moogradod

OK, I ask despite the danger of making me look stupid. You are talking about "farmland" all the time. Does this mean that no house may be build on it ? What I know from the west is what is called a zoning concept. The quality of loom that I have seen so far is rather dirt then what looks like dark fruitful loom. Does "farmland" then mean that the highest highs is rice you may plant or manioc but that it is not suited for vegetable or fruits ? Besides being able to build a house with all bells and whitles, electric, water etc. on it ?

If there is one thing I do not eat then it is lamb. But I know someone filthy rich which does not appear as such (at all !). Maybe some of you have been eaten in one of the (illegal ?) seafood restaurants in Hua Hin in the vicinity of the Hilton which are build into the sea. One of the owners was an old lady that might have easily be mistaken for a retired cleaner if you judge by her outfit alone. She used to be the owner of the biggest shopping centers at the time (I mean the whole center, not a shop) in town.

Well done. In fact to wear a cheap watch is a near sure protection. I do the same and wear a Seiko. And yours does not even have correct numbers !

I absolutely agree with that. Are you aware of the Omawari-San Concept as well in the living quarters ? The Japanese adress system follows a logical order where the adress consists of the identification of areas rather than streets. One of the elements in that order stands for an area consisting of several houses in a cluster. And each cluster has its own Police Box, manned by one "Omawari-San" (Policeman). The guy knows who is living in his block and what they are doing. This would be suspicious in a country like North Korea - but not so in Japan. The relationship with the Omawari-San was not disturbing but rather the opposite, based on trust and positive social interaction. Your friend from the government so to speak, there to help and protect you. And you felt good about it. I found this to be a big difference to the perceived relationship with the police in other countries. You need not look far to know what I mean ????. This does not mean there is no crime. The Japanese Yakuza are world famous. In a lot of cases they do not hide at all but are an accepted and even respected part of the society. To be careful in some entertainment districts late at night would not be a mistake, but its not burglary. They trick you to enter some bars (if you let them) where you might pay a fortune for saying Hallo to a nice lady passing by - politely of course. And I really mean a fortune if it comes to the bill. Could be in the end easily worth a new house in the countryside in LOS. Have a look at YouTube. There are some revealing clips about the Tokyo nightlife. Yes, the Japanese ways are different under many circumstances. I remember (and will never forget) when I saw a murder of the Yakuza LIVE on TV. If this is not different to many places then what is.

Sexually they have always been special with a kind of mixture of prudery and extreme predispositions. Better not talk about what is on sale there (online as well I think). So it does not surpize me at all that the guy did read his well deserved manga after a hard working day openly. Somehow they are shameful and sometimes very open. I remember frequenting a small Sushiya near to the place I lived at the time and while chatting with the owner we ran into the topic of hobbies. He and his wife (they both did operate the place together) told me straight away it was porno. I have to admid that I was baffled that they were so open to someone who were not a customer for a long time and we were not alone - one other guest perfectly understood what had been said. As for Tokyo-size: My time was even more than a decade before yours and it always has been big. Maybe too big to grasp correctly. I still have a city plan on paper of all greater Tokyo. It is a book with some 130 pages or so. Nowadays the city has maybe more grown towards the sky (as in many places in the world). In my times there was only Shinjuku as the only center with high buildings. What you still find there today is a small wooden house right next to a super modern skyscraper. But the earthquake is much more fun in the small wooden hut. And yes, I know the Shinkansen. I had the pleasure to go from Tokyo to Fukuoka and back once and then one time to Kyoto.

Sure you do not underestimate its size at least a bit ? If you include include the Airport (strictly not in Tokyo, but lets count it anyway) greater Tokyo is about 126 km from West to East and even only the prefecture itself spans a mere 90 km+. The most preferred method of public transport is the Chikatetsu, some sort of mixture between a subway and a train. There are several lines, the ones passing Shinjuku get the special treatment by the white hand cuffed gentlemen during rush hours. I have been "sardinized" many times. Makes you enter and embark again regardless if you want to. Waiting for the next "train" does not help. They come in 2 minute intervals and its all the same during these times. Nevertheless you see most of them them running for the train that has just arrived as if it were the last ever. To explore Tokyo by these, it would take hours to cross.

