#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Laos Forum >  >  Off to Savannakhet - Any Suggestions as to what to do?

## Topper

We're off on a visa run today to the pride of the Laos PDR - Savannakhet.

Any suggestions as the what to see, do or where to eat there?

TIA!

----------


## crackerjack101

There's an Italian/Thai pizza place up river that is the best I've found in Sav. I Can't remember the name but reception or a tuk tuk driver will know it.


https://teakdoor.com/members-only/192...vannakhet.html

----------


## Dillinger

Get pissed by the river. There's not much else there mate.  :Smile:

----------


## Norton

> I Can't remember the name


Maybe Dolly's cafe. I've eaten there in the past. Decent food, decent price and nice atmosphere.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Province.html

----------


## crackerjack101

No, it wasn't Dollys. I the link to the thread I did ( above) there's a photo of the neon sign which I assume is the name if you can decipher it. It is back to front though.  :Confused:

----------


## Norton

Friend told me he had good Mexican at Pilgrims Kitchen. He is a Brit so perhaps not that good.  :Smile: 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Province.html

----------


## crackerjack101

She who will be obeyed says it might be called the Royal Palace Kitchen.

----------


## Norton

Are you driving up from Bangkok? If so stop by Roi Et and say hi. Almost on the way.

----------


## crackerjack101

What ever this means;

----------


## crackerjack101

> Are you driving up from Bangkok? If so stop by Roi Et and say hi. Almost on the way.


A most enjoyable stop off. The only problem is Norts doesn't reciprocate.   :rofl:

----------


## thaiguzzi

> Friend told me he had good Mexican at Pilgrims Kitchen. He is a Brit so perhaps not that good. 
> 
> https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Province.html


Its not bad (as a Brit who likes Mexican), nor is the Indian.
Place is run by a Californian woman married to an Indian bloke (both nice people) who ran PK in Luang Praban before migrating south to Savannakhet.
So it has some authenticity.
A couple of hundred yards away and you are in the night market. 
Plenty of pubs with live music, students, restaurants, nice ambience, right up to the river there.
The town has really improved in the last 5 years, and i've been coming for 15 years.
I actually look fwd to a night or two in town these days, as opposed to dreading it 10-12 years ago...

----------


## crackerjack101

That's interesting TG, we'll spend more time exploring next trip. Thanks.





> Its not bad (as a Brit who likes Mexican), nor is the Indian.
> Place is run by a Californian woman married to an Indian bloke (both nice people) who ran PK in Luang Praban before migrating south to Savannakhet.
> So it has some authenticity.
> A couple of hundred yards away and you are in the night market. 
> Plenty of pubs with live music, students, restaurants, nice ambience, right up to the river there.
> The town has really improved in the last 5 years, and i've been coming for 15 years.
> I actually look fwd to a night or two in town these days, as opposed to dreading it 10-12 years ago...

----------


## parryhandy

I stay at the casino, which is out of town and has a late night karaoke bar, so I can't get into too much trouble. Savannakhet could/should be so much better though. Waste of a great location. I remember when they were processing visas the same day i.e. you had to wait the same day until 2pm to collect so I didn't bother booking a room. It was the longest 5 hours of my life.

Savan Vegas - Welcome

Best restaurant is the Chez Boune, pricey but nice food, though haven't been recently.

----------


## Dillinger

The suite at  Dao Savanh is huge and has a jacuzzi. A bit dated but good value at around 3k. 
It's on the river, has a swimming pool, free tandems, free lift to the bridge via their tuk tuk a good breakfast and in walking distance to bars with live music and decent eateries.

Far away from those cheap, scruffy teflers in Aura and Avalon too :Smile:

----------


## Bogon

Dolly's is a place run by an English bloke called Michael. Not a million miles away from the church. 

Nice bloke and cooks the food. He has a wealth of knowledge about the surrounding area, so best go down, grab a beer and bend his ear.

TripAdvisor has all the info...https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Province.html

----------


## Topper

Thanks all, the Pilgrim Inn and Lins cafe are on the list. Maybe drinks on the river at sunset if its not pissing down.

We're not driving but taking the visa run van from on nut there.

