Do You Live In A Thai Village Full Time

[surayu]

What happened to the Op of this thread macb? Does anyone know?

Last Active: 2009-12-05 11:23 yes it's been a while since his lat post, maybe he's still very busy as he wrote, training dogs? no idea, however if i will ever die for any reasons, i will make sure i am going to post about it first i hope he's well....

[TBWG]

What happened to the Op of this thread macb? Does anyone know?

Last Active: 2009-12-05 11:23 yes it's been a while since his lat post, maybe he's still very busy as he wrote, training dogs? no idea, however if i will ever die for any reasons, i will make sure i am going to post about it first i hope he's well....

Hi

Not sure why he has not posted recently, but he did leave the area and I believe went to North of Thailand after having marital difficulties.

TBWG

[prakhonchai nick]

What happened to the Op of this thread macb? Does anyone know?

Last Active: 2009-12-05 11:23 yes it's been a while since his lat post, maybe he's still very busy as he wrote, training dogs? no idea, however if i will ever die for any reasons, i will make sure i am going to post about it first i hope he's well....

Hi

Not sure why he has not posted recently, but he did leave the area and I believe went to North of Thailand after having marital difficulties.

TBWG

He sometimes posts on the Central Thailand Forum

[IsaanAussie]

All too often I read about failed relationships between farangs and their Thai partners. Well right now in my little village I am watching a marriage between two Thais fall apart. It isn't pleasant for anyone here as all seem involved one way or another. Everyone is talking about fact and fiction, mostly the latter with all sorts of inflated gossip adding fuel to the fire. Typically Thai the conversations are based on relaying third party information. Why can't these people talk to each other face to face?

Basically the woman has been having an affair with a man from a neighbouring village. The husband found out and started beating her and drinking heavily. The third party is a member of the BIB (stationed elsewhere in Thailand) and as the situation has flared publicly started arriving at the womans house very visibly carrying his service pistol.

Apparently the woman has accepted a large payment from the BIB and has spent a considerable amount of it. The husband is a typical son in law here and basically owns nothing, nor does his family. They have two teenage and one younger child. The wife wishes to keep both relationships going. The husband is not happy but has nowhere else to go. The BIB wants either the woman or the money back.

Result, explosive situation.

Who said life in a rural Thai village was dull?

Isaanaussie

[TBWG]

All too often I read about failed relationships between farangs and their Thai partners. Well right now in my little village I am watching a marriage between two Thais fall apart. It isn't pleasant for anyone here as all seem involved one way or another. Everyone is talking about fact and fiction, mostly the latter with all sorts of inflated gossip adding fuel to the fire. Typically Thai the conversations are based on relaying third party information. Why can't these people talk to each other face to face?

Basically the woman has been having an affair with a man from a neighbouring village. The husband found out and started beating her and drinking heavily. The third party is a member of the BIB (stationed elsewhere in Thailand) and as the situation has flared publicly started arriving at the womans house very visibly carrying his service pistol.

Apparently the woman has accepted a large payment from the BIB and has spent a considerable amount of it. The husband is a typical son in law here and basically owns nothing, nor does his family. They have two teenage and one younger child. The wife wishes to keep both relationships going. The husband is not happy but has nowhere else to go. The BIB wants either the woman or the money back.

Result, explosive situation.

Who said life in a rural Thai village was dull?

Isaanaussie

Oh Dear

Trust you are keeping well out of it!

Plus keep your head down if the bullets start flying!

TBWG

[chuckd]

All too often I read about failed relationships between farangs and their Thai partners. Well right now in my little village I am watching a marriage between two Thais fall apart. It isn't pleasant for anyone here as all seem involved one way or another. Everyone is talking about fact and fiction, mostly the latter with all sorts of inflated gossip adding fuel to the fire. Typically Thai the conversations are based on relaying third party information. Why can't these people talk to each other face to face?

