European alternatives to Thailand

[seasia]

Just now, KC 71 said:

The view though !


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The view is stunning, inside of the house also looks lovely.

Pack your bag and go.

[adammike]

On 3/10/2019 at 3:03 PM, madmen said:

Exactly and thats why its perfect for summers there and winters in Thailand. to much of anything is not a good thing. Last week I was in pattaya at a go go with a dozen near naked fit young things and whilst the 2 week millionaires were going nuts I was more interested in the tv screen showing motor x racing.

Ive reached saturation point and need a change from SEA for a while

Been there, was in a Gogo in Bangkok a naked girl on my lap one each side and all I could think about was a vintage shirt I saw in little shop off Sukhumvit,the shirt won.

[KC 71]

Viewing these pics and the other lovely ones posted, makes me a little envious but it also doubles my resolve never to come back to Blighty and I have just written an email to somebody in which I said, "that I would never come back to this place what with the weather, unsmiling faces, fat bottoms and dingy pubs".
 
Phuket and places nearby yes, even trying somewhere further afield like Portugal or Greece, but finished completely with the UK, even after spending 37 years there.

Keep looking, you will find somewhere eventually [emoji106]


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[KC 71]

Hi KC
 
Are you asking about my mention of Sicily ? If so answer is yes, it is an island off the far south of Italy.
 
Both San Fermo and Como are north Italy.
 
The south is generally cheaper as well as having mild winters.
North Italy can get cold which is why I commented about not wishing to spend winter there.
Hope that helps.
 
 

I have visited Sicily 12 times [emoji106]


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[KC 71]

Hi KC
 
Are you asking about my mention of Sicily ? If so answer is yes, it is an island off the far south of Italy.
 
Both San Fermo and Como are north Italy.
 
The south is generally cheaper as well as having mild winters.
North Italy can get cold which is why I commented about not wishing to spend winter there.
Hope that helps.
 
 

I love Sicily, 12 yrs of 3 week holidays there in my younger years
The food is fantastic
Last time i visited, i noticed the drug things going on
( its the heroin refining capital of Europe !
I still have fond memories and miss the place
We Allways cried when we had to leave !
But ive got spain now instead [emoji106]


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[Letseng]

8 hours ago, KC 71 said:

I love Sicily, 12 yrs of 3 week holidays there in my younger years
The food is fantastic
Last time i visited, i noticed the drug things going on
( its the heroin refining capital of Europe !
I still have fond memories and miss the place
We Allways cried when we had to leave !
But ive got spain now instead


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Scicily is great if you are young and fit, and you don't need healthcare. 

Ever required medical help in Italy?

[Letseng]

On 6/11/2019 at 8:48 AM, KC 71 said:

The view though !


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What will you do all day once you got bored with the view?

I'm presently in location with a similar view. 3 month at a time is long enough for me.

[simon43]

What will you do all day once you got bored with the view?

 

I could never get bored with a view like that - it's similar to the view from the Pyrenean barn conversion that I mentioned previously.

 

If you get bored looking at those hills and mountains, then go and climb them!

[madmen]

On 6/11/2019 at 1:48 PM, KC 71 said:

The view though !


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What are you waiting for ?

[madmen]

On 4/16/2019 at 5:06 PM, apknug said:

Have just scrolled through THE thread but i would say;

Albania.

One of the poorest countries in Europe with cattel om the Streets and stuff like that but very friendly People and great value for money. Nice Long costline with the adriatic sea.

Not the ideal place for the Winter and not part of EC. Have to check My passport to see how long they let me stay. But I think 90 days and after that a border run?

Skickat från min Lenovo TB-X704F via Tapatalk
 

They are predominantly muslims and the health care is not very good.

[madmen]

On 3/9/2019 at 12:45 PM, bkk6060 said:

How many 25 year old women are willing and available to hangout with 65 year old men in any of these countries?

I'll pass thanks....

And that's the elephant in the room. 

[BritManToo]

On 6/10/2019 at 4:24 PM, xylophone said:

especially as I'm viewing them in a cool and basic hotel room in rainy and cold southern England right now

Shouldn't you be posting about how everything is so cheap now compared to Thailand?

