Positive experiences in LoS

[barrys]

After recently reading a lot of posts and hearing many stories concerning people apparently being ripped off or treated dishonestly in Hua Hin or Thailand in general, I would like to relate something very positive that happened to me today.

Up to a couple of years ago, I used to play (bad) golf fairly regularly at the army golf course in Pran Buri.
I had a regular caddy and one day I lent her my clubs for a caddies event.
However, due to various circumstances I stopped playing golf and forgot all about the clubs.

Two days ago, I decided I would try playing again and went to the same course with a friend, taking my old bag of clubs with me.
Just as we were getting prepared, my old caddy ran up to me, asking me where I'd been for the last 1 1/2 years. She told me she had been looking after my clubs at her home.

Now these clubs cost me around THB 20,000 a couple of years ago and she could obviously have converted them into cash at any time.

Anyway, to finish off the story, I went back to the course this morning and, as promised, the caddy was waiting there with the bag of clubs totally intact, even including the umbrella!
She was even embarrassed when I wanted to give her a tip in recognition of her honesty.

So does anyone else have a positive experience of living here so we can maybe provide a counterbalance to what seems to be the overwhelming accounts of doom and gloom.

[Onlyme]

A few years ago, my wife noticed that I was a bit upset.
"Why are you upset?" She asked.
I told her that I was having problems back home with my property rental.
A few days later she brought me a cup of coffee whilst I was in bed and said to me.
" I've spoken to my Father and he told me to take a loan from the bank (collateral on land and house they own)and give it to you."
I declined.

On another occasion, my wife told me to stop giving her housekeeping for 5 months as her elder sisiter had given her a lump sum for taking care of Mother and Father........
I readily agreed.

Onlyme.
PS. I've seen good friends absolutely ripped off by their Thai wh****s!

[PJG]

About 10 years ago I was playing Golf at Royal Hua Hin(Railway Course) and lost my wallet somewhere on the course. I only discovered the loss when trying to pay for a drink after finishing the roung. I knew the Caddy quite well and did not suspect him. In fact he gave me a motor bike ride round the course from the last drinks hut where I had used the wallet. There was no sign of the wallet so decided that it had gone and then proceeded to cancel credit cards etc.

When I got back to UK a couple of weeks later I had a nice letter from a Lady in Bangkok. She had been playing that day and had found the wallet. The only address in the wallet was the UK address. The Lady wanted to know how she could return my property. We got in contact and collected the wallet a couple of months later. I had allready cancelled the Credit Cards but everything else was in the Wallet including all the cash.

Incidentally I had to borrow cash from my Thai father-in-law to tip the Caddy and pay for the drinks.

[Terry]

I've known my Thai wife Mrs.T for nearly 14 years and been happily married for 7 of them.

I too had heard of many rip-off stories etc about living in Thailand and having a Thai wife.

One of the few vices I have is that I like wristwatches - don't know why - just do. Can't stand Rolex - I think they are just plain ugly and far too ostentatious. I DO like Breitling, and having expressed this preference Mrs. T presented me with a copy mechanical self wind version for a birthday before we were married - it still works - the watch and the marriage.

I happened to mention in jest, that maybe one day God, Buddha, or whoever, would shine on me and I would own a real one.

I then started to notice, that I was not getting all the change when shopping, things were getting a tad more expensive here and there, the service bills on the car were a bit steep and we started getting whopping electric and water bills.

I was becoming a bit paranoid about this but decided that I did not want to cause grief as my birthday was approaching - decided to wait 'til after the event.

Just prior to the birthday 4 years ago, I was due to fly to Taipei on business. Mrs. T came with me to Don Muang to say goodbye and then go on to see her mother for a few days.

As I got out of the car to go to check-in she gave me a parcel and said 'Happy Birthday' for next week - don't open this until after you get on the plane.

Yep - it was a Breitling - this time for real and bloody expensive.

Cost about the same as the amount of 'excess' bills over the previos year or so.

Needless to say, I was chuffed and all the bills have returned to normal levels ever since.

