Is my Thai girlfriend trying to sell me a pup?

[4MyEgo]

35 minutes ago, Durio said:

I find money so boring but I have a close mate who is a partner in an accounting firm so I will have a chat over a few beers and get him thinking ahead of the move. There is no way I am going to give the ATO a third.  

Money is boring, but isn't boring when the ATO has its hand out and I was of the same opinion as you, so I flicked the property, I really had no choice as I was moving here with the family, i.e. kids, and it would be pretty hard to get around claiming my Australian Residency for tax purposes.

 

The way it has worked out is far better for me, i.e. I make money from shares, and capital gains on the shares and pay zero $'s in tax, if it was the other way around, I would be in a worse situation.

 

If your also thinking of getting the pension when you are 67, or 70 by then, you will have to return to Australia for 2 years, also meeting the assets test, which I think we both know is not going to happen, but thought I would just mention it.

 

Medicare goes out the window after 2 years and you can't vote.

 

But hey, you can live here in a castle for under 100k, and very comfortably live off your tax free investments till you drop, thanks to the Australian Government 555

 

[Ooladolla]

As an aside, why doesn't she want to live with you in 

cairns ?

[Durio]

2 minutes ago, Ooladolla said:

As an aside, why doesn't she want to live with you in 

cairns ?

She is happy to live with me anywhere I want to go.  It was my intention to retire young in SE Asia before I even met her.  We met by chance and it was always her idea to return at some stage to live in Thailand.  We both enjoy a very simple lifestyle and can enjoy that at a younger age than we could in expensive Australia!

[Stevemercer]

I've lived in Mahasarakham province for 4 years and probably average 2 - 4 hrs per day working outside on our land. I also ride my bicycle every 2 or 3 days.

 

Yes it is hot. Some years are cooler. March - May are hot and humid with most days 35 - 40 degrees and nights 27 - 30 degrees. The rainy season is usually June to October. It is still usually hot (and approaching 100% humidity, but regular thunderstorms lower the temperature every other day. November and December aren't too bad (28 - 32 by day and 25 - 28 at night). January and February are usually the coolest months.

 

I find the sun the killer, rather than the heat. I always wear long sleeve shirts and pants (and hat) when working outside in the sun. It's best to work early and finish up by 11:00 am. The sun is down enough by 4:00 pm to work again.

 

Many days feel excessively hot simply because there is no breeze. The sweat just gathers. I'll normally soak through my work clothes a couple of time when working.

 

Thai bathrooms are often hot and humid, but you can minimise this through some simple measures. Install extraction fans over your shower and a wall fan over your toilet. Have a separate shower cabinet so the whole bathroom floor is not wet. This means you feel cool when coming out of the shower and when on the toilet.

 

[tryasimight]

2 hours ago, Durio said:

Do you have a house in Bowen or Ayr or Home Hill?   I was passing through those areas two weeks ago and the Bowen Mangos were everywhere.  I finally tracked down a guy who was selling Nam Doc Mai Mangoes and can you believe he was selling them for $12/kg.  I have spent a month in Cambodia during Late March and early April and it was like FNQ on steriods!  But I could handle well compared to many of the other Farangs.

20acres Between Ayr and Townsville.  Had 250 Kensington Pride (Bowen special) mango trees but have slowly let them die off.  No money for the small grower.  The NT crop comes in 4-6 weeks earlier and the market price has collapsed by the time mine are ready. Lady over the road has a few R2E2's and gets a bit of Christmas money (2000 bucks) from 600 trees. An Asian guy buys the whole crop and picks them. 

[Durio]

46 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

20acres Between Ayr and Townsville.  Had 250 Kensington Pride (Bowen special) mango trees but have slowly let them die off.  No money for the small grower.  The NT crop comes in 4-6 weeks earlier and the market price has collapsed by the time mine are ready. Lady over the road has a few R2E2's and gets a bit of Christmas money (2000 bucks) from 600 trees. An Asian guy buys the whole crop and picks them. 

2K for 600 trees is crazy for QLD!  Farming for profit a mug's game!

[Michael Hare]

48 minutes ago, Stevemercer said:

I've lived in Mahasarakham province for 4 years and probably average 2 - 4 hrs per day working outside on our land. I also ride my bicycle every 2 or 3 days.

