Pattaya, Netherlands and further developments of Charly

Fortunately, Charly's life is full of pleasant surprises (unfortunately sometimes also less pleasant ones). Until a few years ago he never dared to predict that he would spend the rest of my life in Thailand. However, he has now been living in Thailand for a while and in recent years close to Udonthani. Today part 6 of his series of stories. 

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Toei and I have recently moved to Pattaya East. We are happy with our house. The space in and around our house is an oasis compared to the condo in Udon. We can even cook now, in our compact kitchen.

Of course there are also quite a few things that are disappointing. For example, the road that runs at the back three meters from our house is definitely not a quiet road. From six o'clock in the morning you are regularly startled by the traffic, by the cement trucks and the pick-ups, which certainly do not keep to the speed limit and rumble past our house. Some things make quite a bit of noise. This is a point that we underestimated when viewing the house or rather, did not recognize it as a negative point at all.

The distance to Pattaya center, but especially the hustle and bustle there, makes a trip there not really inviting, so we don't go there too much.

Because the house is almost completely level with the garden, terraces and carport, it is fairly easy for vermin to enter our house. So unfortunately occasionally confronted with a fat centipede, a cockroach and other animals that I cannot define.

In the days that follow, we get into a rhythm that feels good. We regularly go to the village center to do some small shopping, to the cozy coffee house Richmond and to Aroj, often with my friend and his wife. And that is very pleasant. Getting to know another restaurant, I can't remember the name. Ten minutes drive from our house. Owner is a German. His kitchen is therefore largely German oriented. Easy parking in front of the door and the food is good.

Once a week to Tesco Lotus for groceries and then occasionally eat at MK for a change. And as mentioned before, a number of times to Pattaya center.

Also went to a nice garden party at a friend of my friend, called Anni. Anni also has a house in our resort, and therefore also a country house on a hill near Elephant Village. No shortage of food and drink at all. The house and the terrace were nicely decorated with many multicolored lights. You know them, like we use them to decorate our Christmas tree. There is chattering, eating, drinking and dancing with enthusiasm. Later in the evening, after "some" drinks, the national Thai sport, singing karaoke, is also used. A very nice party and getting to know a lot of nice Thai people.

Via my laptop I stay informed of the news in the world, in the Netherlands and in Thailand. I can also follow sports matches, internet banking and follow thailandblog. The days fly by and I really like our relaxed life.

My visa, which I had already extended at immigration in Udon, expires at the beginning of April. So I have to fly back to the Netherlands. I do that at the end of March with flight KL 876. I have to settle a number of matters in the Netherlands. Also to the municipality to collect a form, “Proof of guarantee”. Complete this form and present it to the municipality for legalization. With this form I can apply for a visa for Toei at the Dutch embassy in Bangkok for a holiday in the Netherlands. Toei and I have daily contact via Skype.

A month later, at the end of April, I fly back to Bangkok. Again with KLM but this time, given my previous experiences, in the Comfort Economy class. There is indeed much more legroom here, but the seats remain narrow. Toei picks me up at the airport and we take a taxi to the Asia Hotel in Bangkok.

The next day to the Dutch embassy to apply for a 90-day visa for Toei for a holiday in the Netherlands. Everything goes smoothly at the embassy. All in all we are busy there for four hours, especially with waiting. Finally all papers submitted and approved. It is not pleasant that Toei has to hand in her passport for processing in Kuala Lumpur. With the return address, our address in Pattaya East. So true, after about 10 days her passport comes back in the mail with visa stamp.

The months that follow are more or less identical to the month of April, when we first came to live in Pattaya. So regular small trips, such as to the Richmond coffee house, the restaurant with the German owner, the village center for smaller groceries and with our boyfriend and girlfriend to Aroj and sometimes to Pattaya center. Every day I now spend a lot of time learning the Thai language.

