I started a ‘Learning Thai’ guide out of necessity to digitize my hand written notes from school. I then noticed after going through my Google Analytics that I was getting a decent amount of traffic coming in from search engines regarding the Thai language, so I have decided to post it to the front page. Check back often for updates to my new Thai language section.

This was a pleasant discovery at the Big C down in Pattaya. All you need is to drive a Chevy and you got a parking spot near the front of the building.

I decided to tape our friend Arkom because I just knew he was going to give me a good story. This was from a couple of nights ago around midnight. The background to the story is that Arkom, for all intents and purposes, has a 5 year old daughter named Geena and a wife named Sai. We were having a typical discussion about life and here Arkom is telling a story about a typical saturday afternooon at home. What’s great about this story is that it begins with 500 baht and ends with 500 baht. 500 thai baht is $14.95US. It’s the middle of the month, there are 3 mouths to feed and Geena wants to go to 7/11. And who can blame her? And to sum the story up, it’s cheaper to send Geena to summer school than it is to deal with 7/11 and the ice cream man. Sorry for my swearing.

Now, you know… I spare the food in the refrigerator, almost finish now. Have to spare the last time again. Have only 500 baht left. And Geena “I wanna go to Seven, Seven, Seven, 7/11″. Noooo. “I just want to buy some candy, not toy”. Geena, I tell you now, we don’t have any money for toy, for candy, only food. Only. You understand? I tell her. “Yes but, I want to go Seven.” You want to looking Seven? 7/11? You want something, you want something there? You want to, only looking ok, I take you go. “I want some only candy.” She don’t understand. She don’t understand her mother don’t have any money. But when ice cream coming, she run to me. (hum, damn fucking ice cream cart, ya know? Right? Does it come past the house?) Yeah. (Ice cream cart, will you get the fuck…. (Unintelligible. Laughter.) And this evening, roti. (Wait, what is it? Wahl’s?) Wahl. (Wahl?) They have like a sound doo-doo-doo. (Does he say something?) Yes. (What’s he say? He says it in Thai, what’s he say?) Hey say, uh, ‘Ice cream pormae (mother and father), Wahl coming or something’ (laughter, Wahl coming). And then, then the kids running (yeah, of course) and then Geena, running to me, “I want to buy”. If… I can’t say no because, the kids go around the ice cream and then Geena… if… she upset… I have to give her. (How much?) 20 baht. (Shew, Lorraine only spends 9 baht at the Dairy Queen). But, they come, you know, every 3 hours and different brands. (Oh good lord, ya know when you hear it coming, close the door. You should tell them like, listen, don’t come around). No, now I realize about teacher said, uh, you want, you want Geena coming to school for summer? 500 baht. Now I agree with her, I agree with teacher. (Yeah, 500 baht, cheap).

And… a picture of the bar food from the other night:

ผู้หญิงสวยสองคน - Liverpool FC vs. Thailand, Bangkok Thailand

Pii Kom and I made it through over an hour in traffic to get in to Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok. Shot a few pictures but I didn’t bring a zoom lens, so most of my pictures are focused no farther than 10 feet or so. I was worried that the security might give me trouble bringing too much camera junk in with me. I figured that if the Prime Minister was going to be there, they might get a little antsy about too much electronics and what not.

Anyway, there wasn’t any security. They didn’t even check for tickets. I believe around 15 minutes into the game, they just opened the doors for anyone to come in to the stadium. I would guess with a full stadium it’s 60,000 people that came in to see this game. Liverpool was up 1-0 after 7 minutes but I give Thailand the win after they brought the game to a 1-1 draw. The rain held out until 10 minutes left in the game. And it poured. And we walked the long way around the stadium to get to our car. And it was still hot.

Liverpool FC vs. Thailand, Bangkok Thailand

Some better video from takraw tonight.