AmeriThai

Speaking of ads, here's an interesting one for an "Anti-Cough Pill", although somehow the centipedes don't seem very enticing

(Found here)

http://www.alibaba.com/product/ongloveiii-11713154-11054726/Takabb_Anti_Cough_Pill.html

up country nothing has changed.

Hmmm. you sure? I have seen massive changes in Issan in 12 years. That maybe because of 2 visits in 26 years as a tourist

I wouldn't say Isaan has changed much over the past twenty years. The roads are better and 7/11's everywhere, otherwise not much change. The rice fields look the same and the cost of living hasn't changed much. Unlike Koh Samui & Koh Phangan. We bought 8 rai full of fruit .5km from the beach for 350k...beach front land was a hopefull million but negotiable. Beer was about the same price 25baht for a small singha. Bungalows were 50baht upwards (off season!) on the beach Haadrin, BanTai, Chaloklum

1970-71 a taxi around Udonthani was 5 baht (if memory serves !) You had to sign girls in before entering a bar or club. Prostitution & smoke were legal or at least encouraged. Charoean hotel was 100 baht/night surrounded by rice fields and buffalos.

just as a mention: (an honorable one)... zzaa09 has done an incredable job of posting old Thailand Photos on another part of the forum, definately warrants a look.

1970 goes back before my time . Although not Issan, I agree and would say the same thing applies for much of the province of Saraburi over the last 20 years. Around Hin Kong (south of Saraburi) there have been a few changes, as you mentioned, but not much. Some of the roads have been improved, especially along the main highway between BKK and Saraburi. I remember 20 years ago when you got off the bus at Hin Kong, the sides of the highway by the facing local shops were mostly dust and gravel. Off the highway and back into the the residential areas, bumpy dirt roads full of pot holes were pretty common. While there has been some improvement over the last 20 years, there are still loads of dirt or gravel roads with high centers and pot holes to be found. Still plenty of neighborhood mom & pop shops, and plenty of make-shift do-it-yourself houses standing. At Hoykamin (where our house is located), the drive back to our place is just a dirt road. I can't think of any 7/11 shops in Hin Kong. I think there's one (or it might be a look alike) at Nong Khae. But around the talat and main shopping area of Hin Kong things seem pretty much the same, except for a more modern east/west highway and overpass where the motorcycle taxis and a few food vendors park under. There are now a few small housing projects scattered around the area here and there, but for the most part things haven't changed all that much. There are still many wooden houses built on stilts, and houses made of cinder blocks with corregated metal roofs. It still feels like it's out in the boonies. In the city of Saraburi, there have been a few changes, but around the area of the talat and bus terminal, it seems pretty much the same.

I also agree that zzaa09's photo collection is pretty impressive. A good number of those from the 80s to 90s bring back a lot of fond memories for me.

Thanks Lopburi and Mario! The reason I was asking was because a friend and his wife (both US citizens) have expressed an interest in visiting Thailand, possibly to spend 1 to 3 months in the country. If the stay is up to 30 days, all they need is a valid passport and their outbound ticket, their passport will be stamped on arrival at the airport in BKK. They don't need to bother with the Consulate at all. If they decide to stay longer than 30 days, but less than 60 days, they'd need to apply for a tourist visa from the Consulate.

That said, I checked the webpage of the Royal Thai Consulate General office in Portland about tourist visas to be sure before offering any suggestions. That's when I saw they show transit visas ($30). The ($35) fee for a tourist visa is waived for for a single entry, although up to two additional entries can be purchased. It was the transit visa that threw me with no indication about the exemption waiver or visa on arrival. If you saw the Portland website, you can see there's not much info there. However, to be fair, they do point to the LA Consulate's website though. It appears the ONLY visas the Portland office handles are transit visas and tourist visas. I had considered that the transit visa was probably for foreign visitors in the US wanting or needing to go to Thailand for various reasons, but thought you guys could help clarify the confusion for me. You have, and I greatly appreciate the help.

