patklang

I retired at 50,after many years as a regional/national sales manager,which could be very stresful,and was very fit.Now i have lived in LOS for nearly 6 years and feel amazingly healthy,and not even my old aches and pains from semi pro football.My bad habits are drinking twice a week and about 5-10 cigies a week.but make up with plenty of long walks.My height is 6ft and i am 88kilo,which is about 5 kilo too much,and eat mainly thai food with only 3 days a week eating rice.We have loads of veggies and plenty of fruit,with no chocolate and only 1 cup of coffee a day.

One day i may go back to the gym but after 2 ops on my knee i dont think i would be able to jog for long,even though a 10k walk in the blazing heat is easy.I have no stress and can live here for the rest of my life, and a good private medical policy gives me peace of mind.

I wrote to the pensions department in December and I had a reply in January this year. Basically it says that for me (Iam 65 in May 2009) there will be an allowance paid for my Thai wife based on MY contributions but I understand that this will be phased out by 2020 (I think).

So depending on your current age it may be payable but for a better and more knowledgeable reply you should write to the address on the letter.

I hope that this is of use to people.

I heard that new claimants of pensionable age can claim up to 2010,and exsisting claimants will still get payment up to 2020.At least this will stop many immigrants claiming in the Uk.

I know this has been said before many many times (and needs to keep being said) but keeping certain drugs illegal just does not work - prohibition should have pointed that out to everyone. Especially as alcohol and cigerattes (both of which do more damage than any other illegal drug) are not controlled but actually pushed by main stream society.

If some more governments would just spend the money they currently use to "fight" drugs to find alternative solutions I am sure we would all be better off.

I lost my sister to drugs and one of the things I think would have helped would have been if she had not found the need to "hide" her habit from us all and been able to buy "clean"(as in uncut with talc etc) drugs. She ran up huge debts on her credit cards paying for drugs and buying very bad gear - all controlled by people who's only goal is to make as much money as possible without a single care of the damage they are causing.

So I for one will keep voting for alternative solutions.

Very sorry to here about your sister and i agree with your post,but the sellers should have long sentences.The big problem with this is the next seller moves in and it starts all over again.

Tried the 2 types of sausage and thouth they were bland,the sausage rolls were nice and the bacon.

We have 4 cats and all quite young.

Is it a good film????

Try Axa medical insurance,and Bupa too

Now thats a very good,post,as i never thought of that.Even though i dont have dogs,i will be very interested to read the replys.

Good one johndoe

For him things are fine and that is good for him. He is lucky to believe this, and I am somewhat envious. I wish I could see things the same way.

This has absolutely nothing to do with belief. It's a fact. No changes in Pattaya have affected my life negatively.

The guys whining and moaning about Pattaya deteriorating are living too far back in the past. Those guys need to find a new fishing village which tourists haven't yet discovered. I came to Pattaya for its development. I spent enough time in backward Asia (the real Asia as some have put it) before I arrived.

Life is good here and it's kind of annoying to have so many people whining about how bad it is becoming, when in fact it's getting better all the time. If you don't like it, find a new place to reside and a new forum to post in.

Spot on post mate.Pattaya is getting betetr and better,and it coincides with less farangs coming on their 2 week binge.

tourist trap in my books...

No shit sherlock.

This place IS for tourists from all over the world especialy Bangkoksmog

Does any one know where to buy beer lao in Pattaya,tried a couple of suggestions and cannot find any warehouse.I know a couple of bars that sell Beer Lao but its 75-95 baht and i want to buy a case at wholesale price.

A mod living in Thailand,how unique lol,and Pattaya too,the place is going posh heheheheh

SBK

you nearly got me up at 7am lol.

As an employer of many over the years I was often asked this question and sometimes even had the girls dancing around the subject as well. Friends who were working girls would sometimes be very open about it but the end result is almost universally the same. Once the bullshit lies and excuses for getting into the game are brushed aside, what you are left with is the lure of easy money, getting away from the family and / or village, being able to "morally" dump their relatively unwanted kids and the freedom. Add in an underlying laziness, a requirement for instant gratification rather than saving and a total inability to function as a normal adult and you have a very desperate proposition. Often there are booze and drug (less common) issues but the love of the nightlife is insatiable.

