30 Years Ago

[bojo]

I'd be interested to hear from the 'old school expatriates/visitors' as to how life was in the 70's and 80's in Thailand. Any longtermers have interesting experiences they would like to share regarding life and style, visa regs/local attitudes towards foreigners in comparison with the 21st century?

[realthaideal]

30 years ago you had to post general topics under the 'General Topics' subforum so as to get maximum productivity and interest out of your threads, and couldn't just post anywhere you like.

For info on what it was like even 60 years ago there was a guy who was here even in the 50's and writes quite amusingly about BKK before a developed Sukhumvit, and ALL of the mosquitoes that used to be EVERYWHERE. His name is/was Bernard Trink and he eventually became a Farang legend writing for the BKK Post as the Night Owl. He was famous for covertly accounting for the sublime to the seedy nightlife without being very direct, and thereby getting away with it. In the beginning he was less covert and this is amusing as well. Try looking for his book; it's a good read and yet another perspective's lens on the culture that'll have you thinking.

[gatorhead333]

30 year ago in C,M, a heck of a lot more fish bowls with such young beautiful girls .

all the farangs were not here so even the pretty ones had to work.

30 years ago up here in CM not far outside of town the thai's would come out of their huts to see a farang

30 years ago C.M. was in such a recession ..... goods were so chap they were almost free...

30 years ago it was such a deal here i had to set up shop.

[Jungian]

My wife tells me that Chiang Mai was a "jungle" when she attended university here and the population was much lower.

[kennkate]

Interesting Topic

How did they Live without the Mobile Phone

[Absingjul]

For the most accurate assessment I would read writings from the era. A few people tend to have selective memories

Nation Review was around then (seen these on microfiche 10+ years ago), and Dean Barrett wrote a book or two around that time.

[Ulysses G.]

Dean Barrett's "Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior" is a fun book!

Edited May 3, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[villagefarang]

Curfews, coups, three tall buildings in Bangkok, many more klongs, international calls made at the main post office and expensive, no English TV, YMCA was only place to workout, less western food, few hotels, visa rules changed every time you went in, much less convenient than today. (Bangkok references)

Edited May 3, 2009 by villagefarang

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Yup. I think the automatic assumption is that it must have been better in the old days, and of course the human mind does spin that way "back in the old days... " but objectively Thailand has come a heck of a long way, and the things that were attractive then are still attractive now.

I mean, as for the 'in my days everything used to be better' mind set of older people is often factually just untrue. Some people actually manage 'the girls were far prettier', but then when you look at some of the old pictures that are around you can see they're the same bumpkins, just with Sixties hair.

[Ulysses G.]

If you can not handle Thai food 3 times a day every day of the year, things are better now. There were NO decent farang restaurants in Chiang Mai until David The Duke started one in 1991 which he called the America Restaurant.

[bojo]

Thanks for suggestions so far everyone.

Just to clarify a little, I'm not looking for in depth info on life back then, only if there are any 'lifers' out there who would like to share any interesting experiences or comment on differences between then and now. I for one would be very interested to hear.

Apparently all the beautiful Chiang Mai girls now work in Hat Yai Gatorhead !

Regards Bojo

[Niloc]

I was in BKK in 1965 and we bought ganja in a pharmacy. People were telling us to go up north to Chiang Mai where all the most beautiful girls came from. it is true too as 40 years later I married a Pai girl who was just born when I was smoking dope in Bangkok!

Colin

[Boksida]

If you can not handle Thai food 3 times a day every day of the year, things are better now. There were NO decent farang restaurants in Chiang Mai until David The Duke started one in 1991 which he called the America Restaurant.

I arrived in Thailand in 1970 and lived and worked in Chiangmai a few times in the 70s and 80s and then again for about 12 years starting in 1990.

In the 70s I hung out mostly at The Pub and the Montri Hotel coffee shop (a dark, dingy place then). They both had decent farang food as did the Babylon. I only recall a couple of people eating at the America Restaurant and I didn't bother after hearing their negative reports. There were scores of alternatives. TJs had very good food in the 90s and was a popular hangout.

