Living in Thailand. Isn't it simply beautiful.

[Another Farang]

Hey Chairman,
what sort of volunteer work are you doing? Are you independent, or are you working through an NGO? I heard somewhere that thailand does not allow farangs to engage in charity (losing face thing)
let me know, would love to help.

[the dogcatcher]

Thailand is alot better than England.
That's not saying much though.
Thai food is ok, just, as long as it's not the weeds in water variety or cremated fragments of rat, ok squirrel then.
Women are thieving bitched but still look 18 when they are 30 with cute little boxes to match.
The part where I live is very pretty, I hate Bangkok but love Pattaya for all the reasons everyone else hates it for.
All in all I'm staying in Thailand for now.

[SEA Traveler]

Finding the nice things about the country one has decided to take up residency in allow for some peace of mind.

The simple life here in Thai appeals to me and thankfully the cusine is to my liking although I do still enjoy a western meal ocassionally. I like being content with what choses in life I have made and finding options to avert any displeasures and to make the choices made even better seems to work just fine for me.

"Don't worry about the small stuff....... and it is all small stuff".

[Chairman Mao]

What a wonderful day.

Can't beat an early rise, steaming cup of freshly ground coffee and freshly baked croissants. Then on the bike for a lovely ride. Amazingly after only 40 mins or so I was bang in centre of the majestic old capital. Thank you brilliant infrastructure. Blue skies and warm sun. Beautiful.

Nice little restaurant just across from Wat Ratburana. Believe it used to be called Malakor, and was famed for the best coffee in Ayuthaya. Is called Ruen Rojjana nowadays. Has a nice view:



Would be quite a nice place for dinner I imagine as they say there's a light show at 6.30 when lighting up the main monuments in view.

Nice place for a sit down and bit of easy reading.



Didn't take much photos, except for a few of the elephant rides. The little niece back home is fascinated about elephants and the wild jungle of exotic 'Tyland' having seen the pics of uncle Mao being chased by a wild elephant (Phra Khiri Khan, and being chased by a wild elephant.)while riding through the glorious wilderness.



Am sure ye've all been to majestic Ayuthaya anyway, so just a few pics from the last time I was up there a few years ago.





And back home for lunch... Minus the 200b fine for not driving in the left hand lane.

It really is brilliant here eh, only ever got done for speeding once back home, and it was either 50 or 80 quid, and the hassle of going down to the copshop etc. Here it's half the fine it should be, paid on the spot, a few salutes and bit of friendly banter, and you're on your way 10 seconds later with everything taken care of... for 4 Euro. Brilliant!

Time to get a bit of study done now anyway, then maybe down for an hours oil massage, for less than a tenner!

What a country, what a life. Cheers chaps.

[Chairman Mao]

what sort of volunteer work are you doing?
Are you independent, or are you working through an NGO?

Independent. Usually work with disadvantaged children. (non governmental)

I heard somewhere that thailand does not allow farangs to engage in charity

Nope. Nonsense. Was probably said by a bitter who failed to find anything but guttertrash and filth in their life here. Unfortunately there's quite a lot of them around just seething with misplaced contempt for this beautiful Kingdom and its people.

No problem at all. Best of luck with it.

[sabang]

Got up this morning. Early. Tried to make some instant coffee, spilled it but still gotta cup, in shite with the strife.

[sabang]

Took her ages to get my proper brewed coffee.

[dirtydog]

Thai cuisine is heaven IMO

Personally I don't particulary like Thai food.

Larb Gai

Ahh Laab Gai, my favourite Lao dish, hows your hiso Lao Chinese Thai girlfriend today?

[Mid]

Visas are a necessary fact of international work, and are unnecessarily complicated. You are required by Thai law to hold a volunteering visa for any volunteer work you may do in the Kingdom. Once you've signed up to volunteer, we'll help you to work through the application process while in your home country. You will have to send your passport and an application to the Thai consulate/embassy in your country, where it will be processed and a visa will be added to your passport. If you don't have a passport, you'll have to apply for one before a visa can be attained.

