Back in the UK after 10 years in Thailand

[nong38]

21 hours ago, sanemax said:

Probably Eastern Europeans rather than Russians .

Many of those Eastern Europeans are grafters they work , have Families and have bought houses , many have their own businesses as well .

  Generally  quite decent people .

Its also more likely to be British people being aggressive and confrontational

I do recognize Russian when its spoken and I don't appreciate it when they expect me to move my things so they can put there own in the same space. I agree there are many who have come to the UK and fitted in, made a contribution  but there are some who don't, have no intention of doing so and they are the noisy ones who stick out like a sore thumb, the ones you remember, the ones everyone remembers and naturally they give some people a bad name, but, that the way its gone and we cannot complain because the racist card is pulled out like a football referee.

[faraday]

3 hours ago, baboon said:

In the case of the Newcastle I was born and brought up in, three hearty cheers for that...

Newcastle Brown...... lovely stuff. ????

[CharlieH]

Just now, faraday said:

Newcastle Brown...... lovely stuff. ????

My first ever drink inside a "real" pub, aged 16 ????

[poohy]

4 hours ago, CharlieH said:

That depends predominantly on your life-style etc, I dont drink, dont smoke, never done a TM30 and if it was needed its a click in the app, so all thats left is the computer crimes thingy and cant see how that effects me either to be honest???? , I like my quiet back-water far from the madding crowd etc and have and enjoy a life-style here I could never possibly have back there. 

Aha no drinking or smoking  but a moderator for TV!

I would have being an alcoholic chain smoker is the pre requisite for such an auspicious job.

 

Explains a lot...I hope you get better soon

[gk10002000]

On 9/30/2019 at 6:26 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

My parents abandoned me when I was a kid. Why the <deleted> should I have spent time with them as an adult?

And many so called parents don't do much parenting.  I grew quite apart from my parents as I went through college, joined the Air Force, moved away from home etc.  Dad over the years really was a mid grade alcoholic, a real wise guy, and we had absolutely nothing in common.  He blew a million dollar a year business back in the late 70s, left nothing for the family or children.    So while as a kid I thought he was cool, and made jokes, played catch with the neighborhood kids, etc.  Over time he just was not nice.   I had to fly back to two states for his wake and funeral!  Money doesn't grow on trees as I was working in California on a contract.  I had to fly to Florida where they were holding a wake for him there as he had moved to Florida from Rhode Island and lived in FL for about 20 years.  Then flew up to Rhode Island for the funeral as Rhode Island was where he and we were born and raised.   Hate to say it, but I barely shed a tear at the funeral.  Sure he was a fun guy to hang around with if you were one of his drinking buddies, but, due to his own frailties and means of escape he failed as a parent in my view.  But I don't hold any regrets.  I made my own way.  I was stuck with all the college loans while at the same time being forced to work at the family restaurant for no pay all throughout high school and college.  Pretty unfair in my view to lose all those wonderful summers not being to hang with my friends but having to work and not get paid for it.  So be it. 

 

  My parents lived in debt, worked in debt, and then died in debt (yes Dad without consulting with us took out a reverse mortgage while the condo was just about all paid off, but now had a note and the bank took the property eventually.   Sad because me and my younger sister both made really good money and easily could have bought the place as an investment, kept Mom and Dad in there forever.  I could have kept it as my tax home basis as I contracted around the USA, Sis and her family could fly down and use it for vacations, etc. 

 

In retrospect, I was quietly I guess motivated to not do things the way they did, and I didn't.  I am financially solvent.  I am a millionaire.  I am approaching 63 now.  I have plenty of passive income should I stop working.  I am eligible for social security benefits.  So I took care of business.  14 trips to Thailand and will continue to visit, although fully retiring there seems much less likely than I originally planned due to all the recent policy changes. 