That seems to be what everyone else does.

[adammike]

1 minute ago, madmen said:

And that's the elephant in the room. 

Once I got to 65 hanging out with 25 year old women plays no part in any of my thought process.

It's the WEATHER stupid.I can't think of a place in Europe that has really half decent weather in the Dec/Jan/Feb period Portugal is on the Atlantic even Crete sucks in winter.In Asia Bali it's the rainy season,India is great but maybe not if you have health or mobility issues but Goa is now overrun with tourists.If like me you want to be near the coast and are on a budget forgetting about P4P and the price of beer/alcohol and visiting during the European winter that seems to be a choice between Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, Sihanoukville has been destroyed first by the tourist invasion then the Chinese invasion.So it seems to me to be a straight choice between Vietnam and Thailand,even then what with the exchange rate and the threat that it may not improve but even worsen and budget flights charging for luggage and seat selection it's not looking good from my corner of the tourist market.

[madmen]

3 minutes ago, adammike said:

Once I got to 65 hanging out with 25 year old women plays no part in any of my thought process.

It's the WEATHER stupid.I can't think of a place in Europe that has really half decent weather in the Dec/Jan/Feb period Portugal is on the Atlantic even Crete sucks in winter.In Asia Bali it's the rainy season,India is great but maybe not if you have health or mobility issues but Goa is now overrun with tourists.If like me you want to be near the coast and are on a budget forgetting about P4P and the price of beer/alcohol and visiting during the European winter that seems to be a choice between Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, Sihanoukville has been destroyed first by the tourist invasion then the Chinese invasion.So it seems to me to be a straight choice between Vietnam and Thailand,even then what with the exchange rate and the threat that it may not improve but even worsen and budget flights charging for luggage and seat selection it's not looking good from my corner of the tourist market.

It can be done by taking out a 6 month lease or renting monthly on air bnb . The price is similar to full time rental and no contracts and then fly into thailand and do the same in winter

Flights are ok if you know departure date months in advance

Best of both wolds

Edited June 12, 2019 by madmen

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Shouldn't you be posting about how everything is so cheap now compared to Thailand?

That seems to be what everyone else does.

Ha ha........haven't found that to be the case here. Some things are cheap enough, but last night had dinner (pizza with a soup starter) and a few glasses of wine at a little pizzeria and the bill was 36 pounds (1440 baht) whereas in my favourite Italian restaurant off Bangla that would pay for 3 meals and a glass or two of wine!!

 

Did buy things like blueberries, raspberries and tomatoes cheaply enough, but that's to be expected.......and the weather is appalling, and bloody near freezing.

 

Winging my way to Patong in a few days.......thank god!

[KC 71]

Scicily is great if you are young and fit, and you don't need healthcare. 
Ever required medical help in Italy?

No ,but i did know some big People there
One night someone hit my uk friend in the disco
The owner came to our villa and apologised !
Apart from a bit of Thai,i can actually speak some Sicilian too ![emoji106]


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[KC 71]

They taught me a lot

1 -its ok to cry
2- your Mum will all-ways be number 1


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[marcusarelus]

40 minutes ago, KC 71 said:

No ,but i did know some big People there
One night someone hit my uk friend in the disco
The owner came to our villa and apologised !
Apart from a bit of Thai,i can actually speak some Sicilian too !
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The language ability will come in handy if you ever want to get a table at an Italian owned restaurant in America or in high security prisons.  

[snowballthecat]

18 hours ago, Letseng said:

Scicily is great if you are young and fit, and you don't need healthcare. 

Ever required medical help in Italy?

Medical help available to Europeans, after going down the beaurocracy road....

Universal Accident and Emergency covered, excellent attention in some places. It all depends where it happens....

 

Recently contacted Istituto dei Tumori, a Milano, enquiring about an Immunoteraphy clinical trial for my sister, who lives abroad. Very positive reply, considering this is a reputable institution and this therapy is Very Expensive.

 

 

 

 

[seasia]

18 hours ago, Letseng said:

Scicily is great if you are young and fit, and you don't need healthcare. 

