Author: thelasthurrahsite

A most evocative South Korean word which literally means “broadcast eating” and refers to the extraordinary cult of watching people eating – and usually binge eating- on YouTube and the like. And that’s it. Just eating (with a bit of dialogue thrown in between mouthfuls). Nothing else. I’m not aware that this craze has taken off in the west but here in Thailand and other countries in the region, such videos have a massive following.

More than 50,000 Thais watch this gentlemen stuff his face on a daily basis! I really just don’t get it! And he is merely a minnow in the Mukbang world. Boki from Korea from where this fad originated, claims to have close to 4.5 MILLION follows of her YouTube channel and reputably earns around US$180k per month from advertising.

There are even T shirts etc you can buy that celebrate this extraordinary phenomenon.

I just don’t understand the attraction of what seems to me to be not only quite a medically dangerous way of earning money but also, incredibly boring! Watching pigs troughing would be preferable.

Continuing on the subject of eating, a few days ago on our way to Bangkok for Nokky’s 2nd vaccine, I enjoyed a sort of (but tasty nevertheless) ‘English breakfast’. Nothing particularly surprising about that except, that the meal came with a….catapult

which I was urged to use to ward off any monkeys that came to share my meal. Luckily none of them did, especially as the ones lurking in the area were really not only quite big but also quite ‘friendly’!

For some reason, the sale of alcohol in supermarkets and convenience stores is banned here in Thailand between the hours of 2pm and 5pm. A few days ago in a refreshing show of honesty from a politician, anywhere in the world, the Thai Tourism minister

admitted that he had absolutely no idea not only where this strange rule originated from but also why it was in place! Oh, we could have such political openness in the UK!

Cock fighting has been around in Thailand for more than 700 years and is still not illegal. However, gambling on this ‘sport’ is. Despite this, huge amounts of money are wagered on the outcome of these fights. Recently, one stadium in Bangkok raked in close to £500,000 on a single bet. And it is reckoned that a good fighting bird sells for upwards of £60,ooo.

Hua Hin is quite famous for such a ‘sporting’ activity although most of the fighting (and the gambling) these days is done at secret locations away from the prying eyes of the constabulary – or at least those who are not attending!

I am told that, unlike in some areas of the cock fighting world where the birds fight to the death, this rarely happens in Thailand. I’m not sure this makes me any happier about the sport involving such beautiful birds.

Living for the most of the year in a hot, tropical country, it’s difficult to get my head around the fact that it’s nearly Christmas time again. Being a largely Buddhist country, there is very little of the hype (and commercialism) that surrounds this event in the western world. Nevertheless, old habits die hard so, last weekend, up went the Christmas tree.

And I was once again reminded of the strength of super glue when I managed to glue my finger and thumb together when trying to mend a small bauble. Very silly. Very painful!

And talking of ‘silly’, in another moment of total stupidity, I have invited a few (largely UK) mates for Xmas lunch and as the Thais understandably have no real idea about what constitutes a traditional Christmas meal, I have volunteered to do the cooking! This seemed an excellent idea some weeks ago but, having little (aka: zero) experience in such matters, I am now in a complete state of panic!

If I get through this unscathed, I will tell you about my efforts in my next scribblings. In the meantime, to all those who have been following my blog and the many more who have not, we wish you a very, very Happy and Healthy Christmas and hope that 2022 will, at last, bring a degree of sanity into this otherwise crazy world!

Enjoy

R x

Many many years ago, I caught typhoid whilst on holiday in Thailand. A most unpleasant disease but made reasonably bearable by being hospitalized for a few days in a brand new private establishment in Phuket where I was looked after unbelievably well and which was oh so cheap. Fast forward to a week or so ago when I underwent a small operation on my hand in one of the many first class private hospitals in Bangkok where the cheapest overnight accommodation as an inpatient is around £200 – just for the room – and the most expensive is more than £700 just for the room!.

My chosen hospital (or, rather, the one I was referred to) is located right in the heart of Bangkok

and the non medical bits are more like a 5 star hotel than a centre of medical excellence.

A quick trip up the escalator

and you are spoilt for the choice of eateries – Thai, Japanese and..

even a McDonalds!

It really is an extraordinary place, covering an area of more than 70,000 square metres where an astonishing 1,200 doctors and dentists work although, I am told, not unique as there are at least a dozen more hospitals of this quality in Bangkok alone!

My op was a success and the care I received was just the best –

– and so it should be for the cost ‘cos it wasn’t cheap. But my AXA insurance helped a lot despite me having to pay a sizeable excess.