[migrant]

Nice stories!!

The first time I went to Thailand with my Thai fiance to meet her family, I expected a expensive trip. My fiance has been in the US for about 10 years, works 2 jobs, goes to school, and picks up the checks periodically. She also buys me clothes, and this last week a $200 pair of Bally shoes.

But I did not expect that generosity from the family. Dad is retired cop, with a small road side shop, brothers all work in hotels.

We were picked up at the airport, transported to her town outside of Cha Am, meals and transport picked up by Dad.

Stayed at Dad's home a few days, ceremony for her dead grandfather involved the big feast (actually 2, the food did not arrive on time so food was ordered from a second place, both arrived at the same time) I was not even asked to contribute.

Aunts brought over food all day, no monies asked.

After a few days went to Springfield resort in Cha Am, brother works there. Great ocean facing room, free breakfast at 1/2 the posted rate.

Throughout the visit family picked up more than their share of cabs, and meals (more based upon the fact I make pretty good money, they don't) My fiance also paid her share.

Then off to BKK, staying at another brothers condo, accompanyed by all brothers.

Tours, cabs, food, much paid for by brothers.

Nothing asked for, a hearty welcome to Thailand.

[Huahinian]

What a refreshing chnage to read the positive comments about Thailand. Sometimes it is good to compare the way we are able to live here with the way we would live in our country of birth. As a retired person, I am able to live in Hua Hin much more comfortably and happily than I could in the UK. I chose to live here and the advantages far exceed the disadvantages. Of course there are things I don't like but then they exist elsewhere also. I enjoy the Thai way of life and worry that western influence will change things and, eventually, destroy the culture.

[Terry]

Another true story- that I shall keep anonymous

A certain gentleman, not unknown to this website needed some help.

He was away from his home base and phoned me from another part of Thailand to say that certain equipment, essential to his business had failed that morning and did I know where I could get a specific replacement part.

So - off I trotted to a Thai service garage that I have had good experiences of in the past. I knew that it was a long shot, but the old boy who ran this place would most likely know where I could get this part.

Sure enough - he did not have any, but he knew where I could buy a new one and gave me directions to a particular shop.

Off I went, and after about 15 minutes I was joined by the old boy from the service garage checking to see that all was OK

After much debate and phone calls to the gentleman needing the part, I purchased a unit on his behalf (THB 1,800 - a bit expensive, but it had a good well known reliable industrial name), left the THB 350 to get a pre arranged taxi to collect and take to the needy persons place of business.

The part duly arrived, was fitted accordingly and the day's business was saved.

Now -

The part was knowingly underspecified, they simply do not have these in Thailand but the 'stand-in' at THB 1,800 would suffice for a few days.

After a few days it failed - like the original.

Now the sting and the tale

The certain needy gentleman has not only returned the 'faulty' unit to the shop where purchased, he has been given several other cheaper versions as temporary replacement stock until the 'genuine' correct part has been received from the U.S.

Service with a smile and a positive message for everyone.

[DawnHRD]

Some of you may know that my Thai boyfriend, Du, died about 7 months ago. It's also fairly common knowledge that Du had a drinking problem & we had our ups & downs. But when Du was sober, or hadn't had too much he was the nicest, kindest, sweetest guy you could hope to meet & would do anything for people he loved.

Last year, Mum & I were having money problems & she'd returned to UK to try & release some of her capital. I was left here with the dog center & only a little money for myself & the dogs. Before Mum was due back in LOS, the money ran out. I decided I had to sell some jewellery, so decided on a diamond cross pendant I had bought for 23,000 baht. Of course, jewellery stores wouldn't touch it, so Du sold it to a friend of his for 10,000 baht.

