m62man

Thanks to a pal, I have now found a shop on Third Road, opposite Xcite. The owner is making some shades to my requirements for 350 Baht each.

When I arrived in November last year I did a lot of walking to see where the various condos were that were advertised in the local papers. I was passing the end of the driveway leading to View Talay 2A and 2B and asked the security guard if I could come in and look around. He rang someone on his mobile, and within 5 minutes I was being shown around an available condo by an agent.

I have now bought a condo and the bedside lamps have cream-coloured shades which are showing signs of aging. I have checked a few places but can only find shades with lamps attached. Anybody know where I can find some shades?

I am off to Phnom Penh on a visa run and will be staying for 5 days. I have read that the local currency is only used for small change and that taxis, for example, expect to be paid in USD. Anybody know where I can buy some in Pattaya?

Actual writings in The Bangkok Pattaya Hospital Register 1. The patient refused autopsy. 2. The patient has no previous history of suicides. 3. Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital. 4. Patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days. 5. She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.. 6. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year. 7. On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared. 8. The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed. 9. The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993. 10. Discharge status: Alive but without my permission. 11. Healthy appearing decrepit 69-year old male, mentally alert but forgetful. 12. Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch. 13. She is numb from her toes down. 14. While in ER, she was examined, x-rated and sent home. 15. The skin was moist and dry. 16. Occasional, constant infrequent headaches. 17. Patient was alert and unresponsive. 18. Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid. 19. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce. 20. I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy. 21. Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation. 22. Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized. 23. The lab test indicated abnormal lover function. 24. Skin: somewhat pale but present. 25. The pelvic exam will be done later on the floor. 26. Large brown stool ambulating in the hall. 27. Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities

Yes,true. But I wouldn't have wanted the bike without the paperwork being in order. Had I known that I could do everything without the current owner being involved, then I would have bought it - I already had the cash - but the dealers no doubt know how to cut corners, and I don't.

Thank you for the advice and the link. I did some more research on Thaivisa and told the guy we would both need to attend at LTA to do the transfer and that the bike would need to be insured and the green book up to date, with any arrears and fines paid off. He went to a dealer to check the situation, was told that the dealer would sort everything if he sold it to him...so he did! He told me he couldn't do with all the hassle, and the dealer also offered him more than we had agreed....end of.

I am almost certain he hasn't done anything for the last five years. He lives out near The Ambassador, so whether that is another province, I'm not sure. I can ask him to attend the LTD and pay any charge for the unregistered period. Can you tell me where the LTD is, and does anybody have a rough idea of what the charge may be?

I have agreed to buy a bike from an ex-pat who has had it from new. He hasn't had it on the road for 5 years (it's 8 years old) and it needs a bit of work. I will get it serviced somewhere, and I presume the garage will also provide some sort of test certificate. Is that correct? Can anybody tell me what I need to do to change the ownership, tax and insure it? The bike I have at the moment I bought from a garage and they handled everything for me.

I have been going through some old posts and found this from Owen back in January 2008:- "What those guys need is a little crash course from the guys here on how to get their money into 1/2 stocks and 1/2 bonds. For Americans, it is index funds at Vanguard They have the lowest costs of just about anyone. You go to vanguard.com and get some phone numbers, call them, talk to a human and get them to lead you through the process of getting the paperwork. You do have to file a few forms to get your signature on file. Eventually you mail them a check and a few days later the numbers will appear in your account online at their website. That's pretty much it. Nothing more complex than that. You know . . . for you guys who have not done this before, take it easy on yourselves. Just send some small amount of money at first so you avoid stressing yourself out while you learn how it works. If you send a big check right at first, you will scare yourself. Send a small check and learn how it works first. When you are confident, you can arrange the entire amount. For Brits, someone step up and describe the easiest path to doing this for guys who know NOTHING about it." No reply was forthcoming from a Brit at the time. Can anyone reply now?

I applied for and obtained a Thai Licence for my motorbike today using the info jacko supplied and the link he referred to in his post. I also applied for a car licence and got that too. I took a Thai friend with me which was a great help. For a start the signpost at the end of the road leading to the Licence Office is in Thai and when I arrived at the back of the scrum leading into the office itself I was glad to have someone with me who could elbow their way to the front without causing offence. There is a woman at a desk there who makes sure you have the correct paperwork in the correct order. If its wrong, she sends you off to sort it out. I needed some extra pages from my International Licence copying - my actual British Driving Licence and the copies I had of that weren't wanted. I had to take a couple of tests - one to check my reaction time on a brake pedal on the floor when the light on a board changed from green to red. I failed that twice, but passed on my third attempt. The second test was lining up two sticks in a box using a remote control. I got that right second time. All in all it only took about half an hour, which surprised me greatly because the place was packed. Thanks again jacko for the info. PS My Thai friend told me to wear long trousers, not shorts. I don't know how important that is, but it's a long way to go to be turned away for wearing inappropriate clothing. Nobody I saw there was in shorts, including the 3 or 4 Farangs there at the same time as me.