Before checking in to hospital and to make my Bangkok trip even more worthwhile, in the morning I got my 2nd jab of Astro Zeneca – with no side effects to speak of . So, I should now be able to obtain a Covid ‘passport’ and might even begin to start planning a long overdue trip back home. WOW!

Whilst I have become increasingly alarmed, shocked and depressed by what I have read and hear about the current state of the UK political scene, the Thai government continue to dicker and dither about how to balance economic recovery with the health of the nation. At the time of writing, still less than 50% of the population have been vaccinated and yet, on November 1st, the government declared that Thailand was, once again, ‘open for business’, especially tourism. In the run up to the beginning of this month, Government spin doctors made a whole host of overly optimistic (and often contradictory) predictions as to the vast number of eager tourists who were poised to holiday in The Land of Smiles but – certainly in the Hua Hin resort area- the result so far has been underwhelming to say the least!

A clue may be that all bars and entertainment venues are shut and restaurants are still not allowed to sell alcohol! And on 11th of this month, the government announced that this is the way it’s going to be until at least the middle of January next year!! So, for the teetotal traveller who likes to go to bed early, this may not be too off putting but Thailand has never been known as a magnet for this type of traveller! In short, all totally depressing, especially for anyone connected with Thailand’s hospitality industry and this latest government pronouncement will, for sure, sound the death knell for many more bars, night clubs and karaoke lounges joining the ever growing number of such outlets that have given up the fight already.

It really is quite depressing seeing the economic hardship experienced by so many in Thailand

caused not only by Covid 19 itself but also by the less than adequate way the Thai government is handling the pandemic.

And talking of politics, there are local elections here in a few days time which seem to attract very little interest from the locals (probably as it’s a bit of a foregone conclusion who is going to win!). Nevertheless there is some attempt at electioneering but not in a way we are used to ‘back home’. There is no door to door canvassing; no leaflet distribution. Apart from a few large posters by the roadsides,

the candidates seem solely to rely on loud messages being broadcast by trucks meandering through the highways and byways urging the public to vote for No 1 or No2 or No 3 etc. It’s almost as though said politicians are just going through the motions of having such elections which, bearing in mind the current structure of Thai politics, perhaps they are!

I get so used to seeing strange sights in this amazing country that I was totally unfazed, a couple of days ago, to stumble (not literally, I hasten to add!) across this example of perfect harmony in the animal world.

We humans still have so much to learn!

R.

The Thai government seem, at last, to be getting its Covid act together. Infections (at least the reported ones) are reducing whilst the number of people being vaccinated is steadily increasing. Both Nokky and I have now had our first shots of Astro Zeneca with my second one due in a week and hers on 1st December. So things were beginning to look up until…..

Last Thursday I was scheduled to have a small operation on my hand. The day before we were due to drive to Bangkok for this, Nokky developed a slight cough which, under normal circumstances, I would have ignored. However, not wishing to have an aborted trip the following day and merely as a precaution, she took an antigen test which, unfortunately proved positive whilst mine was negative. It was subsequently confirmed with a full PCR test that she is, indeed, suffering from Covid! So my op has been postponed. So far, although unwelcome news, things were pretty well under control.

Then, before we knew it, the social media machine kicked in with all sorts of rumours and claims that our Knock Knock restaurant and bar was some sort of Covid hotbed whereas the most likely cause of the infection was Nokky’s short trip to a Hua Hin market a few days previously where it was subsequently discovered there had been quite a serious outbreak of the virus.

Sadly, the chattering classes had already done their damage so we had no choice but to close our already struggling restaurant/bar.

Apart from a niggly cough, Nokky has no obvious symptoms so hopefully her recovery will be swift. The Thais, though, have their sometimes incomprehensible rules which, in this case, seem to be that all Covid sufferers, irrespective of age, severity of symptoms, vaccinated or not, must be hospitalized. So, after nearly 6 days of home quarantine and with no fever, and few, if any, other symptoms she had to pack her bags

and wait for an ambulance to take her to some isolation hotel commandeered by the government to accommodate unfortunate Covid sufferers.

I’m happy to say that, after 2 antigen tests, I am still Covid negative but have to self quarantine at home for a while albeit in a much more pleasant isolation environment . Whilst I am here home alone, there’s always plenty to do around the house and the garden where an abundance of wildlife keeps me company!

The moths and butterflies are stunning but they will insist of getting stuck inside the house.

