My wife is running tomorrow morning at Singha Park so I came to join her for a romantic sunset meal.

 

Living as far from town as we do, it sometimes makes sense to spend the night in town.  So last night my wife stayed near Singha Park so she could make the very early race start.  Someone needed to stay home with the animals but I couldn’t resist a chance to walk around the park and have dinner with my wife, so I drove roughly 150 km roundtrip to see her.

 

She wanted to see how far the hotel was from the race venue, so we walked to the starting point and then continued on around the big pond before having dinner at the Italian restaurant.  In total we had a nice little 7 km walk and a lovely dinner.

 

It looks like we will have to find time to go to Bangkok now as my wife was awarded an airline ticket to Bangkok for taking the miss photogenic prize.  If you can’t be fast, I guess pretty will do.????❣️

 

 

Thought I would add a few pics of a trip my wife and I took to the area of Mon Chaem in Chaing Mai about 2 months ago.
 

 
Our bungalow for the night. Elevation is 4356ft
 

 
View from our room. We had a nice dinner on the deck and watched the sun set. 
 

 
View looking Northeast
 

 
Aerial pic from my drone of the resort at the mountain top
 

 
Sunset
 

 
Morning with Fog in various valleys
 
It was a great place to stay for a get away night. The drive up is quite nice. Rooms were small but cozy with a big window to watch the sunset
 

I often do the Samoeng loop on my motorbike, it's nice to do a detour up to Mon Chaem now and again.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

As I have said before, I lean on my wife for a more interesting social life these days.  She is helping to host a group which has come to Chiang Rai to coach troubled kids at the area juvenile detention facility.  The work starts tomorrow morning but today she is showing 26 of them around Chiang Rai.

 

Preparation has entailed securing sponsorship, transportation, accommodations and food for nearly 40 life coaches from Bangkok and Chiang Mai.  I plan to join them tomorrow evening after their day at the prison.  Most in this particular group will be new to me so it should make for an interesting evening.  I like meeting new, diverse and interesting people.

 

One of the girls is quite attractive with a nice instagram following and has brought her farang boyfriend with her so I won’t be the only farang.  Interestingly they have rented a motorcycle instead of riding in the bus with main group.

 

Living upcountry does not preclude living an active and socially connected life.

I started a new, somewhat similar topic here but without the pictures.

 

 

Unfortunately we are going through one of the worst pollution periods I have experienced here in the last twelve years.  No more outdoor exercise for now but still able to find things to do and friends to enjoy.????

 

Today 

 

On a better day. 

6 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

No more outdoor exercise for now but still able to find things to do and friends to enjoy.????

Hope your wife doesn't mind you "enjoying" your friends!!!!!! ????

2 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Hope your wife doesn't mind you "enjoying" your friends!!!!!! ????

Of course, not as they are her friends and we are enjoying their company together.????

We are taking in the sights here in Lampang tonight. They’re celebrating 102 years of this old bridge.

 

 

 

21 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

We are taking in the sights here in Lampang tonight. They’re celebrating 102 years of this old bridge.

 

 

 

Looks like a fun time VF. Thanks for AGAIN showing us the real Thailand. That photo of the bridge is incredible.

22 minutes ago, HuskerDo said:

Looks like a fun time VF. Thanks for AGAIN showing us the real Thailand. That photo of the bridge is incredible.

 I took that shot from very near our hotel. We are staying just across the river from the walking street. Lots of music, dancing and people running around in period costume tonight. 

 

Thought I would bump this thread with a few photos from a recent drive over to Chiangmai.  We normally stay with friends but they have some major renovations underway so we opted for a nearby hotel with a view.  As you can see, the big smoke has gone for another year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More than Forty Years in Thailand and I now live in a house, in a field, in a valley with a view ...

 

 

VF, not too many expats get the opportunity to work and stay in Thailand for 40 years. How were you able to do that?

 

53 minutes ago, gt162 said:

More than Forty Years in Thailand and I now live in a house, in a field, in a valley with a view ...

 

 

VF, not too many expats get the opportunity to work and stay in Thailand for 40 years. How were you able to do that?

 

My standard answer from my profile page is as follows.