If you decide to stay longer in Thailand, we can advise you on how best to extend your visa. In some cases, it may be more convenient for you to exit to a neighbouring country and re-enter Thailand on a new visa. Either way, we'll help you to figure out what's easiest.

*Important note it is a legal requirement to obtain a volunteer visa. Any organsisation that advises getting a tourist visa is putting you at risk of arrest and or deportation.

why volunteer - volunteerism program thailand

[aging one]

Thank you brilliant infrastructure. Blue skies and warm sun. Beautiful.

Windup comes to mind. If not drugs, if not God, if not I havent got a clue but I wish it would happen to me.

[Chairman Mao]

Larb Gai

Ahh Laab Gai, my favourite Lao dish

Fair nuff, will take your word for it. Only ever had it in Thailand. Believe it's readily available throughout the Kingdom. Thai gf cooks it up gorgeously. So consider it as a part of Thai cuisine. If originally from Lao though, hats off to them Lao folk, they Larb a good Gai.

Thank you brilliant infrastructure. Blue skies and warm sun. Beautiful.

Windup comes to mind. If not drugs, if not God, if not I havent got a clue but I wish it would happen to me.

Not at all. Out of my pad before 8 am. Up onto Viphawadii-Rangsit in no time. Then outside lane in the cool morning air and glorious morning sun the whole way up to Ayuthaya. Beautiful.

[aging one]

Then outside lane in the cool morning air and glorious morning sun the whole way up to Ayuthaya. Beautiful.

I drove to Kasetsart at 7:15am. It was hot and humid when I left with the window down. So I put it up.

[Chairman Mao]

Beautiful on a bike, in a light shirt, at 120+kph.

Stuff dreams are made of.

Especially as I got an email from my sister last week... which I can open now in 2 seconds...

We were kinda stranded down in ****** cos ***** was still frozen over, and it threw everything up in teh air, no work/creche, CRAZY weather! 2 days ago was the 1st day without ice on the puddles of water outside since about the 18th December. Just mental. Beautiful to see but nuts.

Give me Thai heaven.

Nothing but a light shirt (to protect from the sun), shorts and sandals for your February morning ride... Cheers chaps.

[somtamslap]

Being on a bike is the only way to combat this fucking weather at the moment..although it's like riding into a fan assisted oven...

Beautiful? Certainly some of it...just a few too many plastic bags and dumped crap in the urban areas and a general lack of upkeep to just about everything.

Nice thread mate..thanks for the pics..continue to enjoy...

[Mr Earl]

Thailand would be perfect if the local food wasnt complete crap......

Really?? It must be a Pattaya thing!

The local food here around Ranong is superb and inexpensive. Duck, pork, seafood, Lao style, Chinese style, Thai style, you name it it's all pretty damn good around here.
I can even get a decent cheeseburger for 100 baht or an nice ostrich steak for 300.
There's even a cocktail bar were the master barkeep make the best margarita in Thailand.



Pop on down here and I'll show what's good

[StrontiumDog]

I'm worried about Chairman Mao.

Whoever you are that's posting under his nick, where is he and what have you done with him?

[Mr Earl]

^yer right this isn't the Chairman:

Life in Thailand. So beautiful. So Amazing. So Perfect.

[Chairman Mao]

Just back from a few black labels down the local. Yup, seems pretty perfect to me.

[Patangko]

What a wonderful day.

Can't beat an early rise, steaming cup of freshly ground coffee and freshly baked croissants. Then on the bike for a lovely ride. Amazingly after only 40 mins or so I was bang in centre of the majestic old capital. Thank you brilliant infrastructure. Blue skies and warm sun. Beautiful.

Nice little restaurant just across from Wat Ratburana. Believe it used to be called Malakor, and was famed for the best coffee in Ayuthaya. Is called Ruen Rojjana nowadays. Has a nice view:

Would be quite a nice place for dinner I imagine as they say there's a light show at 6.30 when lighting up the main monuments in view.

Nice place for a sit down and bit of easy reading.