Sadly, these two bird eggs didn’t make it as I found the empty and broken eggshells on the ground a couple of days later after taking this pic.

And, frankly, these cane toads are a bloomin nuisance as they are forever trying to get into the house and, I am told are mildly poisonous. Snakes love them of course but I’m happy to say that our house and garden have been snake free for a while now!

This little brown frog does nobody any harm and is just happy to jump around in our trees. So, I’m not really alone while I am waiting for Nokky’s return!

The current plan is to reopen Knock Knock 94 on 25th October if the coast is Covid clear. In the meantime, not only because it seemed the right thing to do but also in an attempt to turn the negative of our close down into some sort of positive, we have had the Knock Knock 94 premises professionally cleaned and thoroughly disinfected in the hope this will encourage our customers to quickly return when we reopen.

A

Thailand never ceases to amaze and amuse me. Before we were both incarcerated, I stumbled across a sizeable shop (big for Thailand, anyway) in the middle of the town selling only chicken.

Just chicken!

With a bit of luck, it’s possible that, by the time I scribble my next blog, a degree of normality will have descended on Thailand and Hua Hin in particular. Our Covid scare will be behind us and hopefully bars and restaurants will all be operating again and may even be allowed to sell alcohol. And the icing on the cake would be if international tourists started to trickle back bringing with them bucket loads of foreign currency to swell the empty coffers here. Or did I just see a load of pigs (a ‘drove’ or ‘drift’, I think it’s called) flying by? We shall see!

R.

It is estimated there are around 8.5 million dogs in Thailand. Not quite as many as in the UK but it is further reckoned that around 750,000 of these muts have been abandoned and that, if nothing is done, in just over 5 years time there will be around 2 million of these so called Soi (street) dogs (and a few cats) roaming the towns, cities and the countryside. I do have to say, though, that some of them are really quite sweet!

There have been some attempts at controlling the numbers. For example, a while back, euthanasia was tried but cancelled after upsetting some Buddhists who said it was against their principles. And some, it is rumoured, are rounded up and sold to Vietnam and China to end up on the dining room table! Sadly, there are stories that now some end up on the dining tables of the more impoverished members of Thai society. Canine registration has also been attempted and might even still be the law here. But most Thais can’t afford or be bothered with the cost of microchipping and the paperwork involved. So, the soi dog numbers increase.

There are two distinct schools of thought about such animals. On the one hand, many see them as not only a blooming nuisance and often intimidating but also a dangerous hazard when driving

-especially at night as they often plonk themselves firmly in the middle of the road with, seemingly, not a care in the world, particularly when a vehicle is approaching. On the other hand, others seem to see it as their civic duty to feed these creatures thus ensuring that their numbers increase!

I love animals but just wish there was more of a concerted effort to keep them off the highways as it does make driving even more dangerous in a country that already has one of the highest road mortality rates on the planet.

The economic fallout from the Covid pandemic gathers pace here. The hospitality sector of the economy (which accounts for more than 20% of the government’s entire income) has been decimated. All bars are still shut. Restaurants can open but with limited seating albeit with no alcohol sales and many hotels have now closed their doors for good. For one reason or another, we had to go to Bangkok a few weeks ago. It was like the film set of some post apocalyptic sci-fi movie. Almost deserted. All boarded up. Shocking!

The Thais, though, are a resourceful lot. So, you would be surprised to see how many of the bars have suddenly transformed themselves into ‘restaurants’ and the number of street food sellers have, certainly doubled or even trebled since the pandemic armageddon struck

although not always with the most enticing names!

In Bangkok it is estimated that more than 2000 taxis have been taken out of service for lack of business as the drivers can’t afford to keep them on the road. during the economic crisis here. In a show of great initiative, though, (or perhaps desperation) a few of them have turned some of these abandoned vehicles into a sort of urban vegetable growing collective!

In a land where there are little or no government hand outs, sheer survival creates some surprising enterprises.

Whilst the majority of Thais seem prepared to turn their hands to almost anything in order to put food on the table for their family, there is still this overall belief that Lady Luck will intervene to help them out. Thus the approaching bi monthly government lottery always creates a frenzy of activity in trying to anticipate the winning numbers. I mentioned last time that I thought that the dusting of a live toad was just a bit of wifely eccentricity but clearly it was not a one off as, a few days ago, I discovered our bar/restaurant manager Ton, subjecting a live turtle that he had fished out of a nearby river (can you ‘fish’ a turtle?) to the same treatment.

