by Max&Bee-in-CM » Thu Sep 02, 2010 5:17 am
Having just returned from Melb, I have the following observations:
1. a large and noticeable increase in automatic speed cameras (at intersections) from
my last visit 9 months ago - I got a "speeding fine" going 66 km/h in a 60 km/h zone,
my god, what a transgression! Sure worth the $160 fine.
2. increase in on-the-street parking meters to $4.20 per hour around the city. Probably be
up to $5-6 in 1 year or so. Pay pay pay.
3. cheapest meal at a Thai restaurant/take-away of $9 for fried rice, 2 people eating 2
rice plates and 1 meat plate for lunch costs > $25. Went to lunch in Lygon St, 3 people, rice,
tom-yam-goong, pad pak, chicken curry - $75 !!!
4. huge traffic jams into the city, driving made more annoying by traffic lights every few
hundred metres to 1-2 km. Constant start and stop due to a large number of traffic
lights, pedestrian crossings, and cars turning right into side streets stopping the flow
of traffic in the right hand lane (none of that here thankfully).
5. a focus on money and getting ahead of the friends/neighbors among people I
have met back home - focus on increasing salary, getting a better car, extending the
home, and the associated bank loans.
6. incredibly high property prices - a 3 rai block of land 50 km from the city now costs
> $800,000 - here we paid 1.3 million baht. Wow, what a difference. If you want to live
near the city, the blocks of land all look so small now after spending time on the land here,
with people squeezing houses into 11-13 m wide blocks, window to window.
7. cannot ride a pushbike or motorbike without a helmet or other protective gear, even
down the block to 7-11. Ridiculous. Cannot ride a pushbike on the footpath, have to
ride in traffic.
8. a general feeling of being controlled and monitored, CCTV cameras everywhere, on trams,
trains, buses, streets, intersections, bars, shops, etc.
9. cannot buy simple pills at a pharmacy without being grilled about your symptoms, have
you taken the pills before, are you allergic, yadda yadda yadda - come on I am 37 not 12.
9a. We had food poisoning from take-away pizza, vomit during the night - I went to see doctor
he would not give me anti-biotic pills, nothing, just drink water. I told him last time I
had food poison, I got anti-biotics in a CM hospital, cleared the symptoms. He said no, that
is Thailand, here in Melb we just rest, drink water, and wait for the symptoms to pass. I
walked out without paying, I did not get the service I came for, in fact I got nothing. They
wanted to charge $70 for "drink water".
10. A critical lack of simple, cheap and delicious food - driving around showing the family the
sights of Victoria, there is nothing to eat apart from greasy Fish&Chips, pizza, McDonalds,
KFC, Red Rooster, or hamburgers. The Thai wife had problems with food, and so did I, how
we wished for a simple noodle cart and a bowl of yellow look-chin noodles for 25 baht. The burgers
are mostly saturated with mayonnaise and soggy-crusted chicken breasts (at food stops at petrol
stations, which is the only place for food on the highways).
11. High internet costs with downloads - here I have TOT for 600 baht per month with unlimited
downloads, and have downloaded close to 2 Tb of movies/TV shows & music over the last year,
back in Melb its $80 for 20 Gb / month.
12. Here I can recharge my 12Call mobile for 100 baht, there the minimum recharge was $20. Here
I can talk for a few hours, there its 20-30 minutes.
13. Both parents have to work to support the house + car mortgage, so have to send the baby to
childcare from 6 months, here the cost of living is so low can stay home for many years. Here I dont
feel the need to have more "Stuff", but have a simple life.
I can go on and on and on - sure Thai has issues, but its so much easier and cheaper and relaxing to
live here - back home everyone is working their butts off to pay off the house, and buy more "stuff",
suffocating in traffic and being stressed out, controlled more and more by the government, being over
charged for low quality food, fined and taxed to death; here in CM I can drive as fast as I want to,
not pay taxes, not get fined, not get video taped, not get brainwashed into accumulating more
possessions (the wife was amazed by the number of shops for virtually anything!) and enjoy time at
home with the baby. And take the scooter for a leisurely ride with the wife and baby, without putting
on as much protective gear as a F1 racer. Try taking a baby on a bike in Melb, the cops will have a
raging fit when they pull you over, shout at you till a vein pops in their head, and slap you a $1000+
fine, a suspended license and a court date. Western society has lost the ability to chill out.
For me, the secret to living peacefully and stress free in CM, is to stay away from tourist areas, tourist
restaurants, all bars and pubs, and all tourist related activities. That way you don't get ripped off. Also
close off the property, so you have privacy. Don't be "too" friendly with the moo-bahn people, polite but
not friends, I want privacy, not a mothers club meeting every time we go out. Remember, there are
no secrets in a moo-bahn, they like to gossip and chat, so keep your privacy. The wife has been instructed
on this.
For building the house, first go look at Global House, Home Pro, etc, and get the price. Then search the
local specialist shops, until you find the cheapest. Ex, The roof tiles we got are 15 baht at Home Sukkapan,
10 baht or so at the local shop.
For contractors, the same thing - get 3 guys in to do a quote - act like you know something, tell them what
you want, show them your plans, tell them you build houses back in wherever, that way you don't get ripped
off.
The main benefit I see of Melb, is the education is much better than here. I am completely unimpressed
by the lack of general education of Thai kids. If I was going back home, it is for the reason of wanting
a good western education for the baby.
For me, I stay here for now, and enjoy completing the house project. In a few years, maybe 5, will see,
maybe I want a change.