cheynewalk

Just wondering if it would be possible to run a bar not for profit,but more as a break even proposition. More for the expat who has sufficient independent income and would just like a hobby/interest to occupy himself and be able to socialise and chat with customers.

Something with a minimum of stress and a bit of fun. If you were working on this type of business model you could probably pay your staff more and charge less for drinks. Has anybody ever tried this?

The Mad Dog Saloon (with the emphasis on "Mad") would certainly be an appropriate place for such a club, if my previous experience there was anything to go by.

Just wondering if there are any non-drinkers out there that regularly enjoy the bars and nightclubs in pattaya? Do you find any stigma attached to just sitting there nursing a soft drink? Do the girls think you're a bit of a cheap charlie? Are soft drinks just as expensive as beer in the bars?

Was planning a visit and trying to cut down on my drinking at the moment for health reasons.

A couple of points in relation to this story. The girl was genuinely ill, there was no doubt about that. My mate volunteered to give her the money, she never hinted or asked for the money, it was a spontaneous act of generosity on his part. So there was no premeditated scam involved.

If she had just spent the money unwisely that would have been the end of the matter and my friend could have shrugged it off. But, she decided she now had a benefactor whom she had a right to continue to harass for more money. That's what hurt.

It appears that for some people, once you help them they think it is their right to continue to receive your charity.

A friend of mine recently related a tale of woe after he tried to help out a young lady who worked in his regular massage shop. There was no funny business involved with the girl and he only went there for his regular foot massages.

He had been going there regularly for the past 6 months or so and developed a friendship with this girl who usually provided his foot massages. She seemed to be hard working, with a bright, friendly personality and he used to tip her generously as he knew she sent money back to her family in Issan.

Over the past couple of weeks he noticed this girl hadn't been there very often and upon inquiring, the other girls explained she had been sick lately. The next time he saw her for his massage she didn't look well at all and he asked her what was wrong. She said that there was something wrong with her blood (he couldn't figure out what) and the doctor said she needs medicine and complete rest for a month. Of course she couldn't afford to do that and my mate, after a short chat with her about finances, gave her 5,000 baht for her rent, food and medicine so she could take off the month and have a complete rest. He liked the girl and thought it a good opportunity to help someone less fortunate.

Anyway, this was last week and just today he went to his usual shop for his regular foot massage and after he finished, the girl he had lent the money to was waiting for him. He realised a bit later of course one of the girls in the shop must have phoned her and told him he was back at the shop. She needed to speak with him urgently, so they went off for a coffee and she asked him if he would buy her mobile phone off her for 4,000 baht. He said he already had one and didn't need any more, but she explained she needed the money to pay the rent. The penny dropped then of course and she reluctantly admitted using the money he had given her to buy this new phone and didn't have any money left. He was pissed off to say the least and despite her entreaties refused to buy the phone back from her. Her attitude changed at this point and she then accused him of not helping, he was a bad man and now she would have to sell the phone for less than this at a phone shop. She then told him she would tell all the other girls how badly he had treated her and not to come back to the salon. With that she stomped off leaving him infuriated, flabbergasted and confused.

So now, through an act of kindness, he is not only out of pocket 5,000 baht, but he has lost a friend and is reluctant to return to his favourite massage place for fear of the other girls reactions! I think I know how he will react in future when another Thai asks him for financial assistance.

I knew a 72 year old derro dutchie in the north of bali a few years ago. Married a local girl 18 years of age and actually managed to get her pregnant! He's built her a house and now she only has to wait a few more years until he pops his cloggs and she has the house. Not a bad deal for a local village girl with nothing.

Could anybody recommend a good mid priced thai restaurant (the sort of place middle class thais would go) around 1000 baht for 2 people in the sukhumvit area sois 1 - 15?

It's not really that complicated, how to lose weight. Just remember, there were never any fat people in the concentration camps. However, if someone can come up with the most important ingredient of all, namely motivation (in a pill) they would be a trillionaire.

Easy, cheap piss, pussy and property. Enough said for the majority of expats who come here.

I need to catch an early morning flight from phuket at around 6.00am. Is it easy enough to get a taxi from the beaches to get me there at about 4.00am? Taxi would have to leave karon about 3.00am I suppose. Are there any cheaper alternatives?

Sounds par for the course, at least in the United States as well. 90% of the politicians in Washington are amongst the wealthiest 1% of all Americans. It's little wonder the wealth divide over there continues to increase.

8 million baht invested in a term deposit in australia for 5 years @ 5% (until you get your pension) will yield 400,000 baht per annum. Plenty to live on in chiang mai and you will still have your 8 million baht at the end. No sleepless nights worrying about generating income or security of your money.

