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GlutinousMaximus
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Posts posted by GlutinousMaximus
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From the mugshot/ID card photo it looks like (s)he is wearing coloured contacts.I'm surprised you're allowed to take an ID photo with fake-coloured eyes - not exactly reliable for identification purposes is it?
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"I've already watched all 4 episodes of 'Game of Thrones'."
admitting to illegally pirating a tv show, good for you. The world needs more thieves and deviants.
How's the atmosphere up there on your moral high horse?The GOT 5 episodes have already been downloaded 5 million times - sure is a lot of "deviants"-
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Roundabouts here seem to cause a "does not compute" reaction among the locals and they go into an infinite loop.It's a bit like that IQ test where you write 'PTO' on both sides of a blank piece of paper...
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Road deaths and other road safety issues COST a country millions - if they get the 5 Es together they'll save a fortune.
Just this once cumgramosalum I'm gonna have to agree with you!
Reducing RTAs makes sound economic sense as well as alleviating the tremendous burden of suffering they cause plus stressing of the family support networks common in LOS.
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Much of China's population is still poor by western standards despite govt spending on infrastructure, so in that respect, theyre a developing country.
As for Thailand, you seem to imply that it's not difficult to implement the laundry list of corrective measures that are so ineffectively enforced in your own country. Who do you think is going to pay for all these improvements in Thailand (extra personnel, training, equipment installation, increase judicial involvement, etc).
You and others on TV complaining about Thailand aren't really looking at the bigger picture but rather have a myopic pov reminiscent of the Tea Party.
Ineffectively enforced in the UK? You're dreaming aren't you, the UK police force is very efficient and has low levels of corruption (at least at the level of traffic officers). It's not even a requirement to have police involvement anymore (for managing speed at least), as automated extended speed cameras are being rolled out over large sections of the motorway network - see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/11375836/Stealth-speed-cameras-to-be-deployed-on-300-miles-of-motorway.htmlAutomated speed cameras soon become self-funding from the revenue they generate.The Thai Highway Police can already afford to drive about in swanky Honda Accords, making a few of them incognito is no great stretch.Even if some of these measures were cherry-picked for Thailand, it would be a start.I'm under no illusion that it's going to happen anytime soon however as there seems to be no will to do so. -
Using the term 'third world country' is a pathetic excuse for negligence. As is stated above, Thailand has had many opportunities to improve and offers of help, and declined. It is the ignorance and insularity of the people, and that is down to a system that, again as mentioned, hides them from reality. We all accept when living in a foreign country ( I have lived and worked in over 20) that we accept their laws and customs. It does seem that we are the only ones that do this. We have every right to comment on matters of personal safety be they actual or potential. The one law that everyone is subject to, no matter where you live is the laws of physics and that seems to target a lot of Thais on the road.
The reality is youre in a country far less developed than your own, and to expect the same level of standards or anything even close is beyond naive if not ignorant. Complaining about everything simply feeds into your negative, close-minded perceptions about Thailand and its people. You claim to have worked in over 20 countries yet appear to lack basic empathy and common sense about the realities of your surroundings.
I for one find Thai drivers very patient if not accommodating toward other motorists. Sure there are aggressive Thai drivers who probably drive recklessly just like anywhere else, but for the sheer amount of scooters, motorcycles, cars and trucks the sharing roads that are often too narrow and not well maintained, it's quite amazing there arent even more traffic accidents that occur.
