Going to Thai one on...attack of the relapse
- Thread starter W3H5
- 109 comments
- 4,453 views
- 30,033
- Thailand
Fear not, fellow members, for I have just arrived by the sea side, slightly hungover and definitely tired after a 12 hour bus trip.
This is my first internet port since the last post. I will get back with an update as soon as I have had a nap, several beers, a trip to the beach and an ice cream.
This is my first internet port since the last post. I will get back with an update as soon as I have had a nap, several beers, a trip to the beach and an ice cream.
- 30,033
- Thailand
I'm guilty. Sorry cat. 
Had a mad on today when the misses gave me the wrong pin for the bank card. lost it in the ATM. Had to make a call to China for an emergency transfer.
All was well, got more drunk, rode motorcycle, drank more, rode home, drank more, watched law and order, feeling the sun burn, about to wash the salt from my body and hair. The sea was powerful, but I was stronger. I fought nature and only came away with a bruised rib and salty eyes!
Had a mad on today when the misses gave me the wrong pin for the bank card. lost it in the ATM. Had to make a call to China for an emergency transfer.
All was well, got more drunk, rode motorcycle, drank more, rode home, drank more, watched law and order, feeling the sun burn, about to wash the salt from my body and hair. The sea was powerful, but I was stronger. I fought nature and only came away with a bruised rib and salty eyes!
- 2,095
- Norwich, UK
- madmike1986
Good man!
I'm flipping hammered right now, wayyyyy to much heinekam!
Like yourself I struggle with booze problems, but right now I really couldnt care less
I'm flipping hammered right now, wayyyyy to much heinekam!
Like yourself I struggle with booze problems, but right now I really couldnt care less
- 30,033
- Thailand
Write up due, I'll keep it simple after typing for close to an hour and spilling beer on my keyboard and then accidentally hitting the backspace button but not before somehow managing to highlight the whole text. 
The food is awesome. The people are great and very considerate. The land is fantastic and the sights are lovely. The weather is perfect.
There are pages of text I could put here but my words could only do a small amount of justice for the wonder of north Thailand.
I'm not a fan of Bangkok. I can say that much. While walking through the city streets one can feel the sleaze and the humidity makes clothes wet on the back. The prostitutes in the darkened ally ways look glum and enslaved while the folks going about their daily errands are abrasive and unfriendly.
Hua Hin was about 3 hours drive from Bangkok, on the west coast. It was a postcard perfect little city which was as like a mainland version of Phuket with the street hooker replaced with street musicians busking for a beer, playing Beatles classics and the wild stag parties and drunken Russians switched with retired tourists and families with young children. A veritable paradise in my mind.
So, OK, Hua Hin had bars and clubs just the same as most other big cities, but they were more subtle and welcoming and not the crazy drug infested, brass filled dens of Bangkok or Phuket.
The guest houses were like British sea side B&Bs and were pleasant places to stay, even the TV channels were good if the beach wasn't high on the list of one's priorities. Breakfast was a good old American special featuring the usual eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, toast, cup of tea/ coffee, orange juice and a plate of fresh fruit. 👍
Before we made the 12 hour, over night coach trip to the sea side we'd been the week in Chiang Rai (look it up if you want to know more). I was sad too leave the place. Truly as upset as a man can be without showing it too much.
The house we stayed in in Chiang Rai was Mrs Shem's mums house which would become ours as soon as we're officially married in Thailand and have a certificate of marriage by law there. The house was your average bungalow from the outside; a garden and driveway/ car shelter front and a larger garden/ home farm to the rear. The front entrance leads into an open living /dinning area of a considerable size with 2 en suite rooms to the right. On the left is a door leading to a rather large, old English manor house style kitchen complete with larder, butler sink and a great wooden prep table in the middle. The only thing missing was the open wood burning fire place.
The house was just a few years old and had been hardly lived in, we were pretty much the first to stay there more than 2 days in a row.
The village there was just my cup of tea; laid back and very peaceful with only a few motorcycles ambling by each hour to constitute traffic. All around the village were paddy fields where workers sew rice shouts and ploughed with buffalo. At this point in the trip I was already imagining my life there.
Lots to see and do around there. A few hours north-east is Burma which host some amazing markets and wholesale retailers. I picked myself up a knuckle duster from some guy on the street for £4, it's now got pride of place on my keys.
On the way back from Burma we drove up a mountain which had a reserve on the top with flower gardens and what not. I won't bore you with the details but I will say it reminded me very much of Cockington village in Tourquay, if you've been there you'll know what I mean.
