I saw this great example of Thai innovation at a condo complex in Bangkok, used by a caretaker to run boxes and black sacks up and down the ramps in the underground carpark... I'm not sure if it's just a modified pushbike slash motorbike, or an actual product you can buy.
The saying goes 'if you want something done quickly and efficiently, find a lazy man to do it'; the Thai's are indeed masters of this 'work smart' attitude.
More examples of Thai innovation to follow.
Have my farang estate agent hat on now.....
Nice fully furnished 2 bedroom condo in Central Pattaya, all the trimmings etc.
2 minute walk from Walking Street, beach views from the 5th floor.
Recently decorated to a high standard, also includes good sized balcony, kitchen, 80 square metres of space.
All for a seriously competitive price - it could be a great investment, being that currently Pattaya property is on the down low....... in two or three years time, a condo in this location should be worth alot more than what you buy for now....
Anyone interested I can meet you at the location to show you round - email ben@thethaipirate.com
A little pic of Aiden at a Thai temple in Central Thailand. One of the most beautiful temples I have seen. Whilst the others went to pay homage, me and Aiden 'snuck off' and discovered that the entire place was deserted; so took the opportunity to hang out for a bit and take some snaps.
( - carrying dad's tape measure) I wonder what he makes of these surroundings? It's funny to think that as he grows up, these types of places may seem normal to him, when they are still so strange / hold so much mystique to me.
My apologies for the lack of posting recently, my time is somewhat limited now the kid is in control, although I still fully intend to post when I can.
Bringing up a kid in Thailand is a little different from how it might be in the UK. For one thing, it's warmer, most of the time quite a bit warmer; rather than be confined to the indoors due to poor weather (as he might be in England) in Thailand he often has to be kept indoors due to the heat..... Everytime I walk him from, say, the car to a shop, various blankets / shirts / hankees are thrown in my direction to protect his little features from the blazing sun.
The other thing that springs to mind is language.
Everybody accepts that Aiden will most likely speak two languages, but, I would be a liar if I said that there wasn't a little competition for which language he will learn first.
I, of course, want Aiden to speak English prominantly, being that I am his dad, and would like to say a few things to him on occasion, but this feeling is echoed by his Thai family. I think the poor little sod has his work cut out, even at this age. (incidently if anyone who has young kids in Thailand who can offer any tips on language development, would be greatly appreciated). I don't think it will be much of a problem, as he is surrounded by the Thai language everyday, and Sutiya and I only speak English (as my Thai is dodgy at best) I hope he can soak it all up without too many issues.
Another thing is work.
As Sutiya and I often work together, this has meant that Aiden has tagged along with us.
I have to confess, I wasn't sure how this would 'pan out', or whether it was practical, but it has worked well so far. Thailand's more relaxed attitude towards kids / family and work in general has meant we are freer to venture out together, and take advantage of Thailand's endless range of decent quality, affordable pitstops and hotels ..
Whether this can continue as he gets older is anyones guess.
Having a young family in Thailand is alot of fun, but as he begins to run around etc I will no doubt have nightmares about snakes / creepy crawlies etc, something I wouldn't worry about in the UK, but I'm sure if I was back at home in England I would replace this worry with something else...
Have a happy and safe Songhran and thanks for reading.
We stayed at a cheapish hotel in Cha Am not too long ago. Here is a fantastic view from the window.
Unforutunately, this was a picture I took from the room across the corridor (the door was open and room was vacant). This was our view.
Not so spectacular I think you'll agree (but still, bundles of character). This example is typical of how many of these Thai beach resorts develop; packed lines of buildings along the sea shore, with vast tracts of vacant land behind them, with long, straight and occasionally very busy roads leading up to the main sukhumvit.
A favourite conversation between farangs often takes the line of 'one day that land will be worth fortunes' and 'we should buy lots of it now' etc etc.
Perfectly true, probably, although I'm sure the land prices are not as low as some might like to believe ....
I'm no expert, but I do think Cha-Am is an excellent investment area for those with the resources...I mean, look at all that land.... one day that will be worth fortunes blah etc.