----------


## beerlaodrinker

> Get pissed by the river. There's not much else there mate.


Gotta agree with dill . Theres not much going on but the locals are super friendly. Pony up and stay at dao  savannh.  For the full Lao experience head out to the bars along the road leading to the airport. You may well be the only farang there but you will be made to feel welcome.  It is what it is. I used to rotate out of savan from the minesite and would occasioaly get stuck there for a night. It was always interesting. I would be interested to read your thoughts on the place when you get back

----------


## Chico

when you come back,stop off at Mukdahan town some good bargains to be had at the markets,was there last week spent a really nice night there. and picked up some good stuff.

----------


## HuangLao

> when you come back,stop off at Mukdahan town some good bargains to be had at the markets,was there last week spent a really nice night there. and picked up some good stuff.



Mueang Mukdahan.

----------


## Neverna

> There's an Italian/Thai pizza place up river that is the best I've found in Sav. I Can't remember the name but reception or a tuk tuk driver will know it.
> https://teakdoor.com/members-only/192...vannakhet.html





> No, it wasn't Dollys. I the link to the thread I did ( above) there's a photo of the neon sign which I assume is the name if you can decipher it. It is back to front though.





> What ever this means;


Krua chaow wang (ครัวชาววัง) - but it appears to be in Mukdahan and not Savanaket. 

https://th-th.facebook.com/pages/cat...5886864502530/

----------


## thaiguzzi

> Maybe Dolly's cafe. I've eaten there in the past. Decent food, decent price and nice atmosphere.
> 
> https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Province.html


For some reason over the years i've missed this place.
 Will give it a go next year i'm there.
I normally take my lunch or breakfast at Lin's Cafe, another nice place to wile away a couple of hours. The Lao baguette with scrambled eggs or omelette, homemade yoghurt and Lao coffee is an outstanding brekkie.

----------


## thaiguzzi

> I stay at the casino, which is out of town and has a late night karaoke bar, so I can't get into too much trouble. Savannakhet could/should be so much better though. Waste of a great location. I remember when they were processing visas the same day i.e. you had to wait the same day until 2pm to collect so I didn't bother booking a room. It was the longest 5 hours of my life.
> 
> Savan Vegas - Welcome
> 
> Best restaurant is the Chez Boune, pricey but nice food, though haven't been recently.


It is a nice place these days - if you get out and about a bit and don't stay in that shithole of a Chinese money laundering casino, outside of town in the middle of nowhere. 
Not exactly broadening your horizons.
As i said, now with the live music bars full of uni students and college kids, a sort of middle class with a bit of money to spare, the place has really come along in the last 4-5 years, around and just off the night market.

Chez Boune may have been the best a decade ago, but these days it is showing its age, and has been usurped by far better eateries.

----------


## crackerjack101

> Krua chaow wang (ครัวชาววัง) - but it appears to be in Mukdahan and not Savanaket. 
> 
> https://th-th.facebook.com/pages/cat...5886864502530/



HA,  you're right, my bad, well I'l blame the wife. Goods pizza though.

----------


## parryhandy

> It is a nice place these days - if you get out and about a bit and don't stay in that shithole of a Chinese money laundering casino, outside of town in the middle of nowhere. 
> Not exactly broadening your horizons.
> As i said, now with the live music bars full of uni students and college kids, a sort of middle class with a bit of money to spare, the place has really come along in the last 4-5 years, around and just off the night market.
> 
> Chez Boune may have been the best a decade ago, but these days it is showing its age, and has been usurped by far better eateries.


yes your probably right but I totally gave up on Savannakhet  a few years ago after the place never seemed to get any better. Will probably give some of the places mentioned here  a try if I ever go again but found the whole experience so hot and tiring last time round that all I want to do after the consulate visit is hit an AC place where I can relax and get everything with zero effort. Absolutely no interest in Laos uni students or middle class or the place in general really as I find it a totally depressing place that doesn't seem to progress.
Told myself last time never again and will either try Manila next time or get an extension.

----------


## Luigi

I'd imagine sitting next to the Mekhong with some icy cold Beer Lao, right around sunset time must be pretty high on the list.

