Living In Thailand Blog
Thursday 15th March 2012
Making a fake crocodile polo shirt or a designer French handbag is one thing, but making fake high technology products, such as the latest iPhone, is another thing entirely.
Pattaya Cops Catch Fake iPhone Sellers - Value 1.6 MIL THB
It's absolutely wrong in every respect but I am quite impressed that people have the skills to do it, and that they can do it well enough to fool savvy Western tourists.
My wife knows someone who bought a fake Blackberry (for about 20% the cost of a genuine one) and it works perfectly. She said that these fakes come from China, where the technology skills exist to make hi-tech fakes.
As a tourist in Thailand, you need to be careful when buying things. Most of the bespoke tailoring from Indian tailors is awful and there are fake goods everywhere.
If you want the genuine article always buy from a reputable retailer, such as Central department store. Some people might be quite happy with the savings they can make from buying fake goods, knowing the goods are fake, but be careful.
You won't have any problems if you are staying in Thailand, but if you return to the West you may encounter problems with customs and immigration after your plane lands.
I heard something in Bangkok last week about taxi fares going up and now it has been confirmed.
Bus and taxi fares set to rise
This is only fair (no pun intended). The taxi drivers we used in Bangkok last week were all really nice people. They knew where they were going, they were polite, helpful and friendly.
They work long shifts and driving a taxi in Bangkok can't be the most relaxing job in the world. It costs about Bt600 to hire the taxi for a shift. They need to pay for fuel and I believe they have to clean the car before returning it.
The metered fares are so low that I was almost embarrassed last week. At the end of his shift the driver might have made a profit of Bt400.
This increase is a good thing.
I've run into some criticism previously for making comments about avoiding farangs in Thailand. I have nothing against my own kind, whatsoever, and actually I really enjoy a good conversation or good e-mail correspondence with intelligent, respectable Westerners.
I've got in touch with many good people through this site and I've met a few personally - farang, Malaysian, Singaporean, Chinese, Korean, and others. There are a few who I can actually refer to as friends now. The latest person to get in touch is an American author who has been living in Thailand for a long time. She lives quite close to me. I actually read, and enjoyed, one of her books several years ago.
The book was very well researched and it has become clear in our correspondence that she has a very enquiring mind and researches everything meticulously.
She helps Thai university students with their English and she does a lot of work assisting the local expat community. She has a deep understanding of everything Thai, including the language, and is a real asset to the country.
The problem with Thailand is that there is a lot of bad stuff going on, a lot of prostitution, and a weak rule of law. The country therefore attracts many bad farangs, as well as good ones.
Suspected drug dealer, British national, arrested in Pattaya
It's not always clear why someone has chosen to live in Thailand, or what they do. The last thing I want is to get involved with criminal foreigners or tattooed thugs.
I deliberately chose a location in Thailand where there aren't too many Westerners. Most problems occur where there are high densities of farangs and certain locations have a worse reputation than others.
There is a smallish expat community here and although I am quite happy to meet good expats I avoid the expat bar area because these places tend to attract the bad people.
In other countries I don't have a problem getting to know people, but in Thailand I am always very wary of Westerners until I know I can trust them. It's not an ideal way to live but in Thailand, unfortunately, it is necessary.
My wife wasn't very happy regarding the piece I wrote about farang buskers. She felt sorry for the guy in the photo and thought it was mean. My views are different. It was written tongue-in-cheek but I had a valid point to make.
If farangs don't have any money, on one forces them to go to Thailand. There is no reason why anyone should feel sympathetic towards them because it was their decision.
We know that the lifestyle in Thailand suits a lot of foreigners, especially men, but it doesn't come free. If you decide to live in Thailand you need to make sure you can support yourself either by working or from an income abroad.
I used to know a guy who was living in Thailand, but he had no money. Previously he had earnt good money but every dollar he earned he pissed up the wall. He had a serious drink problem and whenever he was paid he spent most of his salary in the bar.
His view was that you never know what is going to happen tomorrow, and therefore there is no point saving anything. He didn't save a penny. His outlet in life was through alcohol and that's where all his money went.
I agree to some extent with his philosophy, but there is a balance. Buddhism teaches impermanence and there is no point living life as if it will never end. It will eventually. At the same time, it is irresponsible to behave as if tomorrow will be your last day on earth. It could be, but it probably won't. You need to be responsible and put some money aside.