 

Yes it is hot. Some years are cooler. March - May are hot and humid with most days 35 - 40 degrees and nights 27 - 30 degrees. The rainy season is usually June to October. It is still usually hot (and approaching 100% humidity, but regular thunderstorms lower the temperature every other day. November and December aren't too bad (28 - 32 by day and 25 - 28 at night). January and February are usually the coolest months.

 

I find the sun the killer, rather than the heat. I always wear long sleeve shirts and pants (and hat) when working outside in the sun. It's best to work early and finish up by 11:00 am. The sun is down enough by 4:00 pm to work again.

 

Many days feel excessively hot simply because there is no breeze. The sweat just gathers. I'll normally soak through my work clothes a couple of time when working.

 

Thai bathrooms are often hot and humid, but you can minimise this through some simple measures. Install extraction fans over your shower and a wall fan over your toilet. Have a separate shower cabinet so the whole bathroom floor is not wet. This means you feel cool when coming out of the shower and when on the toilet.

 

Definitely very very hot in northeast Thailand most of the year. In the mid 1970s I lived for two years in a rural area in Mahasarakham province. No electricity; couldn't even use a fan to cool down at night. No fridge to keep water cool let alone beer. How I survived I don't know. For the past 23 years I have lived in Ubon. These days I have air-conditioning in the bedroom and a fridge to store the water and beer. As an agricultural specialist my job takes me outside for many hours per day. I sweat. Work clothes get quickly soaked through. I always wear a hat and long trousers. I know expats in Ubon who are now getting skin cancer treatment. 

[khunPer]

I agree with user PoorSucker in post #2, based on my own experience from Isaan and Chiang Mai; however we're all different and some like or prefer the Isaan and Northern weather, with different seasons.

 

When someone talks about moving to LoS, and ask about where is best to settle, I always suggest to take little time travelling around, and stay a week, or even longer, at the different locations of interest; and try to do it both during hot time, and colds period, and even raining season. What may seem attractive in one season, may be unacceptable i another; so don't rush.

 

I myself was taken by Chiang Mai, when I first time visited the area – at that time I felt that should I ever consider to live another place than in my home country, Chiang Mai would be the it – however I changed my mind after later visits. Another beautiful area with mountains and lakes is around Korat, just where the Isaan plateau begins, which may also be worth to include in "places of interest" test trips; and probably not as cold, neither as hot as further up North, it was very acceptable weather during my visits, however little cool at nighttime during winter. Myself, I ended up down south by the sea, with only few degrees variation between hot and cold season, so never too hot, nor "freezing" cold.

 

Wish you good luck with your plans...

[britishrepublican]

4 hours ago, britishrepublican said:

I totally agree. I get bored in bkk and i have all the mod-cons of western life and I speak Thai reasonably well.

 

[thaiguzzi]

8 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

I live in Chiang Mai, arguably one of the coldest regions in the country during winter months and I've have been here for over 16 years, for me there are months for physical work and months not to. Here, typically, early February through late April is very hot and very dry, around May sees the South West monsoon so it's very wet but the humidity is much higher as a result. The rains last about five months but this is also variable, by October the temperatures should be starting to cool and November should see it 24-30 day time and 10-15 night time. Yesterday where I live it was 30 degrees during the daytime, last night the low was 18 degrees - later in December, in the nearby mountains, the temperature will drop to freezing.

 

So no physical work February through May, work with plenty of sweating from May through October and winter time, and now is when it's a good time for projects, make hay whilst the sun doesn't shine! 

 

As for the pollution: there are years when there is very little pollution and others when it seems excessive, if you're obsessed by numbers and keep reading the air quality statistics, the North is not the place to be. It helps to live in a rural environment during the burning season, it's far less noticeable than when living in the city.

+1. Wot he said.

Bar the last paragraph this could be written for any part of Northern Isaan from as west to Loei to as east as Nakon Phanom and inc Udon, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakon, Chaiyaphum and as far south as Khon Kaen.

Isaan does not have the burning problems that CM City suffers.

[Durio]

2 minutes ago, britishrepublican said:

 

I cannot imagine how you could get bored in such a large vibrant city.  I have never been bored in my life to be totally honest.  Even when I have travelled solo in remote areas where people do not have any English language I do not feel bored.  

[thaiguzzi]

Another thing - NW vs NE, IMHO, the NW has the prettier landscape, interesting roads and the NE has the nicer people.

In fact the NE has the nicest people in Thailand generally speaking.

