October 30th, 2006, 13:02
Since some people are rally concerned regarding money and money matters, I sall give you my recent experience regarding this topic:
My last month wit my boyfriend:
From BKK I went straight up to see him in Udon. He picked me up at the station (I love the train) with his cousin wanting me take home first. His home is a quite largish typical Thai house about 20 km outside of Udon.
I gave him 1.000 TBT to buy some food and drinks. We went to the market and some other places they know and bought what they found appropriate, and handed me around 44 TBT back.
I also handet my bf his 3.000 TBT allowance for one month, but he informed me, there is no need since there is still some money left I gave him last time.
I paid his cousin 400 TBT for gasoline as soon as we have had a petrol station in sight. He happily agreed and bought gasoline for 400 TBT.
Everybody at the house ignored me. I was just there as always and nothing special. I inspected the 4 month old baby of my boyfriend’s sister I haven’t seen before. What a lovely child. It was soon before lunch time so they gave me a small sting in order the keep the swing moving, the baby liked a lot. Not even for a farang a difficult thing to so. Boyfriend run away to the local village shop to buy drinking water for cooking my food with and clean dishes. He nes from before that Isaan food can be tricky at first for farang stomach. I loved him for that even more.
Boyfriend paid mama his regular 2 to 3.000 TBT since this is what thee agreed about in order to pay his parents a small allowance – and is also paying for the takeover of farm and house. My boyfriend is 22 years old bit no way stupid. I just noted the discrete handover of the money and could see Mama smile the first time.
Papa turned up to take fetch the baby and waved me for lunch which was spread out neatly on the bamboo mats in the floor. Everybody hat water with it, I got mineral water.
Alter the lunch I went to the wooden bank and had a nap. After waking up again, I got myself some more water and observed papa’s difficulties to read some papers. I asked my boyfriend about this and he confirmed that papa’s eye side is not good anymore.
Around 4 I ask my boyfriend to go back to Udon since I wanted to rent a room there. He looked very surprised since my luggage has disappeared into his room already. I ask him for good Internet access of his baan, which does obviously doesn’t exists. He looked very surprised and said: Oh, I am very sorry, I forgot. You need Internet for your work. I takes 2 weeks to get ADSL here but can tale longer too. Better is, we go to town”. Lucky my, unlucky mosquitoes; they need to find there food somewhere else.
We found for 4.000 TBT a month plus water, electric and 500 TBT ADSL a clean and pleasant room with ADSL, air-con, 3 times weekly cleaning and linen change, inexpensive laundry and restaurant and indeed gay-friendly Thai style apartments. Cousin offered his new motorbike for 2.500 monthly rental fees since the apartment is 2 km out of city.
A few days later we where invited to the village Isaan concert with some local superstars. We would stay at boyfriend’s house since the concert would take all night. I surely agreed and we drove up in time. We have had time to inspect the farm which looked very good unless the crop was late due to low rainfalls before. Again, nobody especially smiles at me (except the bay and boyfriend), just making some extra space on the floor for me while having dinner. All together maybe 20 persons. For the event (concert, not me) two hens lost there live.
I needed to have some dental treatment and also new glasses; both was I knew from quotations which was very costly in Europe. All together I got it done in due course and for less then 4.000 TBT.
I asked my boyfriend to take papa to the optician and check his eye-side and gave him 5.000 TBT just in case. Several days my boyfriend came back with bill, showing me 1.900 TBT – and I need to see papa who was in the car smiling at me (first time) with fabulous looking knew glasses. I looked at my boyfriend, saying: “I’ve I see papa now looking to handsome now with new glasses, I might chance and go for him.” His answer: “Mama will not like for that any more.”.
Boyfriend reminded me discretely that we need to do some good with the others since we treated papa so well. We should at least take the children out for a nice trip to the mountains. I sure agreed. We where picked up in Udon on time, went to the village to collect the various cousins of my boyfriend. We both calculated about 4 persons but nobody was really surprised to count all together 22 persons on the pick-up. Lots of food and large piles of bamboo mats where boarded. In the way we stopped several times to by some soft drinks and good know what else on junk food. The drive took about 1 hour into a lovely mountain park.
