Chob
Moderator
^ Paulie ...why on earth does your missus want to live in Boston over Vancouver ??
Anyway , as you guys know , I live in Phuket.
I first passed thru it on my way home from London to Sydney ( lots of it actually overland ) in 1980 and thought it was a gem , and I had seen a lot of lovely spots before I got to Phuket ! ( ie Corfu , Kovalam , Goa , Arugan Bay etc )
I rode to Kata Beach from Phuket Town in the tray of a tip truck , holding onto a stretched rope and standing.
Covered in dust.
But it was truly a beautiful island - and not way too far from Aus.
But I went home and married taught school , , and once I started my biz I hardly went anywhere , I was a sole operator pretty much... had 4 kids etc.
25 years later my marriage was crumbling , and I was 50 and was allowed to retire in LoS after age 50 ...and eventually I did.
Reasons I returned to Phuket to have a look ? Well I recalled its beauty and the low costs of living .
Reasons why I eventually moved to Phuket ? Well firstly it was FUN! I had been woven , then stapled wriggling into a role play where-in I worked , and worked , and I served at least 5 peoples interests BEFORE I got to service my interests. After 25 years the kids were growing and happy , but still I had a role to play , according to my Mrs ( and society in general I guess). And she was menopausal and rarely happy or nice . She let slip one day that I , well "WE" were going to give the kids a house each , which I thought very generous of her considering she didnt work a job , and I realised I was expected to slog on for another 15 years. Anyway , I wasnt having that , so I pursued my escape ...which she made take 2 years btw ...
She wasnt letting her slave leave easily . But since I arrived here , I have had FUN , lots of it , and nobody can say that the Thais dont find sanuk in even the smallest things.
12 years and Im still startled at the continuous grins , laughs and hellos , even in Phuket.
The willingness to enjoy life first and foremost.
And I can afford it.
Of course affordability mattered to.
I couldnt have stopped work in Newcastle or Sydney at 50 or I would have lived like a pauper.
Im happy to say I have the same amount of cash I had after I sold my home 1 year into my retirement.
But perhaps most important for me is never being cold again.
I detest the cold and am happiest in a pair of shorts and under a coconut tree by a lovely aqua sea , and Phuket still has that.
THAT I visit and revisit daily.
Its a free gym and pool , its therapy , I see friends there , we hang out , and a 100 baht Gai Yung and Som Tum lunch tops off most days ( tho a 'pad' or a 'tom' will do to )
A coupla beers in the afternoon downstairs in the shade
A happy Thai lady cooking at her 'downside' kitchen.
Shes happy with 1000 baht shopping money - my ex used to moan about 'only' getting $1000 aud housekeeping a week and that was 15 years ago !
Yes , I get annoyed with the abject lack of road sense and safety , and the willful pollution of the environment , and , in particular this Juntas constant focus on the ( evil) falang while haughtily denying any interests in the non-Thai ... the meddling with Immigration Rules.
But I still love the place , particularly the sense of freedom.
Also , and unlike others , I do feel a commitment to my partner and 'our' grand daughter , so as much as i may get annoyed , I cant just pack up and leave them for elsewhere in SE Asia , which is all so easily accessible from here -another huge plus , or even .... Australia .
I ws gonna say 'home' , but here is home now.
Anyway , as you guys know , I live in Phuket.
I first passed thru it on my way home from London to Sydney ( lots of it actually overland ) in 1980 and thought it was a gem , and I had seen a lot of lovely spots before I got to Phuket ! ( ie Corfu , Kovalam , Goa , Arugan Bay etc )
I rode to Kata Beach from Phuket Town in the tray of a tip truck , holding onto a stretched rope and standing.
Covered in dust.
But it was truly a beautiful island - and not way too far from Aus.
But I went home and married taught school , , and once I started my biz I hardly went anywhere , I was a sole operator pretty much... had 4 kids etc.
25 years later my marriage was crumbling , and I was 50 and was allowed to retire in LoS after age 50 ...and eventually I did.
Reasons I returned to Phuket to have a look ? Well I recalled its beauty and the low costs of living .
Reasons why I eventually moved to Phuket ? Well firstly it was FUN! I had been woven , then stapled wriggling into a role play where-in I worked , and worked , and I served at least 5 peoples interests BEFORE I got to service my interests. After 25 years the kids were growing and happy , but still I had a role to play , according to my Mrs ( and society in general I guess). And she was menopausal and rarely happy or nice . She let slip one day that I , well "WE" were going to give the kids a house each , which I thought very generous of her considering she didnt work a job , and I realised I was expected to slog on for another 15 years. Anyway , I wasnt having that , so I pursued my escape ...which she made take 2 years btw ...
She wasnt letting her slave leave easily . But since I arrived here , I have had FUN , lots of it , and nobody can say that the Thais dont find sanuk in even the smallest things.
12 years and Im still startled at the continuous grins , laughs and hellos , even in Phuket.
The willingness to enjoy life first and foremost.
And I can afford it.
Of course affordability mattered to.
I couldnt have stopped work in Newcastle or Sydney at 50 or I would have lived like a pauper.
Im happy to say I have the same amount of cash I had after I sold my home 1 year into my retirement.
But perhaps most important for me is never being cold again.
I detest the cold and am happiest in a pair of shorts and under a coconut tree by a lovely aqua sea , and Phuket still has that.
THAT I visit and revisit daily.
Its a free gym and pool , its therapy , I see friends there , we hang out , and a 100 baht Gai Yung and Som Tum lunch tops off most days ( tho a 'pad' or a 'tom' will do to )
A coupla beers in the afternoon downstairs in the shade
A happy Thai lady cooking at her 'downside' kitchen.
Shes happy with 1000 baht shopping money - my ex used to moan about 'only' getting $1000 aud housekeeping a week and that was 15 years ago !
Yes , I get annoyed with the abject lack of road sense and safety , and the willful pollution of the environment , and , in particular this Juntas constant focus on the ( evil) falang while haughtily denying any interests in the non-Thai ... the meddling with Immigration Rules.
But I still love the place , particularly the sense of freedom.
Also , and unlike others , I do feel a commitment to my partner and 'our' grand daughter , so as much as i may get annoyed , I cant just pack up and leave them for elsewhere in SE Asia , which is all so easily accessible from here -another huge plus , or even .... Australia .
I ws gonna say 'home' , but here is home now.