I've lived here 14 years now, and as I get older it's the Mar-April-May months that are just too hot and uncomfortable these days, never bothered me before. The other 9 months are no problem.

 

[transam]

14 minutes ago, Durio said:

I cannot imagine how you could get bored in such a large vibrant city.  I have never been bored in my life to be totally honest.  Even when I have travelled solo in remote areas where people do not have any English language I do not feel bored.  

We are all different, one cannot think exactly the same as another.....Take my.......for instance and the audiences l have fought with...,

[thaiguzzi]

7 hours ago, wazzupnow said:

i do not know off any cold area,s in isaan

i also do not know why any one would want to live there

only if u speak thai fluently you can have a form of social life

if not u will explode by boredom 

Rubbish.

I've seen the thermometer as low as 6C in Udon province nighttime. I've seen the thermometer at a day time high of 17C in Udon province.

Isaan is still the real Thailand. Genuine people with genuine smiles. Not infected by tourist greed.

I live in the sticks and I've never been bored in 14 years. But then i'm rarely ever sitting on a bar stool having a pie and chips. And I stay busy doing stuff.

And yeah, I speak, Lao, sorry, Thai.

[transam]

7 hours ago, wazzupnow said:

i do not know off any cold area,s in isaan

i also do not know why any one would want to live there

only if u speak thai fluently you can have a form of social life

if not u will explode by boredom 

Crap.....

[GarryP]

1 minute ago, thaiguzzi said:

Rubbish.

I've seen the thermometer as low as 6C in Udon province nighttime. I've seen the thermometer at a day time high of 17C in Udon province.

Isaan is still the real Thailand. Genuine people with genuine smiles. Not infected by tourist greed.

I live in the sticks and I've never been bored in 14 years. But then i'm rarely ever sitting on a bar stool having a pie and chips. And I stay busy doing stuff.

And yeah, I speak, Lao, sorry, Thai.

I think you have hit the nail on the head.  If you speak the language, you are much less likely to become dependent on others and there is just so much more that you can do. If you have to rely on your wife to communicate, and have a limited group of English speaking friends, you could get bored quite easily out in the sticks. 

 

Don't forget though that you are very handy with tools and stuff.  Doing stuff on your bikes and probably DIY projects. That does not tickle the fancy of everyone.   

[Rori ban khun fang]

So my question is are there elevated locations where one can live in Isaan that will stay significantly cooler throughout the year.  Whilst I am experienced with heat and am physically fit, I am a little apprehensive about the notion of undertaking physical work in the extreme heat of northern Thailand. 

 

My answer to your question would be move over to Pitchanulok or Petchabun. Try along ROUTE 12. In the mountanous area. There you have cool climate. Just like living in areas of ales, The french Alps etc. Just almost never below Zero.

 

Take a look there. It is actually also Isaan area. Pitchanulok has an airport, trainstation and has mny big shops in there so will feel easy going there.

 

Try to look in the area of "WAT PRATHAT PHASORNKAEW" look in google take a look and try here. Also have many resorts around there so maybe can find something permanent in there.

 

I think it is a good place since it is high altitude, GREEN, COOL and has FRESH air. 

 

Good luck in finding a good area.

 

http://www.phasornkaew.org/

[simoh1490]

The heat issue can be largely overcome by picking the right destination at the right elevation, away from cities or large towns, that is dooable, what is less easy to achieve is the clean air aspect. Even if you are away from exhaust fumes in the cities and away from agricultural burning, that means you've only escaped the PM10, PM2.5 is smaller lighter and travels greater distances and is known to exist at quite high altitudes. So there might be a trade-off somewhere here, heat for pollution, which is why I think many people head for the coast in order to take advantage of coastal breezes - if you look at the maps supplied earlier you'll see that coastal areas tend to be free of the pollution from burning, not so the heat issue however. 

[Durio]

14 minutes ago, Rori ban khun fang said:

So my question is are there elevated locations where one can live in Isaan that will stay significantly cooler throughout the year.  Whilst I am experienced with heat and am physically fit, I am a little apprehensive about the notion of undertaking physical work in the extreme heat of northern Thailand. 

 

My answer to your question would be move over to Pitchanulok or Petchabun. Try along ROUTE 12. In the mountanous area. There you have cool climate. Just like living in areas of ales, The french Alps etc. Just almost never below Zero.