First thing was unloading the pick-up and having food. Later we explored the park and took many pictures. The stroll ended at sales pavilion with all the obvious tourist trash. The kids surely went into the shop and I secretly blessed myself having 3.000 TBT extra in my pockets. None of the kids ever ask me for money but I could see the eyes, kids are the same all over world. I offered 100 TBT for everybody to bye something the liked. Boyfriend and I went out an had a nap in the shadows outside, leaving the 14 kids alone with the shop keeper. After about 1 hour I went back to pay – the total amount was including some ice-cr├иme not exceeding 500 TBT for all 12! With the drinks, junk food and ice I paid before and gasoline the whole trip cost’s where less then 2.000 TBT.
My boyfriend ask me several times not to eat out but have some food in the room. The refrigerator was well stocked at any time, including some beers.
Balancing costs after one month I might spend all together around 36.000 TBT, including transport and 5 day trip to Bangkok and Pattaya, and all my travels in Thailand. I have never been ask for money at any time.
My boyfriend knows that I am not rich nor some one who is pretending to be well off or so. He knows where my money is or can draw some from out joint ATM if he needs some. I have never been asked for money at any time but I have been looking what is in need to be done. My boyfriend is for Thai standard quite well off, owning several rai of very good land but he works every day somewhere even there is nothing to do on his own land. Food is plenty but cash is short. If he needed to improve his house, I will pay a part of it, for sure. He needs a new roof before the next rainy season starts and he is saving up for it. I asked him to take 10.000 TBT or so out of out joint ATM if he needs some.
As before, as soon as we arrive at my boyfriends home, nobody will take any notice, but baby Yain will pee in my lap and smile at me. I am just there. I never “wai” – they don’t. A waai is a very complicated thing to do. Since many years I still observe mistakes. Falang can never learn how and when or why to “wai”. The Thai “wai” to each other only occasionally and with some specific reason.
The family likes me an they take care of me, I can listen to there conversation. They like me course I am just there, quite, often reading and do not make any fuss. This is, why I like them all too very much. Even baby Yaim is piing on my while smiling allk over at the same time. And my boyfriend of course.
Since we med first time in Pattaya, there where never ever a bad word between us. He used to work in a bar but didn’t like it very much. We have discussed this quietly and he orked out already the he is never able to make some money there – if he get some, Pattaya will suck it out his Pockets again. Before I informed you, that is maybe not very educated but by no means any stupid. I love him very much.
Amazing?, No way, this is Thailand.
My last month wit my boyfriend:
From BKK I went straight up to see him in Udon. He picked me up at the station (I love the train) with his cousin wanting me take home first. His home is a quite largish typical Thai house about 20 km outside of Udon.
I gave him 1.000 TBT to buy some food and drinks. We went to the market and some other places they know and bought what they found appropriate, and handed me around 44 TBT back.
I also handet my bf his 3.000 TBT allowance for one month, but he informed me, there is no need since there is still some money left I gave him last time.
I paid his cousin 400 TBT for gasoline as soon as we have had a petrol station in sight. He happily agreed and bought gasoline for 400 TBT.
Everybody at the house ignored me. I was just there as always and nothing special. I inspected the 4 month old baby of my boyfriend’s sister I haven’t seen before. What a lovely child. It was soon before lunch time so they gave me a small sting in order the keep the swing moving, the baby liked a lot. Not even for a farang a difficult thing to so. Boyfriend run away to the local village shop to buy drinking water for cooking my food with and clean dishes. He nes from before that Isaan food can be tricky at first for farang stomach. I loved him for that even more.
Boyfriend paid mama his regular 2 to 3.000 TBT since this is what thee agreed about in order to pay his parents a small allowance – and is also paying for the takeover of farm and house. My boyfriend is 22 years old bit no way stupid. I just noted the discrete handover of the money and could see Mama smile the first time.
Papa turned up to take fetch the baby and waved me for lunch which was spread out neatly on the bamboo mats in the floor. Everybody hat water with it, I got mineral water.
Alter the lunch I went to the wooden bank and had a nap. After waking up again, I got myself some more water and observed papa’s difficulties to read some papers. I asked my boyfriend about this and he confirmed that papa’s eye side is not good anymore.
Around 4 I ask my boyfriend to go back to Udon since I wanted to rent a room there. He looked very surprised since my luggage has disappeared into his room already. I ask him for good Internet access of his baan, which does obviously doesn’t exists. He looked very surprised and said: Oh, I am very sorry, I forgot. You need Internet for your work. I takes 2 weeks to get ADSL here but can tale longer too. Better is, we go to town”. Lucky my, unlucky mosquitoes; they need to find there food somewhere else.
