bellagrego

I think Mom is dead on in her assessment of her daughter marrying a falang and the view of her peers and her daughters peers. Face is everything here. Big face most of all. If you are honest with yourself, you will concur with mama's position. Unless your girlfriend is a butt ugly pompui, quai, why else marry you or me , or any over the hill, westerner.

Gee, maybe the cash, you think. By the way, just so you know. I would put the gals on Thai Love Links at a 50-50 chance of being prostitutes as I personally have prepared their profiles and photographs for your consumption. Pro bono, I might add. They, at least the Esaan women, are great gals and loyal as well. Forget the cash payments to mom, do a few months with that gal before making the plunge. When YOU are ready, hang a baht of gold on her and take her and her family to a nice dinner. Best of Luck. I am in my fifth year with a good Esaan woman.

As you can see, It's a mixed bag of opinions without any definitive answer. It all depends on how the local police played it, if at all. Primary coverage for insurance is the responsibility of the lessor in most cases with the lessee being responsible only for the deductible. About 2-3K baht or less on first class insurance. In your case, who knows, maybe third class and no theft coverage and you signed for total responsibility of any and all losses. Bottom line, read your contract, if there was one. If no contract you don't owe a baht, much less 10K baht, or God forbid, 30K baht. Way too much emphasis placed on the police doing anything. They don't give a crap, just want some cash for their services. I would have no problem returning here at all.

Been there, done that for 4 years in Pattaya.

Watch the lease, it's all in the favor of the landlord. You will see little or none of your deposit returned. Keep it as low and as short as possible, Don't pay two months rent deposit or walk away. Houses have security risk due to location and poor watch dogs. Transportation cost and time is a factor. Jomtien is Ok but out and away from the mainstream and a little pink for my taste. Those tiny little houses in the villages are way too close together and the noise factor is severe at times. If you don't know Pattaya, don't do a lease at all. Just do a month to month and survey the area to find your spot. Start out around Carrefor on Central look behind it , new condos, guest houses, etc. Try down on soi 9 off central as well. Nice folks , low rent. Down in Nakula very nice and reasonable off the beach near soi 12-18. good hunting

I just renewed a retirement visa at an immigration office that is not in the area of my official residence. So much for the new rules and directions. Bottom line, I think each office makes it's own calls and as usual there is little adherence to blanket rules and regulations. As long as you have some supporting documentation as to where you reside and that matches your immigration office location there should be no problem. Smaller is better and Bangkok is a zoo.

I have researched your issues as well as paid for legal advice on the same issues. My opinion, based on that is that any investment here in Thailand is a gamble and that there is no safe haven nor instruments of paper that will protect you, your property or your Thai company. The political system and the laws are in constant flux without clarity nor direction and not likely to change. As far as trust of a nominee, I think that is completely out of the question. My personal real estate, buildings and property here are a write off and I have accepted that should my relationship here deteriorate and I depart Thailand. Good luck, be prudent , be careful, and forget about recouping any money.

I don't think I have ever seen such a pile of quai poop in one place. The writer, a well educated, make that , AMERICA educated, social elitist, doesn't have a clue about American politics outside his minuscule sphere of travel. His diatribe, endless clutter of references, speaks volumes of his limited understanding of US positions and his historical references are way off as well. Quite simply, Americans, of which I am one, don't think or consider Thailand at all. Thailand is a non issue and has no influence anywhere except in it's own sphere. Thailand is currently viewed as a "Banana Republic", playing in the fields of democracy. Endless coups, corruption, and a military controlled government, do not lend themselves to a lot of respect from the west. As to the historical reference, we share one unique connection. I would like the writer to take his education to the people and stand for election as he may hold the answer to the endless conflict within this nation. I like his overblown style and rhetoric.

Like the rest of Esaan and our host , Thais, When in Rome. Eat , sleep, boom.

