Early Retirement in Thailand - Brilliant move or a Blunder?
Word Count:
2816
Summary:
Article written about retiring to Chiang Mai, Thailand a city that is home to thousands of foreigners but yet many in North America have not heard of the city.
Informative, factual article which includes real life story and also includes reference to the tsiunami in Thailand which the author details as he was there at the time.
Interesting article.
Keywords:
retirement, ChiangMai, Thailand
Article Body:
Retire at 54 years of age and be happier?
Well aged 54 and separated from my wife and seeing my friends gain weight and have health problems made me think. I was gaining weight also, I was not happy with the direction my life was headed, so what can I do? I starting thinking of the alternatives.
Retirement? No one wants to talk about it or even think about. Perhaps it makes us feel older if we do that. So years go by and things do not change. We do the same things, eat the same foods until the doctor tells us to make some changes, and we carry on like we will live forever. Unfortunately we won’t live forever and we should be thinking of retirement before we kick the bucket. After all what did you work all those years for anyways?
Well to cut to the chase I was thinking of going to the Dominican Republic to live. But after going there twice I found that the power was unreliable, there were safety concerns, doctors and dentists were not easily accessible and it was pricey.
With time on my hands I sat in front of my computer and did some research. and discovered that Thailand was a popular retirement destination. In fact I read that Chiang Mai was the most popular retirement destination in all of South East Asia.
Hundreds of hours of research later by methodical, planner George and he has come up with the best retirement country and also the best retirement city in all of South East Asia and perhaps the world. Chiang Mai, a city of several hundred thousand inhabitants. Located about 420 miles north of Bangkok and less polluted, less expensive, and with less traffic than Bangkok and also cooler than Bangkok. Chiang Mai, unknown to most of North Americans yet visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists yearly, and home to thousands of foreigners who have visited there, found it to their liking and decided to make this their new home.
I arrived in Bangkok on Nov. 23, 2004 and that is where we will start our real life experiences, adventures and misadventures.
After the tiring trip I decided to stay over a few nights in Bangkok. Then well rested I was ready to continue onwards to Chiang Mai.
A quick one hour plane flight or a relaxing 13 hours train ride which one was it to be? With the extra luggage I was bringing including computer and golf clubs I decided on the train. The bumpy ride in a very comfortable reclining seat (2nd class A/C) set me back all of $15 dollar U.S. and this included two meals, a refreshment and a pastry. It was a bumpy ride with little to see but the forest. But I had all my luggage aboard, no extra charge, and the bumpy ride was just what my legs needed for their circulation.
My research enabled me to be well prepared for my journey and I am not one to leave things to chance. Things went as planned and I arrived at Chiang Mai train station and had reserved a room for 21 days at the Bossotel Inn which was directly across the road from the train station.
Like a normal tourist eh? Yes, I am Canadian how did you know?
I think in total I spent something in the neighborhood of 600 hours of research on the internet and I learned what I could but there was more, much more to learn.
I lived like a tourist at first living in a hotel, eating my meals there. I played pool before breakfast at a snooker establishment behind the hotel. After breakfast TV was the norm and then later in the day I would walk to the Night Bazaar shopping and tourist district about 30 minutes away. The walk there was good exercise, it gave me a chance to see the people and businesses along the way and get familiar with the city. Walk, look around, pop into O’Malley’s pub for a cool drink and to meet Scot, a fellow Canadian, and the owner.
The hotel rate was $16U.S. a night with taxes and breakfast included. I wanted to stay in a serviced apartment later but did not want to book it until I had seen it first. I was favorably impressed when I visited the apartment and proceeded to book it. So three weeks at the hotel and then on to the serviced apartment which would run about $250 a month with utilities and water included, and breakfast extra. The apartment had internet available in the rooms at an extra fee, or internet on site, massage spa on site, rooftop pool, motorcycle rental, beauty salon and restaurant which had entertainment in the evenings. The TV has a large selection of channels by way of satellite, there was free parking on site, and a great location near the Central Mall. So it had it all
Other retirees recommend staying in a condo or serviced apartment for 6 months or more to get familiar with the city before proceeding with any sort of long term rental arrangements.
I met a lovely lady name Nichaya. She was a hairdresser during the day and my tour guide, companion, means of transportation during the evenings. Although I weigh more than twice her weight we rode around town on her motorbike. Her driving the motorbike and me on back. This may seem odd but it is not uncommon. Unless you know the city and really know how to drive a motorcycle you shouldn’t. These motorcycles are 100 and 110 cc engines which means they are not powerful but they are very economical in terms of fuel. We could drive around all week all over town for only $2 U.S. in diesel fuel.
