Phrae is REAL THAILAND!

[Nakham Kevin]

I have lived in the mountains of Phrae for close to three years now. Several people have told me in blogs that Phrae is too remote, my house/resort/farm is grossly overbuilt for the area, and that most tourists don't come to Phrae. Yes, yes, and yes; and I would not change a thing!

I agree with all those points, and let me tell you why. I can reach my home/resort/farm in 30 minutes of driving up winding mountain back topped roads. On a normal trip up to the mountain I am waved at by no less than 10 people. All the kids who see me, my wife, or my two kids yell "Hello Farang!" or "Ban Farang" and wave their hands. I also have to stop almost every trip for a farmer crossing the road with his herd of Thai cows, or a herd of Kwai. If I choose to stop at the local store for a Chang, Hong Tong, or even an occasional bag of Lao, I am never told it’s a Holiday, or it’s the wrong time to sell this. I am just greeted by the lady at the store, asked about the wife or kids, and chit chat for a few minutes. At times, as I am driving by, the store owner waves me down to tell me that someone was asking about Ban Farang or something else relating to our families life. Sometimes I am stopped to be told "The kids were driving a little fast yesterday", or "I saw a girl on the back of your son's bike. Does he have a girl friend?"

When I get home, I relax on my Sala, enjoy a cold beer while gazing at the mountains that surround me, and wave or say hi to farmers as they return home from their fields. Some farangs may worry about being so far in the mountains, or about their safety here or about crime. Well to give you an idea, a few years ago, I purchased a pick-up truck for farm duties. It has sat in my parking lot, unlocked, with the keys hanging in the ignition for over two years now. When we leave to go to Bangkok, or out of town, that truck still sits there, with everyone in the village knowing the keys are in it, unbothered until we return. If I am occasionally in Phrae after dark, I will always get a call from one or more people from the village asking if we are out of town, or something is wrong,; all because, the lights are off at Ban Farang. We have several ladies from the village who, several times each week, bring pumpkins, fish paste, cooked bamboo, or other items they just want to share. They don't want money, or things in return, they are just stopping by to say hello!

We have no gates, or high walls on our property. In over three years we have never had anything ever stolen from inside, outside, or around our property. The locals are great people who love farangs. Local kids on field trips, or local VIP's always stop to say hi, and get their pictures taken at Ban Farang.

We did have one encounter with the Police though! The only way I knew he was a police officer was that he had his gun on, and showed ID. Yes, there are fat Thai Police, and they don't always wear uniforms. He had hear that new people had bought the place, and he wanted to stop by say hello, and give us his cell phone if we ever needed him. Oh, and of course, he wanted a picture with the farang family in front of Ban Farang.

To answer the posts about the house being overbuilt. Your damn right it is overbuilt! My house/resort/farm is not just overbuilt, it is larger than any other house in the sub-district. It dominates the hillside and village. You can go to anyone within a 20 km radius of the house and ask where is Ban Farang, and you will be pointed there. Even when my family and I are shopping in Phrae it is not at all uncommon to hear kids whisper "Ban Farang" to their parents. Sure maybe the place is reminiscent of the middle-age castles overlooking the village below, but I love it. I love the high profile!

I have spent most of my life working very hard. If I was still in the United States, I would be in a small house in suburbia, have a house payment, and be driving an older car. Just waiting for my turn to die. If I had settled like many others in Bangkok or Chaing Mai, I would be in some little gated community, hiding behind high walls, guards, and high gates. I would know very few of my Thai neighbors, would eat farang food, socialize with farangs, and try to understand what is so great about Thailand anyway.

I don't want to be one of hundreds of other little ducks in a very, very big pond, I want to be the only duck in a very little pond.

I love living in Phrae, and even though I have to sell my house/resort/farm in the mountains, www.nakham.com I will live in Phrae the rest of my life. I would not trade Phrae for anywhere, else on earth.

If you want to experience real authentic Thailand, and learn the wonders of real Thai people, you can't do it hanging out with other farangs in Bangkok, Chaing Mai, Pattaya, or some other big city. Cities which long ago had its, and its peoples culture, bastardized and sold out in the pursuit of the all mighty dollar.

If you want to really see what is so special about Thailand, and see why it's the land of smiles, then come to Phrae. You will find that, yes, it is remote, but remote in a very special and magical way.