Much studying of this poor creature was undertaken before he was returned, unharmed, to his more natural habitat. As this turned out to be a totally fruitless exercise, I just wonder what number revealing schemes will Nokky and Ton come up with next time.

About 60km south of Hua Hin is the Sam Roi Yot National Park an area of some 100 sq km one third of which is taken up by Thailand’s largest freshwater marsh that teems with all manner of wildlife, best explored on an hour + long boat trip that meanders through the reeds

and the water lilies

against a background of an impressive range of limestone hills – and all less than 1 km from the sea.

The flora and fauna in this virtually undiscovered spot is breathtaking.

Another visit here has already been added to our ‘must do’ list when we are able to welcome family and friends to visit again.

There were high hopes that 1st October would see a further relaxation of some of the Covid restrictions – even, perhaps, allowing the sale of alcohol again and cancelling the curfew. In fact, but a few days ago, government officials were confidently predicting this. But, as so often happens in this crazy but delightful country, nothing is certain until it actually happens which makes any sort of future planning well nigh impossible. So now the talk is of a 15th October relaxation date but nobody is holding their breath!

Until the next time – whenever that is!

Richard

I have finally had my first jab – and not before time as Mr Covid and The Variants is still causing chaos in Thailand – perhaps not surprising when less than 10% of the population has been vaccinated! What does surprise me though is that most Thais seem totally resigned to the ineptitude of the government’s handling of the pandemic. For sure there have been some anti government protests in Bangkok but these have yet to spread much further afield. Perhaps this is because the average Thai is so used to such corrupt and selfish incompetence which, in most other countries, would see the Prime Minister and his cronies heading straight for the ‘departure lounge’. Having said that, reading and listening to what is going on (or rather lack of it) in the UK government right now makes me wonder which country has the better mob in charge. Tough call!

Anyway, we must be thankful for small mercies although I had to go to Bangkok to get vaccinated (with Astro Zeneca) which was not ideal as Thailand’s main city is the epicentre of the latest wave of this dreaded virus. The alternative, though, was waiting for what was almost certainly a less than effective dose of the Chinese Sinovac which, for some reason or another that I couldn’t possibly hazard a guess about is the vaccine that has been purchased by the government in significant quantities despite, apparently, costing 4 times more than the Astro Zeneca equivalent and not being nearly as good! Mmmmm!

The rather splendid and yet unopened new Bangkok railway station was the venue for my jabbing. It was quite chaotic outside with people seemingly oblivious to the concept of social distancing

but once inside the building, everything was really quite well organised.

Hopefully, by the time I have to go back for my second dose, the outside waiting area will be as well operated as inside but at least it wasn’t raining!

Next month is usually the wettest in Thailand’s rainy season. There hasn’t been a huge amount of water coming from the skies recently but when it does rain, it can come down in bucket loads!

This rarely lasts for long, though and does cool things down a touch which can be a bit of a relief when it’s mid 30s every day. I much prefer this short sharp burst type of rain than the sometimes seemingly endless grey and drizzly days we have to endure in the UK!

I have mentioned before that food and eating must be Thailand’s 2nd most popular ‘religion’ after Buddhism. And, as the majority of the population was either born in or has access to the countryside it is second nature to eat healthy food, often gathered from the rural areas. Sadly, though, over the years I have noticed an increasing number of locals munching their way through fast food with the inevitable effect on their otherwise slim and elegant body shapes! Happily, though, such folk are still in a minority. Ironically, the current financial difficulties of so many people here have increased the number of folk ‘living off the land’ so to speak. It’s not only vegetables that are foraged from the hedgerows and even paths

but also – and especially loved by Thais from the large Isan province- ants are considered a delicacy

as are , would you believe, ant eggs.

I read somewhere recently that, as the supply of what we westerners would call ‘normal’ food dries up, we will have to get used to eating insects which are, it seems, rich in all sorts of good stuff. There are a large number of psychological hurdles I would have to overcome before I would be happy with that.

I think the 3rd ‘religion’ in Thailand must be gambling. The thought of playing a game of golf, for example, without a wager, however small, is completely foreign to the Thais and in fact most of the south east asian population. Gambling is anywhere and everywhere –

even at funeral ‘wakes’ . And being a superstitious lot, an enormous amount of time is spent on looking for ‘signs’ that might lead to a big win. Nowhere is this passion more evident than when it comes to the national lottery where tickets for the big monthly draw are sold on almost every street corner.

