A Naive Expat in Thailand

[maraudingscot]

Well here I am in snny Satuke, and what a charming place it is 

Anyway TBWG I am still looking at going to Phanom Rung wat between 3rd and 5th So maybe meet up after that?


I know where the 711 is (been there many many times now)

Hope Oz trip was good? I failed to get to see it and do not even know wha the results were!

Anyway I have pm'd you my Thai mob numb.

Speak soon
Stan

[TBWG]

Well here I am in snny Satuke, and what a charming place it is 

Anyway TBWG I am still looking at going to Phanom Rung wat between 3rd and 5th So maybe meet up after that?


I know where the 711 is (been there many many times now)

Hope Oz trip was good? I failed to get to see it and do not even know wha the results were!

Anyway I have pm'd you my Thai mob numb.

Speak soon
Stan

Hi Stan

See rivetting nail biting in depth report in sports forum.
http://www.buriramexpats.com/forum/index.php/topic,2416.msg7497.html#new

TBWG

[maraudingscot]

 

Well sad to say I never got to meet TBWG, I did not even manage to get to Phanom Rhung either. I am sad to say that I spent the whole week ill in bed, even had the Thai family take me off to Buriram hospital to be checked out. Only some more antibiotics and come back in 3 days!!

So anyway promptly did so and yep more antibiotics and "have a nice holiday"

Anyway did feel a little better later on in the week (this now almost 2 weeks since falling ill) but had not eaten any proper food for over a week, decided to take off for Khon Khean!

Celebrated Songkram their, good fun and the Thais that we made friends with were very understanding that I was very Mai sabai and made sure that I did not over do it!

I felt a little better after some Farang food and as holiday was rapidely heading towards the end we decided to head down to Jomtien for the last 6 days, So after visit to Pattaya hospital. And yes more antibiotics......... So not one of my better holidays in Thailand, but at least I almost saw TBWG, fingers crossed for next time.... though I think some of the guys (Farangs) in Satuek need a better place to hang out! instead of the corner of the market!

Anyway it was a good experience and I will have to be more careful on next visit. Though think G/F's family are worried that I may not be back!!! 

[dave the dude]

Hi M Scot
Sorry your holiday went a bit 'pear shaped' but at least this way you still have a few exciting encounters to look forward too next time.
Get that Thailand 'Countdown' clock reset and start planning!
 
Cheers
Dave

[TBWG]

Hi Stan

I know why you were poorly, it is so that you could have all those nice girlie nurses taking your temperature (with a thermometer up the ***).

Anyhow, I am pleased that you now have enough medication to open a pharmacy in the UK!.  I agree that the farang market watering hole leaves a lot to be desired but that place really is the center of the universe for anything concerning Satuk.. Nothing happens here without the approval of its patrons.

Should you wish to open a more suitable meeting place in Satuk rather than a chemists in blighty, I am sure it would be much appreciated ~~~~~ in fact we already have a name for it in honour of the towns longest serving Farang resident a Canadian  so it has to be Canadian Club or alternatively Drink Canada Dry! 

See you next time!


TBWG

[dave the dude]

in fact we already have a name for it in honour of the towns longest serving Farang resident a Canadian  so it has to be Canadian Club or alternatively Drink Canada Dry! 

See you next time!


TBWG

 

[TELLBOY]

  you should write a book tbwg i not stoped 

[maraudingscot]

Should you wish to open a more suitable meeting place in Satuk rather than a chemists in blighty, I am sure it would be much appreciated ~~~~~ in fact we already have a name for it in honour of the towns longest serving Farang resident a Canadian  so it has to be Canadian Club or alternatively Drink Canada Dry! 

 

Good Idea, I did mention it to g/f during stay, but would barber sell establishment! lol "see idea" no need for us farangs to move just open where we sit already! Though imagine shop keeper would be upset, so would that also involve buying him out? mmmm price is doubling already!!
No problem in finding girls for establishment, just means they move from 7/11 across road to sell their wares!  . though local BIB would have to be greeted and smoothed.


mmmmmm g/f's parents would be mortified though. And half the peps I met were related in some way or other. Couldn't go anywhere with out meeting daughter of mother's cousin's husband's sisters boyfriend's niece, or was that niece of  uncle's wife's sister's husband mother?

