Diary of Sjaak Schulteis (part 2)

Sjaak Schulteis and girlfriend Aom

Sjaak Schulteis worked as a steward at Lufthansa for 30 years. As a result, he came to Bangkok almost every month for several years. His favorite countries are Brazil, Japan and Thailand. Since December 2012 he lives with his girlfriend Aom (39) in a nice rented house near the village of Khao Kuang (Prachuap Khiri Khan), 10 km from Pranburi and 20 km from Hua Hin. Sjaak was able to take early retirement at the age of 55. As soon as he gets a work permit, he wants to solve computer-related problems with the foreigners who live around Cha-am, Hua Hin and Pranburi together with a German acquaintance from Hua Hin.

A cozy temple party in Pranburi

Last night my girlfriend and I drove to a Temple festival in Pranburi. It was quite pleasant. Lots of snacks and sweets to get. The party at Wat Wang Phong lasts for almost two weeks.

But first we had to honor Buddha and make our rounds in the temple. For that we bought an artificial flower for twenty baht each, a rolled-up document, three incense sticks, a candle and nine gold leaves (we had ten, someone had counted incorrectly). We also wrote our names on nice pieces of paper with the donation: once 40 baht and the second (the more important one - it was about the blessing of our piece of land) 100 baht.

These were then thrown into a large container before we distributed our gold leaves: the flower, incense with candle and paper together. This was in a building in the middle of the square. My girlfriend knew that many did this wrong and first went around and then went inside. She had been in a temple for two weeks and knew exactly how to do it and also guided me by the hand to do everything right.

Our gold leaves did not fall down

In the center of the temple was a monument containing a large sphere, suspended above a square hole. The bulb was covered with a sticky substance, on which you could stick the gold leaves. Eight more spheres hung around the monument, all of which were numbered. You could also stick the 1 cm2 large gold leaves on it and pray a prayer or express a wish every time.

These were covered with these gold leaves. I was a bit smarter, haha, because most of the leaves didn't stick, because everyone just pushed on the leaves that were already there. However, at the bottom of the ball, a black, slightly sticky surface was still free. I pointed this out to my girlfriend and she followed my advice. Our leaves did not flutter down. After dividing nine leaves, we glued number 10 to ball number 9 as well.

Then we left the temple. My friend had bits of the gold leaves stuck to her face and arms that had come loose from the bulbs. Looked nice on her brown skin. Only then could we eat and buy small things. You could buy jewelry at a stable. These went away like hot cakes. Looked like gold, but there was no way it could be gold. The seller (a Chinese) talked on and on.

In between, his assistant's people bought the jewelry, which went for 20, 100, 200 baht. Also watches for 50 baht. Sometimes something went away for free. A ring if it fit or someone who wore glasses could come and get something. My girlfriend sent me for a ring, but someone just beat me faster. She bought a necklace for 20 baht and had the greatest fun.

What I liked very much was also a stable, where wooden furniture was sold. Awesome. For 13000 baht you can get a nice wooden table and six chairs. Wait a little longer, because we still want to move.

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To the ministry to get our motorcycle license

A few weeks ago, my girlfriend Aom and I went to the Ministry of Transport and Traffic in Pranburi to finally get my motorcycle license after a year of practicing on the Thai roads. ,,Not easy”, Aom said again and again, if we had to go there, it would take at least two days. At the counter we were explained what we needed: two passport photos, copy of passport, proof of registration from the immigration service and a doctor's certificate.

With this information we set off. Immigration was in Hua Hin. That was a 45 minute ride on our motorcycle. When I got there (stupid of me) I had to have a rental contract with me (or proof of ownership of the house) in order to fill out the form there. But you were allowed to take the form home. Aom was already afraid that we had to pay two baht for a form and didn't like the fact that I immediately took two with me, because of possible writing errors. It wasn't until she was convinced that these were free that she was reassured.

