First Expat?

[azo]

who was the first expat(i.e. house,wife etc) in chiang rai? and who is the longest(living) expat resident in ching rai? anyone know? just interested in local history...

[toybits]

There was a European (French) that "surveyed" areas (ancient temples) around Chiang Rai and took some artefacts back to Chiang Rai town. The artefacts were supposed to have been spread out in the backyard of some Chiang Rai resident (important person) for some time. Not really sure what happened to those artefacts. Sounds like a tomb raider. This was supposed to have happened many many years ago. Don't remember. The old edition of the Chiang Rai guide book has something on this.

The Hospital Overbrook was named after a missionary bearing that name. That hospital is supposed to be about a hundred years old.

Longest surviving expat in town? Hmmmm?

who was the first expat(i.e. house,wife etc) in chiang rai? and who is the longest(living) expat resident in ching rai? anyone know? just interested in local history...

[soap]

[

Longest surviving expat in town? Hmmmm?

pineapple bob

[azo]

[

Longest surviving expat in town? Hmmmm?

pineapple bob... yes i thought about bob,or even neil R.I.P. maybe,mind you it seems like some of the old crew have been here forever gordon,irish,victor,graham,kiineow dave and the likes.but yes it would nice to know who has the honoury title...

..there' a prize for the correct answer(maybe)

[soap]

[

Longest surviving expat in town? Hmmmm?

pineapple bob... yes i thought about bob,or even neil R.I.P. maybe,mind you it seems like some of the old crew have been here forever gordon,irish,victor,graham,kiineow dave and the likes.but yes it would nice to know who has the honoury title...

..there' a prize for the correct answer(maybe)

my money goes on pineapple bob,i forgot about gordon so it could be a photo finish.

neil lived in phayao before coming to chaingrai, irish (long gone to khon ken i think)

graham,keneow dave (no chance) victor (dont know him)

[sceadugenga]

Why is he called Keneow Dave?

[Big Gary]

[

Longest surviving expat in town? Hmmmm?

pineapple bob... yes i thought about bob,or even neil R.I.P. maybe,mind you it seems like some of the old crew have been here forever gordon,irish,victor,graham,kiineow dave and the likes.but yes it would nice to know who has the honoury title...

..there' a prize for the correct answer(maybe)

my money goes on pineapple bob,i forgot about gordon so it could be a photo finish.

neil lived in phayao before coming to chaingrai, irish (long gone to khon ken i think)

graham,keneow dave (no chance) victor (dont know him)

I arrived here in 1986 and Bob was here then and for quite a while. I like all the other names mentioned went back home periodically to get some more folding stuff, but classed myself as living here as I built a house then and foolishly opened a bar. It was the Kangaroo Bar next to the Wangcome. None of the other expats were here at that time. So I can only think of Bob.

[azo]

Why is he called Keneow Dave?

ok maybe the spellings not correct but it mean tight with the dosh when beer rounds come full circle,some are good at invisible man impressions.also victor you must know him,he is of french/luxemburgian parentage,forever wearing baseball cap-glasses-utility belt(like batmans)and now has a guest house in chiang khong..

[sceadugenga]

Why is he called Keneow Dave?

ok maybe the spellings not correct but it mean tight with the dosh when beer rounds come full circle,some are good at invisible man impressions.also victor you must know him,he is of french/luxemburgian parentage,forever wearing baseball cap-glasses-utility belt(like batmans)and now has a guest house in chiang khong..

Yeah, just kidding, I know what it means I was wondering why he was called it. The literal meaning is sticky sh!t.

I hardly know anyone in town, Peter in Orn's books I see occasionally and in the last year Pasquale in A&P bakery but they're only acquaintances.

I know a couple of guys in the CM forum but most of them came and tracked me down in my lair to make sure I really existed.

The sceadugengan are not a particularly sociable species.

[klikster]

Actually .. it's me.

In the beginning there was Adam, Eve and klikster. Adam ate the apple, I grabbed the mango ..

Adam got the girl and I got banished .. a cave in one of the limestone karsts out past the Army Camp. But people started trying to chase me down so I moved to Chiang Dao .. they have deeper caves over there.

I sneak into town every Songkran to re-establish my residency.

