Bangkok Life Jan 2006

Me at Auttaya
I’ve decided to do my regular updates every month now. I’m getting fairly busy with the house and moving, and the eBay is still keeping me busy.

I would like to say that I have had a good month, but it’s not been that great. Firstly we had some tragic news about Nuch’s nephew, Pleam. He’s only 2-1/2 years old and since birth as had a dodgy liver. The other week he went in to Hospital for a load of tests. He came own only for his parents to be told that unless he gets a transplant in a couple of months he is unlikely to see the year out. The family as taken it very badly! Even if they could afford the operation (£7500), they will also have to find a donor, which apparently such a problem, as the mortality rate is such in Thailand that there are always organs available. My heart goes out to the little fellow; he is a bundle of joy, very naughty and cheeky.

Were not moving into the house this month as expected. The house is ready, mostly furnished and electricity on tap. Unfortunately there is no water till the end of February. A real bummer. Luckily Phil as let us stay in his Condo for the month ( http://www.saranjai.blogspot.com/ ) so we wont be homeless.

The Living Room at new house
I’ve had loads of hassle from eBay this month, I sell a bike tyre made by Vittoria. Unfortunately the Aussie Distributor who shall refer to from on as “Fuck wit”. Reported me to eBay because he owns the Vittoria Trademark in Aus. Because of this he claims that I cannot sell into Australia. I’m sure that is a restrictive practise! If there is anyone out there who knows anything about the law let me know. I’ll send you the letter Fuck Wit sent to me. Obviously this hasn’t held me back, where there is a will, Chris will find a dodge.

That’s the bad news, the best thing this month as been the weather, it hasn’t rained since December 14th last year. The daily temperature is an average 34C, just like Spain in June. Every day I throw the curtains back, I know its going to be sunny.

Phil and Bucko came out during the middle of the month. It was great to see them. Bucko came out a few days after Phil, met up with us in the Hard Rock Café. Most of the night action was spent in the Robin Hood Pub! Uuuuh you cant beat John Smiths and Steak Pie. I must admit its hectic when they are here, but I miss them when there away. Roll on May.
The Chuckle Bros.

Also went to Gigi’s birthday Party. She runs a French Tea Café near The Robins Hood. The food was fantastic. French bread, Pate, Salami, Olives and Roast beef and Mustard Cobs.

Had the car again this month, its good to have the freedom, but I don’t miss being stuck in traffic!

Keep on looking at the blog; I will have little tales through out the month.

Wakie Wakie!

I have found yet another wake up booster drink, that is probaly illegal in the UK.

This one is originally called wakie. Its glorious after a night on the ale and does exactly what i says on the label.

Dont know what the ingredients are, dont want to know.

Phil and Bucko

Just what I needed after a binge drinking Xmas and New Year. Phil came out in the second week of January for the usual 10 days of long days and longer nights. To make matters worse, another good Mate from Derby came out a few days later. John (Bucko) came out to do some business himself.

I will talk about what went off in my new end of month Blog later. As you would expect The Hard Rock Cafe and the Robin Hood got a real battering over the 10 days.

The two pictures show Phil relaxing after a hard days graft around The Landmark Pool, the other is of Bucko being a five star lover with a lovely Thai Lady.

Street Kids

Despite being a beautiful country to live in, Thailand does throw up a few things that you know are wrong!

The above picture was taken at 1am in the morning. This poor young kid was half asleep, but still trying to dodge between cars at red light trying to sell flowers for the car.

There is no Social Service to make sure he as a good home and he is at the mercy of any idiot who decides they want to do away with him.

Young children are used by Beggar Parents alot, its a pityful sight. I wish the mothers would not do it. Thailand's sense of family usually means they take care of their own. Sometimes, just sometimes kids fall through the net.

It does however, really piss me off when I think back to the little shit hooligans who cause havoc all over the UK, because they are bored. Maybe they should be selling flowers at a busy junctions at 1am so they can get food for them and their family.

Thai TV

Thai TV is without doubt the worse form of torture known to man or beast.

Obviously if you are Thai then its great. Alas to the outsider looking in, it is a load of shite. I'm trying to think of the last Thai TV program to win an Emmy Award?

The programming is as follows;

Soap Opera's about love and life, were there are no poor people, no one kisses or as sex, all alcohol is pixelated out, at least 2 ladyboys for every straight bloke. Excellent bitch fights. Lots of guns which are also pixelated and lastly of all "Brainy Kids"

An on screen kiss is treated by the Tabloids as seriously as a lesbian sex romp on Emmerdale. All the pixelating so you cant see ale or guns is a joke, all that happens is, veiwers now know there is ale or guns on the screen. Oh and smoking is also blotted out.

The sport is OK and the news programs, despite being bias towards anything Thai are OK.

After the soaps come the comedy/ variety and talent shows. No words can descrbe the awfulness of these programs. The comedy is very slapstick, circa Benny Hill without the tits.