----------


## jamescollister

Unfortunately I'm off to renew my multi O there on the 4 th of November, stay a night in Mukdahan, then over early to get the application in.
Fined the place boring and expensive, only up side, cheap beer Lao, which will be drunk all day.

Once, rented a tuk tuk for the day, went and looked at some pile of rocks, Hindu/Buddha temple, but just too hot for  much walking around.

----------


## Topper

What a fun tripz this is been!

Stood in line for 3 hours yesterday, 2 of which were in the nice sunshine. I was able to get my non-b, but the wife wasn't able to get her non-o due to missing paperwork and was unable to get  a tourist because she's made 2 land crossings already this year.  This means we get to fly back, hopefully on Friday rather than returning today. 

We went to a really upscale place yesterday for a late lunch/early dinner Macchiato Cafe that wasn't too pricy and Lin's Cafe for breakfast.  Today it's off to the embassy to get my passport then to the airport. 

While waiting for the embassy to open at 2, we're hitting the Pilgrim Cafe, which is right across the street.  

Pictures to follow

----------


## Luigi

^ I dare say, it's time to head to the Philippines rather than Bangkok, wit all the crap ye've had to go through, and are still going through, just to live in Bangkok.

----------


## Topper

That was the topic of conversation yesterday..  still not sure if they will give her a tourist visa or not as she doesn't have a ticket to the PI.

On the plus side i made 700B at blackjack ..... the casino is completely underwhelming.

----------


## fishlocker

I'd tell you to drop South but. YEA bigg butt is that I ain't  the there. 
Live a few more and ...... not a bad spot..

----------


## OhOh

> Chez Boune, pricey but nice food,


Went there a month or so ago. French, Italian and Asian selection. French and Italian wine.

Excellent coffee, wine, food and service. Exchange rate was 290 Lek/1 THB.

We had these;

Complimentary Bread and butter.

 

                                                              3,000 LAK

*ສະເຕັກງົວ | Local beef steak*


 

                                                              80,000 LAK                   

Ragout local beef

Tender local beef chunks vegetables and suace


 					80,000 LAK 					 				


The menu photo doesn't do the dish justice.



*Green Salad  20,000 Lak*



https://cafechezboune.com/

https://menulist.cafechezboune.com/

----------


## OhOh

> 2 of which were in the nice sunshine.


An umbrella is a must, sun or rain.

----------


## Topper

The wife was using the umbrella to shield herself and another lady.

We made it to the main Pilgrim place, the Pilgrim Kitchen.....definitely the nicest, laid back place here.  The food is great, the place is designed for tourists (electric outlets at all the tables) with a much expanded menu compared to their cafe by the embassy.  It's about 2 blocks down from Lin's cafe on the same street.  They also have rooms and should we need to visit here again, this where we'll stay.

----------


## Dillinger

Looks OK that Topper.  Not far from the river too

----------


## aging one

Dill mate, Unless something is broken I dont see that Top's has posted any photos. Now there is a shot of restaurant  by the river in Mukhdahan that CJ thought was in Lao.  Unless I am missing data... :Smile:

----------


## reinvented

stayed there for a week, 1 night, 20 years ago, it was desperate
fled across the border the next morning
wasnt that easy as the reception girl at check out pretended to be asleep so she didnt have to serve us, not sure what she was expecting

----------


## Dillinger

> Dill mate, Unless something is broken I dont see that Top's has posted any photos


Had a look on Booking. Com at that Pilgrims Kitchen. Gets great ratings and has Mexican and Indian food. Rooms are 500 Baht a night

----------


## aging one

cheers... :Smile:

----------


## thaiguzzi

> Had a look on Booking. Com at that Pilgrims Kitchen. Gets great ratings and has Mexican and Indian food. Rooms are 500 Baht a night


Stayed there.
Nice couple (American woman / Indian husband) who run it.
Everything is good.
Except the beer prices.

----------


## Topper

I'm on my tablet with pics on my phone using both on the local wifi, I've tried a couple of times.

----------


## Topper

We're finally home and the tales of fuckwittery will simply amaze you!

First some pictures...

Macchiato De Cafe



Not that pricey but not far from where we stayed.