Thailand is not a 3rd world country anymore and as it's joining ASEAN soon, needs to consider raising its game somewhat. Is China a developing country for example? I don't think you can say that anymore and within 10 years won't be able to say it of Thailand either. A country that is perfectly able to build high-quality road networks (as Thailand is) needs to impose the rule of law for their safe operation so that people and goods from across the wider region can navigate it safely.It ain't rocket science - more stringent licencing requirements, punitive points-based system on licences, speed cameras, enforced drug/alcohol testing at the scene of any accident, unmarked camera-equipped police cars cruising the roadways, stiffer sentences for the most serious traffic offences. Just take a leaf out of the UK's playbook for starters. Even if this was rolled out to the inter-provincial road network initially, it would be a good first step. All of the above are easily within Thailand's gift to accomplish.I used to think the UK had a heavy-handed approach to enforcing road safety (and I speak as someone who's flouted a fair few regs myself), but having been over here and seeing what happens in its absence, I'm all for it. If I ever go back to the UK it's good to know that some boy racer popping an E and getting into his souped up Fiesta now has to think twice about it (thanks to the new drugalysers currently being rolled out).-
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I don't even know what point you're trying to make cumgramosalumThis isn't some dry academic conversation about RTA/RTC stats we're having here. We're in an internet forum for fark's sake - the digital equivalent of a few guys/gals sitting round the bar and chewing the fat about our experiences. Just because they're subjective doesn't make them any less valid.It's self-evident to me (and many other farangs) that the driving in this country is diabolical.TV is used as an information resource by many people new to Thailand or who are considering making the move here, and if just one of them is given pause after reading this or similar threads and thinks, "hey, maybe I should take a bit of extra care out there", then good.I will admit that there is a driving style that one can probably evolve after some time here (as Ace of Pop claims to have done) that minimises one's chance of an accident - I certainly don't pretend to have reached that level of motoring nirvana myself. If I ever get enough money to afford a driver, I will engage one of those even-tempered jai-yen, 50ish Thai dudes you see driving 1980 Toyota Crowns for hotels and the like. They seem to have the measure of things.Nevertheless, I would contend you can still be in the wrong place at the wrong time whatever your skill set. One of the highest-risk scenarios to my mind being a slow truck ahead in the oncoming lane with a queue of chronically impatient, hot-headed bozos behind it waiting to overtake and perhaps just going for it anyway - devil take the consequences. Let's not even get into the maniac bus drivers who do the same thing with impunity because they know they're driving a 10-20 ton vehicle and will crush you if you get in their way. The locals love to go on about 'jai yen' yet that goes out the window once they're behind the wheel.The near misses I referred to previously to run from the gamut of short-hop, relatively slow, around-town journeys where the risks include bumping a bike cutting in front of you, hitting a mentally-challenged young girl dashing in front of your car, running over the wino's foot as he stumbles down the middle of the road, avoiding the car pulling back into the stream of traffic without indicating or giving way, the list is endless and I've encountered all of the foregoing (as I'm sure many others have). Any one of those while probably minor in nature, opens you up to a potential world of hurt: claims, road-rage, BIB involvement etc. A farang friend of mine was doing 10kmh near his house and some kid ran into the side of his car (he believes 'accidentally on purpose'). An ugly scene ensued with claims of compensation etc. and it spooked him enough to go and fit a dashcam.The more serious scenarios happen on the open road - trips of 100km or more at the national speed limit or above and they are often life-threatening.
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Almost every point here is a case of perception (in particular that of a foreigner) over reality.......it is this kind of thinking that clouds people seeing the reality of what is happening on Thai roads
I'm not sure what reality you're referring to.I (and many other posters) have in fact 2 sets of reality to judge by - driving in farangland and driving over here.If a car hits you, it's real-world physics in action regardless of whether you're a Thai or a farang.-
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“Yet both countries have about the same number of RTCs”
Whilst I agree that the collection of stats is highly dubious anywhere and Thailand must rate as one of the worst in this field, if one follows that logic, we have to ignore all stats re motoring. I think the problem lies only partly with the stats themselves and the way they are gathered...it is also the way they are interpreted that is also severely flawed.
As according to some or one set of figures Thailand has the highest death rate per 100 k of population, the general interpretation is that driving in Thailand must be very dangerous. I don’t see this as a naturally logical progression of reason, however I do think it is a good indicator of the situation here.