50k baht budget with 20 left over each month usually. Have a new house, a paid for 2yr old nice truck, same for the scooter.

life is good in the neighborhood. Few expats in Sakon but nice guys, mostly Brits that I see in our only bar twice a week.

This life is not foe everyone but it is good and rewarding for me to make my small contribution to a Thai family.

A total crock of Quai poopoo. 3G just a dream. Internet blocked by greedy politicians and infighting over whose brother gets the licenses as usual.

DTAC web dial up from Pattaya is just barely OK, same for AIS. I have both and switch as needed all over Thailand. No other portable alternatives.

Hardlines slow to acquire and costly. Sattalite or those other bandits unreliable. Welcome to Thailand.

Been there, done that, on most every beach in Thailand. I like the simple areas around the Cambodia/Trat border and a boat ride will take you to Shinookville, fantastic beaches, cheap, and very few tourist. 10 bucks or less a night. The area north of Hua Hin is my favorite,. Miles of near deserted beaches, few vendors, and 15 buck ac rooms 5 miles from town. Just pick your area and you will find unlimited choices. A busride to nearly everyplace and then rent a scooter will do the trick. Good hunting.

ps. Phuket out and away from patong is a joy. Near Hawaii quality views and a chalet for 20 bucks overlooking the southern most bay. Above patong 10k nearly as beautiful.

Did you ever consider that your sport of choice is NOT played in Thailand nor followed by the masses. As nice as it is to see white guys grubbing in the dirt, the interest is limited to a tiny, infinitesimal , audience. No commercial sponsorship the result. Get a grip and watch the insane madness of the like watching paint dry, sport of the unwashed, Football, or as you say, soccer. GOAL GAOL GOAL .

I just finished up an Esaan wedding last week. Every situation has it's own story. Each couple makes the decision how it goes. Monks, lay monks or no monks. We had a lay monk. Low cost, and her and village choice. If you are loaded, get nine monks and have bigface as they say up here. The ceremony was beautiful, simple, and required two venues as it started in one house and ended in the other. Depends on the couple and families. The big deal, the party, is all about controlling bigface expenditures,. Learn how to say no and limit your liability. Don't blow big baht for bigface,. Pick a number and draw the line. When the beer, and Thai whisky runs out DO NOT BUY MORE, and then the freeloaders will go home, not until then. I stopped at a modest 10000, fed the mutitudes and flowed a lot of leo beer. Everyone was happy. The other house sis about the same money and that party went 24 hours. So, watch yourself, enjoy the experience and don't be another ATM. Sounds like you have a good woman and a good situation,m as I do . best of luck.

Insane Brit, It's been done before and it is all documented by the demented Brits online. Here are the sad facts. The cost exceeded 10000 pounds not including the 5000 customs deposit for import of the car. They tried to donate/give it away, and that was an another 5000. finaly shipped it home for 2000, cheaper. The pitfallls were monumental. Must have resident driver inside China. via China tourist agency. Paper work over the top as well as the cost. Forget about the trip itself ,which borders on white knuckles non-stop. I, too, dream of such adventures and have done some crazy shit all ready but the cost for this is beyond my means. I live here, have a Thai truck in my name, and it is a major undertaking , just to go to Laos or Cambodia., I estimate you could fly your family first class twice for the price of your dream holiday. Good luck, and read the details via a google search for an accurate account.

In addition. There is no shortage of misinformation here and just plain errors. Work permit not required. Sending money out not a problem unless you did not confirm the source. Must have documentation how it got here. Example. Money in via wire transfer to Thai bank. You remove it, pout in another bank, then decide to send it back to your home in Europe. Now you have a problem. Path of cash and source now unidentified and must be proven via deposit slips, books, etc. Don't bounce the money and no problems. They will return it to the funding bank. I have done so more than once. Send your money in here from your home bank and send it back from here to your home bank. Walk in to Bangkok Bank on arrival with the visa and the certificate of residentcy from immagration and its a walk.