To be precise, a person must have lived in Australia permanently in 2 out of the previous 5 years at the time you apply for the pension. If you do not satisfy this requirement, then you can receive the pension, but must reside in Australia for 2 years, before it becomes portable and you can receive it whilst residing overseas.

I was just pondering this topic over a cold Bintang with the owner of the guesthouse where I stay in Bali a few days ago. I know a lot of potential retirees out there on limited incomes often wonder about this themselves.

The guesthouse where I stay has cheapper rooms with just fan and cold water shower for about 1.7 million rupiah ($190 US)/month. They are quite ok with free wireless internet, serviced daily and include water and electricity. There is a communal kitchen around the garden, access to a swimming pool next door, heaps of books to read and 5 mins walk to the beach. If you add on to that say 50,000 rupiah/day ($6 US)for food (eating locally), fruit, water, tea and coffee you have basic daily expenses of around $13 US. Upping that amount to the lofty sum of $20/day would also get you a newspaper, large bintang beer and foot massage daily as well. Not bad for a simple, cheap retirement on the beach.

Of course these are only on the ground daily costs, you would have to add in visas, airfares, health/travel insurance which i would estimate at about $2,000 per annum. So not a bad life for around $7,000 - $9,500/year or $600 - $800/month. Well within the range of most western pensions, I would think.

Basic costs like these are similar for Chiang Mai in Thailand, where I also spend about half my time, though you don't have the beach of course.

Bali is, in my opinion the cheapest beach resort area I have visited in SEA with all the conveniences that go along with that. Just as an example my girfriend and I dined out at a sort of middle class indonesian type restaurant (not tourist) last night. I had a large bintang beer, chicken sates in peanut sauce, nasi goreng with fried salty fish, fried kangkung (a green spinach like vegetable), she a mango juice, whole sliced fish poached in a pungent, spicy broth of tamarind, chillis, ginger and garlic with rice on the side. The price for this delicious filling meal for both of us? 90,000 rupiah, about $10.50 US!

Funny how the English really bag their own country. Actually I quite like England. Beautiful scenery, great pubs, history and culture and one of the world's great cities, London. And at the moment cheaper than Australia. Sure it has its downsides, my biggest bugbear being the weather there. But as far as costs go, traffic hassles and rules, its not much different from other western countries.

I am actually thinking of doing a bicycle tour over there for month in the summer just travelling back roads and staying in country pubs. No big cities or tourist traps

I am, by most measures that determine success in the west a loser. That is why I choose to live in Thailand and other South East Countries. The women, food, drink and accommodation are cheap here.

I happily idle my days away here eating and drinking to excess, watching television, sleeping and cheating on my girlfriends. It is a reflection of my contentment that one of my most pleasurable daytime activities here is the post coital afternoon nap.

It just doesn't get any more positive than that.

Let's face it the vast majority of ex-pats here are losers, wannabees and pretenders. Life's big winners don't come to thailand (including me)

still cheaper to fly air asia chiang mai - bangkok - udon thani return ......... and i believe they will be flying direct soon too, which will blow nokair out of the water

drew aitch,

you exaggerate the importance of exercise in a weight loss regime ............ not that i disagree that exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, however tests have shown over and over again that people who diet only will lose just as much weight as those who diet and exercise ............. i.e when diets are similar, unless someone was engaged in an extremely strenuous exercise regime

At my age i way up the pros and cons of drinking. The only pro i could ever see is the social aspect and how alcohol enhanced those good times. Of course, when i was young this factor overwhelmed the negatives such as health risks, both mental and physical, relationships (although drinking did aid my sex life when i was younger) and the economic factor. Now i'm in my fifties i find the social aspect is diminshing in importance and i can go for longer periods without drinking, or even engage in similar social activities without drinking alcohol. In hindsight, though i had some great times on the booze and met some great people, i wish i'd never started and therefore didn't know what i was missing.

Can you meet good girls here? I mean educated, articulate ladies that would make a partner for someone who is seriously committed. The whores tend to put you off after the usual one night stands.

People choose chiang mai because of the "3 P's" rule. Piss, pussy and property are cheap here.

Yeah, don't worry about until he's dead and then we can all say how sorry we are.

I love food and asian food in particular. Whilst I love Indonesian and Thai food i consider Malaysia the best overall eating place in these parts for variety, quality and price. Where else can you get Indian, Malay, Chinese and Nyonya food in one place and at such affordable prices?

I actually make a point, several times a year of travelling the Melaka - Kuala Lumpur - Penang route (between trips from Bali to Thailand) just to sample my favourite restaurants in these places, and try some new ones too. Malaysia may have its detractors, but I believe you can't go past the cuisine.

Do others have any other preferences?