 

    I try to remember my parents as the simple Ozzie and Harriet types I grew up with in the 60s but that is tempered by the reality of things.  I was born in 57 and things really were simpler.  We did have a decent simple but well kept house.  We lived in a safe quite rural neighborhood.  Walked to school up through grade 6, then had short school bus rides to junior and then senior high school.  Being of Greek ancestry (all my grandparents came from Greece) we had some pretty cool cousins and Christmas and Thanksgiving and Easter get togethers.  Things were pretty good as a kid.  I was lucky to get into University of Rhode Island although through no help form the parents.  Dad quite simply wanted me as cheap reliable 6 day a week labor in the family restaurant and lounge and did absolutely nothing to encourage my engineering studies.  I had to hitch hike home on Fridays, or borrow $4 USD for the bus.  I took my dirty laundry home in a green trash bag.  Yeah, a bit embarrassing as a young man.  So much of the fun of being at college and having some free time on weekends to study for a few hours in the library which I really liked on those cold winter days, then maybe going out with friends after.  Later in life, Dad made a comment at a gathering and pointed at me and said "we could have made millions if he was interested in the business"!  Now this is him after blowing all the money I helped them make, him failing at the Florida restaurant he started after selling off the Rhode Island business.  So, interesting points of view. 

 

  Back around 1999 I was not at my best and rumors were flying about my finances.  Well I did borrow some money from some people, but only a few thousand here and there.  The stories I heard were laughable as I was still working in the Defense industry, still had my security clearances, had no criminal activity, etc.  I called my folks and said I was coming down for a visit for a few weeks while I look for another job and they would NOT let me come and stay!  So this is me, the Eagle scout, ex Air Force Captain, not being let in?  So much for the saying you always will have your family.  FIne so be it.   I solved my problems.  And about one year later, knowing that my parents were broke but also that I needed to establish a Florida homestead I offered to start paying rent for the upstairs room.  Sure they said, as if nothing ever happened.  I have been paying them non stop even while I was between some contract jobs.  I plan for those things.

 

The point to all this?  You don't know a child's relationship with their parents so I don't think it is fair to criticize the Brit that is returning to the UK and chastise him for not going more often

 

 

[sanemax]

8 hours ago, nong38 said:

I do recognize Russian when its spoken and I don't appreciate it when they expect me to move my things so they can put there own in the same space. I agree there are many who have come to the UK and fitted in, made a contribution  but there are some who don't, have no intention of doing so and they are the noisy ones who stick out like a sore thumb, the ones you remember, the ones everyone remembers and naturally they give some people a bad name, but, that the way its gone and we cannot complain because the racist card is pulled out like a football referee.

Russians / Eastern Europeans/British are all the same race , no race card pulled .

If you get pushed out the way by anyone, try standing up for yourself instead of complain ing  where they come from 

 

 

t

[roo860]

10 hours ago, nong38 said:

I do recognize Russian when its spoken and I don't appreciate it when they expect me to move my things so they can put there own in the same space. I agree there are many who have come to the UK and fitted in, made a contribution  but there are some who don't, have no intention of doing so and they are the noisy ones who stick out like a sore thumb, the ones you remember, the ones everyone remembers and naturally they give some people a bad name, but, that the way its gone and we cannot complain because the racist card is pulled out like a football referee.

What are the things that they want you to move?

[Singhajon]

On 11/11/2019 at 12:44 AM, roo860 said:

Fantastic, used to love Sundays clay pigeon shoot!!!!

Now swapped for these .

Tried a 12g Remington auto at a range in Samui, poor thing was falling apart due to the strict  lack of maintenance regime

[roo860]

16 minutes ago, Singhajon said:

Tried a 12g Remington auto at a range in Samui, poor thing was falling apart due to the strict  lack of maintenance regime

Yes, the handguns used at my range seem to be lacking in care, the one I use I give it a clean and a light oil before putting it back in the armoury.

[kingdong]

On 11/11/2019 at 12:44 AM, roo860 said:

Fantastic, used to love Sundays clay pigeon shoot!!!!

Now swapped for these .

You can hire but cannot legally own guns as a farang in thailand.

Edited November 13, 2019 by kingdong

[beautifulthailand99]

On 11/9/2019 at 6:44 AM, BritManToo said:

That would probably be because

supermarkets in the west are generally aimed at the poor.

supermarkets in Asia are generally aimed at the wealthy.

 

I always wonder at the foreigners shopping in Thai supermarkets that don't understand they are paying premium prices for almost everything. I guess you can't fix stupid!

 

I pay 150bht for a 70cl bottle of Vodka in Thailand, Tesco UK it's 11 quid (2.5x).

10bht for 4 large bell peppers at my local Thai market, in Tesco UK at least a pound (4x).

How are these UK prices cheaper?

 

Are we talking good clean vodka here or mind-bending lao-khao ?

 

https://www.live-less-ordinary.com/lao-khao-thai-rice-whisky-thailand/

[beautifulthailand99]

On 11/9/2019 at 7:55 AM, Khon Kaen Jeff said:

Jesus wept, people 'are' actually talking about the price of cheese. I assume you are as bored as I am waiting until beer o'clock.

