Gonsalviz

I have about 18 rai I want to put latex trees on. I have been informed by my wife's family that we need to make a pond for irrigation. I suppose this is for the dry season.

How much area should this pond cover?

Also, how much land should be set aside for processing rubber sheets?

Safer than any big city in the States. Moral is: Don't get into anything bigger than you.

A Thai guy walking in Big C in Pattaya with the label from a box of Tampax Tampons on his T shirt.

I doubt he gave it any consideration before he put it on.

WARNING: Spooning leads to Forking.

Where is the immigration office for Nong Bua Lampu? Udon Thani?

Personally, I just view that account as part of the cost of staying legal here. I don't play any games with it. I have it in a regular passbook account that pays a tiny bit of interest, I top it off annually, and I use the funds to live in Thailand. I don't want to hassle with moving the money in and out anymore than necessary but I am sure there is a cost for this laziness. But you never know, trying to be clever, depending on the timing the exchange rate moves could backfire on you.

My thought is that I would live off my account in the States through an ATM while exchange rates are favorable and the local account when they were not. No real way to know which way they will go, but that 's the name of the game. At the time of putting money into the local account I got a good rate.

I'm the GD Devil. Ugly Kid Joe

I don't know if it is 'legal' or not to recommend a post but ThaiLoveLinks worked for me.

Hi,

I'm marrying my Thai man in 4 weeks time and had a nightmare at work today about who is coming to the wedding. I live in Khon Kaen but the wedding is in Ubon, about 5 hours away. I wanted some of my co-workers to come so asked if we could organise a school van, which was all agreed. Today things have gone a bit pearshaped, though.

There are about 7 people that I really wanted at the wedding as we work together every day and they're my closest friends at work. I gave them invitations, plus 3 managers who I felt I should invite to be polite. I then found out today there is a list of the people coming in the van, which doesn't include some of the people I invited and has people on it that I barely talk to. I know a couple of people I invited can't come so I'm fine with others filling their spaces, but surely it should still be my decision not the school secretary.

I had a long conversation with my Thai assistant teacher and she said I should have given invitations to all the kindergarten teachers. I was actually already thinking of doing this but as there's a limit on who can come in the van I wanted to ask the people I really wanted first. 2 of the people I've invited are student teachers that have worked with me every day for the last 4 months. I feel that with the Thai status thing they are going to feel like they can't say they want to come because they know other teachers want to.

Basically I need some advice on whether to just let this go and forget about getting the people I want there or fighting for them. I know the Thai way would probably be to let them organise it but it's still my wedding.

TIT

Lived in Asia many years, and am used to squat toilets.

However, what still is a mystery is how Thai people can do their duty, use the water spray to clean up (with no toilet paper or towels) and then exit the facilities without water running down their legs or a wet spot on their trousers.

What's the secret?

I cannot, for the life of me, Understand how this even became a topic.

Stupid Farang.

Who cares. I moved here to avoid all that nonsense.

Well Said.

The bar girls aren't calling you "Darling" (English)..... they are called you "NaLing" (Thai -> Monkey Face)

You wont find that on Wikipedia !!!

Hmmm....I'm pretty sure they're saying "dtà-ling" (ตะลิง), which is at the other end of the monkey.

I'm pretty sure it's because they can't pronounce R's.

Thailand is the only country in the world to have "Thai electricity". If you don't believe me, next time you see a Thai electrician, ask him about "earthing". He may say something like, "Thai electricity different...not need earthing."

As for the "Land of Smiles", Thailand is the only country in the world to announce that they are "The Land of Smiles" but when you have your photograph taken for official reasons (eg school), you are not permitted to smile. Why? "You must be serious."

In the next breath, you are told that you are being too serious.

Thai electricity is different. That is why I now will not even change a light bulb without tripping the main breaker.

Thailand is the second biggest market for utes, next to America.

P.S. A satang has only token value, you can't buy anything with 1 satang.

Thailand is the largest "ute" manufacturer.

There is not a 1 satang coin to buy anything with.

