Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[Karabiner]

Meanwhile...

I've been watching an in depth report on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict this morning.

Will we ever learn?


BBC News - Israel intensifies attacks in Gaza as conflict enters fifth day
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-57110368

My worry is that this is just the start.

If Hezbollah, the Shia militia funded by Iran and currently based in Lebanon, decide/are ordered to get involved this could become allout war.

[GreekStein]

Hi Cos, I really enjoyed reading this. Hope you are all well. X

Thx Mo x

[GreekStein]

Wow Cos, thanks for the great reply, it gave me a lot of answers and made me want to ask a load more questions if that's OK. You only need answer the ones you are comfortable with.

It's so invigorating to hear from someone who has lived/is living a life less ordinary. Kudos to you. You are now on the list of people I'm going to buy dinner for. (Behind Celtic & Nirvana of course)

X

No worries. I just read back the reply, littered with errors because my lazy ass didn't read back through it before posting.

Fire away with questions no problem at all. I'd love to do a dinner when I return, providing neither Celtic or Nirvana are present of course. Maybe we could take Tikay to a restaurant. I'd love to take him and make him uncomfortable.

I missed a few details in my post. One of the things I love about Thailand is how safe it is. I can't think of many countries that are considered third world countries like Thailand is that are as safe as here. I was mugged at knifepoint in the Uk when I was around 13 years old. It impacted me for a few years after that and I've always held personal and home security as one of the most important things. I'm willing to sacrifice a lot to know that my kids, wife and then myself are living in a safe environment. My parents are lucky enough to live in a beautiful part of South London and they have been burged twice in the last 4 years. I also remember being burgled just over 20 years ago at our old house and how violated it made me feel. Even though I wasn't in any personal danger, the thought of some complete asshole going through your private space, touching your personal belongings is just horrible. I don't want to tempt fate and not saying that these things don't happen in Thailand but they are relatively incredibly rare and that provides me with a really nice piece of mind that I'd worry about a lot if I moved back to the UK.

There is also a willingness to be close to my family who are all amazing and I know I'm very lucky in this sense but that's almost the only thing I miss about the UK - friends and family. I bear a sense of guilt about my parents, who imo gave me the perfect upbringing are so far from me. I want them to be in my every day life and now more importantly also for their sake, the lives of their first two grandchildren. They have not met my son yet and it's been 2 years since they were with my daughter. 2 years at that age is missing such a golden time and I know that's difficult for them, especially my softie of a mum. We call and message every single day and I pepper them with photos and videos but nothing can replace personal contact. My dad has always been so strong but this is the first year that he has had some health problems and it has reminded me that he isn't getting any younger. I'd find it very difficult to not be in the same country if they were in a position where really they needed someone to care for them a bit more and I don't want this to just fall on my sister to do. I think a lot about this. What a headache.

Another reason against moving back to the UK is my job. As someone who struggled for a few years in poker just getting by, not really knowing if i was going to make it or not I closed a LOT of doors on my future by choosing poker for a living. I wouldn't change it though. I used to be so in love with the game and even now, while I'm not a crazily obsessed by it like I was in my 20's, I still very much enjoy playing. I quietly worked to a position where I can now retire but I feel like I'm treated by the banks and government the same way as a drug dealer is. On the one hand I understand it but it's incredibly infuriating. Sir please prove where your money has come from. HOW?! I bought a shop in the UK at auction a few years ago and didn't need any mortgage or loan for it but the solicitor still wouldn't accept my funds as we couldn't show where it has all come from. How the hell am I supposed to prove it when I played live poker in Macau for 4 years. I'm so law abiding too. Never taken a drug. I even tell taxi's to slow down if they're going near the speed limit. So that's definitely a big black mark against me moving back to the UK. HSBC closed my account and didn't give me any reason either. About 4 years ago I went and bought my first Rolex on Bond street and had to call the bank to ask for permission to give me a 30 minute window in which I would be able to make a larger purchase from my debit card. Thanks for the permission to spend my own money. I guess it's part of the reason I support Crypto but also remain more financially free in Asia.