[klikster]

Actually, Mac, who was working around Baan Houxai(sp) back in the early 60's may know. He knew Doc Weldon and a few more of the old timers. As Toybits mentioned, K Becky .. my money would be her as well.

[azo]

Why is he called Keneow Dave?

what about you mr sceadugenga,you've been here a long time?.well here's another name to throw in the ring,rolf from germany,he was here in the fifties..

[sceadugenga]

Why is he called Keneow Dave?

what about you mr sceadugenga,you've been here a long time?.well here's another name to throw in the ring,rolf from germany,he was here in the fifties..

Only 5 years here, I lived in Lao and the Philippines before finally settling in Chiang Rai.

I always thought I'd retire by the sea but here I am in the mountains.

[Jimjim]

Ralph Fitch was the first recorded westerner to reach the kingdom of Lanna in 1586, and it's not too much of a stretch to guess that he traveled up to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai.

[klikster]

After re-reading and thinking about the OP(*), I have to suggest that the first expat must have been someone from China or another Southeast Asian country .. well before recorded history.

*The OP said "expat" rather than "white" or "western" or "farang", so the handle expat applies to Asians as well.

[uusa]

COWSBOY MIKE ( r.i.p )

pm me who wants a picture of YOU who have been here over 20 years.

[brahmburgers]

I'm not an 'old timer' tho I 1st visited C.Rai about 25 years ago - b4 there were farang bars - and way b4 the MFL bridge.

I settled here 10 years ago, and locals in my village (Hoy Plakang, 2 KM NW of town) tell me I'm the 1st farang to move there - tho I've never been married (the OP mentions '......with wife' - is that a requirement?).

I'd like to be one of the 1st to settle in Shan State NE Burma, but it appears to be a tough nut to crack - any recommendations?

I've heard the NE corner of Chan State is quite rugged, with virgin trackless forests (no sexual innuendo on my part) - anyone know about that region?

[uusa]

[klikster]

Is the guy standing on the left the one they called "FBI"? I never had an opportunity to meet him?

[soap]

COWSBOY MIKE ( r.i.p )

pm me who wants a picture of YOU who have been here over 20 years.

hello uusa

thank you for posting the photo i think it was taken in the new moon bar or possible baitong kens bar,

klikster is right with the guy on the left he was known affectionately as FBI the B stood for big and the i stood for

indian i will give you one guess what the F word stood for,he was an native american i think he lived in chaing saen but his name evades me and sadly he his no longer with us i have been told, cowboy mike another native american who loved his golf. i think he must of known he was in bad health because he just packed up and went back to the states one day and a couple of months later he passed away.then theres harry with the beard,one nice guy must be past retirement age now but the firm he works for wont let him retire i hope he goes on forever.

but what i remember most about the photo is the 2 texas dudes ,i think they only came to chaingrai for a week but i can remember seeing them walking down jetroyd road in the heat of the day dressed up with winkle picker cowboy boots,enbroided trousers,waistcoats to match their shirts including string ties and stenson hats.

i know they were only passing through but they were 2 characters i will never forget

[klikster]

Can anyone here trace the history of the Baitong. Ken was running it when I arrived. He had bought half interest from another Aussie or Kiwi (?) .. who then moved on to open a bar in Bali, I believe.

While I was there, a retired shearer from Oz showed up and announced that he had bought the other half of the Baitong. Very nice guy .. Graham, I believe.

[davidgtr]

Can anyone here trace the history of the Baitong. Ken was running it when I arrived. He had bought half interest from another Aussie or Kiwi (?) .. who then moved on to open a bar in Bali, I believe.

I think a Canadian, whose name escapes me, started the bar & actually owned the building freehold via his Thai missus I think. But I'm not sure if it was called the Baitong before Ken.

[chivo]

I'm very curious what Chiang Rai must have been like in the 1970's/80's... points of difference from now...

[uusa]

[naklang]

I knew I'd seen that guy before. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adgbsLr3ESY...feature=related

[Limbo]

I arrived here in 1986 and Bob was here then and for quite a while. I like all the other names mentioned went back home periodically to get some more folding stuff, but classed myself as living here as I built a house then and foolishly opened a bar. It was the Kangaroo Bar next to the Wangcome. None of the other expats were here at that time. So I can only think of Bob.

