Jaidan Dribbles at 9 Months

Jaidan likes 2 things at this moment in time. Dribbling his ball and using my electric tooth brush (despite having no teeth).

I really should have put a basketball sound track on his dribbling video.

Oops ... time to take Jaidan for his walk ... will finish this post later ...

One Out ... One In ...

Today's song is Meat Loaf's 'A Bat out of Hell'

It was a happy day for B in the bar as a Japanese man bought out her bar contract for 10,000 Baht and she will now live with him as his GF. Could turn into something more permanent dependent on his marital status and Thai visa situation. It will be interesting to see if B continues to work the bar when he is out of town. I tend to think not ... I know B quite well and she has what the Thai call a 'Good Heart'.

Today one of Thavorn's cousins N came to Bangkok to enter the Bar Trade. As I sit and type this Thavorn is answering her many questions of what to expect in the bar, Thavorn is laughing a lot so I wish I understood more Thai as the questions must be funny. N is right out of the village and looks the part. Mamasan will have her work cut out for her to get her in Bar presentable shape for the punters. N is quite dark and looks like she is from Northern Thailand (Issan) although she is from Petchabon  which is is just 3 hours out of Bangkok.

N will not be staying with us as the mamasan usually puts the newbies up for a week or two to see if they have the right stuff to work the bar. I am teasing N ... telling her that farangs are like hairy gorillas with hum jai's. I will leave it to you to try and translate hum jai.

N had some kind of market stall where she sold some sort of clothing. Many Thai girls aspire to this, not realizing that they will not be making much money. Lately, N has been losing money and owes the usual relatives that they borrow from to keep their little business alive. She now needs to make some money to pay them back to save face, hence the bar experience.

I will keep you informed about how N works out ... or not. She does not seem worried about trading flesh for cash. Also, like many Thai girls she does not know how to drink. I just poured her 4 ounces of Zambucca and she downed it in one gulp. Ditto for the glass of wine. Thavorn is now explaining the concept of nursing a drink.

BTW, we are back from Phuket and had a relaxing visit. It was interesting to see the taxis had raised their prices from 500 Baht to 600 Baht because business was slow during the rainy season. The exact opposite of what competitive markets should do.

Thais not go moon ... but do go bar ...

TTYL

Quiet Times at the Resort

This is the first and last Bieber song you will hear on this blog ... nuff said :-) The girl looks Thai and Bieber is a Canadian ... although usually an embarrassment to Canadians ... I like this song.

It has been a very relaxing week and with two more days to go that has been fine with me. We a a visit from Thavorn's sister and boyfriend as well as her child Bai Derry who is 3 years old.

Some pics from the week.

 

Biding time at the airport.

Thavorn in the Trees

Ditto

One of the pools.

Jim in the Trees with Jaidan

Jim on the Beach with his Shadow.

Resort from our Balcony.

A Destination Wedding in Progress

Silicon valley

Silicon valley has a whole different meaning in Thailand. I stopped by my favorite bar 'Dollhouse' on Soi Cowboy and most of the girls I chat with had gone on to other bars, left the country with their farang boyfriends, or had gone back to their village for a visit.

Not to worry, I invited some new ladies to chat. One thing I had noticed is that most of the new girls were sporting a much bigger bust size than 'normal' Thai girls. I lucked in and the first 2 girls I chatted with were sisters and they indeed had breast augmentation done recently. One of them had it done twice. Once in Pattaya for 30K baht. It was performed just under the armpit. Turned out that it was not to her liking so she had it redone in Bangkok with incision under the breast and she was happy with the results. I must admit they were impressive looking and felt real. Turned out she had gone to the same surgeon as her sister who had the procedure done for 60K Baht. She too was willing to show them off. Very impressive.

I asked why and they were both enthusiastic that it was an investment in their business life. One was 29 and the other 31 years of age. They both agreed that 'customers' preferred larger breast size and that business picked up once the procedure was done. Business must have been pretty good to start with given the price of the procedure. Neither girl was interested in having a farang boyfriend and were in the bar for a longtime and were banking their earnings, looking to retire in their late 30's. They both stated they could not find farangs able to pony up the necessary funds to get them to retire. They were both clearing well over 50K a month.

These young ladies certainly seemed to know what they wanted and certainly were not being 'taken advantage of'. This type of 'lady' is becoming more common place in the bars of Bangkok, replacing the traditional Thai mother supporting a couple of children parked back in the village with the grandmother. it sure beats working at 7/11 for 300 Baht for a 12 hour day, or cleaning rooms in a hotel for the same pay. I asked the ladies what type of 'customer' they preferred and they both preferred middle aged farangs with a sense of humor. They did not like Japanese because they were too serious (no sense of humor). BTW, I would think the Japanese are the most common customer in Bangkok bars, probably due to proximity. They were both curious about me as they had often seen me in Dollhouse with Thavorn and other friends. I am now considered part of the landscape in parts of Bangkok.