ขอบคุณมากกรับ

Look here for a partial answer to your question: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2637.php

Your name suggests you are a US national, in which case you don't qualify for visa on arrival but for a (tourist) visa exemption. To use this you would need a ticket out of the country with a flight within 30 days of arrival.

Thanks Mario. I was looking at the websites of the Thai Consulate Generals in Portland Oregon and LA. The one in Portland primarily handles visas. In it they have miniscule information regarding visas and they show that they issue a Transit Visa for $30. It's hard to say when it was last updated.

I understand the visa exemption, but I guess I don't understand how it actually differs from a visa on arrival. And I don't really understand why the Consulate offers a Transit Visa. The only difference I can see is that a Transit Visa is essentially a document attached to your passport, whereas the visa exemption is stamped on arrival to BKK. Any thoughts? I briefly looked at the link earlier, then looked at it again when you posted it. Unless I'm reading it wrong, it looks like what they call "Visa on Arrival" is the same thing as a visa extension.

It's not really a bit deal, but I was kind of stumped by the Thai Consulate offering a Transit Visa and wondering why would anyone from the US actually need a Transit Visa for $30. Any thoughts?

http://www.thai-or.com/

What's the difference between a Visa on Arrival and a Transit Visa?

(Electric) traffic lights at 1:19 would suggest a later date. Wikipedia states such lights were first developed about 1914 in the States. Does anyone know when they first came to Thailand?

- Roger -

Thanks Roger. Good point. That was something that caught my attention as well. I looked at the object in full view but it's not very clear. However, I agree it certainly looks like some kind of traffic signal, particularly because it's mounted on a candy striped pole. If it's a traffic light, it looks like it only uses a single light. The title doesn't specify a date, but generalizes by saying it's about 100 years ago. I'd guess it might date back to the 1920's. If it is from 20's, even the latter half, then it's possible might be electric, although I'm just guessing. I too would be interested in knowing when the first electric traffic lights came to Thailand. Still, it's an interesting look at BKK long ago.

Bangkok: 100 years ago?

From the date the video was posted, that would put around 1909. It's obvious the video is very old, but I'm mpt sure if it's that old or not. In one reference by Mercedes-Benz Thailand, there were 412 automobiles in 1909.

http://www.mercedes-benz.co.th/content/thailand/mpc/mpc_thailand_website/enng/home_mpc/passengercars/home/passenger_cars_world/About_the_Company/heritage/First_Mercedes-Benz_in_Thailand.html

Here's a video of a flood in Bangkok, 1942.

The kind of criminals you're talking about would have no qualms in targeting other Thais as well if there's something to be gained by it. They're equal opportunity criminals, not racists.

I really would like to agree with your version but unfortunately what those criminals said and what it came out of the investigations, so the facts, are not in favour of this theory, now please nobody steps in to tell me that all thais are poor people and have nothing worthed to steal as i am expecting it

I'm not saying there's no racism at all, but just because the "news" said some thugs claimed they were targeting farangs, doesn't necessarily mean they wouldn't go after Thais as well if there was enough to gain by it. To me, in that particular example, targeting farangs (or foreigners) sounds more like they were basing it on a perceived opportunity with the idea that farangs = money. It seems to me that there's a view that somehow racism and discrimination mean the same thing. A racist certainly discriminates. But discrimination doesn't always mean racism. Even if the thugs were being racists, it's kind of hard to take a small example like that and apply it to Thais in general. What I find more common about some Thais, perhaps many, is a sense of being better than others because of nationalism. If it was strictly a matter of racism, then why would Thais discriminate against people from bordering countries?

How did you hear about this?

FYI someone can still be defined as a racist even if discriminates to more then just another race, the only person which is mentioning the "aggressive kind of racism" or extreme here seems to be yourself, you can still be a racist with a smile on your face.....

The kind of criminals you're talking about would have no qualms in targeting other Thais as well if there's something to be gained by it. They're equal opportunity criminals, not racists.

I haven't had any problems either. My family has been completely supportive and treat my wife like a member of the family.

What of today's digital photography?

Will modern photos survive as well?

Or will the old CD's and hard drives all become corrupted?

