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Why You Seldom Find DELETED On The Isaan Forum.......


lostinisaan

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Are you kidding?

Many Pattaya residents are experts on Isaan.

They get dragged there once, or twice a year by their missus.

Without exception, they all dread it due to the boredom.

Not the ones I know. This ex-Pattaya (Mabprachan really) resident sort of became an expert on Isaan though- because after visiting our MIL's house/ rural retreat a couple of times, we upped sticks from Pattaya and moved here to Ubon. That was seven years ago, and I have never looked back- but we've still got the house down there. Off for a visit soon actually.

Anyway, for those Pattaya residents who actually are 'experts on Isaan but 'dread it due to boredom' I have simple advice- stay in Pattaya! There is no reason you have to accompany the wife on her periodic sojourn to the ban nok for a few days.

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after living in ubon for a few years then moving to a coastal town of @ 30 000 population, i can say that Issan sux when compared to Thailand.

<deleted> in Issan they don't even speak thai, they chatter away on Issan (LAO) and wait for their daughters to send another few measly baht back from some gogo bar in pattaya.

While 75% of the falang population are stuck in a house that they paid for or a struggling to survive on some crappy teachers salary and are simply to deluded to realise that they are merely existing.....not living.

why would any sane person relocate to a foreign country to live if they cannot afford to live a decent life ?

i have only met one falang teacher in thailand who makes a decent salary and actually was a properly qualified teacher ( home country university qualified), not some TEFL 5 minute language expert who mother tongue is not even english who can barely survive on the "salary" they receive, and they say how great their life is !

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after living in ubon for a few years then moving to a coastal town of @ 30 000 population, i can say that Issan sux when compared to Thailand.

F.F.S. in Issan they don't even speak thai, they chatter away on Issan (LAO) and wait for their daughters to send another few measly baht back from some gogo bar in pattaya.

While 75% of the falang population are stuck in a house that they paid for or a struggling to survive on some crappy teachers salary and are simply to deluded to realise that they are merely existing.....not living.

why would any sane person relocate to a foreign country to live if they cannot afford to live a decent life ?

i have only met one falang teacher in thailand who makes a decent salary and actually was a properly qualified teacher ( home country university qualified), not some TEFL 5 minute language expert who mother tongue is not even english who can barely survive on the "salary" they receive, and they say how great their life is !

"Issan people don't even speak Thai". That is so funny I think I have just cracked 3 ribs.

Mind you. Having read that bit it just goes to show that the rest of what you wrote is rubbish too.

Thanks for the laugh.

BTW there are actually 3 general dialects in Issan. Lao, Khmer and Gui. (But I'm sure you know that)

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Moose7117's post is more accurate than yours.

You even back up his point with the number of dialects spoken.

For Isaan people that haven't traveled outside of the north-east (most of them), talking in Central Thai is like an English guy having to remember his schoolboy French.

Central Thai is taught in all the schools, but, very rarely spoken between people from Isaan.

But, of course, you knew that, you being such an expert an' all.

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I like a game of chess, never met anyone here that plays, gave up books- the type got too small.

I too have the problem of the print getting too small. I hate to wear reading glasses trying to read in bed. THEN, I discovered Kindle. I can make the print whatever size I want. thumbsup.gif

If you are over 45, then you need to go for lens replacement.

I used to have to wear reading glasses and then another set for distance vision.

After lens replacement, my sight is the same as when I was sixteen. It's also permanent.

Best money I ever spent.

I used to wear bi-focals but for some reason my eyes corrected themselves for distance. I no longer need glasses to drive but I do desperately need prescription reading glasses.

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Moose7117's post is more accurate than yours.

You even back up his point with the number of dialects spoken.

For Isaan people that haven't traveled outside of the north-east (most of them), talking in Central Thai is like an English guy having to remember his schoolboy French.

Central Thai is taught in all the schools, but, very rarely spoken between people from Isaan.

But, of course, you knew that, you being such an expert an' all.

It is in fact because of the diversity of the dialects that Thai IS spoken among Thais in Issan.

Many people will talk their own dialect in their villages. Thai is also still heard in the villages when people come along selling things. I travel quite a lot around Issan and am yet to meet more than a handful of Issan folks who cannot speak Thai fluently. That is in 18 years.