Anyway, enough rambling from me. I'm happy to answer any questions. Do fire away and thanks Teeks for pointing me in the direction

[RED-DOG]

Thanks again for indulging me Cos.

So do you have a real job now, do you still play poker for a living or are you retired? I know you talked about it in your last post but I'm not sure if you have a job type job or if poker is your job.

Do you own or rent?

How much would you say it would cost to live out there for a reasonably frugal old couple like me and Mrs Red? (Not that we are really considering emigrating, we have too many family ties now but I've always liked the idea of "I could if I wanted to". Pre Brexit, Europe was always my easy fall back position with India and Thailand as a nice idea but probably impossible.

Tell us about your wife/partner, how did you meet, when did you know she was the one?

How old are the kids?

How does your visa/citizenship or whatever work these days and do your kids have dual nationality?

What about healthcare?

Do you have/need a car?

How about posting a few pics of the typical stuff in your life. What might seem mundane to you will be very interesting to me/us.

x

[GreekStein]

Thanks again for indulging me Cos.

So do you have a real job now, do you still play poker for a living or are you retired? I know you talked about it in your last post but I'm not sure if you have a job type job or if poker is your job.

Do you own or rent?

How much would you say it would cost to live out there for a reasonably frugal old couple like me and Mrs Red?

No worries at all. A lot to get through so I'll answer a few questions per post.

I still play but I don't play every day and I definitely dont 'grind' anymore. When I moved to Macau I just couldn't believe how good it was and I played almost every hour of the day 7 days a week. I did that in 2-4 month stints for about 4 years. Now I just play some good games. I enjoy the social aspect and the bantering and laughs as much as I do the poker. I do a few other bits and pieces too but definitely put my main energy and focus into poker and will continue to do so until and if I find something I enjoy more.

Our main house is rented and current rent is around $6,500 a month! A bit more than I wanted to spend but just wanted the first few years with the kids to be extra special and so I rented a beautiful newly built house with a huge pool and nice garden for the kids and dogs to enjoy. If there was a time to splash out a bit more than is sensible for a few years, I've chosen the best time for it having moved in here 6 months before all this Covid nonsense started and we are now reaping the benefits of the pool etc to keep us from going mad during this lockdown. My daughter's nursery also backs directly onto our house so I walk her through the private road for residents to school in the morning and when they have outdoor play, me and my wife can watch her from our bedroom window. That is amazing. She absolutely melts my heart and has me round her little finger already. If I can hear playing outside I always watch her with my wife because no-one wants to be the creepy guy watching kids at a nursery play on their own.

I am at the final stages of building a holiday house in my wife's home city which is a few hours north of Bangkok. That's been a fun and interesting project. I nearly got disenchanted with it straight away as we hired an architect to draw up some plans and after giving them our budget they came back with plans that would have cost almost double but we went our own way, hired a local contractor that my wife has known since she was a kid and are so far very pleased. It's been about a year now and we are a few months away from having finished everything which is cool. If I'm honest, it's the wife's dream not mine. I'd have rather built or bought a villa in Phuket but this is significantly cheaper and a good practice run. I also wanted to do this for her after what she has done for me and we are both very family oriented people and since we visit her parents often, it would be nice to have a place of our own to stay at.

If you're frugal you can live very well here and very cheaply indeed. To give you a slightly better answer, I'd need to know how important certain things are to you. I assume you would not want to be in a big built up city like Bangkok. I could also be sooooo off the mark with this but do I recall that you're picky with food? Locally produced Thai food is not only delicious but it's already extremely inexpensive as opposed to western food. In general things that only foreigners consume are very expensive: eg, wine, cigars, beef. However things that the thais consume more commonly: beer, cigarettes would be comparatively much cheaper than in the Uk.

If primary objective is to be frugal I'd say living in one of the really Thai Thai places might be enjoyable - one of the more developed Northern Isaan provinces like Khon Kaen or Udon Thani. Isaan is rural Northern Thailand and cost of living is very cheap but not yet very Westernised.

