show us your neighbourhood

[ChiangMai noon]

I really like my new neighbourhood.

the one I'll be moving out to soon.

it's quiet, relaxed and has plenty of interesting characters.

It is located some 20 kilometres East of ChiangMai on a small road between Doi Saket and Sang Khampeng.

The neighbours are genuinely friendly and a million worlds removed from the high so wannabe kunts on my present middle class housing estate.

This old chap is wonderful.
Every time he hears my bike pull up he comes out for a chat.
I spend hours chatting to him and my Thai is improving because of it.



He is the father in law of the builder in charge of my house construction and has been very helpful indeed.

He is also the local barber.

[ChiangMai noon]

today I fukked my leg up after putting my bike down deliberately in order to avoid a collision.

he used some sort of leaf as a medication.

squeezed the sap out onto the wound and it dried very quickly.




relaxing after the surgery...

[ChiangMai noon]

he breeds insects underneath his house for sale and consumption by the tasteless.

you can also see some bee boxes pegged to the pillars where he grows his honey.

[ChiangMai noon]

a view from his gate of my little house under construction.




he has a nice toilet.

[ChiangMai noon]

my next door neighbour lives in there.




she's a lovely old dear, about 70 years old and fighting fit.

can't be more than 4 feet tall.

she likes to make me a cuppa whenever i go to the house sans wife.

another view of her little home.

her son did the brick work.

[terry57]

Got to tell you Nooners, I really like these old Thai foke out in the boonies as there's some real nice people and they just cruise along.

Isaan was a brilliant experience for me as I had many great contacts with these old up country people and there kindness was humbling.

Sort of disturbs me when punters say all Thais are konts as its simply not true and it makes me wonder how much of Thailand these people have really experienced.

[ChiangMai noon]

Sort of disturbs me when punters say all Thais are konts as its simply not true and it makes me wonder how much of Thailand these people have really experienced.

agree with that Terry.

i think the bulk of them out in the sticks are genuinely kind.

the ones on my housing estate, not so much.

[dirtydog]

Your very white, don't suppose you get much of a suntan spending your time in bars and that....

[ChiangMai noon]

my legs are white.

very tanned face and arms though.

must start wearing shorts on the golf course.

[kingwilly]

must start wearing shorts on the golf course

as opposed to on motorbikes ya numpty.

BTW - anyone eva mention that you have Chicken legs?

[ChiangMai noon]

as opposed to on motorbikes ya numpty.

had i been wearing my nice jeans, they'd have been all busted up too.

my wife got really lucky and fell on top of me as we slid.

I was very disappointed in the car driver that was careering toiwards me after overtaking on a blind bend forcing me to hit the dirt or him.

he wouldn't even open the window for me to punch him in the nose.

[NickA]

i think the bulk of them out in the sticks are genuinely kind.

I live in a middle class village and there are a few high so wannabe kunts, but there are still plenty of nice people around and all my neighbours are friendly... I suppose I should do some pictures, but I'm painting on a deadline....

[NickA]

Ok then, if you insist, here's next door's maid and a lady from down the street. They sit and eat som tam and fish and chicken and ice-creams here from 3 to 6 every day.

[kingwilly]

I suppose I should do some pictures, but I'm painting on a deadline....

Ok then, if you insist,

we didnt.

[NickA]

^you didn't what?

[kingwilly]

didnt insist

[CharleyFarley]

Had very similar damage when I came off my three wheeler and ended up in the klong.
The locals were very kind after they finished laughing.

Get some Huradoid to prevent scarring.

[nedwalk]

what,s the name of the medicanal plant they are useing on ya noonie? it looks famaliar

[rawlins]

Very good CMN... Should be in for some good scab picking in a few days.....

Ok then, if you insist... here's my neighbourhood....

[ChiangMai noon]

what,s the name of the medicanal plant they are useing on ya noonie? it looks famaliar

honestly don't know.

the thais had no idea what it was called which is unusual because they know their leaves pretty well.

apparently it goagulates blood.

it really worked.

i'm very impressed with it.

[slimboyfat]

I took some pics one Sunday morning a couple of weeks back as I was trying out a new camera.

I live in one of these HDB blocks of flats. Only one suicide from our block so far since we have lived here, and he came from another block just to do the deed. Jumped from the 6th floor, which is interesting. Personally I would have gone from the top floor because if a job's doing worth doing its worth doing well.
Funnily enough although crime is so low that burglaries will make the newspaper, suicides rarely do unless someone jumps with his own kids or something (that happened with a boy at my sons school).



The void decks at the base of these blocks get used for Malay weddings, Chinese funerals but on that day the local Buddhist organisation were collecting old things from people for charity or something.



Now some pics taken along Upper Thomson Road as we made our lazy Sunday style way to the Roti Prata House for something to eat.

Does this woman not know that jaywalking can result in a hefty fine?



Along this stretch are a couple of neighbourhood pubs and an increasing number of tui na shops - well they pretend to be tradtional chinese massage places but are really just f**k shops. I have never tried any of them as it's too close to home and I would definitely be recognised by someone or other that my wife knows.





One thing I like about these places is that everyone comes here to eat, from captains of industry to taxi drivers. And on a weekend everyone is dressed pretty much the same so its hard to tell which is which.



Another white person around here! Just passing through though by the looks of it.



This old lady buys fruit from the market and lugs it to the main road to sell for a small profit. I helped her carry some of her stuff once and got a free mango. Result!



I have lived in this area for 13 years (apart from periods when I get kicked out by the wife - should be due another one of those soon). Just around the corner is the block of flats at Sin Ming road that we lived in for 6 years - 3 of those years with only a squat down toilet. 2 suicides from this block while we were living there, one witnessed by my wife and children - I missed all the action as I was away at sea at the time.



Our destination





Maybe you could pass this revolutionary drainage idea to the Indonesian authorities KW. It helps prevent flooding and such.



If I won the lottery a couple of times I would buy a house in this kind of street below just behind Sin Ming Rd - until then I will be sticking to HDB flat living with the rest of Singapore life's strugglers.



I enjoy living where I do but I can certainly see the attraction of the Thailand lifestyle. Here I am well and truly caught up in the rat race and feel a tad envious of CMN - apart from the being a short arse welshman bit obviously.

[Looper]

The first (and it will probably be the last) time I went to Karaoke in BKK I ended up sat beside the drunk colleague of the bird I was accompanying.

He would have fitted in here as he certainly could talk a load of cock.

[slimboyfat]

I have never been in there. The Fosters sign put me off

[NickA]

didnt insist

Fluck off

Ok then, if you insist.

We didn't

By the way Noony, have you borrowed tristram's keyboard?

[klongmaster]

Great pic SBF (The Original)...you're a lucky man with kids like that...