The Reason I Now Live In Northern Thailand

Author: Owen Jones  |  Category: traveling in thailand

After my first night out in Pattaya, Thailand, when I met a lady on a blind date organized by one of my best friends, I sat up in bed and I thought about the details of the night before. We had begun in The Pig and Whistle, where I was residing on Soi 7.

The Pig is a nice, peaceful, sedate, air-conditioned oasis of serenity in a street, which is one of the liveliest, loudest and most crowded streets in Pattaya.

We ventured outside into the soi (lane) and into a torrent of people not dissimilar to that of a queue heading for a football match, except that all the women were dressed in bikinis. We had called into one of those outdoor bars, where my friend had a surprise awaiting me.

His girlfriend of a time, whom I knew nothing of and a friend of hers who wished to meet up with me. The four of us had dallied there an hour before walking the thirty metres to Beach Road.

The traffic is one-way on Beach Road, so we took a Baht Taxi North (a pick-up truck) going with the flow and got off two or three kilometres further on a little before Walking Street, which is the most famous street in Pattaya.

We had gone into a complex of bars and sat in one at random. It was only then that I noticed that the bars were all set out around a Muay Thai boxing ring, where the fighting was continuous and free, although foreigners are expected to give a prize to the winner of each bout of 20-100 Baht ($1-$3).

We stayed there an hour and moved on to Walking Street to have something to eat. We dined at a seafood specialist restaurant which has a pier or jetty as its dining area. The food was excellent and the mood was romantic with the moon reflecting on the sea and the atmospheric lighting.

I don’t think that I had a chance in reality, I fell for my gorgeous date that night and I saw her each day for the remainder of my 30 days vacation. We had a brilliant time and when I had to go, I resolved to find out if I could settle in Thailand.

I went home and worked out, that if I was careful and a few things fell in my favour, I would most likely have enough money to live there for ten years.

Six weeks later, I went back to Thailand and Joy was waiting for me at the airport. Nothing had altered between us and we took a bus to visit her family in northern Thailand.

We slept in a room that her brother had given up for us and everyone made me feel very comfortable. Joy’s family live in a traditional teak house built on stilts and everyone lived and slept in one space in the traditional fashion, with the exception of Joy’s brother, who had built an extension, because he was eager to be married soon.

I really like that village and still live there now, seven years later. Joy and I are married and have our own home – a traditional, European, concrete-block bungalow not five metres from Joy’s mum, who is a brilliant mother-in-law.

Her family appear to appreciate what a big step it was for me to come here alone and are determined to be there for me, if I need help, like my own family in the UK would be. The job at hand is learning Thai as no one else in the village, except for my wife, speaks English.

Do you need to get a UK Visa for a Thai? We have helped dozens of Thais get to the UK and we can help you on our free website called http://uk-visas-for-thais.the-real-way.com.

North Eastern Thailand

Author: Owen Jones  |  Category: traveling in thailand

I met my wife while on vacation in Pattaya, which is about 45 minutes south of the new international airport by taxi and the airport is around halfway to Bangkok. I met her on the first day I arrived on a double date with a friend who was already there. Within a fortnight she took me back to meet her family in what I later discovered to be north-eastern Thailand.

Isaan is called north-eastern Thailand as well, which is actually confusing because where we are is further north but not so far east. Anyway, most individuals who call Isaan the north east live in Bangkok and Pattaya, the two big hang-outs for foreigners (called farang or falang in Thai), and we are all north-east from there.

A glance at the map and you will see what I mean. If you travel north out of Bangkok, in due course you will come to Phitchit, which is officially the beginning of the north and the northern race as they call themselves.

Then comes Phitsanulok, at one time a capital of Thailand. Another 40 kilometres north is Sukhotai and Sri Satchenali, Thailand’s first capital and the spiritual home of Thailand. The original city is still there, uninhabited and largely restored.

I live in the next province to the east known as Uttaradit, which borders on Laos to the east and the old mountain kingdom of Nan to the north. About 10% of the population of Nan are of the various Hill Tribes. One of these, the Mlabri, are nomadic hunter gatherers who live in temporary shelters fashioned from branches and leaves. Until very recently, they were living a stone-age existence and their language had never been heard by Westerners before 1978 so far as we know.

This is 250 km north-east from where I live. Sukhotai is about 30 km east. Such a lot of difference within 300 km. This region was part of the old kingdom of Lanna, which means ‘ a million rice fields’ or even ‘millions of rice fields’. Phichai or Fort Phichai, 12 km away, used to be the capital of Uttaradit province. Phraya Phichai Dap Hak (Phichai of the two-handed swords) fought here in the late 18th Century. He is Thailand’s most respected and well-known warrior.

In any case, I live in amongst all this lot. Unfortunately, I do not speak Thai well enough for anyone to give details of it to me and nobody that I know speaks English well enough to do it either. Even my wife. I wish I knew more about this fascinating place where very very few foreigners ever come.