Take advantage. Rent your condo at a cheaper rate without the need for a swimming pool. Besides, I can tell you Venice has its charms, too. And who would not want to own his own boat - someday ? Joke aside - no idea why anybody would buy an expensive estate there. And then they ARE expensive. Some irrational hope that it wont happen anyway ?

Thank you. You seem to interpret that I am not satisfied with my life as it turned out and are prone to complaining. But neither am I interested how "successful" people did whatever differently nor am I not happy. I wish them all well and I am happy for them, too. I find it rather amusing how many times I have had some good ideas only to see others reaping benefits. And "successful" for me is more connected to spiritual development than to materialistic issues which I do not refuse but do not regard as the primary cause of happiness or even it might be the cause of misery. Just look in the newspaper and there it is right before your eyes. The thing here is not to get dependend although you may enjoy them. There is nothing wrong with driving a Ferrari. It is fun if you can leave it at that. The Dalai Lama would (maybe) like it (but he is more into mechanical watches). What is wrong is that you think that the car is the cause of happiness while its decay is only a matter of time and therefore ultimately rather a source of grief.

I have a friend who introduced one of the most successful coffee chains in Thailand, then Vietnam and Cambodia. Another one operates a succesful business in the same sector. So there are successful farangs. The basis is hard work (and luck). But of course you are right that we always see the successful few and not the many failures. But I do not agree at all that without a Business Plan and the other things you mention you would maximize your success. I would even make a Business Plan for selling Som Tam (for myself in this case) and I am sure that the lack of it is exactly why many businesses here do not flourish. For many Thai citizens, planning and calculation seem to be foreign words.

Not the same for everyone. I entered University at the age of 19 and worked only during holidays in some of these mundane and tedious jobs you mention. But I was lucky for I did not have to stand on my own feet then. My father was a commodity trader and we were rich enough that I did not have to contribute anything. Rather the opposite.

Bingo. That confirms my theory.

I believe you can only be exeptional at something you really like. Unfortunately it takes time to determine what that is - and at that time you may have already embarked on a specific education. Would I have known what I know now I would have ended up highly successfully now. Without bragging I am actually quite sure about this. Some mistakes of my own on the way have ruined the best opportunities I had. But you are right, to have luck as well does not hurt. I have as well had some business ideas long before others became multimillionaires with the same idea (example: I thought of online-casinos long before there was internet) but then missed the opportunity to implement a business just because I did not saw the opportunity when it opened up. Same with some other projects.

I have no son, but as we decided to take my stepdaughter to live with us in Pattaya (at this time 19 years old, did not finish Matayon 6 because of reasons I leave up to your imagination) we thought it was a good idea to get her a job first and then look from there. Not knowing where to start she just walked into supermarkets and an convenient store to apply. My surprizes: One: It is extremely easy to get just SOME job. You need one, maximum two days and you can start. Two: Unfortunately the "conditions" offered orally were nothing short of slavery like. Actually hard to imagine that anyone would want to work under these conditions and compensation and benefits (there are none - on the contrary you were asked to buy the work clothes by yourself (just one example)). I have to laugh at myself now that I know I have approached this with "Western" ideas but have been catapulted back to the mediaval age or to the time of slavery. Really not far from it ! Three: When I asked her about a working contract where all the conditions are documented and mutually signed she said there was none. For sure some of the conditions were even against current work law I presume. So it was working at the mercy of the employer for a salary not worth mentioning (The whole exercise was not because of money but rather an educational measure) Four: On a positive note, cheap condos were available in abundance in the vicinity where such cheap job opportunities exist. The very cheaper ones (just above THB 2'000/month) are terrible rat holes but in the region of 5'000.-- it gets at least acceptable. It took my wife 1 day to find an accomodation. I bought her a nice motorcycle (N-Max) then for transport, but not before she made the driving license - a process which was nothing short of ridiculous. First she could not understand why I insisted on her having one at all. Not that she could drive after that (same for cars by the way) but to satisfy control of the police which is different from the countryside (there is none). She really tried hard to succeed at the job, but stories I heard were hair raising. It was not an acceptable working environment by any means - and this explains why it is so easy to get a job. The employers are obviously not interested in constituting a longer work relationship. Just use the work force during the phase of enthusiasm for butter and bread conditions and without work contract and then change the employee again if they want. Anyway they do not invest anything in you. Conclusion: There is no independent working life possible if you enter the working world without a VERY high (by Thai standards at least) education. So we sent her to a private school again. All in all at least 5 years until some sort of Master Degree plus University afterwards. At least she learns languages as well (English, Chinese). To go get a good (good heart plus ATM) Western husband for her would really be an alternative, but you know the difficulties. She is a bit heavy but really outstanding beautiful. And so she has already a Thai boyfriend, with car and working in a lower managerial position (although barely enough money to support a family in the way I would prefer to see). We have to wait some years more and then something will cristallize. After all it is up to her ! I more and more come to the conclusion that if you do not have a very high education (University degree, preferably having studied abroad as well) and then take on a job as a doctor, engineer etc. the only way to make a good living here is to open your own business (If you really know at least what a Business Plan is and have knowledge in the services you offer, creativity, maybe connections).

