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Πέμπτη 29 Ιουλίου 2010
CHIANG MAI...
CHIANG MAI Experiencing the merging of the past into the present in Chiang Mai where locals are proud of the city’s 700-year history. Its rich traditional heritage and unique culture is a perfect foundation for the development of the city. Chiang Mai is one of the few places in Thailand where it is possible to find in the heart of the city centuries-old chedis and temples next to modern convenience stores and boutique hotels. The original city layout still exists as a neat square surrounded by a moat with vestiges of the fortified wall and its four main gates offering prime access to the old town.
For years, tourists have mistaken Chiang Mai as the northern junction and the base from which they can explore other provinces. The phrase "a day in Chiang Mai is enough to see things around" was common. Today, tourists are surprised by the fact that there is always something new to discover Chiang Mai. Intriguing diversity among ethnic tribes coupled with breathtaking scenery makes Chiang Mai one of Asia’s most attractive tourist destinations. Two weeks in Chiang Mai may not be long enough for serious travelers.
The old city of Chiang Mai with its fascinating indigenous cultural identity such as diverse dialects, cuisine, architecture, traditional values, festivals, handicrafts and classical dances is a prime location in its own right. In addition, the presence of hill tribes and their wealth of unique cultures enhance Chiang Mai’s distinctive diversity.
Chiang Mai is also blessed with pristine natural resources of mountains (dois), waterfalls, and other nature-based tourist attractions. At the same time, Chiang Mai residents are warm, gracious and congenial providing authentic hospitality making visits memorable and meaningful. Moreover, visitors from all walks of life can collect handicrafts of silk, silver and wood produced locally as timeless souvenirs. Chiang Mai is a place where both backpackers and luxury tourists can enjoy themselves to the fullest.
For years, tourists have mistaken Chiang Mai as the northern junction and the base from which they can explore other provinces. The phrase "a day in Chiang Mai is enough to see things around" was common. Today, tourists are surprised by the fact that there is always something new to discover Chiang Mai. Intriguing diversity among ethnic tribes coupled with breathtaking scenery makes Chiang Mai one of Asia’s most attractive tourist destinations. Two weeks in Chiang Mai may not be long enough for serious travelers.
The old city of Chiang Mai with its fascinating indigenous cultural identity such as diverse dialects, cuisine, architecture, traditional values, festivals, handicrafts and classical dances is a prime location in its own right. In addition, the presence of hill tribes and their wealth of unique cultures enhance Chiang Mai’s distinctive diversity.
Chiang Mai is also blessed with pristine natural resources of mountains (dois), waterfalls, and other nature-based tourist attractions. At the same time, Chiang Mai residents are warm, gracious and congenial providing authentic hospitality making visits memorable and meaningful. Moreover, visitors from all walks of life can collect handicrafts of silk, silver and wood produced locally as timeless souvenirs. Chiang Mai is a place where both backpackers and luxury tourists can enjoy themselves to the fullest.
Temple of the Golden Mountain
This temple is situated in Tambon Mae Hia, Amphoe Mueang. It is a beautiful temple situated on a lush mountainside near Chiang Mai Town. 'Wat Phra That' refers to the fact that this temple houses relics of the Buddha, and 'Doi Kham' means 'Golden Mountain’. The sacred temple was built more than 1300 years ago, in 687 A.D. It had been abandoned, but in 1966 villagers discovered a hidden chamber containing many ancient Buddha images of various sizes, and this find prompted a revitalization.
There is an interesting folktale about Lord Buddha visiting this temple and meeting a rakshasa (demon) family who tried to eat him. Lord Buddha conquered them by sending them his kindness, which they could not stand. The rakshasa family eventually converted, revering our Lord Buddha, and also gave up consuming human flesh.
Removed at some distance from the temple itself, an enormous white pearl Buddha statue is strikingly placed amidst the mountain greenery. On the temple grounds, chedis (pagodas) enshrine Buddha relics. Stairs carved in the form of white nagas (mythical water serpents) lead to a calm and quiet lookout point which offers a panoramic view of Chiang Mai. Visitors may revel in the crisp fresh air and marvel at the picturesque splendour of the valley spread out before them. In addition, the lookout point boasts a beautifully carved wooden pavillion decorated with hanging bells tinkling in the breeze. The temple complex is a favorite fly-by for airplanes on their way to Chiang Mai Airport.