Basically the woman has been having an affair with a man from a neighbouring village. The husband found out and started beating her and drinking heavily. The third party is a member of the BIB (stationed elsewhere in Thailand) and as the situation has flared publicly started arriving at the womans house very visibly carrying his service pistol.

Apparently the woman has accepted a large payment from the BIB and has spent a considerable amount of it. The husband is a typical son in law here and basically owns nothing, nor does his family. They have two teenage and one younger child. The wife wishes to keep both relationships going. The husband is not happy but has nowhere else to go. The BIB wants either the woman or the money back.

Result, explosive situation.

Who said life in a rural Thai village was dull?

Isaanaussie

I hear two or three stories like this each week from my wife. We live in a small village and, it seems, most of the marriages are not on solid ground because of the "butterfly" principle. Either the wife or the husband is chasing around and getting involved with another person's wife or husband. It's almost a joke at times and the BIB are frequently involved.

I just tune them out most of the time.

[IsaanAussie]

TBWG and Chuckd,

Thanks for the supportive comments. I agree entirely, stay out of it as its not my problem. However on this occasion the woman happens to be my sister in law and try as we can we are constantly being dragged into the middle. Very unpleasant situation. Other villagers expect us to intercede on one side or the other depending on which point of the triangle they are aligned to. The BIB has spread rumours and money around to get people to lodge complaints against us.

If I was a submariner I would definitely be in periscope down mode right now. Despite the rubbish being thrown at us, now is not the time to make a lot of noise and my largest challenge is to keep the wife on the same course. Jai yen yen my dear.

Isaanaussie

[gpdjohn]

All too often I read about failed relationships between farangs and their Thai partners. Well right now in my little village I am watching a marriage between two Thais fall apart. It isn't pleasant for anyone here as all seem involved one way or another. Everyone is talking about fact and fiction, mostly the latter with all sorts of inflated gossip adding fuel to the fire. Typically Thai the conversations are based on relaying third party information. Why can't these people talk to each other face to face?

Basically the woman has been having an affair with a man from a neighbouring village. The husband found out and started beating her and drinking heavily. The third party is a member of the BIB (stationed elsewhere in Thailand) and as the situation has flared publicly started arriving at the womans house very visibly carrying his service pistol.

Apparently the woman has accepted a large payment from the BIB and has spent a considerable amount of it. The husband is a typical son in law here and basically owns nothing, nor does his family. They have two teenage and one younger child. The wife wishes to keep both relationships going. The husband is not happy but has nowhere else to go. The BIB wants either the woman or the money back.

Result, explosive situation.

Who said life in a rural Thai village was dull?

Isaanaussie

How true.

My cousin is now going through a melt down in his marriage. ( Thai-Thai and have been married for almost 30 yrs) He works at the local prison and she's a teacher. I thought it was wedded bliss, then my uncle told me that she rules him like a puppy dog.

Well, his wife got a call one night at around 3:30 and was informed that she should visit him at work, and that he could be located in a certian bugalow located at the prison that's used for guard housing.. well, she did and lo and behold, he's banging his gik and she caught 'em in the act. A fistfight ensued between the women...cousin's wife get's her ass handed to her on a plate, cousin defends his gik, cousin's wife leaves in tears and blood..follow so far?

Nasty arguments and rumblins from his house over the next few weeks...

Dipstick cousin takes gik out for lunch..seen by all here ( small village where almost everybody knows everybody or is somehow part of the family ) phone calls are made..cousin's wife shows up and clobbers him in the heat with a rock, blood everywhere..his wife scurries home, he goes to the local clinic and gets sewed up.

A few more weeks go by and I hear nothing on the grapevine. Ask my uncle on what's the latest skiddy and he informs me that he was caught again and this time his wife took a pair of sissors and made some holes in him. He survived and gets sewn up again.

He goes back home on his knees a week later begging for forgivness. Within two weeks he is mysteriously severly ill and has to be admitted into the local hospital ( that alone would be a death sentence ) Diagnosis: possible poisioning. ( get a clue fool )

Still with me?