There are five of us here at the moment in a 20 km radius. An English teacher, a Canadian teacher, a retired Dutchman and a retired Englishman and me. Often there is an Irishman and another Canadian, but they have gone home for a spell. I usually do not see a foreigner or hold a detailed conversation for weeks on end. And I love it here.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a lot of topics, but is now involved with Khao Phansa – The Candle Festival. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Package Holidays to Thailand.

Why I Live In Thailand

Author: Owen Jones  |  Category: traveling in thailand

After my first night out in Pattaya, Thailand, when I met a woman on a blind date prearranged by one of my best friends, I sat up in bed and I recalled the events of the evening before. We had started in The Pig and Whistle, where I was staying on Soi 7. The Pig is a lovely, quiet, sedate, air-conditioned oasis of tranquility in a street, which is one of the liveliest, noisiest and busiest streets in Pattaya.

We went outside into the soi and into a torrent of people not unlike that of a queue heading for a football game, except that all the females were dressed in bikinis. We had called into one of those outdoor bars, where my friend had a surprise waiting for me. His girlfriend of a while, whom I knew nothing about and a friend of hers who wanted to meet me. The four of us had stayed there an hour before walking the thirty metres to Beach Road. The traffic is one-way on Beach Road, so we took a Baht Taxi North going with the flow and got off two or three kilometres further on just before Walking Street, which is the most notorious street in Pattaya.

We had gone into a complex of bars and sat at one at random. It was only then that I realized that the bars were all set out around a Muay Thai boxing ring, where the fighting was uninterrupted and free, although foreigners are expected to donate a prize to the winner of each bout; 20-100 Baht suffices.

We stayed there an hour and moved on to Walking Street to have a meal. We dined in a seafood specialist restaurant which has a pier or jetty as its dining area. The food was incredible and the mood was romantic with the moon shimmering on the sea and the atmospheric lighting.

I don’t believe I had had a chance really, I fell for my gorgeous date that night and I saw her every day for the rest of my 30 days holiday. We had a wonderful time and when I had to go, I determined to see if I could live in Thailand. I went home and worked out, that if I was careful and a few things fell in my favour, I would probably afford to live there for ten years.

Six weeks later, I returned to Thailand and Joy was waiting for me at the airport. Nothing had altered between us and we caught a bus to go to see her family in northern Thailand. We slept in a room that her brother had given up for us and everyone made me feel very welcome. Joy’s family live in a traditional teak house built on stilts and everybody lived and slept in one room in the traditional way, except for Joy’s brother, who had built an extension, because he was hoping to get married soon.

I love that village and still live there now, five years later. Joy and I are married and have our own home – a traditional, European, concrete-block bungalow not five metres from Joy’s mum, who is a brilliant mother-in-law. Her family appear to understand what a big step it was for me to come here alone and are determined to be there for me, should I need assistance, like my own family in Britain would be. The mission at hand is learning Thai as no one else in the village, besides my wife, speaks English.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a lot of topics, but is now involved with Khao Phansa – The Candle Festival. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Package Holidays to Thailand.

Pattaya Immigration soi 5 Jomtien Pattaya. A look outside and inside of Pattaya immigration office

Author: thailandretire  |  Category: immigration in thailand

www.thaiholidayhomes.com A look at the immigration office Pattaya. If your going to stay in Pattaya for any length of time then you will have to visit Pattaya immigration office which is in Soi 5 Jomtien. Inside the staff are friendly and helpful. If you don’t know what to do or which forms to fill out they’ll help you. Outside you’ll find shops that will help you with photocopies and passport photos. After your done you can enjoy a drink and something to eat in one of the coffee shops outside. If you liked this video please leave a comment or a thumbs up! Thinking about renting in Pattaya? Then please contact us. james@thaiholidayhomes.com

Rayong Beach Resort for sale with Gregorys

Author: bigbuddhaphuket  |  Category: retiring in thailand

the website link www.gregorysthairealestate.co.uk present a new property development in Rayong Thailand

Vacation Home Rental Investing Tips

Author: Sally Kane  |  Category: traveling in thailand

The buying of property deals with multitudinous issues and even more if it is used for rental objectives. Purchasers are subjected to processes decided by native authorities, and this may alter from one country to another. These days, the shortage of realty purposes a lot to those who possess more than one house. Residence owners can transform their residences into holiday rental property to generate more earnings. To do so, the residence ought to be situated in a strategic visitor destination in order to entice potential occupants. Otherwise, it should be located in a magnificent prospect overseeing incomparable scenery. That way, the home reserves potential value for alteration into a holiday rental.

