dereklev

Derek , if you would like to borrow my " Weber " charcoal bbq grill let me know . It's closer to you than I am at the moment and tastes so much better than gas .

That way I can be there in sprit .

Hi Jeff, an idea, why don't we take both BBQs that way we will have plenty of room to keep the cheese/spud pie's and the jacket potatoes on the gas and you can cook on the real thing. Subject to Dereks approval, but I thought he would be aok with this as it make his life easier.

What if it's pissing down allday ? do we get one of the Thai awnings on standby just incase !!!

Cheers and see you all there at 12.-12,30 FALANG TIME

CF

Yes Jeff I would love to borrow your BBQ...

As Cheeky says 2 will be better than 1!!!!

We have a large covered car porch (3 cars not all mine I hasten to add) and the ground floor of my sister in laws house is deemed a meeting place as it is the Mayor's office. So we have have plenty of cover should it piss down all day......

Will you be here on the 30th Jeff? Your post seems to indicate not.

Looks good to me CF. I'll think of something to bring (in addition to beer, of course) and post it later.

Cheers

Glad you can make it Yorkie

Is Mr Sponsor Lampshade coming with you.....

Cheeky is bringing a gas BBQ with him so that will take care of the Farang food.

I am sure the Thais will be well catered for....

I will post more details and a map in the next 10 days or so.

If you are registered with the Embassy, as being resident in Thailand, they will send you emails.

I received the Avian Flu email about 6/7 months ago.

It is extremely informative and gives advice on precautions etc.

If you recently registered with the Embassy then I expect it is genuine.

Wonder what bbq ole Steven w is referring to. His posts indicated he is a real "joy" to be around.

Korat has many, many, many places for rent. Indeed a lot of them are unfurnished, but I would not let that slow me down. There is a "big" funiture store in a Korat suburb called Jo hor. They have everything from fairly expensive to very cheap. I would humbly suggest that you should just come to the area and check out the places for yourself. For example, I recently met a Scottish guy who let his girlfriend find an apartment before he got here. 2 bedroom, furnished and quite nice, but.....20,000 Baht per month. Well now that he is here, he knows better.

He does sound a real joy! !

Do you know him Ken?

Back to his topic I think you have answered his question just get here open his eyes and he will find what he wants!!!!!

Last Sunday of July is the 30th, so the poll has been corrected.

Hmmmm. That's interesting. I hadn't noticed that the poll said Sunday and I have always been under the impression from previous threads that the "party" is on Saturday the 29th.

So Cheeky or Derek, what is the correct day/date?

It was always intended to be the last sunday of July...

So the date is......SUNDAY 30th JULY kick off MIDDAY.

Format of party to be decided soon...

ThaiRanger not sure what you mean by pot luck......

I worked with students from over 250m schools in the last two years. I come from a top private school in the UK and most studnts I meet now from the top half of the schools I work with can speak better English than I could ever speak french even though I had apparently one of the best french educations in the world.

Judging from this sentence, your own command of the English language seems rather suspect.

I 2nd that......

Worked with students from over 250 million schools????

Ahhhh. The last few posts seem to be putting us back on track. And like Dutch, I also think we should appreciate KC's efforts to put some of this on paper. It is nice to have some kind of "agenda". Kind of helps set the pace and mood of our "informal" meeting. The fact that KC took the time an effort to do this for the first "meeting" was commendable. I also liked Dutch's "bull to lamb" thing; that would be good, or maybe something in between (bull and lamb).

I could not agree more and I have already thanked him for this here on and on KF.

Without KC I doubt we would have got as far as even having the first meeting.

I hope that somehow the Club can accomodate all our needs.

It would be a great pity for the KEC to die so soon after birth.

Just my 2 satangs worth.....

Dutch

I'll put it on the agenda if confirmed.

TheKoratpost will be represented too.

I have stated my preferred opinion.

I'm trying to be diplomatic but looking forward to the trip to hel_l!.

Sorry KC but what does this mean!??!

I offered the use of my house for the July 29th ONLY if the majoruty wanted it. I live in a village and have room for kids to freely roam!

The concesus at the meeting was for social so if that is your idea of hel_l you should have said so then!

By the by I volunteered to contact the yahoo.com owner on behalf of us all so the email I sent was on everyones behalf. If you didn't like my email a PM to me might have been in order!

SportsRider will attend our next meet.

Again I will repeat what has been said here by many and at the meeting by many more a formal club will be of no interest to many of us.

Committees, minutes and agendas belong to a life that many of us have happily left behind!

Wow! What a great city!

forget the map on this forum, this city is as big as Leeds City Centre at least. if you from the States I'd compare it with Chicago for size. the map here shows about 10 streets. forget that, this is a BIG place.

From Big C on route 12 to the Mall on Route 2 (Mittrapapt??) is 50bht in a tuk tuk

Korat Hotel is nice but next door to as great club called Speed 2 so you'll hear bass pumping out till 2am (ish) The std Kingsize is 600bht without breakfast (which you can get on any street corner for 25bht).