Z. Jacobs / Shutterstock.com

At the end of July we fly to Amsterdam and stay in the Netherlands until the end of October. Toei of course show a few things about the Netherlands. Such as the beach and boulevard of Scheveningen. Hoek van Holland (both the beach and the Nieuwe Waterweg to see the incoming and outgoing seagoing vessels). Also visited Amsterdam with her. We do the famous canal cruise, walk through the red light district and sit on a terrace on the Rembrandt Square and watch people.

We visit the short course competition (horses) in Voorschoten and go to Duindigt a few times. We also visit the casino in Scheveningen. The center of Rijswijk, where some of my friends live, visited a number of times (the Herenstraat, Tons music café) and the shopping center In de Bogaard. The Thai restaurant Warunee on the Laan van Meerdervoort in The Hague has our warm interest and we also often get Thai take away food at Warie in the Weimarstraat. Toei likes the market in The Hague very much and that is why we go there regularly.

Toei likes the market in The Hague. She notices that the market stalls are so sturdy (almost like regular shops), with good paving and water drainage. She also notices the small number of Dutch people walking around on the market, in stark contrast to the countless immigrants, with or without a headscarf.

We are too late in the year in the Netherlands for the tulip fields and Keukenhof. We also go to Zeeland for a week and visit the delta works, among other things. We are staying in Zierikzee with a friend of mine. This friend also has a Thai partner, which of course also makes Toei's stay in Zierikzee more enjoyable.

Toei thinks the Netherlands is very clean, looks with amazement at the trams in The Hague and the disciplined traffic and finds the avenues with trees that almost completely overshadow the avenue with their leaves (Lindelaan in Rijswijk) especially beautiful. Looks with amazement at the reconstruction work on the Rijswijkseweg in Rijswijk (refurbishment of the Rijswijkseweg with renewed tramways), where work continues practically day and night, even when it rains.

Later I understand that surprise better, when I see in Thailand that work is stopped immediately when it rains, and even small reconstruction works take a lot of time.

We go to Amsterdam by train. Here too Toei sees very big differences with the trains in Thailand. She thinks Thai food is ok and she is happy that I make sure she can eat it regularly. From there also the regular collection at the Thai shop in the Weimarstraat.

I also use these three months to arrange my retirement visa OA. There is quite a bit of paperwork involved, but in the end I managed to do this before we fly back to Thailand. After our three-month stay in the Netherlands, we will return to our rented house in Pattaya East at the end of October.

Toei and I have become completely accustomed to each other. Our communication, in English, is getting better and better. And I know that I have to regularly check whether she has really understood something. I noticed that when she said she understood something, it turned out some time later that she had not understood it at all. But as said, that is getting better and we are getting to know each other better and better, we know in the meanwhile what one likes and what not and vice versa.

I don't have much news to report about our stay in Pattaya. We live there, go out regularly and do our shopping. Have a lot of contact with my friend and his wife. Eat regularly with our Belgian friends in Aroj and with the ladies of the "coffee house" near our resort. But really no further details to report.

Toei and I talk a lot. About generalities, what stands out in Thailand (and during her vacation, what stands out in the Netherlands), about the political situation, traffic, corruption, language, food, our house, her children, etc. We also talk about our future . I make it clear to Toei that I want to continue living in Thailand with her. Hence my non-retirement visa O – A, which makes it easier to continue living here. And hence my attempts to get serious about learning the Thai language.

Between the lines it becomes clear to me that Pattaya is not heaven on earth for her. On the contrary. She "has" nothing with Pattaya. And she misses her friends, girlfriends in Udon and her son and daughter. So at some point we had an in-depth conversation about this. I seem to have picked it up well. I think about it intensively for a few days. Moving again after five months of living in Pattaya doesn't appeal to me either. However, as you will have noticed in the previous reports, I am a quick decision maker.

So, after weighing all the pros and cons for a few days, I propose to Toei to go to Udon and see if we can find a house similar to the one we have in Pattaya now. My proposal is enthusiastically received. Together we will prepare our trip to Udon.

I select a number of real estate agents and houses from their website on the internet. I still remember the bad experience with this from last time. But you have to start somewhere.

Submitted by Charlie