When it comes to counting collisions - I have to say yet again that anecdote is not data, and I firmly believe there is an important factor there. However I know personally that for various reasons in UK, Europe and Australia, that collisions go unreported regularly - largely to avoid massive insurance bureaucracy and possible traffic /vehicle infringements. - Splitting hairs over stats is of course a complete waste of time especially with road safety, where so many, many factors are involved.
There also seems to be a preponderance of people on this and other threads who rather than seriously look into the topic of road safety like to draw erroneous and single-issue solutions based on their own untutored observations......
Some posts are simply “giving examples” this is just silly - telling anecdotes about motoring horror stories that are selected to back up a pre-held view that is at best myopic and can hardly be taken seriously - I could tell similar stories about any country in the world.
People like to blame individuals for what they perceive as bad driving, when the reality is far more complex than that and often they are applying principles that are themselves are quite outdated or ill-informed.
Many posters are also making derogatory assumptions about “how Thais think” - this is both ignorant and racist.
There are 65 million or so people in Thailand and to suggest that you know how everyone thinks is just plain daft.
Another aspect here is that people love to bandy about the word “culture” - when they are in reality just using it as a substitute for their own prejudiced view.
Culture is NOT a static thing, neither are the demographics and attitudes of drivers on Thai roads.
There is one interesting point though that is occasionally touched upon by those who really research Thai culture; check out “Very Thai” for instance. Here they allude to the cultural HISTORY of transport in Thailand and point out that unlike Europe and USA, who in general, graduated slowly from horses and carts to automobiles, Thailand has switched to automobiles vey rapidly (in no more than 2 generations) and not from horses and carts, but from BOATS. If you take time to consider many of the Thai driving ways and more and mays and mights, you’ll see they have a remarkable resemblance to how one pilots a boat on a river.
I wonder why there are no forums like 'My UK M6 horror stories' - it's because nobody has any to share.I've driven extensively in the UK and fairly extensively in Thailand (at least up in the North East). Going by my own experience, I've had hairy / near miss scenarios if not on a daily basis, certainly a weekly one (none that I can recall about driving in the UK). Part of that may be down to infrastructure, UK motorway driving is very predictable for example; intersections are designed with safety in mind, and you don't have the crazy mix of bicycles, mopeds, pedestrians, buffaloes, cows, dogs, ducks etc. that you do over here.I've always felt that driving (in any country) is the most dangerous activity you can engage in. Here, my perception is that the risk is tripled or quadrupled. I'm sure most posters here feel the same - their own real-world experience tells them just how risky driving here is. I haven't seen overturned vehicles by the side of the road on a single journey in the UK - I've seen it here regularly. I live in a medium size town in the NE and have heard several anecdotes (i.e. in the region of 10 or more) of relatives or friends of people in our social network who were injured or killed in serious RTAs, for the UK I can recall one incident and that was 30 years ago.Over here, you have to give the road 100% of your attention - if you're not on your driving A-game, you can bet the other guy won't be. In the UK, you can rely a bit more on the drivers around you if you have a wobbly.As you say, it doesn't do to make derogatory assumptions about the locals, nevertheless judging by the road-going behaviours I see around me on a daily basis, it's hard not to let those experiences colour your view. Some other TV poster started a thread a while back 'Have you changed your viewpoint of Thais and Thailand since arriving' - for me it's a definite yes and it's been the roads wot done it.Culture is NOT a static thing, neither are the demographics and attitudes of drivers on Thai roads.You can say that again - the last thing the locals are on the roads is static!-
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None of it will change until and unless organised measures to curb the carnage come from the top.There is a strong Darwinian selection pressure at work on the roads here. Within 50 years, only Thai dogs that have road-crossing smarts will be alive to pass on their genes, the rest will all be wiped out within a very rapid evolutionary timeframe.Similarly, a certain optimal driving style in humans will mean a higher chance of passing on your genes. I'm not sure what that style is - I'm still trying to work it out on a daily basis!
