Pattaya Versus DaNang and the winner is?

[Destiny1990]

50 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Plenty of houses around at $450/month, you just didn't look very hard.

Since you’re more of a barhopper person don’t you think you would have been better of in Nha-trang with the Russians?

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Since you’re more of a barhopper person don’t you think you would have been better of in Nha-trang with the Russians?

The beer was cheap (Saigon Export 20,000VND), buy 1 get one free from 5pm to 7pm.

The beach was really nice, no tat sellers, no sun bed mafia, clean sand and clear water.

I was fine for the weekend.

 

No plentiful supply of naughty short-time girls so not a place for me to live.

I understand there were plenty of gold-digging girlfriends available, but I can't be bothered with all that nonsense these days. 

 

No direct flights from Chiang Mai to Nha Trang, getting old and lazy, direct 2 hour flight or I'm not going.

If I were going to make that big an effort, I would have gone to Phnom Penh to visit my boozy pals.

[Destiny1990]

13 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

The beer was cheap (Saigon Export 20,000VND), buy 1 get one free from 5pm to 7pm.

The beach was really nice, no tat sellers, no sun bed mafia, clean sand and clear water.

I was fine for the weekend.

 

No plentiful supply of naughty short-time girls so not a place for me to live.

I understand there were plenty of gold-digging girlfriends available, but I can't be bothered with all that nonsense these days. 

 

No direct flights from Chiang Mai to Nha Trang, getting old and lazy, direct 2 hour flight or I'm not going.

If I were going to make that big an effort, I would have gone to Phnom Penh to visit my boozy pals.

Maybe instead of bars you should have gone for a haircut or a shampoo. I heard naughty adventures occur  more in Vietnam hair-salons then in bars.

[BritManToo]

Just now, Destiny1990 said:

Maybe instead of bars you should have gone for a haircut or a shampoo. I heard naughty adventures occur  more in Vietnam hair-salons then in bars.

I'm not in the market for a $10 BJ from an ugly woman.

[KhunHeineken]

8 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

 

Nearly every time I see someone complaining, or observing a shortfall about the policies here, or the culture, some guy who has not taken the time to think things through, nor to devote any time, study, or focus on the issue at hand, says something like "Perhaps Thailand is not for you", or "maybe you should leave", or "it's not fair", or the top prize, "if you do not like it here, go back to your own country". Granted yours is a bit more creative and thoughtful.

 

Why? Because I have some issues with the place, I am not entitled to complain, or voice my opinions? Half of the posts on this forum are complaints. What is wrong with that? Don't we need someplace to vent? Why the sensitivity? Why such thin skin? Though absolute contentment must be a beautiful thing to be blessed with, it is not something most of us enjoy. The fact that I complain does not mean I do not love Thailand, my lifestyle, and most of the Thai people. I have a good life here. But, I do have some issues with the place, as most do, and I do not like the government, and there are some things I would like to see improved. Do you not see any room for improvement? I should leave because I complain? 

 

Not sure why you chose my post to make your statement.

 

I simply asked the member, and posed the question to the wider TV readers, at what point do you say enough is enough, by way of visa hoops to jump through? 

 

For example. is it financial?  Eg. 800k goes to 1.2 million.

 

Is it the reporting?  Eg. the 90 days becomes 60 days.

 

Everyone's circumstances are different, and everyone has different tipping points.

 

You talk about complaining, but I see it as more a self assessment of happiness, and a comparison to what other nearby countries are offering, by way of a retirement location product. I've never felt like I had to be in the big "Thailand Club." 

 

I know those with kids, property, business here just can't up and leave, so I suppose they just have to accept they are at the whim of the Thai government.  However, as I have said, the current financial requirements, and hoops that must be jumped through, when compared to Vietnam, thus, Danang, are a lot more onerous and costly in Thailand.