Haven't heard a thing for almsot a month..ask the uncle the sit-rep is and he informs me that the cuz is now staying at the prison, not at home. Another cousin gets a phone call at 3 in the morning from the cousin's ( the player ) wife.. she wants him to go with her out to the prison. He agrees. She shows up with a pistol. He declines. She goes home because she said she was afraid to go alone...( hummm )

( I knew he was a smart one)

Now.. The player has moved out for good and is with his gik. His wife is divorcing him and has taken all his belongings and gotten rid of 'em to include his vehicle. House is now up for sale.

I stay away and have no contact with either party.

Yep..who said life in a small village was boring.

[jazzbo]

Maybe all this butterfly-ing takes place because life in a small village is boring.

[chuckd]

Lest anybody think my life is boring, let me fill you in on two day's recent events in the village:

1. I was in my normal position as a retiree one recent mid-afternoon. Lying on the bed watching TV when my wife ran through the house shouting "Darkling, come quick!" (She has always called me Darkling for some reason.)

I rushed out the front door and looking down my driveway toward the back of the house, I saw my wife picking up her 2 year old very confused nephew and stuffing him in one of the cars, all the while yelling for help from our neighbors who were all clustered on their front porch and yelling something back to my wife. I quickly noticed all three dogs facing the house barking their heads off and my daughter standing on top of a table. Sensing something was amiss, I rushed, yet again, to the back of the house picking up a large machete along the way.

Upon reaching the rear of the house, and completely out of breath, I saw my wife's son had a ten foot broom and was holding a rather angry one meter long cobra, with flared hood, against the back wall of the house.

We clobbered the cobra with the aforementioned ten foot broom until he was senseless. I then picked him up with a grass rake, laid him across the top of the perimeter wall and let the machete render him asunder. He was still alive and totally angry as he had his hood spread out and was spoiling for a fight. When I cut him into two parts, the back half of the snake fell into the cornfield next door and the other half, better known as the business end, fell near my unshod foot. Quickly realizing this was not the ideal place for my bare foot, I rapidly moved it. I then scooped up the still alive and kicking front half with the grass rake, hood and all, and dropped him over the wall into the cornfield next door.

My wife later told me the neighbors who seemed to be lending such moral support, were really informing my wife they were afraid of snakes and wouldn't be able to drop over at that time.

2. The following night we had one of those tropical thunderstorms come through around 0300.

I was awakened when a flash of lightening and the clap of thunder occurred nearly simultaneously, which means it is very, very close. At the same time there was an electrical popping noise, sort of when a breaker switch gets tripped.

Almost immediately this horrible music began to fill the bedroom and I sat straight up in bed. Assuming it was my wife's telephone, I told her to unplug her telephone and shut the sound off.

With me being in a semi-awake condition, the next thing I noticed was my wife holding a large stuffed musical camel (one hump) in her lap while beating on it. The music kept playing all the while. I had given it to her as a gag joke when we were in Saudi and she always kept it by the bedside.

Hoping she didn't have a large knife handy, I thought it might be better for me to check out other parts of the house for any electrical problems so I left the bedroom. As I left the room I noticed she was still beating on the poor defenseless stuffed camel and the incessant music was still playing.

After a few moments I returned to the bedroom to find her clutching the camel in one hand and two AA batteries in the other. The music had stopped and it was now silent. She put the camel and the two batteries on the floor and went back to sleep, never saying a word. I crept into the room and finally fell back to sleep but I didn't turn my back on her for the remainder of the night.

I have since found out the lightening likely caused the camel to start performing the music.

Who says life in the village must be boring?

Edited August 22, 2010 by chuckd

[jazzbo]

The non-boring part is figuring out the family tree ...

[chuckd]

The non-boring part is figuring out the family tree ...

Please explain.

[jazzbo]

Dipstick cousin takes gik out for lunch .... Diagnosis: possible poisioning. ( get a clue fool ) Still with me?