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I drive a Nissan Teana 230 JS. Maybe he thought he did have "precedence," as you say. I have no figures to back this up, but my gut feeling is that SUV drivers tend to be more aggressive here.
Also, depending on the tint of your windows, he may not have realised you were a farang (I'm presuming that you are) and so to him you may have represented a socially inferior local that was giving him attitude hence his anger.I have the feeling that social patterns of status deference are carried over and even magnified once people are in their cars (depending on the model they drive).The above is of course all conjecture, but it's one possible interpretation. -
Too many Whingers, who haven't driven in other crazy countries.Its not that bad, just play the cards your dealt.
It is that bad. Every time I take to the roads, I feel more and more like it's only a matter of time before I'm involved in an accident. The more you drive, the higher the likelihood. You could be pottering along minding your own business and BLAM!, an oncoming genius decides now is a good time to overtake. I've seen it happen and it's only because I've noticed and swerved out of the way in time that I've lived to tell the tale. There's something particularly concerning about the strange mix of behaviours we see on the roads, the supreme (misplaced) overconfidence, aggression, disregard for consequence of one's actions, lack of forward planning, lack of spatial awareness, lack of basic road skills and let's not forget general dopeyness all the while in charge of powerful 3-litre turbodiesel vehicles. Let alone the strong possibility of alcohol and/or crystal meth added into the mix for good measure. I still can't get get my head around what kind of thought process makes it OK to just join a fast moving stream of cars from a smaller soi without even looking for flip's sake! (seen it done time and time again). I'm speaking from experience about driving on fast single and dual carriageway roads up here in the North East; perhaps it's better in BKK where speeds are limited because of constant logjams and drivers tend to be a bit more savvy from what I've seen.
Just look at the RTA ranking stats by country - they don't lie.
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You are presuming, or at least insinuating quite a bit. I had my signal on, and I slowed down. I had the right of way, period. And yes, with millions of miles driven I have had some oops moments (I would like to know who hasn't). I have only caused one accident, and that is because I did not notice the rain turning to ice (27 cars had accidents in a three mile stretch, but still, I was at fault and caused $300 of damage to the car next to me).
I did not get upset at his initial action. Stuff happens. I merely went on my way. I posted because the guy found a place to turn around, then drove over a kilometer to chase me down and stop me. So please, pray tell, how is that speaking of entitlement and arrogance? How is that me somehow being imperialistically upset with a lack of respect? Because I am in Thailand, I should accept blatant aggression that could have turned ugly had I not scooted around him and gone into my mooban? Your logic escapes me.
I hear you Bonobo, but "right of way" doesn't appear to be a readily understood concept over here from what I've observed. If anything, it's "might of way" and your aggressive driver was in a SUV so maybe figured he took precedence (not sure what you were driving?), plus there's often the status baggage that seems to go with driving an expensive Fortuner or whatever it happens to be.Just try going round one of the few roundabouts here to witness the complete confusion about who has priority - everyone just creeps forward really cautiously. -
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Learning to drive in the West has a "highway code" a way of doing things, rules, an order, one which we learn and expect from others almost instinctively. Those same rules are ingrained into us and thats , all be it, subconsciously, how we expect other motorists to behave around us. Thats where the issues arise, because they have little or no real highway code here, atleast not one that appears to be followed and it ends up a "free for all". Thats when you see things coming at you the wrong way, no lane discipline, under-taking and a whole host of other issues and events that just wouldn'tbeen deemed acceptable by a "trained" driver as most here are not.
As for the confrontation and aggression, to me, it takes more of a man to keep cool and not react, than to react and probably regret it. The last road rage incident I re-call was in the press where the Thai-airways pilot was shot at several times on the highway over an incident. Then you have the ever increasing "yabba" influence here and the fact there is little gun control and it could lead to a deadly end.
I dont know the full circumstances of the Op's altercation, but I do know he acted in a very sensible and appropriate manner for this country and hope others learn "how to handle it" from his post.