Didn't take much photos, except for a few of the elephant rides. The little niece back home is fascinated about elephants and the wild jungle of exotic 'Tyland' having seen the pics of uncle Mao being chased by a wild elephant (Phra Khiri Khan, and being chased by a wild elephant.)while riding through the glorious wilderness.

Am sure ye've all been to majestic Ayuthaya anyway, so just a few pics from the last time I was up there a few years ago.

And back home for lunch... Minus the 200b fine for not driving in the left hand lane.

It really is brilliant here eh, only ever got done for speeding once back home, and it was either 50 or 80 quid, and the hassle of going down to the copshop etc. Here it's half the fine it should be, paid on the spot, a few salutes and bit of friendly banter, and you're on your way 10 seconds later with everything taken care of... for 4 Euro. Brilliant!

Time to get a bit of study done now anyway, then maybe down for an hours oil massage, for less than a tenner!

What a country, what a life. Cheers chaps.

Mao, Thanks for the sincere upbeat message. Life is a mirror of your mind and your view is a hell of a lot better than most of the negative limey stuff around. I totally share your charity actions for kids. We, Dr. Penguin and myself, the Laughing Wizards, perform free comical magic shows for back road schools in the most impoverished areas of Thailand. After the shows we hand out small first aid kits, tooth brushes and tooth paste and basic school necessities. Once you see those kids crying from laughter there is no way back. I plan to do this till I am 85 and yes, I may inspire others to find this fulfillment. Whats the alternative, sitting in a bar drinking cheap booze chatting up girls who are old enough to be your daughter? Wait who's fitting the shoe.

[elche]

Western world food is bland. The commercial grown food we eat is tasteless compared to anything else in the world. Try a carrot, or a pea, or an apple out of a backyard garden and you will realize how tasteless grocery food is. People shop on price first, then quality. Ever wonder why Walmart is so large?

And if you think salt, sugar, and fat is a delicious diet, you are really missing out on good food, not to mention healthy food, Thailand included.

Just keep in mind that North American diets lead to arteriosclorosis, something that is rare in Asia. Completely remove processed food and fast food from your diet, if you are concerned about your health. I've seen too many hard core athletes, marathoners included, have by-pass surgery in their 40s and 50s because they had a shitty diet. Once you get off a North American diet, you will realize how awful it tastes.

[the dogcatcher]

I have to admit that the fruit from the market ie mango, pineapple etc is brilliante.
Not like the garbage that the supermarkets in England try to pass off as quality.
But rat and weeds and fishy water? Not for me.
As for charity work. My version is I record the Thai language History channel, Discovery channel TV shows etc, put them on DVD and give them to the local school. Not charity but well received and educational to all, including the teachers.
As for sitting in bars, chatting up and having sex with girls young enough to be my daughter, well I do that as well.
TIT..

[Rural Surin]

Thailand would be perfect if the local food wasnt complete crap......

Really? After a few years of it slowly growing on me, I find it one of the most interesting, and down right tasty cuisines in the world. Not your dirty soi food that's been sitting in a pot for 15 hours, but if you have a Thai partner who is great in the kitchen, it's simply gastronomical heaven.

Well said Lar......even from you.

[Patangko]

I have to admit that the fruit from the market ie mango, pineapple etc is brilliante.
Not like the garbage that the supermarkets in England try to pass off as quality.
But rat and weeds and fishy water? Not for me.
As for charity work. My version is I record the Thai language History channel, Discovery channel TV shows etc, put them on DVD and give them to the local school. Not charity but well received and educational to all, including the teachers.
As for sitting in bars, chatting up and having sex with girls young enough to be my daughter, well I do that as well.
TIT..

Wish you many daughters in your life and no, this is not TIT, this is you.

[wefearourdespot]

As for sitting in bars, chatting up and having sex with girls young enough to be my daughter, well I do that as well.
TIT..

Wish you many daughters in your life and no, this is not TIT, this is you.

Well, if they are pretty and he sends them all to work in bar, he gets a sweet retirement for sure.

[Smug Farang Bore]

The food my lot eat looks like a fokin nature trail. Joy the girl that works for me cooked Haggis, neeps and tatties last night and the Thai love it.