[chuckd]

Dipstick cousin takes gik out for lunch .... Diagnosis: possible poisioning. ( get a clue fool ) Still with me?

Nope.

[jazzbo]

As Kuhn GDP said -- Still with me? So I guess some in the village are like Desperate Housewives and others are more like Ozzie and Harriet...

[gpdjohn]

The following night we had one of those tropical thunderstorms come through around 0300.

I was awakened when a flash of lightening and the clap of thunder occurred nearly simultaneously, which means it is very, very close. At the same time there was an electrical popping noise, sort of when a breaker switch gets tripped.

Get those all the time as of late and the other day had the same thing. KAAPOW!.. I could hear the air crackling right after, kinda like a sizzle.. could smell it too..

Got my ass of the porch and went back inside and hid under the bed making sure my JD didn't spill and put my hands over my eyes.

It was freaky.

[jazzbo]

I know several here in town who grew up on rice farms near the villages ... and the only way they want to see a chicken again is after it is Kentucky-fried.

[jazzbo]

These Isaan village families get so intermingled that -- if that's how the family wanted it -- the young girl next door could be a Farang's step-daughter and he wouldn't even know it.

Edited August 25, 2010 by jazzbo

[Tracer Round]

I haven't read all 22 pages of this thread, but one thing keeps occuring to me: Why would anyone want to live like a Thai peasant?

Don't get me wrong, heyseeds can be nice people, but living without meaningful culture -- no access to the arts, concerts, performances, exhibitions, theater, cinema, bookstores, fine dining, clubs of like-minded people, et al -- seems to be a dire regression in the quality of life.

I am not sure how many people in the West would say, "Yes, when I retire I want to live in basic conditions with no intellectual stimulation and feed pigs/watch rice grow/house countless relatives on my nickel, and so on. Oh, and since I can't really speak Thai, I have no idea what anyone is talking about unless my wife chooses to tell me, but even that's iffy since her English language skills are at about the level of a three-year-old English speaker."

Almost everywhere I look, I find educated gentlemen from the West dumbing themselves down to the point where they are a pathetic parody of themselves. What could possibly be the key motivation for this?

Of course I respect the right of the individual to conduct his last years, or his mature years, in any fashion he desires. But the motivation escapes me here. It would be like someone wanting to live in quasi-poverty among the uneducated (or under-educated) and the intellectually incurious....where a "big event" is going to "the city" to shop at Tesco? I mean that's just sad.

And by the way, how many Western women come to Thailand to retire in a backwoods village? What does this tell you about the situation?

[puchooay]

I haven't read all 22 pages of this thread, but one thing keeps occuring to me: Why would anyone want to live like a Thai peasant?

Don't get me wrong, heyseeds can be nice people, but living without meaningful culture -- no access to the arts, concerts, performances, exhibitions, theater, cinema, bookstores, fine dining, clubs of like-minded people, et al -- seems to be a dire regression in the quality of life.

I am not sure how many people in the West would say, "Yes, when I retire I want to live in basic conditions with no intellectual stimulation and feed pigs/watch rice grow/house countless relatives on my nickel, and so on. Oh, and since I can't really speak Thai, I have no idea what anyone is talking about unless my wife chooses to tell me, but even that's iffy since her English language skills are at about the level of a three-year-old English speaker."

Almost everywhere I look, I find educated gentlemen from the West dumbing themselves down to the point where they are a pathetic parody of themselves. What could possibly be the key motivation for this?

Of course I respect the right of the individual to conduct his last years, or his mature years, in any fashion he desires. But the motivation escapes me here. It would be like someone wanting to live in quasi-poverty among the uneducated (or under-educated) and the intellectually incurious....where a "big event" is going to "the city" to shop at Tesco? I mean that's just sad.

And by the way, how many Western women come to Thailand to retire in a backwoods village? What does this tell you about the situation?

