Thaimo

One of my personal favorite sauces is peanut sauce, but I keep hearing that is not a Thai dish at all, even though you get it at Thai restaurants in the States. Is this true?

Maybe it is not originally a Thai sauce, but it is used in Thailand when the dish you order calls for it.

Here is something strange, Heinz Ketchup. Many Thai grocery stores carry it and it is relatively expensive. But they also carry Heinz Ketchup with a Thai label. You can easily tell from the logo that it's Heinz. It is exactly the same, but is a fraction of the cost.

If you had someone in the States or elsewhere to handle logistics and you handled the business end from Thailand (and were allowed to do so), that might be a viable way of living and "working" there.

What do you guys think?

I think you would be ok with something like that, but I can't be certain. If it were me, I would check with Immigration or a Thai attorney first. Better still, I would check with both. My guess is that there would be no problem because you would be making purchases from a Thai business and you would be shipping through a Thai shipper. But I am only guessing. When it comes to legal issues I would urge you to check with the proper authorities rather than relying upon answers you get from a web site.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's had experience with this problem.

The closest experience I have ever had with something like that is finding myself redirected to some sort of porn page that sets itself as my home page. For me, re-setting my home page and/or using System Restore to restore my settings to an earlier date has cleared it up for me when it happens. It doesn't happen very often for me, though, maybe once or twice in a year.

(1) The blue stripe (which appears to be part of the "report bar" appearing at the bottom of the posts) doesn't show up using Firefox.

That is very strange. I use Firefox and it does show up for me. Wouldn't it be nice if we live to see the day when all computers work properly?

I live in Pattaya, it's the city that never sleeps

What about a short nap every so often?

I like Pattaya's beaches, the ones in Jomtien and Dongtan. But the beach in the city? I wouldn't walk my dog there.

So, what do you think of fish sauce?

I use it regularly. I like it and I don't find the odor distasteful. It's no more pungent than a can of tuna.

Wouldn't it be best to ask Immigration? I don't think any of us here can give you an answer that you can rely upon.

Unless you do have a degree and you want to each ESL, right?

You can do any kind of work you like, if you can get a work permit. If you cannot get a work permit, then you can't work. That's the way it is under Thai law.

How is that making fun.

It's showing respect.

To you, yes. I doubt that very many Thais would see it that way. I suggest coming up with something other than religious terms. Then that kind of a problem can't offend anyone.

What do you usually use your phone for - for calling or texting?

For me it's both.

Smoker, by any chance did you make it to the Chatuchak market today? I'm curious as to whether you were able to find the berries or plants.

So I'm saving for a trip in the next few years. I'd like to be able to stay at least a month. Do you think $5,000 would do it for airfare, place to stay, food, in-country travel, entertainment, the whole bit?

If you stay in moderately priced hotels and eat at moderately priced restaurants, that ought to be enough, but if you can save two or three-thousand more, even better.

All we have to do is post about anything

Your posts should at least be appropriate, but yes, if you reach 500 posts you are eligible to win the trip. So, post away! Good luck!

Do you live there full-time?

Yes, I do. I had been coming to Thailand on vacations for the better part of 15 years before I could retire, but I knew Thailand was where I wanted to retire. I retired and have now lived here permanently for nearly six years now.

I absolutely love living here. I have been all over the country, several times. I can't think of anywhere in the world I would rather be than where I am right now. Retiring in Thailand is the best thing I have ever done for myself and I would do the same thing tomorrow if I had it to do all over again.

Thailand is not for everyone, but for me it is everything. Having developed the ability to speak Thai on a conversational level has been a big help to me as well, although many foreigners are living here with no problems at all and they don't speak a word of Thai.

What is this splashing you guys are talking about?

Get on YouTube, do a search for Songkran, and watch the madness. Since you're unfamiliar with it, you won't believe what you see. The holiday occurs in mid April.

I was curious so I went and looked it up. I had no idea just how organized Buddhism is in Thailand.