Whenever something came up that needed money, his solution was simply to ask for loans from other farangs. He loaned money from lots of people regularly and they got fed up with it.
He overstayed for over two years and somehow managed to pay the fine (with borrowed money) without being blacklisted from entering Thailand again. I don't know what his situation is now.
I've seen lots of farangs in Thailand whose appearance suggests they are broke and unemployed. I assume they are in the country illegally. They aren't tourists, they aren't married, they obviously don't have the funds for a retirement visa, and they aren't working.
They don't benefit Thailand, and they are an embarrassment for expat residents. I know this all sounds harsh but as I said above, it's irresponsible and no one forces them.
None of us want to work and we all want the good life in Thailand. But this isn't realistic, is it?
I worked hard before I came to Thailand and built up assets over many years. I paid out of my own pocket to get a TEFL qualification and I continued working in Thailand after I arrived.
Nothing in my life has been given to me; it has all been worked for. In conversations with the guy I mentioned above, he seemed to believe that he was owed an easy life in Thailand. I'm not sure why he thought this way, but I have never made that assumption.
When I think back to all I've been through that eventually led me to be able to live in Thailand and then I meet a farang bum begging from other farangs on the street, I have no sympathy at all.
Sorry.
Wednesday 14th March 2012
If you want to stay in a London hotel this summer, expect to pay on average £213 per night.
London 2012 Olympics doubles price of hotel rooms
By comparison, the hotel I stayed at in Bangkok recently was about £25 per night. It was tastefully furnished, modern, very clean, very comfortable, well equipped, very conveniently located, and the service was excellent. I was most impressed and have already arranged to stay there again later this month.
In the provinces you can get a very swish hotel for about £20 and you can find perfectly good hotel rooms for half that price. Below that price the rooms start to get grotty but there is plenty of cheap backpacker accommodation available.
If you're staying in tourist resorts, especially during high season, expect to pay quite a lot more. If money is no object and you want the best possible, there are world class hotels in Thailand, such as the Oriental in Bangkok.
The Oriental really is one of the best hotels in the world and you get a lot for your money.
Thailand offers lots of value and there is also a great deal of choice. Whatever your preferences or budget, there will be something available. The same applies to food. You have the choice to live as cheaply or extravagantly as you wish.
I have no desire to go back to the UK, and one reason is that everything is so expensive. Not only that, but there is little choice. What chance would I have of finding a very comfortable hotel room in London for £25?
The property market in Thailand is exactly the same. I don't know why, but I was looking at some Phuket properties for sale on-line yesterday. Phuket is the most expensive place in Thailand and there were some fabulous homes with sea views for well over Bt200 million.
Thailand is becoming increasingly popular with Russians these days and it seems that lots of Russians (and others) have money to buy expensive international property. There are also plenty of expensive properties available in Bangkok.
At the other end of the scale I have seen new homes being sold for Bt800,000 or less. You couldn't buy a dog kennel in London for that price. Cheap properties are normally terraced townhouses (and often in areas that flood) but they're normally a decent size and you get a fair amount of space for your money, even if there is no external land.
In between the two extremes there are lots of real affordable bargains. You get a lot of house for your money.
Another advantage in Thailand is that once you own a property it costs you very little to run. There is no Council Tax, which can be a huge financial burden in the UK, and utility bills are low. If you live on a housing development, there may be a service charge for maintenance of the public areas.
I was also looking at properties for sale in very expensive parts of London recently, such as Pimlico, and for what you pay for a tiny one-bedroom leasehold flat you could have an enormous house with land in Thailand.
OK, that statement wasn't quite true. Foreigners can't own land in Thailand, and thus can't own property because property needs land to stand on. The rules for condos are a little different.
There are messy and risky ways to buy a property by setting up a company first, but be very careful and make sure you understand the risks and obligations of setting up a company. The easiest and most convenient way of buying property is to marry a Thai citizen and buy the property in your spouse's name. Again, this approach isn't entirely risk-free and Thai girls have a certain reputation, as we all know. Many farangs have had their fingers burnt and have lost everything. You need to be very careful.
After I first arrived in Thailand, an English expat living in Hua Hin wrote to me about what he had done. Before he bought a property with his Thai wife he transferred money regularly into her account.
As a result of doing this she became eligible for a mortgage and they then took out a mortgage in her name. She has to make the monthly repayments and she needs his money to do so. It isn't therefore in her interest to kick him out and have her penniless Thai boyfriend move in.