Getting There: From Chiang Mai Town, take the road paralleling Khlong Chonlaprathan (irrigation canal), cross the canal when you reach the sign 'to Mae Hia', and then take the road up the mountain to Phra That Doi Kham. Energetic visitors may want to walk up the stairs to the mountaintop.
Τετάρτη 28 Ιουλίου 2010
A Normal Thai Girl On ICQ By Jon.
It's with a heavy and somewhat broken heart that I have decided to add my story of Thai romance and betrayal to this collection. My marriage started going sour several years ago and finally I decided that I had enough, got separated, and prepared for divorce. I decided that a trip to Thailand might be just what I needed after years of a bad marriage. Of course, a foreign country can be a lonely place to go alone, so I decided to see if I could meet several nice Thai girls on the Internet (ICQ) to chat with and how knows?
I met quite a few nice Thai girls, but Y (not her real name) was the one I decided to spend my time with and meet. Y was 25, worked as a librarian and was in a relationship with a 39-year old Thai guy living abroad who was cheating on her. I couldn't understand why on earth she would be in such a relationship and told her she deserved much better. Y had no problem flirting with me either, however, and soon I was calling her ever week to see how she was doing. A few red flag appeared right away: She sent me lots of pictures, in which she posed and looked sexy. I had no illusions that I was the only guy that she sent these pictures to, or that she told how much she missed, etc. But, what the hell; I did the same thing to a certain degree.
We meet online in February and I told her I would visit her in Thailand in May or June. I don't make any judgments about others, but for me the Thai bar girl scene - or the whole idea of paying for sex - is quite repugnant and I had no intention of being a sex tourist. No, I didn't have any illusions that I would meet the love of my life and that this was some pure, innocent Thai girl, but I was hoping on making a new friend and probably some romance.
Then I called Y in April. She was incredibly awkward and abrupt on the phone and it was obvious that some guy was with her. I quit contacting her for about a month after that. Then after a month, I got an e-mail asking if she was still coming to Thailand, and best of all, she had finally broken up with her loser boyfriend. I forgot about the strange phone call and booked my flight.
Y was gorgeous. We met at the airport and had sex within an hour of meeting. A red flag for me, but I wasn't very serious at this point, so I wasn't complaining. Sometime later we got talking about past sexual partners. She said she had been with 5 guys before me; including the guy she was with when I called her. This last guy bothered me a little bit, because he was from NZ and was obviously a sex tourist. But, I love sex more than most people, so who was I to judge? Anyway, 2 weeks went by, and I found myself being more and more drawn to this delicate creature. Y wasn't a bar girl, but she was quite poor and lived alone with her fish in a small apartment. More and more I found myself wanting to take care of her, love her, and give her a good life. Y was also BY FAR the most amazing lover I've ever had. I wouldn't have believed it possible how many times she and I would have sex in a day.
My 2 weeks with Y were over way too soon and I flew home. We talked almost every day by MSN and the Internet after that. I didn't send Y money regularly, but I bought her an expensive Palm Pilot with a digital camera for her birthday and quite a few other gifts. In the fall I bought a Thai phone card and started calling her everyday.
Still… her past flirting with the NZ guy and others haunted me somewhat. I found Stickman's site during this time, and a lot of the stories about non-Thai bar girls seemed to ring true to me.
Then one day on MSN Y, for God knows what reason, invited me to chat with her former 2 week NZ lover! I was furious that she was still in contact with him and at her stupidity for thinking we would want to talk to each other. She was very sorry and cried and sent me the history of the conversation with him - no, she hadn't really done anything wrong, but it was obvious he was trying to get her back and I was pissed that she would still talk to him. I also ask how many guys she had slept with before me after this incident. The answer: Three: Her 39-year old boyfriend, NZ guy, and me. Hmmmm… Wasn't it 5 before?
So I ask her about this. She had forgotten how much she had told me before and started messing up her answers pretty badly. Finally she said she would tell me the truth and that I would hate her: She had slept with 6 guys before me. I told her I didn't hate her and I didn't hate her for her past. I just wanted her to be honest with me. I hadn't really been honest with Y either - I had told her I was divorced, which wasn't exactly true. So my own truth came out - that I was only separated. Irrespective of my future with Y, I decided that I really needed to move on with my life and get a divorce.
