It’s been a long few days that started last Friday at 5 am, a six hour flight to California with a 12 hour layover and then a 15 hour flight to the land of Smiles. Thank Buddha for business class. I landed in Bangkok at 5:45 am on Sunday the 22cnd and breezed through immigration, baggage and customs in 20 minutes, a new record me thinks. What could be more fitting than being greeted by my driver with the above sign, not quite right but this is Thailand and it was close enough to make me laugh out loud.
Walking into the warm breeze of Bangkok I had to stop for a moment, although I have been planning this move for a long time it didn’t hit me until I was halfway to the minivan…I was home. My driver didn’t disappoint, he hauled ass to Pattaya using every lane possible including both shoulders and often careening down the middle of two lanes at once. I watched the familiar landscape pass me by and before I knew it I was in Pattaya.
Pookie Arrived earlier in the morning and went to her sisters apartment to sleep and after a quick nip into the 7/11 I was headed to bed as well. Jet lag can be a bitch sometimes but I was able to get a few hours sleep until Pookie called. We spent the rest of the day and night catching up. Unfortunately for me sleep was hard to come by as my body hasn’t adjusted yet but Pookie slept for the requisite 12 hours and still seemed tired.
With little sleep it was time to go check out the condo. If you hadn’t already guessed I have decided to live the first year in Pattaya, there is good and there is bad but Pattaya and Bangkok have it all and I’m not quite ready to settle down on the farm just yet, although we will be making trips up country frequently and it seems like we might be bringing back a little guest with us to visit.
For anyone thinking about a long term stay in Pattaya all I can say is now is the right time. There is a glut of open rentals on the market and you can pretty much name your own price. I contacted Alan Bolton Properties and was very fortunate to get a brand new Condo at the Nova Avenue which just opened last November. It’s a very small 46 sqm single bedroom condo but it ticked all the right boxes. Right in the middle of Pattaya between Second road and Soi Bukiow, quiet yet close to everything.
As you can see by the photos the place is very well appointed and at 15,000 baht a month a great deal considering internet and cable are included and although I have to pay electric from what I have gathered from other residents the bill should be around 1000 baht a month, we’ll see.
Of course all of this wasn’t as easy as it seems, this is Thailand after all and you have to expect things to go pear shaped quickly. Shortly after moving in we headed to Big C to pick up needed items and some food. When we came back the kitchen was flooded, the bathroom was flooded and the hot water heater was dead, Welcome to Thailand Imothy Vull…you just gotta laugh. Luckily the office was still open and the office manager is very good. The leaks were fixed and the hot water heater will be replaced tomorrow.
It’s already starting to feel like home and although I brought too many bags over with me I couldn’t do without the trinkets, photos and memories of my past life. It’s small yet comfortable and it’s home. I have to keep saying that because it’s still hard to believe, fortunately someone just rang the bell at the beer bar next door so if that doesn’t bring it home to me nothing will…you’ll have to excuse me now I think I can just make it next door fast enough for a free beer!
This last picture pretty much sums it up , it was a gift from my mother years ago when I moved into my first real apartment.
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“Home is where the heart is”
Many happy adventures Talen. Brings back many exciting memories when I first made the move to LOS.
You have read all the many stories but experience is always the best teacher.
Stay safe and have your wits and heart with you at all times.
Looking forward to all your future postings.
Joe, Even though I’ve been coming to Thailand for a while now it really is a different feeling moving here and it is very exciting.
I definitely try to have my heart and wits about me at all times but this is Thailand and there are definitely times when you can get caught off guard. Hopefully those times will be few.
Hi Talen, your condo looks great, but I suppose the leaks might have taken some of the shine away. I expect though that the next few weeks are going to be exciting for you.
Congratulations on achieving your goal to move to Thailand. I also hope you find a new goal soon. I think you are right not to rush to the countryside right away.
Paul, the leaks definitely took a little of the shine off but fortunately we came back from Big C with cleaning supplies so we shined it back up nicely…and the cold shower was actually refreshing after the initial sting
The countryside is beautiful and I will be visiting often but there is still much for me to explore in the wilds of Bangkok and Pattaya.