It must have taken you ages to find this post and only to make derogatory comments.

So people in the Thai villages are peasants, are they? This in turn makes them undesireable to live with, does it?

I assume the bit about living without culture was a slip of the keyboard. Most of the Thai villagers have culture older than you could imagine.

Living in a Thai village enables one to learn new things everyday. How to understand how nature works, how the family unit really should be. How not to look down on people just because of what they do. To get by day by day with no worries. It also enables you to watch kids respecting eachother and their elders.

Many people, myself included, have the patience, respect for local people and the intelligence to learn to communicate in the local language. Maybe that is beyond you.

I could always ask my wife to explain. Her English is good but admittedly not perfect. Then again it is her 4th language.

Two things someone like you should learn:

1) If there were no such people as the Thai villagers then this country would have nothing. These "peasants" feed the nation. Without them Thailand would have next to no economy and a huge trade deficit.

2) A happy life is not about having everything. It is about making the most of what you have.

Perhaps you should try village life sometime.

Just don't choose my village thank you. I wouldn't want my "peasant" friends to have to stoop so low as to talk to you.

Edited February 2, 2011 by puchooay

[barrybankruad]

I haven't read all 22 pages of this thread, but one thing keeps occuring to me: Why would anyone want to live like a Thai peasant?

Don't get me wrong, heyseeds can be nice people, but living without meaningful culture -- no access to the arts, concerts, performances, exhibitions, theater, cinema, bookstores, fine dining, clubs of like-minded people, et al -- seems to be a dire regression in the quality of life.

I am not sure how many people in the West would say, "Yes, when I retire I want to live in basic conditions with no intellectual stimulation and feed pigs/watch rice grow/house countless relatives on my nickel, and so on. Oh, and since I can't really speak Thai, I have no idea what anyone is talking about unless my wife chooses to tell me, but even that's iffy since her English language skills are at about the level of a three-year-old English speaker."

Almost everywhere I look, I find educated gentlemen from the West dumbing themselves down to the point where they are a pathetic parody of themselves. What could possibly be the key motivation for this?

Of course I respect the right of the individual to conduct his last years, or his mature years, in any fashion he desires. But the motivation escapes me here. It would be like someone wanting to live in quasi-poverty among the uneducated (or under-educated) and the intellectually incurious....where a "big event" is going to "the city" to shop at Tesco? I mean that's just sad.

And by the way, how many Western women come to Thailand to retire in a backwoods village? What does this tell you about the situation?

It must have taken you ages to find this post and only to make derogatory comments.

So people in the Thai villages are peasants, are they? This in turn makes them undesireable to live with, does it?

I assume the bit about living without culture was a slip of the keyboard. Most of the Thai villagers have culture older than you could imagine.

Living in a Thai village enables one to learn new things everyday. How to understand how nature works, how the family unit really should be. How not to look down on people just because of what they do. To get by day by day with no worries. It also enables you to watch kids respecting eachother and their elders.

Many people, myself included, have the patience, respect for local people and the intelligence to learn to communicate in the local language. Maybe that is beyond you.

I could always ask my wife to explain. Her English is good but admittedly not perfect. Then again it is her 4th language.

Two things someone like you should learn:

1) If there were no such people as the Thai villagers then this country would have nothing. These "peasants" feed the nation. Without them Thailand would have next to no economy and a huge trade deficit.

2) A happy life is not about having everything. It is about making the most of what you have.

Perhaps you should try village life sometime.

Just don't choose my village thank you. I wouldn't want my "peasant" friends to have to stoop so low as to talk to you.

Boy Oh Boy how right you are. It is our choice to live here amongst people who are generally caring' friendly, considerate all the good things in people that seem to be lacking in more urbanised environments. Any time I want to I can go to the city, indulge myself in the so called Arts, engage with my so called 'equals' etc. Every minute I live here I learn something new from these 'peasants' as you call them. Believe you me these people could teach you a thing or two. They may not be materialist wealthy, and may not have a great education but give me them any day to the so called hi-so's you probably mix with.