 

"I have lived in Thailand my entire adult life. Soon after completing my studies, I moved to Bangkok. I was not sent here by military, government, god or corporation. I just bought a ticket and boarded a plane with no real plan. I had no idea what I would do or how I would stay here. Somehow it all worked out.

I have been treated well by Thais and Thailand. You will hear no horror stories from me about this place I call home. I seem to have very little in common with the average retiree these days and struggle to reconcile their vision of Thailand with mine.

After 30 years in Bangkok I moved to Chiang Rai in 2007 and not long after I joined ThaiVisa.

My interests include photography, biking, my dogs and cats, my blog and most importantly my wife and best friend for roughly 22 years."

 

Basically, I discovered Thailand as a university student just before my 21st birthday.  Two years later I moved here full-time and now at 65 I am still here and still happy with my choices.  It was a different time and much has changed over the years, so the path I took no longer exists.  The only people I have met who have been here longer than I have, either came here during the Vietnam war or with their parents.  A lot of the old-timers I met early on have died off or moved on.  Sorry, but my story is just too long and convoluted to get into much detail.

1 hour ago, villagefarang said:

My standard answer from my profile page is as follows.

 

"I have lived in Thailand my entire adult life. Soon after completing my studies, I moved to Bangkok. I was not sent here by military, government, god or corporation. I just bought a ticket and boarded a plane with no real plan. I had no idea what I would do or how I would stay here. Somehow it all worked out.

I have been treated well by Thais and Thailand. You will hear no horror stories from me about this place I call home. I seem to have very little in common with the average retiree these days and struggle to reconcile their vision of Thailand with mine.

After 30 years in Bangkok I moved to Chiang Rai in 2007 and not long after I joined ThaiVisa.

My interests include photography, biking, my dogs and cats, my blog and most importantly my wife and best friend for roughly 22 years."

 

Basically, I discovered Thailand as a university student just before my 21st birthday.  Two years later I moved here full-time and now at 65 I am still here and still happy with my choices.  It was a different time and much has changed over the years, so the path I took no longer exists.  The only people I have met who have been here longer than I have, either came here during the Vietnam war or with their parents.  A lot of the old-timers I met early on have died off or moved on.  Sorry, but my story is just too long and convoluted to get into much detail.

I agree with you that it may not be doable now. I came here when I was 19 and 37 years later I am still here (in all that time I only spent 6 months back in the UK). I do not think the same opportunities are available now. 

 

I am happy with the decision I made and will live out the rest of my days here. 

One thing I feel compelled to add, is that in my opinion things were not magically better back then, they were just different.  I had a great time in my 20s and 30s but I sure wouldn't want to go back to the Thailand of old, or the old me.  I am happy with who I am and where I am, but grateful for the experiences afforded to me during those early days in Thailand.????

5 hours ago, villagefarang said:

One thing I feel compelled to add, is that in my opinion things were not magically better back then, they were just different.  I had a great time in my 20s and 30s but I sure wouldn't want to go back to the Thailand of old, or the old me.  I am happy with who I am and where I am, but grateful for the experiences afforded to me during those early days in Thailand.????

I first went to Thailand as a young American soldier. I was stationed in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and I was forced to go on a military exercise. That was 30+ years ago. It opened my eyes and saw another life that I knew nothing about.

 

The reason I ask is that many tried to stay but almost all have no education, training or skills to make it in Thailand and ended up going back home to their country. You are one of very small percentage who made it.

27 minutes ago, gt162 said:

I first went to Thailand as a young American soldier. I was stationed in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and I was forced to go on a military exercise. That was 30+ years ago. It opened my eyes and saw another life that I knew nothing about.

 

The reason I ask is that many tried to stay but almost all have no education, training or skills to make it in Thailand and ended up going back home to their country. You are one of very small percentage who made it.

I guess a few things contributed to my being able to stay.  I remained single for the first twenty years and I kept different parts of my life compartmentalized.  I learned the language and made friends with people in high and low places, allowing me access to pretty much all strata of Thai society.  I learned how to act, dress and talk around different kinds of people.  For me that old saying was very pertinent, "Its not what you know but who you know."  People liked me and offered me opportunities I was free to take advantage of.