Endless hours are spent by the superstitious Thai trying to predict winning numbers, from interpreting the chants of monks, ‘speaking’ to dead relatives who are,of course, bound to know the winning numbers and, more bizarrely, sometimes using animals to try and get a prediction. A couple of weeks ago I found my wife pouring talcum powder onto a live toad to see if the dusting would reveal a way to riches!

Of course it didn’t but who am I to try and stop such efforts, especially during the current economic hardship endured by so many in this beautiful country.

Despite positive and clearly unfounded public relations exhortations by those in power (and a few who would like to be!), there seems to be little chance of this country fully opening up whilst the vaccine rollout crawls along at such a snail’s pace. So all bars are still shut, restaurants can only sell takeaways and there is a nightly curfew from 9pm to 4am. Add this to the almost complete lack of tourists makes Hua Hin and so many other towns and cities around Thailand look (and feel) like ghost towns.

There is a rumour that restaurants will soon be able to offer limited table seating but only to those who can prove they have been double vaccinated. As there are so few of such folk, if this rumour proves to be true, it will almost certainly have an almost zero positive impact on the Thai economy. Clearly, another governmental masterstroke!

In the meantime, we continue to offer take away food

but on so many days, it ‘s really not worth opening. We just have to keep on trying and hope that my next blog will send out a much more positive message.

Until then.

R

Occasionally, I have been asked how I fill my time here. Since the arrival of Covid wave no 3, exploring other parts of Thailand has been a bit restricted but there is never a dull moment in and around Hua Hin. Apart from the recent planning of our European trip, unplanning it, planning and unplanning it again, plus the time spent trying to make the Knock Knock Bar & Restaurant figures add up, there are always little jobs to be done around the house and there’s the garden, of course, complete with a small vegetable plot at the back of the house

full of mango trees (with no fruit yet), a pappaya tree (with plenty of fruit but almost too high to pick and which, since starting this blog, was blown down in the recent high winds), lemon grass, aubergines, aloe vera, ginger, basil, mint etc. And if the garden doesn’t provide you with enough of your ‘5 a Day’ veggies, then there’s always a plentiful FOC supply in the surrounding fields and hedgerows..

Every once in a while and especially during the rainy season, you come across something unwanted,

one of which seemed hell bent on getting into the house! But generally speaking, if you don’t bother these guys, they don’t bother you.

Recently, we tried a bit of freshwater fishing for the first time. I’ve never really taken to the idea of catching a fish and then putting it back from whence it came and, if I’m honest, I’m a bit squeamish about handling these slimy monsters and, in particular, extracting (or at least trying to) a hook embedded in Mr Fish’s mouth. But you have to try.

The experience was certainly not as boring as I had predicted but I’m not sure I will rush back for more of the same!

Hua Hin is known internationally for it’s abundant supply of golf courses. In fact the Black Mountain course here is, apparently, in the Top 50 best courses in the world. And there are more than 15 courses in the vicinity that are more or less of the same standard. The only problem is that they aren’t cheap – for Thailand anyway. Right now, because of the lack of tourists, there are some good discounts on offer but even so, a round at one of the top courses will cost you each about £100 if you take a buggy – something that, when it’s uber hot is really quite necessary. I guess this may be an acceptable price to pay for a round of golf at one of the best courses in the world if you are a regular golfer. But it doesn’t represent good value for money if you are an occasional golfer/hacker like me!

Hidden away around a 30 minute drive south of Hua Hin is a less then perfectly manicured 9 hole course within a military compound that is open to the public yet rarely used. It’s pretty basic with no caddies and fairly ropey fairways and greens yet, for an old codger like me who has only just started trying to hit a golf ball again, it’s perfect – and it’s cheap. There is no outstretched handed cashier here. You merely put your money in an ‘honesty box’ before starting out – all £2.50 of it!! And as an added bonus, there are plenty of vegetable picking opportunities as you swipe your way around the course to keep Nokky very happy! We were all set to play here yesterday and take some photos but Covid wave no 3 stubbornly refuses to go away so all gold courses have been closed. until the end of August at the very earliest. Hey Ho!

The area around Hua Hin is full of surprises if you care to look. We recently stumbled across this cave almost hidden in the middle of a small and less than ostentatious temple grounds. We were the only visitors, so the old (and seemingly only) monk showed us around. I’m happy he did as otherwise we would have got lost, for sure, as the whole complex burrows well into the side of the hill.

