nidieunimaitre

I rarely frequent places that charge more than 80 baht for a large local beer.

The places with 80 Baht for a small beer have some extra attractions

I know places like that back home.

They serve meze or tapas with the beer?

If a 10 percent service charge is too much for you, times must be hard.

120 baht for a small "beer" + 10% service charge + 7% VAT is more than what I pay for a trapist in Belgium.

And for me - and others - times are not hard.

I spend half the year travelling in Europe, and pay the high price for that: high price, high quality.

The other half year I spend in Thailand, and pay the low price for that: low price, low quality.

It is not about being a cheapo, it is about value for money.

And about having choices.

I dont tip if service charge is included in the bill. Its normally bewteen 7 and 10%, Pattaya 120b for a small beer plus 10% service charge.. outragous...

No one has answered my question, Can you refuse to pay it?

Places that I frequent have a price on the menu.

Be it 60, 80, 100, 120, 150 Baht.

I pay 60, 80, 100, 120, 150 Baht.

I rarely frequent places that charge more than 80 Baht for a small local beer.

I rarely frequent places that charge more than 80 baht for a large local beer.

But I live in Chanthaburi.

Not really a place for European food, but if you like thai (sea) food & thai smiles, it is the place to be.

It is a smart ass rip off.

Agoda does it too.

I make a point of not tipping when there is a service charge, and I will probably never go back to that place again.

I will even keep the 1 or 2 baht coins change they give me.

It happened only very few times to me, since I avoid tourist places.

Beer bore, part 24.

You asked for it.

Do you like cheeses? Yes? Good.

But always remember.

If you don't like cheeses, cheeses still loves you.

Who keeps cheese long enough to care about the shelf life?

Seriously. They're seemingly not even allowed to label the stuff as cheese. That alone should tell you all you need to know.

Surely, mentioning Velveeta in a conversation about cheese must breach several Forum rules?

If we let this pass, I predict that one day somebody will mention Heineken in a beer thread.

We have to act NOW!

Full moon at Xmas is a sign!.

.

How did we go from Cheesy Underwear to politics in two posts? On second thought, politicians certainly fall under the Cheesy Underwear category.

Just because I like to bring back shelf-stable Velveeta from USA because it may be 3-4 days in transit before I reach home in Thailand, I had my cheese culinary credentials challenged even though I never said that Velveeta was ALL that I ever eat. I wasn't paying too much attention as I was listening to the NFL football on the internet radio and suggested such insult was proffered by a Brit. My mistake. A Belgian.

http://www.homesicktexan.com/2008/04/more-natural-chile-con-queso.html

I decided to be adventurous and tried the link.

So Mexicans and Texans eat Velveeta.

The best part of the article was when they explained how to pronounce "queso".

I kid you not! The article says: "kay-so".

Only in America!

You will have to imagine the real English accent, but isn't this a jewel?

http://genius.com/Margaret-thatcher-margaret-thatcher-does-the-dead-parrot-sketch-annotated/

My internet is very slow, you tube may have the audio.

As some very English people used to say: "And now for something completely different".

Brits have an English accent.

Unless they're Scottish. Or Welsh. Or Irish.

I was talking about real British.

And Irish? Let's not turn this into a discussion about the occupied territories, but I do hope that after Brexit, the EU will enforce the same labelling rules that now apply to the Westbank.

You think Scottish people aren't really British?

They don't have an English accent, do they?

And they don't vote for that hiso party that rules Britain.

And on a slightly more serious note: Are the Northern Irish British? What does "UK" mean? Isn't there an "AND" in the full name?

Yanks have a bunch of states with population bigger than Belgium -- you can't really expect us to keep all'a them little countries straight, do you?

Oh?

I thought it has always been part of the official US foreign policy to keep all other countries straight.

Whatever straight may mean.

Brits have an English accent.

Unless they're Scottish. Or Welsh. Or Irish.

I was talking about real British.

And Irish? Let's not turn this into a discussion about the occupied territories, but I do hope that after Brexit, the EU will enforce the same labelling rules that now apply to the Westbank.

Brits have an English accent.

Belgians have beer & chocolate.

For Yanks I refer to the previous poster.

Vegemite. You will have to settle for Marmite.

As an American I can never see the reasons one would enjoy Vegemite. It can knock a buzzard off a shit wagon at 30 meters.

As a Brit, I've never understood why anyone would want a weaker, watered-down version of Marmite.

As a Belgian, I can still remember something that happened about 35 years ago in NZ.

Belgians are raised on chocolate and chocolate spread, and when Kiwis invited me for a meal, I mistook the vegemite for chocolate spread.

Thick layer.

Big mistake.

A "prepared" cheese product is melted cheese mixed with water and lots of salt.

Thanks to the water the producer can claim lower fat / calories.

Thanks to the salt the product will stay good for ever.

I read that some cheese connoisseurs really like this rubber imitation.

Most cheeses freeze perfectly and can stay years in the freezer. Some might change texture a little but still ok. Has anyone ever been discovered by customs? If so what happened?

Maybe still OK for you -- not still OK for me.

Pointless response but nevertheless....Your loss

No it isn't -- once you freeze cheese the texture or 'mouth feel' is never the same. I bring back this as it travels well and buy other cheese I like at Makro. No loss.

You claim to taste the difference between fresh cheese and cheese that was frozen.

OK I believe you, congratulations to your taste buds.

Next you shamelessly admit you eat "processed", "prepared" cheese products?

Sorry, you just lost all credibility when it comes to cheese.