----------


## cyrille

You get enough carbs?  :Very Happy:

----------


## Topper

Next - Pilgrim Cafe (across the street from the Thai consulate)....owned by the same guy who owns the Pilgrim Kitchen down by the river.

The guy who runs this is really great.  Their food is great for the price and their coffee is simply wonderful.  They get the beans themselves from farmers up country and do their own roasting.  We had lunch on one day and breakfast on another day.
Lunch....their pita wrap and their quesadilla. 



Their breakfast bagel and stuff...

----------


## Topper

We went to Lin's Cafe.  A nice place with over 500 menu choices, which lead to problems....

My wife ordered a simple omelette for breakfast with English breakfast tea.  This got translated into the full English breakfast.  

I ordered a baguette with butter and jam and got French toast, which was wonderful.  The Cumberland sausage that came with the wife's breakfast was nice.

Here's a picture of their breakfast menu....

----------


## Topper

Don't worry, the fuckwittery will come, I promise.

----------


## crackerjack101

> Next - Pilgrim Cafe (across the street from the Thai consulate)....owned by the same guy who owns the Pilgrim Kitchen down by the river.
> 
> The guy who runs this is really great.  Their food is great for the price and their coffee is simply wonderful.  They get the beans themselves from farmers up country and do their own roasting.  We had lunch on one day and breakfast on another day.
> Lunch....their pita wrap and their quesadilla. 
> 
> 
> 
> Their breakfast bagel and stuff...



That wasn't there when we went down 6 months ago. Bugger.

----------


## Topper

> That wasn't there when we went down 6 months ago. Bugger.


They're there to feast on the foreigners waiting around the consulate.  They close at 3 in the afternoon as all of the foreigners are finished by then.

Unfortunately they don't serve beer, but there's a shop next store where the visa run services use as their HQ/free lunch place.

----------


## crackerjack101

Excellent

----------


## cyrille

> Don't worry, the fuckwittery will come, I promise.


 ::chitown::

----------


## OhOh

> over 500 menu choice


But didn't deliver either!

----------


## Dillinger

> We went to Lin's Cafe. A nice place with over 500 menu choices, which lead to problems....


You see the numbers on the side of that menu?  :Smile:

----------


## Topper

Ok...as I said earlier we decided to fly back as that appeared the bestestestest way to keep things legal as the wife couldn't do any more land crossings.

So on Wednesday, after picking up my passport, we head to the airport to get tickets to BKK.

We're told that there Thai immigration will need to see 20K in cash and an onward ticket to the Philippines before they'll they let the wife in on a tourist visa.

We get the tickets and I'm thinking we have our bank book which shows the 20K.

We get in touch with Cebu Pacific and get a fully refundable ticket for her to the PI for mid November. 

We get to the airport and the check in dude says I need to see your "show money" of 20K baht. I show him the bank book and he tells us that's no good.  It has to be 20K in THB.

I ask if I run to an ATM, if they can change the kip into baht, the guy says no problem there's time and they can convert the kip into baht so I run out to an ATM and draw out 4.5 million kip ~ 15K THB.  

So I get back to the airport and the guy says great, but he's only he has 2500 THB.  I politely remind him he said he could change it into baht and he says sorry.  I'm stuck with a six inch high stack of Lao kip.

The wife is freaking at this point.   I remind her I'll be there for her and we can just change the kip into baht when we get to BKK.  After all, the terminal is full of places to change money.  She's still visibly shaking.

The Lao Air flight was great, no problems and we were on a brand new airplane it seemed.

Then we got to Bangkok......

----------


## Topper

> You see the numbers on the side of that menu?


A lesson quickly learned... order by number not by name.

----------


## Topper

Our favorite place in SVK....Pilgrim's Kitchen

It's the perfect place to hang out in.... we shared the nachos and the wife had butter chicken, both of which were excellent.

----------


## Bogon

> Then we got to Bangkok......


...who do not exchange kip?

----------


## Topper

> ...who do not exchange kip?


YOU'RE THE WINNER!!!!!!!!

None of the exchanges at the airport will deal with kip!  Oh, how we laughed and chuckled over this twist of fate!!!!

----------


## Jack meoff

> I'm stuck with a six inch high stack of Lao kip.


How long did the ATM take to pump that out?