If you want Island life, somewhere like Phuket, Krabi or Samui would be more your kind of thing. Not completely inexpensive but not as expensive as Bangkok. You'd be able to get a taste of Thai life whilst simultaneously able to meet and interact with plenty of expats too. Again cost of living varies depending on some things like whether you want a pool or not. Me and Amatay used to share a lovely 3 bedroom villa that cost 35,000 baht between the two of us and it was very nice. (My house in Bangkok by comparison is 200,000 baht per month without bills). Our old Phuket house had a shared pool but if you didn't want/need a pool then you could half that rental amount and find something more than adequate. You do need to drive though in these places as taxis are more expensive. In Bkk metered taxis and public transport make it cheap and convenient to get around. A car definitely isn't needed here.

Chiang Mai doesnt have the beach but it does have lots of our door space and is known generally as the friendliest part of Thailand. I have only visited once but really enjoyed it and the calm vibe. It was also considerably less expensive than Phuket. If I had to guess at where you'd like most in Thailand if I had to pick a place for you to live I'd probably put my money on Chiang Mai. It actually gets cool in the evening and at some times of the year can be cold at night unlike any other part. The biggest drawback of ChiangMai however is that for 1-2 months per year they have a crop burning season and during that time the air gets bad. It's obviously not very nice but also a good time to travel.

So if I had to guess, the first option would cost $400-600 per person a month to live comfortably. Phuket/Islands would be maybe $800-1000 per person and Chiang Mai $600-800.

[RED-DOG]

Perfect. Just the sort of thing I wanted.

Food- I don't mind rough if it's clean. I used to eat in a cafe where the punters were all either scrap metal men or steel workers, you had to wipe your feet before you came out but the food was fabulous.

Chiang Mai sounds great, but I couldn't do the bad air months.

This is all hypothetical BTW but I enjoy having a plan B.

[Kev B]

Great write up Cos. I love hearing about your life in Thailand. I remember you going and thinking well done you trying a new life and culture. I've really missed my month in Asia because of covid.

I've been to Chiang Mai 3 times and absolutely love it. More layed back, delicious food and super friendly.

[GreekStein]

Perfect. Just the sort of thing I wanted.

Food- I don't mind rough if it's clean. I used to eat in a cafe where the punters were all either scrap metal men or steel workers, you had to wipe your feet before you came out but the food was fabulous.

Chiang Mai sounds great, but I couldn't do the bad air months.

This is all hypothetical BTW but I enjoy having a plan B.

It's going to be a huge shock if you haven't been to Asia before but if you stick it out, you're guaranteed to love it in no time. Would definitely do a holiday here first anyway just to get an idea.

When me and Simon first came out here, he'd been before which was comforting and helped a lot.

Some things it took me much longer to get used to. For example the famous 'ass hose' which I now miss when I leave yet the notion of touching one during my first 6 months felt a bit disgusting.

[GreekStein]

Great write up Cos. I love hearing about your life in Thailand. I remember you going and thinking well done you trying a new life and culture. I've really missed my month in Asia because of covid.

I've been to Chiang Mai 3 times and absolutely love it. More layed back, delicious food and super friendly.

I know you're a big Thai fan. How many times have you visited?

Could you ever see yourself retiring here?

What do you dislike about it, if anything? Favourite place you visited? Worst?

Favourite thai food/foods that you'd never had in the UK.

[RED-DOG]

Perfect. Just the sort of thing I wanted.

Food- I don't mind rough if it's clean. I used to eat in a cafe where the punters were all either scrap metal men or steel workers, you had to wipe your feet before you came out but the food was fabulous.

Chiang Mai sounds great, but I couldn't do the bad air months.

This is all hypothetical BTW but I enjoy having a plan B.

It's going to be a huge shock if you haven't been to Asia before but if you stick it out, you're guaranteed to love it in no time. Would definitely do a holiday here first anyway just to get an idea.

When me and Simon first came out here, he'd been before which was comforting and helped a lot.

Some things it took me much longer to get used to. For example the famous 'ass hose' which I now miss when I leave yet the notion of touching one during my first 6 months felt a bit disgusting.

I have been to Bangkok but it's over 30 years ago and I was part of a big group staying in a good hotel (I went for the Asian Open snooker)

I'm used to things being different. We didn't have running water or electricity until I was 23. That said, I don't want to even contemplate an ass hose.