[Thaddeus]

Don't get me wrong, heyseeds can be nice people, but living without meaningful culture -- no access to the arts, concerts, performances, exhibitions, theater, cinema, bookstores, fine dining, clubs of like-minded people, et al -- seems to be a dire regression in the quality of life.

<deleted> me, it's Brian Sewell.

[billd766]

I haven't read all 22 pages of this thread, but one thing keeps occuring to me: Why would anyone want to live like a Thai peasant?

Don't get me wrong, heyseeds can be nice people, but living without meaningful culture -- no access to the arts, concerts, performances, exhibitions, theater, cinema, bookstores, fine dining, clubs of like-minded people, et al -- seems to be a dire regression in the quality of life.

I am not sure how many people in the West would say, "Yes, when I retire I want to live in basic conditions with no intellectual stimulation and feed pigs/watch rice grow/house countless relatives on my nickel, and so on. Oh, and since I can't really speak Thai, I have no idea what anyone is talking about unless my wife chooses to tell me, but even that's iffy since her English language skills are at about the level of a three-year-old English speaker."

Almost everywhere I look, I find educated gentlemen from the West dumbing themselves down to the point where they are a pathetic parody of themselves. What could possibly be the key motivation for this?

Of course I respect the right of the individual to conduct his last years, or his mature years, in any fashion he desires. But the motivation escapes me here. It would be like someone wanting to live in quasi-poverty among the uneducated (or under-educated) and the intellectually incurious....where a "big event" is going to "the city" to shop at Tesco? I mean that's just sad.

And by the way, how many Western women come to Thailand to retire in a backwoods village? What does this tell you about the situation?

Let me see, when was the last time I went to the arts, never I guess, I went to a Cliff Richard concert back in 1996, performances, exhibitions, theatre all a long time ago or never and guess what, I never missed them before and I don't now.

Bookstores and libraries definitely but whenever I go to the "big city" I usually stock up on books.

Fine dining is OK but I can get that when I up in the big city again.

Clubs of like minded people. When I was working in Thailand from 1994 to 1997 my managers were members of the British club, the Rugby club and the FCCT. All clubs usually used by foreigners in a foreign country where they all sit around and talk about how much superior they and their country are compared to the one they are in now.

Strangely enough the quality of life you have is the one you are comfortable in which in your case seems to be lacking a lot of the "finer" elements normally found in the west.

In my 66 years on this earth I have lived and worked in 38 countries ranging from inside the Arctic circle in Norway (try whale meat and blubber for fine dining) to the bottom of the North Island of New Zealand. A lot of Europe, USA, South America, the Arab Gulf countries, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and a few more. All of them different and unique in their own ways and probably OK to live in but not for me.

After 25 years in the military and 22 years of building mobile phone networks across the world I find most cities to dirty, overcrowded, polluted and too much traffic for me as where I live I am nearly 100 metres from my neighbour, live on 2 1/2 acres of land, get all the fresh unpolluted air that I need, there is not much traffic.

The children wave and smile and over 90% of the people up here whilst not educated to degree level are reasonably happy, don't require a lot and some can even speak English.

My wife for one, half a dozen of her friends can too and I try to improve my miserable Thai skills as well.

Also out in the country Thai people care for their families more than city folks and as for getting old in the west and living with your children and their family, forget, it's off to the rest home for you.

If you think that going to shop at Tesco's is sad then I truly feel sorry for you.

I do most of my shopping and the 2 weekly markets and virtually all of our food is fresh and freshly cooked too as my wife is a good cook and has worked in and also owned a restaurant.

I have no idea how many western women have married Thais and live out in the country as I do but you could always pose the question on the ladies forum should you wish.

Where do you get the idea that people like me and many others, married to Thais live in quasi poverty among the uneducated and intellectually incurious? There are quite a few Thais in the village far richer than I am and probably richer that you too.

