Gary

Chips in the UK are fat sections of potatoes deep fried. Chips in the USA come in a sealed bag, the most popular brand are Lays, owned by Pepsico. French fries in the USA are called skinny chips by Brits. Most Americans just call them fries and some still call them French fries. Personally I like my fries fairly crispy and not mushy inside. ADDED - I think McDonalds and Burger KIng fries are very good.

My Jomtien condo is 60 square meters. The separate bedroom is quite large with plenty of storage. I can't imagine trying to pack two bedrooms into even 60 square meters.

As most expats have experienced, every immigration office has its own rules and are apt to change the rules as they go along. In fact the rules may vary at the same office depending on the immigration officer who waits on you. Always remember that the officer is always right and never makes mistakes. Don't make the mistake of telling them that they are wrong. I once made that mistake.

Tom beat me to it. They may have changed the 7 days after so it wouldn't hurt to check to make sure they still allow the 7 days grace.

Being late for a 90 day check in will cost you a 2,000 baht fine at immigration.

Your 90 address check is not on the same date as your visa. They now have a new system that there will be a paper attached to a page on your passport telling you the date of your next address check. That slip of paper will have a bar code that is read by their computer. I would suspect that your address check will be 90 days from when you entered Thailand.

My ATM card is for using ATM's to get cash. Cash is indeed king for me. A night out in Pattaya is a RARE occasion for me, and yes, I need a bit more than 5,000 baht, but not a lot more.

I don't use ANY type of plastic in Thailand. I don't even trust Thai Internet banking. There are ATM's on every street corner so it is easy to have some cash in your pocket. That said, I rarely have more than 5,000 baht in my wallet. As far as plastic, it's simply not worth the risk to use plastic in a third world country. I use a BOA credit card. They have an excellent security plan called Shop Safe. You get a new number for every purchase and specify the amount. This is quickly and easily set up via the Internet. If the vendor tries to charge more than you specify, the transaction is cancelled. Any other purchase using that number is rejected. No purchases since I have been using this system have been rejected. I have instructed the bank that if purchases are attempted not to honor them if Shop Safe is not used.

My wife cuts our lawn. I have a Honda 4 stroke weed whacker that needs no oil in the gasoline. Probably about 8 years old now and other than a new angle head, it's all original and still runs great. In fact I'm not permitted to cut the grass and weeds. I cut good stuff that she says are her herbs. They look like weeds to me. Buy your lady a 4 stroke weed whacker and teach her how to use it. DON'T even consider a 2 stroke because Thais forget to put the oil in the gasoline. She did hire a local handyman, ONCE, and he did the same thing yours did, cut a water line.

Someone mentioned the "OLD" Mash. It hasn't been open long enough to be called old. When they were renovating that building, it looked to me like they poured a lot of money into that place.

Maybe I'm not as fussy as some but I have never had to sleep alone in Ao Nang. I am of the opinion that if you can't find a suitable bed partner in Ao Nang that you are far too fussy.

I usually stay at the Ao Nang Beach Resort. I like the location because it's right at the center of everything and directly across from the beach. Very convenient to catch a boat to Railay. That should be a must see. This hotel in not top shelf and expensive but it is comfortable.

You see. I even have problems posting. I don't know why I got a double post.

Jacko, I'm not much of a techie either. With my smartphone, I touch the camera icon, point the camera and touch the shutter icon. DONE. Touch the simple icon settings once and they will stay the way you have them set unless you want to change something. Nothing complicated for sure.

Even if he did all the work himself, no way would he make anywhere near that kind of money. I live out in the boonies and know more guys who tried it and gave up than guys who stuck with it. There were reasons they gave up, not making any money was at the top of the list.

I have two digital cameras, both Sony models. My i9300 Samsung phone takes better pictures than either camera. I no longer even use the cameras. The Samsung phone camera is 8MP and it amazes me.

Buy a basic model Garmin GPS. You can put in the coordinates and save them or just look at the map. About 4,000 baht including the latest Thailand map.

I bought a condo a number of years ago because I wanted a nice place to live. I was advised against it by my friends who were of the opinion that I was paying too much. I have no desire to be a landlord again because I don't like the headaches. I now live upcountry and only use the condo for an occasional getaway. I like my condo and have turned down offers from people who wanted to buy it. I bought it when there were 41 baht to the dollar and it has also appreciated considerably. I do keep it well maintained. Maybe I should mention that it is 60 square meters and not a shoe box. It is totally furnished and I could move back in it tomorrow if my Thai wife should ever tell me to hit the road. That's a good feeling knowing that I will always have a roof over my head and it only cost me 600 baht a month for the maintenance fee. It's like a security blanket. That said, I wouldn't buy a condo for just an investment. Real estate other than a condo in your own name cannot be legally owned so that, at least for me, is a definite no go.

Actually Hua Hin is closer to Cambodia than Udon Thani.

I live in the boonies of Loei province. We are at 333 meters above sea level so no pain in the ass floods here. It's a scenic area. I have many toys here including a small four wheel drive tractor and implements. I have a well equipped work shop and a couple of fishing ponds. I rarely get bored and have plenty to do IF I feel like doing anything. I like to take a little holiday and stay in my Jomtien condo but Jomtien is getting too congested. No way could I live in Pattaya. WAY too much traffic and congestion. The condo is easy living with nearly everything you would need within walking distance. I just missed having a dog and a workshop. Around Chiang Mai is beautiful but I hate the city. It's like Bangkok with no Sky Train. The city center is crazy.

I was going to suggest Ao Nang, Krabi but since she is from the Philippines, she would probably not be impressed. Scenic beaches are pretty common there. She would likely like Bangkok or maybe Pattaya.

It all depends. As long as I have my Thai wife, I could live nearly anywhere in Thailand except in a big city. If I were single, I'd have to find a farang ghetto because of my pathetic command of the Thai language. It's not as if I have not tried to learn the language, it's because there is no way that I can I hear the difference in tones and Thai is a tonal language. if I were single I could get by in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

Maybe ebonics IS better. Less words to deal with and a much smaller vocabulary works.

I lived in a third story apartment in Bangkok. There was one rooftop tom cat who owned the area where I lived. After a couple months of my leaving food on the balcony for him, he finally befriended me and even allowed me to pet him. One day we had a challenging cat come around. They got into a bloody fight and both fell three stories to the ground. The next day my cat was back and seemed none the worse for wear. He had a few bloody spots but they didn't seem to bother him. He was a ball of pure muscle. They are tough creatures for sure.

Rather than look for a public machine, I thought that having and carrying your own would be a better option. Apparently I'm not the only one with that thought.