You can't send them back to the village and expect them to sleep when dark and wake with the cockrel 365 days a year. Yet you cannot keep them in the cities as they are moths to the flame. For many, there is no solution. Throwing money at them will not work, it didn't when they were hookers did it ?

I would tell them to remain as part time hookers and get a regular job, turning tricks until they could earn an income of sorts, perhaps after college. But they have to know they are looking at 10k a month tops and less than that usually.

To be honest, unless you have some serious motive to help, just leave them be and let them drift into whatever they do. For 99%+ there is no salvation.

100% spot on,and the other problem is that they actualy hate sex too,but have to act for the punter,so how can they have a serious relationship.

Do what a thai guy would do.NOT PAY NOTHING.

Seriously if you are not married then she has no rights and how can she claim a monthlly allowance for the kid as this doesnt happen with thai men.You should look after your kid but dont let her blackmail you for a lump sum,agree with a monthly payment else she will gamble it away.

Ohio,

That was something we were thinking, but we both fell in love with a house (and Pattaya) and want to buy.

Tell me it's a f**g stupid thing to do because I know deep down it is..... but coming from Europe the price is hard to ignore right now. And I think this is a temporary glitch which I might be able to take advantage of - just in the sense of getting a good deal on our family home I mean.

Cheers,

S&S

Go to Foodland and Friendship and pick up some of the monthly house magazines.there is one 3 bed/3 bathroom with a swimming pool,reduced from 5.7m to 2.7m.Maybe a spelling error but thats what it says.also the contact is chris on 0890263022

Very sad to here 2 young tourists lost their life enjoying themselves.How can anyone come here and rent a big powerful motorbike after only driving a small one.

RIP

The area you are choosing is nice in some respects but if you need to take the kids into Pattaya for school etc it can be a right ball ache in the morning.The new relief road is a total mess and very dangerous,and there are plenty of muggings if you rely on a motorbike for transport.I agree there are plenty of bars/restaraunts over there but be very careful where you choose to live.No police presense over on the Darkside except for a few road blocks checking for no crash helmets.

Sounds like you will be working and have some decent money so i personaly would choose North Pattaya to look first as there are some lovely projects and new housing complexes,with ample baht buses to use if you dont want or need transport.Also look at places like Carrefor,Foodland and Friendship as there are plenty of houses for sale and rent with pics and telephone numbers,and you dont have to pay fees to Estate Agents,who are having a real bad times and might add a few baht on a purchase.They are no different than thais,poor business and they increase their fees.

Will they teach him English lol

Why do you think they were poisened????

Sorry to here about your loss but 3 dogs in a month.May i ask how many you have left,as this may be the problem.Do you think its someone who hates your dogs due to problems in the past or just a nutter doing this.Maybe you should have asked the vet for some advise as there could be soemthing they are eating and dying from this.

The exchange rate is only relative iF you got 74 baht to the pound like i did.I had 3 years of that,with money exchanged in the banks and i had 69.9 and lived for another 2 years with this.so now i am exchanging at 53-55 so a big difference for me even though its not a problem financialy i will be spending more money for the same things,

I dont realy take much notice of cost of living increases as you will get that in any country in the world,but i take this into consideration and allow 5% per annum.

The british police dont give a shit neither so same same.

Should be going to Buriram soon,as a mate of mine is opening a bar.Always wanted to look around because maybe one day i will live there.

Anybody got any good recommendations of good schools there,with good teachers

Well I will never go back to the UK to live, that's for sure.

Thailand is ok for now, but its not like it use to be 8 years ago when i first came to live here.

I heard Vietnam was nice, any comments on Vietnam ?

No plans of 'throwing the towel in yet' I will stick it out another few years and think about it another time.

Same here Pattayagirl,would never go back to the UK even though health care is free and good teachers

My life is here in Thailand and I am very happy about that.

Even if I have been here for quite some years I still look at myself as a guest and let the Thai people run their own country. How they do it is not my business. If you treat Thai people with respect you are likely to get the same back.

Those only seeing the bad things are likely to do the same in any other country as well.

Here Here,Thailand is wonderful,great beaches,great pricing and great teachers