To learn more about living in Chiang Mai one has to live with the people. Find out what they eat, where they shop, what they do daily.
By this time Nichaya or Wan her nickname which everyone has here and I were becoming very close and fond of each other. I invited here to Patong a beach resort for a weeks holiday. She refused but each day I would ask again. Finally she relented and agreed. Have any of you heard of the December, 2004 tsuanmi? Well guess where I was at the time? Right. Right there.
The tsunami hit a few days before we were scheduled to return to Chiang Mai. We lost a camera, some clothing, some pictures but found each other. She handled the situation calmly and we were unharmed. In case you are interested this is what happened.
Tremor about 3 a.m. Woke me up and I wondered whether it was an earthquake. Around 4:30 a.m. another tremor. Awakened me again. At around 7 a.m. a large boom sounded like a shotgun blast and then a minute later another such loud boom.
I thought it may be terrorists out by the pool area and I recommended staying in the room. Nichaya told me to get out of the room. We grabbed a few valuables, passport and ran out of the hotel. Our hotel room was on the lower level facing the pool area which is about 6 feet lower than the lobby area of the hotel. We ran by the pool, up the stairs to the lobby and out the front entrance. Just as we crossed the road water gushed out from the hotel and on to the street. So the water level needed to be at least 6 feet high just to reach the lobby area. Motorcycles, vehicles were being carried down the streets in all directions by the sudden gush of water. We were on higher ground across the street and took off our shoes and I rolled up my pants.
After an hour or so the water level began to recede. It was about this time when a motorcycle policeman drove by and alerted everyone that there would be another wave coming shortly. He was right. Another similar wave went through the lobby and on to the streets again. Now the water level was back to where it was before and we could do nothing but wait.
The day before the tsunami hit we were on a boat cruise to Phi Phi Islands. Two days before the tsunami hit we rented motor boats at the beach. If this had happened a day earlier or at a different time then you would not be reading this article.
When the water level receded and it deemed safe we re-entered our hotel lobby to find a young boy who was in the pool when the tsunami hit lying of the floor with someone trying to resuscitate him. Unfortunately the boy did not make it. The hotel staff were totally unprepared. Nice people as they are they did not have a clue what to do. Guests were yelling out, Call a Doctor, Have you called a Doctor? The hotel staff smiled politely but either did not understand or were unable to reach anyone.
When we approached our room we found it was devastated. The outside window smashed by the water, the door broken, mattress and furniture upside down and the room inaccessible.
Hotel guests were taken to higher ground by buses and trucks. We sat by the roadside on higher ground waiting. The hotels found alternate accommodations in nearby Phuket which was about one half drive away from Patong. We left the others who sat by the roadside and went to some hillside shacks where Wan was able to greet the people, speak their language and explain the situation. They offered us refreshments and a place to lay down and wait.
Only when we reached the airport a day later did we realize the true extent of the devastation. There were tourists at the airport with cuts, bandages, broken bones but worse yet there were many people unaccounted for.
Wan and I were unhurt but learned something about each other through the experience. We showed how we react in emergencies and also we learned something about hotels and Thai people. After writing to hotel management at the Patong Merlin hotel on at least 6 occasions to that location and to their sister Phuket hotel which was undamaged by the tsunami we received one reply after 5 weeks. They did not try to clean any of the clothes left behind, did not try to return any of the contents, did not even try to contact us with a letter or e-mail saying sorry about this experience. We stayed there for a week at $100 U.S. a night and will never stay in a Merlin hotel again.
Would it have been handled differently or better in North America?
Well a one hour flight back to Bangkok for some shopping and then the short one hour flight back to Chiang Mai, my new home.
Now life is different. Wan and I live in her townhouse with her daughter and mother. Her husband passed away and she has been the one they rely on. Wan has a beauty salon downstairs in her townhouse.
What is different now?
Well I have learned how to live here on less. There are accommodations to be had here from $80 a MONTH and excellent accommodations can be had for $200 U.S. a month. By excellent I mean similar to a hotel room, TV with cable or satellite, pool, restaurant on site and in a good location with twice weekly or weekly cleaning.
I eat Thai food now with chicken wings, French fries, and some homemade potato soap several times a week. I read that Thai’s can make anything taste delicious. That is TRUE.