J Cloths

M&S underwear

and beyond that, democracy, freedom of speech and human rights would be nice if you can fit them in your bag.

Aside from the underwear I wonder if foreigners in your country have to travel abroad to find the rest.

This is probably the first time you've experienced being in a minority. Maybe you could bring back some insight .and perspective... although that would probably exceed your baggage limit.

Will your farang / TV member bashing ever end?

I wouldn't answer the door. Let them come back again, like we have to, countless times.

Pretty stupid advice...they'ed probably deny the visa extension based on incomplete documentation.

This is why in the past 8 years I have always used non im o visas, obtained in my home country.

They can be stretched to 17 months if you are married to a Thai.

From the USA I bring

a large tub or two of red licorice vines,

large containers of various spices (red pepper flakes, Smoked Salt, Cajun Seasoning, Italian Seasoning);

Two pairs of good Berkenstock sandals;

See's Candy and their assorted lollipops;

Cans of Smoked Almonds and Pistachio Nuts;

several bags of good coffee beans and espresso beans;

assorted good clothes for my Thai girlfriend (jeans, tops, skirts, Victoria Secret underwear)

Several large all beef Hard Salamis

one or two cases of good California wines (Chardonnays, Cabernets and Zinfindels)...I pay the extra duty and it is well worth it.

Also previously mentioned items like Jockey shorts, Levi Jeans, Cheeses, etc.

QUOTE:

wines (Chardonnays, Cabernets and Zinfindels)...I pay the extra duty and it is well worth it.

That is new to me.

Several posters mentioned that it is not possible to pay duty on wine imports, only 1 liter allowed.

How much duty do you pay?

And is it really duty, with receipt, or .....?

CHEESE! Yes. I never thought of that either even though I crave it all the time.

How much red wine can I get away with bringing back with me?

Legally you can bring 1 liter of alcoholic beverages, wine - beer - liquor combined.

Me: cheese, Belgian chocolate, salami, pasta herbs, truffle oil, (coffee before but now I drink Thai coffee).

Shoes XXL, socks, cheap mountain boots to work in the garden.

Wife: seeds, flowers, fig trees (!), - yes, that's illegal too.

I fell into the same pattern about 10 years ago, drinking a lot, not doing much, eating the wrong foods. I started jogging, bought a bicycle to ride around the parks near my apt, but then decided to ride it everywhere, cut out the drinking and bad food. Took about 6 months to get into shape. Lost a lot of weight.

Yeah that's kind of the advice I gave myself. Cut the drinking and be more active. Sounds so easy...

You are in your thirties and you are bored?

Either you have a big personal problem that you need to handle, or you are in the wrong place.

Of course Thailand is boring! - unless you have a full time job or serious hobby.

Thailand is boring because it is too hot to do much, and that can be OK for old people, but not for a 30+.

Myself I spend my time gardening, and travel in Europe 6 months a year - but I am retired, and just fading out slowly.

I went to Thailand when I was 57 - got a nice small house and swimming pool for 1.000.000 baht, eat all the seafood I can possibly want, and have a huge garden.

That's cheap! I could not dream of that in Farangland.

....you definitely can't get this any more for 1 million Baht ! You pay 1 million for only the swimming pool nowadays! How long ago was that?

Reading that the thread starter has money, he could however afford renting for 35,000 Baht a month a nice house, garden and swimming pool, anywhere in a Bangkok mooban, on one of the islands, along the gulf or at the andaman sea shores.

Being a hard working Yorkshireman, he will probably be clever enough not to waste his hard earned money on a villa which he never will be able to sell.

6 years ago!

Free land (of my wife) - 6 rai of fruit trees and flowers.

I did not say mansion and Olympic pool.

Small house in European style, with bath and simple kitchen & big windows: 48 m2 living space.

Big enough for me & wife.

Swimming pool and water pipe 1km for free abundant mountain water: 5 X 2,5 X 2 m

Pool is built with the same concrete & air bricks as the house, and tiles - no major repairs in 5 years.

Of course all that is not built to last for generations, but we are 60 / 65, the house will outlast us.

In Farangland you build a house for children & grandchildren, here you are free to build it just for yourself, making it a lot cheaper.

I don't understand the OP.

We are all here because Thailand is cheap.

Cheap comes at a price though.

Of course many are in denial, or have experienced nothing but their home town and Thailand.

If money is not a problem, why would anyone want to live in Thailand? Why would anyone put up with Thai culture and lifestyle , Thai laws, the humid season?

Er, there are those who go for the women including but not limited to those found in bars.

I agree. I can't live in Thailand full time when I have a nice home in a nice town in a first world country. I enjoy my visits and then I'm ready to go home.

Cheers.

The women are no exception to my opinion:

Some people go to Thailand for the cheap women, after all, if you can afford it, there are women all over the world.

I went to Thailand when I was 57 - got a nice small house and swimming pool for 1.000.000 baht, eat all the seafood I can possibly want, and have a huge garden.

That's cheap! I could not dream of that in Farangland.

And to top it off... when Thainess gets too much for me to handle, we are off to Europe for half the year.

With that amount available, I would not be in LOS, but living in a traditional stone house on a hill above the small town of Demenate in the mid-atlas about 150kliks N.E. of Marrakech.

...with a great view of Daesh coming closer every day.

I don't understand the OP.

We are all here because Thailand is cheap.

Cheap comes at a price though.

Of course many are in denial, or have experienced nothing but their home town and Thailand.

If money is not a problem, why would anyone want to live in Thailand? Why would anyone put up with Thai culture and lifestyle , Thai laws, the humid season?