Stickman Readers' Submissions September 30th, 2013

What’s The Best Feature? It Is Not Som Tam



Tom, a guy my age, has lived in Pattaya over 15 years. I have known him about 8 years and he is a smart guy who retired from a major international firm as its Southeast Asia boss. He has been married a few times, is a bit romantic…

I realized he was over here in the States during the same time period I am although he is 3 time zones away in Florida, we have each other's number and have talked a couple times in the past month. But, it was yesterday's conversation
that gives me fuel for some chatter.

He Clinic Bangkok

I was standing on the balcony enjoying an afternoon view of the Las Vegas skyline from about 10 miles east and feeling the chilly air the valley gets around this time of year as autumn comes closing in (yeah, Bob Seger).

As it turned out he was driving through Miami on his way down to the Florida Keys to stay with one of his Thai ex-wives in her place with a new husband. We learn flexibility as we mature. I did ask Tom if he thought the guy was bisexual,
maybe a threat. Said he didn't know but would be vigilant…

We found ourselves very much in agreement comparing Thailand and America. Food in restaurants is about 3 times as much, but fresh, beautiful produce and groceries are probably less than half of what we pay in Pattaya. We are each renting
Chevrolet Impala LTZ's, really wonderful new model Chevys, and if one wanted to buy one it would be about $26,000 or around 800,000 Thai baht. We thought such a car would be 1.5 million in Thailand. Governments get their bounty in different
ways. Also, in both places, Florida or Nevada, a person can buy a two-bedroom multi-floored condo with two car garages for what one 49 sq. meter condo in Pattaya costs (mine for example).

CBD Bangkok

So, one wonders why so many of us guys stay there in the land of smiles.

Here Tom and I have both had women hit on us as potential mates. And, it seems both of us had the same experience in that the ladies were 50+ and pretty wide in the stern. Evidently we are slender guys here. I asked him if he could try one
on for size and softly chuckled, "Oh, no Gary I just can't!" Then he told me of a guy who moved away from Pattaya back over here when his sex drive abruptly vanished at 72. Says the guy bought a place near his kids and has some
company as he could find no reason to stay in Pattaya without sex being in the mix.

Well, yeah, Tom announced he is not done with the boomsing part of life and I know that to be true for both of us. Although getting away and thinking of other things is not an altogether bad idea from time to time. Sure has my body
feeling better. So, we both exchanged what we had learned about real estate here and food plus transportation charges. We acknowledged that it is the sex we stay there for and we have been there so long we are a bit bonded to the place.

I told him how relaxed I am now as there are no regulars pressuring me other than indirect Facebook hints and that I did something in life I had not yet done last week. I was to drive down and find something for a friend in Thailand at a
big electronics store 7 miles for here. So I got up and drove down there after asking the IPhone's SIRI where the place was and getting directions, enjoying the talk radio on the drive down and pulled up to the huge store in a good mood.
But, I was stunned to realize as I opened the door that I had forgotten to put on shoes and was barefoot! So, I had to drive back to the friend's place I was staying and noted after parking the car that walking over gravel was something I
should have gotten a clue from before. We sometimes find ourselves to be the silliest element in life.

So, now with a few days to go until walking in to Los Angeles LAX Asian terminal, whereupon one is functionally almost back in Asia instantly, I am looking forward to things being new and exciting there as I can do things in South-East Asia
I sure cannot afford to do here. Asian women stand out here in a glorious and expensive way.

wonderland clinic

Tom and I concluded that since we have both, in our lives, brought foreign women to America only to not last too long, it is best to go back to short time Pattaya…

Advantage Thailand…

Breaks from the routine are good……looking forward to my own bed and the visitors…




Stickman's thoughts:

Breaks from Thailand are good and I always enjoy my trips back home. It sounds like you've had a nice time in the States and I bet it's helped to reinforce to you the reasons you stay in Thailand.

nana plaza