They use fresh ingredients in their cooking. There are many farms nearby and the produce from fruits, to vegetables is abundant year around and very cheap. There is also a fantastic selection of seafood’s to pick from. You can buy the seafood from the market or from a large grocery store where the selection is varied and fresh. If you want you can pick out a live fish, continue with your shopping and when you are checking out pick up your cooked fish to take home for dinner or lunch.
I recently bought pineapples at the large grocery store. Large, fresh, mouth watering pineapples. Ten baht each or .25 cents U.S. each. They will cut if for you and put it on styrofoam with cellophane wrapping for free.
Back to the cooking. The reason Thai food is so delicious is partly the freshness of the ingredients but mainly the sauces. Simple cooked rice with fried vegetables becomes a delicious meal with the right sauce added. Something to watch out for if you do visit here. Two small bowls are presented with many of the meals. One has a green paste/sauce and the other a red colored paste/sauce. These are added to fish or meat by way of dipping or by placing a small amount on a tablespoon from the bowl and then on to your food. WATCH OUT!!!! The red is spicy hot and should be added in measured quantities. The green should not be added at all unless you are Thai or Mexican in my opinion. The green one is the hottest of the two and can make you perspire, reach quickly for a glass of water and visit the washroom in the middle of the night and not to brush your teeth.
Fantastic food and bargain prices.
Great accommodations and bargain prices.
Friendly people who go out of their way to make you feel at home.
So many things to do that I can not even list them all.
Cable TV with 54 channels for $8.25 U.S. a month. Installation cost of cable was around $7 U.S. and $2.50 extra for the second TV. Internet and telephone for about $20 U.S. a month total .
People work hard. Many have their own businesses and work 16 hour days 7 days a week.
The business may consist of setting up a table and a few chairs and selling noodles, cooked meat, fruits or a small convenience store with home cooked foods on the side.
I see the parents take their children to school which is expensive here. About 80,000 baht or $2,000 U.S. per year for schooling, clothing and textbooks for a 7 year old. They teach the children English even at this age. The parents have to work damm hard to pay for the schooling but they are doing this in hopes of their children obtaining good jobs and having a better life with more to look forward to.
Cats and dogs here are numerous. Just about everyone in our neighborhood has either a cat or dog or both. Our neighbor has 6 cats plus 2 kittens and he does not have a fulltime job. It is difficult for him but I know he loves the cats. He has offered to give us a few but we do not have the space.
So to sum things up. It isn’t perfect here. You can find something to complain about if you look hard enough but for me it is as close to perfection as I will find.
I can tell you about one or two things that I do not like and I could tell you about the hundred things I like. I am a picky person so if I like it here and have very little or nothing to complain about then I am sure others will love it here also.
So enamored by Chiang Mai am I that I have created a website to help other retire here. First to come here on vacation and then to retire here. Our website address is:
If you want you can retire here on less than that, but to live a comfortable life here that is all that it takes.
Visit our website for Thai foods and recipes, to learn more about living here, and to see pictures of Chiang Mai.
So from a healthier, happier George who is living here on less and enjoying it
Khop Khun Khrap or thank you in Thai for reading the article. If you come here on vacation or to stay long term give me a call and we can go to a buffet and watch them make sushi, where you can select the ingredients of a soup they call Suki, where you can eat an unlimited amount of fresh salad with a choice of dressings and shredded chicken on the side, pick from an assortment of cooked meats, noodles, or fish, and then top it off with a variety of desserts and the best cup of coffee I have had in years for $2.50 U.S. after taxes and tip. The best selection of freshly prepared food and lowest priced all you can eat buffet restaurant in Chiang Mai in my opinion.
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Coastal Latinos Club de Vacaciones y Negocio Paquetes de Vacaciones Ganar Dinero en Internet
Showing posts with label ChiangMai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ChiangMai. Show all posts
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Driving in Chiang Mai, Thailand. - Can I, should I?
Driving in Chiang Mai, Thailand. - Can I, should I?
Word Count:
951
Summary:
An article for those considering renting a motor vehicle in Thailand especially Chiang Mai. An interesting look at the driving habits of Thai's and what a non-Thai should watch out for and expect.
Interesting article meant to inform and educate the reader.
Keywords:
driving, Thailand, ChiangMai, carrentals
Article Body:
Having had my Driver’s License for 47 years now and having driven manual transmissions and automatics from Volkswagen bugs, to Corvettes, to Nissan 300 ZX Turbo’s to more refined Lincoln luxury cars you would think that I could drive anywhere in the world.
My driving record is excellent. No accidents and no points off in the last 6 years and that qualifies me for the best rating and the best insurance rate in Canada. An experienced driver with the best driving record.
