A
Day In The Life Of A Siam Escapeartist
More On Living In Thailand
~ by Tomy Gunn
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| Headed
down a fragrant jungle path of dewdrop-laden flora to the sandy gulf coast
at sunrise, another day commences with frogs and birds chattering and distant
dog barks as the whistle of the south bound Orient Express blows. It is
not a whole heck of a lot of stress to deal with 15,000 miles from what
used to be home in LA, California.
Nowadays I
garner much enjoyment meandering an empty beach in the early mornings surveying
the long tail boats returning from their nightly chores. It’s a nature
sojourn for sure and a feeling of contentment when you give alms to a Monk
to take to the Temple. Such are truly unforgettable moments to encounter.
There’s an unquestionable fascination associated with ancient Thai culture
and Buddhist customs. Monks receive alms and chant prayers - sometimes
directed to souls who have passed so that they may have nourishment in
the afterlife. You sense pure calm and serenity in their eyes and actions
as they tread the shoreline in their orange robes each dawn headed to the
village to accept fare and bless a faithful populace.
After a passing
monsoon recently, hundreds of fish and bay shrimp stunned by the brackish
water conditions flailed along the coast and local residents came out in
force netting them near the beach. One fellow collected 20 kilos of fresh
gulf prawns, and shared with all the neighbors. This is indicative of the
ardent Thai style - sharing and taking care of family and the extended
family of friends and neighbors. In America some siblings rarely speak,
much less share food with neighbors! |
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The cost of
living and cordial lifestyle are bounty enough for anyone to covet this
regal seaside village and relish the abundance of life for a change. A
very different scene from the typical rowdy beer bar party-girl image one
reads about in the tourist traps of Thailand. Hua Hin is renowned for its
splendid Thai seafood, health spas, and tropical beach resorts, yet, it
is still faithfully rooted in traditional arts, crafts, and simple wares
which are its main enticements. One will not find a modern shopping mall
or the corporate high-rise edifice here, but if you are in the market,
you will find a lovely young Thai wife and settle down to a life most guys
only dream of!
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The
Hua Hin way of life is about uncomplicated living, Thai seafood, coffee
houses, open markets, silk and craft shops, and a vibrant yet melodious
existence. Eating is the main topic day and night. It starts in the morning
and continues until late seven days a week only bested by the festive holiday
celebrations. There are, in fact, a handful of western pubs with young
women anticipating the next generously intoxicated farang, but nothing
like Patong Beach or Pattaya, whatsoever. The King and Queen strive to
maintain the integrity of Hua Hin’s cultural wealth. They recently constructed
a new beach park at the end of Soi Hua Hin 19 near the Royal Palace. It
is an outdoor music venue with local style food stands and easy listening
jazz rock on the beach walk where local & international musicians gather
twice a week in the evenings. It’s an extraordinary lively ambiance constantly
in forward motion; it's in sharp contrast to what one may ascertain on
a familiar satellite TV network from distant troubled lands. Having deep
roots in music, film, and production, I am always interested to see, hear,
jam, encounter, and capture the moment of these poised attractions consummate
with the simplicity of the Thai social scene.
There are actually
quite a few really fine world-class musicians living in Thailand who perform
in key venues and private clubs from Bangkok to the southern Islands. Renowned
studio guitarist Mick Barker from the UK has been in Thailand for over
ten years and was the first to play the tropical Koh Samui scene as the
original house band in the Exotic Gardens of Big Buddha Beach. Musicians
like Mick and piano man Gary Hall, who recently escaped from America, have
been migrating here to merge with the European and eastern influenced Thai
players. Perhaps it is also because the King of Thailand is a lifelong
pro musician, so word is farang players are welcome in Hua Hin. In any
case, this is currently the chic beach retreat in Thailand to meander.
The annual International Thai Jazz festival also contributes to the allure
of musicians and music lovers alike to come, congregate, munch, and enjoy.
Numerous readers
from Escape from America seeking a better life have emailed me for more
info about relocating to Thailand. You will continue to find more on-going
articles about my experience in Thailand right here in Escape from America
Magazine. By living here, I get firsthand updates on the evolving details
regarding visa regulations and relocating. I can assure you most aspects
are quite favorable, although a recent crackdown by Thai immigration officials
came as a sudden surprise to several hundred expats at the BK airport a
few weeks ago. |
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| It
spelled double trouble for about fifty or so individuals who had a visa
stamp for an extension obtained outside the prescribed methods acceptable
to Thai immigration. If you choose to circumvent the system with a visa
service or tour agent who will send your passport out of the country for
a Thai visa renewal or extension, you will surely go to jail for two weeks
and pay a 150,000 baht fine. One could also become black listed and snubbed
from ever returning to Thailand if officials choose to do so. A simple
word of advice is, don’t do it! Those that come to live in the Kingdom
and abide by the law have no problems. There are several types of legitimate
visas available depending on your age, how much money you have deposited
in a Thai bank account, and whether you have a Thai spouse. A valuable
person in the know for many of these issues including locating specialty
accommodations, house rentals, and the purchase of property by foreigners
is Suparkporn Vorapon. [agent@huahintours.com]
She’s a friendly outgoing English fluent Thai National - A tour consultant,
property agent, and former owner-operator of a 12 mini van tour fleet based
in Pattaya, and known to offer reasonable rates and reputable service.
She also does selective introductions to single Thai ladies of esteem from
the community. One expat [piano man] Gary Hall, located a short-term beach
rental through her for 8000 bahts for two months ($200.00 USD). It is a
warmly furnished modern one bedroom western style townhouse- and about
a 3 minute walk to the beach. He’s now cruising his bike by day and does
a little piano playing at night with another saxophonist expat from Finland. |
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Accommodations,
property prices, utilities, and culinary delights are some of the super
deals you will enjoy while living in Thailand if you know who and where
to ask! There is more about Thailand, and a brand new world CD release
appropriately titled, SIAM ESCAPEARTIST, by Shadawmon available on paradisemoon.com,
which is my moniker and original music collection of world smooth jazz-rock
and east-west meditative music. It’s a great listening experience to pick
up if you’re unable to visit the Kingdom anytime soon!
To contact
Tomy Click Here
To see Tomy's
previous article for Escapeartist Click
Here
.
| Tomy Gunn
had a 1989 Emmy Nomination, several Billboard chart records as a songwriter,
numerous film and TV credits as a composer and sound designer, and he developed
the industry's first digital audio software/hardware editing bundle before
calling it quits to that razzle dazzle rat race. He'd also played
guitar for numerous groups including Frank Sinatra, Sr. and was hired by
Turner Broadcasting to build the first digital audio dubbing studios in
China for CCTV. Today, Gunn lives in Thailand while he runs his Paradisemoon.com
website. |
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