A NICE two room apartment furnished with TV, Big Bed, dresser, Wardrobe, proper Toilet and two balconys. cost 4500 bht a month with a month deposit. add 400bht for wifi internet.

the same but in one room cost 3500 plus wifi.

Add 1000bht max a month for power due to the air con being on when you are home at night.

Clubs here are not the same as basck home. Live acts throughout the night doing covers of largely US and UK artists. Some really good asian lookalikes and great dance routines.

In the mall you can buy coupons for the food mall and I dare you to spend more than 50bht and be able to eat it all. VALUE IS OUT OF THIS WORLD.

Tuk Tuk from Korat Hotel to the mall. 50-60bht. to Big C, 50bht.

Kang Plaza is like marshall fields (USA Ref) or Selfridges (UK ref) if you like department stores then the mall and the new Kang plaza will be your tipple.

SOME banks want a work permit to open an account but Siam Bank branch in the Big C will let you open with passport (with visa) and thai address. they are lovely ladies and for 300bht they will give you your acount book and atm card on the spot with a pin of your choosing! How great is that?

The people are so friendly, forget the horror stories of BKK... that does not apply here. You'd have to be pretty dumb to be taken for a ride here.

The girls are beautiful. simple as. if you are in town and you go more than 30 seconds without seeing a really hot girl, get your glasses checked. I am VERY picky (according to my new thai and expat friends) and I see 6s and 7s out of ten with alarming regularity.

There are nice girls here and I hope everyone would treat them as such not as bar girls in bangkok.

The heat is huge but if you time it right and avoid the mid day sun then you'll be fine. YOU WILL NEVER NEED A JACKET!! I packed two and think I should burn them...

Get a brolly! for both the sun and the rain. I got one free with my bank account.

talk to the folks on here, they know there sh7t!

Thats all I can think of for now, hope it helps.

Glad you're settled and everything is going well for you...

I just hope you don't live to regret that statement! !

Be aware of your newness and don't let your guard down!

Korat is not short of horror stories either.....

Look forward to meeting you soon.....

Come on you Piss Heads, lets have an update. Who got MOW, Who fell out with who ? How many bods showed ? etc etc

Don't know, can't remember. No, really, it was really great to meet so many. My count 17 in all who signed the "guest list". A few "stragglers" came in later that didn't get on the list. An interesting mix of nationalities. Everyone was cordial and polite. An enjoyable couple hours spent. Pasinee Mike was his usual hospitable self. Much more to elaborate on, but this post is a start. Personally I came away from the "meeting" with a somewhat positive feeling. So perhaps it's a start.

It was a great turnout for a first meeting.

The general concensus seemed to be that we should take things slowly and that the emphasis should be on a "Social Club".....

A second "meeting" was arranged for Saturday 24th at 1pm, so plently of notice for you all.

I would like to thank Giles (Korat Correct) for getting us all together and finally getting the Korat Expats Club going.

If the majority of you are happy to travel the 40kms out of Korat then the "BIG" meet-up on the 29th July will be at my place out near NonThai.

Seems like I am able to come.

However it will not be the whole afternoon,but time enough to meet some of you

PS. I am with the group who provide some contributions to the small community and I am not intend to PROOF my actions.Believe it or not,it's up to you.

Look forward to meeting you Dutch.

No need for anyone to prove anything, I hope.......

Not too many of us at the moment, anymore attendees out there? ?

Hailstones in London. Nearly flaming June and I get married in 2 weeks and it's hailstones. Oh good. Can't wait to get back to LOS.

I was back in London for most of May and it was cold wet and miserable the whole time.

Had a lovely downpour here in Korat last night, they should get a bumper rice crop with so much early rain.

Recent research has discovered that 84% of statistics are made up

Love your signature sadman! !

I have a Data Processing company and we work for many major Market Research firms so I can vouch for the truth in that statement.......

Hope no-one from the MRS reads this........

Good luck with the wedding, I hope it doesn't RAIN

Do not try to deal with too many problems, focus on the main one: as endure said, whether at this age he wants to go to university or the army is irrelevant right now - cross that problem off the list. The problem is his relationship with his mother and its effect on your relationship with her. Focus on the second one of those, by addressing the first if necessary. Focus.

IMHO

Good luck.

Sound advice Mike.

Pauly, IMHO you have to deal with the problem you have with your wife head on. Tell her your feelings whether she wants to listen or not. Maybe whilst you travel to the UK she will come to her senses and see you for the good man you are.

There is not much you can do about her relationship with her son. That is a problem for her to sort out with your support.

I don't think that this is a particularly Thai issue or a matter of face. In England warring parents bribe and manipulate kids and clever kids play the parents of aginst eachother.

I personally would have paid the 200 Baht a day for him to spend time with his mother. Yes it is blackmail but on such a minimal scale! Surely an outlay of less than 3 quid a day is no price to pay to have avoided the stress you are now under.

Good luck Pauly.

Just my 2 satangs worth.....