[GreekStein]

Tell us about your wife/partner, how did you meet, when did you know she was the one?

How old are the kids?

How does your visa/citizenship or whatever work these days and do your kids have dual nationality?

My wife is very shy. We met at a restaurant she worked at and I liked her because she played hard to get! Every time I tried to make eye contact she'd look away or went near to strike up some conversation or awful chat up line that I had in my head she found away to move away. I eventually got my friend's Thai girlfriend to approach her for me and she said she thought I was a playboy. Lol what a terrible read. I wish i was and felt pretty happy that she thought that but she had seen me with another girl and assumed incorrectly that it was my girlfriend. We went for food a few times and just very quickly started spending all our time together. I think at first neither of us thought it would really work because her parents were very suspicious of my job which i had never wanted to lie about and also because it was just not clear how long I'd be able to stay in Thailand. When we met I still wasn't doing very well at poker either.

My daughter is 3 and a half and my son is 10 months old. They both have Thai Nationality I recently applied for their British ones so they should very shortly have their British ones too.

I used to be on various different tourist visas but last year finally splurged on a '5-year Thai Elite Visa' where you simply pay for a 5/10 or 20 year visa. It was the best option imo because it's no hassle and with the kids in the picture I didn't want to keep leaving to do visa runs.

[GreekStein]

Perfect. Just the sort of thing I wanted.

Food- I don't mind rough if it's clean. I used to eat in a cafe where the punters were all either scrap metal men or steel workers, you had to wipe your feet before you came out but the food was fabulous.

Chiang Mai sounds great, but I couldn't do the bad air months.

This is all hypothetical BTW but I enjoy having a plan B.

It's going to be a huge shock if you haven't been to Asia before but if you stick it out, you're guaranteed to love it in no time. Would definitely do a holiday here first anyway just to get an idea.

When me and Simon first came out here, he'd been before which was comforting and helped a lot.

Some things it took me much longer to get used to. For example the famous 'ass hose' which I now miss when I leave yet the notion of touching one during my first 6 months felt a bit disgusting.

I have been to Bangkok but it's over 30 years ago and I was part of a big group staying in a good hotel (I went for the Asian Open snooker)

I'm used to things being different. We didn't have running water or electricity until I was 23. That said, I don't want to even contemplate an ass hose.

rofl, trust me, just absolutely trust me dont knock it til youve tried it. It's just a more comfortable and clean way of washing our aris!

Do you have any pics of that trip? I had no idea you'd ever been. Any memories that stand out?

[tikay]

Cos,

Am abso loving this, keep it coming please.

[RED-DOG]

Perfect. Just the sort of thing I wanted.

Food- I don't mind rough if it's clean. I used to eat in a cafe where the punters were all either scrap metal men or steel workers, you had to wipe your feet before you came out but the food was fabulous.

Chiang Mai sounds great, but I couldn't do the bad air months.

This is all hypothetical BTW but I enjoy having a plan B.

It's going to be a huge shock if you haven't been to Asia before but if you stick it out, you're guaranteed to love it in no time. Would definitely do a holiday here first anyway just to get an idea.

When me and Simon first came out here, he'd been before which was comforting and helped a lot.

Some things it took me much longer to get used to. For example the famous 'ass hose' which I now miss when I leave yet the notion of touching one during my first 6 months felt a bit disgusting.

I have been to Bangkok but it's over 30 years ago and I was part of a big group staying in a good hotel (I went for the Asian Open snooker)

I'm used to things being different. We didn't have running water or electricity until I was 23. That said, I don't want to even contemplate an ass hose.

rofl, trust me, just absolutely trust me dont knock it til youve tried it. It's just a more comfortable and clean way of washing our aris!

Do you have any pics of that trip? I had no idea you'd ever been. Any memories that stand out?

Of course, I have pics of everything, even from back in the day when you had to actually have a camera with you.

Memories that stand out? Yes, a shedload. I'll post some of each.

[nirvana]

Cos,

Am abso loving this, keep it coming please.

Yep, interesting for all of us. Good to hear life's treating you so well