So its a thought!

[dave the dude]

Should you wish to open a more suitable meeting place in Satuk rather than a chemists in blighty, I am sure it would be much appreciated ~~~~~ in fact we already have a name for it in honour of the towns longest serving Farang resident a Canadian  so it has to be Canadian Club or alternatively Drink Canada Dry! 

 

Good Idea, I did mention it to g/f during stay, but would barber sell establishment! lol "see idea" no need for us farangs to move just open where we sit already! Though imagine shop keeper would be upset, so would that also involve buying him out? mmmm price is doubling already!!
No problem in finding girls for establishment, just means they move from 7/11 across road to sell their wares!  . though local BIB would have to be greeted and smoothed.


mmmmmm g/f's parents would be mortified though. And half the peps I met were related in some way or other. Couldn't go anywhere with out meeting daughter of mother's cousin's husband's sisters boyfriend's niece, or was that niece of  uncle's wife's sister's husband mother?

So its a thought!

Very true, welcome to rural Thailand.

Thats why Bums go to Surin and Suriners go to Buriram (or Pattaya)

[maraudingscot]

Very true, welcome to rural Thailand.

Thats why Bums go to Surin and Suriners go to Buriram (or Pattaya)

Well still suffering effects of sore throat, I have a feeling that it must have been something I ate!!  Though worried at what g/f's mothers aunty (head woman of village too) said.. would g/f be looked after (money wise) if I died. I should have headed for the bus straight away after that! 

Anyway, did enjoy visit and will hopefully meet TBWG when I arrive in November. Thats if there is a Thailand left by then 

 

[dave the dude]

Very true, welcome to rural Thailand.

Thats why Bums go to Surin and Suriners go to Buriram (or Pattaya)

Well still suffering effects of sore throat, I have a feeling that it must have been something I ate!!  Though worried at what g/f's mothers aunty (head woman of village too) said.. would g/f be looked after (money wise) if I died. I should have headed for the bus straight away after that! 

Anyway, did enjoy visit and will hopefully meet TBWG when I arrive in November. Thats if there is a Thailand left by then 

 

Got a strong suspicion that he will be back in the UK. I think he told me last week (over a REAL beer) that he is going back in a couple of weeks time.

[nookiebear]

Well still suffering effects of sore throat, I have a feeling that it must have been something I ate!!  Though worried at what g/f's mothers aunty (head woman of village too) said.. would g/f be looked after (money wise) if I died. I should have headed for the bus straight away after that! 



 
[/quote]
You should keep looking over your shoulder...........Thai's have no compassion

[TBWG]

Hi Bums

More nail biting riveting reading  of a day i'd rather forget.

I should have known things would go wrong when a silver VIP Toyota people carrier (Why are they always silver?) turned up for our trip to Bangkok to apply for my stepsons visa.  I know it was VIP transport because it had it plastered in large letters along the side. However this term should be applied in the loosest possible manner when you saw the dubious collection of individuals on board, allied to the fact that this Executive transporter had at least a quarter of a million kilometers on the clock and was in bad need of a new windscreen which had large arcs scratched into it from wipers that needed replacing decades ago. Still it did pick you up from your door and drop you at your hotel in Bangkok.

Oh dear, this door to door service meant that we had a tour of further villages to pick up other VIP's!  So it was about another hour before we were actually Bangkok bound! It also meant that on arrival in Bangkok I had a free tour of various housing developments, Soi's, Hotels etc. Still it did mean I slept soundly when we finally arrived at the Hotel about 3 in the morning.

Well it was then up for an early start for the visa office, now this was a real ball tightener considering I need at least 8 hours beauty sleep each night to be at least half human.