I got the U.B.C magazine the other day and it looks like there is NO Coverage of the World Cup by U.B.C . Is this true? I called them and they are very unsure as if they have the coverage.

Any one know what's going on?

I see it is on many Thai T.V. channels.

I wounder if it has spoken English coverage on the Thai channels any one know?

I called them yesterday and they immediately sent me an email that shows which Thai channels are showing each group game and at what time.

They will send me another email as soon as the knockout stage games are allocated.

Cheeky Farang

You provide help to your local community?

Please come and tell us what you are able to achieve.

Cheeky is in the UK at present so cannot come......

However I and Ken will be there and we too are country boys who contribute in our own communities! !

I semi-retired here in 2002. I am now 56 years young!

I still go back to the UK 3 or 4 times a year for business but my life is here.

I have a beautiful wife and a gorgeous 17 month old son.

I would not want to raise my boy in the UK so Thailand will always be our home.....

I like your style Ray. Very nice thing to do. Great pics. Thanks for sharing.

Nice post Ray.

I do a similar thing at our village school a couple of times a year.

The kids love it and so do I......

Interesting topic... I just walked up to the mall with a fellow farang who mentioned a large establishment that we passed (over the road from Pasinee but down towards the railway station was the "local". Is that the same place?

I don't need a massage, I'm falling asleep at the keyboard here!

Best get myself home for a nap.

Glad I'm not older...

Osaka!! hmmm I wonder who that was who gave you that advice??

It was not I.........

I only got back to town this afternoon.......

Have to agree with Ken thats it's the best value, only from what I've heard of course......

Some want the "Club" to be a social event. Wouldn't it be better to have something positive to celebrate?

I see a backpacker died of malaria and dengue is as near as Chaiyaphum.

Mosquitos need controlling

Stray dogs need disposing of.

Pedestrians need better protection

Visa runs are an insult.

Korat Immigration needs full powers

Street, domestic and industrial waste disposal needs attention

Beggars are a disgrace to modern society and need support. Could we sponsor a soup& stay kitchen?

( there is a man who "lives" on the kerb outside the Passinee Cafe)

Psychiatric after care.

This list is endless and we are not here to save the world. Some may say it is not our problem and "walk by on the other side".

We all have a social responsibility to do what we can.

Those who live outside Korat and those who come and go and those who work here may have concerns that need addressing and a "Club" as a group may have more clout to make the problems known to the "authorities".

All very noble causes and certainly these and many more issues affect our daily lives.

I look forward to a frank and open discussion on how a hand full of farang can change all the woes that Thais ignore.

I know there have been several attempts to get an Expats Club going in the Issan region and all have failed,which is why it is important to try to get this one right.

An initial meet at Passinee Cafe on June 1st at 12noon hopes to get the Club off the ground, but what issues are important to you?

Please let us have your ideas for discussion.

At the moment the main meet is on the 29th July in Korat.

KC as stated in many previous posts many of us do not live in Korat Town but out in the sticks.

Also many are not fulltime residents but have to return to our respective countries for business and/or other purposes.

When we come into town it is to meet up with friends and have a few beers and a laugh

I know that I speak for many TV/KF Korat members when I say if you make this too formal you will lose our interest.

My main interest in an Expats club would be the social aspects.

I for one do not want to be tied down to agendas/minutes/charity work (I do that in the village where I live) etc. etc.

That said I look forward to meeting you and whoever else shows on the 1st.....

Although a Thursday lunchtime meet does rule out the workers amongst us, so I would not expect a high turnout.....

Just my 2 satangs worth.....

Unlucky Leeds.

redrus

Sorry...

They were totally outclassed and comprehensively thrashed! !

Had me worried for a moment Yorky......

What will the Pattaya bashers say about this article?

The positives far outweigh the negatives.

Positive thinking people are those with big smiles on their faces, are great drinking partners and always look on the bright side of life.

Negative Pattaya bashers are a dull and boring breed, hate their own reflection in the mirror and spend their dreary lives moping around and kicking the cat.

Long live Pattaya and all those who enjoy it's charm.

And living in Isaan on 10,000 Baht a month ... and trying to convince us it's

where they want to be ... gotta love it

Naka.

I do enjoy living in Isaan......

Wouldn't like to do it on 10K a month though.........

Haven't been to Pattaya for a while and not really looking to go back anytime soon, priorities change with a baby....

That said I always had a great time in Patters....

Sorry - my computer crashed as I was posting.

The basics are that I will be moving to Bangkok in a month and have a large amount of unsecured debt here in the UK. I have been advised to strongly consider bankruptcy but am worried about any affect it might have on my new life in Thailand.

I'd appreciate any advice or observations from anyone who has seen or heard of a similar situation.

Many thanks,

Andy.

This is becoming a popular option in England now.....

My advice to you is to face up to your debts!

You borrowed the money or ran up your CC bills and now you want to walk away and start a new life here.

Not very trustworthy are you.....

Just my 2 satangs worth

Congrats to you all......