Be safe people, your life is worth more than an idiot making a wrong turn/move.
I agree 100% with this.The major problem I'm always struggling with is my own inbuilt assumptions (mostly automatic) based on driving experience in the West:- Of course that car is going to stop, he has a red traffic light showing on his side
- That couldn't possibly be a 13 year old girl driving the car
- There's only 20 feet between me and the car in front, there's no way that the guy on the left is going to try and cut into the space
- I'm coming up to a sharp bend, of course there won't be an oncoming car from the opposite direction in my lane
- etc. etc.
Even if you can adjust your own mindset sufficiently, there is always a strong risk you're at the wrong place at the wrong time and a car hits you through no fault of your own. You may be "in the right" but that does no good if you're injured or dead.A good driver is mentally modelling the future 2-3 seconds out, what happens if that car pulls out etc. etc. - I see very little of that out here. Contingency is also crucial - e.g. the 2 second rule. You can ignore if it you like, but you run out of options when things go wrong.My craziest experience? I was in the overtaking lane of a 2 lane highway, saw a car coming up behind me very fast and at that point I couldn't pull in again as there was slower traffic on the left. At that point in the road, there was a u-turn lane space on my right, he swerved past me, into the u-turn lane, then back into my lane, all at very high speed. If I'd failed to notice him and accelerated sharply as he was just behind me, he'd have run out of road space. If a car was turning into our lane and had their nose poked out a bit too far (as they often do), he would have crashed and burned and probably taken me with him. He'd obviously seen all this and rather than making the sensible decision to hit the brakes, he went balls to the floor and executed a manoeuvre worthy of an F1 driver - cutting it extremely fine indeed.I've also been keeping a mental straw poll - who are the more aggressive drivers, the men or the women? Based on the percentages I see on the road out here in the sticks, it seems to be 80% of cars are driven by men, and they are the most aggressive.-
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Awww...so cute, I almost wouldn't mind getting run over by it...
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Living on 5,500 Baht a month is never advertised as being " easy " but it is for me as i am highly trained to live like this.You have to be the type of person who can live a nice lifestyle and be happy on little money! Remember that i do Not drink,i don't smoke and i don't go to bars! and the most important thing is " I am single " I am not materialistic in anyway at all! I am outdoors every day enjoying the sun.There are always extra costs involved.The other thing is that i walk everywhere! I love it! and i love walking in the sun! Motor bikes and baht buses are for " lazy people " i am 51 in a few days and like to keep fit by " swimming and walking " It's just normal for me to walk at least a journey of 5 km ( probably most of you would catch a baht bus or use a motorbike ) Have you ever thought how much money you waste by going to a 7 eleven? ( i don't need to go to a 7 eleven ) I eat fresh food everyday ( mainly cooked by myself ).I own 4 t shirts and 2 shirts and a couple of pairs of shorts.I haven't bought any clothes for years! I am not here to impress anybody ( also it should be noted that this is Thailand and not Montecarlo ...) My visa is all correct ( i do not do " visa runs " they are only for tourists! ) For long distances then i take the train ( cheap and a fabulous way to travel! ) Pattaya to Bangkok only 31 baht ( 4 hours - oh and i am not in a rush to go anywhere....) Back to eating and my best " investment " was buying a small " rice cooker " for 200 baht ! i use it every day and buy my own " good quality rice " ( much nicer than the cooked rice in the markets )
I also have lots of hobbies such as " photography,walking,swimming and sunbathing " so i spend most of my time outside.Evenings indoors ( i don't watch much TV ! last night i watched my first movie this year!!! ) I like peace and quiet and i am laid back but i am " ridiculously eccentric " - The Thai kids in the soi find me fascinating ( although the adults are not quite so enthusiastic .......)