We found for 4.000 TBT a month plus water, electric and 500 TBT ADSL a clean and pleasant room with ADSL, air-con, 3 times weekly cleaning and linen change, inexpensive laundry and restaurant and indeed gay-friendly Thai style apartments. Cousin offered his new motorbike for 2.500 monthly rental fees since the apartment is 2 km out of city.
A few days later we where invited to the village Isaan concert with some local superstars. We would stay at boyfriend’s house since the concert would take all night. I surely agreed and we drove up in time. We have had time to inspect the farm which looked very good unless the crop was late due to low rainfalls before. Again, nobody especially smiles at me (except the bay and boyfriend), just making some extra space on the floor for me while having dinner. All together maybe 20 persons. For the event (concert, not me) two hens lost there live.
I needed to have some dental treatment and also new glasses; both was I knew from quotations which was very costly in Europe. All together I got it done in due course and for less then 4.000 TBT.
I asked my boyfriend to take papa to the optician and check his eye-side and gave him 5.000 TBT just in case. Several days my boyfriend came back with bill, showing me 1.900 TBT – and I need to see papa who was in the car smiling at me (first time) with fabulous looking knew glasses. I looked at my boyfriend, saying: “I’ve I see papa now looking to handsome now with new glasses, I might chance and go for him.” His answer: “Mama will not like for that any more.”.
Boyfriend reminded me discretely that we need to do some good with the others since we treated papa so well. We should at least take the children out for a nice trip to the mountains. I sure agreed. We where picked up in Udon on time, went to the village to collect the various cousins of my boyfriend. We both calculated about 4 persons but nobody was really surprised to count all together 22 persons on the pick-up. Lots of food and large piles of bamboo mats where boarded. In the way we stopped several times to by some soft drinks and good know what else on junk food. The drive took about 1 hour into a lovely mountain park.
First thing was unloading the pick-up and having food. Later we explored the park and took many pictures. The stroll ended at sales pavilion with all the obvious tourist trash. The kids surely went into the shop and I secretly blessed myself having 3.000 TBT extra in my pockets. None of the kids ever ask me for money but I could see the eyes, kids are the same all over world. I offered 100 TBT for everybody to bye something the liked. Boyfriend and I went out an had a nap in the shadows outside, leaving the 14 kids alone with the shop keeper. After about 1 hour I went back to pay – the total amount was including some ice-cr├иme not exceeding 500 TBT for all 12! With the drinks, junk food and ice I paid before and gasoline the whole trip cost’s where less then 2.000 TBT.
My boyfriend ask me several times not to eat out but have some food in the room. The refrigerator was well stocked at any time, including some beers.
Balancing costs after one month I might spend all together around 36.000 TBT, including transport and 5 day trip to Bangkok and Pattaya, and all my travels in Thailand. I have never been ask for money at any time.
My boyfriend knows that I am not rich nor some one who is pretending to be well off or so. He knows where my money is or can draw some from out joint ATM if he needs some. I have never been asked for money at any time but I have been looking what is in need to be done. My boyfriend is for Thai standard quite well off, owning several rai of very good land but he works every day somewhere even there is nothing to do on his own land. Food is plenty but cash is short. If he needed to improve his house, I will pay a part of it, for sure. He needs a new roof before the next rainy season starts and he is saving up for it. I asked him to take 10.000 TBT or so out of out joint ATM if he needs some.
As before, as soon as we arrive at my boyfriends home, nobody will take any notice, but baby Yain will pee in my lap and smile at me. I am just there. I never “wai” – they don’t. A waai is a very complicated thing to do. Since many years I still observe mistakes. Falang can never learn how and when or why to “wai”. The Thai “wai” to each other only occasionally and with some specific reason.
The family likes me an they take care of me, I can listen to there conversation. They like me course I am just there, quite, often reading and do not make any fuss. This is, why I like them all too very much. Even baby Yaim is piing on my while smiling allk over at the same time. And my boyfriend of course.
Since we med first time in Pattaya, there where never ever a bad word between us. He used to work in a bar but didn’t like it very much. We have discussed this quietly and he orked out already the he is never able to make some money there – if he get some, Pattaya will suck it out his Pockets again. Before I informed you, that is maybe not very educated but by no means any stupid. I love him very much.
Amazing?, No way, this is Thailand.