Owners should know that certain countries impose rules and laws to control the increasing vacation lease estate business. This is to care for the native guest house business, whereby may suffer due to scarcity of occupancy demand. It is essential to search out more about the restrictions and weigh whether it is viable to carry on with the alteration. Varied sorts of holiday homes can be leased for rent. They comprise lodges, villas, apartments, condos, and estates. Each sort of estate has its own specialty. Holder may determine the finest rental rate by consulting realty companies or holiday rental agent. Leaning on the decorating and reconstruction done on the house, greater furnished homes can afford a much higher rate of rental.

It is also important to sustain the condition of the residence so that guests feel enjoyable during their call on. Remember that occupants usually reconsider their visit and it helps to make a pleasant stay so that they will desire to come back for their next holiday.

Investing in Pattaya can go two ways. The first way is you could buy a condo unit for your own particular use. This means that every time you go to Thailand you have the sole ownership of the place you can stay. You will have the possibility to enjoy your holidays while feeling very much at home in the condo unit you have purchased; the second way is to have the place rented by other tourists.

Investing in Pattaya Real Estate can be good for your future portfolio. There can be some good returns to make and it can be a good excuse to spend some great time in a really nice holiday destination.

Learn more about Pattaya Property. Stop by Sally Kane’s site where you can find out all about Pattaya Rentals and what it can do for you.

Cultural And Geographic Diversity Make Thailand Unique

Author: Patrick Orion  |  Category: phuket

Thailand is one of the most popular locations for travelers in search of a quiet and serene destination. Thousands of travelers visit Thailand on a yearly basis, and the numbers show no signs of stopping. Thailand, formerly known as Siam, delivers it’s visitors a vacation that they will not soon forget. It is a destination that vacationers look forward to returning to time and again, and for good reason. What is it about Thailand that gets this type of response? It has to do with the wide variety of activities, cultural diversity, friendliness, and beauty.

Thailand is a very diverse country in terms of geography. The northern territory is very mountainous and covered with incredible forests. The north eastern territory, know as Issan is more of a plain, know for it’s agricultural output – mainly rice farming. Traveling to the southern states, one finds a great number of tropical islands with fantastic beaches. Koh Samui and Phuket are two of the most popular beach resort areas.

In addition to it’s diversity in geography, Thailand is also know for it’s cultural diversity as well. A strong influence from the Chinese in the early years has added a distinct flavor to the national mix. It is also the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been colonized. However it did experience a period inspired by the west, which influenced the culture. It is this diversity that adds to it’s appeal to many western visitors.

Thailand has also gained notoriety throughout the world for it’s famous nightlife. Bangkok is a major cosmopolitan city with many clubs, discos, and bars that cater to all tastes. The resort cities of Pattaya, Koh Samui, and Phuket all have a vibrant night life that caters to those with a bit of a wild side. Although there is much night life to be found, most resort areas are also very family friendly.

A lot of people that look at Thailand think that it is still an underdeveloped country, this is far from the truth. They have a very advanced infrastructure for both transportation and technology. Their public transportation is cheap and well run. It is easy to navigate your way around the city or country by bus, train, airplane, or taxi. Thailand also has a very robust technology infrastructure. Visitors will find internet cafes on what seems like every corner, as well as high speed internet in most decent hotels.

There are many great things that make Thailand a wonderful country to visit, only a few of them were covered here. The beautiful beaches, friendly people, and cultural diversity make this a destination that people want to come back to again and again. This should be on everyone’s list of places to visit in Asia.

One of the most popular travel destinations in Thailand is Pattaya. It has some great sightseeing opportunities like the Sanctuary Of Truth.

Super Car Thailand 2009, Rd 5 & 6, Bira Circuit, Pattaya, Chonburi – Super Car race

Author: Mook  |  Category: retiring in thailand

The entries for the Super Car series were pretty much the same as the previous round with 21 cars appearing on the list. The black-and-gold Singha Beer sponsored Porsche 911 Cup car that had dominated last time I was here again was looking promising again, as were the two extreme-looking Team Arto Toyotas, that appeared to be refugees from the Japanese Super GT series of a few years ago, which menacingly sandwiched the German car at the front of the grid. According to the time sheets posted …

Super Car Thailand 2009, Rd 5 & 6, Bira Circuit, Pattaya, Chonburi – views from the Super Car grid

Author: bigbuddhaphuket  |  Category: retiring in thailand

The entries for the Super Car series were pretty much the same as the previous round with 21 cars appearing on the list. The black-and-gold Singha Beer sponsored Porsche 911 Cup car that had dominated last time I was here again was looking promising again, as were the two extreme-looking Team Arto Toyotas, that appeared to be refugees from the Japanese Super GT series of a few years ago, which menacingly sandwiched the German car at the front of the grid. According to the time sheets posted …

Big trouble in Thailand-(American marines)

Author: Mook  |  Category: americans in thailand

This is uncut footage of American Marines been scammed by a jet-ski operator