----------


## aging one

tops, I am very sorry but your tale of whoa is on you. 99.99% of travellers know Lao Kip is worthless outside Thailand.  As Lu said what are you doing here when you could be in your wifes home country on a much easier visa.  

Also natchos made with flour tortillas.  Good luck on getting all this sussed out. Seems like you will be going back to Lao for your next holiday to burn up or change the Kip... Good luck buddy.

----------


## Topper

> How long did the ATM take to pump that out?


3 hits at 1.5 million....








> As Lu said what are you doing here when you could be in your wifes home country on a much easier visa.


Coming soon...plans already in progress.  We're in touch with a relative that's a real estate agent.




> Good luck on getting all this sussed out.


Thanks!  The airport said there's places "downtown" that will change kip.  I'm doubting the exchange rate will leave me smiling.

----------


## Topper

> but your tale of whoa is on you.


LOL, that's nothing new.

----------


## HuangLao

> tops, I am very sorry but your tale of whoa is on you. 99.99% of travellers know Lao Kip is worthless outside Thailand.  As Lu said what are you doing here when you could be in your wifes home country on a much easier visa.  
> 
> Also natchos made with flour tortillas.  Good luck on getting all this sussed out. Seems like you will be going back to Lao for your next holiday to burn up or change the Kip... Good luck buddy.




 ::chitown::

----------


## Dillinger

:smiley laughing:  à fisfull of Lao kip

What happened next.?
I know someone who got to Thai immigration at Swampy , didn't have the 20k baht in cash, had a Thai debit card but they wouldn't let him go the atm to get it and sent him packing back to where he'd flown from.

----------


## Dillinger

> Thanks! The airport said there's places "downtown" that will change kip. I'm doubting the exchange rate will leave me smiling.


So they saw you were a Laos multi millionaire and let you in?  :smiley laughing: 

The Indians on Suk soi 5 will change it but not a preferential rate

----------


## Topper

We decide to let the wife go first through immigration knowing she's got no show money, that way I could come to the rescue.

Of course the guy looks at her passport, I explain I'm her husband and we get called over to the "questioning" area.  We're off to the races!!!!!

I explained that we went to Savannakhet to get me a non b and her a non o but due to missing paperwork, her visa was denied.  We couldn't return by land, so we came back by air.  We had her paperwork that included all of the stuff I used to apply for my visa showing the school endorsing my employment, etc. 

The immi dude asks what's up with her being here for 13 years with all of these in and out visas.  I tell him we don't understand (the wife is too shaken up to speak) and he prints out a list of her visas since she arrived....it's only 3 pages.  We proceed to explain that the visas were due to my court case as I was carrying her on my visa until the case was finished.  I pointed out the same number of visas in my passport and how I had made several border runs while waiting for my new non b paperwork to be completed.

We literally get bitched out for an hour by several of the officials and then the immi guy says he'll give my wife 30 days in order to get the paperwork for the non o visa and makes notes in her records that basically says she's only eligible for a non o or she has to return to her home country.

We point out, repeatedly, that we want to do the right thing and get her a non o and thank him for his understanding.

Now, for the readers...what's missing from this tale of whao?  :Smile:

----------


## Topper

> I know someone who got to Thai immigration at Swampy , didn't have the 20k baht in cash, had a Thai debit card but they wouldn't let him go the atm to get it and sent him packing back to where he'd flown from.


There's no ATM's until you're finished with immigration.  It's kind of amazing....

You have to have cash, but have no way to get it to show it.

----------


## raycarey

jesus christ, what a fiasco.

i'd also like to offer the same unsolicited advice others have given but encapsulated into four steps.....quit your job, pack your bags, get on a plane, and get the hell out of this country.

----------


## Topper

> quit your job, pack your bags, get on a plane, and get the hell out of this country.


We have a five year plan.....

After we get this done, I'm gold for work for the foreseeable future which means the wife's visa is secure.

Having said that, that's exactly what we're going to do in a few years.  Living in a country where both of us are not citizens is stupid.

----------


## Jack meoff

> Now, for the readers...what's missing from this tale of whao?


Wifes paperwork :Smile: 

What did you forget?