[Ulysses G.]

I only recall a couple of people eating at the America Restaurant and I didn't bother after hearing their negative reports.

That was after Dave sold it. The new owners were not very interested in the place and just ran it into the ground.

[villagefarang]

Yup. I think the automatic assumption is that it must have been better in the old days, and of course the human mind does spin that way "back in the old days... " but objectively Thailand has come a heck of a long way, and the things that were attractive then are still attractive now.

I mean, as for the 'in my days everything used to be better' mind set of older people is often factually just untrue. Some people actually manage 'the girls were far prettier', but then when you look at some of the old pictures that are around you can see they're the same bumpkins, just with Sixties hair.

I find it quite embarrassing to look back at the girls I was with in the 70s. The absolute cream of the crop back in the day but nothing I would have touched with the proverbial ten foot pole, in later years. Sure it was different back then and I value my experiences but as you say Thailand has come a heck of a long way.

[Ajarn]

I only recall a couple of people eating at the America Restaurant and I didn't bother after hearing their negative reports.

That was after Dave sold it. The new owners were not very interested in the place and just ran it into the ground.

Dave, 'the duke'?

I think that one of the new owners ran it quite well. When he left it in the hands of his partner, he ran it into the ground around 1995. Before America opened, I think the farang food at JJ's was pretty good.

[Ulysses G.]

When they bought it, they did add some nice things to the menu in the beginning, but one partner did not last for long. Didn't he have a motorcycle accident and return home?

My opinion of JJs at that time was a very comfortable place with pretty good Thai food and mostly psuedo-farang food with very few good items on the menu.

Edited May 3, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[getgoin]

If we are talking about Chiang Mai, I liked how quiet it was. No motorbikes and very few cars. Motorbikes were expensive, cost more than they do now, and no one would have financed a motorbike for the legions of villagers that now flood Chiang Mai. You could actually ride a bike around town.

[doppa]

When they bought it, they did add some nice things to the menu in the beginning, but one partner did not last for long. Didn't he have a motorcycle accident and return home?

My opinion of JJs at that time was a very comfortable place with pretty good Thai good and mostly psuedo-farang food with very few good items on the menu.

i think most folk will think life was better when they were younger, my mother always ranted on about how you could leave your doors open all the time, until i told, thats because you had nowt decent to nick, as you get older cyniscm creeps into our train of thoughts, and we all do a comparisson of , would this or that have happened in our youth, trouble today is ,the media seem to be at every possible location in the world, and mostly report the tradegy of lives in these far flung nations, so we get to hear a hourly update ,a continious stream of info,most of which is depressing, which sometimes just makes you wonder why , god and his gnomes created our world.

that wasnt meant to be a religious, link, just a reference.

[BigSnake]

30 years ago a power failure, would last at lease 12 hours or more, TV, 3 hours in the morning 5am-8am, 11am-12 lunch, 5pm-9pm. Many movie houses all across town, not jam in a complex, could tell you more but best turn over to some more OLD Thailand Hands, Over to you Guys.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

When they bought it, they did add some nice things to the menu in the beginning, but one partner did not last for long. Didn't he have a motorcycle accident and return home?

My opinion of JJs at that time was a very comfortable place with pretty good Thai food and mostly psuedo-farang food with very few good items on the menu.

My opiion of JJ's at the time was: 15 baht croissants with butter and unlimited honey, second cup of coffee free, air conditioning, and free newspapers.

I never had croissants with that much honey in my life. Essentially turned it into a do-it-yourself Baklava Enough energy to last me to the next day.

Does anyone remember Croissant restaurant on Thapae, a bit up from America? That was good while it lasted, because in addition to air conditioning they threw in free movies. I could veg the better part of the day there.

Edited May 3, 2009 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Ajarn]

When they bought it, they did add some nice things to the menu in the beginning, but one partner did not last for long. Didn't he have a motorcycle accident and return home?

My opinion of JJs at that time was a very comfortable place with pretty good Thai food and mostly psuedo-farang food with very few good items on the menu.

Yeah, he had an accident about 3 years in, and he went home. His partner is still around...