Because we still had to get our health certificate, we drove to the Hua Hin Hospital, after looking for a doctor's clinic. The hospital seemed like the easier choice to me. As a Thai she did not have to register, but I did as a Farang. Then our blood pressure was measured and our weight. This shocked Aom (60 kg) and me (91 kg!). We decided to buy a scale and watch our calories (now four weeks later: she 58 kg and I 85 kg – yippee it works).

The doctor asks: Are you regularly drunk?

It took quite a long time in the hospital. We sat in a row of chairs. In front of me was a Thai boy in his early twenties, who alone seemed to be double our weight. And then there was a man who had a growth on his face that was the size of a tennis ball. It didn't exactly look fresh. A little later when I went downstairs to the toilet, I saw how a Farang was pushed past in bed. The man looked 90 and was scrawny, with a staring look in his eyes and barely moving. Hospitals are depressing, I concluded once again.

The doctor's statement was quickly made. A few questions, which had to be answered correctly (who would say yes if you were asked if you are regularly drunk?). Anyway. We left the hospital a little later 500 baht poorer: 100 baht for my friend Aom and 400 baht for the foreigner.

Response test with an accelerator and brake pedal

The next day we drove back to the immigration office with the completed forms and the next day for the driving skills test. After registering you were then called to take a reaction test in a room. You then sit at a table with a box on top and two pedals underneath. The box on the table has a button. You have to press that when the two rods are at the same height in the box in front of you. This will test your depth experience.

The pedals under the table are accelerator and brake pedal. Now I wonder what it will do for me to get a motorcycle license. Well, it had to be done. So, you accelerate and when the light turns red, you have to brake. Sounds simple, is simple and yet there were plenty of people who failed this test. Unfortunately my girlfriend was also one of them (she has been riding a motorcycle for 21 years!!!).

So she was already eliminated in the first round. Those who were allowed to continue were shown a video, all in Thai. Sorry, I didn't understand it, but I understood it. Yes, at least the intent of it. Then after two long hours and many patience games on my Galaxy Tab (Android tablet) we could take a break.

In the food court of Tesco we enjoyed a nice spicy meal

We went to Tesco Lotus to have lunch there. There had been an accident at the intersection before Tesco. Crashed into an ambulance. He still had the flashing light on. When we arrived at Tesco we immediately saw where this one came from. Two other cars had collided in front of Tesco's entrance doors. So much about safe traffic. Lunch didn't taste any worse. Accompanied by my girlfriend, a Danish couple and a Russian young man, we enjoyed a tasty spicy meal in the Tesco food court.

Back from lunch, a sympathetic but deadly serious police officer was waiting for us in the classroom. We Farangs were late and he gave us a reproachful (?) serious look and then went back to talking about traffic safety, accidents and so on like a father lecturing his children.

I couldn't manage to drive in a straight line

Then the practice came out. This consisted of three parts: a 20 cm wide, 10 m long and 3 cm high white line had to be followed uninterruptedly. Most made it, just not me. You were allowed to try twice, but I couldn't manage to drive straight. And I didn't have a beer anyway.

So I was able to come back a few days later to try again. My girlfriend would also go back for her tests. We did this together and because she also failed the reaction test the second time, we were quickly done. I took the opportunity to practice driving across the line to perfection. Two days later it was my turn again and this time everything went as it should.

It is true that I was there 4 hours early due to a misunderstanding, but well, Tesco was nearby and soon that time was up. After the practical test, I was immediately allowed to do the computer test. This one is tricky for us foreigners, because some answers in the multiple choice system that were actually correct were seen as incorrect due to an incorrect setting. So you need to know which wrong answer to give. Also, the question was sometimes not clear, because it referred to another question that you had not seen in advance. Here too you had two chances and the second time I made it. A little later I was the proud owner of a Thai motorcycle license.

For 500 baht, my girlfriend (21 years of driving experience) could pass the test

And my girlfriend? It went up again this week. Passed the reaction test right away, did everything right, practice and so on. She only had problems with the computer test. At one point she came to me and took me outside for a while. For 500 baht she could pass this test; after all, she had all those years of driving experience and had lost her old motorcycle license a few years ago due to a name change. That's how it was.

Sjaak's previous diary appeared on February 13.