Talen, glad you arrived safety. So now the real adventure begins, I hope it all pans out as you would like.
I’m not a city person so it wouldn’t suit me but you have plenty of experience there(Pattaya). I think I would feel as if I was on holiday all the time.
Mind you even here it did feel a bit like that at the beginning now it feels more like home, warts and all.
Good luck with everything.
Mike´s last blog ..Funny and Unusual Things in Thailand
Mike, If you really wanted to you could live in small town Pattaya instead of big city Pattaya….one of the reasons why I chose to live at Nova Avenue…it’s tucked away in a quiet soi and I can traverse the big city in a small town way if I choose which is nice.
I’ve been good so far about not being in holiday mode…in fact I haven’t even been out on the town yet…but this is only my third day here. I want to keep the mindset that this is home and not a party .
Talen, at long last, you are HERE! Does this mean that I can stop sending you those zillions of photos of beer and fabulous Thai eats and the gorgeous and not so countryside?
Your new condo looks great. Yes, it’s already broken, but at least you got it over with early (no waiting for the first disaster to strike).
Catherine´s last blog ..The Polyglot Project- In Their Own Words
Cat, no, you still have to send photos so we can compare
It’s funny you mention the first disaster as that’s exactly what I was thinking before it happened. I’m the first resident in this particular condo so I guess I get to break her in….break being the operative word.
Talen, being the first is a surefire way to be the recipient of many new breaks. Especially out here!
Btw – do you remember a recent post of mine, What are YOUR Top Thai Phrases?
Right at the top I have:
…Moving to a county with a new foreign language to tackle, I depend on two sure-fire phrases. The first phrase I learn is ‘I don’t understand’. And the second phrase is ‘this does not work’. I also practice my blank stare… I know from past experience that 1) something is going to break on my first day in any new country and…
So, will you say ????????????, or have you perfected your blank stare?
Catherine´s last blog ..The Polyglot Project- In Their Own Words
I don’t think I need either Cat, the office manager here is a Thai woman with perfect grasp of the English language and she was on top of it right away…hopefully that is a trend that continues…even the maintenance man was good.
I know…I probably just cursed myself
Ah. That’s what happened to me when I first got here. My landlady spoke brilliant English, as did my neighbours. Ditto with my first condo.
It was only when I bought a condo that I had a real need to learn Thai.
Curse – Quick! Do you have wood around the place?
Catherine´s last blog ..The Polyglot Project- In Their Own Words
Talen the condo looks fab, hopefully it’s all fixed by now as well.
I think you have made a pretty good choice in Pattaya as your first year base. The city will edge you into Thai life quite comfortably. Pattaya isn’t as bad as many people make out. It’s a good base if you’re ever missing those treats you enjoyed back in America, good steaks, pizza and the latest movies etc. Plus you’ve always got a couple of beaches to turn to.
Best wishes and have fun in the sun.
Martyn´s last blog ..Baby and Python – Food For Thought
Martyn, thankfully all is fixed and it was done fast. The great thing about Pattaya is that it can be whatever you want…if all you are looking for is the sex industry then you’ll find it fast but if you are looking at other things you can pass the rest by easily.
The one thing I’m trying to do is stay away from western food…I need to drop a few kilos. But the beaches are nice and the views are spectacular.
Very interesting choice, Talen. I was chatting with a fellow traveller the other night, with way more SEA experience. Among several things he pointed out is that Pattaya has a good hospital, it’s cheaper than BKK, and it’s not far from Cambo and Bangkok. Of course, there’s all that other “stuff” to be found around the streets.
I’ve been coming round to the idea that Pattaya deserves another look-see. I hardly know the place outside the dodgy bits.
Anyway, hope to get together with you and maybe Martyn if he’s there. Otherwise, I’ll be just up the road, where I’m sure you’ll pass through once or thrice.
Nice condo, by the way, and good location. You scored.
