My Thai Life

Having lived in Thailand for many years, there is one thing that I have grown to tolerate and embrace and that is the Thailand way of doing things. Better known as “The Thai Way”. Which put shortly, is the slow way of doing things.

When I first arrived in Thailand I had no idea about the Thai way of doing things. I quickly learned that you can’t rush Thai people into doing things. You can’t rush them into working hard or basically anything at all. It all has to move at a snails pace. Again, called the Thai way.

I’m not exactly sure why this is. It may be related to the lack of money that most Thais have. If you don’t have money and you are not used to making money then why jump when people say jump. For now I believe in “It will get done when it gets done”.

As an American and being raised to be successful these values aren’t taught to Thais. They are raised to provide for their families as well as helping with the community. I don’t believe Thais would be motivated by money unless they already had it. Thailand is a poor country and most of its citizens work very hard for very little.

So, if you are wanting to start a company in Thailand and you’re excited and motivated by money, don’t expect Thais to jump through your hoops. Well, just not as fast as you want…

MyThaiLife

There are many different ways you can learn Thai and one way I like to learn is by listening to Thai music and reading the Thai lyrics in English. Because you can sing along and understand each word via the English translation and that makes it a lot easier. Also, If you didn’t know, Thai girls love guys that can speak the Thai language.

There is a website called eThaiMusic.com and they have a huge selection of Thai music. If you want to learn some Thai through Thai music then check them out. You will find tons of music on there as well as a lot of the songs translated into English.

I’ve got one favorite band of mine called Ebola. If you haven’t heard of Ebola then check out their MySpace page. It’s pretty cool. They are one of my all time favorite Thai rock bands and they put out some really good Thai music. They also have some English in their songs. I like the way eThaiMusic.com has translated some of the songs. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to a Thai song and wondered what the hell they were saying. Check them out. You’ll like them. That is if you like rock and roll. They have some slower songs that you might enjoy.

MyThaiLife

Yep, Patong Beach in Phuket is my favorite place to go when I travel Thailand. It’s my oasis in the sand. My home away from home. My casa and quite possibly su casa. That’s if you understand Spanish! LOL.

But seriously, Patong Beach, Phuket is one of the most interesting places in all of Phuket. The beautiful white sand beaches, the beautiful Thai girls and the super duper Thai food. Yep, it’s super duper. Who the hell uses that word anymore? Me it would seem. I’m not that much of a geeky guy. Just love the Thai beaches.

There are so many things to do in Patong Beach. It’s a haven for tourists but once you’ve been there, you’ll agree, Patong Beach is cool. So many things to do from para-sailing, snorkeling, diving, site seeing, beer drinking and tons more.

If you go to Patong Beach in Phuket and you don’t want to spend a lot of money for hotel, then stay at The Beach Resortel. I’ve been staying there for years when I visit and it’s cheap and clean and the food is excellent. It’s easy to miss so be sure to look for it. Below is a photo of the front. They are on the beach which means that it takes a mere 20 steps to get to the beach from your room. I know, I’ve counted them. Great views of the beach and one of the most amazing sunsets in all of Phuket. I love it.

So, if you are going to travel Thailand, then do travel to Patong. It’s my home away from home. If you are going to be down there and you need someone to hang out with, hit me up. I’m always good for a Singha.

MyThaiLife

Thailand Real Estate is a booming business and it doesn’t look like the falling US dollar is going to make a difference on the industry. You can find amazing deals on real estate in Thailand. From condos to beautiful houses on the beach in Phuket. You can also find real estate deals all over Thailand. A couple of my friends live out in Khon Kean and built their own houses.

Real Estate in Phuket is amazing. Phuket island is renowned for its beauty, sitting on the edge of the Andaman Sea, Phuket is the jewel in the crown of Asia. Surrounded by beautiful crystal blue waters and dotted with equally amazing sandy beaches the island is loved by people around the world.

Thailand real estate is actually quite affordable and a lot of foreigners own real estate in Thailand. I have a friend that sold his house in the states just to buy a piece of Thailand real estate. He now lives in an apartment in Santa Monica. He sold his pricey house in Santa Monica and bought a nice beach house in Kata. He visits Thailand every 2 months.

As for my piece of Thailand real estate, I own the condo that I live in. I bought it about 3 years ago. The price was exceptional and I got a great deal on it. Now, with any real estate, you can haggle the price. Never go with the sticker price on a piece of real estate. Always bargain to get the best deal.

If you are thinking about buying a piece of Thailand Real Estate, be sure to check with a lawyer in Thailand and your country first. There are a couple different places for that in Thailand. One is Siam-Legal.com and the other is SunBeltAsia.com. They are reputable and I’ve used them in the past.

