New Years Eve 2006

On New Years Eve we had planned to go to a local Steak House and have a super steak. This we still did, but the news of seven bombs in Bangkok filled us with dread. One being only 25km away.

I would put money on this being the work of the Extremists from the south, the Junta seems to want to pin it on the leader of the old government.

I don’t think we have seen the last of the problems that Thailand as to face, there are loads of rumours about a counter coup and the confidence in the Markets is terrible. Let’s hope nothing happens and life goes on as normal.

Butter in Mouth

The above is a classic "Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth" shot!

In all fairness Elizabeth is a very well bahaved girl, there are very few times I wish she would shut up.

She seems to be happy and will reward you with a smile when you least expect it. I cant beleive how i've taken to being a Father, but its great!

I reckon another three or four kids should do it.

Family visitors

Today we were so happy to see my cousin Ann and her Husband Andy. They are the first family to visit me in Thailand since I moved out here.

They have been on a month long tour of the world, LA, New Zealand and a visit to Uncle Steve in Perth. Bangkok was the final stop on the tour. I met them at Mochit BTS Station and we called in at the house to pick up Nuch and Elizabeth.

From then on things didn't go as smoothly as we had planned, we had planned to go to Auyuttaya and then on to Bang Sai, get out from the smog. Nuch decided that we should go to Bang Sai first, however we got lost and only after three U turns did we find Bang Sai Craft site.

It was well worth it, a craft village in plesent surroundings, lots of trinkets to buy at silly prices. Elizabrth was getting hot so we decided to find somewhere to eat and then head back to home. We found a lovely riverside restaurant and had a good thai meal. On the way back the petrol gauge was showing empty, I had to crawl back at low rev until we forund a garage.

Nuch's parents kindly agreed to look after Elizabeth in the evening, and we took Ann and Andy back to their Hotel. Yes, I got lost again!

We all went down to Patpong night market, Ann was in need of some retail theropy and Andy wanted to spend some money, so the two went well together.

We had planned to go to Cabbages and Condoms, but by the time we at finished aroeund Patpong, we al wanted a drink.

Christmas Dinner

Sadly, not the christmas dinner I had!

All day I had been looking forward to Christmas Dinner at the Amari Don Muang Hotel.

A Full Buffet, I was going to pig myself stupid. As is usual in Thailand, we arrived and you guessed it, no Christmas Dinner. When we asked why the Thai Shutter look came over the Receptionist. This means either "Don't ask me" or "This conversation is over" The advert is still on their web page this morning.

So to Amari Don Muang Hotel I say " I hope you close down soon, being as the Airport is no longer there"

After a shitty 90 mins drive back to a restaurant hear our house we had dinner, Fried chicken, cashews and vegatables in chilli sauce with pineapple fried rice doesn't quite cut it as a true Christmas Dinner.

Christmas Morning

Elizabeth woke us up at around 5am, not because she wanted to open her presents, but because she had had a huge dump and needed changing.

We took her downstairs and surrounded her with her presents. Thanks to Phil and Mum for the great presents. She now as more cloths than Mothercare.

Soon Nuch had to get ready for work and I will do a bit on the internet, later i'm going to a supplier and meet Nuch from work. We are off to an Hotel for Christmas Dinner, i'll let you know what it is like.

No Great Escape

This year Christmas will be very different, or rather the lack of Christmas will be different.

Nuch will be at work, i'm visiting a supplier on Christmas Day, so pretty much a normal day.

Its he silly little things you miss;

The bad piss up tonight

Christmas Dinner

Forcing the last scrap of food down your throat

Falling asleep in front of the telly

Family arguments

Lets not forget classics like The Sound of Music (Which I wont miss), The eastenders Christmas special and of course The Great Escape, which I will miss.

I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes.

Bloody Cold

As if by clock work, the temperature as started to go down, as you can see from the picture.

This morning at 8am it was only 18C, I actually had to put on socks and a sweat shirt. Next we'll have frostbite.

Thai TV somehow gets worse!

Just when you thought it was safe to watch Thai TV, it plumb's new depths of shitedom.

There isn't an ounce of talant on the whole system, the acting is all done with facial expression. I'm sure that I could write the screenplay, because I can tell you 15-20 minutes before hand what is going to happen.

The soaps just beggar belief, the story is usually three women and two men, one of the women will be an absolute bitch and one will be a deamour little kitten who you know will get her man. The men are pathetic lap dogs. None of the storylines bear any semblance of real life, most being set in the Mercedes set.

Game shows are shocking, one as celebrities on it, not winning for charity, but for themselves.

Comedies are anything but, slapstick at its worse!

All have to have the obligertory Ladyboy and stupid house maid. It is all such utter shite and puts Eastenders on a par with any Oscar winning film.

The pictures are from a recently finished soap set sometime in the past, it had all the usual traits, bad acting, shit story, sorry continuaty.

Thank god for Discovery Channel.

Get your Hole, there Cheap!

I came across this banner in the Pratunam area of Town.

Pratunam is one of the cloths wholesale areas, so I was pleased to see that they are diversifying into Holes.

I good do with a couple of holes about two foot deep and six inch round for a cloths line. I'll go and check the price out.

