Retire In Thailand

HI, Today I just thought some of you guys and girls might be keen to know what its like living and working online in Thailand..So here goes..Although today I am actually in Laos.

If you click on this link you will see where I live and where I am now. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/asia/thailand/

You can see Thailand. Look at the top and I live in Udon Thani, But at the moment I am in Ventienne in Laos.. I come here every 2 mths to get a 60 day visa so I like to treat it as a Vacation sort of speak.

I go to the Thai embassy in Ventienne, I drop my passport in say Thursday for example and pick it up Friday lunch with my new visa in. This next 3 mths Visa,s are free which is great!! They usually cost about 30 usd and I have asked for 2 so thats good..

Let me tell you about Ventienne so you have a better picture of what its like.

Its pretty modern but as with any Asian cities, although I dont think it,s a city its more like a large town say like Boulder or a town with about 100,000 people in.It has some very nie old buildings and some very new looking buildings, There is people who are rich and people who are poor.. When your poor in Asia you are very poor, I mean you are living on a handful of rice or something similar, There is no govt handout so if your broke, Your going to stay broke. But people in Asia dont seem unhappy or miserable, Buddha Religion in Asia is very strong. If people are starving they can go to the local Buddha temple and get a meal, It does take some getting used to at first, Some people get upset at seeing some of the poverty here but its not in your face like India or other countries similar to that.

I am writing this email from a Internet cafe which is a bit like a starbucks, There are alot of other “westerners” as I call people from other parts of the world.. Not Asian. Mostly all are here doing some world tour or just crusing round Asia for 3-6 mths, Many young people with back packs is popular travelling on a budget.

There are lots of “Tuk Tuks,” which is like a 3 wheeler motorcycle that has a built up seating area in the back for customers and the front half is like a motorcyle.. They look weird at first but make good sense cos of the price of cars etc.. Google Tuk Tuk and you will get a pic of what they look like.

Their is a big river that is on the edge of town called the Mekong, Thats a big Asian river that borders Thailand and Loas and Cambodia here in Laos its about 700mtrs wide and sometimes it does flood with terrible results. I have seen it in the past 8 mths go from a very wide and fast flowing river to now..it is virtually bone dry.. People try and swim across to get into Thailand (Just like you guys for Mexico into the US).

Ventienne is ok for a visit, I could not live here, Its a PDR.. (Peoples democratic republic) Communist is the order of the day here, Although its not in your face here you just know its here, if you know what I mean.

The people are not as friendly as Thailand, I like to greet people as I walk past people, Just saying hello or good day.. The response is not the same here as in Udon Thani my home town.

So like I say, I am here for 1 day and thats enough for me., There are lots of people working here from the rest of the world, Its just a personal thing for me.

The food is very good, Its got a European flair to it. The French have an influence here with the food and of course the lovely french bread is everywhere.,. I love that stuff!!!

So today in a few hrs from now I will be heading back to Thailand, Udon Thani as you can see on the map is only 50kms from Laos, So thats one of the reasons why I live there and of course for the golf!!

I have a great apartment in Udon Thani and live with my girlfriend “Tik” Her real name is Maruwee Timtok but Asains for some reason I do not know have nicknames.. So Tik it is.. She is actually meeting my parents for the first time in 3 days, There on their way back from New Zealand back to Europe, They live on a Yacht in Turkey in the Mediterranean, Anyway she is excited about that as you can imagine. I have been going with Tik now for 7 mths, I love her very much and I tell her everyday too. She works in a Furniture store in town in the office and thats where I met her.. I was a customer and I was buying a corner sofa and some of the sales staff were talking in a group and Tik was there and we just got talking, Her first words to me were: “You have lovely blue eyes”, I was hooked!!! and we went out for a meal that nite, In Thailand when you take a girl out for the first date, They bring a friend aswell, I guess for a 2nd oponion and safety too course. She taught her self English out of a dictionary, she litterally just picked it up and started teaching herself English.. That was one thing that has always stuck in my mind and impressed me no end.. Cos that tells me she is a person who wants to get ahead in life.

Sorry I am dragging on a bit about Tik but she has impressed me a few times.. And heck…why not you want to know right?

For you who do not know, I am British and proud of it, I am very keen on the royal family and all thats English. But the UK is not the best place to live at the moment, The pound is week and the country is going thru some hard times..