Good old Gary,

I know, our memory doesn't improve with the years, but please let me try to refresh our grey masses a little bit:

The first 'expat-place' founded in Chiang Rai in 1984 (?), was the Bierstube of Karl-Heinz. First it was more like a simple hut, then, probably 1987, it became the building that we later, beginning from 2005, would know as 'Bo's Place', now closed under the name 'Lucky Bar'.

The Baitong, I guess since 1985, was set up by Canadian Ian, who before this was running a guesthouse with German Reiner, close to Den Ha and Wisit's Guesthouse. Ian bought the shophouse at that time for 325 000 Baht. Reiner was the first foreigner to rent out Honda Dreams. He happens to be visiting Chiang Rai at this very moment, still, since more than twenty years now, together with Noi.

I don't remember in which order, but Zak, Reiners Thai motorcycle tours partner (now living in Holland with his Dutch wife), was behind the bar for a while, then probably the English couple that also had been helping Becky at 'the Golden' (Elisabeth and ....) and I think, finally Australian Ken.

Swiss Eugen (First bar/restaurant/bakery at Yed Yodt), American Michael ('The Full Moon'), Australian Gary ('Kangaroo Bar'), Italian Gabriel ('La Cantina'), and German Manfred ('The Kiss Bar') followed during the years to come.

From 1986 I remember Canadian Ian, German Reiner, Dutch William and the oldtimers Pineapple Bob and Becky of 'the Golden Triangle' of course (I guess they came around 1981 or 2). American Jay, of the 'Pintamorn group'? Jim Mielke, who was managing the little Dooley hospital in Hin Teak / Thoedt Thai? The late American 'Fast' Eddy belongs to them as well, I think, evenso the late Norwegian Ivar. The late Karl, the senior American driving an old Volkswagen Variant?

The rest of my remaining memory cells recalls some more foreign human furniture of Chiang Rai since at least 15 years, namely the following characters:

Lux Victor, Cathouse Mike, American Ken, English Gordon, Irish Mike, Mr. Dee

and last but certainly not least all these great guys whose names I forgot (including my own ).

Limbo

[Limbo]

The Hospital Overbrook was named after a missionary bearing that name. That hospital is supposed to be about a hundred years old.

Longest surviving expat in town? Hmmmm?

'Overbrook' is supposed to be the name of the American town (in Oregon?) where Presbyterians collected the money to build the first hospital of Chiang Rai (about 1910, the building is really worth a visit, it is one of the few real monuments of Chiang Rai and Dr. Ploum received a Royal Decoration out of the hands of HRH Princess Sirindhorn in recognition of the historically correct way the building was restored).

The 'Overbrook' was built by its first director, the legendary Canadian Dr. Briggs, who as a semi-gouvernor of the North, also designed and realized Chiang Rai's road pattern, the old Sala Klang Kao (the colonial style administrative building at the Singhaklai Road), the CWK (Christian school), the old prison (now Suan Tung), and of course the First Church in which you still can admire the big clock donated to Dr. Briggs by the Great King Rama V. He also defended Chiang Rai against the attacks of the Shan people, who didn't really agree hundred years ago when Bangkok declared this area part of Thailand (Siam).

Dr. Briggs might have been the first important foreigner in Chiang Rai.

Before him there were only the foreigners working for the British, French and Dutch trade companies, who 'commercialized' the teak forests in this part of the world (the hill-tribe people are still blamed for that by many Thai people).

A remarcable 'farang' of the first hour (early twentieth century) was also Thorwaldsen, (yes, family of the famous Danish sculptor Thorwaldsen) the Danish policeman of Chiang Rai (The Danish policemen of the north were hired by Rama V). His descendants took the name Torangkhoon.

There are some older topics on the history of Chiang Rai in this forum.

The oldest living farang?

Dutch Uncle Wout had his birthday last week: 80 years!

Ever oldest living farang in Chiang Rai was without any doubt the mother of Dr. M. who passed away some years ago when she was 102.

Have a nice Sunday!

Limbo

[davidgtr]

Limbo

That is indeed an excellent run down on the farang & their busineses in CEI.

I can think of another - Mike from Napoli Pizza - whom you might have missed

[svenivan]

Hey Limbo,

Good to see you back here!!

I have heard that you had som health problems. I hope they are sorted out now and that you obey doctors order!

Take good care and I hope to see you soon again!

[sceadugenga]

He would be a most welcome addition to the CR forum.