Please permit me to first of all chime in with appreciation for all the historical photos ZZ has posted, regardless of whether some are identified or not. Just seeing them are impressive. I agree that having more information about the photos would be great, but sometimes it's not always so simple to do. I've added some info about one photo (Sukhumvit, Soi 8) and spotted that the photo was in fact backwards. And others have also added some info or corrections as well.

Okay, back to the question at hand. I'm no skilled photographer, but it can be said that photographs have gone through a process of evolving, from tintypes to paper images to digital images. As the technology has changed, so has the media. Older images are often transferred into newer formats. It's possible future photo images might involve equipment or cameras that work at the nano scale, and provide exceptionally rich clarification, perhaps even better than the originals. I'd guess modern images and images stored on old CD's will be transferred over to whatever new media might be used in the future. I'm sure some of the expert photography buffs here on TV have better insights on that subject than I do. It's hard to guess what's next for photography and the preservation of historical photos. In terms of loss, some images are bound to be lost due to accident, neglect, or just plain disposed of. But of those that currently exist, and those that may be rediscovered after being buried away and forgotten inside a box in some closet, I think we'll likely be able to view them long into the future.

We are just a little bit outside of Bangkok in a fenced moo bahn with security. This is nice but still i let my wifes younger sister take care of the house when we are off for a Holiday. We pay her some money and hope that things go well.

We have a place somewhat in the sticks, sort of a modest 4-plex. No fenced community. Our concern wasn't about theft of anything but rather just to keep squatters or partiers out to avoid senseless damage. For the sake of convenience, we have family members live there year round. We contact them frequently to keep tabs on things. In exchange, they pay for the utilities, their own food, and keep the fruit trees watered. They provide their own furnishings. We pay to have bottled water delivered. Overall, it seems to work out pretty well for everyone.

In my opinion, regardless of the origin of the word "farang", the current use of the word can sometimes be meant as an insulting derogatory term, but is most generally used as a simple convenient identification term much in the same sense that the word "caucasian" is used. Is there an alternate term that's better?

How can it be a derogatory work or term?

If a Thai says "Farang keenok", the Thai is not being nice for sure. ie. "you bird shit farang". But, Farang is still not a derogatory word, the bird shit adjective is! The use of farang was identifying a or the person.

Can someone enlighten me as to where in the Thai language it is used as a derogatory word?????????????????????

Even if you don't speak Thai, farang bad, farang smelly, farang bad month, farang whatever, it still is only in reference to a person being identified by looks, nothing else. An in these cases is used in place of better knowledge of country of origin or the individuals name!

Thanks for the correction. You're quite right. The word "farang" can be used in conjunction with other words aimed at being an insult. But the word itself is simply a word generally used to identify caucasions, which was the point I made. I've been referred to as a farang, usually by people who don't know me. I can't speak for anyone else, but in my own experience, once Thais do get to know me and know where I'm from, then I'm usually considered as a "khon amerigan". Even then it's not unusual for those who know me refer to me as a farang when speaking to other Thais. I think the word "farang" is just easier for Thais to use because it's a lot more common. I've never come across any Thais who thought the word is an insult. Interestingly though, I can't say I've ever heard of a similar identifying word used to generally describe Asians. The exception being if they know the individual or there are some other characteristics, then a specific Asian may well be called "khon jeen", "khon yippon", "khon gowlee", "khon lao", etc. (as examples), or whatever country they're originally from or descended from.

Like you, I'm not at all clear as to why some people consider the word "farang" to be an insulting word. Maybe they just don't like being characterized. Or maybe they just don't like the way Thais do things. You've heard people who regularly complain about Thais. Then too, it may be a lack of understanding or interest. As I also stated, is there an alternate term that's better to use? Maybe "khon peu khao"? I'm not so sure that would necessarily be satisfactory to some people either.

In my opinion, regardless of the origin of the word "farang", the current use of the word can sometimes be meant as an insulting derogatory term, but is most generally used as a simple convenient identification term much in the same sense that the word "caucasian" is used. Is there an alternate term that's better?

