ronnoi

Greetings one and all! surely some wise person amongst this fine group can tell me where one can get good cheap medical treatment in Bangkok.

I don't mean the fancy hospitals with the fancy U.S> $$ symbols splattered all over them, but a decent good medical centre...

Hope someone can help....

Who was the biggest <deleted> you've ever met on your travels?

The one person who will remain in your memory etched in stone, the one person who you wouldn't p*ss on if they were on fire when you met them again...........

I actually have 2 but I'll just give the one for now.

It was was in Ayutthya a couple of years ago. I was on a research trip and a Thai academic who had kindly assisted me in my research had roped me into helping him get some materials for his students. I had all but finished my research and had agreed to help him in his minor project at Wat Pra Si Samphet as a sign of my gratitude for his help.

Along with one of his Phd students and a couple of coolies nabbed from the Palace grounds next door, we were removing a small section of half buried stonework from the site which was to be taken for restoration at his university by his Archaeology students. Not being an Archeologist I left the delicate stuff to them but still had to spend a lot of time scrabbling around in the dirt and getting bitten by ants.

As it was April and hotter than he11, and the work was dirty and heavy at times,  I had gone off to get drinks looking somewhat dishevelled in my roughest pair of shorts and oldest t shirt.

As I was returning to the site this English bearded menace in Fisherman's pants sprung from nowhere and came trotting up to me and began to lecture me on how disrespectful I was being by wearing shorts in a holy place in a loud and irritating voice.

When I pointed out that while his sentiments were appreciated, shorts were  perfectly suitable attire for ruins, he became enraged and began to bang on about how he'd lived in India for a year, and had been in Thailand for 6 months, and was at one with Asian culture and he then started ordering me to leave the ruins and stop disrespecting the Thai people.

To make matters worse his American girlfriend (also bearded) then joined in. I can't do sound effects on this forum but I'm sure you can imagine the pathetic whining din they were emitting.

Having had experience of this type before I just gritted my teeth, ignored them and carried on my merry way with them following behind. Eventually they gave up the pursuit, let me go and presumably went off to defend the Thais from the shorts and t shirt menace elsewhere in Ayutthya.

About 20 minutes later however my new found chums chanced upon us doing our thing and had a look of absolute horror on their faces to see that I was actually doing something whith Thais in a semi official capacity.

I beckoned them over and offered to show them what was going on but for some reason they'd suddenly lost their interest in defending Thai Buddhism and found some great interest in their sandals and stalked off rapidly from whence they came.

Later that evening I was having a well earned beer with my mentor and his student at Thai Po opposite Wat Ratburana when guess who walked past?

I kid you not, she was carrying a didgeridoo, and he had a small set of bongos sticking out of one of those Monk's bags, and I'll bet all the money I have that they were off for some moonlit temple earth music. Talk about taking the sterotype to the limit. Yet even then after their embarrasment of that afternoon  they couldn't resist opening their uninformed gobs.

"Look at that! Drinking alcohol in front of a Buddhist monument! Some people have no respect for the local culture!!"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you forgot to pack you AK47?

I met a 'good' Thai girl a few months ago at the place where she worked and started seeing her on a regular basis. We went to the movies, out for meals etc etc without any sex. It was like the kind of dating you do when you're a teenager in England. She said she wanted to see if I was 'good' before she committed herself, which I accepted.

While this is going on I'm still on the bargirl scene. I love bargirls, but I was looking for something different and not money-driven.

Anyways, I finally managed to get the 'good' girl into bed (a combination of subtle wit, easy charm and 25 singa beers). The next morning, after seconds, she said 'you give me money'. I was shocked, I couldn't believe my ears.

I asked her if she was same as bargirl and she got really upset. She said 'for mobile phone, for family' etc. I told her to go whistle but I'm really confused. Is this normal???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

u silly bugga

tHANKS gUYS, GOOD ADVICE!

Maybe some diabetics have health insurance, but the 'pre-existing' condition of diabetes can be the reason for being denied coverage- or payment, if you are covered. Heart attacks, strokes, liver/pancreas problems- to name just a few, would likely not be covered because diabetes increases your risk substantially for many many problems. I know because I had a stroke 3 years ago and my insurance refused to pay for it for the reasons stated above.

But, it ain't so expensive or difficult to deal with diabetes here. I've been a non-insulin type 2 for a few years. Meds are reaily available here, and no prescription needed. Just beware of clueless or wrong doctors. I've run into plenty of them here over the years. You must be proactive with your health care in Thailand.

Bummer that you can't enjoy much of a lot of Thai foods like rice and noodles, but you can easily continue your current diet here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the advice, and good advice too!

Maybe some diabetics have health insurance, but the 'pre-existing' condition of diabetes can be the reason for being denied coverage- or payment, if you are covered. Heart attacks, strokes, liver/pancreas problems- to name just a few, would likely not be covered because diabetes increases your risk substantially for many many problems. I know because I had a stroke 3 years ago and my insurance refused to pay for it for the reasons stated above.

But, it ain't so expensive or difficult to deal with diabetes here. I've been a non-insulin type 2 for a few years. Meds are reaily available here, and no prescription needed. Just beware of clueless or wrong doctors. I've run into plenty of them here over the years. You must be proactive with your health care in Thailand.

Bummer that you can't enjoy much of a lot of Thai foods like rice and noodles, but you can easily continue your current diet here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I live in hope that this diabetic type 2 with high blood pressure can move to Bkk with his beautiful thai wife and enjoy cheap and good health care??

Please enlighten me, and with facts only..not interested in the ramblings of some Pattaya would be residents......Hospital name? costs per yr? everything or anything so welcome...thanks in advance,

Cheers

Ronnoi

Its sad to say but where there are Muslims you find trouble....glad I did not buy a business down south, and I hope big Thak sends the tanks down there and has a good sort out before they really start having some 'fun'.

there is only one thing wrong with Bangkok, leaving to come home,,,,grow up you lot and enjoy the lifestyle....

why are these traders paying Bt500 per month to the municipal police.

They pay the council for their site, so why do they have to pay the Police???

Bribes that Thaksin was cracking down on last yr????

Nothing against Sunbelt Asia but dont forget they work for and are paid by the SELLER of the business, therefore extreme caution needs to be employed if looking at acquiring a bar. Considering the current regime on nightlife restrictions, opening or buying a bar seems to be one of the most reckless things to do in Thailand at the moment - Seems odd to me that almost every bar I have visited in Pattaya over the last 2 weeks was surprisingly quiet and this is considered the peak season.

However, opening a bar outside of Pattaya, in one of the growing farang suburbs might be a good idea if you want to look at something. You could buy the land at a cheap price, design and build your own place and be in a better position to obtain bank financing - particularly if you add on some rooms for rent. You could even structure it properly and get a work permit if you emphasise more the accomodation side as opposed to the bar.

Just a thought

Thanks for your advice, I will certainly be cautious and look into accomodation also

Greetings from New Zealand. I am 47 and married to a thai national; we are considering moving to Pattaya and buying a bar; obviously thru a good company like Sunbelt, we are no fools....however, we could require finance and do not see much written about this... Obv the business would have to have good books, and a good lease, or freehold, any ideas???

Cheers

Kiwi