My first Isaan visit.

[Bpuumike 528]

@ Ryro88 - You stayed 4 days in Isaan, where everything is dirt cheap and you really believe village people spent close to 5000 on you ? Well, I have doubts.

A good meal cost 50 baths, how much is benzine now ? A night in an hotel cost 400-500 baths.

I see you know as much about Isaan as I do about Outer Mongolia. For a start everything is not "dirt cheap". Last weekend 4 of us went for meal and it cost 1200 baht and that wasn't being extravagant. Included 1 beer 2 bottles of water and a Sprite. Petrol is 39 baht a litre and yes you can get a night in a hotel for 500 baht but that's not the average by any means.

As I've lived in Isaan for over 7 years I'm qualified to comment.

Your other posts seem to be just as well informed!

Hmm, never costs me that much for a meal but am really out in the sticks.

We have an excellent local motel run by an Aussie and his Thai wife 350/night,cheap meals too or bring in your own.

Cheaper still of course to let the wife shop in the market and eat at home, which I must admit is not cheap to run, but cheaper than an equivalent size property in the UK.

We occasionally have a weekend in Khon Kaen, 2 hours away, and get a suite at the Pullman. Expensive but seems to turn the wife on so worth it.

And to the OP,is it cheaper or more practical to take baths than showers? Where are you living??

Have a good Christmas season.

[Neeranam 8940]

I just can't see where you are coming from here the family spent quite a few thousand baht on myself. Petrol.national park fees.food.beer the list goes on 5000 was a good will gesture on my part which my girlfriend refused twice before I slipped it in the window of the car when we left to head Into the airport.

There are consequences for everything and you can ignore the advice/warnings of those who have spent decades here or not.

So, the next time you visit the place, they'll plan a similar thing expecting the equivalent of a monthly pay check. What if you don't give it?

You have set the tone for the whole relationship and IMHO, you have made a mistake, unless you are loaded.

I've just built a house in Isarn and waited until we had been married for 12 years.

[NexusWR 6]

I'm glad you had a good time - and am not surprised at all - but you shouldn't have given them money. It sets a bad precedent, and was completely unnecessary.

[DerkMR 82]

And to the OP,is it cheaper or more practical to take baths than showers? Where are you living??

Did he tell how often he changes the water in the bathtub?

That's the recipe for an original farang kiniau

Bye,

Derk

[williamta20012 25]

Hello, a lot of members do not know Thailand at all and can hardly speak two words of Thai. Having stayed years in Pattaya does not give one the right to have a authorized opinion on everything Thai -)

Ryro88, imho you made a big mistake. The amount of money you gave to them was the equivalent of one month salary for someone in the country. The simple fact that they took the money is an indication of Thai people bad mentality versus money. They should have refused the money, simply put. It was OK to give them some money, for example pay for the car benzine. And give a small gift on departure. But 5000 baths, certainly not.

The message you have given to them is that you are in fact a walking ATM. Mgjackson69 is perfectly right. Next step is most probably to try to get more and more from you. Not that they are bad people. But because they are Thai and because of the strange relation between Thai and money. Do not show your money, refuse loans, put clear barriers, this is my advice (I am happily married for 17 years with an isaan girl).

Right so that makes you a Dr of Thai Sociology right?

That only goes to prove like most academics, you are only aware of your tiny sector of reality.

What utter small minded rubbish.

Thais and their strange relationship with money?

Perhaps you would feel more comfortable on Wall Street? Or even in Nigeria?

Well, I think I know Thailand quite well, my friend, and I speak the langage, which is a great help to talk and understand the people. Yes, Thai people have a relation with money which is very strange for most foreigners from the western world. Most of them (in the 2 square meters of area I know) have no idea about sparing money. They make money, they spend it the same day. They all borrow more than they can. How many plots of land in my village have been taken by the bank ! They see a farang around, they try to get some money because they are always broke and they have a lot of ideas to make good and funny usage of the said money ...

This beeing said, I love Thailand !

not exactly true gold jewelry is like a bank account for thai people u know

[Maggusoil 1150]

Hello, a lot of members do not know Thailand at all and can hardly speak two words of Thai. Having stayed years in Pattaya does not give one the right to have a authorized opinion on everything Thai -)

Ryro88, imho you made a big mistake. The amount of money you gave to them was the equivalent of one month salary for someone in the country. The simple fact that they took the money is an indication of Thai people bad mentality versus money. They should have refused the money, simply put. It was OK to give them some money, for example pay for the car benzine. And give a small gift on departure. But 5000 baths, certainly not.

The message you have given to them is that you are in fact a walking ATM. Mgjackson69 is perfectly right. Next step is most probably to try to get more and more from you. Not that they are bad people. But because they are Thai and because of the strange relation between Thai and money. Do not show your money, refuse loans, put clear barriers, this is my advice (I am happily married for 17 years with an isaan girl).

Right so that makes you a Dr of Thai Sociology right?

That only goes to prove like most academics, you are only aware of your tiny sector of reality.

What utter small minded rubbish.

Thais and their strange relationship with money?

Perhaps you would feel more comfortable on Wall Street? Or even in Nigeria?

Well, I think I know Thailand quite well, my friend, and I speak the langage, which is a great help to talk and understand the people. Yes, Thai people have a relation with money which is very strange for most foreigners from the western world. Most of them (in the 2 square meters of area I know) have no idea about sparing money. They make money, they spend it the same day. They all borrow more than they can. How many plots of land in my village have been taken by the bank ! They see a farang around, they try to get some money because they are always broke and they have a lot of ideas to make good and funny usage of the said money ...

This beeing said, I love Thailand !

not exactly true gold jewelry is like a bank account for thai people u know

I have yet to find a consistent in all of this. At least with the Thais I know. They all very a lot. Gold, land, spending too much, new cars (mostly pickups), repossessions. These fascinations are quite universal. The whole western world has been primed for bank repossessions for years. Its an industry. I know, I nearly became part of the industry as a mortgage broker but didn't like the flavour.