ThailandLovr

Stating the obvious, a person with TEAS is not happy, pure and simple. This could be for reasons discussed here and others not yet mentioned. If an expat's life in Thailand is not fulfilling, for whatever reason, how could he be happy? In fact, unless he could suppress all emotions, how could he not have some degree of TEAS?

For older expats already retired, and facing daily boredom the realization that "this is the way it is going to be from now on (indefinitely)" can be a major downer. Especially after the first couple of year honeymoon with their new life in Thailand has passed. Maybe the new gf/wife isn't quite as exciting as before (boredom in the bedroom). Maybe not being able to identify a hobby similar to one previously had in the West. Maybe feeling trapped here, for any number of reasons and in any number of ways, but feeling unable to make the difficult but necessary changes. Maybe the adjustment to life on a fixed income which allows considerably less free spending. Maybe the boredom has revealed a degree of underlying clinical depression masked by many prior years of stimulating times in one's occupation or otherwise.

There are so many "maybe"s .. endless...and many of them valid sources of TEAS.

I remember reading in the book "West with the Night", the author, Beryl Markham, an aviatrix said "boredom is the worst possible fate" (or something similar) as she complained about cockpit boredom as she flew hour after hour alone. I haven't forgotten her words. Reducing or eliminating boredom, if present, is a must do for all us expats.

There can be another complicating dimension to this issue for some of us on SSDI. That of perhaps having a Representative Payee, as I do, who actually receives the monthly benefit. I have been here more than two years now and have always reported correctly (via the annual RP report) my time here or in the States (only about one month each year). SSDI has recently been contacting my Representative Payee about clarification of who actually determines the use of my funds, she or I. It could end up being a major problem for me remaining here. I am trying not to get spooked about it in advance, but methinks there is probably a huge sleeping dog out there.

Furthermore, with the $USD weakening more and with no end in sight, my monthly income has dropped over 7000 baht since last spring and I would need to temporarily borrow money to requalify for the retirement extension.

Has a way of getting a guy down.

Yes I hate people who are constantly negative, moaning, insulting everything Thai, bigoted and trying to spew it to everyone they encounter. But hey, thats just me.

Hey geo, do you know where that poaching pan can be bought in Thailand? Been looking but never see them. Might want to try that also.

I make them, but it's hard to explain--it's kind of a trick. But take a look at this, maybe it will help.

http://www.sallybernstein.com/food/columns...oached_eggs.htm

I have one heck of a time getting them out of the pan without making a mess.

Best of luck.

Well, we tried them tonight for "dinner". Everybody's posts plus Sally's article worked, as ours were almost perfect the first time. Our trick is keeping the heat right because we have a gas burner which doesn't allow for simmering very well.

Now my wife, on a roll now, want to try stewed tomatoes English style. Anybody cooked them before?

Hi

Every time we are in Jomtien Beach we eat at Simple Simon's and order their English breakfast.

They make perfect poached eggs every time, white whites, yolks still liquidy, and of course no grease. My Thai wife wants to make poached eggs for me and I know there is more to it than just putting them in boiling water. Seems to me my Grandma in Canada used to add vinegar or salt to the water. Introduce the eggs to the water before boiling, or after?

Anybody know the secret(s)? Thanks!

It all depends on how much you enjoy your style of living in the States. If you can adapt to the differences, I would say sure, try it for awhile especially if you could return to full time life back in the U.S. 50,000 baht/month is not enough to live high on the hog in Thailand, plus enjoy the ladies which it appears would intend to do unless you live up country and many expats prefer more westernization as the major expat areas offer.

December ATM day coming up for me tomorrow. Sure enough, the USD down more. Only 33.12 per xe.

Down, down, down ... month after month.

Of course no surprise to anybody.

OP, the next time it happens do the following:

After the jerk makes his remark, give him a disapproving look and immediately turn around and walk away. Hopefully your wife will quickly follow suit. If she lingers, even a little, you've got a problem.

BTW, been there, done that with my first Thai wife. Yep, I hadda problem!

I vote first for Chao Lao Beach, then Laem Sadet second. Spent 4 months there this year. Guaranteed you will like Chao Lao. Way better than Laem Mae Phim. Both are near Chanthaburi.

Thanks for tip re Chao Lao and Laem Sadet! Shall check it out. I often go to Laem Mae Phim but it's time for an alternative.