 

Take a look there. It is actually also Isaan area. Pitchanulok has an airport, trainstation and has mny big shops in there so will feel easy going there.

 

Try to look in the area of "WAT PRATHAT PHASORNKAEW" look in google take a look and try here. Also have many resorts around there so maybe can find something permanent in there.

 

I think it is a good place since it is high altitude, GREEN, COOL and has FRESH air. 

 

Good luck in finding a good area.

 

http://www.phasornkaew.org/

 Thank you so much.  I never expected so many people to invest so much of their time with their suggestions.  To see such passion just motivates me to move to Thailand.  

[Billy Bloggs]

Ill just give my 2 cents worth after 3 and a bit  years in the fair Thailand.

Spent just a tad over 3 years in Chiang Mai and while I enjoyed it the smoke was noticeable but not a big turn off, I was pretty much not doing anything of a strenuous nature while there and yes it was hot in those months of summer but a nice shower controlled it, I must say here that for the first year I lived in a condo that had air con but was rarely used for the next about 18 months or so lived in a shop house that had no air con and I survived.

My g/f also comments often during the cooler period that it is cold, but cold is a relative thing to me it isnt cold, I get a sheet put over me at about 3 am she has a light doona a lot of the time, so to your g/f it may seem cold but thats relative to her.

Im in Isaan now in Buri Ram province we moved here for a couple of reasons 1 being I wanted to experience it( I have loved it so far) and for her to be closer to her family(her daughter came with and luckily got a job locally). It has been hot days since I got here, cooling off now, and I work about 3 to 4 hours a day, from 7 am to 11 am mostly, helped with rice harvest and rice threshing and now preparing beds for vegetables as we have a nice dam mostly paid for by the government that and will try to grow when others cant through no water.

By the way Im from Oz and just past the 65 mark, its a big country and you could find any number of places to live it just has to grab you.

Oh on land prices yes there are very expensive paddys and the fire sale land, Thais have a bad habit of throwing good money after bad and good places do come up at cheap prices you just have to be lucky.

[Durio]

19 minutes ago, Billy Bloggs said:

Ill just give my 2 cents worth after 3 and a bit  years in the fair Thailand.

Spent just a tad over 3 years in Chiang Mai and while I enjoyed it the smoke was noticeable but not a big turn off, I was pretty much not doing anything of a strenuous nature while there and yes it was hot in those months of summer but a nice shower controlled it, I must say here that for the first year I lived in a condo that had air con but was rarely used for the next about 18 months or so lived in a shop house that had no air con and I survived.

My g/f also comments often during the cooler period that it is cold, but cold is a relative thing to me it isnt cold, I get a sheet put over me at about 3 am she has a light doona a lot of the time, so to your g/f it may seem cold but thats relative to her.

Im in Isaan now in Buri Ram province we moved here for a couple of reasons 1 being I wanted to experience it( I have loved it so far) and for her to be closer to her family(her daughter came with and luckily got a job locally). It has been hot days since I got here, cooling off now, and I work about 3 to 4 hours a day, from 7 am to 11 am mostly, helped with rice harvest and rice threshing and now preparing beds for vegetables as we have a nice dam mostly paid for by the government that and will try to grow when others cant through no water.

By the way Im from Oz and just past the 65 mark, its a big country and you could find any number of places to live it just has to grab you.

Oh on land prices yes there are very expensive paddys and the fire sale land, Thais have a bad habit of throwing good money after bad and good places do come up at cheap prices you just have to be lucky.

 

20 minutes ago, Billy Bloggs said:

Ill just give my 2 cents worth after 3 and a bit  years in the fair Thailand.

Spent just a tad over 3 years in Chiang Mai and while I enjoyed it the smoke was noticeable but not a big turn off, I was pretty much not doing anything of a strenuous nature while there and yes it was hot in those months of summer but a nice shower controlled it, I must say here that for the first year I lived in a condo that had air con but was rarely used for the next about 18 months or so lived in a shop house that had no air con and I survived.

My g/f also comments often during the cooler period that it is cold, but cold is a relative thing to me it isnt cold, I get a sheet put over me at about 3 am she has a light doona a lot of the time, so to your g/f it may seem cold but thats relative to her.