A few months later, we had an auction for the Dog Center & were collecting things to auction. Du said he had something & told me not to be angry. He gave me my diamond cross to auction. I asked him where he'd got it & it turned out he'd had it all the time. He'd taken out a loan to buy it & had paid all the money back from his (not large) salary as a musician. He'd also taken a job in his friend's bar to pay it back - I thought he'd only taken the job to help his friend out. He told me he'd always intended to give it back to me, but he thought I'd be angry

He said I could have it for the dog center, if it raised more than the 10,000 baht he'd paid for it (all the money was to go to the center, but he didn't want it going for less than that!) It didn't raise that much, so he withdrew it from sale & gave it back to me. I still wear it all the time (apart from when I'm working with the dogs) & no matter how bad things get, I'm never putting it up for sale again.

[Jaime]

When in Bangkok, I used to go drinking in the Rooster Bar at 'Soi Zero' Sukhumvit Road, BKK (under the expressway where Sukhumvit runs into Ploenchit). I always made a point of going there after something that happened the first time I was taken there by an ex-pat mate of mine.

As we walked up to the bar he told me that it had been almost a year since he had been there but when we entered he was greeted very warmly as an old friend and after being introduced, so was I. We sat down and ordered a couple of beers. Moments later, instead of the beers, a 3/4 full bottle of SangSom appeared on the table. On it was taped a label, scrawled with my mate's name. He could not remember it but he had paid for the bottle on his last visit and they had kept it for him all that time!

[migrant]

He could not remember it but he had paid for the bottle on his last visit and they had kept it for him all that time!

Now THAT'S what I call a great experience!

It goes to show that there is good, and bad, everywhere.

And there are always people who dwell on the bad and will never be satisfied.

[JD]

I have a little test for new housekeepers we take on.

I put a well dusted 100 Baht note under the bed next to one of the legs.

The idea being if it’s still there after a few days the wife picks them up that their not doing everything they need to. If it disappears and is not given back, well you get the picture.

Our latest lady, on her second day, turned up early before we left for work and handed the 100 Baht note back to my wife, along with 10,000 Baht I’d left in my side leg pocket of my shorts she found when she was doing the washing.

I’ve never yet had any money found not returned to me by any of the housekeepers we have employed.

I’ve always found most Thais much more honest and trustworthy than many expats I’ve dealt with in Thailand.

[Big Boy]

My example goes back 9/10 years ago in Pattaya when my son was 5/6 years old. We always used the same spot at Jomtien Beach. As with most Farang kids, my son had all of the usual beach toys. At the end of the holiday we just left the toys for any kids that came along after us.

The next year we went back to the same place. Within 5 minutes my son's toys from the previous year were returned to him in the same condition as he had left them the previous year.

The other thing at the same spot in Jomtien, they always knew I felt uneasy in the flimsy Thai Deckchairs (although I never damaged one). One day they presented me with an extra strong chair that they had manufactured just for me. Every time I went home, it would be put in to storage. Every time I returned it was always there on my 2nd days visit. Even though I've not been back to Pattaya for about 5 years, I'd bet that chair would still be there for me.

[PeteC]

Let me know what beach in Jomtien BB, I'll go look to see if any oversized chairs still there.

I've had countless good experiences also. The one that stands out is from back in about 1990. I was in a rush and checking out of the Four Wing Hotel on Suk 26 in Bangkok. Had already paid the bill and was stepping into a taxi when the room maid came running across the lobby with my 5 baht gold chain and amulet.

I had left it on top of the TV when showering that morning and forgot it.

That would have equaled about 9 months salary for her at gold prices in those days. It also took a few minutes to get her to agree to accept a small reward. Pete

[santa]

In the floods in Bang Saphan 2 months ago, my silly brother got swept off the road on his bike. As he could not recover the bike till the flood went down, and was leaving town immediately to fly to Myanmar, he asked a local bike garage, that he had not done business with before, to get the bike out of the river and fix it. When I went to get it 3 days later there was no charge, as when they fished it out, cleaned it up and it dried out, it started.

[Big Boy]

prcscct wrote:

Let me know what beach in Jomtien BB, I'll go look to see if any oversized chairs still there.

The name painted on the inner tubes was 'MA LIAM' - down the far end of the beach. However, the key thing was that they always put it in to storage on my departure, and only brought it out again whenever I returned.