Y seemed like she was very much in love with me. She even changed her MSN screen name to "Y for Jon". Almost all of my trust issues had disappeared at this point. I knew Y had lied and fooled around in the past, but she was obviously so in love with me now that I realized I was just being insecure and paranoid. I decided it was time for another 2 weeks in Thailand.
Y was even more beautiful than ever. The 2 weeks we spent together were even better. I spent two days at her workplace, which was a little boning, but I wanted to see more of her life. Although 95% of me trusted Y at this point, I still had some reservations. She had asked me for money once in December because she didn't have enough to pay her bills. And she didn't seem to have any problems spending my money in Thailand: I bought her an expensive cell phone, digital camera, printer… and more than $750 having professional pictures taken with her. This seems crazy, I know, but supposedly she had already paid for them with her ex-boyfriend, who she was engaged with. I was flattered that she wanted to take them with me - but it would have been nice if she had mentioned she only paid for the paltry $100 deposit instead of the entire amount. And a final red flag: When we were talking about marriage and US citizenship I mentioned that foreigners had to be married for 5 years or they would lose their citizenship. Right away she asks "But if you marry someone else right away you don't lose it do you?" Hmm… I felt a little guilty doing it, but I still had a few nagging reservations, so I copied her MSN histories on both her home and work computer and e-mailed it to myself.
This time I got to see a lot more of Thailand meet many of her friends. OK… at the risk of sounding arrogant, I'm a pretty good-looking guy, and haven't really had a problem getting a date at home in the U.S.A. But in Thailand - God, you'd think that I was Brad Pitt the way her friends drooled over me. Finally our second two weeks were over. I flew home, totally in love and planning how Y would visit me in the USA in 3 months.
When I got home, I checked my e-mail and found Y's MSN histories that I had e-mailed myself. I almost deleted them… Y knew that I wasn't some lair who just wanted to sleep with her and I trusted her. No need to drag up the dead past. Still…
Hmm… wait a second. Who's this Italian guy she slept with just a few weeks AFTER her NZ affair and just TWO WEEKS before she meet me this June??? I ask her about it on MSN. She denied it all at first, of course, until she obviously realized I knew. So she said she wasn't sure things would work between us so she had "spares.” And more truth came out. It seems there were more than 7 guys; how many I don't know - just that Y said she was a slut and hated her past. Why couldn't I forget it and give her a new chance. Maybe… except that she slept with TWO MORE guys after we meet in June! No matter that I called her almost every day, sent her presents and money…
So there's my Thai girl experience - sadly not much different from many other stories here. The truth is that I'm pretty sure that I really did treat Y very differently from the other guys in her past. She said that when I had listened to her about her previous sex partners she realized she would lose me if she kept flirting with guys on the Internet, so she stopped everything. I do know that she quit her ICQ account then and her MSN message history at that time seems to confirm this too. She said she couldn't tell me about all her previous partners because she was a slut and there are so many and I would hate her for it, so she only told me about the important ones. She did tell me a few times while I was down in Thailand that nobody had ever treated her like I did before. And that I made her respect herself - something she had never done before. I didn't understand what she meant by that really until I got back.
I don't know what to think really. So maybe Y is a different person for 2 months - big deal. She also had no problem accepting hundreds of dollars of gifts, talking to me on the phone every day while she was getting laid by two different guys.
I'm no saint and I don't want to judge someone on their past, but I'm thinking at this point that I'm going to dump her.
Although I've only been in Thailand for 2 months, here's my advice to other naive farangs who want to meet Thai girls on the Internet.
1. You've heard it in almost every story here, but once more: Be Careful!
Thai girls are the most incredible liars you will ever see. They tell you everything you've ever wanted to hear - and none of it's true.
2. I think the honesty factor on the Internet is VERY LOW. If I were to do things over, maybe I would make a few friends or acquaintances on the Internet a month before I visited and then meet them. Better yet, why not forget the Internet altogether and ask out that nice-looking receptionist or clerk? Many of Y's friends seemed VERY nice.