If you buy a house for cash, then she might be tempted to kick you out and have her Thai boyfriend move in. It's a risk. On the other hand, buying a house for cash saves a lot of money. I looked at some finance charts for purchasing a house and buying it in instalments over 30 years meant paying about Bt2 million more.
Another guy who wrote said he was going to get his future Thai wife to sign a pre-nuptial agreement. I have no experience in this area and don't know how effective this would be.
I was talking to a Scandinavian years ago about the same subject and he said you can get a Thai lawyer to draft a document saying you gave the girl a loan equivalent to the value of the house. If the relationship goes bad, she has to sell the house so that she can repay you. I'm not sure about this either, but I do know that houses can take a very long time to sell in Thailand.
If you buy a property in your spouse's name and have a solid relationship, no problem. If, on the other hand, the relationship fails than it can be a minefield and you stand to lose everything you paid.
It's never easy but there isn't a successful person anywhere that became successful without taking risks. You can live a solitary bachelor life in Thailand, living in a little apartment, never taking any risks, and never giving a Thai female a chance to get hold of your money, but I don't think it's going to be a very fulfilling or satisfying life. In life you have to take risks.
I have been spending too much time on-line recently and another thing I looked at was some Bangkok Post forum threads about foreigners not being able to own land. The posters weren't happy.
Unfortunately there's nothing you can do about the law. You can't own land in your own name and whichever way you choose to buy a place, it is risky.
It's not all bad.
If foreigners were allowed to own land in Thailand, huge tracts of Thailand would already be owned by rich Chinese, Russians, Europeans, Singaporeans, etc. The country wouldn't be the same place and the bargain hotels I mentioned above wouldn't exist.
The fact that foreigners can't own land does actually keep prices down.
Having just written this, I was interested to see a story in The Nation claiming that foreigners do in fact own lots of land in Thailand. Apparently, some Thais are getting worried about foreigners buying land through Thai spouses or nominees.
Foreigners own 100 million rai
What I found strange about this story is that there are laws to prohibit foreigners owning land, yet the claim is that foreigners own 100 million rai of land. How can that be?
The title deeds will show that the land belongs to Thais because foreigners can't own land in Thailand. Foreigners can pay for land, but it is owned by Thais so what's the problem? Thais shouldn't be worried. The only people who should be worried are those foreigners who have invested money in Thailand but have nothing in their name to show for it, and no recourse if anything goes wrong.
Thailand needs money from foreign investors (that was the reason for Yingluck's recent trip to Japan, and the reason why more flood defences are being built arojund industrial parks), but doesn't actually want foreigners to own anything. There are lots of strange contradictions in the Land of Smiles.
Bt100m for teachers to brush up English skills abroad
It was the Office of Basic Education Commission last year who wanted to hire foreign teachers and pay them Bt80,000 per month.
They are now giving Thai teachers Bt100,000 expenses to study English in foreign countries. The teachers will have to pay their own airfares and stay with host families. In addition, they're giving schools Bt10,000 a month to hire foreign teachers and making moves to ease regulations for teaching licences.
Briton and wife killed in Thailand
Briton and Thai wife murdered at beach resort
They were badly beaten and murdered by hotel staff for just Bt2,000, a mobile phone, and an ATM card. Life is cheap in Thailand.
And more shootings in the 'Wild East'.
Just like many other 'muppets', I am now far worse off financially than I was a few years ago because of greedy, morally bankrupt bankers. I have a lot of admiration for Greg Smith for his words and actions.
Goldman Sachs director in London quits 'toxic' bank
This article quotes from Matt Taibbi's excellent piece about Goldman Sachs in Rolling Stone. I haven't been able to access the Rolling Stone website in Thailand for ages.
The domain has either been blocked by the Thai authorities, or Rolling Stone has blocked access to Thai IP addresses. I'm not sure which, and I'm not sure why. I used to enjoy both the music and political articles on Rolling Stone.
Tuesday 13th March 2012
Job opportunities for foreigners are limited in Thailand. Foreigners are prohibited from working in certain professions by law, and even if foreigners could do certain jobs they wouldn't be prepared to work for the kind of salaries that Thais do. How many of us would do a mundane, full-time job for Bt10,000 a month or less?
When I see farangs in Thailand I get a pretty good idea whether they are tourists, working in Thailand, retired in Thailand, or (the easiest of all) teaching English in Thailand.