The family in the village were sweet. The lived next door in wooden houses on stilts from the olden days and hadn't bothered to rebuild as they were very well made, naturally cooled houses. They did drink a lot but it seems that beer is like the fluid supply rather than water. Beer and ice all day long, they drink, and never seem to get too drunk despite the beer being 6.5%. There was a cousin who I named Melon and an uncle called NaMi who could speak some English so was always plying me with booze so he could practice his vocabulary. The old grandma was always asking me if I was hungry. I hadn't learnt how to say "no" so I was constantly delivered plates of fantastically delicious grub. I guess that's why I put on so much weight in 2 weeks! A few km from the village was the high road with shops and things but that's a bit boring to talk about.
Ever since a week ago I've been planing my move there. Mrs Shem was always adamant that living there would be better for us but I wasn't sure my time in Chongqing was fully served. I'm now convinced.
My dad has been offering to share his online editorial work with me so that I can make money from anywhere with a web connection until I get on my feet and I've got a few family members interested in my tourist excursion business ideas which, if I do say so myself, could be really good earners and become a very popular with foreigners in northern Thailand.
I would write more but I'm happy just to answer any questions really. Plus if I tell you all about it, there'll be no reason for anyone to come and visit me for a free holiday.
The food is awesome. The people are great and very considerate. The land is fantastic and the sights are lovely. The weather is perfect.
There are pages of text I could put here but my words could only do a small amount of justice for the wonder of north Thailand.
I'm not a fan of Bangkok. I can say that much. While walking through the city streets one can feel the sleaze and the humidity makes clothes wet on the back. The prostitutes in the darkened ally ways look glum and enslaved while the folks going about their daily errands are abrasive and unfriendly.
Hua Hin was about 3 hours drive from Bangkok, on the west coast. It was a postcard perfect little city which was as like a mainland version of Phuket with the street hooker replaced with street musicians busking for a beer, playing Beatles classics and the wild stag parties and drunken Russians switched with retired tourists and families with young children. A veritable paradise in my mind.
So, OK, Hua Hin had bars and clubs just the same as most other big cities, but they were more subtle and welcoming and not the crazy drug infested, brass filled dens of Bangkok or Phuket.
The guest houses were like British sea side B&Bs and were pleasant places to stay, even the TV channels were good if the beach wasn't high on the list of one's priorities. Breakfast was a good old American special featuring the usual eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, toast, cup of tea/ coffee, orange juice and a plate of fresh fruit. 👍
Before we made the 12 hour, over night coach trip to the sea side we'd been the week in Chiang Rai (look it up if you want to know more). I was sad too leave the place. Truly as upset as a man can be without showing it too much.
The house we stayed in in Chiang Rai was Mrs Shem's mums house which would become ours as soon as we're officially married in Thailand and have a certificate of marriage by law there. The house was your average bungalow from the outside; a garden and driveway/ car shelter front and a larger garden/ home farm to the rear. The front entrance leads into an open living /dinning area of a considerable size with 2 en suite rooms to the right. On the left is a door leading to a rather large, old English manor house style kitchen complete with larder, butler sink and a great wooden prep table in the middle. The only thing missing was the open wood burning fire place.
The house was just a few years old and had been hardly lived in, we were pretty much the first to stay there more than 2 days in a row.
The village there was just my cup of tea; laid back and very peaceful with only a few motorcycles ambling by each hour to constitute traffic. All around the village were paddy fields where workers sew rice shouts and ploughed with buffalo. At this point in the trip I was already imagining my life there.
Lots to see and do around there. A few hours north-east is Burma which host some amazing markets and wholesale retailers. I picked myself up a knuckle duster from some guy on the street for £4, it's now got pride of place on my keys.
On the way back from Burma we drove up a mountain which had a reserve on the top with flower gardens and what not. I won't bore you with the details but I will say it reminded me very much of Cockington village in Tourquay, if you've been there you'll know what I mean.
The family in the village were sweet. The lived next door in wooden houses on stilts from the olden days and hadn't bothered to rebuild as they were very well made, naturally cooled houses. They did drink a lot but it seems that beer is like the fluid supply rather than water. Beer and ice all day long, they drink, and never seem to get too drunk despite the beer being 6.5%. There was a cousin who I named Melon and an uncle called NaMi who could speak some English so was always plying me with booze so he could practice his vocabulary. The old grandma was always asking me if I was hungry. I hadn't learnt how to say "no" so I was constantly delivered plates of fantastically delicious grub. I guess that's why I put on so much weight in 2 weeks! A few km from the village was the high road with shops and things but that's a bit boring to talk about.