3. If it's too good to be true it probably is. If a girl is amazingly easy to talk to and great at flirting she's probably doing it with a dozen other guys. How fast you can get in her pants is probably another good sign about her character.
Anyway, that's all. I hope some love-struck farangs find this helpful. I would appreciate any input about what to do with Y as it's still up in the air.
Stickman's guide to Bangkok
Readers' Submissions
I met quite a few nice Thai girls, but Y (not her real name) was the one I decided to spend my time with and meet. Y was 25, worked as a librarian and was in a relationship with a 39-year old Thai guy living abroad who was cheating on her. I couldn't understand why on earth she would be in such a relationship and told her she deserved much better. Y had no problem flirting with me either, however, and soon I was calling her ever week to see how she was doing. A few red flag appeared right away: She sent me lots of pictures, in which she posed and looked sexy. I had no illusions that I was the only guy that she sent these pictures to, or that she told how much she missed, etc. But, what the hell; I did the same thing to a certain degree.
We meet online in February and I told her I would visit her in Thailand in May or June. I don't make any judgments about others, but for me the Thai bar girl scene - or the whole idea of paying for sex - is quite repugnant and I had no intention of being a sex tourist. No, I didn't have any illusions that I would meet the love of my life and that this was some pure, innocent Thai girl, but I was hoping on making a new friend and probably some romance.
Then I called Y in April. She was incredibly awkward and abrupt on the phone and it was obvious that some guy was with her. I quit contacting her for about a month after that. Then after a month, I got an e-mail asking if she was still coming to Thailand, and best of all, she had finally broken up with her loser boyfriend. I forgot about the strange phone call and booked my flight.
Y was gorgeous. We met at the airport and had sex within an hour of meeting. A red flag for me, but I wasn't very serious at this point, so I wasn't complaining. Sometime later we got talking about past sexual partners. She said she had been with 5 guys before me; including the guy she was with when I called her. This last guy bothered me a little bit, because he was from NZ and was obviously a sex tourist. But, I love sex more than most people, so who was I to judge? Anyway, 2 weeks went by, and I found myself being more and more drawn to this delicate creature. Y wasn't a bar girl, but she was quite poor and lived alone with her fish in a small apartment. More and more I found myself wanting to take care of her, love her, and give her a good life. Y was also BY FAR the most amazing lover I've ever had. I wouldn't have believed it possible how many times she and I would have sex in a day.
My 2 weeks with Y were over way too soon and I flew home. We talked almost every day by MSN and the Internet after that. I didn't send Y money regularly, but I bought her an expensive Palm Pilot with a digital camera for her birthday and quite a few other gifts. In the fall I bought a Thai phone card and started calling her everyday.
Still… her past flirting with the NZ guy and others haunted me somewhat. I found Stickman's site during this time, and a lot of the stories about non-Thai bar girls seemed to ring true to me.
Then one day on MSN Y, for God knows what reason, invited me to chat with her former 2 week NZ lover! I was furious that she was still in contact with him and at her stupidity for thinking we would want to talk to each other. She was very sorry and cried and sent me the history of the conversation with him - no, she hadn't really done anything wrong, but it was obvious he was trying to get her back and I was pissed that she would still talk to him. I also ask how many guys she had slept with before me after this incident. The answer: Three: Her 39-year old boyfriend, NZ guy, and me. Hmmmm… Wasn't it 5 before?
So I ask her about this. She had forgotten how much she had told me before and started messing up her answers pretty badly. Finally she said she would tell me the truth and that I would hate her: She had slept with 6 guys before me. I told her I didn't hate her and I didn't hate her for her past. I just wanted her to be honest with me. I hadn't really been honest with Y either - I had told her I was divorced, which wasn't exactly true. So my own truth came out - that I was only separated. Irrespective of my future with Y, I decided that I really needed to move on with my life and get a divorce.
Y seemed like she was very much in love with me. She even changed her MSN screen name to "Y for Jon". Almost all of my trust issues had disappeared at this point. I knew Y had lied and fooled around in the past, but she was obviously so in love with me now that I realized I was just being insecure and paranoid. I decided it was time for another 2 weeks in Thailand.