 

I have seen a lot of people come and go over the years, learning to deal with it by just letting them go and not clinging to anyone or anything, always looking forward.  Learning to navigate a new culture when you are still young and impressionable probably makes it a lot easier.  I have ended up where a lot of people end up I guess, it is just that we have taken different paths to get here.  I wouldn't change a thing.

11 hours ago, villagefarang said:

I guess a few things contributed to my being able to stay.  I remained single for the first twenty years and I kept different parts of my life compartmentalized.  I learned the language and made friends with people in high and low places, allowing me access to pretty much all strata of Thai society.  I learned how to act, dress and talk around different kinds of people.  For me that old saying was very pertinent, "Its not what you know but who you know."  People liked me and offered me opportunities I was free to take advantage of.

 

I have seen a lot of people come and go over the years, learning to deal with it by just letting them go and not clinging to anyone or anything, always looking forward.  Learning to navigate a new culture when you are still young and impressionable probably makes it a lot easier.  I have ended up where a lot of people end up I guess, it is just that we have taken different paths to get here.  I wouldn't change a thing.

Much respect to you VF. You have had and continue to have a great life doing things your way. You are an inspiration to me and many others. Thanks for always sharing your thoughts and knowledge. Very much appreciated.

Loving this thread; vf your posts are so interesting, & your pictures, fantastic.

 

Good to hear other people's experiences too; I find myself reflecting quite a lot now, as I can visualise dotage somewhere on the horizon.....

 

 

Yesterday was our 22nd wedding anniversary and we spent it with a Bangkok friend and her group, visiting a Farm Homestay here in Chiang Rai.  It was a beautiful isolated location with many activities and delicious food.  We ate, talked, made soap, took pictures as well as a few other activities.  Mostly everyone was Thai, except for me and one Chinese friend.  Languages included Northern and Central Thai as well as English and French.  It was interesting listening to our Thai friend and her Chinese friend communicating in French.  They both work for a French company so that is their preferred language.  Anyway it was a lovely day and a nice way to celebrate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very beautiful scenario in Thailand.

Good to see this thread back in business.  I have a view of a little extinct volcano from my place and went up there the other evening for a bit of exercise, and watch the sky change colour.

 

 

 

 

The other day it was just too beautiful to stay indoors so we went for a walk to the local reservoir. On the trail we saw our neighbors using a planting technique we haven't seen before. The rice is grown in little trays and then thrown by hand into the watery field. The dirt encrusted rootball is heavy enough to keep the right end up, it seems.  The result is not as aesthetic as traditional planting by hand or the modern machine method but it is cheap and does not require a lot of people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My photo isn't quite so rural, but I can see buffalo from my bedroom window

1 hour ago, villagefarang said:

using a planting technique we haven't seen before.

Lawn darts! Cool.

 

On 6/19/2019 at 9:13 PM, villagefarang said:

My standard answer from my profile page is as follows.

 

"I have lived in Thailand my entire adult life. Soon after completing my studies, I moved to Bangkok. I was not sent here by military, government, god or corporation. I just bought a ticket and boarded a plane with no real plan. I had no idea what I would do or how I would stay here. Somehow it all worked out.

I have been treated well by Thais and Thailand. You will hear no horror stories from me about this place I call home. I seem to have very little in common with the average retiree these days and struggle to reconcile their vision of Thailand with mine.

After 30 years in Bangkok I moved to Chiang Rai in 2007 and not long after I joined ThaiVisa.

My interests include photography, biking, my dogs and cats, my blog and most importantly my wife and best friend for roughly 22 years."

 

Basically, I discovered Thailand as a university student just before my 21st birthday.  Two years later I moved here full-time and now at 65 I am still here and still happy with my choices.  It was a different time and much has changed over the years, so the path I took no longer exists.  The only people I have met who have been here longer than I have, either came here during the Vietnam war or with their parents.  A lot of the old-timers I met early on have died off or moved on.  Sorry, but my story is just too long and convoluted to get into much detail.

VF, our stories are uncannily similar, although I'm about 15 years behind you and have bounced back and forth more often.