Thats what it is all about. A handmade suit will fit ! And as you say - not easy at all for all the super wide like me. And who cares who makes the stitching. All my suits were very satisfying and in NO way convey any inferior feeling. The "salespersons" at the shop did always consult a specialist (the actual tailor obviously) when it came to optimize the fitting. And all that with reasonable cost. An Italian jacket on the other hand may cost a fortune. I have seen an Armani (I think it was Armani) jacket on its own costing about THB100K on the Bahnhofstrasse Zurich and I recall I have even heard of suits (custom made) in the region of THB700K and above. Price performance comes into play then big time. On the other hand my wife has just ordered some Thai traditional costumes at a Thai tailor shop where not a single tourist ever shows up. Blouse and skirt for THB 1'800.-- incl. very nice cloth and laces. So all in all: Are Thai Tailors worth it ? I would say it is a big Yes if you choose carefully.

I have noticed that even very well know publications here (in English) are reporting with utmost care and as minimized as possible about subjects that attract otherwise a very high attention (the Ukraine war is one example) around the world. I seriously wonder why.

I agree. I am quite the opposite of a cheap charlie. A 7-eleven whatever while sitting on the edge of some high rise building is not the setting I prefer. But this does not exclude the ever lasting search for the optimum price-performance. Especially Thailand used to be a place where you could get top notch views, music, atmosphere and top drinks while the low prices made the offer even more tempting. A thing of the past exept for some very rare spots.

May I ask where this Harry is located ? I am looking for a real German style sour dough bread with taste. There are some breads on offer here which aim to go in this direction (Big C Extra and Tops) but they do not cut it yet. But to get the real thing is difficult everywhere (exept Germany) - not only in Thailand, so I am not really surprized. At least they have good baguettes.

I do not know your idea of "reasonable price", but i find the Hilton roof top not especially cheap. For example for the snacks etc. I live in Pattaya but will soon embark on a 10 day journey to Bangkok to have a go at some upscale restaurants together with my wife. Even more expensive, I know, but they are worth it. And Rooftop Bars all around.

You have to admit that a trombone is not one of the quieter instruments. No way to mute the horn somehow and insert a micro listening then by earhones to the sound ? Having said that I would probably be at least disturbed by an hour of trombone a bit, too - and I am a musician myself (mostly electric guitar with earphones, thats a neighbor friendly and time independent thing). I play since nearly 50 years. I would really say it is like someone above noted already: Some instruments (Drums, Tuba ?) call for a practice room (which may be in your own house). With a bit of creativity there might be cheap solutions (practicing in a somewhat deserted bar for the moment ?) Talking to a music school where they produce already enough music (hopefully it is). And you have to face that – no matter how good you are – just solo trombone for an hour nearly uninterrupted is not far away from violin practice of a beginner for an hour from the viewpoint of an innocent listener. Last solution: Change the instrument. A piano / keyboard may be a good choice – I have a keyboard connected to my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation on my PC) which let you again enjoy by earphone without disturbing anybody. With the right software (I use True Pianos since years) or a bit of synthy touch very nice.