Our favorite resort in Chao Loa Beach. Family owns two across the st from each other. Non-beach side almost brand new:

http://hadtuen.com/home.html

One of my favourite restaurants in Hua Hin is Natta's on soi 88. They serve excellent steaks at supricingly reasonably prices and have also delicious Thai food.

Another favourite is the Vietnamese restaurant Madame Nu located on Petchakem Road between soi 88/1 and Market Village.

I second both of those suggestions stgrhe... especially Natta's! I tried it last month (twice) and had the delicious (295 baht!) fillet mignon steak both times (once with pepper sauce and once with Bearnaise sauce. They were both excellent and the best price in town in my humble opinion for a steak of that quality. My wife had the same steak with a mushroom sauce and it was also good (it's listed on a different page of the menu for some reason). I was intrigued by the size of the menu for a small place like that and there are many interesting items on there I want to try if I can ever go there without getting that great steak.

For those who live in the south end of town looking for something inexpensive and good, there is a new very small restaurant (remodeled recently, new owner) on Soi 116 that is worth a try. The're open for three meals a day (close early though, I think around 8 p.m.) and have full western breakfasts for 95 baht and lots of foreign and Thai dishes at very reasonable prices. It's called Sabai and is on the right side about three hundred meters up Soi 116 (south of town a kilometer or so past the flyover). I've tried the fish and chips and the weinerschnitzel and they were good. The fish and chips is not the usual English style beer batter but the batter used (same on the weinerschnitzel) is good and not dripping with oil like some places. The chips are also not the English style but are the crisp thin French fry style better known in America.

There is also a new bar called the Garden (had their opening night last week) opened on the same Soi (116) across from Sabai and up about 50 meters. It is a nicely laid out place with a new pool table and a good selection of beer, wine, and spirits. I've been there twice, once for their opening night celebration (last week with a free buffet) and another evening for a couple of beers and on that occasion they provided free snacks (chips or crisps in the "Queen's English" and nuts) along with our beers.

Both places are owned by foreigners (or their Thai wives/girlfriends); both Scotsmen I believe.

You whetted my appetite for steak when you mentioned bearnaise sause being available at Natta's, so I think I'll drive down from Cha-am and check out Hua Hin as well, probably staying a night in each city and do a dinner at Natta's also. Do you have a recommendation for full English breakfast in Hua Hin also?

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see a recommendation for a good English style breakfast in Cha-am? Hope there is a popular and well liked one. Thanks!

Also, (sorry for off topic) but I would be traveling to Cha-am from Thanyaburi. My map shows dotted lines for Hwy 9 bypassing BKK to the south. Is this OK to travel now or under construction/repair? Thx.

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If he is suffering from manic depressive and/or mental illness - it is NOT something for us to make fun of, and God Bless him let's hope he gets help.

Amen.

And I was only going to wonder about the surf, I went there in June and the beachbreak was pretty good for a bodysurf, went there on Sunday 2 days ago and flat as a tack. Saw a dozen or so farangs riding pushbikes on the esplanade or walking along the beach. I had 25 family with me and no one bothered us, if I did notice any dickheads they were young Thais zooming on their finos or blinged up waves. I did notice however that this rime we were unable to just park our seus above the beach we were sort of rounded into half a dozen deckchairs as well, I dont know how much the missus paid so it cant have been enough to break her budget.

Laem Sing has got mud underneath the sand Laem Sadet is pretty good, Chao Lay the water was a mile away, I haven't been anywhere else, I'd vote Laem Sadet as an option.

I vote first for Chao Lao Beach, then Laem Sadet second. Spent 4 months there this year. Guaranteed you will like Chao Lao. Way better than Laem Mae Phim. Both are near Chanthaburi.

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(nice to see the City has got what it wanted with new (poorer) tourists making up for the unwelcome and departed longstayers).

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Out of curiosity, where have the longstayers gone to? A different city, or to a different area within Pattaya?

A plastic hose at least 50 years past it's useful life (cracked, brittle) loosely attached to the spigot with a piece of black rubber tied around it, rewrapped almost daily in an attempt to lessen the everpresent leakage. I bought some new hose for 60 baht and they were shocked. What a waste of money? And the screw clamp? Truly direct from the American Space Program. Of course, I had to go back to buy a screw driver. Nobody had one. But 100 baht every day for beer and a phone card, no problem!

While I am sure the OP appreciates the effort, what is he supposed to do with this info? Wave it in front of the guy in question?