Y was even more beautiful than ever. The 2 weeks we spent together were even better. I spent two days at her workplace, which was a little boning, but I wanted to see more of her life. Although 95% of me trusted Y at this point, I still had some reservations. She had asked me for money once in December because she didn't have enough to pay her bills. And she didn't seem to have any problems spending my money in Thailand: I bought her an expensive cell phone, digital camera, printer… and more than $750 having professional pictures taken with her. This seems crazy, I know, but supposedly she had already paid for them with her ex-boyfriend, who she was engaged with. I was flattered that she wanted to take them with me - but it would have been nice if she had mentioned she only paid for the paltry $100 deposit instead of the entire amount. And a final red flag: When we were talking about marriage and US citizenship I mentioned that foreigners had to be married for 5 years or they would lose their citizenship. Right away she asks "But if you marry someone else right away you don't lose it do you?" Hmm… I felt a little guilty doing it, but I still had a few nagging reservations, so I copied her MSN histories on both her home and work computer and e-mailed it to myself.
This time I got to see a lot more of Thailand meet many of her friends. OK… at the risk of sounding arrogant, I'm a pretty good-looking guy, and haven't really had a problem getting a date at home in the U.S.A. But in Thailand - God, you'd think that I was Brad Pitt the way her friends drooled over me. Finally our second two weeks were over. I flew home, totally in love and planning how Y would visit me in the USA in 3 months.
When I got home, I checked my e-mail and found Y's MSN histories that I had e-mailed myself. I almost deleted them… Y knew that I wasn't some lair who just wanted to sleep with her and I trusted her. No need to drag up the dead past. Still…
Hmm… wait a second. Who's this Italian guy she slept with just a few weeks AFTER her NZ affair and just TWO WEEKS before she meet me this June??? I ask her about it on MSN. She denied it all at first, of course, until she obviously realized I knew. So she said she wasn't sure things would work between us so she had "spares.” And more truth came out. It seems there were more than 7 guys; how many I don't know - just that Y said she was a slut and hated her past. Why couldn't I forget it and give her a new chance. Maybe… except that she slept with TWO MORE guys after we meet in June! No matter that I called her almost every day, sent her presents and money…
So there's my Thai girl experience - sadly not much different from many other stories here. The truth is that I'm pretty sure that I really did treat Y very differently from the other guys in her past. She said that when I had listened to her about her previous sex partners she realized she would lose me if she kept flirting with guys on the Internet, so she stopped everything. I do know that she quit her ICQ account then and her MSN message history at that time seems to confirm this too. She said she couldn't tell me about all her previous partners because she was a slut and there are so many and I would hate her for it, so she only told me about the important ones. She did tell me a few times while I was down in Thailand that nobody had ever treated her like I did before. And that I made her respect herself - something she had never done before. I didn't understand what she meant by that really until I got back.
I don't know what to think really. So maybe Y is a different person for 2 months - big deal. She also had no problem accepting hundreds of dollars of gifts, talking to me on the phone every day while she was getting laid by two different guys.
I'm no saint and I don't want to judge someone on their past, but I'm thinking at this point that I'm going to dump her.
Although I've only been in Thailand for 2 months, here's my advice to other naive farangs who want to meet Thai girls on the Internet.
1. You've heard it in almost every story here, but once more: Be Careful!
Thai girls are the most incredible liars you will ever see. They tell you everything you've ever wanted to hear - and none of it's true.
2. I think the honesty factor on the Internet is VERY LOW. If I were to do things over, maybe I would make a few friends or acquaintances on the Internet a month before I visited and then meet them. Better yet, why not forget the Internet altogether and ask out that nice-looking receptionist or clerk? Many of Y's friends seemed VERY nice.
3. If it's too good to be true it probably is. If a girl is amazingly easy to talk to and great at flirting she's probably doing it with a dozen other guys. How fast you can get in her pants is probably another good sign about her character.
Anyway, that's all. I hope some love-struck farangs find this helpful. I would appreciate any input about what to do with Y as it's still up in the air.
Stickman's guide to Bangkok
Readers' Submissions
Should I buy a business for my Thai Girl.