----------


## katie23

^^I agree with all the other guys on here. Why stay in a place where you've had so many legal woes, and none of you can own property (land), set up a business (easily & legally), have to do visa runs regularly, away from family, etc? Your wife can't get a job there and she's totally dependent on you for her visa.

In PI, she's a citizen, speaks the language/dialect, can own land & put up a business, look for a job, etc.

As for topper, you can be on spouse visa or retirees visa - there are several classes of retiree visas available. You can even get PR after a few years! (I know 2 foreigners who have PR status: Davis & the hubby of a friend). 

Even FinnSnow, a YouTuber from Iceland, was able to get PR status in PI bcos he's from Iceland and he fit into the "quota" category. Search FinnSnow on YT if interested.

That being said, good luck on all your future plans...

----------


## Topper

> Wifes paperwork
> 
> What did you forget?



While that was almost a good guess, what's missing from the immi official's interrogation of us....

----------


## OhOh

> a non o but due to missing paperwork, her visa was denied


What O visa was she after,  on what grounds?

I was under the impression no financial "paperwork" was required for an annual, multi entry O visa from the Savannakhet consulate?

----------


## Topper

> What O visa was she after, on what grounds?


A non o based on my employment...

----------


## Dillinger

> Why stay in a place where you've had so many legal woes, and none of you can own property (land), set up a business (easily & legally), have to do visa runs regularly, away from family, etc? Your wife can't get a job there and she's totally dependent on you for her visa



thinking about it I guess there will be no English teaching jobs in the Flips, due to most of the Natives being able to teach the American  bastardised version of the language themselves :Smile:

----------


## HuangLao

> thinking about it I guess there will be no English teaching jobs in the Flips, due to most of the Natives being able to teach the American  bastardised version of the language themselves


There's always Dubai to fall back on...

 :Wink:

----------


## Dillinger

Topper wants  Dubai some Thai baht with all that monopoly money :Smile:

----------


## Topper

So there's no guesses about what the funniest part of the day today was, outside of Jeff's shite posts?

----------


## Jack meoff

You got pickpocketed on the way out of the airport?

----------


## raycarey

you didn't have the marriage cert?

----------


## Topper

> You got pickpocketed on the way out of the airport?


On the way out of the airport is another story in it's self...I was gobsmacked...





> you didn't have the marriage cert?


Had to have a copy for the wife's paperwork and we had the original with us just in case.....

Now come on, what's the absolutely ironic thing that could have happened?

----------


## Jack meoff

You bumped into Lu, went for a few beers and he date raped you?  :Smile:

----------


## HuangLao

> You bumped into Lu, went for a few beers and he date raped you?


....and the accompanying pics.
 :Smile:

----------


## Topper

> You bumped into Lu, went for a few beers and he date raped you?


Close.....it wasn't rape...

----------


## Jack meoff

Jeez, you had a really shit day Tops, How could that day get even worse?


Great thread though.

----------


## Topper

> How could that day get even worse?


Here's how....

After buying an "onward travel" ticket to the PI for the wife to show immi while in Savannakhet, after getting the 4.5 million kip that I couldn't convert to baht to show immi....

The immigration official never asked to see either the onward ticket or the show money.  Neither topic ever came up in conversation.  

The plane ticket was a set up as a fully changeable refundable thing, so we can get the money back eventually but as AO said the proud holder of a bunch of literally worthless money.

Fuck me running...nothing is ever easy.

----------


## OhOh

Great story, thanks for sharing. Government officials, banking services ..... such games we have played on us.

----------


## Headworx

Just checked the Forum database and the username _Lucky_ is free if you want to change your board name  :Smile:

----------


## cyrille

Jaysus.

TiT

----------


## katie23

@dill - topper could teach English online from PI, like what Simon43 does now in Laos. But I don't know if it would pay as much as what he's getting now. 

Re: Dubai, if they decide to go - lots of Filipinos there. His wife will feel right at home. 

And yes, we use the BastardiZed US version of English in PI. How unciviliZed, right?  :Very Happy:

----------


## beerlaodrinker

https://laotiantimes.com/2019/10/18/...xU4leB0v8O7ecw.
No more VOA  on arrival at savan airport.