I saw some foreigners in Bangkok last week who were obviously working, and who obviously weren't English teachers. If you have the right skills and can get good employment with an international salary you are lucky.
Most farangs who work in Thailand teach English. I did. There's a lot of demand, a huge shortage of Thai teachers with decent English skills, and Thais want to be taught by farangs - preferably young, good-looking ones.
It's a job that starts off OK but after a few years starts to drive you crazy. The pay is normally enough to fund a basic existence with a few luxuries.
The recreational scuba diving industry also employs quite a few foreigners. The best dive companies send their dive staff off on liveaboard dive trips to the Similans all the time. The worst jobs involve cleaning equipment and doing endless Open Water courses.
Teaching in Thailand or working in the scuba diving industry is a lifestyle choice. Whatever your reasons for doing these these jobs, it isn't money.
I still keep in touch with a lad who had one of those great scuba diving jobs in Thailand. I met him on a liveaboard trip to the Similans. He met a Thai girl, got married, they had a baby, and he had to go back to the UK to get a proper job.
Thailand is getting more expensive all the time and it seems that the only thing that doesn't go up is job salaries. Even if you want to work, you may not be able to. Thais have very strange ideas about qualifications, age, and appearance.
I've met farangs begging on the streets in Bangkok and I've come across farang buskers.
The authorities don't appear to be bothered about busking so presumably a work permit isn't required.
Neither do you need to be able to sing or play the guitar. The idea is to elicit sympathy from passing Thais so being bad is actually an advantage.
Keep your ears open and the more times you hear, "naa song sarn," the better. Once Thais start feeling sorry for you the 25 satang coins should start to come flooding in.
Your daily take isn't going to be huge but on a good day it's possible to earn as much as Bt63.75, and it's tax free. Used guitars can be found easily in Thailand and they aren't expensive. In these tough times it's a profession worth looking into.
At least busking doesn't harm anyone. Other farangs will stop at nothing in their efforts to make money in Thailand, and their methods do harm people. Strangely enough, they always seem to choose the same location in Thailand.
Chonburi Cops Arrests German-Thai Child Sex Trafficking Duo
American Pattaya Newspaper Owner Nabbed Charged of Extortion
UK man arrested for selling drugs
I recently mentioned the naive optimism about ASEAN that exists in Thailand. In reality, what it will mean is Thailand having to compete on a level playing field with other ASEAN countries. The playing field is anything but level in Thailand where there are laws, pricing policies, and an emphasis on the Thai language to ensure that Thais always have an advantage over foreigners.
English will be the common language of ASEAN and poor English language skills in Thailand compared to Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines is one obvious example. And not just those countries. I taught a class of qualified dentists a few years ago and one came from Burma. His English was far better than that of the Thai students.
This is from The Nation:
"Patcharawalai also said Thai professionals had more weak points than strong ones. Most workers in Thailand were low-skilled, although Thais were easy to train and could learn their jobs quickly. They were polite and not aggressive. However, Thailand had fewer individuals at medium and high skilled and professional levels. Many workers lacked training, preparation, ethics, discipline and punctuality."
Here's a link to the full article:
Thais face challenges getting Asean jobs
At the very top of Yingluck's agenda is trying to get her brother back into the country. This won't be easy, not least because of the animosity shown towards him in the south.
First she needs to get people on her side, and she appears to be making an attempt to do this by granting approval to various projects.
There will be a ministerial meeting in Phuket on 19/20 March and it seems that everyone is submitting projects to see if they can get cabinet approval.
Transport Minister gives Bt180mn Phuket mangrove flyover green light
Krabi Mayor pushes for international school
As her transport minister was quoted as saying:
"PM Yingluck plans to 'shower gifts' on the people of Phuket and the Andaman region by approving many important projects."
Thais are always bleating about how poor Thailand is and they try to justify dual pricing on the basis that 'All Thais are poor and all foreigners are rich'.
Thailand isn't a poor country at all, but I'm still not sure where the money for all these projects and government election pledges is coming from.
Monday 12th March 2012
I paid for my wife's driving lessons today: Bt6,800 for 20 hours. She will have 10 two-hour lessons. I spoke with the instructor this afternoon. Most of the lessons will take place in quiet areas where there is no, or little, traffic.
The test will actually take place after about 12 hours of tuition, before the lessons have ended. Thai driving tests are like school exams in Thailand where everyone gets a nice certificate and nobody fails. I took lessons for about six months before passing my UK test. The UK driving test is rigorous and passing isn't guaranteed.