Quack, Quack!

[pescator]

Good on you, mate.

[Sailing into trouble]

Yip 100% agree. Best place I have been is Loei. Same sort of attitude and nice people. All i have to do is convince my Thai wife that the South Pacific is not as great as she seems to think.

[liveinlos]

The same experience can be had in ANY rural Thai area where there are no or very few farangs. Phrae is not unique in that aspect. There are still many people in Isaan who have never seen a farang in person.

[nidhogg]

Three years, and they still call you "the farang"? really?

[Zooheekock]

Where is the unreal Thailand, I wonder.

[FailSafe]

Where is the unreal Thailand, I wonder.

Anywhere there's more than one wealthy farang, apparently.

[Exige]

I don't want to be one of hundreds of other little ducks in a very, very big pond, I want to be the only duck in a very little pond.

If you want to experience real authentic Thailand, and learn the wonders of real Thai people, you can't do it hanging out with other farangs

And yet you want farangs to come to Phrae.

Anyway you have a good life, best keep it to yourself. You don't want Marmite moving in next door.

[DrAndy]

Nice Op, very positive, always good to hear from a happy farang

does the local pharmacy let you have pills without prescription?

[poorfalang]

I don't want to be one of hundreds of other little ducks in a very, very big pond, I want to be the only duck in a very little pond.

as long as you are happy
welcome to TD by the way
is your wife also 25 years younger than you?

[Nakham Kevin]

Nice Op, very positive, always good to hear from a happy farang

does the local pharmacy let you have pills without prescription?

Thanks for positive feedback!

The local pharmacy is very helpful in most circumstances. In most cases, Class A still need to be filled at hospital, but most other medications such as antibiotics, hypertension, stress, diabetic, etc are cared for at pharmacy.

Kevin

[Nakham Kevin]

I don't want to be one of hundreds of other little ducks in a very, very big pond, I want to be the only duck in a very little pond.

as long as you are happy
welcome to TD by the way
is your wife also 25 years younger than you?

Thank you for the warm welcome!

My wife is Thai, and we have been happily married for 10 years now and she is less and 25 years younger than me.

Kevin

[pescator]

Some farangs may worry about being so far in the mountains, or about their safety here or about crime. Well to give you an idea, a few years ago, I purchased a pick-up truck for farm duties. It has sat in my parking lot, unlocked, with the keys hanging in the ignition for over two years now. When we leave to go to Bangkok, or out of town, that truck still sits there, with everyone in the village knowing the keys are in it, unbothered until we return. If I am occasionally in Phrae after dark, I will always get a call from one or more people from the village asking if we are out of town, or something is wrong,; all because, the lights are off at Ban Farang.

You are lucky.
In "my" Issan village where I used to live, I noticed how several of the village dwellers as well as my own family brought their "Kwai Lek", the garden tractor upstairs in their stilt houses during the dry season.
"Why the fok do they do that"?, I asked the missus.

"It will most likely be stolen otherwise" was her laconic reply.

After dusk and just about every night, I could hear the sound of chain saws cutting logs despite of the logging ban.

My brother-in-law was a "great" poacher who liked to roam the national parks for jungle food.
One day he brought home a heron, with little more meat on it than a 10 day old chicken.
"Hunting in national parks are so much better than here"

I wanted to slap him for that, but as a farang I had to bite it.
They will never change their ways.

His 2 sons, he sent out running every morning before school, barefooted.
They had to be hard to do Muay Thai boxing at the age of 11 and 12.
He would bet on the result and came to me one day saying, that he lost a lot of money on one bet and if I could help him out.

I really lost it on this occasion, not because of his loss, but because of what he made his boys go through at this young age.
I gave him a good reading of my mind, he didnt like that too much.
But enough is enough.
That dumb fok sorry ass loser had it coming.

I guess that I am not in his will.

I am just giving these examples to illustrate that life upcountry is not necessarily all rosy.

Btw I have many more that I shall not bore you with.

[Nakham Kevin]

Some farangs may worry about being so far in the mountains, or about their safety here or about crime. Well to give you an idea, a few years ago, I purchased a pick-up truck for farm duties. It has sat in my parking lot, unlocked, with the keys hanging in the ignition for over two years now. When we leave to go to Bangkok, or out of town, that truck still sits there, with everyone in the village knowing the keys are in it, unbothered until we return. If I am occasionally in Phrae after dark, I will always get a call from one or more people from the village asking if we are out of town, or something is wrong,; all because, the lights are off at Ban Farang.