Does that make me an expert?

You writing this shows the flaws in what you think : "for Issan people who have not traveled outside of the north east (most of them)".

Factories and the likes all over Bangkok and lower central Thailand are mainly manned by people from Issan.

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Sorry, you're no expert and your post is just not true. I've been all over Isaan and the locals (all over) don't speak central Thai.

Wander around any city in Isaan and you can go all day without hearing Central Thai.

And if it's years that impress you, I've got over thirty of 'em here.

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KarenBravo, I think that the first thing that hits you when you are getting blind, is that your eyesight disappears.. And when deaf, you´re hearing goes away.

How in Gods name can you be so sure???? The question is wether of not isaan people speak any thai.... What you can hear is what isaan people speak, and that is amongst eachother they speak isaan, and with foreigners they speak thai.

There are some people out there in the most "dark" villages that cannot say a word thai, but only isaan dialect.... But there are a great deal of people up here that can handle thai language fluently....

Factories like the poster said, are full of isaan-people down in Bangkok.... I think I have heard that without isaan-people in Bangkok, it will shrink sevel millions in number....

The education language in Isaan in schools are thai..... not isaan dialect.... I think that PUCHOOAY are right on the money and you are NOT.....

Glegolo

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Maybe Glegola they are both right but have met different groups of people in different locations. Things change from one village to the next, don't they.

Gone slightly off-topic here as it's supposed to be about this forums inhabitants as opposed to village folk.

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Maybe Glegola they are both right but have met different groups of people in different locations. Things change from one village to the next, don't they.

Gone slightly off-topic here as it's supposed to be about this forums inhabitants as opposed to village folk.

Are you getting mixed up with villages and towns again?

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When you think you can speak Isaan perfectly, you're already wrong. Once you're familiar with Sisaket slang, please drive to Mukdahan and try to have a chat with them.

They won't understand your mumbling, nor would you understand them. "Suup Buri" in Sisaket, while you "Suup Yaa" in Mukdahan is just one example you should know.

Even the Lhao kao is different in Mukdahan, only 30 %, not 40 %, which might cause some Sisaket Thais to drink more. Who cares?

I found myself in situations where I thought that some people were deaf, but later found out that so more closer you come to Surin, so more only Khmer speaking people cross your way.

Even in Kantharalak area is a school ( are schools?) where they only teach/speak in Khmer, while most of the people do understand some Lao/Thai, but of course not the high Thai, spoken by rich people.

But you don't have to be surprised by that, a little town only 2 km away from the city where I come from speak a slang where I'm completely left out and lost.

I've met quite a lot of German speaking people here and couldn't understand a word they're saying. In addition with the wrong sentence structure, the wrong tense, fragging everything wrong.But i prefer to not have a chat with people i don't understand.

And Germany belongs to a "more civilized country?" The "Der"( the -masculine), "Die" the- feminine) "Das" the- a thing, in English just the is often so wrongly used that it's already funny.

I agree with the one poster who's stating that life near a nice beach might be much better. But:

Once you've really settled down here, got your friends here, know where to go to when you've got a problem, know all the short time drive ins, live in a nice and cheap house with all the Western luxury many people are missing here, life's good........ Even on a teacher's salary.Trying to do the math now: facepalm.gif

We live in a nice place with a bathroom in the master bedroom for 4 K/month.three air conditioning units help us over the hottest time, 750 baht for fiber TOT, 1 to 2 K for electricity, 500 + baht for water, every day decent food, we mostly eat out, always enough money in the pocket at the end of the month, friends who come and visit, some BBQ that wasn't planned two weeks before.smile.png

A carport, completely in the shade, actually i could park three cars in the shade if I'd want to. POur son has his own room, I even got my own office, big enough to use it as a guest room, should more than one want to stay a night.coffee1.gif

The neighbors are more than cool, left hand side a lawyer, right hand side a cop, can't be better protected, can we?thumbsup.gif

Okay, I already had my pick up before I started teaching, but i never have a financial problem to fill up the Diesel tank. My wife works at a restaurant and makes some extra baht, even our son started an evening job as a waiter in a new opened restaurant. If we need something that's not on the list, we just buy it.