I had a great chat for a couple of hours and then headed off to a goodbye party Sam. Aver all, a great night in the 'City of Angels'.

TTYL

Domestic Life

Today's song is by a Canadian, Bryan Adams ... Summer of 69. A favorite of bar bands in Thailand as well of one of my personal favorites. I was 18 in the summer of 69 and life was good ...

Jaidan is now 9 months old and should be walking by 10 months. He is a busy little guy and likes to be active whether or not it is going to the pool or going for a walk. He loves bath time as does Thavorn. Many Thais have never been exposed to a bathtub in their lives ... Thavorn included.

Jaidan has now learned to turn the water on and off, so it goes on an off 20 times a bath.

Jaidan and the off ... 

On ...

Thinking about it ...

And off ...

Thavorn in a traditional Thai sarong and a Guess top. It can be worn as a skirt, or alone, just under the arm pits.

Jaidan in his crib ... quiet time for all!

Bottle time with Kanga ... present from Liam ... an Aussie friend

BTW ... life is still good ... just different ...

TTYL

Born this Way

Katoey ... Thai for lady boy.

Transgender individuals are accepted in Thailand as part of Thai mainstream. Completely normal and plays a huge part in Thai humor. Some of the most beautiful 'females' I see in Thailand are katoey.

Punters are often fooled ...

10 Tips to Spot a Ladyboy:

• Too tall, most girls are small in Thailand.
• Too sexy behavior, over-acting, speaking loud, always seems to be on the catwalk.
• Too feminine, a lot of attention is given to every details of make up and outfit.
• Body proportions and broad shoulders.
• Too sexy outfit, flashing dresses, always flipping hair with fingers
• Too big breast and flashing boobs at any occasion, free sampling accepted.
• No bra. Even the most free thinking flat breasted girls would wear a bra in Thailand.
• Adam's apple. But beware, even this can be fixed.
• The voice, low tone, can be worked out but this is often what gives them away.
• The hands are too big

Some punters actually come to Thailand looking for the katoey experience. Many bars have a mix of girls and katoey's so you have to be careful to ask if you are not sure. Katoey's are typically honest and will tell you.

Here is a sampling of katoey's ... could you pick them out in a bar?

There is no shortage of same sex relationships in Thailand. I know of quite a few such relationship with a Thai girl and Thai tomboy. I have a very difficult time telling whether the Thai tomboy is a guy or gal and often have to ask Thavorn who knows the couple.

From Wikipedia:

The Tom-Dee identity

Tom identity

A Tom is a female who dresses, acts, and possibly speaks in a masculine fashion. She may not actually be a lesbian, but she may be perceived as one by others. Toms wear their hair short, a deviation from traditional Thai culture which prizes long hair as a sign of feminine beauty. Women usually wear skirts in Thailand, and in many government offices skirts are compulsory and pants suits banned. Toms dress in men's clothing - slacks, sandals, and a loose fitting button-down shirt. A Tom will use male speech terms, especially the old, now-crude pronouns goo and mueng.

Dee identity

The Dee is a homosexual (or bisexual) female who follows outward Thai gender norms. A Dee will look, act, and speak in a manner conducive to typical Thai female gender norms. The only differentiation between Dee and “traditional females” is that Dee engage in relationships with Tom.

Tom-Dee within society

Heterosexual public displays of affection are frowned upon within Thai culture. 

However affection between same sex individuals is considered the norm. 

In this way Tom-Dee partnerships can be invisible to the wider society.

94.6% of Thai citizens are Buddhist.

High social acceptance is due to the nature of the surrounding Buddhist culture, which places a high value on tolerance. 

Using the notion of Karma, a belief that being a Tom/Dee is the result of transgressions in past lives, concluding that Tom/Dee deserve pity rather than blame.

Kathoey/Ladyboys

It is quite common for the subject of Ladyboys to be in direct correlation to Thailand, something that the country is becoming more prominently known for. These days many tourists make note of these beautiful women that have transformed themselves into somewhat of a Thai icon. Thailand is now viewed as an international hub of gender-bending norms, and a center of sexual alterations.