Thats one reason I work online from home in Udon Thani, if I didnt do what I do I would be in UK working a 9-5, I think that would kill me to be homest. I am fortunate enough to be able to either live in Thailand or New Zealand, My aim is in December this year I want to go back to NZ and buy a motor home and start having 6 mths in NZ and 6 mths in Thailand.. For Tik it,s not easy for a young single Thai girl to get out the country. She is 34 with no children so I am going to have to work out a way to get her to NZ.. I do not want to go on my own. I knr ouow I would miss her too much.

Udon Thani is a great place to live. Its got alot of nite life and a great nite market that,s open of course everyday, The food is great and pretty cheap.. Its under cover outside and has some big tv screens everywhere, Ay weekend its very busy with people watching European soccer.. The Asians love soccer and good on them..

Manchester United is the mosy popular team out here, I go sometimes at weekend and watch a game.. There is never any trouble in town. Its very peaceful and one thing I have noticed is they do not hoot there horns. The driving in really bad and they do not give way much, They think nothing of cutting in front of you.. But never ever hoot your horn or definelty never scream and shout at Thai,s .. Its very impolote to raise your voice to a Thai or show aggresion, That is one of the worst things you can do in Thailand, I will tell you this.. It has changed my persona living here for 18 mths, I am a very mellow person who never shouts or gets angry anymore,

If you embarass a Thai here.. You could be in big trouble.. Its all about losing face you see.. If a Thai loses face thats the worse thing that can happen to them and you can get major repercussions from it too. I was told that the first week I was in Thailand and I am well aware of it..

Let me give you an example this is really weird but its true: If you are driving in town and your lost, If you ask a Thai for directions and they do not know.. A thai will not say, “sorry I do not know” They will send you in any direction but never say I do not know!! werid but true!!

Anyway…Hope I didnt bore you with my ramblings.. I might do this again soon!!!

You take care!

http://mrktngtools.blogspot.com/

Russell Birtwistle

Ph 813 579 3835

Skype: RussellBirtwistle

Retirement in Thailand

There are numerous community sites and varoius portals aimed at or related to Thailand.  Many have similar functions and attract a huge number of people, however as a resident of Thailand and someone who has used these community sites / portals in the past I am always disappointed at how rapidly they lose the original focus and all too often fall prey to the lure of advertising money or to abuse by members looking for sex.

Even Facebook, now world famous of course, has so many widgets and gizmos that it has recently released another app called  “Great Apps”, which actually filters out all the ‘crap’ that is currently in Facebook and identifies useful applications for businesses!

These sites, there are many examples aimed at or related to Thailand, become either a annoying display of flashing, immensley irritating advertisements, their owners cashing in on the lure of advertising money (just look at sanook.com and panthip.com); or alternatively and perhaps more disappointingly degenerate into notorious sex sites used by the singles of the region to find dates for those lonely mid week nights or as a convenient platform used by legions of cyber sex addicts often from other countries looking for that piece of Asian erotica in the form of a live peep show via a webcam.

I am not preaching that there is anything ‘wrong’ in this – each to their own – I think the owners of these portals however should beware of excessive advertising and segregate this material / these groups accordingly so regular users can find people and information they are looking for, not get hassled by perverts or desparados and share information without fear of reprisals.

Indeed, I went on one such portal yesterday and was messaged within 5 minutes by a ‘girl’ who turned out to be a guy from Pakistan who hassled me for 10 more minutes to get naked on my web cam!  Not what I wanted, in the end I killed the window and will not return.

Thailand Web Zone was started to try and create a ‘clean’ platform for people looking to visit Thailand to make friends / contacts / even business partners in the country, provide valuable information on all manner of topics, written by those in the know: residents and locals.  It also allows people to create Thailand related social groups and events, blogs, forums and so on, as well as providing the standard functions such as uploading photos and images.

Finally, we have implemented a few extra features not yet included on other Thailand community sites such as video recording, streaming whiteboards, video chat and music.  Powerful group category and privacy management allows each group of people and individuals to do what they want when they want without intruding on the privacy of other people.  Couple this with a sensible advertisement policy and we hope this will provide a unique and interesting community platform for people with an interest in Thailand.

Thailand Web Zone, with a load of new cool features:

Chat: create your own chat rooms, video chat, skip from one chat room to another, 1 to 1 private video chat

Boards: let your creative talent flow freely, draw pictures online and share them with your friends

Music: upload your favourite tunes, search through music, download music for your own use.