Sukhumvit Road, Soi 8, 1986

ZZ, I was looking at that photo of Sukhumvit, Soi 8, and something didn't look quite right about it to me. I was thinking the view was looking east in the direction of Robinson Dept. store, but the buildings off in the distance didn't make any sense. Then I discovered what the problem is. The lettering of the Coca-Cola sign is backwards. Your photo is flipped in reverse. It's looking toward the direction of the Din Daeng Expressway. I'm pretty sure that's a foot bridge in the distance crossing the road near Soi 2. Soi 8 is actually located on the left side. LOL! The photo must've been taken from a footbridge. Seems like there was one with DK Books on the left side and the Ambassador Hotel parking and micro-zoo on the right. Below is the correct orientation of the image.

Nice photo of Suk and Soi 8. Thanks for posting it. It's exactly as I remember. Hey, I think I see myself heading for Soi 8. LOL!

For those who don't know, Soi 8 is on the right in the photo where the cars are coming out, just past the reddish rails. On this side of the Soi, but on Sukhumvit, is a shop. I can't remember all they sold there, but I do remember they had a number of highly detailed Chinese cork sculptures depicting mountains, trees, birds, pagodas, etc., all contained in glass cases of various shapes. I was so impressed I bought about three of them with a discount. On the other side of Soi 8 was another store on the corner, and just past that a short distance was a branch of Bangkok Bank with an exchange booth out in front. Exchange rates at the time was 25 baht to the US dollar. Might not sound like a great rate, but it was excellent at the time. Prices were much lower so you could get a lot more for your money.

Across Sukhumvit from Soi 8 and on the corner (Soi 11, I think) was a shoe store, I believe called Phraya. Bought a nice comfortable pair of leather sandals there. I still have those same sandals, still in good shape. A bit down Soi 11 from Phraya Shoes, is the Siam Commercial Bank. A few steps past the shoe store along Suk, led to a parking area for the Ambassador Hotel. There was a nice covered food area with cheap, but good Thai food. And out in the parking area was a mini-zoo. Further down Sukhumvit, on the left side in the photo, on Soi 13 is the Miami Hotel. Can't see it in the photo. But out in front directly on Suk, was the Thermae Coffee Shop and another bank & exchange booth. In the morning, there was a guy with a cart and tables set up in front of the Thermae serving breakfast, good coffee, and khao pat khai. There was another set up in a nook along Soi 8 too.

Good times and made a lot of good friends there.

So far it appears that Saraburi may not be the right solution. In terms of location it fits well but the low number of farangs in the area may be an indicator to a lack of schoolsthere with an English program, which is a priority.

However, settling in Korat poses a similar problem and it doesn't look promising anywhere in between. I am however looking at the Phyayen & Muak Lek area as there is an international school there.

Alternatives seem to be as you mentioned, looking nearer to Bangkok. I am looking at Nonthaburi also but I really don't want to be any closer to Bangkok than that if I can hep it.

Most of the schools around Saraburi province seem to include teaching English as a second language. I don't really know anything about the international schools. Speaking from my own experiences in our location in the province, with regard to learning English, most of the kids don't seem to bother practicing it outside of school, partly because there's few opportunities to practice what they've learned, and because they just keep speaking in Thai as soon as school is out. As such, their English skills remain extremely poor, except for a few common phrases and words.

Nonthaburi is a pretty nice location. In my opinion, a couple of other spots that might be worth looking at in other areas north of BKK, are around Rangsit and Don Meung. Also, east of the Don Meung airport, heading out Thanon Sai Mai to Thanon Sukhaphiban (around the area of Talat Wongsagon), there are a number of gated communities, although I have no idea if there are any serviced rentals. Worth a check with the community on-site sales offices to see if there are any rentals. Personally, I think I'd be a little bit cautious about 'serviced accommodations', unless you actually know the maids, etc. Sometimes things can have a funny way of mysteriously vanishing, especially if you're not around to keep an eye on things.