Meaning of Kathoey/Ladyboy

Although the term ladyboy is rather ambiguous, simply put, it is a male who dresses as and carries out the identity of a woman. Though the term is often translated as transgender, transgender is rarely used in Thailand, instead they use the term Kathoey. This term can now also be used to refer to any male homosexual and was originally used to refer to intersex people. Due to this term becoming so broad many choose to use the English word to explain a homosexual male dressing as a woman as a “ladyboy," this eliminates much of the confusion. The term can also be meant as an insult, especially to those who are trying to completely alter their identity to that of a woman. Ladyboys suggest that they are still men who are merely dressed as women. The term is used rather loosely at times and can be used to refer to any male who is acting with feminine qualities. Personally most of the women prefer to call themselves “a transformed goddess” or “a second type of woman”.

Acceptance of Kathoey/Ladyboys

Ladyboys really are quite prominent in Thailand and are seemingly accepted by society, not only in the cities but in the countrysides as well. It seems as though it is the relaxed attitude of acceptance and tolerance in Buddhism that keeps people from shunning their lifestyles, although many other Buddhist countries are not as willing to accept a ladyboy living their life in public. Thai Buddhism specifically does not regard homosexuality as a sin and has no specific prohibitions regarding their lifestyle. Though Kathoey continually face discrimination they are gaining acceptance and have made themselves a very distinct part of the Thai society; however, they still have not yet attained equal status with those who are not transgender. There are many restrictions that come with the identity, one being the inability to marry someone of the same sex, another not being able to officially change their birth sex on birth certificates or passports.

Kathoey/Ladyboys in society

Though Kathoey have enjoyed some prestige in the past, they still face many struggles in everyday life. Many have found success in the entertainment business or in fashion, 

while others dance cabaret or accept lower level work so that they are able to live their lives out in the open. The modern view of Kathoey is really rather recent, it seems as though they, 

together with other homosexual identities came together in recent decades to start this gender identity revolution. Beginning in the 1950s we are able to see a presence of Kathoey and it can be traced in media. The trend of Kathoeys being a regular part of entertainment such as movies, music entertainment and television shows is rather recent.

Nobody Wins ...

Unless everybody wins ...

I have been a Bruce Springsteen fan for quite some time now. I find his message about the American Dream and life thought provoking. In the past 5 years I have divested myself of things but have accumulated more people in my life. That too has been thought provoking. Some thoughts ...

Everything I own fits in a large suitcase. My jewelry consists of a watch that is almost 10 years old. I own no vehicles. I figure my net worth is under $10,000 and $9,000 of that is my time share, the only material asset that I obtained from my divorce. I am not poor ... my total income last year was $100,000 from my indexed teacher's pension and my business dividends from my limited partnership.

Do I miss things ... one thing ... I miss a motorcycle ... I have owned one since I turned 16 and bought a 650 cc Triumph Bonneville in 66. Since then, I have owned a Norton 750, a Norton 850, a Honda 650 NT, and a Yamaha 1000 FZ1. I would like one more ... maybe in a year or two ... when I am debt free. I ran up some debt while living in Vancouver for 2 years. Vancouver is a beautiful city but a very expensive city to live in. My $800 Bangkok apartment is equivalent to my $3,000 Vancouver apartment in terms of size and location.

So, what do I value? I value good relationships. I value my education ... education is something you can never lose (apart from Alzheimer's). I value music and the memories that it invokes. I value my children, especially Jaime and Jordan who are awesome .. a parent could ask for none better. I value my sisters Elaine and Ann, my fellow 'orphans' now that our parents are gone. I value my friends I left behind in Ottawa. I value my friend Thavorn, who makes me smile each and every day. I value integrity, thoughtfulness, truthfulness, reflection, humbleness, kindness, fairness, but most of all, loved ones that make life worth living.

I value an inexpensive glass of good wine. Expensive wine is lost on me. Everyday I write this blog with a glass of red wine in hand. A favorite:

I don't like narcissism (selfies), humor at the expense of others, elitism,  laziness, excuses, cop-outs, liars, boorishness, smug indifference, snobs, and entitlement.

Thai's value family, friends, food, and health. Gold is important to them as well, but mainly because of security. It is easily bought and sold at market price. In good times they buy it and in bad times they sell it.

So why today's rant ... Why not?

TTYL

God's Greatest Gift

God's greatest gift to mankind is a child. As I rocked Jaidan to sleep in my Ikea chair (Yes, Ikea is everywhere) I asked Thavorn to take a couple of pics and this song (That I keep on my smart phone) came to mind.

So angelic .... when asleep

Proud poppa

Champions

Champions can be a noun or a verb. Julian Hanlon retires as Director of Education in June of this year. I wish him well ... enjoy your retirement.