I have some advice for any westerners out there contemplating moving to Thailand. If you are rich and are sensible with money, then go ahead. If an international company or similar offers you a high salaried job in Thailand then fine. If you are retired or have steady funds from abroad and want to live modestly on those funds, go ahead, but watch yourself. And if you're a young dude travelling around the world, and you want to spend some time in Thailand teaching or whatever for experience, then that's OK too.
But if you don't fall into these categories then *don't* consider it for a moment. Many middle aged westerners in particular (including professionals) like the idea of living there, having a business or making some money and "enjoying life" in Thailand. But very few make it. (Forget about western restaurant or bar owners and alike you might meet in Thailand boasting about their good life there. It is common for faltering foreigners to keep up appearances). Mostly they end up broke or crazed, sometimes both. Then they leave.
Thai business, visa and residency laws get you in the end. The "Thai way" will get you in the end. Have a minor run-in with a wealthy or important Thai and your status and possibly your life will be at risk. Their whole culture is geared around making sure that foreigners pursuing individual efforts are not successful. It's ingrained in them from an early age to believe that they are the never-colonised master race of Asia (yes they really do think that) and their mythology runs so deep you'll never budge it. Remember, in Thailand you'll never have any real business, legal or ownership rights. But Thais can go to your country (very possibly) and buy and own anything they can get their sticky hands on (because of the more tolerant business laws). To Thais, this is just further evidence of how clever they are, and how foolish are the foreigners to go to Thailand.The article does gloss over the fact that one or two farang-run businesses are actually quite successful but the author clearly knows what he's talking about. Thailand is a tough place to do business.
Remember too, that Thailand is dominated by a comparatively small military-industrial elite. They have all the power and most of the wealth in the country. The idea of western foreigners living in the country and achieving wealth and status through individual entrepreneurial efforts is seen as a threat to the hegemony that they have over the Thai underclass - the bulk of the population. For this reason, it is never allowed to happen.
Think of Thailand, for westerners, as being a bit like a casino. A casino is a place with a touch of excitement, the lure of good fortune/the good life, and a place for fun, even with a bit of a risk. Go to a casino every now and then for fun and that's OK. Go there everyday all-day and you will ultimately lose, because the House Advantage will always get you. So it is in Thailand. The Thai "House Advantage" will get you. They make sure of it.
Of course, if going to Thailand with all your money and slowly losing it and ending up teaching English for a pittance (because that's about all you can do), either illegally or working legally but being treated like a serf by Thai institutions, appeals to you then go ahead. Maybe a hand to mouth virtual poverty lifestyle appeals to you. And running around the country several times a year getting visas, or always being at the mercy of authorities on visa matters might also be your bag. If so, then go ahead, at least you'll be able to spend your nights at cheap restaurants sharing your impoverishment and frustration with other exploited western teachers. If not, think seriously.
In case you are thinking, let me say that I am not a former go-go bar owner gone bust, I have not lost my all doing business with Thais, no I haven't been cheated of everything by a bar-girl, no I haven't been reduced to the indignity of teaching English for a pittance. I have my own money, have spent a lot of time in Thailand, and have done some business there, have observed the experiences of a lot of foreigners, can see what goes on, and have enough concern to want to tell others about it. If my words can prevent even one westerner of modest means from selling up and going to "enjoy life" in Thailand (and getting shafted in the end) then that will be something. Don't make the mistake of thinking that as a foreigner (even with professional skills) you can "make a contribution" to Thailand, no matter how good your intentions or needed your skills may be. Your contribution will *never* be welcomed, only your money. There is a saying in Thai that captures it well: "farang roo mark mai dee" - foreigners who know too much [about Thailand] are no good.
Gullible tourists, however, are great. So, go to Thailand as a tourist if you like, enjoy what you enjoy there, but don't be taken in by the culture or people, as many westerners have, and don't under any circumstances give up anything back home to go and stay there unless you are financially secure for life, or know exactly what you are doing. There is a tradition of resident foreigners in Thailand not telling to the truth about the country because they don't like to admit to themselves and to others about the mistake they have made in moving there. But especially now, with the financial mess Thailand has got itself into through a mixture or greed, incompetence, arrogance and corruption, and the prospect of difficult times ahead (to say the least) it is time for plain speaking.