My wife says that no one will have more than 20 hours of lessons in Thailand before getting a licence. Amazing Thailand.
These lessons are a waste of money as far as teaching her to drive properly in real traffic conditions. The only reason I'm paying for them is so that she gets some experience behind the wheel, and also her driving licence. Once she gets her licence I will then attempt to teach her to drive.
You hear stories in the West of people having lessons for years and taking (and failing) lots of tests. This is because a driving test in the West actually tests a person's ability to drive, and only when a person is ready to drive on the road will they pass.
What can you do? If Thailand was to introduce a UK style test with UK style examiners, no one would pass. New drivers wouldn't be happy about not being able to get a licence with the same amount of effort it takes to find a 7-Eleven in Thailand, and what about the millions of drivers out there already who got their licences free with a packet of Cornflakes?
There are millions of drivers out there who don't have a clue and trying to change anything now would be nigh impossible.
Almost 30 years of education down the pan and another five young lives lost. The people in this crash survived; many don't.
Students holidaying in Phuket survive Phang Nga crash
Friday 9th March 2012
An accident or a failed Pattaya Death Leap?
Unidentified Pattaya Foreigner Jumps Off Railway Bridge
Friday 9th March 2012
I try to make regular updates here but there are times when I simply don't have the time. Parenthood changes everything. and everything in life has to be re-prioritised. My daughter is the reason I've not been able to write anything here lately.
When she was born her feet weren't in the right position. It's actually quite a common birth defect and we've met lots of kids with the same problem since she was born. The condition is quite treatable but the doctor needs to know what he/she is doing. Unfortunately, many don't.
The problem used to be treated surgically but surgery causes problems later in life. A doctor in the States called Ponseti devised a non-surgical method of treatment and it is very effective.
The child's feet are manipulated gently and held in position with plaster casts. This procedure may need to be repeated several times. Once the feet are in the correct position, the child wears specially designed shoes to prevent a relapse. By the time the child is about three, the feet should be perfectly normal.
The local hospital started treatment when she was three days old and for a while everything seemed fine. We were quite satisfied for several months. However, the hospital then seemed to give up before her feet had been fully corrected and I didn't know why.
Every time we went they would make us wait hours to see the doctor. When we saw her she would say that everything is fine and just to keep manipulating our daughter's feet. It was obvious to us that everything wasn't fine and that massaging her feet wasn't having any effect. Another problem was that they couldn't get hold of the special shoes that we were told are essential.
I started to get frustrated with the inaction of the doctor here and consulted a doctor in Singapore, sending him e-mails and digital photos. He confirmed that more treatment was necessary and that the course of action being taken by the hospital in Thailand wasn't sufficient.
I was planning a trip down to Singapore to see him but knew it would be inconvenient. I then searched for more doctors in Thailand and found the top doctor in Thailand for treating this condition. He actually studied under Dr Ponseti in the States.
We have just returned from Bangkok and will need to make about three more trips in the coming months. The doctor was really excellent and we have complete confidence in him. Frequent trips to Bangkok aren't ideal but we have no other option, and anyway money is immaterial when it comes to my daughter's health.
A couple of weeks ago I spoke to another Englishman in Chiang Mai whose son was born with exactly the same problem. Treatment was started at a private hospital in Chiang Mai but it was obvious the condition wasn't getting better. In fact, it was getting worse and the doctors there were causing more problems than they were fixing.
He was really angry, even to the point of suggesting the doctors should be struck off. He took his son to the same doctor we have just seen and was very pleased with the results.
I still maintain that the vast majority of Thai doctors and dentists are very good. I think the type of problem I have described is cultural and unique to Thailand. For a doctor to admit he doesn't have the skills - even if the skills are highly specialised and it is no shame not to have them - constitutes a loss of face.
My GP in the UK never had a problem referring patients to a specialist doctor when the need arose, and the Englishman in Chiang Mai believed that Thai doctors should do the same because the patients' interests always come first. I agree, but this is Thailand and the culture is extremely powerful.
Still on the subject of Thai cultural behaviour ...
Our daughter has just had her first birthday. She was born with the problem I described above and it was handled really badly by the hospital. Again, I believe this was due to Thai cultural traits.
The obstetrician who had been caring for my wife and who delivered the baby came up to me after the birth and said the baby's legs aren't straight. He then walked off. Fantastic, now what do I do? My wife told me that after the birth no one wanted to tell her about the problem.