Your post is correct. It is very organized and controlled. Many foreigners unfamiliar with Thailand think of monks in the manner by which they have been stereotyped . . . the mystical old man of the mountain, deep in spiritualism, perhaps even with magical powers. Just like Hollywood or National Geographic presents them.

Nothing could be further from the truth. They are just people, like anyone else. Also, being a monk is not necessarily something permanent. Nearly every Thai male becomes a monk when they reach age 20 or 21. They remain monks anywhere from a couple weeks to two or three months, their choice. Often, becoming a monk temporarily is actually a form of stress relief. Many Thais, when under stress, will become a monk, do a good bit of meditation, and then return to their real world when they are feeling good again. Not a bad idea, really.

The monks are most visible when visiting a Buddhist temple, known as a Wat, or early in the morning, from dawn to about 7:30am. That is when they leave the Wat with their begging bowls. People give them food, money, and/or religious items in exchange for good fortune blessings from the monks. By 8:00am almost all the monks will be off the streets and back at the Wat, spending their day in prayer, meditation, religious discussion and education, performing religious ceremonies, and doing their daily chores.

What kind of work is there for foreigners without a degree? Anything that would pay enough to live there for a little while?

In a word, no. I realize that's blunt, but unless you are in a position to establish a business of your own there really is nothing practical that Thailand will permit. For most foreigners, Thailand is a place to visit and a place to retire, but not really a place to come looking for a job.

So what's your cellular phone?

I'm using a Nokia 6020. I'm satisfied with it, but I may upgrade. I'm not very interested in all the bells and whistles, but I wouldn't mind a phone that has a decent screen for Internet use. I also want a camera available in the phone. It doesn't have to be a good one. I only want photos to pop up of the person calling me, otherwise I often don't know who is calling. And I want plenty of memory for those photos. Other than that, I can't think of any bells and whistles that would be of any personal importance to me.

I would advise not using terms that make fun of the Buddhist religion. That would sit well with the Thai people.

What about the cost of living there? Is 25,000 baht enough? Is 60,000 enough for a single woman (who has a kid back home to support?)

It depends on the lifestyle you wish to lead. If you want to live in a small room with no air conditioning, eat mainly from the street stalls, and maybe have enough left over for a beer once in a while, then 25000 baht per month is enough. I know people who live on even less. However, if you want a halfway decent lifestyle, as a single person I wouldn't want to try it on less than 75,000 baht per month.

Is there a shopping hub there that sells really cheap clothes?

Yes. It's where the little shops you see everywhere get their wares. There are several in Bangkok. I really don't recall the locations. It's been close to ten years since I've been to any of them.

Wow, that's stringent. So you what can you do without a work permit?

Nothing. You can do odd jobs within your own home or work on your own vehicle, but other than that there isn't much of anything you can legally do.

What are other events in your life you find a "big?" Or, what is your favorite event in Thailand?

In Thailand my two favorite events are the Loy Kratong and Songkran holidays. Many foreigners dislike Songkran because of the water splashing, but I get big kick out of it. I don't do any of the splashing, but I don't mind getting splashed. Many people do, but I just put my personal items in a ziplock bag, wear old clothes, and off I go!

Lifetime events? I've had many of those, but I would say, most appropriately for this board, mine would be the day I retired and got on the plane to come to Thailand permanently.

if you ever get to Tallahassee

Hi WannaGo. It's been many more years than I like to think about, but I lived in the Tallahassee area for a while. We used to go down to Spring Creek, Wakulla Springs, and Crawfordville regularly for those wonderful mullet and hushpuppies dinners. I imagine it's all long since changed by now. Many seafood restaurants in Thailand serve dishes that remind me of it, but nothing is quite the same.

If you ever come over to Thailand, I hope you contact me. I'd love to reminisce.

Anyone who wishes to teach in Thailand ought to check this web site:

http://www.ajarn.com/