Coming to Chiang Mai, Thailand and renting a car to see the sites and get around town should be a breeze you would expect. Well anyone who thinks so is dead wrong.
Driving here has to be seen to be believed. Do not try it unless you know someone here who has educated you as to What to Watch Out For.
Here is my list:
The lines on the roads do not mean a thing here. You can drive on them, you can drive on the side of them, but do not expect drivers to drive between them. Why? Because on the left side of the road you will find motorbikes so cars move over knowing that this is the preferred route of the motorbikes. That is one reason. Another is that both red taxi’s (converted pick up trucks used as taxis) and tuk tuk’s (three wheeled motorcycles used as taxis) move over from the fast lane to the middle of the two lanes in an attempt to pick up more passengers and yet not lose out on positioning in a fast lane of traffic.
Traffic signals do not mean a thing here. Vehicles can jump the green and make a turn against the flow of traffic if they are hmmm. the first, second, third or even the fourth vehicles in line at a red light as you want to cross an intersection with the light just having turned green. Expect vehicles to run the red if it just turned red hmmm. what one, two, or perhaps three seconds ago.
Watch out for the 3 wheeled bicycles. These are normally driven by slim men in their sixties who have doing this for years. This may have been a fashionable and popular means of transportation 50 years ago or so but now it is a danger out on the roads as they move along at 4 mph on streets full of cars and motorcycles, all of which are in a hurry to go somewhere.
Watch out for vendors pushing their carts at 2 mph down the street on the left hand side of the road.
Watch out for dogs who lay on the road and refuse to move or move reluctantly as the last second.
If you are keeping up with the flow of traffic on a fast moving road at 45 mph in bumper to bumper traffic EXPECT someone to tailgate your vehicle. Oh maybe 10 ft from your rear bumper or perhaps 5 ft. from your bumper. Nice, polite, quiet people that they are Thai’s when they get behind the steering wheel change they make a transition from Mr. Hyde to Dr. Jekyll.
In my opinion most drivers here only have the mandatory basic insurance which is almost useless should they have an accident. So they try to be careful and not hit other cars by driving 3 ft away from vehicles on their passenger side. Either they cannot judge the distance as they are inexperienced drivers or they are extremely careful, either way they will drive down the street using part of your lane forcing you out of your lane.
Overtaking can be done regardless of whether you do it by passing the vehicle in front of you on the left or right side. So if you drive down the road EXPECT to see a vehicle coming straight for you in your lane passing a slower vehicle. They will pass and expect you to slow down or move out of your lane as they are going somewhere in a hurry.
Overtaking another vehicle will happen by vehicles going uphill and not seeing what is ahead of them, overtaking will occur on turns and the drivers not seeing what is ahead of them, overtaking will occur whenever and wherever.
Pedestrians crossing with the traffic light green DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, vehicles go first and you should cross when you it is safe to do so.
Now having said all of that you may be thinking to yourself, Is this guy trying to scare me, is he trying to be funny, does he not want me to drive in Chiang Mai? The answer to these questions is:
I want you to know what you will be facing should you decide to drive here. I want you not to injure yourself or someone else thinking you can go ahead and rent/drive a vehicle without having driven here before or without some advice.
When I first arrived and saw the traffic I thought that I would never be able to drive here. Well now I do drive here. I know what to watch out for and drivers running greens or red lights does not surprise me or anger me. I merely expect it.
The Thai drivers here have probably not had any formal driving instruction, they may not have any decent insurance coverage, and they may be pushy when it comes to driving as they may be in a hurry to earn money so that they can feed their family. So nothing against them, I try to understand their driving habits and adjust mine accordingly. No matter how they drive they are happy go lucky, cheerful, hard working people and I love them.
-----
Coastal Latinos Club de Vacaciones y Negocio Paquetes de Vacaciones Ganar Dinero en Internet
Word Count:
951
Summary:
An article for those considering renting a motor vehicle in Thailand especially Chiang Mai. An interesting look at the driving habits of Thai's and what a non-Thai should watch out for and expect.
Interesting article meant to inform and educate the reader.
Keywords:
driving, Thailand, ChiangMai, carrentals
Article Body:
Having had my Driver’s License for 47 years now and having driven manual transmissions and automatics from Volkswagen bugs, to Corvettes, to Nissan 300 ZX Turbo’s to more refined Lincoln luxury cars you would think that I could drive anywhere in the world.
My driving record is excellent. No accidents and no points off in the last 6 years and that qualifies me for the best rating and the best insurance rate in Canada. An experienced driver with the best driving record.