HSBC International / Offshore / Premier:

http://www.thaivisa.com/hsbc

SORRY, WRITER this account is not within the parameters the man is looking for. This account requires a standing balance of 100,000 US dollars. They do have others but niot the premiere advantages., I have HSBC online, Chase online, Bangkok and Krug Thai. The HSBC cannot do all he requires nor can the Krug Thai. Bangkok bank has limited transfer online, like minimal. Chase does it all online but out of his contact range. Best bet, two accounts, Bangkok and HSBC as the interim account .

It ani';t easy to set all this up here.

Currencies, Including the baht, are the most volatile and most difficult to follow and understand. when anyone says with conviction " It will go to 30, maybe 29" they are just speculating, as we all are. Read and follow "JIM RODGERS" google him. He is by far the most knowledgeable on precious metals and currencies. For small fry, like me, I recommend staying out of those markets and diversify your assets, especially your hard assets. Hold dollars, swiss franc and krona long term and stay out of hedgeing all together. As for the overvalued baht. Don't bet on it or hold too much. The dong has devalued, the other asean currencies are under pressure. Thailand will be in a squeeze in 6-12 months.

Sometimes, Common sense is a rare commodity around here. What bs about washing a truck or other silly statements. Certain professions are classified as Thai only and cannot be work permitted., Among them, ARTIST. You simply cannot engage in commerce over here in any of those protected Kings list professions. That is a serious fopar as evidenced by that holiday in Jail and a quick expulsion. I shoot thousands of photos all over Thailand and when asked, do everything pro bono. I would never consider standing in a market selling my work product. I do wash her truck , her motobike , and wash her hair as well.

bella

Pro bono? Well that's against the law, too, Ace. You sound like you think you are a smart guy when it comes to common sense, but you don't even seem to know that the work permit law refers to work, mental or physical, whether compensated or not. If you give your photos away, you belong in jail right beside the poor bastard that sold drawings for a lousy 20 baht -- which IS practically free. So, if you want to knock somebody's common sense on something as stupid as this, check yourself first.

Usually, I just let insults slide but in your case, I will answer your snide, offensive "Ace", remarks in this way. This forum if an opportunity to express one's opinion on a variety of subjects and to share information both of a serious and a humorous nature. When you make personal , inflammatory, attacks on an individual , then you have defeated the purpose of this forum. You suggest, that you are an expert in Thai law and have some experience in translating your obvious English background into Thai jusis prudence. I find that highly unlikely. The other possibility is that you may have experience in the pointing room and actually know first hand what will land you in jail, or at least, give a prosecutor a reason to charge you. Common sense and good judgement are a gift, you obviously, were not, so blessed.

Two bits of debate for you as per your feline suggestion. True, tabby likes small green things that move around but tabby can't go up the wall nor walk on the ceiling , hmmm.

My Thai wife suggest that you select music that is offensive to geckos and they will move out voluntarily. She suggest that bad, nasty rap will do it.

As for me, I recommend the old fashion way. A long stick with a larger flat surface on one end. If you can't reach them resort to a slingshot or a large bore weapon of your own choosing. I have the same gecko problem and have tried all these remedies. They all work, I guarantee it.

Sometimes, Common sense is a rare commodity around here. What bs about washing a truck or other silly statements. Certain professions are classified as Thai only and cannot be work permitted., Among them, ARTIST. You simply cannot engage in commerce over here in any of those protected Kings list professions. That is a serious fopar as evidenced by that holiday in Jail and a quick expulsion. I shoot thousands of photos all over Thailand and when asked, do everything pro bono. I would never consider standing in a market selling my work product. I do wash her truck , her motobike , and wash her hair as well.