Since the advent of the internet if I have a need to know something I can go online and search for it.

I feel my quality of life went up when I came to live in Thailand and up once again when we quit living in Bangkok and moved out into the country.

Imagine having to try to keep up with the Jones's for all of your life.

Not for me I am afraid.

I like living the good life too much.

[Naam]

Almost everywhere I look, I find educated gentlemen from the West dumbing themselves down to the point where they are a pathetic parody of themselves.

try to avoid mirrors! i always thought i belong to the league "most arrogant àssholes" but you beat anyone of our club by many lengths.

[chuckd]

Don't get me wrong, heyseeds can be nice people, but living without meaningful culture -- no access to the arts, concerts, performances, exhibitions, theater, cinema, bookstores, fine dining, clubs of like-minded people, et al -- seems to be a dire regression in the quality of life.

Perhaps I am a heyseed (sic) myself, but I found my quality of life improved after I stopped attending Embassy functions, parties with "like minded" people and elitists such as yourself.

I am fat, dumb and happy right where I am. Probably because you aren't around to spoil my days with meaningless drivel.

PS: Naam, I am getting worried. This is twice today I find myself in agreement with you.

[villagefarang]

Come on guys, I got a chuckle out of what TR had to say. You have got to admit there is more than a grain of truth in it, even if a bit harsh.

After more than 30 years in the heart of Bangkok, I move to a small village more than 50k from Chiang Rai but I have often wondered about those who choose to emulate those on the lowest rung of the social ladder, in a highly class structured society. Needless to say, we do not live like peasants.

If that is the only lifestyle your budget can accommodate, fine, but that hardly justifies statements about village people being somehow better, more cultured people.

For TR’s enlightenment, many of us live here because we prefer an active lifestyle and like outdoor activities that are more accessible upcountry. After living in the city for so many years, I longed for pets, hiking, mountain biking, motorbike riding, nature photography and unimpeded views. Many of my friends enjoy golf, fishing, kayaking and various other hobbies right on their doorstep.

We enjoy getting together for coffee or entertaining at each other’s homes. Some enjoy the Hash, book club, expat club and there is always some festival going on. I happen to enjoy writing my blog.

Stereotypes, though sometimes helpful, are often quite limiting and inhibit ones ability to go deeper or see various sides of an issue. All of you make valid points but none of you hold the exclusive rights to being ‘correct’.

Edited February 2, 2011 by villagefarang

[bobbysan124]

Enjoyable read. Appreciate all the stories. I plan to live in the Nakhon Phanom area and was a little apprehensive about whether or not 55 - 60K a month would provide a nice lifestyle for me, wife and daughter. Want a nice blend of Thai/Western living. Sounds like it would be sufficient.

[mxyzptlk]

I like living in a village because I don't feel the need to mix with pompous "superior" class orientated farang <deleted>.....having said that, I know a lot of farangs in the area who are just like me....life in the slow lane....you can't beat it...

Edited February 3, 2011 by mxyzptlk

[mxyzptlk]

<br />Enjoyable read.  Appreciate all the stories.  I plan to live in the Nakhon Phanom area and was a little apprehensive about whether or not 55 - 60K a month would provide a nice lifestyle for me, wife and daughter.  Want a nice blend of Thai/Western living.  Sounds like it would be sufficient.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

You won't be sorry.....just do it....

[mxyzptlk]

Boy Oh Boy how right you are. It is our choice to live here amongst people who are generally caring' friendly, considerate all the good things in people that seem to be lacking in more urbanised environments. Any time I want to I can go to the city, indulge myself in the so called Arts, engage with my so called 'equals' etc. Every minute I live here I learn something new from these 'peasants' as you call them. Believe you me these people could teach you a thing or two. They may not be materialist wealthy, and may not have a great education but give me them any day to the so called hi-so's you probably mix with.<

Well said....

Edited February 3, 2011 by bina
removed all but the final quote in the nest....