Yeah, the food at jj's was Psuedo-Farang, but with the state of farang food in Chiang Mai at the time, it was pretty good

Thapae road was two-way then...

Does anyone remember Croissant restaurant on Thapae, a bit up from America? That was good while it lasted, because in addition to air conditioning they threw in free movies. I could veg the better part of the day there

I remember the crazy guy who was the manager at the time. I hope he isn't around anymore.

Edited May 3, 2009 by Ajarn

[Rasseru]

Any good places to get DVDs in the old days?

[Ajarn]

Any good places to get DVDs in the old days?

No DVD's, but plenty of copied video

20 baht for 7 days as I recall

[bojo]

What about Visa regs? We're there marriage and retirement visas then and was there an immigration office in Chiang Mai?

Regrad Bojo

[sassienie]

What about Visa regs? We're there marriage and retirement visas then and was there an immigration office in Chiang Mai?

Regrad Bojo

Most interesting thread and please don`t spoil it by advertising restaurants, all old buddies together with the owners.

I believe it was 100000 baht requirement for Thai spouse visa and 150000 baht requirement for retirement visa. There was a lot of corruption in that department and demands for under the counter payments for what they called the smooth processing of a visa were common. Sometimes it took a year and half for the processing of a non immigrant visa. In many cases the next visa was due before the precious one was concluded.

Back in the early 90s, the exchange rate was 36 baht = £1. But Thai bank interest rates went as high as 13%.

Cost of living was only a quarter to what it is now. With an investment of only 1 million baht at 13% interest, one could live like a King without need to dip in to the capital.

There were many more bars in Chiang Mai and lady houses could be found in practically every village. Bar shows was a regular event before the big cover up. I can remember girls wearing see through string tee shirts, no bras, outside of the Spotlight to attract customers.

If you wanted to eat Farang style, than JJs was the in place to be, but it was expensive. A standard meal was about 400 baht, a lot of dosh 15/20 years ago.

There was no Big C, Tesco Lotus or large supermarket chains in Chiang Mai. Makros on the partly built superhighway was the main shopping centre for Farangs.

Western chocolate was hard to come by, same as many other Farang foods.

Mobile phones were a rarity and a land line had to be ordered 4 years prior to installation.

Edited May 3, 2009 by sassienie

[sassienie]

Just to add:

There was no Internet and only very few satellite TV channels. Only means of communication to home countries was land phone at exorbitant prices to phone abroad or written snail mail.

A few satellite channels in Chiang Mai by late 90s or short wave radio to hear news from abroad.

[Boksida]

What about Visa regs? We're there marriage and retirement visas then and was there an immigration office in Chiang Mai?

Regrad Bojo

In the early 70s the company I was working for got me Permanent Residency and a Work permit as soon as they became a requirement. I don't recall having to even go to the Immigration Department to do any of this, just signed a few forms at the office.

VHS had not been invented then so no tapes, let alone DVDs. The focus of night life in Chiangmai was a bunch of knocking shops along Kampang Din.

[Priceless]

[...]

Mobile phones were a rarity and a land line had to be ordered 4 years prior to installation.

Just a nitpicking sidenote: Since the title of the thread is "30 years ago...", mobile phones were not a rarity, they were non-existent. The first (modern) mobile phone network was the analogue NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone) system introduced by the Nordic telecomm's authorities in 1981, i.e. 28 years ago. As far as I know (though I may be wrong here) Thailand never had an analogue mobile network, but started with a GSM digital system which made its world debut (i.e. not in Thailand) in 1991.

/ Priceless (with a background in telecomm's )

[IanForbes]

The good old days are right now.

Communication is excellent today and it's scary how recently the internet and cel phones have taken over our lives. When you only had a bicycle then your field of exploration was much smaller.

It's only when I look at the evironmental damage that I get sad.

I've only been coming to Thailand for 13 years, but even in that time I've seen remarkable changes and most have been for the better. Transportation is much better, but the increased numbers of personal cars and trucks have created traffic jams in places where no provision was made for vehicles of that kind.