Savannakhet...... A shithole on the banks of the mekong  whos only redeeming feature is a couple of ok resto,s 
and a Thai consulate.    Now it seems its not  only a pain in the ass to get out of it now seems they want to make it a pain in the ass to get into as well.

One would think that if you had a city like savannakhet with fuck all to see & do you would make tourist visas easier. Not harder.  And BTW the E  visa costs $15 more than the VOA.

----------


## cyrille

> Re: Dubai, if they decide to go - lots of Filipinos there. His wife will feel right at home.


Well, yes and no.  :Very Happy: 

There are lots of...umm...'authentic' Filipino restaurants there anyway.

And nightclubs.

And of course entertainers.

----------


## aging one

> After we get this done, I'm gold for work for the foreseeable future which means the wife's visa is secure.


can you expand on this Tops?  I just don't see at your age and your job how you could really be golden. You are both foreigners here. Do you have a pulse on Thai life at all? Example if you had a Thai wife she would have figured out you were being scammed at the Lao airport with regard to the "show money" as she would have understood what was being said. But neither of you have a clue. You two don't know real Thai food or even the culture. 

It just seems you would be better off back where you wife is from.  Please comment as I am trying to be as polite as possible but also not understanding your situation at all.

----------


## thaiguzzi

> https://laotiantimes.com/2019/10/18/...xU4leB0v8O7ecw.
> No more VOA  on arrival at savan airport.
> 
> Savannakhet...... A shithole on the banks of the mekong  whos only redeeming feature is a couple of ok resto,s 
> and a Thai consulate.    Now it seems its not  only a pain in the ass to get out of it now seems they want to make it a pain in the ass to get into as well.
> 
> One would think that if you had a city like savannakhet with fuck all to see & do you would make tourist visas easier. Not harder.  And BTW the E  visa costs $15 more than the VOA.


Is'nt Savannakhet Laos' 2nd city?
Like Birmingham is to England?
Geez, no VOA at the 2nd biggest city in a country.

----------


## Topper

> @dill - topper could teach English online from PI, like what Simon43 does now in Laos. But I don't know if it would pay as much as what he's getting now.


That's exactly our mid term plan.  Once I pop 60 years of age I can start drawing what little retirement funds and then later social security.  We plan to fly to Bacolod in April to set up a bank account in both our names in which to deposit the money into to establish a "history" of reliable deposits and then use that money for a house loan.




> I just don't see at your age and your job how you could really be golden.


I'm only 57 AO and fairly competent at what I do.  I'm also fairly knowledgeable about "Farang Life In A Thai School" and am regularly booked to give lectures to new teachers during April and October. 




> Do you have a pulse on Thai life at all? Example if you had a Thai wife she would have figured out you were being scammed at the Lao airport with regard to the "show money" as she would have understood what was being said.


The show money is a legal requirement, not a scam.  We had to sign a ton of documents stating that we were responsible for whatever happened when we arrived at Thai immigration and I'm betting a basic google search would confirm it's not a scam, it be the rules.




> It just seems you would be better off back where you wife is from.


I think from what I've repeatedly posted that both the wife and I agreed with you.

----------


## Neverna

> We plan to fly to Bacolod in April to set up a bank account in both our names in which to deposit the money into to establish a "history" of reliable deposits and then use that money for a house loan.


Good luck.  :Smile: 




> MANILA, Philippines – President Duterte has directed controversial police official Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido to “kill everybody” in Bacolod City, which he said is “badly hit” by illegal drugs.
> 
> “Bacolod is badly hit now and I placed Espenido there because he is the only police official feared the most. And I told him to go there and you are free to kill everybody. ‘Go, start killing them’,” Duterte said. 
> 
> October 19, 2019 
> https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2...rybody-bacolod

----------


## Topper

^ thanks!  

Well, I'm guessing the purge will only lower property prices.   :Smile:

----------


## Jack meoff

Always look on the bright side  :Smile:

----------


## Topper

> Always look on the bright side


LOL...We do laugh about it.  It's really all we can do.

I was teasing the wife that it would be her turn in jail next.  While she wasn't laughing at the time, she found the humor later.

Living and loving with a healthy sense of humor is what keeps us going.