99.999999999% of Thai drivers havent got a clue about road safety

This supposed to be about things we didn't know.

This also applies to most asian countries and I'm beginning to think the western world

too.

the Durian fruit which is claimed by Thais as there own can also be found in neighbouring Asian country's who make similar claims,.........it smells similar to ......(no better not go there) there are ladies present!

.....eating ice cream in the toilet?

In my house we do things the farang way.

You can tell.

There are no footprints on our toilet seat

The sugar bowl is refilled when half empty, not 4 days after it is empty

The TV has had the PAD channel filtered out permanently

Tookays live safely within our houses perimeters with no fear for their life

Food is not served on the floor but on the table, unless I am really drunk

There are chairs in our living room

We only turn on the rice cooker a few times a week for an hour or so at a time

Hey, listen, I could go on.

Actually, there was a vaguely similar thread some time back on TVF, titled "You know you have been in Thailand too long if".... it is here: LINK

Cheers all.

Having something more than water in the fridge

I think most farang come to Thailand to <deleted>. That may be what some call "secret fantasies" ;-) The remaining lot comes because of the weather and cost of living being relatively low.

For those who eventually settle here life is not easy as imigration is never easy in any given country. There is a culture shock most evident 6 months to a year after settling in. Some cannot cope and go back. Some stay mostly because they invested good money here and it's not easy to get them back. Some are very adaptable and always look at the bright side of life so it is easier to get over the pitfalls of LOS and continue. As someone said here, it all depends on ones' altitude to life and ability to enjoy .. anywhere. But a lot of others are suffering which comes across to me through even discussions like this. In my opinion LOS is a particulary xsenophobic place where although a lot of people are very nice also have great distance to travel before they realise their wrong altitudes to foreigners. That of course goes for the governmets here as well as they try to please local believes.

As for other countries in the region I think Malaysia is looking increasingly attractive. I've lived in Singapore before and although I enjoyed that and didn't experience any bad treatment or discrimination from local people or authorities ( wow .. comparing with LOS) I found the place a bit small and preassurised. To be able to enjoy a good living standard one needs to be making tons of money there. Across the border in Malaysia however there is so much more space that allows for better quality of life. People are friendly, many are English educated and if not still speak much better English than in LOS, roads and infrastructure are good, food is diverse and mostly good, houses are affordable and the authorities are making it very foreign-settlement friendly by offering Malaysia my Second Home program which entitles to 10 year visas, shipment of duty free car and belongings and real estate ownership under ones name (dream-on for LOS). But of course for some the lack of bars and working ladies at every street corner may put Malaysia out of the picture. For me, if I wasn't financially and business-wise tied down in LOS I would probably give Malaysia a shot. Has anybody got anything bad or good to comment about Malaysia?

I lived in Malaysia for 10 plus years. Discrimination abounds. The three main races hates other while proclaiming that "they get along harmoniously".

You would be just another opportunity. I could break it down by race but it wouldn't really add anything.

Just try to get something fixed around the house. If you want to do it yourself you buy junk at the hardware store that you can't find anything in because the junk is piled up. The owner seems to know where everything is but getting the point across is mostly impossible. And you still buy junk. If you want to have someone do it for you it will just as shoddy a job as you will get in Thailand but cost twice as much. If they will do the job just depends on if they think they can get enough money out of you.

Basically it's about like Thailand but much more expensive (RM 7= B70) for a beer at the store. And no matter what anyone says I like the Thais a whole lot more.

Pinned on this forum it says you need your house address certified by immigration for a driver's license. Another forum link says the house address should be certified by your Embassy.

The latter has a date from 1997. This forum was from '95. Which do i believe?

I really am looking for some natural land in Surat. Maybe Phang Nga, but it rains too much there. Or maybe northern Krabi. I really want to live in this area, so much so, I am willing to accept land with latex trees. 2 or 3 rai. More is acceptable. Anyone know of such? Out in the boonies is good as long as it is not too far from a main road.

I really want the shade.