I have been living over seas for almost 25 years ( a 25 year holiday is not bad hey viewers..? ) but if it all goes " Pete Tong " ( wrong ) for me in Thailand ( financial reasons ) i guess i would have to return to the UK.If i did it would be a great shame because i genuinely enjoy a great lifestyle and a happy one on 5,500 baht a month !
God Bless you all viewers!
Farang Jaidee
(sorry for empty post above - finger trouble)It's good to know that if the sh*t really hits the fan (financially speaking), that it's possible to get by relatively comfortably on so little. There are also sound ecological reasons to live like this - I imagine canarysun's carbon footprint is pretty minimal for example. There's a growing interest in the West about this kind of low-impact living with a focus on reduction, re-use and recycling.There's also a strong tradition of frugality in Thailand (they have to be to survive), so we're in good company. Up in the North East where I am, the whole family gets around on a Honda Wave 100 S (the steed of champions) and they live in what is essentially a garden shed on stilts. They are adept at living off the land and a lot of small farmers live year-round on the rice from their small plots with somtam made from freely available ingedients and a bit of protein, some of which they forage for (frogs, bugs,rats,snails,crabs etc.). They also use natural products extensively for packaging, clothing and even housing in some cases.In the UK, the average state pension is around 400 GBP per month (which is challenging to live on in the UK), but a lot over here (20K a month) - canarysun would feel positively wealthy! I also like the look of those Thai long-stay retirement type places if I start going a bit ga-ga - lots of nurses in crisp white uniforms. All very affordable and definitely beats living out your days in front of a single-bar electric stove in Clacton!-
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Living on 5,500 Baht a month is never advertised as being " easy " but it is for me as i am highly trained to live like this.You have to be the type of person who can live a nice lifestyle and be happy on little money! Remember that i do Not drink,i don't smoke and i don't go to bars! and the most important thing is " I am single " I am not materialistic in anyway at all! I am outdoors every day enjoying the sun.There are always extra costs involved.The other thing is that i walk everywhere! I love it! and i love walking in the sun! Motor bikes and baht buses are for " lazy people " i am 51 in a few days and like to keep fit by " swimming and walking " It's just normal for me to walk at least a journey of 5 km ( probably most of you would catch a baht bus or use a motorbike ) Have you ever thought how much money you waste by going to a 7 eleven? ( i don't need to go to a 7 eleven ) I eat fresh food everyday ( mainly cooked by myself ).I own 4 t shirts and 2 shirts and a couple of pairs of shorts.I haven't bought any clothes for years! I am not here to impress anybody ( also it should be noted that this is Thailand and not Montecarlo ...) My visa is all correct ( i do not do " visa runs " they are only for tourists! ) For long distances then i take the train ( cheap and a fabulous way to travel! ) Pattaya to Bangkok only 31 baht ( 4 hours - oh and i am not in a rush to go anywhere....) Back to eating and my best " investment " was buying a small " rice cooker " for 200 baht ! i use it every day and buy my own " good quality rice " ( much nicer than the cooked rice in the markets )
I also have lots of hobbies such as " photography,walking,swimming and sunbathing " so i spend most of my time outside.Evenings indoors ( i don't watch much TV ! last night i watched my first movie this year!!! ) I like peace and quiet and i am laid back but i am " ridiculously eccentric " - The Thai kids in the soi find me fascinating ( although the adults are not quite so enthusiastic .......)
I have been living over seas for almost 25 years ( a 25 year holiday is not bad hey viewers..? ) but if it all goes " Pete Tong " ( wrong ) for me in Thailand ( financial reasons ) i guess i would have to return to the UK.If i did it would be a great shame because i genuinely enjoy a great lifestyle and a happy one on 5,500 baht a month !
God Bless you all viewers!
Farang Jaidee
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If the 20 litre containers are not for you, you can buy 1 litre bottles of local RO water in stores (from memory they are around 5B per litre). They are the milky-coloured plastic bottles you see in the fridges and have more of a rounded neck (typically with dark blue writing printed on the front).
