch up consisting of a couple of inches of new tar/bitumen in places last year but it needed a complete make over.

To my understanding there are 12 contractors on this job. They sure spend a lot of time dicking around. If they tear it up faster than they build it then it may never be finished. I thought they would finish by the end of the year but now god only knows when they will finish.

On 4/18/2018 at 6:46 AM, sceadugenga said:

The road under the new bridge at the 1211 intersection is poorly laid out, arriving from either direction you have two lanes at the lights then have to immediately merge to the left lane in the distance of a few meters  if you're not turning right, a very awkward maneuver.

This road is poor and needs major repairs. The design was done on a paper napkin.

On 2/26/2018 at 10:52 AM, boomerangutang said:

Don, you're older and wiser than I, but I see this massive construction/expansion from a different angle.  More highways, more people, more buildings/businesses can be seen as progress - to some degree, but it's symptomatic of population growth gone amuck.   This one planet already has about 10 times more people than its carrying capacity, in my opinion. 

 

From a Chinese-type (and Thai-type) perspective, they would like to see cities, end-to-end from horizon to horizon.  Not me.  

 

The population of Chiang Rai continues to grow at a rapid. These are mostly young Thais moving from Bangkok for a better quality of life. Around 16;00 the traffic downtown is horrible. The new ring road will become the new Chiang Rai city. It will take about 10 years to populate. Downtown is miserable and no place to park. I never go unless it is absolutely necessary. In my neighborhood in Doi Hang a few years ago sitting on the front patio I would not see a car for 30 minutes. Now the road going up the mountain is like a free way. New buildings and houses in many directions. Once the new train and 4 lane road from Chiang Khong are finished it will bring more people . Road construction is well under way. Still waiting for the Chinese to finish the RR in Laos and then in Thailand.

I think the road and bridge will be finished by the end of the year. There is a 4 way stop near me where they have spent a fortune on. Could have been done easier with a four way stop sign.