You are lucky.
In "my" Issan village where I used to live, I noticed how several of the village dwellers as well as my own family brought their "Kwai Lek", the garden tractor upstairs in their stilt houses during the dry season.
"Why the fok do they do that"?, I asked the missus.

"It will most likely be stolen otherwise" was her laconic reply.

After dusk and just about every night, I could hear the sound of chain saws cutting logs despite of the logging ban.

My brother-in-law was a "great" poacher who liked to roam the national parks for jungle food.
One day he brought home a heron, with little more meat on it than a 10 day old chicken.
"Hunting in national parks are so much better than here"

I wanted to slap him for that, but as a farang I had to bite it.
They will never change their ways.

His 2 sons, he sent out running every morning before school, barefooted.
They had to be hard to do Muay Thai boxing at the age of 11 and 12.
He would bet on the result and came to me one day saying, that he lost a lot of money on one bet and if I could help him out.

I really lost it on this occasion, not because of his loss, but because of what he made his boys go through at this young age.
I gave him a good reading of my mind, he didnt like that too much.
But enough is enough.
That dumb fok sorry ass loser had it coming.

I guess that I am not in his will.

I am just giving these examples to illustrate that life upcountry is not necessarily all rosy.

Btw I have many more that I shall not bore you with.

I have heard so many stories like that, and I agree it happens more than it does not happen.

I agree I am VERY lucky. I feared all that you explained but somehow I ended up in a village of only 28 houses, and I have had none of the bad experiences you described.

I agree you do have to be very careful in Thailand, like I siad i just got real lucky with the village we ended up in.
Kevin

[pescator]

You go strong, Kevin

[somtamslap]

It has sat in my parking lot, unlocked, with the keys hanging in the ignition for over two years now.

Sorry. Where exactly do you live again?

[ltnt]

Good read Kevin. I trust the posting of your property for sale has rankled you a bit regarding posters opinions on its remote location?

I wouldn't be to concerned about it as there is always someone who will find your location perfect for their dream home. Just hope they can continue the good relationship that you've established within the local community.

I recall driving through Phrae and enjoyed the place and its scenery. To bad you need to relocate.

Do you cross a mountain stream to enter your property by any chance?

[Ascotkiwi]

Good story. Thank you

[Necron99]

Good on you, there are always knockers, but each to his own, if you enjoy it good luck.

[Nakham Kevin]

See Attempt to Reply # 2 below!
Ha Ha

[Nakham Kevin]

Good read Kevin. I trust the posting of your property for sale has rankled you a bit regarding posters opinions on its remote location?

I wouldn't be to concerned about it as there is always someone who will find your location perfect for their dream home. Just hope they can continue the good relationship that you've established within the local community.

I recall driving through Phrae and enjoyed the place and its scenery. To bad you need to relocate.

Do you cross a mountain stream to enter your property by any chance?

Here goes reply attempt two!

Yes as a mater of fact you do cross a small mountain stream to enter my property.

Why do you ask, have you been there before?

[ltnt]

Why do you ask, have you been there before?

Yes, I've driven past you're place. I thought I recognized it when you posted it for sale, but hesitated to inquire as I have no interest in purchasing it. thought better to let you work toward the sale than personal questions from non-buyers.

It is indeed a lovely spot and for sure someone who is looking for such a place will buy on viewing. The price is good for 4 acres or 16 rai, especially with the house and improvements. $5,000/mo income is also attractive, 150,000 baht/mo.

Have you shopped your property to any agents in Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai? I would think you would get quite a few who would find your property of interest.

[woolyback]

Hi Kevin cracking post and a awesome place you have .

tell me to naff of but why are you selling ????

[Ozcol]

"My" little village is the same although all the locals within 3 villages ,kids included call me by name, wouldn't live anywhere else, only 20 minutes from Udon if I need some farang tucker.

[DrAndy]

Hi Kevin cracking post and a awesome place you have .

tell me to naff of but why are you selling ????

having realised that he was selling, it has now made sense

all those positive stories, just sales talk

I wonder what Kevin really thinks, having invested quite a bit of money in his dream house and land, then quitting after 2 years

a slightly more sophisticated spam post from a newbie