With the money we're making we're even supporting mom and dad in law, always bring food when we visit and it's great to be seen as a real member of the family, not a walking ATM machine on two legs. ( Okay one is an artificial, to be honest)sad.png

We have huge space around our house, a nice and big Teak wood table where at least ten people can sit in the shade, under a roof. Neighbors give us fruits, food and a nice smile and so do we.

I'm not bashing about the people who live in the hood, live and let live. We don't want to be part of the gossip and people accept that.WE're living in the city, but in a very quiet area where kids can play on the road, speed breakers help newbies to understand that we don't like racing cars here.

If I've got a problem with my car, I know where I can buy very cheap, but also very good parts, maybe a third, or less what Mitsu would charge. If some electronic stuff stops working, we go to see Laahn "Alhi", the best guy for such problems.

We know where we get great Thai food, but we don't like to take it home in plastic bags. Whenever we want to we go to a nice farang place that's relatively new. Only great people there, always a pleasure to visit them.

Okay, we don't have a swimming pool and have to drive a few minutes to get to the treehouse for a swim.

My wife and i are married since 15 years and we still love and respect each other. Of course does the OMS happen from time to time. ( Old Marriage Syndrome), but we always find a way(s) to agree and we'll never ever hit each other. ( As seen before at somebody's house..)

There're a few more points that would be worth to write down, but it's enough to understand why we are where we are and how we are.

We are not rich and we don't have to tell people that we are. But we have more than enough to be happy. And that's what it's all about.

I don't want to start thinking what such a house would be where I'm actually from, i don't want to freeze my arse' off, i don't want to live in a country where the taxes are higher than my monthly salary here.

And those who believe that all Isaanjeros are married to a bar girl are so wrong that it already hurts. But let people think what they want. Thoughts should be free and who gives a flying kangaroo if Khunxxx has a gik, or Mr. Farang yy slept with Mr. ggg's wife?

We don't give a damn about such things. Thank you for your kind consideration and please stop your Thai/Isaan bashing attitude. wai.gif

post-158336-0-41835600-1465389299_thumb.

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Thank you "lostinisaan" for a very nice post.... I myself live up here as well... Our lives in detail maybe not is exactly the very same. but I do as well have alife here that i am happy with. Retired and working some at the side. Have full control of the monthly money. Live in a house with my wife since 8 years back and taking full care of 1 daughter and a son of my wifes sister.... Helping MIL every month a little bit...

Can as you say, not be too bothered with details in life and life is actually quite good with nice falang friends and acess to nice falangfood both at a restaurant here as well as in my home... So all good..

Nice to read your post, I think you are doing great in your life..

Glegolo

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Are you getting mixed up with villages and towns again?

Haha! Spoken like a true stalker!

Good post Lostinisaan. Life is what you make it, even for us teachers/lecturers.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I've been all over Isaan and the locals (all over) don't speak central Thai.

Based on that, I find it hard to believe you've even been to Isaan. Central Thai is the sole language used in schools here. Every Isaanite I know speaks fluent Thai although (d'uggh) they prefer to speak to each other in their own lingo. I'm wondering now if you are a Troll.

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Those many of us that happily call Isaan our home (this sizable region of Thailand that contains some 40% of it's population), have absolutely no problem with which part of Thailand you may choose to call home. Be happy. So why do so many of you have a ploblem? Anyway, it's your problem. rolleyes.gif

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When you think you can speak Isaan perfectly, you're already wrong. Once you're familiar with Sisaket slang, please drive to Mukdahan and try to have a chat with them.

They won't understand your mumbling, nor would you understand them. "Suup Buri" in Sisaket, while you "Suup Yaa" in Mukdahan is just one example you should know.

Even the Lhao kao is different in Mukdahan, only 30 %, not 40 %, which might cause some Sisaket Thais to drink more. Who cares?

I found myself in situations where I thought that some people were deaf, but later found out that so more closer you come to Surin, so more only Khmer speaking people cross your way.

Even in Kantharalak area is a school ( are schools?) where they only teach/speak in Khmer, while most of the people do understand some Lao/Thai, but of course not the high Thai, spoken by rich people.

But you don't have to be surprised by that, a little town only 2 km away from the city where I come from speak a slang where I'm completely left out and lost.