Thanks for the info and the link. I have just moved into a condo so I have yet to obtain a Residence Certificate, but once that is sorted, I will apply for the licence.

I do have a British motorcycle licence. I met a Canadian guy last year who also had a licence in his own country but told me he had to take a Thai test to get a Thai licence, unless I misunderstood him. Could you tell me what I need to do to get a Thai licence, please....where to get the forms, apply, etc. I didn't post anywhere, but will PM you about your question.

In answer to Steins' questions: My expenses remained more or less the same as I set out in an earlier post...about £1,000.00 per month. As to the second question, I have never stayed in central Pattaya. On my pre-retirement trip I stayed at the Residence Garden Hotel, which is just outside Pattaya, on the road to Jomtien. I chose Jomtien because it was quieter, though still close enough for nights out on Walking Street. I didn't make an effort to meet a nice girl. I came to Pattaya because it is full of the other sort :-) I found that some of the girls working on the Darkside were more friendly, probably because most of their customers are residents and are likely to visit more than once or twice a year. Jacko, Hi Jacko, The International Licence to which I referred is one issued by the Post Office here in the UK, and is just a translation into various languages of the UK Licence, with a photo attached. I don't think any country will accept on a permanent basis any sort of licence issued by another country (unless maybe for carrying out brain surgery or something equally unimportant), so, so far as I am aware, I will have to take the Thai test to get a Thai Licence.

This is probably a longer-winded reply than you were expecting, but I have time on my hands here in the UK! I came back in May and apart from five weeks touring in France and Spain on my motorbike I have been at home. The 6 months I spent in Pattaya were an experiment, not only to see whether I could afford to live there, but also to see whether I could establish a social life outside of the bar scene. When I went to Pattaya in November 2009 I already knew that I couldn't live for 6 months like a holiday-maker; not only because I couldn't afford the £100.00 + per day I spent when I was on holiday, but also because I knew that I wouldn't want to live that style of life all the time. So, to the question about how I spent my time. It took a while to establish friendships but I did have a structure to my life which I think is important. After three or four months I ended up with a routine which consisted of meeting a group of guys to play squash at The Ambassador three evenings a week, supper with a couple of friends in an Arab restaurant one night a week, a few beers with another pal in Jomtien once a week, bowling once a week, and sailing once every two or three weeks. I also had my trips out of Thailand every 90 days for my visa runs. I swam almost every morning before breakfast and then would read a bit while having a coffee on the balcony of my condo. I always have two or three books on the go at any one time, and usually once a week I would visit a few second-hand book shops to find books. I correspond with friends and family, and up to lunch time I would be doing e-mails or reading posts on this and one or two other forums. I took my bike out most days, either finding my way around the Darkside, or going further afield. I enjoy motorcycling and I know there is a club that organises trips out of Bangkok. If anybody knows of anything similar in Pattaya, I would be interested to hear about that. On the evenings when I didn't have something arranged and I wanted to go out, I would go. There are some interesting people in Pattaya, and it is very easy to get into conversation with them. I don't know whether it's the Thai influence or not, but 99% of the people you meet are in a good mood and have time to chat. If you are sitting in the corner with nobody to talk to then it's probably down to you. But the worst that could happen on one of those nights is that before long you will have a Thai chick trying to get into your pants! One thing I didn't do during my 6 months was watch tv - I was never that short of things to do! I will be back in Pattaya on the 1st September and intend to stay for at least 12 months. I intend to enroll at a language school and make a proper effort to learn Thai, and I am also going to take my motorbike test rather than relying on my International Licence. That's two extra things to do on top of what I did last time. The contrast between my life here in the UK and my life in Pattaya has convinced me that Pattaya is where I want to be. My life in the UK is extremely boring by comparison. The friends I have in Pattaya mostly have wives or long-term girlfriends, but they are in charge of their lives in a way that men in the UK are not. In Pattaya, if somebody suggests meeting up for a game of pool, or to go bowling, then a decision is made on the spot and everybody turns up. In England, they all have to "check the calendar", which is a euphemism for "ask the wife". It is absolutely hopeless. I would suggest that anyone should try it for 6 months, if you can do that without burning your bridges. There are lots of things to do apart from sitting in bars, and if my own experience is anything to go by you would have a warm welcome whatever you want to try, whether it's golf, crown green bowling, bridge, tennis......you name it. Obviously it takes a while to establish friendships and you have to make a bit of an effort, but within my six months in Thailand I had as many friends as I have after donkeys’ years in the UK. The friendships aren’t as deep or well-established, because that takes time, but that is something that will come with time.

