New Family Member

On October 29th we took delivery of our new family member...a new 2009 Honda Jazz. In preparation for our move out of Bangkok by year end we realized that we needed our own car. However, before the purchase could be made we needed our long term retirement visas and our Thai Driver Licenses, both of which we had already secured. The purchase process went quite smooth and quickly, unlike in the U.S. which could literally take all day and then in the end you still don't know whether you got a good deal or a good screwing. Our negotiations which ended in a net figure included all taxes, license and registration fees, and the first year of full coverage insurance including 24 hour roadside protection. Phyllis was happy but nervous as Bangkok is world renown for its hectic, freestyle driving. Actually I had been preparing for this for months with all the taxis we had taken to various golf courses. So I had a feel for the areas and as for the "freestyle" driving, well, it sort of came naturally for me. Weaving in and out, avoiding motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, and the ocassional elephant. To an outsider it appears as chaos, but there really is order in this chaos. Considering the amount of traffic in this city of over 10 million it surprising how few accidents there are. And when there is an accident it's usually resolved very quickly. After leaving the dealership we successfully negotiated our short trip to the gas statin and small shopping plaza after which was our return back to our condo. Phyllis did well and didn't panic or have a heart attack. I could tell she was a bit stressed but overall she sat back and let me do my Bangkok taxi thing. It's currently the 1st of December for this writing and we have made numerous trips both around the Bangkok area as well as other more distant destinations. I have to admit though I do spend a lot of time studying the Bangkok freeway and tollway maps as it is a huge city to negotiate. And for those of you that do not know, all of Southeast Asia drives on the left with steering on the right. So there are times that Phyllis will attempt to get in on the driver's side, so with a smile I just hold the keys up as an offering just in case she decides to get behind the wheel. So far, no way. However, she now seems more relaxed as a passenger, so she is starting to get use to it.

So...now we're prepared to explore areas outside Bangkok as possible home locations. We're going to consider three areas. Pattaya Beach which is located about 2 hours Southeast of Bangkok and located on the Gulf of Thailand. The other is Hua Hin which is a small beach city located about 2 and a half hour drive Southwest of Bangkok and is also located on the Gulf of Thailand. The last area of interest is Chiang Mai which is North of Bangkok by about 450 miles. It's surrounded by foothills and mountains and has a higher elevation so the weather tends to be cooler than here in Bangkok. It is the second largest city in Thailand with a population of about 1.2 million. We'll keep you "posted" as to future developments.