 

Also, I can only see the requirements get tighter, not any easier, in the future.  So, for people considering a retirement destination, Thailand is not doing much to attract that market.  So, as the old timers here pass on, they are not going to be replaced in the numbers we have seen in the past.  That leaves a lot of empty properties, and a lot of closed businesses in the future. 

 

 

 

 

[KhunHeineken]

1 hour ago, luckyluke said:

"Nice" is a very relative concept, and thus subject to different interpretations. 

 

I agree.

 

So, do you think you are being treated "nicely" by the Thai government, in relation to visa requirements, when compared to the requirements needed by nearby countries, in this case, Vietnam / Danang?

[KhunHeineken]

30 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

The beer was cheap (Saigon Export 20,000VND), buy 1 get one free from 5pm to 7pm.

The beach was really nice, no tat sellers, no sun bed mafia, clean sand and clear water.

I was fine for the weekend.

 

No plentiful supply of naughty short-time girls so not a place for me to live.

I understand there were plenty of gold-digging girlfriends available, but I can't be bothered with all that nonsense these days. 

 

No direct flights from Chiang Mai to Nha Trang, getting old and lazy, direct 2 hour flight or I'm not going.

If I were going to make that big an effort, I would have gone to Phnom Penh to visit my boozy pals.

For those members unfamiliar with Vietnam prices, 20,000VND = 26.5 baht.

 

Yes, that's right, 26 baht a beer in a bar.  It's not a misprint.  ????

[BritManToo]

 

14 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

For those members unfamiliar with Vietnam prices, 20,000VND = 26.5 baht.

Yes, that's right, 26 baht a beer in a bar.  It's not a misprint.  ????

I was also drinking in a bar called Draught Beer Euro Village (no white folk just Asians), a massive open air riverside bar beside the Dragon Bridge with a vast selection of bottled/canned/draught beers priced from 20,000VND and up. Probably the most beautiful setting at which I've ever drunk beer.

 

 

[CNXexpat]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Plenty of houses around at $450/month, you just didn't look very hard.

That´s why I wrote "nice" houses. Sure, you can find cheap ones but they always look cheap. Compared to prices in Chiang Mai Da Nang is more expensive. But perhaps I searched at the wrong sites. I would be thankful to get a better source from you. ????

 

[uzynkotak]

Which web sites are good for apartment search in danang?

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, uzynkotak said:

Which web sites are good for apartment search in danang?

I usually use AirBNB and Agoda for Vietnam.

Loads of homestays in Hoi AN for $10/night for air-con double room with balcony inc breakfast.

Bus fare from Da Nang to Hoi An is 20,000vnd (about 80c, 25bht).

[luckyluke]

12 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

So, do you think you are being treated "nicely" by the Thai government, in relation to visa requirements

Personally I have no complaints. 

No need to have any money in a Thai bank. 

No need to transfer monthly at least 65000 Thb. 

I never checked another neighbour country as I don't feel the need, so can't comment. 

Being 70+, If I ever have to move it will be to my homeland. 

 

[bendejo]

On 4/27/2019 at 3:45 AM, Momofarang said:

Well with Vietnamese guys I have a normal man to man relationship, never the unease I experience, almost always, with Thai men.

I've noticed this too when going to nearly any SEA country after being in Thailand for a while: the ability to be friends.  Even in Lao.  Not saying we are always badly treated, but usually there is a distance, like we are customers in a store and the locals are the proprietors.

Cambodia has a little of this; people have asked if I know anyone there while visiting.  I've been asked this a lot.  It's sort of like asking "were you invited?"

 

 

[bendejo]

On 4/26/2019 at 5:18 PM, Destiny1990 said:

How about aggressive  stray dogs?

Well, there's aggressive hawkers, in HCMC at least.  You walk away and they'll follow you.  Once I turned around to find I was at the head of a parade.  Haven't experienced that since my India days in the '70s.

