MAD MAC

Ben here isn't lying. My own visa acquisition was laughably easy. But getting one for my daughter.............an absolute nightmare and each time we called the consulate we got a different answer from a different person. Total cluster fuck which we just finally got resolution on.

I am retiring from the military. My pension in baht at the current lousy exchange rate is worth about 97,500 baht a month. I am retiring to Mukdahan, pretty cheap up there. So I feel comfortable that I should be OK.

Alan You've got to admit Torrenova's post was funny. The barrage of imagery was killing me. But a bar owner is NOT a pimp. A pimp FORCES women to prostitute themselves and takes all of the profit from same. This is not the dynamic going on in a Pattaya bar.

So Jimmy Did you get robbed or shot or anything?

Surrounded by beautiful chicks, great beaches, all sorts of entertainment, and what does he want to do? Watch the world cup on TV! Man, I would love to be in Pattaya right now, but nooooo, you're there and watching football. You're killing me dude.

Dudes This is called fraud and is a criminal offense. Maybe you should just look to get and take what you earn and leave it at that.

Looks like a great place. Will have to check it out next year.

I lived in Somalia for a year and never got shot. Hmmm, I don't think it means Somalia is safe. Thailand isn't that bad. Think you just have to keep your wits about you like in the states.

30 million baht - that's 750,000 dollars. I could buy a VERY nice house in Boston, one of the more expensive areas in the US, for that kind of money. My in-laws house in Mukdahan cost us 400,000 baht and it's a nice place with two bedrooms and a big living room. OK, it's Pattaya, cost more, got it, but 30 MILLION BAHT?

I stayed in this place in K'ebri Dehar Ethiopia that makes Annajet look like a five star. If it is reasonably clean, I could stay there no problem. Looks pretty cheap and close to the nightlife. But I'm a simple guy.

biggles Thanks man, I appreciate it.

I am an avid salsa dancer. There is a lot of salsa in Bangkok and I plan to go to Pattaya for a while to chill next summer and I wanted to know if there are any latino clubs there where you can dance salsa? I suspect not, but I thought I'd ask.

As far as I know, and I could be wrong, all the regional flights go to and from Bangkok. It's the hub. There are only limited flights going into and out of Roi Et anyway - I took one once from Roi Et to Bangkok. Unfortunately I don't see any easy way to go from Roi Et to Chiang Mai. I pretty sure you would have to take the train to Urong Pong in Bangkok and then head off to Chiang Mai by train. And since the train doesn't run through Roi Et either, first you'd have to take the bug to Khon Kaen. Sorry, I could be wrong on all counts, but I don't see an easy way to do what you want to do. Driving maybe. Wish I could be more help.

Actually I fell in love with the very first bar girl I ever met, and we were happily married for six years. When she left, she refused to take a cent. I had to force her to take some money to get relocated and start a small buisiness. We are still in touch and still see each other regularly. She is probably my best friend. And I can trust her totally. She could have easily taken every cent I had as she had full access to all my accounts and I was away on buisiness often. I'll admit this kind of a thing ends up being the exception, rather than the rule, but there you go. They're not evil little nymphets.

OK I know this is all about Pattaya, but I haven't seen this mentioned here, and I thought it would be worth metioning. Obviously, Pattaya has a wild, incomparable nightlife with the rest of Thailand (outside of Bangkok). But I always go to Isaan - call me crazy. But Mukdahan, Nakhon Panom, are nice towns with few tourists. You can find an apartment there that is fully furnished, very clean, studio style with kitchen and bathroom, for 3,000 baht a month. Now, the naughty life is more discreet. In the hotels there are piano bars, the singers offer other services on the side for, say, 500 baht a night. And they are charming. Some of the karaoke bars are the same way. Low key, friendly. Find a Sam Loh or Tuk Tuk or Skylab driver who speaks some English and, for a generous (say 50 baht) tip, is willing to steer you straight. Use the same guy(s) over and over again and be nice to him (them). Pays dividends every time. Speaking of English, languge is a challenge. Very few people will speak any English at all, and those that do, for the most part speak horribly. So work on your Isaan dialect. I found that I could eat, sleep, and entertain on less than 2000 baht a day - easily. And it was high adventure every time. Speaking of eating, you won't be eating a lot of western food because there isn't a lot to be had. Also, I found myself socializing more with Thai men than women (no I don't bat for the other team). Thailand is a pretty conservative overall. But as soon as I wanted female companionship, I knew where to find it. Didn't take long at all. So just food for thought. If you don't want to break the bank, consider getting off the beaten path and heading up to the storied Mekong. I'm moving there next year after a number of successful and satisfying visits.