If you are looking to have one of the most beautiful houses I’ve ever seen built, then you have got to check out this website called Baan-Talay.com, they are a bit pricey but wow! They have some of the most beautiful Thailand real estate available. These are custom houses and the floor plans are amazing.

MyThaiLife

Holy crap, are you serious? OK, yes I’m serious. I ate Thai food from the street all this weekend. I know that I’ve posted before about not eating for you can run into serious problems with your tummy but I have to let you know that all weekend long, not one meal was from a pub or restaurant. Yep, street food.

Now I’m usually at McDonalds a few times during the month because I just need some reliable quick food but I decided that I was going to venture out and really do some damage to my tummy and I was slightly shocked when it all stayed down and digested properly! HAHA

On Friday, I started out with some grilled chicken on a stick. Some call it Satay, I just call it grilled chicken. I see my mototaxi guy eating this all the time and I’ve asked him if it’s safe to eat and not surprising he said it was fine. So, I tried it. I was checking out the grill the whole time wondering if the vendor had ever cleaned it. That was clearly a huge NO! Anyway, it was pretty good. I can usually start to tell if something is going to go bad in my tummy for I start to gear a gurgling sound. This is a sure fire way to know that I’m about to be asking people for Hong Nom, which means toilet. But no gurgling and no need for the nom.

On, Saturday morning, I decided to hit a noodle stall. I had some weird looking red curry. Not only was my mouth on fire for like an hour after, the taste was absolutely disgusting. I will never hit that stall again. But, to my surprise, it stayed down. That afternoon I hit a Tom Yum stall. That was OK too. Although what appeared to be chicken was pork. I’m sure the way it was cooked would have most farangs wondering about it. Either way, it stayed down.

Saturday night, I went to a club down on Sukhumvit road and while at the club, I had, what appeared to be a very large hot dog. Now most Americans would think this was a hot dog but honestly, I have no idea what it was. Some type of sausage on a big piece of bread. Now, 20 minutes after that went down, the gurgling started. Now to my delight, that went away. Not sure if my tummy has acclimated to the food or if it was just a way for my tummy to let me know to slow down on the Thai food from the street.

Sunday was a good day as well. Not too much of a problem. Had some chicken and rice to give my tummy a break from the shocking street food this weekend.Either way, I was prepared. I had tums in my pocket ready to go.

So, in the end, things faired pretty well. I don’t recommend eating street food all the time. I do have some friends that have gotten some pretty bad stomach problems but I think every once in a while you need to venture out and act like a local…

MyThaiLife

Do you know where the highest point in Thailand is? It’s up near Chiang Mai and in the Doi Inthanon National Park and overlooking the Mae Klang river. It’s about an hour and a half from Chiang Mai.

Even though Chiang Mai is in the north, the summer months can still be hot so taking a break and heading up to the mountains is not only fun but it’s quite a bit cooler in temperature.

Not only is the Doi Inthanon National Park beautiful but it possesses some of the most beautiful waterfalls and streams. It’s absolutely stunning and be sure if you visit to bring some warm clothes and rain gear if you want to get close to the waterfalls. Be careful not to run on the wooden bridge which is a big mistake. Trust me, you’ll go sliding!

If you’re going to take the tour from Chiang Mai, try to get the single one on one tour. It’s a bit more personal and has the added benefit of being able to do what you want when you want and not having to wait on other tourists.

Take a little extra money with you on the tour so that you can buy some little souvenirs at one of the villages on your way down the mountain.

Don’t forget to check out the Twin Chedis that was dedicated to the King and Queen by the Thai Air Force. It’s near the summit of Doi Inthanon.

Hope you like the photos,

MyThaiLife

I used to be a smoker when I was younger but gave it up in my late 20’s because I didn’t want to end up taking a chance on getting lung cancer. Although it would seem that these days you can get cancer from just about anywhere. Either way, I’m a lot healthier for stopping.

I guess it’s been about two years or more since Thailand started adding some really anti-smoking marketing to the backs of all cigarette packs. Seems that there has been an increase in lung/breathing related health issues from smoking. There have been some really interesting photos on the backs of these packs. You can’t miss them. You see them in every freaking 7-11. I have to commend the Thai government for this though. It sure does cast a disgusting light on smoking and sure shows the future side effects. They should be putting a filter on Bangkok with all the smog and all. I don’t really know what the effects are from breathing in all that pollution.

If you think you’re going to get away with smoking in Thailand’s bars and clubs, then think again. They now have a ban on smoking in all the clubs and bars and can cost you about 2000 baht if you’re caught. Does it still go on? Sure it does. You will never stop people from at least trying to light up in the bar. At least I know my clothes will smell better because of it.