Walking through the produce market in Da Lat a lady asked me to mind her stall for a few minutes while she went to answer nature's call.  Obviously didn't trust her neighbors.

 

To add to my post about friends in SEA I have to give a shout out to the ethnic Chinese, especially in Malaysia.  Not at all unusual to fall into a conversation with a fellow close to my own age, maybe even a woman, just chit chat about getting around, the weather etc, maybe even politics.  No sort of hustle motivation involved.  Well, maybe they want to show off their English fluency to their neighbors.  As for the younger generation there is none of that "look! a man from outer space!" type reaction when seeing an occidental.

 

In Bkk Chinatown once was having a bite in some back street eatery, sitting out on the street, chatted with a retired engineer who had worked in Hong Kong who lived on the block.  When I told farang friends there was no angle involved they refused to believe it.

 

 

[atyclb]

18 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

18 hours ago, BritManToo said:

The beer was cheap (Saigon Export 20,000VND), buy 1 get one free from 5pm to 7pm.

The beach was really nice, no tat sellers, no sun bed mafia, clean sand and clear water.

I was fine for the weekend.

 

No plentiful supply of naughty short-time girls so not a place for me to live.

I understand there were plenty of gold-digging girlfriends available, but I can't be bothered with all that nonsense these days. 

 

No direct flights from Chiang Mai to Nha Trang, getting old and lazy, direct 2 hour flight or I'm not going.

If I were going to make that big an effort, I would have gone to Phnom Penh to visit my boozy pals.

For those members unfamiliar with Vietnam prices, 20,000VND = 26.5 baht.

 

Yes, that's right, 26 baht a beer in a bar.  It's not a misprint.  ????

 

 

at a nice seafood restaurant in cat ba island vietnam (near hanoi) i had a bottle of haiphong beer at least 500 cc size that cost 15 baht or 50 cents usd.

 

[KhunHeineken]

On 7/14/2019 at 3:26 PM, atyclb said:

 

 

at a nice seafood restaurant in cat ba island vietnam (near hanoi) i had a bottle of haiphong beer at least 500 cc size that cost 15 baht or 50 cents usd.

 

I tried Huda Beer.  It was cheap, so I was expecting it to be nasty, but I really liked it, and then started asking for it in places, but it's not widely available. 

 

This made me Google it to find out more, and I saw that it has won a silver medal at the beer world championships.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huda_Beer

 

I took my own photos of it, but this is a photo from the internet.

 

The "bia hoi's" are fun and entertaining.  Watching the Vietnamese drink $0.21USD small mugs of draft beer.  That's about 6.5 baht for a small draft beer.  ????

 

Bia Hoi's are all over Vietnam, including Danang.

 

[KhunHeineken]

On 7/14/2019 at 9:13 AM, luckyluke said:

No need to have any money in a Thai bank. 

No need to transfer monthly at least 65000 Thb. 

What visa are you on?  Elite Visa? 

[luckyluke]

4 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

What visa are you on?  Elite Visa? 

No, extension based on retirement. 

But I am Belgian, one of the +/- 70 countries which embassy/consulate here is still issuing a Letter of Income / Affidavit. 

[usviphotography]

On 7/13/2019 at 9:20 AM, uzynkotak said:

Which web sites are good for apartment search in danang?

The best method is to join Facebook Groups like this one:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/danangrent/

The local agents and apartment owners all put up their listings there. Put up your own post saying what area you want to live in and your price range and agents will contact you. 

[IraqRon]

On 7/13/2019 at 6:04 PM, KhunHeineken said:

For those members unfamiliar with Vietnam prices, 20,000VND = 26.5 baht.

 

Yes, that's right, 26 baht a beer in a bar.  It's not a misprint.  ????

was there in danang in march and april, was getting  dong to the baht at a travel agency. 70000 = 100 baht, however the bank  rate was lower. got great rate with my usa bank debit card and the atm fee there a fraction bbk's atm fee.  for five million dong was 49,500 dong. 

i found a tasty dark beer in saigon, in mini mart, 70,000 for three bottles, may have been lao beer.