I couldn’t help thinking that, with a bit of commercial expertise added to this place, the temple and its inhabitants (1 or more monks?) would benefit enormously. But on the other hand this might ruin the beauty and simplicity of this most amazing and unexpected spot.

On another gentle trip into the local hinterland, we fell upon a coffee shop, almost in the middle of nowhere, outside of which was this most amazing display of old cars.

As I said, Hua Hin and its surroundings is full of surprises!

The government here is somewhat less than supportive to those who are most hit by the current Covid induced economic crisis. In typical Thai style, families rally round where and when they can but there are still untold thousands who are seriously struggling to put food on the table for their families. So it is left to a few charities to do what they can to help these unfortunates. We linked up with one recently, raised some money and gave more than 200 food parcels away to some of these needy folk. It was an extraordinary and, frankly, quite uplifting experience. In the morning, our Knock Knock staff plus girls from other bars (who just magically appeared) prepared the food.

From around 2.30 pm, some folk had already started queueing in an afternoon temperature of around 37c, despite a 4.30pm ‘hand out’ time. Once we started distributing, everything was gone in a round 20 minutes. Unbelievable!

I am happy to say that there is a good Liverpool Football Club following here in Hua Hin – both young and old(er!).

who also do good charitable work from time to time. Recently, the residential area of a local university has been taken over as an isolation centre for Covid sufferers, many of whom are lowly paid (and currently not paid at all!) immigrant workers from Myanmar. These poor folk are incarcerated with no food and, equally importantly during the recent hot weather, no water. So we tried to do our bit to help .

So, that’s a small snapshot of some of the things we’ve been up to during the relative freedom we have been enjoying during the pandemic up to now. But all that has changed as, earlier this week, Prachuap Kiri Khan province (in which Hua Hin is located) has been moved into the ‘dark red’ category due to the increase in Covid cases in this (largely unvaccinated) area . Thus, all bars are shut, as are gyms, karaoke lounges, hairdressers and all ‘non essential’ shops and there is a curfew from 9pm – 4.30am (but who would want to go out anyway when everything is shut?!). Restaurants can still open but for take away orders only and definitely no alcohol and no more orders after 8pm. So our little business which, along with others, was already struggling thanks to Mr Covid and the Thai government’s totally inept handling of this pandemic is now a disaster area.

Signing off whilst humming Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I will survive’!

R.

15 months after I was due to fly back to the UK for a visit, thanks to Mr Covid and The Variants, I’m still here in Thailand and, frankly, not sure when I will be able to return safely as:-

a) I have yet to receive any kind of jab, never mind a second one, thanks to the shambolic Thai Government’s vaccination plan – or, rather, lack of it and

b) Despite the easing of lockdown restrictions in the UK, the Covid Delta variant seems to be racing through the country at alarming speed. This is clearly not so serious if you have been vaccinated and/or youthful but if you are un-jabbed and an old codger like me then setting foot in Blighty right now does seem to be a bit foolish!

As preparation for a European trip therefore seems a bit pointless for the time being, I have some spare time capacity to start scribbling again about my life here in Thailand.

It’s hard to believe that it’s 2.5 years since we moved into our house in Woodlands, a development of some 60 houses a 10 minute drive due west of Hua Hin and which I ‘showcased’ way back in my blogs of December 2018 and January 2019. For those who don’t know, Hua Hin is on the Gulf of Thailand coast, app 200km south west of Bangkok on the way down to Malaysia. I say ‘we moved in’ as, 15 months ago, I got married again in a totally unspectacular ceremony which consisted of signing a few pieces of paper whilst standing at the counter of the local Town Hall. Hardly the most romantic setting!

Much to my discredit, I have almost totally failed in my feeble attempts to master even the basics of the Thai language due to i) typical English laziness, ii) the desire of so many Thais to speak English and iii) because my wife who is from the Isan province in north east Thailand, mostly speaks (amongst her Isan friends and family, anyway) the Isan language which is more akin to the language of Laos than Thailand. So, all very confusing!

Our house itself hasn’t changed much since the early days but has benefitted immensely from Nokky’s finishing touches. The garden though, is maturing nicely

And the early evening light over the hill is often quite spectacular.

A few months prior to moving into our house, we opened a small bar in the middle of Hua Hin as Nokky felt she wasn’t quite ready for her retirement yet! More of that in a minute but first, a word about the name ‘Nokky’. My wife’s real given name is ‘Jansuda’ but for some reason that I haven’t quite fathomed, at birth or shortly after, Thai parents give their child a nickname which is the name they grow up using. So ‘Jansuda’ was given the name ‘Nok’ – the Thai word for ‘bird’ as in ‘free as a bird’! Hence – ‘Nokky’.