I've met quite a lot of German speaking people here and couldn't understand a word they're saying. In addition with the wrong sentence structure, the wrong tense, fragging everything wrong.But i prefer to not have a chat with people i don't understand.

And Germany belongs to a "more civilized country?" The "Der"( the -masculine), "Die" the- feminine) "Das" the- a thing, in English just the is often so wrongly used that it's already funny.

I agree with the one poster who's stating that life near a nice beach might be much better. But:

Once you've really settled down here, got your friends here, know where to go to when you've got a problem, know all the short time drive ins, live in a nice and cheap house with all the Western luxury many people are missing here, life's good........ Even on a teacher's salary.Trying to do the math now: facepalm.gif

We live in a nice place with a bathroom in the master bedroom for 4 K/month.three air conditioning units help us over the hottest time, 750 baht for fiber TOT, 1 to 2 K for electricity, 500 + baht for water, every day decent food, we mostly eat out, always enough money in the pocket at the end of the month, friends who come and visit, some BBQ that wasn't planned two weeks before.smile.png

A carport, completely in the shade, actually i could park three cars in the shade if I'd want to. POur son has his own room, I even got my own office, big enough to use it as a guest room, should more than one want to stay a night.coffee1.gif

The neighbors are more than cool, left hand side a lawyer, right hand side a cop, can't be better protected, can we?thumbsup.gif

Okay, I already had my pick up before I started teaching, but i never have a financial problem to fill up the Diesel tank. My wife works at a restaurant and makes some extra baht, even our son started an evening job as a waiter in a new opened restaurant. If we need something that's not on the list, we just buy it.

With the money we're making we're even supporting mom and dad in law, always bring food when we visit and it's great to be seen as a real member of the family, not a walking ATM machine on two legs. ( Okay one is an artificial, to be honest)sad.png

We have huge space around our house, a nice and big Teak wood table where at least ten people can sit in the shade, under a roof. Neighbors give us fruits, food and a nice smile and so do we.

I'm not bashing about the people who live in the hood, live and let live. We don't want to be part of the gossip and people accept that.WE're living in the city, but in a very quiet area where kids can play on the road, speed breakers help newbies to understand that we don't like racing cars here.

If I've got a problem with my car, I know where I can buy very cheap, but also very good parts, maybe a third, or less what Mitsu would charge. If some electronic stuff stops working, we go to see Laahn "Alhi", the best guy for such problems.

We know where we get great Thai food, but we don't like to take it home in plastic bags. Whenever we want to we go to a nice farang place that's relatively new. Only great people there, always a pleasure to visit them.

Okay, we don't have a swimming pool and have to drive a few minutes to get to the treehouse for a swim.

My wife and i are married since 15 years and we still love and respect each other. Of course does the OMS happen from time to time. ( Old Marriage Syndrome), but we always find a way(s) to agree and we'll never ever hit each other. ( As seen before at somebody's house..)

There're a few more points that would be worth to write down, but it's enough to understand why we are where we are and how we are.

We are not rich and we don't have to tell people that we are. But we have more than enough to be happy. And that's what it's all about.

I don't want to start thinking what such a house would be where I'm actually from, i don't want to freeze my arse' off, i don't want to live in a country where the taxes are higher than my monthly salary here.

And those who believe that all Isaanjeros are married to a bar girl are so wrong that it already hurts. But let people think what they want. Thoughts should be free and who gives a flying kangaroo if Khunxxx has a gik, or Mr. Farang yy slept with Mr. ggg's wife?

We don't give a damn about such things. Thank you for your kind consideration and please stop your Thai/Isaan bashing attitude. wai.gif

You're gushing.

How embarrassing.

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it is always good to see how PRETEND teachers (tefl) can justify why surviving on a wage that would not rent a decent abode in Bangkok is so bloody rewarding !

i think its great that you guys raise your puppies in issan.

when the half/half kids grow up it will improve the looks of the gogo girls in pattaya for the weekend warriors to rent.