I went to get a haircut and the Mamasan told me that the hairdresser would be back in 10 minutes and would I like to have my hair washed while I waited? I said I would go get a drink and come back, which I did about 20 mins later. The Mamasan washed my hair and then got on her mobile. Another woman came in and said "She say she go 7/11". I looked at them and the Mamasan said "She coming. Don't worry". Some minutes passed, so I asked again. The Mamasan said "Maybe she go home. You wait". I waited for another 15 minutes and there was still no sign of her, so I got up and left, my hair like a mop-head. I walked about 100 yards up the road and into another hairdressers. I declined the hair wash, and had my hair cut by a balding, fat, ladyboy. While this was going on there was a younger one in the adjoining chair doing his make-up. I thought it was a pretty girl until he spoke to the one cutting my hair - asking for tips on how to apply mascara no doubt! The one cutting my hair kept leaning on my elbows with his crotch which was a bit off-putting, but he did a good job. I remember there was a thread a while ago about where all the old ladyboys went - well, I found one!

Kaiser 71 - "You said they are very small. Probably either sugar ants(dark) or ghost ants(light, almost see-thru). Sugar ants march pretty strait. Ghost ants march very irratically. Sugar ants want sugar. Ghost ants seem to want water mostly." On this basis, they are ghost ants. They are almost too small to see, never mind see through, but they are very light in colour and they do march erratically - running round in circles on the floor sometimes, 'til I stamp on them. I think I will try leaving the lap-top out on the balcony tonight, with some sugar next to it and see if they all get in the bowl. I could leave them a glass of water, but I can't see them falling for that! I will also buy some spray and treat the condo generally. I'll take my Landlady who will probably know what to buy, and have a spray round. As to the suggestion that I take my glasses off and ignore them, well this would be ok if they didn't tickle so much. I would end up scratching all the time, and I have enough trouble getting a girlfriend as it is!

Quote Bigleg.."consider staying on the Darkside, currently the apartments over this way going for as little as 2,800bht a month" Can you give some examples/addresses?

My lap-top is infested with tiny ants. They are so small I can only see them with my glasses on. I am not exaggerating much - they are smaller than a speck of dust, a tenth of the size of a pin-head, honestly. I feel them running up over my hands and onto my arms. It's really tickly. They don't bite or anything, and I suppose they will run out of food in there eventually - I don't often eat over the keyboard! When I was in Penang my friends sugar was infested with ants. He poured the sugar onto a sheet of newspaper and the ants just ran away. It was a miracle! I've tried it with my lap-top, but it doesn't work. Any suggetions?

How much for food? Each month I am spending 14,000 Baht on accomodation, including electricity, and around 14,000 Baht on girls, although that figure includes the bar-fine for the Darkside bars (it's not a bar-fine in the sense that you are taking the girl out of the bar, but is paid to the bar to keep the room clean...they must wash the sheets at least once a month!) . I think the last 30 days was a bit unusual and I probably don't have that many girls on a regular basis. I surprised myself a bit when I counted up! Plus, I spend around 6,000 Baht on nights out drinking in bars. So that's 34,000 Baht so far. I am drawing out £1,000 each month, which converts into just over 51,500 Baht at todays rate......so, I must be spending 17,500 Baht on food, and stuff. I say stuff, because there's laundry and shampoo and petrol for the bike, and other odds and ends. A bit more detail for those of you who are interested... I am sure it's as cheap to eat out as to eat in, even if you eat Thai food. I've had Thai women say as much to me...they can't buy the ingredients for the same price as a meal. I don't cook much at all - just boil some eggs now and then to make egg mayonnaise. I also don't use the air-con, and am happy taking cold showers. It's not just to save money.The cold water is from a tank on the roof and isn't that cold anyway. I find it refreshing. I buy oranges and bananas from markets and have them with cereal and yoghurt for breakfast most days. I make sandwiches sometimes for lunch. Ham is expensive, but I like a ham sandwich now and then. Sometimes I will have a tin of tuna and make myself a salad. I brought a big box of tea bags from England, so they are "free". I save a bit on laundry by hand-washing anything that doesn't need ironing, except towels which are too big to go in the sink. I fill up my 5 litre water bottles from a dispenser they have here for 5 Baht a go. Much cheaper than buying new bottles every time. I can't think of anything else at the moment, but as I said before, I am more than happy to answer any questions.

Excellent, as usual.

Hi Owen, Hope you are well. As to my lifestyle, I very rarely drink during the day. If I go to a Darkside bar, it is usually during the day when I am on my bike so I will usually just have a coke pre-shag, and one Sang Som and coke while I enjoy the after-glow. That's another thing about going out there, the girls always sit with you for a bit of a kiss and a cuddle afterwards. It's very pleasant. When I go out at night, I either walk to a bar in Jomtien or catch a bus into town. I'm not a big drinker and on most nights out I will spend less than 500 Baht. That includes lady drinks. I don't buy a lot, and certainly not in every bar I visit. Just for girls who seem genuinely happy to chat for a while and have at least enough English to have a bit of a conversation. I don't really keep track of how many beers I drink, and when I start to feel full, I go on to Sang Som and coke, which costs more or less the same. So, about 500 Baht three times a week. I've had 14 girls in the last month. They were all short-time apart from one, who stole my aftershave, the bitch! And yes, it was a girl, I'm sure!

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