When we started our bar project, I thought the name ‘Nok Nok Bar’ would be quite catchy and appropriate But when I was shown the design for the signs it was spelt ‘Knock ‘Knock’ which sounded/read even better. So the ‘Knock Knock 94′ bar was born – the ’94’ part is the number of the Hua Hin street in which it is located. So it’s easy to find. I’ve only ever had one negative comment about the name and that was from a compatriot of mine back in the UK who thought I might have opened a ‘knocking shop’! Sadly there are still one or two small minded people in the world who believe that the only thing that Thailand has to offer is unlimited prostitution. Nothing could be further from the truth – and especially in Hua Hin where the King has a summer residence so anything even remotely considered as vulgar (from Go Go bars to Las Vegas style opulence) are strictly prohibited.

Bar customers are quite tribal in their choice of watering holes. Everyone has their ‘favourite’ bar. So it took time to build up any sort of customer base – especially in quite a competitive market. But, step by step, business began to improve, thanks to a combination of resident ex pats, tourists and local Thais

plus some excellent customer relations from our staff!

But then Mr Covid arrived. So, from the middle of last year, the tourist industry (which accounts for app 23% of the entire country’s GDP) collapsed, bars were closed and then opened and then closed again. The sale of alcohol was banned, then allowed, then banned again and it’s been the same story ever since. As a result, many of the well known drinking establishments have closed, others have had to borrow up to the hilt to survive as they still have to pay rent and some have had their cars and even their homes repossessed by the banks as loan repayments become overdue. And during all this time, there has been zero financial help from the government. It’s shocking.

In all this, I reasoned that, even if people either could not afford or were not allowed to go to a bar for a drink, at least they would have to eat (which, as everyone who has been to Thailand knows is the second most popular ‘religion’ in this country). So, following my mantra of ‘when everyone turns left, I turn right’, around this time last year we took over the rental of the adjoining property and in December opened the Knock Knock 94 restaurant.

Of course, our food offering could have been traditional Thai but that would have put us in direct competition with many other excellent Thai restaurants in the area. So, with the help of a good (Italian) friend of mine, we decided that pizzas, pastas and salads would be good alternatives to the ubiquitous green chicken curry and Tom Yam soup! I am now an expert in making the secret recipe pizza sauce!

Having a restaurant licence allows us to stay open whilst other bars here have been closed for more than half of this year to date. The sale of alcohol, though continues to be banned in eateries which does make for a less than convivial dining experience. Despite all these negatives, we have just about managed to keep our heads above water which is a fair result considering there are no tourists here and more and more people are eating at home. When we started the restaurant, TripAdvisor ranked us number 498 out of 600+ in Hua Hin. We are currently number 83, which I don’t think is too bad after having opened only 7 months ago and having spent most of that time with some restriction or another or even closed altogether. So we must be doing something right

On the very rare occasions we have been able to open both the bar and restaurant, we have had some good business. We had quite a good turnout for the American Superbowl despite the 6.00am start!

And have had quite a lot of fun on some high days and ho days.

which sometime go on too long for some!

Generally speaking, though, business has been very tough for far too long, no thanks to the Thai government’s ineffective handling of the Covid pandemic. How the long suffering Thais still manage to smile when they have little or no money in their pockets and with little or no prospect of earning any for the foreseeable future is totally beyond me. They truly are a resilient people.

So, that’s where I am and some of what I have been doing since my last blog . It’s been interesting to say the least and certainly, thanks to Mr Covid and The Variants, not exactly what I thought my ‘golden years’ retirement would be like! But it surely has been an experience!

Until the next time.

Richard

Now that midnight has passed everywhere in the world (I think), it’s time to wish everyone a very Happy New Year in the hope that 2019 will be better than 2018 but perhaps not as good as 2020! Above all, let’s make it a peaceful, healthy and friendly one!

Christmas and New Year celebrations in this part of the world are, not surprisingly, considerably less frenetic than in ‘the west’ but enjoyable nevertheless,

especially when you have your sister with glass in hand to liven up proceedings! And as you can see, we managed a bit of turkey with even some of the trimmings plus gravy in an elegant IKEA measuring jug. Ah well, you can’t have everything having moved in only 3 days before!

By popular request – well at least by cousins Don and Joyce in British Columbia, here is a bit more information about Fairhurst’s Folly and its surroundings.