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I tried drinking the water here pattaya by using a steripen after killing the viruses.
The water tastes awful, tastes like sea water. yuck.
Any options for getting cheap water or am I stuck with the 13 baht 1 liter bottles.
You can get 20-litre containers of RO water delivered for 10-12 baht each so that's around 50 satang per litre. I drink it all the time - it tastes fine and no ill effects I've noticed. First time you buy one, you'll need to pay a deposit of around 100B for the big plastic container (which I presume is refundable). Then when it's empty, you just exchange the empty one for a full one (plus the 10-12 baht).
You can also get metal dispensers that the water containers sit in (around 200-300B) which pivot so you can pour the water out easily without hefting a big heavy container all the time (available in homeware stores).
You'll see the delivery pickups around and about as they are regularly delivering to other places in the area.
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Hear hear canarysun and the OP!
I'm married, so any idea I might have about frugal living is purely academic...but what's wrong with having possibly limited funds and maximizing your free time?
Let's say you've amassed 25K GBP or 40K USD (not that hard to come by back in Farangland), then using canarysun's advanced budgeting skills, you could live on that over here for 10-20 years.
During that time you've no overheads to worry about and your sweet time is purely your own to do whatever the hell you want with.
We've all taken 4 billion plus years to arrive at this particular moment (courtesy of Darwinian evolution) and our time on the planet is but a brief blip so why would you want to spend it looking at spreadsheets all day or laying tiles or whatever else it is you do to to make your funds back home. Arguably most (or all) work is simply a contract involving selling your precious time for hard cash, and who can blame people for wanting to minimise that?
With the internet (courtesy of a free wifi connection) there's so much to occupy one's mind, reading, watching etc. you don't need a lot else.
I think canarysun or the OP should start a blog 'Adventures in low cost living' - I'd be an avid reader!
You are now residing in a country other than your own.
Act accordingly.
That is; integrating within the people, culture, and seeing some of the land.
Canary...budgie, or whatever you are; you don't pursue interests (as indicated) that involve most Thai's (and the majority of Farangs here).......so my question is;
"Why does such a tight arse (backside, in case the "Mods" have their way) even reside here?
CC's, Kee Nok, Kineaw do the rest of us a disservice.
I know two tight <deleted>, and even their "so called" friends and family bag them. We are not friends.
It's ok, you're single. OMG.
It's ok you think......yes, everyone is entitled to live their life the way they wish however, do you not understand that you are regarded to a similar standing as a rat, or thereabouts.
I wish to have my BKK Thai family, community, business relations, hold me in sound esteem.
I think the underpinnings of western society/family wish to instill these values in their children and family.
My guess is; those that are somewhat tightfisted, or economical ( to stay on topic) have a major element lacking I their life.
Why does a man live here on such an economical budget?
You really are just a busted arse Farang in a developing nation (albeit corrupt) that regards you like a rat.
Could someone please begin a post involving Farangs of a better standing.
Please, it's about time.
PM me if you have a problem understanding my post.
Either illiteracy, stupidity, or an upbringing that was somewhat lacking, gave rise to your mediocre at best, lifestyle.