Video: upload your videos, search and play video directly from the site, use for fun or for business communication.

Video recording: record your own webcam messages and upload them to your profile

Classifieds: add your classified ad, sell, buy, submit and find a job in Thailand.

Articles: find useful and relevant information written by those who know what they are talking about. Submit your own articles, share information, share your knowledge.

Forums: participate in various discussions, submit topics for discussion / debate, ask locals and residents questions before you arrive.

Thailand Web Zone can be used by those seeking a little more community site features, fun, romance or even by business people as a free business collaboration tool. Lots of free and paid membership privileges are available.

www.thailandwebzone.com

How to retire in Thailand

Buy your double floor Phuket Beach Condo, set right on the beach in Cape Panwa, the Southern part of Phuket.

Visite Website at: Phuket Condos

Located in the beautiful and privileged Cape Panwa, this exclusive Condo is right on the beach. Each unit has 282 square metres living space over two stories with 2-3 bedrooms (all en-suite). For those who need additional beds, there is a possibility to convert the chill-out room into a fourth sleeping accommodation.

Every room has spectacular 180 degrees sea view of the Andaman and its islands, and opens onto a wide patio on the living floor and, onto a gorgeous balcony on the sleeping floor.

With no roads to cross or busses to take, this exclusive Phuket Condo is actually on the beach. There is a individual eternity, 30 m, salt-water lap pool (not sea-water) enclosed by sun-beds and shade for those wishing to take things easy. All rooms have wireless internet access and satellite TV. The Condo has 2-3 double bedrooms, all en-suite. The master bedroom has a peculiarly lush bathroom with a large bath positioned for you to enjoy the sea panoramas. The outstanding stylish kitchen is outfitted with electrical appliances and superiority pans/pots and crockery/cutlery.

Each rooms can be outfitted at your preference; there is an airy and large living room fronting south and a dining area for 6 – 8 persons. In addition there is a chill-out room where you can use the internet, lean back on a couch and relax or, play on the latest X-box technology. Alternatively this room can be converted to a fourth bedroom if preferred.

You are just 15 minutes outside from Phuket Town and 35 minutes off from Patong Beach, so you won’t miss out on the night life nevertheless you can still absorb the local lifestyle.

Fully relax in your quiet surrounds, hearing the sound of waves breaking in front your Phuket Condo and feeling the cooling breezes from the sea. The panorama is simply magnificent; wide-screen sea, island and mountain panoramas can be enjoyed from every room.

Our 30 m salt-water swimming pool rests along the shore where charmed restaurants and beach bar are 2 minutes walk away. And if you picture a game of golf or a day at the health club, there are an abundance of options based near.

Boat owners have the possibility to anchor their boat right in front of the property.

Visite Website at: Phuket Condo Sale

About Phuket

Phuket is the largest island in Thailand. At 540 square kilometres, it’s close to the same size as Singapore. Only an hour by plain from the capital Bangkok or Singapore, and with connections every day to all major Asian airports, Phuket is perfectlly based for a short break or a relaxing holiday.

Business hours are generally from 9 am to 5 pm, weekdays, plus 9 am to 12 am on Saturdays, exclude when hours may vary widely. Banking hours are Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 3.30 pm. Currency exchange booths operate as retail outlets and are usually open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Stores and shops also open from 10 or 11 am to 10 pm, daily.

Currency is the Thai Baht. Currently, (1999) roughly 37 baht to US$1 and ranging between 35 to 40 for most of 1998.

Phone and Fax Service. International direct dialing (IDD) is widely available. Press 001 + country code + area code (less any leading zero) + phone number.

There are also several Internet Cafes around the island and particularly in the more developed tourist locations.

Mail and Postal Services The post offices are normally open from 8 am to 4.30 pm. The Thai post service is normally trustworthy. Urgent or important items can be mailed by EMS services. This is faster and safer but more expensive. Private couriers like DHL, UPS or Fedex are also available in Phuket.

Cameras and Film Most popular brands and types of film are widely available in Thailand and in Phuket. Film processing is widely available and one-hour service is common.  Throw-away one-time cameras are widely available, too.

Electricity is 220 Volts AC at 50 cycles. Some different plugs and sockets are in use, but two pin flat (US type) or round (European type) are pretty universal.

Phuket villa rent

Retire in Thailand