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Renting a decent abode in Bangkok? How unrewarding. tongue.png Anyway, the usual reversion to stereotype- if you're an expat in Thailand, you're either a sexpat or a Tefler right? Or a geriatric in Gods waiting room (Isaan, presumably). Speaking as none of these, I still find myself bemused why so many of you are so fascinated and horrified by those many of us that happily live in Isaan, when we are not the least fascinated or appalled by your lifestyle choices. Too busy doing nothing I suppose.

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Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket Chiang Mai and the like - you can keep 'em. Noisy, dirty, smelly, polluted, traffic jams, crowded trains, hustle and bustle, surrounded by miserable faces - no thank you. then factor in the expense, rents, fresh veg, meat etc. Where in the City can you get a haircut for 40 baht or a can of beer for 30? Give me the peace and quiet of Isaan any day. There are plenty of restaurants here, half the price of City ones. Do I want to watch a film, that's what the net is for these days, often for free, don't have to sit shivering in an air conditioned cinema for which I've paid hundreds of baht. I could go on. Thailand isn't a huge Country, if I want in four hours I can be in Pattaya, even less to Bangkok

As for language. Here in my village they speak Khmer. In the 30 plus years that I have been coming here I have never met one local who could not speak Thai. Some of them don't speak it very well (including me) and they speak with a strong Isaan accent but they do speak it.

All Thais are avid television watchers, what do they speak in their programmes, middle Thai of course. When the locals converse amongst themselves if they're not speaking Khmer then they speak a local Thai that is so full of slang and colloquialisms that I can only pick up a few words here and there. However when they speak to me or say , perhaps a stranger, then they revert to middle Thai which is much easier to understand.

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To live in isaan you need to be more like a Thai in the way you live and behave and assimilate.

Rather live with the down to earth people up here than in the falang getto's.

Maybe the reasons this forum is more relaxed and accommodating.

Spot on, plus Thai Visa , has no favourites protection clap2.gifclap2.gif

I should know .wub.png

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Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket Chiang Mai and the like - you can keep 'em. Noisy, dirty, smelly, polluted, traffic jams, crowded trains, hustle and bustle, surrounded by miserable faces - no thank you. then factor in the expense, rents, fresh veg, meat etc. Where in the City can you get a haircut for 40 baht or a can of beer for 30? Give me the peace and quiet of Isaan any day. There are plenty of restaurants here, half the price of City ones. Do I want to watch a film, that's what the net is for these days, often for free, don't have to sit shivering in an air conditioned cinema for which I've paid hundreds of baht. I could go on. Thailand isn't a huge Country, if I want in four hours I can be in Pattaya, even less to Bangkok

As for language. Here in my village they speak Khmer. In the 30 plus years that I have been coming here I have never met one local who could not speak Thai. Some of them don't speak it very well (including me) and they speak with a strong Isaan accent but they do speak it.

All Thais are avid television watchers, what do they speak in their programmes, middle Thai of course. When the locals converse amongst themselves if they're not speaking Khmer then they speak a local Thai that is so full of slang and colloquialisms that I can only pick up a few words here and there. However when they speak to me or say , perhaps a stranger, then they revert to middle Thai which is much easier to understand.

As for language. Here in my village they speak Khmer. In the 30 plus years that I have been coming here I have never met one local who could not speak Thai. Some of them don't speak it very well (including me) and they speak with a strong Isaan accent but they do speak it.

30 years of coming here and living here isn't quite the same. You can find a lot of people who do only speak Khmer. If you don't believe me, please visit some places in Sisaket province( toward Kantharalak) and near Surin.

​ Regarding your statement that all Thais speak Thai, I only have to take my mother in law as an example.

Asking her if she's hungry, using Thai: Khun Hiu Kao, mai khrap? and she doesn't get it. I have to say: Khun Hiuu Kao Booh? and she smiles and says yes., or no.

That can happen when people speak their slang only, day by day....

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I'd like to hear stories from other provincial expats living in places other than Isaan. Places like Mae Hong Son, Phitsan, or Ranong, or whatever (psst- not Phuket, bangers, patts, HH, CM, kinda done to death). Is it so different? Are you happy there too?

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I am very happy living 55 km east of Chiang Rai in an area called Phayamengrai. Then again I was also happy living in Bangkok for 30 years before moving here. Power, water, internet and phone are all great. I have beautiful surroundings and good roads for driving or riding my bike and trails for my mountain bike.

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