You are now residing in a country other than your own. Act accordingly. That is; integrating within the people, culture, and seeing some of the land.Back home in Farangland, I see wave upon wave of immigration without much 'integration' to speak of. The standard MO for most immigrants seems to be form enclaves of their own and stick firmly within them. We live in a multi-culti world now mate - which means other people have to be tolerant of our ways as well, even if they're frugal!In any case, who's to say that frugal people don't travel or integrate just because they don't have a lot of spare funds? Plus if you're not knackered from spending most of your waking hours doing pointless work trying to keep up with the Joneses, then you've more time and energy to cultivate a wide circle of positive relationships.It's ok, you're single. OMG.Is that an attempt at shaming language? So what if they are single? Some people have already been through the marriage/family wringer (and/or are still paying alimony on the other side) and are now in search of a more contemplative or even celibate life. Even younger people may want to swerve the whole deal (at least for the time being) and good luck to them. Someone who's respectful and lives quietly here is more likely to garner respect among the locals than a cash-waving, skirt-chasing sexpest. Besides, what a great way of weeding out the gold diggers: "Darling, I love you and am happy to give you unlimited quality time and affection. I can however only lavish 100B per month on you"It's ok you think......yes, everyone is entitled to live their life the way they wish however, do you not understand that you are regarded to a similar standing as a rat, or thereabouts.So what does that make the 80% of the local population that also subsist on 5-7K per month?I wish to have my BKK Thai family, community, business relations, hold me in sound esteem.Good luck with that. Let me know how it goes once you're unable to oil the wheels of goodwill with frequent ATM withdrawals.PM me if you have a problem understanding my post.Why on earth would anyone want more of the same? Just reading your original rant-laden post gave me indigestion....-
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Hear hear canarysun and the OP!I'm married, so any idea I might have about frugal living is purely academic...but what's wrong with having possibly limited funds and maximizing your free time?Let's say you've amassed 25K GBP or 40K USD (not that hard to come by back in Farangland), then using canarysun's advanced budgeting skills, you could live on that over here for 10-20 years.During that time you've no overheads to worry about and your sweet time is purely your own to do whatever the hell you want with.We've all taken 4 billion plus years to arrive at this particular moment (courtesy of Darwinian evolution) and our time on the planet is but a brief blip so why would you want to spend it looking at spreadsheets all day or laying tiles or whatever else it is you do to to make your funds back home. Arguably most (or all) work is simply a contract involving selling your precious time for hard cash, and who can blame people for wanting to minimise that?With the internet (courtesy of a free wifi connection) there's so much to occupy one's mind, reading, watching etc. you don't need a lot else.I think canarysun or the OP should start a blog 'Adventures in low cost living' - I'd be an avid reader!
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Thanks for the interesting info Inquisitor.
I'm considering getting 3G at some stage - I may go with CAT 'unlimited' MyClick at 590B a month. In the event I go over the 4GB monthly 3G CAT limit, I'd like to be able be able to top up on a PrePay plan with another provider (e.g. True).
Are the 3G modems typically locked to a particular provider? Or could I buy say a CAT modem and swap in a True SIM if I wanted to do a pay as you go top up? (or by the same token, buy a True modem and use it for CAT 3G access).
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I read this regarding 30-day extensions for 60 day Thai tourist visas:
"A tourist visa can be used to stay in Thailand for up to 30 days or up to 60 days and can be extended by 30 days at the nearest Immigration office. Normally there is a fee of 1,900 Baht (as per 2008-01-17) but until March 31st 2011 they are free."
Source: http://www.thaivisa.com/272.0.html
Is this referring to the 30-day extension being free, or the original 30 or 60-day tourist visa being free? (I know the 30/60-day visa is currently free due to the fee waiver in place until March 2011).
I have tried googling to find out, but can't be sure - a few snippets I've read here and there would indicate that the 30-day extension is currently being charged at 1,900 Baht.
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Does anyone know if Toyota is planning to release a new 4x4 auto Vigo anytime soon? It's been the same shape for years with very few changes that I know of.
I was at my garage the other day and the dealer said that a model change was coming in June based on the Tundra. He didn't sound very sure of himself though. Does anyone have any news of this or anything else? I want to change mine soon but would be annoyed if a new model came out within months of me changing.
Any information received with thanks..
Sledge
Not sure if it's the 4x4s but one thing I 've heard is that there is a slight tweak coming up for Vigos - basically, the models that are currently 2-door but with seats in the back will have a small so-called "suicide door" option like some of the Nissan Navarra models do - i.e. smaller than a full-sized door, hinged at the back and opening the other way. So - 2 normal doors for the front seats and 2 smaller doors for the back seats.
My Compliments to Local Thai Car Drivers
in Chiang Mai
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