bella

Please excuse the rude remarks from Thailand. Your interest is genuine but your level of knowledge about Asian marketing is limited. We would be interested in taking advantage of the new import situation that just started this year, and we have capitol to invest in worthwhile projects. If you have a degree in marketing and Chinese contacts across a large variety of products please feel free to contact me. Bicycles , electric or otherwise is a saturated market in Thailand. Quality furniture manufacturings, antique reproductions, and similar products have a market here.

bella

Just did the work and research on everything available and purchased an HP mini. The Asus is a poor substitute on either count of processor speed, battery life, and reliability for sure. Check CNET fro reviews and opinions of experts. Just no comparison on quality. The other big seller in that range is equally a piece of crap, the much oversold, unreliable and Chinese produced ACER. Bought one and trashed one of those pieces of garbage already. One year, bad battery, bad connector, bad converter, bad dvd drive. You nsme it, it wass all bad. The Asus, quite simply , is like a plastic toy. On battery life, they all lie. My 6cell delivers near advertised at 5.5 hours on normal usage. You pay your money and take your choice. I am on my third one and hope it outperforms the previous ones and stays in one piece.

Please reconsider your pending marriage for a while. There is no rush. Don't let her pressure you. We all just can't wait to fall in love with the first skirt that gives us a boyfriend kiss. Go slow, take your time. Stay together for five years and then marry her,he is still around. Thailand and Thai marriage is not for everyone. Failure rate high as the USA and just as expensive to end. I am on year five with my unmarried Thai wife and all is well. Remember one quote from a friend. "Honey, I not your girlfriend anymore, I your wife" You can add your own interpretation of that.

good luck and drive slooow

bella

Hey guys up her in Sakon Nakhon. Looking for stuff to do to balance the wild and crazy life of SH. You know, like Lao, Cambodia, Philippine. I like some diversion travel for sport and welcome like minded mongers. I do play golf and tennis as well. PM anytime.

Let's not bad mouth Thai-French beef lest we end up having to eat just Thai beef..

I've been buying Thai-French beef for over four years now.. and have never been disappointed. In a blind side by side taste test I did once, most (all but one) preferred Thai-French fillets over Argentine and US fillets purchased from the same place (Villa) at the same time and prepared exactly the same at the same time..

Thai-French beef is tender enough to be eaten "rare" (center barely warm) with ease.

I'll admit to mostly buying fillets.. Fillets have much less fat than any other cut.. so a small 1" thick fillet a few times a week is still fairly healthy.

I prepare them in a simple way. Wipe them with olive oil, rub in freshly ground black pepper and garlic powder (not salt, any type of salt should only be put on beef AFTER its cooked or the meat gets much tougher), soak them in a red wine base with fresh cut white onion slices and beaten garlic (crunched and munched in one of those Thai stone things) for 30 minutes, and then grilled for 2 minutes per side (for med-rare) at 2100f.

Usually grilling fillets is not recommended.. but at a quick grill at 2100f works out really well. You'll only get this heat from an infrared burner/cooker.. I imported mine from Texas Pit Crafters (you can google it) in Texas..

You'll love them.. a butter knife is all that's required. While not as tender or tasty as US Prime.. they still rate high.

And not to pick on your cooking style.. but you should never marinate beef for longer than an hour. Depending on the base of your marinade the properties can change.. and actually toughen meat rather than tenderizing it. Marinate qualify beef for taste only, not to tenderize. I wouldn't eat any beef that would benefit from a full day of marinating..

One more thing. Unless you have a very dry perfectly temp controlled fridge.. you're not aging meat by just sticking it in your fridge. You're making it more tough. The longest beef should be kept in the refrigerator section is 48 hours. If you won't use them before then, freeze them and slowly thaw them the day before intended use.

The person who posted 85-100% humidity.. for "dry aging" it should be 85% period.. 100% is water.. Too much or too little humidity isn't good. I know some places say 85-100%.. but that's just silly.. Most meat sent to retail butcher shops is packed in plastic bags in their own juices and vacuum packed.. this is "wet aging" and is probably the way Villa gets theirs. Have you noticed each time they break open a new section of beef its in the thick plastic?