Thais don't like to give you bad news or say anything that will make you feel bad. They think they are doing you a favour by not doing so, but there are times when it is essential to know about bad news so that you know what to do.
All we needed to know about our daughter's problem was how serious it was and what treatment was necessary. Had someone told us, we would have felt a lot better. With no one telling us anything it just made things worse.
When my job at the university was coming to an end some years ago I believe that everyone knew my contract wouldn't be renewed. Whenever I asked anyone they said they didn't know. They did, but they didn't want to tell me. If someone had just told me I could have started looking for work elsewhere. Not telling me was far worse.
No matter who you deal with in Thailand, regardless of the severity of the situation, you can't escape the culture.
We also can't tell the local hospital the truth about why we are now taking our daughter to be treated in Bangkok. My wife has made up some petty excuse to save face.
If you work in Thailand and there is some kind of problem they will make up a pleasant excuse as to why you won't have a job for much longer. You won't be told the truth and you won't have a chance to correct the problem. It's the Thai way.
It's all about being non-confrontational, protecting feelings, and saving face.
The trip to Bangkok was quite enjoyable and I was actually a little sad to leave. My last few trips to the capital have been miserable and I vowed never to go again unless absolutely necessary. I've changed my tune again.
Bangkok is one of the world's great cities. It's exceptionally busy and depending how I feel it can be exciting or it can just be a headache. I don't like areas of Thailand where there are lots of Westerners, and there lots in Bangkok.
We stayed around the Victory Monument area and there weren't that many foreigners. I think the reason I enjoyed this trip was because of my attitude. I had no expectations and no plans to do anything apart from getting our daughter to the hospital and back.
If you set high expectations, you can only be disappointed. Not having any expectations was a good thing. Not having any plans was also a good thing. Let me make a scuba diving analogy.
When I used to dive it was normal to be in a small group with a dive leader. Some people aimed to cover as much distance as possible on a tank of air.
On dives like this I spent all my energy trying to keep up with the group and didn't really see anything. At the end of the dive I felt exhausted and disappointed. The best dives were the really slow ones where you exerted no energy and just used your time to explore the underwater world.
On previous trips to Bangkok I have looked at places on my map and then tried to see as many places as possible. Big cities are tiring anyway, but the heat and humidity of Bangkok make things even worse. Just walking up the steps to some of the BTS stations can feel exhausting if you've already done a lot of walking.
On this trip we didn't go anywhere. We just took our time exploring the area around the hotel and it was great.
I can certainly see the attraction of Bangkok, especially for the single man. It's not for me now with a young family but whereas before I didn't have any interest in even visiting, I am now looking forward to our next visit.
Something else that made it enjoyable was not having to drive anywhere. A farang friend here told me that he gets angry every time he goes out in his car and I feel the same way.
Unless you really need to, I would strongly suggest not driving or teaching English in Thailand. Doing either or both of these things spoils the experience of living in Thailand. Unfortunately, I need a car because of the baby.
I have to admit that it's convenient at times, regardless of the baby, but Thai drivers and their utterly obnoxious driving habits don't make driving any fun at all.
Is Bangkok cheap or expensive?
It's actually both, but there is a dual economy. It's not an official dual economy but knowledge of the Thai language is the key to cheap prices in Bangkok.
Due to the enormous number of farangs in Bangkok there are lots of places that target foreigners. Foreign tourist menus are written in English, of course, and I couldn't believe some of the prices. Some standard Thai dishes were about four times the standard price. Western food is also quite expensive. Whenever you see a menu written in English in Thailand, expect the prices to be inflated.
On the other hand, I wandered into a small Thai restaurant selling duck on rice where everything is written in Thai and it was really cheap. My duck on rice was Bt35 and a glass of roselle juice only Bt10. There were no foreigners there and they didn't expect foreigners to be able to read the menu and order in Thai.
In fact, that level of reading (menus and signs) is very easy. The latest tutorial I added was about reading menus and if you can follow the tutorial you can do the same thing very easily and save yourself a lot of money.
Learn to read Thai - Tutorial 28
The metered taxis in Bangkok were a real bargain. Unmetered taxis in Hat Yai are a rip off by comparison. The only problem was trying to get a taxi back to the hotel from the hospital. Several drivers said they didn't know where the hotel was and drove off.
