Living Like a Thai Day 18: Once in a Blue Moon

Blue Moon over Pattaya

Once In a Thai Blue Moon

As I last left it on Day 17 I hadn’t spent any money for the day and I really needed a night out, but a night out on 104 baht?

I decided I would go out about 10pm and head to a beer bar I know on second road to visit with my friend Nana before she headed home to Buriam for a few months and also to wish her a happy birthday. Nana plays a mean game of pool so I was looking forward to the night. As luck would have it Nana left the day before for home but left word with the mamasan that if I should stop by to give me her e-mail and skype info :(

Hmmm now where to go. At this point I might have made a bad decision or three. Seeing as I was close to soi 7 I thought I might pop into a club I like; unfortunately this club is owned by the same woman that owns my local and I am known here as well. As I walked in at 10:30 on a Friday night I quickly noticed I was the only customer in the whole bar, this didn’t bode well for the budget.

Thai night out

As I settled in and was saying my hello’s to the girls a Jack coke appeared in front of me, Nut, the owner, was on the premises. Nut decided to spend the evening at this bar and decided I was as well.

Nut is a sweetheart and has this incurable urge to fix me up with her friends living in Issan, first was the doctor, next was the civil servant now she has another civil servant friend who I actually met a few weeks ago that wants to get to know me. As we discussed my relationship status amongst other things no more than 3 customers came and went in a matter of 4 hours. Pattaya id dead quiet.

Nut had decided earlier that the night was a loss and let me know early that My checkbin was taken care of ( Rick can verify That Nut is often very generous to me and my friends…namely rick ) Even so I only had 4 Jack and Cokes and decided to blow my entire nights budget of 104 baht on a drink for one of the ladies.

I have to be honest here…If the bar owner, Nut, wouldn’t have been at the bar and kept me in conversation all night I can guarantee that I would have blown the budget last night easily by 2000 baht ( $68.00 ) or more. I didn’t realize until last night just how stir crazy I have been getting. I do have another shot at it though as Nut took some pictures last night and I wanted copies so she gave me her camera to download the pics…which means I have to catch up with her at one of her bars tomorrow to return the camera, and seeing as one bar has free happy hour food… :P

Not a bad night out and again only 100 baht spent for the entire day yesterday. Once in a blue moon I can stick to a budget.

Living Like a Thai Day 17 Expences

Purchase Amount Cost Total
Ladydrink 1 100 baht 100baht
June 17 Total 100 baht ( $3.40 )
June Total 2415 2515 Baht ( $85.63 )

Living Like a Thai Day 18

oatmeal

Today I was feeling very good about my night out even though I know I dodged a bullet ( okay, a howitzer ) . I decided to take some advice from someone that’s been living in Thailand for 12 years or so, BangkokBuddy, he has a blog by the name Life of a Lounge Lizard, check it out.. He’s been dropping comments about the experiment and mentioned having oatmeal as a switch from rice and it can be had cheaply at Villa Market at 40 baht for 500 grams., and they are running a 2 for 2 special.

So, first thing this morning I headed to Villa for some oatmeal. While they did have the brand specified they weren’t running the special, but still, a nice bag of oatmeal for 40 baht ( $1.36 ) is a sure winner anyway. Guess what I had for breakfast? I also picked up a small tube of coconut milk at 9 baht ( $.30 ) so I could make a tasty lunch of spicy cauliflower and rice curry. There was enough left over for dinner so That was my entire spend for the day.

Observations today: I should look into other cheap eats that I normally wouldn’t think of but by far the Thai market food is the tastiest and still very cheap.

Living Like a Thai Day 18 Expenses

Purchase Amount Cost Total
Oatmel 1 bag 40 baht 40 baht
Coconut Milk 1 tube 9 baht 9 baht
Today’s Total 49 baht ( $1.66 )
June Total 2515 2564 baht ( $87.29 )

Tomorrow should be interesting as I go out again to return a camera and get a free meal.

 

talensig
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9 Comment(s)

  1. With good friends who needs money eh???

    Sounds like a good night….

    Farang in Thailand | Jun 18, 2011 | Reply

  2. BB, BangkokBuddy is also known as Mr Balanced-Budget.

    Stick with his many ideas and you will have many insights to a Balanced Budget in Thailand. :)

    Joe | Jun 19, 2011 | Reply

  3. At one time I was able to make a schedule when all the bar parties were so I would never have to buy dinner. The trick would be to limit your drinks so they cost less than what you’d spend going out. If you spend 1000 baht at the bar to save 200 baht on a meal it stops making sense I guess.

    Rambone | Jun 19, 2011 | Reply

  4. Talen, I was wondering how you were doing. And sounds like you are doing just fine!

    Catherine | Jun 19, 2011 | Reply

  5. Talen I think you’re buying the right kind of oats in Pattaya, the other ‘oats’ is a lot more expensive although much more enjoyable.

    Keep going, July is on its way and when you make it and are about to hit the town big time you’ll find out the bars are all shut for the election.

    Martyn | Jun 20, 2011 | Reply

  6. Martyn, way ahead of you there mate…There is a boat setting sail election eve and I will be on it…and for those who don’t know bars will be closed in Pattaya for 3 weekends. The weekend before election is registration and bars will be closed Saurday into Sunday. The week of elections the bars will be closed possibly Friday-Sunday and the week after the general elections Pattaya holds it’s local election meaning bars will be shut again.

    Talen | Jun 20, 2011 | Reply

  7. Cat, I’m struggling a bit but otherwise fine…Have an e-mail heading your way in a bit your last e-mail ended up in my spam folder for some reason.

    Talen | Jun 20, 2011 | Reply

  8. Rambone, there seems to be a healthy amount of parties in town at the moment even though it is dead quiet…might be the answer I was looking for.

    Talen | Jun 20, 2011 | Reply

  9. I’ve picked up some great tips from his blog in the past year or more…definitely worth reading.

    Talen | Jun 20, 2011 | Reply

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