Regardless, you can get really sick from beef improperly "aged" at home. Sticking a piece of beef in the fridge at home for long periods of time is more commonly referred to as "rotting."

Dry aging is the absolute best.. but is only used these days on the most expensive cuts of meat and usually must be specially ordered. Dry aging requires very precise refrigeration and monitoring to be successful.. and most homes, even sub-zero equipped homes, just aren't properly equipped.

I used to live in an area where the local farmers and ranchers would slaughter their own beef.. or call a butcher truck out to do the deed and slice it up as ordered. They'd usually wait until fall weather when the temps never rose above 34-35f.. and then hang the two sides in the barn with a cheesecloth covering which they'd keep wet over the next 21-30 days. The butcher truck would stop by, kill the beef, prepare the sides, wrap the internals if they wanted them (seems everyone did.. I guess they eat brains and organs or maybe they turn it into dog food), hang the sides and wrap them in the cloth.. and then show up 21-30 days later and do the butchering.. quite the business..

I have bought a lot of Thai French sirloin and rib eye steaks over the years and have never had a tough one. I buy at the Villa Market downtown BKK. In that aspect, maybe by the time I have bought my steaks, they have been properly aged? I googled aging of beef and due to copyrights am unable to post a quote, however it stated that the aging process is between 21-28 days at 32-34 degrees fahrenheit with relative humidity of 85-100%. Therefore the 3 day aging process is not adequate.

You bought your beef freshly slaughtered and not aged properly, therefore the toughness.

Way off the mark, there grasshopper. Toughness is due to feed, mushy is due to un-aged. Ageing at home is for 3 days open in the refrigerator. I don't question that you have gotten what you consider as good meat from this source but i suspect you may be a Brit and have never tasted a KC steak or anything close. It's all in goof fun so don't start a war with a Yank, we kicked your butts the last time.

Hi, Esaan Beef lovers. Don't get bent out of shape if you have a different view than the one I am going to report here. Food and suppliers are subjective and we all have opinions. First , let me say, I heard many positive reports about this hidden jewel bef supplier in , should I say,m out 10K from Sakon Nakon. After six months and many querries , I found a nice guy,m from America, that could actual give precise directions to this hidden from view, signed in Thai, purveyor of beef, of sorts.

I hopped on my trusty scooter and found it this time. Down the new fresh concrete, around the curve and up to the place to find that prime/choice/good as Aussie beef. Easy as pie, there is was, butchering in full view non-stop on some red meat. Checked the cleanliness that was disable and all looked OK. Checked the menu and prices. higher than a cat's ass I might add. Filet at 1000, ribeye, 700, sirloin 400. That is gross per kilo. Regardless of my budget I reached deep and bouht two nice ribeyes and 2 sirloins. That was 100baht out the door on order. The meat was cut and I was aghast at the lack of trimming. The ribeyes, double tail on would experience a 50% loss in fat and grissle as well as another 20% in excessive,non aged overwet presentation. That worked out to about a small fortune in baht each. Going with the only game in town premis and the high reports I had been given, I took my fresh kill home and proceeded to prepare properly the steaks. Three days of ageing, one day of marinate and then they were ready to go. Sorry to say, the end result, after all that baht and all that work was dismal at best. The finished product was tough, stringy, and unfit to be called beef. In fact, it appeared to be on the hoof about 8-9 months till slaughter and the feed, wild range grass with rice husk. what should one expect under those growing conditions. Bottom line.

This is Thai meat, tough and rough, not USA corn fed, not Auzzie quality either. Save your money, forget steak in Thailand except a trip to Brunos or MataHari in Pattaya, or a high dollar hotel in bangkok. Eat the pork, It is far better in quality and cheaper too. Makro, Tesco, and Big C, as well as the local markets kill daily and a prime filet is as good as it gets.

bella