The absolute worse thing on TV are the imported soaps from Korea. The soaps themselves are pityful, storylines that make Barbara Cartland seem realistic. The same two Thai Actors do all the voices for all the soaps. I look upon these as light comedy relief.

We have Cable in the Condo at the moment so I have a choice of three film channels, the Hallmark Channel, CNN, BBC World and two sport channels. Later when we move I will have to do without all these.

Anyway, these programs keep Nuch happy, so they cant be that bad.

Turd or Pretzel?

Turd or Pretzel?

You Decide!

Tour of Siam

Yesterday I went to watch "The Tour of Siam" Cycle race.

It is a six day stage race starting in Bangkok and Phucket. The first day began at the Grand Palace and move just outside the city to complete a seven lap circuit.

It was good to see a bike race again, and being as my business is still in the cycle game, I thought I had a duty to go.

I was shocked to see some of the spectators and even racers wearing arm and leg warmers! It was 42C and bloody sunny. How the guy who was racing coped with the heat? God alone knows.

At the back of the bunch was a sight I had expected to see, one of the welsh guys shelled out the back, probaly done a long turn on the front and then the heat got to him. It doesn't matter how many miles you ride at home. the heat is going to get you.

Health and Safety 2

Thailand is great for the lack of Health and Safety, there is such a ready supply of labour and very few enforcable H & S laws.

The above picture shows the workers hanging off a 30 storey office block doing the windows, when you got closer they were only tied onto a plank. No safety harness, no safety equipment of any kind. All for probaly £5 a day.

The picture below is of a 1 tonne pick up. There are thousands on the roads of Thailand, the most popular vehicle.

This one was belting down an Express Way at a great rate of knots. I think it was full of Rice, as you can see there is more like four tonne on the back. One good gust of wind and that thing will be over.

I over took on the right.

Siam Paragon

The New Siam Paragon Shopping Mall as finally opened. It as been being built all the i've been going to and living in Bangkok.

It is directly across from Siam BTS Station, so finding it is no problem whatsoever. We saw it for the first time in New Years EVE night. It looked fantastic lit up at night.

It as the usual list of top shops. Gucci, Armani, Fendi, Louis Vuitton etc. Quite a few are'nt open yet, but you get the idea. The Performance car showroom on the 3rd floor looks well smart, although at 15,000,000 Bhat for the Lamborgini was a little out of my price range.

Another feature id the Aquarium in the Mall, you can walk through underwater tunnels, eat at the restaurant next to the sharks or even go diving with the sharks!! Right.

Cha Am Cabaret

Whilst we were in Cha Am over the New Year. The Hotel put on a Cabaret of Broadway Songs.

There were the usual big flambouyant costumes and not very good out of sync singing to a backing tape.

The Dancers however were very attractive, so you could forgive them miming to a backing tape.

Hold it right there!!!!!!!!!!!

It turned out that all of the dancers were actually blokes. Only when the freak below came on stage did it dawn on me. All the other Farang memebers of the audience looked equally surprised.

Not too worry, It was a good show and a good laugh.

New Years Day

Despite having somewhat of an hangover, New years day was a perfect start to 2006.

First off, Nuch And I visited the local Temple and gave food to the Monks.

Then it was off to pick up her parents and Grandmother. We were going to Cha-Am for a few days.

Cha AM is around 2-1/2 hours from Bangkok. It is a very quiet resort, perfect for relaxation and sun bathing. We stayed in the Beach Garden resort, which as you would ecpect is right on the Beach.
I spent most of saturday afternoon asleep on a sun lounger on the Beach. I decided there and then that I want to spend every new year by the coast. It is the future.

In the evening we had a fantastic meal at a top local seafood restaurant, again I got fairly pissed. Back at the Hotel we were treated to a cabaret, which needs a blog on its own. When you see the blog, you'll know what i mean.

An easy trip back to Bangkok, all the traffic was going the other way, out to the coast. Thailand takes celebrating New Year very seriously. So New Year is now the new Christmas.

New Years Eve

I hope everyone had a good New Years Eve. Nuch and I spent ours in Bangkok City Centre. First of all we went for an Indian the New Barajam on Sukhumvit Road. Always a good meal. Probably the best Indian in the capital.

After that we paid a visit to the new Shopping Mall, “Siam Paragon”. Which I will talk about in a later blog.



We finished the night at the World Plaza. This is a huge Mall right in the centre of Bangkok. Out side all of the Thai Breweries hold open air parties. Luckily we got in the Singha Party. Loads of beer and food. Some good Thai bands and a load of Nuch’s friends.

Countdown at World Plaza is Bangkok’s equivalent to Trafalgar Square or Sydney Harbour. The Countdown for the New Year is made on the side of the Baiyoke Sky Tower. There were at least 50000 people crammed on the Plaza, all traffic was blocked.

A brill night. One I paid for the next morning with an early start to the coast with the outlaws.