I'm quite sure what you're looking for is out there, it's just i don't know if you know what you're actually looking for...

I suppose I could have said Chiang Mai, Sisaket and Yala.

Well, when I first came to Phuket in 1978, there was one hotel at Patong, none other than the Patong Beach Hotel and a 125 Baht a night flop house that looked like construction worker housing.

Of course I stayed there. Who needs hot water.

There were no resorts, anywhere. Phuket Town had the On On Hotel. You could rent a scooter and find your very own isolated beach.

Although, I liked it then..... Wait I still like it then. Development has gone way over board. They are now knocking down beach cliffs to build more resorts. Just like everywhere, the ecology and the head can only take so much.

I had for a long time wanted to retire in Phuket. Now I'll take my chances out in the jungle and visit the beaches, hospitals,and very little else, when I want. And wait for the maddening crowd to come bother me out there. Maybe in 20-30 years.

Besides, the local people are much nicer than the ones around the resort areas.

I really am looking for some natural land in Surat. Maybe Phang Nga, but it rains too much there. Or maybe northern Krabi. I really want to live in this area, so much so, I am willing to accept land with latex trees. 2 or 3 rai. More is acceptable. Anyone know of such? Out in the boonies is good as long as it is not too far from a main road.

I really want the shade.

Gary, you seem to have a lot of problems with thieves. Have you been able to identify them ? Local kids? Passer by ? or more organized people ?

It's anyone's guess who is stealing. The local cops don't go out in the country at all and they blame most of the thievery on dope and kids.

The fish won't be a problem again because no way will I put anymore in the pond. The major reason we decided to grow rice is because it is hard to steal. That said, one more lost crop from lack of rain and the whole thing will be planted with eucalyptus trees. I have enough water supply for trees.

Gary, We are having the same problem. They stole our UKA before we cut it all out and now bamboo. It's only a year on now so we have just started having sprouts large enought to steal. They come in and cut the young bamboo sprouts to eat. I can only make it to the farm 1 week a month. So we have hired people to stay on the farm. They watch it and do some work we ask. We've had a few turnovers of people especially now when there is so much work else where. Anyway,they were the first to warn us other people were stealing from us. I don't care if they take it and allow them to grow whatever, where we are not. We went and had a long talk with the village master and that seemed to help. We have had no more freshly cut shoots since then ... this may change, so far so good.

• We put a barb wire fence all the way around, only 3 wires now and plan to go to 6 later.
  
• We have a metal gate and lock where you enter.
  
• When we cleared the land I saved the bamboo which was the Barbed kind(nam). It was very hard to cut though with a knife so I thought it make a good wall. We planted it along the border as a second fence. I figure it will take years to make a good wall, but it's a start.
  
• I have tilled the boundary road so I can see where their tracks are
  
• I go to check the fence every visit to see if the wires are moved and repair them. There are guys that come around shoot rats at night. We mean to keep them out also.
  
• We planted what I call sacrificial plants along the edge of the property. Just inside the barb wire ...a few bananas, bamboo, papaya along the fence. I am hoping they may be statisfied with these and not cross over the boundary road in the real crops.
  
• I am looking into a GSM camera that is triggered by a motion sensor and MMS's(send you a picture via GSM) hoping to catch them. These cost about $500 and even have solar panels to power them.
  
• We had a local guy as sort of manager helping us for a while. He is a Village master also, but at another village. We found out from the people watching the property he was coming in 2-3 times a week and steeling the sprouts also. I still have to deal with this.
  

Sounds like you got hit particularly hard. Hang in there. I think it's a slow but winning battle. I'll have to try the barb wire under the water idea.

Careful, they'll steal the camera.

I heard an ethnic joke a few years that implied that a radio could be stolen and the music left behind.

After 15 years, I think, latex trees were cut down due to lower production. As I understand it, at this time, they keep cutting them because you have to wait 7 years or so before you can cut the new ones. Also in the market is the wood. The longer they grow the larger they are and therefore sell for more.

The locals use coconut wood for building. I suspect because it is cheap, so one might not get much for them.