Dummy/No Dummy?

Elizabeth as just started to use a dummy, it as been a big decision. I don't want her to turn into one of these bratty kids who scream the place down if you take the dummy out of its gob.

The dummy does seem to work, soothing her just before a feed or just before she sleeps. I'm going to have to think of a way for her not to get addicted to the dummy.

Beat the Jones

A neighbour across the road as just put up a pathetic Christmas Tree, obviously I cant let this challenge go unanswered.

I put my Christmas tree outside, tinsel and a set of lights. Your move neighbour, bring it on!

The second picture is of Derek Myers House, now thats a display.

Thai Christmas Tree

The plant in the picture is what the Thai's call a Christmas tree.

The leaves go red at the end of the year over the christmas period, so there is the name. Apparently in the new year the leaves will go back to green until next year.

Knowing how green my fingers are, it'll be dead tomorrow.

Royal Hills Resort

The Hotel attached to the Golf Course at Royal Hills couldn’t be further in quality than the Golf course.

The accommodation is lovely, we stopped in a suite across from the main Hotel, the problem was there was nothing to do!

We had lunch on Saturday in the Golf Club house and dinner outside the resort because we couldn’t find a decent enough restaurant on site.

The following morning, breakfast was a buffet affair, if you like cold low quality food then you would have enjoyed it. Little things like a dirty swimming pool and no signs to say what part of the resort you are in didn’t help matters either.

Sadly I have to say avoid the Resort as a Hotel, just go for a game of golf.

Royal Hills Golf Course

This weekend thanks to an early Christmas present from my Mum we went to the Royal Hills Resort in the Khao Yai National Park.

The resort as a golf course attached, and I have to say one the best I’ve played for some time, certainly the best in Thailand.

The facilities are very good and as you can see from the shot of the 1st, the views are spectacular. Right the way through the course the holes give you new challenges, all have water on them and the greens are small and tricky.

The 18th is a fantastic hole if you can hit the ball straight and accurate, sadly because of my three months lay off I wasn’t hitting the ball anywhere good enough.

The best bit about the day was the cost, an 18 hole round with caddy and buggy came to £31, not bad!

Bang Pu

Nuch told me about this place that had been on Thai TV, It turned out that there were a load of migatory birds, big white sea birds that you could feed. Sounded interested. We collected Nuch's parents and nephew and off we set.

The place (Bang Pu) was around 50km from Bangkok, like a resort. A long pier with a good restaurant at the end of it.

The birds turned out to be seagulls! Not very big ones at that. I told Nuch that they are as common as you like in the UK. They were good fun to feed, reminded of Barmouth Harbour, being mugged by very big Seagulls for your Fish and Chips.

We had a good meal and I got to see more of Thailand. As a last treat I got to see some sort of snake in the water, that was impressive.

My first Fathers Day

Today was Fathers Day in Thailand, it was special for me because it was my first ever. Fathers Day is taken a lot more seriously in Thailand, especially as it is also the Kings birthday, and anything to do with the King is taken seriously!

We went round to Nuch’s parents and Nuch gave her Dad a ceremonial flower and he blessed her, then it was my turn with Elizabeth, all she seemed interested in at the time was her next feed, oh well!

Kings Birthday

This weekend Thailand celebrates the king’s birthday. Most Thai’s have been going mental all year because it was his 60th year on the throne. Now it’s his 80th year birthday, so another celebration.

Our Housing Project arranged for a group of Monks to come and give a blessing, Nuch prepared some food the before and off we went at 7am to see the Monks. In all fairness there was a good turn out and the Monks left with at least 20 sacks full of snap.

As you can see Elizabeth looks pretty bored by the whole affair, she had better get with the program tomorrow because it’s Fathers Day, my first.

Yellow?

This year as seen loads of celebrations for the Kings 60th year on the Throne. The Thais have been throwing themselves into big time worship.

The Kings colour is yellow and almost everyone wears yellow coloured polo shirts with the Kings emblem.

There as been a big debate in the Ex Pat circle as to whether to were one or not? On one hand I fully respect the King of Thailand, but on the other he is not my King. I had been spared the problem because Nuch could not find a shirt big enough for me.

The other day we went round to her parents and her Mum had managed to find one that fit and had paid the best part of a days wage to get it, crunch time. I told Nuch about my misgivings as to wearing the shirt and she put it in a way that made me feel ok to wear it. “Don’t think of this shirt as the Kings shirt, but as a mark of respect by wearing the Kings colour” So on Fathers day I’ll be wearing the shirt.

Christmas is Coming!

December 1st, the Christmas tree as been put up, and the Christmas spirit will try to be gotten into.

My Auntie Averyl asked if I was looking forward to Elizabeths first Christmas? Technically Elizabeth wont be celebrating Christmas, she will be bought up as a Bhuddist, so Christmas will have little meaning for her.

I’m sure however that she will get a few presents, Phil as already given us a couple for her and hopefully she will have more to un wrap.

Christmas Day being on a Monday will be a strange affair, Nuch will be at work, so I doubt I will bother with a Christmas lunch, which is a pity, Roast Turkey dinner is my favourite meal.