 

Phase 0: I first came during university to study in the north for a semester. It was 1990, I was 21 and Thailand blew my mind. Was welcomed like a son by my host family, learned enough Thai to want to learn more, hiked the hills and hung with the people. The city was charming, the skies were clear, the winter was cold, the girls at the university were divine. Went back, graduated college, started working.

 

Phase 1: Returned to Thailand at 24, found something I wanted to do in an obscure northern province, and spent seven years doing it intensively. Made lifelong friends. Stayed single and enjoyed my 20s, then married an excellent woman. At 31 returned stateside for career and family for 5 years.

 

Phase 2: At 36, came back for 11 more years in Chiang Mai, working remotely and traveling frequently around Asia and elsewhere. Not a nomad, per se, though connected only digitally to my mother ship, which paid me at home. Marriage visa. Child at good international school. Bought a nice house in a rural village (i.e., a real moo-ban, not a moo-ban jat-san as we used to say). Rode the mountain bike as much as I could. Then back to the States for a few more years for junior to attend high school. 

 

Phase 3: Next month, after we deliver the kid to university, wife and I will start to re-establish our Chiang Mai life. I'll get a fresh visa from the consulate in NY, fly back, sweep out the home office, plant some vegetables, take the bikes out of storage, catch up on the village news, stick 400K in the bank, see who's still around from the old days, and see how it goes. We can go see Junior or he can come see us as desired. It's much easier to escape the smoke without worrying about school schedules. Krabi and Prachuap, have been our March havens.

 

We had our 20th wedding anniversary last year, and I turned 50 this year. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to continue to work, enjoy life, pay my social security tax, and hold a marriage visa for as long as I want. I've thought about going for PR, but don't work in Thailand and don't pay tax, though maybe I will look into it again. 

 

Thailand has been very good to me, and I have always tried to return the favorable treatment. The recipe is simple: respect the culture, speak the language, treat people well, stay out of trouble, be discreet in your personal affairs, don't worry too much, live life outdoors, eat fresh fruit, exercise regularly, smile properly, don't be a dick, know how to wai, take an interest in the place you have moved to and the people who live there, choose your associates wisely, avoid reckless people, be kind to living things, practice meditation, don't drink to excess, read books, pursue hobbies, savor the moment without losing your mind.

 

Who knows, maybe later there will be a Phase 4, location and circumstances to be determined. As the little pamphlet on Buddhism says, the past is a dream, the present an illusion, the future uncertainty. 

11 minutes ago, Puwa said:

Thailand has been very good to me, and I have always tried to return the favorable treatment. The recipe is simple: respect the culture, speak the language, treat people well, stay out of trouble, be discreet in your personal affairs, don't worry too much, live life outdoors, eat fresh fruit, exercise regularly, smile properly, don't be a dick, know how to wai, take an interest in the place you have moved to and the people who live there, choose your associates wisely, avoid reckless people, be kind to living things, practice meditation, don't drink to excess, read books, pursue hobbies, savor the moment without losing your mind.

I love this.????

29 minutes ago, Puwa said:

The recipe is simple: respect the culture, speak the language, treat people well, stay out of trouble, be discreet in your personal affairs, don't worry too much, live life outdoors, eat fresh fruit, exercise regularly, smile properly, don't be a dick, know how to wai, take an interest in the place you have moved to and the people who live there, choose your associates wisely, avoid reckless people, be kind to living things, practice meditation, don't drink to excess, read books, pursue hobbies, savor the moment without losing your mind.

 

 

Wow.

Maybe some Thais could learn from the above.

@Puwa

 

Where you refer to phases, I see my life evolving in ten year cycles, beginning at three years old and progressing unbroken over the decades.  This most recent cycle has been running overtime at twelve years.

 

Recently my wife pitched her ideas on what might be our next big move, to continue our ten year cycles.  I was skeptical at first but she has won me over with her well thought out argument, and at 65 I guess I have at least one more big move in me.

 

We will have to see what happens but we have put our home on the market and have found another property which favors our present lifestyle better and would allow us to design a new home from what we have learned over the last twelve years.