Im in Isaan now in Buri Ram province we moved here for a couple of reasons 1 being I wanted to experience it( I have loved it so far) and for her to be closer to her family(her daughter came with and luckily got a job locally). It has been hot days since I got here, cooling off now, and I work about 3 to 4 hours a day, from 7 am to 11 am mostly, helped with rice harvest and rice threshing and now preparing beds for vegetables as we have a nice dam mostly paid for by the government that and will try to grow when others cant through no water.

By the way Im from Oz and just past the 65 mark, its a big country and you could find any number of places to live it just has to grab you.

Oh on land prices yes there are very expensive paddys and the fire sale land, Thais have a bad habit of throwing good money after bad and good places do come up at cheap prices you just have to be lucky.

Thanks Billy.  I am interested in what vegetables you are planning to grow now that it is the warmer period.  I think of Thai eggplant and pea eggplant and Kang kong and snake beans being things you can easily grow all year.  But are you planning to grow more 'cool weather' crops during this small 'cooler' window you now have?

[stropper]

hi durio, my first thai wife was from korat, they are a bit of i ams, thais from that area find it hard to assimilate in issan , where i now live, have two friends married to korat thais , in aus, thais hate to be away from there family,very different people and slightly different thai speaking, i now live on our farm at si that, worked all over your area, charters , clermont and emerald, it is no hotter out here in fact i think cooler, we have 4 air cons and they are rarely on , maybe two days a year to me mackey  and rockie are far hotter, bloody humidity, tonight looks like windows shut and one blanket, no mossies or sand flies, here,, very few flies to as very little livestock around, not like aus , i am still working days when not golfing at 71, i am a carpenter, builder , plumber, brickie, sparkie, and much more, so its great on the farm, it is always hotter if you live in the cities, udon thani , i lived for two years was hot, i think it is the constant traffic, same in bangkok,  gets hot there, lived at kong out from korat for a while, same as emerald, i did not like it

[owl sees all]

I've been to Phetchabun twice - not recently though - and I can remember it being very nice. Clean, great views and nowhere near as hot as Udon Thani area.

 

If I was you I'd steer clear of Surin and Burriram. My Thai wife reckons there are untrustworthies living there. Never been to either town myself however.

[ubonjoe]

A grammar  police post has been removed.

From the forum rules.

Quote

Forum Netiquette

3. If possible please proofread your post first, poor grammar and spelling can make the post difficult to understand. However be aware that not every member is a native English speaker and excessive posts regarding others spelling and grammar not only hijacks the topic but is poor netiquette.

 

[Durio]

I had assumed that this was just a very active forum and this was a normal response to a question.  What makes it so lively?  I have learnt so much from the people here and owe you all so many thanks.  

[Kadilo]

 

 

"If I was you I'd steer clear of Surin and Burriram. My Thai wife reckons there are untrustworthies living there. Never been to either town myself however."

 

That probably means it's full of hot young Totty.

 

 

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[Wasp]

I live near Korat .  Yes ..... it gets hot . But I found Cairns insufferable whereas I can take it OK in Korat . I am healthier . My skin is healthier . I do what you should do ...... meaning I get up early and toot around watering plants and tidying . Cook breakfast - eat under shade outside and catch up on World news .

But most importantly SIESTA from 11 to about 3. Or use that time to go shopping in the huge air-conditioned Mall .  Evening I make sure I sit under a mosquito net and 2 evenings a week we go and eat out .   It's all pleasant stuff .  But you have to be old enough that you're not regretting things you didn't do back in Oz .  One of the good things I did was build a workroom with two powerful fans where I fidget around doing repairs for the locals for free and constructing useful things like storage chests which we sell at cost in the market . Sitting around a pool and drinking beer is boring . Drinking beer with the friendly Thais and watching satellite sport is great !

[rwill]

once you have lived here for awhile you will acclimate to the climate and what once felt warm to you will feel chilly.

[britishrepublican]

7 hours ago, Durio said:

I cannot imagine how you could get bored in such a large vibrant city.  I have never been bored in my life to be totally honest.  Even when I have travelled solo in remote areas where people do not have any English language I do not feel bored.  

I live here and I don't work. Boredom isn't really a problem at night but the mornings can be tedious.

[DILLIGAD]

 
 
"If I was you I'd steer clear of Surin and Burriram. My Thai wife reckons there are untrustworthies living there. Never been to either town myself however."
 
That probably means it's full of hot young Totty.
 
 
Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Wrong, they are all in Pattaya or other s**t-holes.
I do find it funny, as I have heard similar ‘old wives tales’


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