Coming to Chiang Mai, Thailand and renting a car to see the sites and get around town should be a breeze you would expect. Well anyone who thinks so is dead wrong.
Driving here has to be seen to be believed. Do not try it unless you know someone here who has educated you as to What to Watch Out For.
Here is my list:
The lines on the roads do not mean a thing here. You can drive on them, you can drive on the side of them, but do not expect drivers to drive between them. Why? Because on the left side of the road you will find motorbikes so cars move over knowing that this is the preferred route of the motorbikes. That is one reason. Another is that both red taxi’s (converted pick up trucks used as taxis) and tuk tuk’s (three wheeled motorcycles used as taxis) move over from the fast lane to the middle of the two lanes in an attempt to pick up more passengers and yet not lose out on positioning in a fast lane of traffic.
Traffic signals do not mean a thing here. Vehicles can jump the green and make a turn against the flow of traffic if they are hmmm. the first, second, third or even the fourth vehicles in line at a red light as you want to cross an intersection with the light just having turned green. Expect vehicles to run the red if it just turned red hmmm. what one, two, or perhaps three seconds ago.
Watch out for the 3 wheeled bicycles. These are normally driven by slim men in their sixties who have doing this for years. This may have been a fashionable and popular means of transportation 50 years ago or so but now it is a danger out on the roads as they move along at 4 mph on streets full of cars and motorcycles, all of which are in a hurry to go somewhere.
Watch out for vendors pushing their carts at 2 mph down the street on the left hand side of the road.
Watch out for dogs who lay on the road and refuse to move or move reluctantly as the last second.
If you are keeping up with the flow of traffic on a fast moving road at 45 mph in bumper to bumper traffic EXPECT someone to tailgate your vehicle. Oh maybe 10 ft from your rear bumper or perhaps 5 ft. from your bumper. Nice, polite, quiet people that they are Thai’s when they get behind the steering wheel change they make a transition from Mr. Hyde to Dr. Jekyll.
In my opinion most drivers here only have the mandatory basic insurance which is almost useless should they have an accident. So they try to be careful and not hit other cars by driving 3 ft away from vehicles on their passenger side. Either they cannot judge the distance as they are inexperienced drivers or they are extremely careful, either way they will drive down the street using part of your lane forcing you out of your lane.
Overtaking can be done regardless of whether you do it by passing the vehicle in front of you on the left or right side. So if you drive down the road EXPECT to see a vehicle coming straight for you in your lane passing a slower vehicle. They will pass and expect you to slow down or move out of your lane as they are going somewhere in a hurry.
Overtaking another vehicle will happen by vehicles going uphill and not seeing what is ahead of them, overtaking will occur on turns and the drivers not seeing what is ahead of them, overtaking will occur whenever and wherever.
Pedestrians crossing with the traffic light green DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, vehicles go first and you should cross when you it is safe to do so.
Now having said all of that you may be thinking to yourself, Is this guy trying to scare me, is he trying to be funny, does he not want me to drive in Chiang Mai? The answer to these questions is:
I want you to know what you will be facing should you decide to drive here. I want you not to injure yourself or someone else thinking you can go ahead and rent/drive a vehicle without having driven here before or without some advice.
When I first arrived and saw the traffic I thought that I would never be able to drive here. Well now I do drive here. I know what to watch out for and drivers running greens or red lights does not surprise me or anger me. I merely expect it.
The Thai drivers here have probably not had any formal driving instruction, they may not have any decent insurance coverage, and they may be pushy when it comes to driving as they may be in a hurry to earn money so that they can feed their family. So nothing against them, I try to understand their driving habits and adjust mine accordingly. No matter how they drive they are happy go lucky, cheerful, hard working people and I love them.
-----
Coastal Latinos Club de Vacaciones y Negocio Paquetes de Vacaciones Ganar Dinero en Internet
Friday, March 4, 2011
Dining in Chiang Mai, Thailand vs. North America
Dining in Chiang Mai, Thailand vs. North America
Word Count:
1550
Summary:
Article written to amuse and enlighten readers about the differences in fast food dining in Chiang Mai, Thailand vs. North America.
Keywords:
fastfoods,dining,ChiangMai,Thailand
Article Body:
Foreigners love their hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks and Thai’s just have to have rice with every meal. But which would I prefer after living most of my life in Canada and now having retired to Chiang Mai, Thailand?