Here's a good-sized community with a nearby wat/school. Our daughter and son-in-law used to live there, which is where my familiarity of it comes from. Directly across the road is the Talat Wongsagon via a footbridge, unless you're daring enough to cross the road directly. There are several other similar communities heading south.

Sukhumvit near Nana 1975

YEAH, there were times when we can see the sky in Sukhumvit (((-:

I have been in Bkk and Pattaya first in 1975 and remember also a lot of Klongs in Bangkok, not much skyscrapers and absolutely no skytrains or too much traffic.

THANKS for the pictures timestamp :jap:

That's the same impression I got from the photo as well. No skytrains. Lots of blue sky. The TAILORS sign looks familiar. So does that white building in the background. One of my favorite spots to stay at was the shady old Mermaid's Rest guesthouse/bar/restaurant on Soi 8, on the right, just off Sukhumvit Road. It had a great all-you-can-eat outdoor grill buffet. On one occasion, they goofed up the reservations. All they had was a smaller room, which was okay with me. Cost: 50 baht/day. That was sometime around the late 80s or early 90s.

There might be some expat forums specific to Saraburi, but I haven't heard of any, which you'll better understand below.

We spend our time split between Thailand and the US. We have a modest house at Hin Kong, in the district of Nong Khae, which is located south of the city of Saraburi, roughly halfway between Saraburi and Wang Noi along Hwy 1, although we're somewhat in the sticks. About the only time we go to Saraburi is to go the bank or pick up a few things at the talat there. IMO, as cities go, Saraburi is a bit on the small side. As a central location, Saraburi (city) makes it reasonably easy to get to Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), Lopburi, Ayuttaya, or BKK. Travel to BKK, via Hwy 1, can take a couple of hours or so (by air-con bus), depending on how many stops are made along the way and BKK rush hours, although you may want to do your own driving. It's roughly 108 kilometers between Saraburi and BKK,

There are farangs scattered around the province, but I haven't seen many, other than occasional backpacking tourists passing through by bus. That's probably because there aren't a lot of things of special interest to foreigners in the province or the city. As you can probably assume, agriculture (rice farming) is the primary income producer in the province. For day-to-day interactions and activities, it's probably a good idea to brush up on your Thai language skills.

On the plus side, it's cheaper in the long run to live there. Since we have our own place, I can't really tell you about the availability of rental housing, although there are certainly some to be found. What about staying with your wife's family for a while to give yourself some time to look around. There might be some real estate agents that are located in Saraburi who handle rentals as well. It might also be worth checking TV's "Real Estate, housing and land ownership" forum. If there's nothing specific to Saraburi, then start a new thread of inquiry there. On the other hand, if most of your business dealings are in or near BKK, you might be better off finding a place that's closer to BKK.

The entire province or just the city? Why not just ask what you want to know about Saraburi here?

but since this may be my final holiday to Thailand I think I should do some of the tourist things.

Just curious, but why do you say this might be your final holiday to Thailand?

A few typical places to visit:

- Wat Traimit is small, but worth a visit to see the Gold Buddha

- Since you mentioned the Grand Palace, it's worth a visit

- If you visit the Grand Palace, then you might as well visit Wat Po with its gigantic reclining Buddha

- The Weekend Market at Chatuchak where you can mingle among the crush of hot sweaty people

- Maybe a dash to Ayuttaya to see some of the historical ruins. There's a lot in the area, but you can manage some of them on a day trip.

- Loads of other places that are out of the BKK area, but maybe not enough time for a 2-3 day spree

LOL! I forgot about April Fools Day. I was having a hard time imagining why on earth the Zoo would want to be so reckless to let "younger children" pet a panda.

My Thai wife and I are pushing close to 20 years of marriage. She just went over to Thailand last week. As soon as she arrived, she called me to let me know she arrived safely, and she called me a couple of days ago. We're both close in age. We were friends before we married, and have been very supportive to each other. We're still best friends, and I still see her as the love of my life. I feel very fortunate when I hear about things that didn't work out so well for others. We're growing old together, and enjoy sharing life together with each other. I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world. She's an excellent cook too.