A bit of explanation about this Visa lark, my eldest UK son is getting married in October and has invited Turbo my stepson to his wedding, bearing in mind that the Boss Lady has held a UK passport for the last 5 years, as offspring he has an automatic right to settle in the UK.  Why anyone would want to settle in the UK at the moment defeats me. It's overcrowded, bankrupt, overtaxed, over legislated, over speed camered, political correctness has gone barmy to the extent that a parent cannot take a photo of his own kids in a public place and the weather is crap to boot!

Despite his automatic right we still have to supply a shed load of documents and schedule an appointment ~~~~~~ which brings me onto the next dilemma! .... to be continued



TBWG

[TBWG]

Part II

Let me explain, to get an appointment at the VAC (Visa Application Center) you apply online and they give you various dates a few weeks hence. OK, we book a suitable date. The VAC is
based in Rajdamri Road, Lumpini, which between booking and appointment has become "World HQ" of red shirt movement.

Now I am not a political animal but why they get worked up about having a non Thai born, so called non elected leader beats me. They (the movements) are bringing the country to it's knees by the actions of the masses, in the UK we also have a non English born, non elected leader who has achieved the same effect all by himself! Quite an achievement really! As an aside, I am soooooo pleased to be in Thailand while all the UK election Bull**it is going on.

Having spent lord knows how many hours on 'tinternet' getting this appointment it is going to take more than civil unrest to put us off. Besides it does have its plus points, Hotel to oneself, half empty BTS and restaurant's with few diners!

However, the website has been saying that during the disruption they are running a limited service, so please call before visiting. So when we get through, surprisingly easily, we are told yes they are currently open, but please ring on the day to check. Now that is quite difficult as they open 8.30 appointment is 11.30 and we are 400 kms from Bangkok! So its go for it the day before and hope for the best.

In conversation it comes up that only the applicant is allowed into the VAC, but as a minor we will be able to accompany him. Great as I did not fancy hanging around for hours on end in the middle of a war zone!

I don't wish to get dragged into the rights and wrongs of this dispute but as we make our way through the red-shirts encampment I can't help but think that 90% of these people are being used and that the financiers/decision makers have got a lot of cannon fodder for a few baht a day and as much sticky rice as they can eat. Although I have to admire the logistics behind it, there are rows and rows of portaloos, large galvanised water tanks for showering purposes and most impressively a large tent equipped with half a dozen or so laptops where the foot-soldiers register and collect and record their days pay. Apart from this it is like any other day-market in Thailand, food vendors, bars, people selling shirts (mainly Red) as well as catapults and other trinkets.

At no time did we feel intimidated and life went on as normal as can be expected under the circumstances.


Wait with bated breath for next thrilling instalment!............................


TBWG

[TBWG]

Wait with bated breath for next thrilling instalment!............................

Part III


Well we arrive at the VAC on time and with minimum of fuss, so far so good. After being searched we are now pounced upon by various visa agents who try to re route us to their offices and think they can fill in a form for a complete stranger better than the applicant who surely must have some grasp of his own date of birth, name, address etc. If not he should not be on the streets unaccompanied and unsedated!

Now we take a number and are told that only 1 parent can accompany my stepson, so the boss lady is in like a rat up a drainpipe and I am left to my own devices, but far from me being left in a warzone for hours on end I can now depart to the coffee shop to ponder on the wisdom of allowing so many visa agents to rent property next to the VAC. The coffee shop has free wi fi so I can now play with my Iphone for a few hours in peace with only the odd interuption to autograph some other photocopy that they require for a visa that they are duty bound to grant by virtue of his mothers UK citizenship. Bureaucracy don't you just love it.

Well 2 hours and a few thousand baht later and step one is done and dusted, paperwork will be forwarded to UK embassy and visa forwarded by post within 10 days and really there was no need for me to attend!

So now it's off to Jim Thompson's house for a celebration nosh up and surprise, surprise we have choice of whatever table we would like as the sole diners!

What I failed to mention is that as a minor he needs to be accompanied by an adult family member so a niece will travel with him, he needs to supply a copy of all her details and paperwork with his application. She as the accompanying adult needs to supply all his details and paperwork with her application, result 2 grands worth of ink and paper from Big C.

Bureaucracy don't you just love it..........................to be continued



TBWG