As with any large city there are an abundance of fine restaurants catering to different tastes and budgets. Chiang Mai is no different. Thai people love to eat. Restaurants are full of Thai’s and foreigners enjoying all types of cuisine. Rather than deal with fine restaurants which we all dine at but not every day this article deals with the day to day dining of the Thai people here in Chiang Mai.
Popular restaurants in North America are Harvey’s, McDonalds, and Burger King. Here we have the street vendors. The end result is a quickly prepared affordable meal.
The street vendors may sell fresh fruits such as pineapple, mango, watermelon, strawberries (locally grown), and more. Each fruit is cut up into small pieces and placed in a plastic bag and you are provided a long wooden stick with which to eat it. Cost is normally 10 baht which comes to about 25 cents U.S. and the fruits are kept cool and are delicious. Also vendors here sell fast foods and snacks. Get a meal of cooked rice, meat and veggies again placed in a plastic bag but this time wrapped tightly by an elastic band for about 20 baht or 50 cents U.S. Take your pick of a rice dish, or a noodle dish or a soup. Tasty and normally already prepared and wrapped and still warm or if you want to wait one minute they will take it out of the pot and put it into the bag while you wait. So a cooked meal and a tasty snack for a total of about 75 cents U.S. For many Thai’s in Chiang Mai this is there most common meal. They then proceed to drive home, unwrap the elastic, put some rice in a bowl, place several cups of the table with a bottle of water and that is one of their meals.
We all love fast foods and we all want it to be affordable. That we have in common. What you will find different between here and there is the price, quality and service.
Price. The price of meals whether it be at restaurants, or street vendors is cheap compared to what we are used to. A filling meal can be had for less than a 1US dollar for a meal I described above which includes a bowl of rice, cooked meal from street vendor and fruit from street vendor. For only $2.50 U.S. you can dine out at an all you can eat full course buffet, desserts, coffee, tip and taxes included as well as a tip for the parking lot attendant The prices are low because the ingredients are locally grown and because the labor cost is inexpensive.
Quality. The quality of the food is much healthier here than back home. Back home KFC, McDonalds, and Harvey’s are popular lunch and dinner restaurants. If you think you are thinking healthy foods there think again. Here you do not have the greasy French fries, Hamburgers stuffed full of ketchup, mustard, onions, mayo and more to hide the taste of the meat you are eating. Here you eat rice, fresh vegetables, fresh fish, drink water with the meals as opposed to a bucket sized plastic container packed full of ice and watered down sugar flavored soft drink.
Service. A teenager earning a few extra bucks in a fast food restaurant or an adult making a living out of working full time in a restaurant here. Which one would you expect to provide the best service? Nothing more needs to be said.
If you come to Chiang Mai do not go searching for restaurants that have what you normally eat. You may as well stay home and buy a video about Thailand, or watch a TV program about Thailand.
The foods here are tasty, healthy, and inexpensive.
The basic ingredient in all the meals is rice. Yes rice for breakfast too. I have never been one for rice. Potatoes was my staple. But here potatoes are pricey and although I admit to buying them and making potato soup and french fries it is the exception and not the rule.
As I have said before, the Thai’s are known for making anything taste good.
So take fresh ingredients combine that with rice and special sauces which are the key to the taste and there you have it - Healthy, Tasty, and Inexpensive meals.
Top if off with locally grown fresh pineapple, watermelon, mango, strawberries or a dozen or more fruits and you have a meal you will enjoy and which is good for you.
The funny thing about foods is that whatever you really like is NO GOOD for you. What are your favorites? Cake, pies, French fries, hamburgers, ice-cream. Well they are not that good for you in terms of eating them regularly. What do you hate to eat? Broccoli, asparagus, spinach, brown rice, boiled chicken. Well these are good for you.
So if you come here to Thailand. do try several different types of Thai foods. You may find a soup that you just cannot get enough of, or a Thai dessert that you have no idea what it was and which you absolutely enjoyed, or fresh fish which is abundant here. Prawns, sea bass and more cooked up on a large plate will leave you wanting more.
I have eaten meals, snacks and fruits sold by small roadside food vendors and never experienced any problems. The ingredients are fresh, kept on ice if required and cooking areas cleaned regularly. So I see this as a safe, inexpensive way to buy snacks and meals. I would recommend that you carry a bottle of water which can be purchased at 7-11 for only 13 cents as you may get a bit dehydrated especially if you are doing a lot of walking and this if anything may be the cause of a quick jaunt to the rest room.