The Woodlands ‘estate’ comprising  about 60 houses of varying sizes is located in the countryside about a 15 minute drive west of the bustling city of Hua Hin. It’s a beautifully serene and quiet spot

where agriculture is still the main industry, despite the proximity to the tourist coast.

Palm oil plantations abound

as do fields and fields of pineapples,

some in better shape than others!

All in all a lovely location to build a Folly

but without transport you’re a bit stuck. There are a couple of small shops just about in walking distance ( but not in the heat of the day) and even a restaurant

which doesn’t seem to open very often. So wheels are essential.

Maybe I’ll buy a car one day but for the time being a scooter does me fine with the occasional car rental when something more substantial is needed.

Fairhurst’s Folly has a main bedroom (with en suite, of course)

a guest room (again with en suite)

plus two smaller guest rooms  – as yet unfinished.

The main living area is totally open plan as you might expect in such a climate.

where most of the days are spent outside either on the terrace

or in the pool.

Although a lot of planting has already been done, the finishing touches are still needed to complete the small ‘vegetable’ garden at the rear where chillies, ginger, lemon grass, basil, papaya and mango will hopefully flourish.

Oh, and I almost forgot; I’ve managed to squeeze in a small office as well!

So, there you have it. I think I am going to enjoy whatever time I spend here and I hope I have shown you that the place is big enough to accommodate family and friends alike. So, start making your plans.

In the meantime, once again may I wish you all a spectacular 2019.

Until I start blogging again

Richard

My wanderings are done. A last minute frenzy of activity from the construction company enabled me to move into Fairhurst’s Folly just in the nick of time. So it’s time to say goodbye to Phileas… at least for the time being!

 

It was certainly touch and go, though.Over the last 5 days, the kitchen guys arrived with about 10 tons of MDF!

An outside shower was built.

The pool tiling was completed….

and the pool filled.

Planting continued in the garden,

even during the night!

(whilst at the same time the wardrobes were being built)

and the ground was then levelled ready for turfing.

At one point I counted 27 workers on site. It was pandemonium but we  got there – only a couple of days later than scheduled. So, miracles really do happen! OK, so there’s still a bit of finishing off to do but I managed to get the place looking half way decent before the arrival of my sister on Sunday.

These last few days have been a tad stressful, largely due to the uncertainty of the moving in date, right up to the day before my sister arrived. But we made it so now it’s time to relax. Oh no it isn’t. I’ve got to put the turkey in!

A very Happy Christmas and love to my family and friends and here’s hoping that 2019 will be a good one for all – a year when we can put all the bad stuff behind us and move on to a bright and Brexit free future!

Live long and prosper.

Richard

One of the many local furniture shops I have visited is somewhat bizarrely called ‘Homeless’ and that’s what I’ll be if miracles don’t happen fairly quickly. OK, so the windows and doors are in

and plants keep arriving for the landscaping –

although they can’t be planted until the perimeter walls have been painted.

Even the inside is being cleaned.But…. still no water, no electricity, no furniture and most importantly at this time of year, no kitchen – and only 5 days until I move in !!!

All is not yet lost, though, as thanks to Bangkok’s IKEA and INDEX ( Hua Hin’s equivalent)

lots of essentials have been bought e.g pots and pans for the non kitchen and towels for drying off after the water-free shower! And if all else fails, I could make alternative sleeping arrangements!

In a predominantly Buddhist country there is, not surprisingly, little evidence that Christmas is almost upon us. However, as Hua Hin is quite a cosmopolitan city, the 2 shopping malls in particular are suitably decked with Yuletide reminders.

All in a temperature of some 30c!

It’s all quite jolly although I do find the canned Christmas carol singing all a bit tiresome!

Escape from the commercialisation of it all is really quite easy, though. Just south of Hua Hin is the Pranburi National Park.

which, overall, is nothing much to write home about except for the walk through the mangrove swamps

which is quite stunning and, apparently, teeming with wildlife – not that I saw any! And just when the dense undergrowth appears to be getting thicker, you emerge into the sunlight as though on top of the world before disappearing once more into the jungle.

So, it’s down to the wire. Over the next few days, an awful lot has to happen at Fairhurst’s Folly to make it habitable for moving in but I’m realistic and old enough to know that miracles rarely happen which could make Christmas pretty memorable. Maybe the ‘Homeless’ furniture shop will accommodate me!

Until I have an internet connection again,

Phileas!