----------


## Jack meoff

You should write a book.

----------


## fishlocker

Hilarity is one of Sigmund Freud's 14 defense mechanisms. Use it myself sometimes. Like in the locker room.  Yea I said it looks big in her hands.

Did I tell you about the time in Laos I told a school girl i had a roll of nickels in my pocket and if she squeezed it long enough it would turn into a roll of quarters.



fffish

----------


## Topper

> You should write a book.


It's on the long term list, to be published after I move to the PI.

----------


## Jack meoff

I am drafting one now.

Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Australia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Yemen, Egypt, saudi, Emirates, Tunisia, Jordan, Cyprus,   Canada, USA, Mexico, Belize, Falklands.

Russia and nearly every Euro country.

Worked in most of them, some great stories in all.

----------


## fishlocker

Another beer?

----------


## Jack meoff

I deserve one, Thanks

----------


## cyrille

> I am drafting one now.



Eyem shoor the publishers wil bee intrested.

 :rofl:

----------


## katie23

@topper - ah, so your wife is from Bacolod. I thought she was from Cebu or thereabouts.

I've been to Bacolod some years ago - I liked the area around the provincial capitol, very open & airy.  My friends and I also went to a nature park - somewhere near the mountains. Your wife probably knows it.

Funny now, I remember that I saw a guy from my hometown, in that nature park, of all places! We studied in the same high school, he was one year ahead of me. We didn't really greet each other back then. But when we saw each other in Bacolod, it was like seeing an old friend. It was like, what are you doing here?!! Turned out that he was on leave, visiting his GF's family & area in/near Bacolod. I was on holiday, staying with a friend in Iloilo city, and my friend (and her sisters) - we took the ferry from Iloilo to Bacolod and went out on a day trip. Good memories.

But I digress. Bacolod city - it was very provincial, from what I remember. During that time, no big malls or condos. I don't know now - probably more buildings from the big developers like Ayala, Filinvest or SM Corp, or the Gaisano group.

Good thing about the province is that cost of living is cheaper.  You can probably rent a nice apartment for 6-10k pesos/ month, and you'll be near beaches, which is a plus.

Again, good luck in your future plans and I hope you make the move to PI sooner rather than later, for both your sakes!  :Smile:

----------


## Topper

Thanks Katie!

----------


## Topper

Yea!

One of the teachers I work with on the weekend is married to a lady from Laos.  I asked him if he'd be interested in taking the kip off of me and said yes and at a good rate.


YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

----------


## Topper

Oh, I forgot the last bit of gobsmackedness that exists at Swampy....

We were walked though immigration and we're following the signs to Customs.  Green lane, nothing to declare, Red lane, you need to declare something....

Only we (everybody) walked through where customs was supposed to be right out into the public area of the airport.

I could have been carrying literally anything on me (no real security check at Savannakhet) and just traipsed on into Thailand.   As of Friday, there was no customs check at Swampy.

----------


## Jack meoff

> Eyem shoor the publishers wil bee intrested.


Your  life is very interesting, A one liner paperback at best.
 Poverty in a treehouse , control freak slavery springs to mind.

----------


## HuangLao

> Your  life is very interesting, A one liner paperback at best.
>  Poverty in a treehouse , control freak slavery springs to mind.


Vacant of humility, I'm sure he's always felt a bit queasy towards those he feels supercilious [faux haughty manner] to, yet have much more worldly experience and exposure. 
All apart of the false act - smug and condescending.....twisted sociopathetic extensions.
Fabricated, for those silly enough to consider him truer than what he attempts to pass himself off as. 

Oh well.
Guess it has it's place. 

 :Smile:

----------


## cyrille

> Guess it has it's place.


I wish your apostrophes would find theirs, you babbling simpleton.  :Very Happy:

----------


## Jack meoff

^^That sums up his best inabilities.

----------


## cyrille

When's you're buk coming owt then?

Is Chitty righting the fourward?

 ::doglol::

----------


## Jack meoff

^Brummie humour fail

----------


## raycarey

> One of the teachers I work with on the weekend is married to a lady from Laos. I asked him if he'd be interested in taking the kip off of me and said yes and at a good rate.


nice.   :Smile:

----------