Are there things that I do not eat that Thai’s eat? Yes there is a fruit called Durian, the Thai’s just love it but it has such a foul odor that when I gave it a try I had to breathe through my mouth. Apart from the odor it has the texture of a pudding and is rich in flavor. What I did not have the courage to try and which I expect would be healthy to eat was the fried insects. I suppose that it is just a matter of getting used to the sight of them. Perhaps I could dine on both the fruit and insects regularly if I kept breathing through my nose and kept my eyes shut while I ate.
But you should try what we call Suki. It is a soup that you cook on your table in a pot with hot coals underneath. You decide on the ingredients such as chicken, beef, liver, fish and add them and take them out when they are cooked. Normally the meats go in first as they take longer to cook and then the vegetables. In about 5 minutes you have your soup. Two small bowls will accompany the meal. They are both made of hot peppers. One has the appearance of a green paste and the other a red paste. You can either dip your meat or fish into the paste or put a teaspoonful into your soup. The green paste is spicy, makes me perspire a bit and gives me a longing for a cold glass of water during I eat my soup. The red paste I do not touch and would not recommend you try it unless you are accustomed to eating it or you are Mexican. My girlfriend eats her Suki with the green paste and admits to making trips to the washroom during the middle of the night and not to brush here teeth. A filling meal for 4 people for about $3 U.S. and that includes taxes, tip, and bottled water with a bucket of ice.
Remember how earlier on I said that the Thai’s have a reputation for making any food taste delicious. That is true. The KEY is the sauce. I do not know what ingredients go into the sauces but I do know that I was not a rice eater and now with I will be scraping the bottom of each bowl of food that is served to me. Normal white rice cooked in a rice cooker combined with fried vegetables and meat with the special sauce is simply delicious.
And if you want to know where I would eat given the choice now, a fast food restaurant there or a street vendor here? My reply would be a street vendor here. After the meal here I am filled up, the food is delicious, the fruits are fantastic and prices are so low and I feel fitter.
Want to learn more about Thai foods. Check out our Thai foods and recipes on our website: http.//www.retire-on-550-month.com and they are on the Living in Chiang Mai page.
End
Word Count:
1550
Summary:
Article written to amuse and enlighten readers about the differences in fast food dining in Chiang Mai, Thailand vs. North America.
Keywords:
fastfoods,dining,ChiangMai,Thailand
Article Body:
Foreigners love their hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks and Thai’s just have to have rice with every meal. But which would I prefer after living most of my life in Canada and now having retired to Chiang Mai, Thailand?
As with any large city there are an abundance of fine restaurants catering to different tastes and budgets. Chiang Mai is no different. Thai people love to eat. Restaurants are full of Thai’s and foreigners enjoying all types of cuisine. Rather than deal with fine restaurants which we all dine at but not every day this article deals with the day to day dining of the Thai people here in Chiang Mai.
Popular restaurants in North America are Harvey’s, McDonalds, and Burger King. Here we have the street vendors. The end result is a quickly prepared affordable meal.
The street vendors may sell fresh fruits such as pineapple, mango, watermelon, strawberries (locally grown), and more. Each fruit is cut up into small pieces and placed in a plastic bag and you are provided a long wooden stick with which to eat it. Cost is normally 10 baht which comes to about 25 cents U.S. and the fruits are kept cool and are delicious. Also vendors here sell fast foods and snacks. Get a meal of cooked rice, meat and veggies again placed in a plastic bag but this time wrapped tightly by an elastic band for about 20 baht or 50 cents U.S. Take your pick of a rice dish, or a noodle dish or a soup. Tasty and normally already prepared and wrapped and still warm or if you want to wait one minute they will take it out of the pot and put it into the bag while you wait. So a cooked meal and a tasty snack for a total of about 75 cents U.S. For many Thai’s in Chiang Mai this is there most common meal. They then proceed to drive home, unwrap the elastic, put some rice in a bowl, place several cups of the table with a bottle of water and that is one of their meals.
We all love fast foods and we all want it to be affordable. That we have in common. What you will find different between here and there is the price, quality and service.
Price. The price of meals whether it be at restaurants, or street vendors is cheap compared to what we are used to. A filling meal can be had for less than a 1US dollar for a meal I described above which includes a bowl of rice, cooked meal from street vendor and fruit from street vendor. For only $2.50 U.S. you can dine out at an all you can eat full course buffet, desserts, coffee, tip and taxes included as well as a tip for the parking lot attendant The prices are low because the ingredients are locally grown and because the labor cost is inexpensive.