It might have been because the distance wasn't very far and they didn't think it was worth their while. The drivers we used were very helpful and courteous (even if none of them bore any resemblance at all to the photograph in the front of the cab).
By keeping away from the tourist areas of Sukhumwit, etc, I wasn't hassled once or approached by scam artists telling me a bunch of lies. The worst thing that happened was when a minivan driver asked if I was going to Pattaya. Pattaya? I was horrified that someone thought I was the type of farang that goes to Pattaya and felt quite insulted.
UK Man Caught Having Oral Sex with Boy in a Pattaya Mall Toilet
We shall be back in Bangkok later this month and for once I'm looking forward to it.
Nok Air was superb once again. The flights departed exactly on time and they were very helpful with the baby buggy. I've already booked my flights on Nok Air for the next trip and also signed up for their frequent flyer programme.
You might be able to get cheaper tickets with another carrier but after my seven hour delay with Air Asia a few years ago I don't want to take the risk.
We flew into Suwanabhumi (crazy transliteration), which was like attending a farang freak show with all the weirdos on their way to full-moon parties, but flew back from Don Meuang. Don Meuang was great and even though it had only been open two days there were no problems.
In addition to being quieter with a lot less people, Don Meuang also holds special memories for me. Despite Suwanabhumi being newer and cleaner, I will always associate it with corruption and bad government.
The doctor we saw works at a couple of private hospitals in Bangkok as well as a public one. We saw him at the public one, Ramatibodi.
Ramatibodi is a university hospital within Mahidol University, the top medical university in Thailand. It reminds me a little of some London hospitals. There are old parts to the hospital, as well as new buildings that look just like private hospitals.
The facilities in Thailand's public hospitals are often better than those at the private hospitals. Many doctors have full-time jobs at a public hospital and work part-time at private hospitals. Some may also have their own private clinics in the evening and at weekends. The doctors at public and private hospitals are therefore the same.
What's the difference?
Medical tourism is a growing sector in Thailand and private hospitals want foreign patients. Foreign patients are welcomed with open arms and the only requirement is a credit card.
A foreigner walking into a private hospital will be welcomed warmly and everything will be taken care of by the hospital. The bill, although cheap by Western standards, will be expensive for Thailand.
The public hospitals are there primarily for Thais. Foreigners aren't barred but there won't be anyone to hold your hand. You will need to register first, by yourself, and if you can't read or speak Thai it won't be a very easy or straightforward process.
The treatment at public hospitals will be the same and it will be a lot cheaper. The hospital may not look as fancy, the nurses not as pretty, and there may not be as many private rooms. At university hospitals you may find that the doctor treating you will have medical students in attendance. This won't happen at a private hospital.
The other big difference is the waiting time. At private hospitals the waiting time to see a doctor is normally quite short. At public hospitals it can be several hours.
If money is no object, I would suggest a private hospital. If money is a concern, the public hospitals are fine. However, you will need to be able to speak and read a little Thai, or you will need a Thai person to help you.
There was a big fire in Bangkok last week and now there has been a fire at a Bangkok hotel, killing a foreigner.
Blaze at Thailand hotel leaves one dead
One dead as guests flee Bangkok hotel blaze
Hotel fire may have been caused by short circuit: police
The hotel we stayed at last week was fantastic but I had quite a fright on the first night. We needed hot water for the baby's milk and as I plugged in the water heater there was a huge flash and bang. The circuit breaker tripped, we lost all our electricity, and the room went dark.
The hotel electrician fixed the problem very quickly and gave us a replacement water heater, which was the cause of the problem. There was no damage done, but the incident really shook me up.
Finn tourist killed in crash on Phuket's Big Buddha Hill
Some of the bad stuff that goes on in Thailand is almost beyond belief:
Exotic wildlife found in Thailand
Thursday 8th March 2012
Many farang tourists who have visited Thailand believe the female to male ratio is ridiculously high; some even think it is as high as 4:1. This is understandable if they only ever visit tourist resorts. I used to think the same thing. There are reasons why females are a lot more visible than males in these places.
The truth is that roughly the same number of boys and girls are born in Thailand. At birth there are actually slightly more males than females. I had seen this published as a statistic and when my wife was pregnant I asked a Thai obstetrician the question. He confirmed that numbers were the same.
The general life expectancy of men in Thailand is shorter than women, and Thai men are highly adept at killing themselves in road accidents. Over a period of time, therefore, the female population starts to outnumber the male one.
A lot more females than males?