A final comment to anyone in strong disagreement with me. Unless you have lived, worked and conducted business in Thailand for several years at least, I'm not interested. The views of "oh how can you say that, Thailand is really great" 2 week tourists carry no weight with those of us who know Thailand and Thais well.
[Posted to Farang Life by David]
Welfare to work: Isaan pig farm initiative...
"I'm not one of those stupid farangs who buys her family a bloody house" says a friend of mine. Instead, he's set his girlfriend's mum on the road to financial independence by means of an innovative new welfare to work scheme - a pig farm.
Each week, he puts a thousand baht into his girlfriend's "pig bag" - a small canvas pouch with "MOO" scrawled across it in blue marker pen.
As any small child could tell you, "moo" is synonymous with cows but, displaying remarkable counterintuitive reasoning, the Thais have allocated this name to pigs. Non-Thai speakers who resort to making animal noises to indicate their desire for a steak dinner might end up with a pork sausage instead.
"I'm not one of those stupid farangs who buys her family a bloody house" says a friend of mine. Instead, he's set his girlfriend's mum on the road to financial independence by means of an innovative new welfare to work scheme - a pig farm.
Each week, he puts a thousand baht into his girlfriend's "pig bag" - a small canvas pouch with "MOO" scrawled across it in blue marker pen.
The sty was completed last week and news of the arrival of nine piglets was phoned through by their overexcited new owner - at 5.30 am.
The piglets cost about 800 baht each but farmers who already have a sow can cut out the middleman by trucking in a short-time male. Breaking with the usual Thai custom, it's him that gets paid.
Fully grown, each pig could be worth as much as 6,000 baht and the potential for profit has stirred up great excitement amongst the Thai contingent. The cost of feed and veterinary care might take the shine off things, though - not to mention all the shit-shovelling involved.
I'm happy to report that my own Thai girlfriend harbours no desire to own a pig farm. Many years ago, she was invited to dinner by a classmate who lived on one. The girl's father was an "influential person" so the house was quite impressive but the whole place was swarming with flies and the stench was unbearable. Consequently, my girlfriend had to eat with one hand while holding her nose with the other.
My friend's commitment to the project also appears to be less than total. While recounting the story, he was interrupted by an angry phone call from his girlfriend. Apparently, someone had dipped into the pig fund that evening without going through the proper channels.
"I'm sorry" he replied "I've just drunk it."
[Posted to Farang Life by David]
Each week, he puts a thousand baht into his girlfriend's "pig bag" - a small canvas pouch with "MOO" scrawled across it in blue marker pen.
As any small child could tell you, "moo" is synonymous with cows but, displaying remarkable counterintuitive reasoning, the Thais have allocated this name to pigs. Non-Thai speakers who resort to making animal noises to indicate their desire for a steak dinner might end up with a pork sausage instead.
"I'm not one of those stupid farangs who buys her family a bloody house" says a friend of mine. Instead, he's set his girlfriend's mum on the road to financial independence by means of an innovative new welfare to work scheme - a pig farm.
Each week, he puts a thousand baht into his girlfriend's "pig bag" - a small canvas pouch with "MOO" scrawled across it in blue marker pen.
The sty was completed last week and news of the arrival of nine piglets was phoned through by their overexcited new owner - at 5.30 am.
The piglets cost about 800 baht each but farmers who already have a sow can cut out the middleman by trucking in a short-time male. Breaking with the usual Thai custom, it's him that gets paid.
Fully grown, each pig could be worth as much as 6,000 baht and the potential for profit has stirred up great excitement amongst the Thai contingent. The cost of feed and veterinary care might take the shine off things, though - not to mention all the shit-shovelling involved.
I'm happy to report that my own Thai girlfriend harbours no desire to own a pig farm. Many years ago, she was invited to dinner by a classmate who lived on one. The girl's father was an "influential person" so the house was quite impressive but the whole place was swarming with flies and the stench was unbearable. Consequently, my girlfriend had to eat with one hand while holding her nose with the other.
My friend's commitment to the project also appears to be less than total. While recounting the story, he was interrupted by an angry phone call from his girlfriend. Apparently, someone had dipped into the pig fund that evening without going through the proper channels.
"I'm sorry" he replied "I've just drunk it."
[Posted to Farang Life by David]
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