Quality. The quality of the food is much healthier here than back home. Back home KFC, McDonalds, and Harvey’s are popular lunch and dinner restaurants. If you think you are thinking healthy foods there think again. Here you do not have the greasy French fries, Hamburgers stuffed full of ketchup, mustard, onions, mayo and more to hide the taste of the meat you are eating. Here you eat rice, fresh vegetables, fresh fish, drink water with the meals as opposed to a bucket sized plastic container packed full of ice and watered down sugar flavored soft drink.
Service. A teenager earning a few extra bucks in a fast food restaurant or an adult making a living out of working full time in a restaurant here. Which one would you expect to provide the best service? Nothing more needs to be said.
If you come to Chiang Mai do not go searching for restaurants that have what you normally eat. You may as well stay home and buy a video about Thailand, or watch a TV program about Thailand.
The foods here are tasty, healthy, and inexpensive.
The basic ingredient in all the meals is rice. Yes rice for breakfast too. I have never been one for rice. Potatoes was my staple. But here potatoes are pricey and although I admit to buying them and making potato soup and french fries it is the exception and not the rule.
As I have said before, the Thai’s are known for making anything taste good.
So take fresh ingredients combine that with rice and special sauces which are the key to the taste and there you have it - Healthy, Tasty, and Inexpensive meals.
Top if off with locally grown fresh pineapple, watermelon, mango, strawberries or a dozen or more fruits and you have a meal you will enjoy and which is good for you.
The funny thing about foods is that whatever you really like is NO GOOD for you. What are your favorites? Cake, pies, French fries, hamburgers, ice-cream. Well they are not that good for you in terms of eating them regularly. What do you hate to eat? Broccoli, asparagus, spinach, brown rice, boiled chicken. Well these are good for you.
So if you come here to Thailand. do try several different types of Thai foods. You may find a soup that you just cannot get enough of, or a Thai dessert that you have no idea what it was and which you absolutely enjoyed, or fresh fish which is abundant here. Prawns, sea bass and more cooked up on a large plate will leave you wanting more.
I have eaten meals, snacks and fruits sold by small roadside food vendors and never experienced any problems. The ingredients are fresh, kept on ice if required and cooking areas cleaned regularly. So I see this as a safe, inexpensive way to buy snacks and meals. I would recommend that you carry a bottle of water which can be purchased at 7-11 for only 13 cents as you may get a bit dehydrated especially if you are doing a lot of walking and this if anything may be the cause of a quick jaunt to the rest room.
Are there things that I do not eat that Thai’s eat? Yes there is a fruit called Durian, the Thai’s just love it but it has such a foul odor that when I gave it a try I had to breathe through my mouth. Apart from the odor it has the texture of a pudding and is rich in flavor. What I did not have the courage to try and which I expect would be healthy to eat was the fried insects. I suppose that it is just a matter of getting used to the sight of them. Perhaps I could dine on both the fruit and insects regularly if I kept breathing through my nose and kept my eyes shut while I ate.
But you should try what we call Suki. It is a soup that you cook on your table in a pot with hot coals underneath. You decide on the ingredients such as chicken, beef, liver, fish and add them and take them out when they are cooked. Normally the meats go in first as they take longer to cook and then the vegetables. In about 5 minutes you have your soup. Two small bowls will accompany the meal. They are both made of hot peppers. One has the appearance of a green paste and the other a red paste. You can either dip your meat or fish into the paste or put a teaspoonful into your soup. The green paste is spicy, makes me perspire a bit and gives me a longing for a cold glass of water during I eat my soup. The red paste I do not touch and would not recommend you try it unless you are accustomed to eating it or you are Mexican. My girlfriend eats her Suki with the green paste and admits to making trips to the washroom during the middle of the night and not to brush here teeth. A filling meal for 4 people for about $3 U.S. and that includes taxes, tip, and bottled water with a bucket of ice.
Remember how earlier on I said that the Thai’s have a reputation for making any food taste delicious. That is true. The KEY is the sauce. I do not know what ingredients go into the sauces but I do know that I was not a rice eater and now with I will be scraping the bottom of each bowl of food that is served to me. Normal white rice cooked in a rice cooker combined with fried vegetables and meat with the special sauce is simply delicious.
And if you want to know where I would eat given the choice now, a fast food restaurant there or a street vendor here? My reply would be a street vendor here. After the meal here I am filled up, the food is delicious, the fruits are fantastic and prices are so low and I feel fitter.
Want to learn more about Thai foods. Check out our Thai foods and recipes on our website: http.//www.retire-on-550-month.com and they are on the Living in Chiang Mai page.
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