Ok, Jimmy, you've made your so-called contribution to this thread. Neverdie is being helpful in any way he can. How about moving on to a new thread where maybe your "words of wisdom" will be more helpful ?

"..I've never quite understood why people..."

Ohhh I give up, here ya go

isnt that neuschwanstein? Awesome castle. BTDT

I no longer think the THB/USD rate might go up soon.

...snip...

Gosh, by all means, come for a visit ! You'll fall in love (with Chiang Mai). We don't fancy the beach ourselves because the human component of our duality grew up being always dragged off to the beach against his will as a child by his parents where he was inevitably sun-burned, and bitten by strange things in the stupid ocean.

beast, ~o:37;

You otta be in sales o~37. Clever, concise, on point, entertaining, articulate reply, thank you. That area where you live now, as well as the area near the University (hmmmm, maybe I could teach there or just do some tutoring - gotta find something to do with my unlimited free time), sound near perfect. May I ask if the rental of a small home is reasonable there?

I have a friend from the States who comes yearly to do some computing work, but mostly for the visit, and stays in Chiang Mai. He loves it, swears by it, but I've discounted his acclaims because he hasn't visited other areas of Thailand.

P.S. I assume you typoed "beast" rather than "best" in your closing? If not, well, then thanks very much "beast o~37"

Does your wife/gf think nothing of disappearing with a sister or girlfriend for a couple of hours while you just sit somewhere twiddling your thumbs? This has happened several times, once when I went to the U.S. Embassy in BKK for a quick document. The three ladies went off for lunch for 2 hours while I waited, trying to sit my plump fanny on the sidewalk outside, in the hot sun.

I was hot, mad (offended), and fit to be tied when they finally drove up, and as I was complaining (civilly) to my wife the other two ladies looked at me like I was the boogey man. I've read before on TV when Thai ladies meet up the poor farang ceases to exist. Unfortunately I have witnessed this time and time again in varying degrees. Many Thai ladies seem to so enjoy each other, as we (try to) bide our time patiently. Actually in the case of the BKK trip mentioned, I think the girlfriends suggested lunch but my wife didn't want to disappoint them and complied.

And money. Listen to a conversation between two Thais and the word "baht

will crop up after about 10 seconds!

Yeah whenever we visit the MIL within seconds she is asking "how much?" "How much?" looking at item by item.

I tell my wife that is rude in America, and not to tell her mother how much everything costs. Yeah, sure, right.

Oh, one other thing. Does your wife/gf tell her mother everything about EVERYTHING? I fear my wife does, and I say, "Up to us Yuud puud" (stop talking or maybe even shut up). Once again, Yeah, sure right.

It sounds like based on what Ulysses, Winnie and others have observed, Chiang Mai is somewhat cooler at least for 3 months of the year, and perhaps a little less humid so that would be good for me since heat and I just don't get along. However somebody also said the occasional breezes off the sea are pleasant, which is true and of course there are no seas in Chiang Mai. I guess I am comparing mostly to Pattaya/Jomtien rather than BKK because BKK just seems to be the undisputed leader of heat, pollution and stagnant air. I think overall Chiang Mai (for non-weather reasons) may be more appealing to me as a non-sexpat westerner, having lots of western businesses, restaurants, entertainment, etc. with probably fewer of the crazies.

But nobody mentioned anything about the outskirts of Chiang Mai, or up more in the hills where it seems there would be some more breezes and fresher air. I have no interest in living in a village again, no way, but a small to medium sized suburb of CM may offer the dose of western I need, but not the pollution perhaps a bit more casual life. Any such areas?

Thanks to all for your input. I will probably travel up there based on what you've all said. One issue difficult to evaluate is not being near the seashore, and whether I would miss looking at the natural beauty of the ocean, strolling near the shore etc. Only some time in CM would help me get a handle on that.

My apologies as I am sure this question has been asked often before, but I'd appreciate a brief remark if you'd please. Comparing the weather in Chiang Mai versus say Bkk/Pattaya area, is it noticeably cooler? And less humid? More breezy? From what I've seen on the news casts, the temps there seem to be only 1 or 2 degrees less, but is this misleading? I've been reading a lot of good things about Chiang Mai and might consider relocating there.

Thanks for your time.

Just state publicly on TV how much you LOVE Ronald Reagan and watch your Starship Enterprise disappear! Say you love Mr. O and they'll be trying to vote you 10 stars!