Ever required medical help in Italy?

I have not personally but have family that have had need of medical help in Italy.

Superb.

Ranked by WHO as no. 2 in the world.

[KC 71]

The language ability will come in handy if you ever want to get a table at an Italian owned restaurant in America or in high security prisons.  

I was in a bar in the Rai and there was a uk squaddie boasting about serving in Italy
I mentioned a couple of phrases as a joke
‘Da rumple olso’- i will break your bones
‘ Da spaccia fache’- i will smash your face
He stormed off in a tantrum! [emoji38]



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[KC 71]

I got barre[emoji38]


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[KC 71]

Barred


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[daveAustin]

On 6/11/2019 at 10:29 AM, xylophone said:

Viewing these pics and the other lovely ones posted, makes me a little envious but it also doubles my resolve never to come back to Blighty and I have just written an email to somebody in which I said, "that I would never come back to this place what with the weather, unsmiling faces, fat bottoms and dingy pubs".

It's the politics and puke-worthy PCness that gets me. You've been unlucky with the weather as we've had some cracking weeks of full sun. Last summer was fantastic, but might not even get one this year... problem with being an island stuck in the mid-north Atlantic.

 

To the folks that find their bit of paradise; suggest keeping it quiet as word begets ruin. Though Thailand of old was never going to last, never forget that horrible 'live like a king in Chiang Mai for $1k' article.... single-handedly responsible for drawing in umpteen numpties.

[KC 71]

And he was twice my size,the bigger they are- the harder they fall [emoji2]


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[Mavideol]

3 hours ago, KC 71 said:

And he was twice my size,the bigger they are- the harder they fall


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you look pretty big yourself, wonder how big the one was 555

[KC 71]

you look pretty big yourself, wonder how big the one was 555

I m quite small , but i was taught how to look after myself if need be[emoji2]


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[seasia]

Hi

 

I arrived in Italy Monday lunchtime, a day late due to BKK-LON flight being delayed and missing connecting Sunday evening flight to Milan.

The queue for immigration at Milan Malpensa was longer than I have ever experienced. I have done the journey several times.

 

I realise that Italy is probably a fair bit lower in preference level to alternatives such as Spain, Portugal and France. No matter.

Early days of a 4 month stay, if that goes OK I will try 6 months next year.

I am in the north, small town of San Fermo, very near to Como.

Quiet place and am near the end of a cul de sac. 10 or 15 years ago it would likely have bored me but now I just want a quiet life.

Weather has been good, nice and warm/hot, humidity level seems to be low ( compared to naklua Thailand )

The air quality is far better here, noticed that I had been sneezing and coughing a lot in TH.

Not so here.

Unfortunately have a problem with 1 leg causing a lot of pain if I walk either too far or too fast, need to get that checked out.

Otherwise, lovely area for those who like walking/trekking, scenery superb. Perfectly safe also.

 

I did one quick supermarket visit, great range of food and general produce, better than TH.

Bought some wine bargains, am no expert nor too fuzzy but did make me think, buying drinkable wine at sub 100 baht equivalent.

 

Of course no 7/11 s nor Family Mart type stores, have a local co op about 10 minutes walk away.

More planning required here.

Internet is fine, better than TH. My Italian SIM card has expired ( no usage in 18 months ) it will be more expensive to obtain a new one compared to TH.

 

That is it for now.

[seasia]

Hi

 

Now on my 7th day and getting somewhat settled in. Weather nice, ahead of Thailand, not so hot and far lower humidity.

Food great, provided you like Italian/European food  of course which I do.

Far far cleaner.

 

People friendly, small town may have much to do with that and not necessarily specific to Italy

So far so good.

[KC 71]

Hi
 
Now on my 7th day and getting somewhat settled in. Weather nice, ahead of Thailand, not so hot and far lower humidity.
Food great, provided you like Italian/European food  of course which I do.
Far far cleaner.
 
People friendly, small town may have much to do with that and not necessarily specific to Italy
So far so good.

Enjoy ,hope it all works out [emoji106]
Don’t forget the beautiful food that is now on your doorstep
Bellisimo ![emoji846]


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