SiamRick´s last blog ..Too much stuff Dont move it- get rid of it
Rick, Pattaya definitely has a great hospital and much cheaper than Bangkok and it also has beaches and skimpy clothes….a great combination.
We must get together and have more than a few beers once you get settled.
It’s hard to say no to a bunch of beers so I won’t! hahaha
Sitting here in Canada, it’s hard to get my head around the fact that, coming soon, This is Not Vacationland Anymore. In short, I’ll have lots of time for beers. Or whatever.
Pattaya visit might come sooner than I thought, partly because of your invitation, and partly because the new express train to the BKK airport and then bus from there to Pats makes the trip a bit quicker, I think. It’s likely I’ll stay around soi Buakhao.
SiamRick´s last blog ..Too much stuff Dont move it- get rid of it
Good to hear that your settled in with Pookie, cant imagine why you haven’t got out much yet!
Nice hotel room
Its funny that people spend so much time defending Pattaya, hmmm I wonder why.
Lloyd, there has been a lot of catching up to do for sure
Talen, welcome home!
The likely reason you had the problems with the water heater are that you didn’t have the monks by to bless the place before moving in
Glad it was just a small diversion and nothing major. Good that you’re trying to keep from letting yourself slip into party mode as well. I’m sure Pookie will do a good job keeping you in line.
Hopefully the Thai food will help you lose a few kilos, but I’ve had the opposite experience. Golf cooks all our meals and we eat probably around 80% Thai and yet I continue to gain weight. She says its because of the beer, but I tell her its because her food is so aroi mak.
Steve´s last blog ..Steve Interviewed for the First Time
Steve, you might be on to something with the monks…Pookie has made sure to add some bits of Buddhism to the place and she talks to Buddha every night and everything has been fine since.
I’ve also had a miserable head cold since my fist night here…possibly dodgy aircon in the hotel I stayed in for one night.
I don’t know what it is about Thai food or the combination of Thai food and the weather but I drop weight fast when in the kingdom. I have already dropped 5 kilos in 3 days…Chalk that up to being sick and walking a lot though.
Several years ago I had like 3 car accidents in 15 months. When we were next in Thailand Golf made a point of getting amulets from 3 different places that are now prominently hanging on my rearview mirror…end result, no accidents in the past 3 years. Coincidence? Maybe, but I’m not going to be removing those amulets anytime soon.
I almost always get a head cold when traveling to Thailand…I’ve always attributed it to being cooped up in an airplane for 18-22 hours.
Damn, wish I could drop 5 kilos that fast. Golf’s pregnancy had me gaining almost as much weight as her. Problem with that is now she’s had the baby and dropped her weight, but I’m still “pleasingly plump” :>)
Steve´s last blog ..Steve Interviewed for the First Time
Steve, it could have been the plane or a combination of plane and dodgy aircon. Like you I have had quite a few head colds in LoS and it always seems like the ac is the culprit.
I have a bunch more kilo’s to lose but I love to walk everywhere in Thailand and explore so I drop weight pretty fast.
Talen, How was Day 2 and 3 ? ; )
Joe, other than catching up with Pookie days 2 and 3 have been pretty mundane. Shopping for small bits for the condo and such. I have been sick too so that kinda curbs the routine a little. Did go out for Thai BBQ last night though and it didn’t disappoint.
Hi Talen,
Welcome to Thailand and all it TIT related good and bad things. The first miss hap is out of the way and the condo looks good indeed.
It’s good to have Pookie around I guess, otherwise there may be too much distraction around and about in PTY and you really gotta get your head around the fact that you’re living there now and not partying on a holiday.
Good luck and maybe we’ll meet sooner or later.
Camille´s last blog ..Camilles Samui Info blog- Food on Wheels Soup from a car delicious
Camille, Thanks. I do remind myself daily that I’m not on holiday and so far between jet lag, a head cold and taking care of things I need to do I haven’t even seen the inside of a bar yet.
I have a feeling we will meet and hopefully sooner rather than later.
Looking forward to it!
Camille´s last blog ..Koh Samui- Thailand daily weather update 31st August- 2010 delicious
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