There are more females in Thailand but the statistics are not as dramatic as some foreigners might think.
After trying to woo Japanese investors, Yingluck is now trying to woo female voters in Thailand. The Nation tells us that "... women outnumber men by 32 million to 31 million in the Kingdom."
Pheu Thai, Democrats take different paths in wooing women voters
The impression you have depends on where you spend your time in Thailand. Shop and market stall vendors tend to be female and most massage shops are staffed by female. In hospitals most of the nurses and many of the doctors are female.
I've never seen a policewoman in Thailand and the country has a huge military, mostly consisting of men. Universities have a lot of female students but the technical colleges have more boys. If you venture into one of the many dark, smoky snooker halls you will find lots of men.
Thai men are often hidden away from view but the women are always very visible, especially to tourists. Remember that nothing in Thailand is how it appears on the surface. The biggest mistake in Thailand is thinking that certain things you see are representative of reality. In most cases they're not.
Wednesday 7th March 2012
There has been a lot on the TV news about flood prevention measures that are currently being taken. Yingluck has been in Japan trying to reassure investors that the problem is being dealt with and that there are other reasons why Thailand should be Japan's main trading partner in the region.
PM sets out to boost confidence in flood measures
I don't know exactly what measures are being taken but the TV news shows that lots of large flood walls are being constructed to protect strategic areas. This is fine, but unless infrastructure is being built to contain and channel the water away to safe areas, flood walls will simply move the problem instead of fixing it.
Presumably, the areas being protected are Bangkok and the industrial parks in Ayuthaya. I'm still unaware of anything being done in the southern region.
Those Thais whose homes will now flood as a result of this work being done to save important places, such as industrial parks, have the same concerns.
Villagers want court to halt flood barriers
They have a very valid point. I wouldn't be very happy, either.
The report also contains an example of twisted Thai logic. One resident is quoted as saying the factories create jobs, which is a good thing, so building walls to protect them is a good thing. Given the choice of protecting my workplace or protecting my house from flooding, I think I would choose my house.
Sunday 4th March 2012
Another pickup truck. Another passenger van. Another four tourists dead. Another five injured.
Tourism is vitally important to Thailand's economy. If tourists keep being killed in road accidents due to the way that Thais drive and the way they have no regard for traffic laws, there will come a time when the situation will start to affect the tourist trade.
Most road 'accidents' in Thailand are not accidents. The causes are crass stupidity and contempt for traffic laws. The situation on Thailand's roads is almost anarchic.
Four dead, five injured as pickup truck slams into Phuket tourist van
Phuket seems to be the most dangerous place in Thailand for tourists.
Phuket woman dies in motorbike accident
Saturday 3rd March 2012
Swedish tourists are having a rough time in Phuket at the moment.
Swede falls victim to Russian snatch thieves in Phuket
Friday 2nd March 2012
I've only been taking an interest in Phuket since my brother bought a house there. The last time I enjoyed Phuket was in 1996. After that I never wanted to go back. The news articles in the Phuket Gazette remind me why.
Senators 'worried' about Phuket beating, cheating, intimidating tourists
Phuket driver plows into 7-Eleven store
In addition to all the road accidents and bad stuff that goes on in Phuket, it is also the most expensive destination in Thailand. If you've got enough money to isolate yourself in a luxury villa away from all the tourists and tacky resorts, it's still a very pleasant place. Other than that, I can't figure out why people bother going there. Patong, especially, is just ugly.
After Patong, there's only one uglier place in Thailand.
Pattaya "Ladyboy" Stabbed 3 Times in the Derrière By 2 Indian Tourists
Thursday 1st March 2012
While conducting research for his job, a reporter found a Japanese porno movie starring a Thai "actress" at Klong Thom market. Watching all those movies must take forever. You have to admire such dedication to his work. The unauthorised movie was made in Thailand.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Piya Utayo, Office of the National Police said, that the statistics show that very few x-rated movies have been produced in Thailand. But these films can ruin the image of Thailand and the police will coordinate with the ICT ministry to block websites and companies distributing x-rated movies produced in Thailand.
Absolutely. This kind of thing could destroy Thailand's wholesome image overnight. After all, no one would want Thailand to become a destination for sex tourists, sexpats and perverts, would they? I am pleased to see that actions are being taken to protect the integrity and reputation of the country.
Japanese X-Rated Movie With Thai "Actress" Use BKK Airport
Category: Thais living in cloud cuckoo land