It seems that more and more young men are smoking these days so I don’t know if the marketing plan is working. I do know that I hate looking at those packs of cigarettes… Hey Marlboro man, where are you now?

MyThaiLife

Having been in Thailand for many years now, I’m often asked by my friends and family about my Thailand life. Considering that most of them have never been to Thailand, it’s a bit hard to explain. Thailand life for me is very unique in the fact that every day here in Thailand is like a tourists holiday. Just for the simple fact that I get to travel all over Thailand.

The day to day operations of my Thailand life are pretty much set it stone. I use the same mototaxi guy that parks outside my condo. He takes me to pretty much the same places each and every day. With the exception of when I’m traveling around the country he is pretty much shuttling me around from work, bar, shopping etc. Now, there is a time when I really don’t want to get on the back of his motobike. This is because my mototaxi guy loves the Singhas if you know what I mean. The art to this guy is getting him around 11:30AM when he has not started drinking.

Thailand life is pretty easy I suppose. I’m pretty much acclimated myself to the Thai lifestyle as well as the brutal skin melting heat and humidity that Bangkok offers us expats. I’ve learned a lot while living in Thailand and I definitely would not change any of it.

Thailand offers a very unique perspective on life. From the Thais to their simple way of life to the beautiful beaches of the south. I’ve been hooked ever since the day I first arrived on holiday. I guess you could say that I really love Thailand. I’ve heard of some bad stories about being ripped off in Thailand but I’ve been lucky I suppose.

Guess I’ll get back to my Thai life. If you got questions, I got answers.

Chok Dee Mak Mak,

MyThaiLife

Now this is funny. Lately, when I talk to my friends and family back home about going to get a massage, they always laugh at me. The mere word “Massage” conjures up behind the back giggles and raised eyebrows but seriously people. Have you ever had a really “Good” Thai massage? You can’t travel Thailand without one!

If you travel down Sukhumvit road going towards the river you can turn left (Sai) on Soi 19. This is where Robinsons is on the left. Travel about 65 yards and you’ll come across the best foot massage in town. The name alone will draw your attention. It’s on the right side of the street directly across from Robinsons side entrance.

There are usually some pretty Thai girls sitting outside yelling at the farangs “You want massage?”. So, it’s hard NOT to notice it. The first thought that comes to peoples minds is that it’s more of an adult establishment but it’s quite the opposite. It’s a really nice foot massage parlor. Now, can you get the other? I don’t know. I’ve never been there at night and not one of the Thai girls even asked me about anything other than a Thai massage.

Now this is a great massage. Not only do they give your feet the kung fu works but they massage your back and your neck and your head and your hands all at the same time. It’s a freaking smorgusborg of reliefs for your body. I prefer these to the lay down massages because I will fall asleep during a regular Thai massage. Literally, I will fall asleep snoring and all.

There is also a nice foot massage place in Patong beach, Phuket. Not sure what the name of it is but it’s on the strip right next to the Beach Resortel on the water. You see the Thai girls all with Yellow T-shirts on. Big windows and lots of chairs. Good foot massage.

Anyway, you can’t be in Thailand unless you get a real Thai massage. Not one like some of you may be laughing about now but a real one.

Me massage feet long time!

MyThaiLife

Now that is funny. My 7 year old cousin asked me yesterday what a tuk-tuk was and I about fell over laughing. It was the funniest thing for a little kid to be asking me that. Not so much the word but how she said it. She said it more like Tik-Tik.

Ahhh, the lovely Tuk-Tuk. For those of you that don’t know what a tuk-tuk is, it’s that 3 wheel joy they call a taxi. They are all over Thailand and if you travel Thailand, you’ve probably been in one, or two. They are fun the first couple times but they start to annoy you after a while. With all the sucking in of Bangkok smog and the aggressive “100 baht anywhere” ride.

Tuk-Tuks get their name from the sound the engine makes while idling at stop signs or red lights. To me they sound nothing like that but that is how they got there name. These things will weave in and out of traffic and down right scare the crap out of you.

Tuk-tuk these days are good for about one or two rides unless you are in Patong Beach down in Phuket. They are good and reliable ways of getting from point A to point B. All the Tuk-Tuks that I get into down in Patong are not trying to scam me. Not like their Bangkok counterparts that want to take me shopping claiming that they get free gas. Nope, not true. They get money. So, don’t fall for the Tuk-Tuk scam in Bangkok. Always agree on where you are going before you get into a Tuk-Tuk or a taxi. Try taking the Skytrain BTS or the regular taxi.

MyThaiLife