Ever since a week ago I've been planing my move there. Mrs Shem was always adamant that living there would be better for us but I wasn't sure my time in Chongqing was fully served. I'm now convinced.
My dad has been offering to share his online editorial work with me so that I can make money from anywhere with a web connection until I get on my feet and I've got a few family members interested in my tourist excursion business ideas which, if I do say so myself, could be really good earners and become a very popular with foreigners in northern Thailand.
I would write more but I'm happy just to answer any questions really. Plus if I tell you all about it, there'll be no reason for anyone to come and visit me for a free holiday.
- 30,033
- Thailand
I'm not sure what to expect now, to be honest. Going back to work tomorrow to face life once more. I wonder how my work will be affected by dreams of a life in Thailand?
I can't say that CQ is really doing it for me any more after experiencing that place, it just made me notice all the things wrong with it here. I do like my work though so hopefully a few more years of contracts and enough money saved to make the leap shouldn't be too much of a task.
I can't say that CQ is really doing it for me any more after experiencing that place, it just made me notice all the things wrong with it here. I do like my work though so hopefully a few more years of contracts and enough money saved to make the leap shouldn't be too much of a task.
So long you have a plan in mind and can see a path toward the end result then it should be fine.
I mean, not many people actually have an opportunity to move to a different country and make a life for themselves that they enjoy and can always find something new to do that brings peace to themselves and with their wife that they love deeply.
The challenge comes in confronting new situation that would require a slightly different tack to achieve your original goal.
With your current work, I'm assuming it would be relatively easy to find the same work in Thailand itself or is it not needed anymore?
I mean, not many people actually have an opportunity to move to a different country and make a life for themselves that they enjoy and can always find something new to do that brings peace to themselves and with their wife that they love deeply.
The challenge comes in confronting new situation that would require a slightly different tack to achieve your original goal.
With your current work, I'm assuming it would be relatively easy to find the same work in Thailand itself or is it not needed anymore?
- 30,033
- Thailand
The work in Thailand is as available as it is here for someone with my experience and training but the pay is not up to much because there are 10 times more foreigners in the north of Thailand. The way to do it would be to start my own English school but I'd just be one of many and would have to work seriously hard to make good wonga.
I guess I'm really lucky to have the chance to do this, luck of the Irish my dad says. Since the misses and I have been serious it's always been our plan to live there, but spending time in a place I plan to live before hand has really brought home to me the fact that I'll be there all together!
I guess I'm really lucky to have the chance to do this, luck of the Irish my dad says. Since the misses and I have been serious it's always been our plan to live there, but spending time in a place I plan to live before hand has really brought home to me the fact that I'll be there all together!
Hm, that's an interesting situation there with regards to work.
You'll have to try and find a niche somehow doing what you're currently doing. Or use your time in CQ to develop something else entirely and use that skill/opportunity/thing in Thailand.
Yeah, its a good thing you have got going there as it sounds like you're already fallen into love with it.
You'll have to try and find a niche somehow doing what you're currently doing. Or use your time in CQ to develop something else entirely and use that skill/opportunity/thing in Thailand.
Yeah, its a good thing you have got going there as it sounds like you're already fallen into love with it.
Tell me about it(!)
Was not impressed at the requirements and the extremely strange statements on the visa application forms for my previous job. And also being told that actually, my experience wasn't conforming to their requirements (they were arguing semantics) even though I was already employed by the company there and was told not to worry about the visa process!
It certainly was an eye opener at that point.
I also had been told that there were often clerical mistakes done to everyone, even people who were married and worked there for 10 or more years and even knew the visa office workers by name.
And the visa office in Shanghai was another eye opener, most of the staff behind the desk seemed to carry guns.....
Was not impressed at the requirements and the extremely strange statements on the visa application forms for my previous job. And also being told that actually, my experience wasn't conforming to their requirements (they were arguing semantics) even though I was already employed by the company there and was told not to worry about the visa process!
It certainly was an eye opener at that point.
I also had been told that there were often clerical mistakes done to everyone, even people who were married and worked there for 10 or more years and even knew the visa office workers by name.
And the visa office in Shanghai was another eye opener, most of the staff behind the desk seemed to carry guns.....