I am not using suits anymore but before they were my usual attire at work and I have ordered more than a dozen when I was in Thailand, but I believe the following statements still apply: 1. Forget a US$ 99.- suit 2. There are decent tailors here, explore the net and get recommendations and then visit. Some have in fact pictures with them together with known personalities on their walls, not presidents but maybe some ambassadors. From some I know that airlines order costumes there for their inflight personnel. I personally avoid the shops with someone sitting outside and calling you to come inside 3. 2 fittings are standard but demand 3 fittings 4. In fact they will do as they are told by the customer, so be creative with additional pockets etc. You may as well demand a flexible but nearly invisible part that stretches around the waist if you sit down or are dining 5. I am not sure if you may take all this gibberish and tests (burning the fabric) of the fabrics for real. The materials are like you perceive them (soft, hard, strong) and thats it. Original cashmere costs a real fortune. Every tailor wanting to sell me his fabric as real cashmere looses 80% of my trust on the spot. He may still be able to produce a very good suit with the materials he has and sells as real, "imported from Italy" etc. I have some really decent suits (but unfortunately am not able to wear them anymore) 6. It is always a good idea to order a jacket with two pants instead of one once you have the prefect fit 7. I actually forgot prices - some time has passed since then as well - but should I guess I would say if it is above THB 10K (with one pants) you should not be surprized. By the way all my clothes are custom made but not suits. A question of body size and the frequency of its change. And availability. And actually price performance. I find prices for custom made casual wear cheap here. Only disadvantage I experience: If you look for a shirt with a design, you will not get something modern, like the newest Arrow collection etc. In the distant past I used to buy these nice shirts ready made ????

All the "solutions" depicted so far only deal with the link adress, but leave the stored data on the forum server untouched. Would for some reason someone decide to delete these data on the forum server, then the OP would have no backup at all. If the thread is not too long (some hundred or thousand posts) and the topic is of very much importance then you might copy the data with ctrl-c ctrl-v in a word document or to any format you like and rearrange the result until it is readeable. There are as well free programs like "FastStone capture" (very much recommended) which let you copy what you see on the screen selectively. You may then compose all the snapshots into one document again (like in a word file). You might not be able to copy the data directly unless the forum provides for a download possibility itself (it does not as far as I know) for you have no access rights on that server. I am not even sure if all this content is copyrighted anyway. A moderator will sure know what you may do or notabove sharing the link. Sharing the link is not the same as posessing the data I think.

What you are saying is: driving is allowed where there is free space. Could as well be applied to parking. In fact somehow this is how Thai traffic rules really work in practice. It appears even sympathetic to me since I have been living in Switzerland - where quite a different mindset exist which does not make sense all the time. Wild West - as long as everyone takes care of everybody - a free world - nice idea. And now lets open the throttles - provided no other disturbing car is in sight

Anytime I hear or read about insurance my gastric ulcer becomes more and more a reality. In the old lovable sympathetic Thailand that I knew since 1975 there were no such thing and no associated problems and everything did not only work well but it was attractive to everyone until some sort of bureaucrats took over the management only to get things into the mess we all feel. There would be the need to turn back time or - to begin with - just scrap insurance(s) alltogether.

I live in Pattaya and have driven many times in Bangkok as well. It seems to me the right of way in BKK is at times determined by the traffic flow regardless of where you want to go yourself ????. And I firmly believe that a minority of drivers will know that the vehicle coming from the left has priority given the hesitance with which they act at junctions. But better like this than accidents.

So here seems to be the final answer: The right of way has the vehicle coming from the LEFT. Thank you. Provided, the Road Traffic Act of 1979 is still in place ????, but contrary to many regulations, this rule might not change quickly. Would be a little bit like it was decided to drive on the right side instead of the left.