[atyclb]

7 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

I tried Huda Beer.  It was cheap, so I was expecting it to be nasty, but I really liked it, and then started asking for it in places, but it's not widely available. 

 

This made me Google it to find out more, and I saw that it has won a silver medal at the beer world championships.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huda_Beer

 

I took my own photos of it, but this is a photo from the internet.

 

The "bia hoi's" are fun and entertaining.  Watching the Vietnamese drink $0.21USD small mugs of draft beer.  That's about 6.5 baht for a small draft beer.  ????

 

Bia Hoi's are all over Vietnam, including Danang.

 

 

huda is good. lots of it in da nang and cheap.

[Destiny1990]

6 hours ago, IraqRon said:

was there in danang in march and april, was getting  dong to the baht at a travel agency. 70000 = 100 baht, however the bank  rate was lower. got great rate with my usa bank debit card and the atm fee there a fraction bbk's atm fee.  for five million dong was 49,500 dong. 

i found a tasty dark beer in saigon, in mini mart, 70,000 for three bottles, may have been lao beer.

So how was it in DaNang for you  in comparison with Pattaya?

You stayed there 2 Months?

[BritManToo]

38 minutes ago, tomster said:

I think I am the only person in the World that did not like Hoi An - I hated it. The Vietnamese people were fake as you like, the tourists were smelly and packed into small streets and no I don't want a suit, I told you that 2 minutes ago when I walked past the other way...

No, I felt the same way, caught the $1 bus there, was going to stay overnight, but couldn't stand it for more than 90 minutes so caught the bus back. Shopkeepers were rude, everything was double price.

Some hot Chinese girls floating around at 8:30 in the morning though .........

 

 

[BritManToo]

8 hours ago, IraqRon said:

i found a tasty dark beer in saigon, in mini mart, 70,000 for three bottles, may have been lao beer.

In Da Nang I found draught Gauden dark beer for 25,000vnd/mug.

They had around 20 beers to choose from at around the same price.

(Euro Draught Beer Village by the Dragon Bridge)

 

[IraqRon]

2 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

So how was it in DaNang for you  in comparison with Pattaya?

You stayed there 2 Months?

parts of the two, wish i stayed longer.  only been to pats a couple of times during visit with friends in north pats.  if the beer bars of pats are for you, stay there.  da nite life in beach area tame, some expat type bars a few sois inland, live bands, no free lancers i saw. along the perfume river lots of life, music but no pats style stuff, thankfully.  u can find some very attractive bars with ladies, but not in ur face.  extras at some massage places too.  i hope the whoring, finding bar girl to marry me types stay away, cambo or pili for them.

[lamyai3]

8 hours ago, atyclb said:

huda is good. lots of it in da nang and cheap.

It's brewed in Hue, not far up the coast from Danang. Huda is a combination of Hu (Hue) and da (Danmach), due to the use of Danish brewing technology and equipment. 

[atyclb]

10 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

19 hours ago, atyclb said:

huda is good. lots of it in da nang and cheap.

It's brewed in Hue, not far up the coast from Danang. Huda is a combination of Hu (Hue) and da (Danmach), due to the use of Danish brewing technology and equipment. 

 

have you worked in the brewing industry?

[BritManToo]

15 hours ago, IraqRon said:

hope the whoring, finding bar girl to marry me types stay away, cambo or pili for them.

Agreed, Da Nang isn't for me at the moment.

Maybe once my sex drive has gone and I can only drink beer and walk on the beach ............

[lamyai3]

6 minutes ago, atyclb said:

have you worked in the brewing industry?

No but been to Hue and Danang a couple of times, I remember reading about it. 

[uzynkotak]

How about finding non pro girls in danang? It's a city of 1+million people so I'm sure there are some girls on tinder, in bars and what have you.