Jesus didn't weep he actually said  "Blessed are the cheesemakers"

 

 

[roo860]

11 hours ago, kingdong said:

You can hire but cannot legally own guns as a farang in thailand.

Yes, I know, that's why I joined my local shooting club, so I could hire them.

[Scouse123]

On 8/10/2019 at 10:22 AM, sanemax said:

Which shop in the UK can I buy a can of coke for the equivalent of 14 Baht ?

 Even packs of monster munch are 90 pence 

Go to Lidl, Aldi, B and Ms. or Poundland.

[sanemax]

11 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

Go to Lidl, Aldi, B and Ms. or Poundland.

Or you can get 1.25 litre bottles for a Pound in most supermarkets .............and the 500 mililitre small bottles are are a £1.40

[sanemax]

On 11/10/2019 at 11:52 AM, bannork said:

How much are Tennants Super these days Max? Tastes like battery acid but sends you straight there.

£1.98 per can from my local petrol station , got three cans of kroenberg for £3.60 instead 

[strikingsunset]

For what its worth I,m returning to England next Summer ( ha ha) after 15 years in Asia,2 in Thailand followed by 13 years in China ( 6 years in Yunnan and 7 in Shanghai).

At 60 years of age I met a truly lovely Chinese lady ( 45 at the time) so we recently got married and want a change of scenery for a few years.

Yunnan province is such a truly beautiful place to live,wonderful weather almost all year round,clean air,blue sky .fantastic food ,gentle friendly people,reasonable living cost.......just don't tell anyone 

[sanemax]

The sun doesnt actually rise to the middle of the sky at midday .

It sort of goes from 10 O'clock in the morning to 3 PM , with nothing inbetween 

[mogandave]

Have you repatriated or are you just visiting?

[sandyf]

On 11/11/2019 at 10:39 AM, bannork said:

Seems like you've got it the wrong way round!

How many does it take for it to be wrong, quite a common practice.

Mine is the same, the tank is filled from a well, it can be difficult enough getting water out of the well far less into an elevated tank.

Many rural properties have been that way for decades.

[sanemax]

6 hours ago, mogandave said:

Have you repatriated or are you just visiting?

My Mums coming back from Barbados next week and staying in the UK for 3 months , so I think that I'll go to Thailand for three months by this week-end , if flights are available and stay there for three months

[norfolkandchance]

Just returned to Italy after a long weekend in UK. Hav’nt been there for a couple of years. Still expensive compared to Italy and Thailand though. What did strike me was the amount of cloudy beer being served ( Northumberland). My son said that apparently the Vegan/Veggie brigade objected to finings being added to the beer to make it clear !

You can still get clear beer but you have to ask for it.

Do Vegans/Veggies drink much ?

[Kadilo]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

My Mums coming back from Barbados next week and staying in the UK for 3 months , so I think that I'll go to Thailand for three months by this week-end , if flights are available and stay there for three months

So much for coming back to UK to spend time with your Mother. 
Full of Bull. 

 

[sanemax]

16 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

So much for coming back to UK to spend time with your Mother. 
Full of Bull. 

 

I did spent time with her .

6 weeks was more than enough

[faraday]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

I did spent time with her .

6 weeks was more than enough

wow

[bannork]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

I did spent time with her .

6 weeks was more than enough

Max needs to start a new thread.: Back in Thailand after 6 months in the UK

[Kadilo]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

I did spent time with her .

6 weeks was more than enough

I can well imagine, poor lady. 

[sanemax]

8 hours ago, Kadilo said:

I can well imagine, poor lady. 

On the contrary .

She says that I can come and stay for free

I insist in paying £ 20 a week  ..........and also offered free house sitting which was accepted 

But , I absolutley insist on paying £ 20 a week and offering  my services as a house sitter for free , keeping burglars away and things like that 

[SheungWan]

On 8/10/2019 at 5:52 AM, evadgib said:

How are the Fish n Chips and how much are they these days?

Depends where one goes. In Central London at the Fryer's Delight, sit down fish and chips about 10 quid.

[sanemax]

1 hour ago, SheungWan said:

Depends where one goes. In Central London at the Fryer's Delight, sit down fish and chips about 10 quid.

Sausage in batter and Chips for £3.50 in most places outside of central London