Julian can be described as both, a champion and as an educator that championed Catholic education in Ottawa.

This post is dedicated to all the amazing leaders that championed Catholic Education in the Ottawa Catholic School Board in Ottawa. Julian is the current director of Education and follows in the footsteps of many outstanding Catholic educators ... Among them ... The Irish leaders Dr. Bill Crossan and Derry Byrne (tragically a life cut so short ... a brilliant man), the Italian connection of Mike Revells, Vic D'amico, and Phil Rocco (a proud product of the Hamilton and Welland Catholic systems), and lately Mike Baine (a product of Pius and the Hamilton Catholic system) and now Julian Hanlon (another Ottawa product and second generation Ottawa Catholic Educator). I would also be remiss in not mentioning Mike O'Connor another Ottawa Catholic educator whose life was also tragically ended in an automobile accident.

Mike and Julian share something in common. Mike and Julian played for arguably the most talented University football team ever assembled in Canada (1975 Undefeated Ottawa Gee Gees). I know from experience because I played on the opposition (Carleton). Julian, not satisfied with one undefeated national championship, repeated in 1978 with the Queens University Gaels while attending McArthur College.

Can you spot Julian and Mike?

Most people would know Julian for championing Catholic education in Ottawa. I also knew Julian for the football champion that he was. This song's for Julian (sorry I ca't be there for your retirement) and the champions that preceded you.

Once you retire ... consider visiting Thailand ... those twin tattoos would be a big hit in the LOS (Land of Smiles).

I found this great tribute to the 1975 Gee Gees team.

TTYL

Friends

I have a good friend 'Up the Valley' from Ottawa who is 'happily' married albeit for the second time. It appears that we often get it 'right' the second time around. Deb sent me an eMail shortly after I started including some of my favorite music with each post. She was curious to see what Eric Clapton  song I would choose.

Eric has been prolific over his career (including the Yardbirds and Cream) and there are many of his songs I enjoy listening to including 'Tears in Heaven' and 'Wonderful Tonight'. I won't keep her waiting any longer so here is my favorite Clapton song.

Deb and Bob live in an idyllic setting overlooking the Ottawa river where it broadens out into a bay. Perhaps I can convince Deb and Bob to leave their beautiful home and travel halfway around the planet to visit me in Thailand. She has an adventurous spirit so it might happen.

Another friend, Gabe retires from the Ottawa Catholic School Board on June 9th. Gabe was the swiss army knife of the IT consultants at the Board. He could do it all, and often did. The Board will miss Gabe's skill set and willing attitude. He is the last of the chimps to retire and with his retirement, a chapter in the history of the Board is closed. Have a great retirement Gabe and I would love to entertain you in Thailand. The scouts are big in Thailand ... but I am sure you know that :-)

I am in Ottawa in August and September so we (anyone who likes to laugh) will have to get together for a 'meatball' sandwich at the Prescott and a beer, or two, or three :-)

TTYL

Bar Girl Anthem

Today's song should be the national anthem for all bar girls in Thailand. The girls in the video remind me of Crazy House girls. If you ever get to Bangkok 'Crazy House' is a must visit bar on Soi 23 just outside of  Soi Cowboy. My favorite girl at Crazy House is named 'Chocolate' and one day I asked her why her mom named her chocolate and she said, 'Duh ... Jimmy look at me!' Chocolate is from Issan where the majority girls are a lovely milk chocolate color ... much like the girls in today's video.

The attraction of Thai bar girls is their ability to give punters the complete GFE (girl friend experience). They  can be a man's (or woman's) dream. Whatever you do, don't get caught up in it ... because as many find out ... it is indeed a dream and the reality is much different for the bar girl than it is for you.

There are many sites on the net devoted to punters lamenting their relationship with Thai bar girls and how they got ultimately fleeced and betrayed. Caveat Emptor applies to bar girl relationships as it does to many things in life. If it seems too good to be true ... it probably is.

However, there are many happy farang/Thai relationships but like 'good news', it is often not reported. In future posts I will try lay down a road map to success in finding the Thai girl of your dreams.

Feel free to comment on any of my posts. You must have likes and opinions ... don't cha?

TTYL

Monday - shopping day

Today's song is 'Carry On' by Fun. Illustrates my eclectic taste in songs.

With 5 days to go before we fly to Phuket ... a quick peek in the fridge finds it a little bare ... so it is off to Big C we go. As far as I can tell, Big C used to be Carrefour (French retailer). Thai people have a very difficult time pronouncing R's so Carrefour would have been difficult so Big C was born. The competitor to Big C in Thailand is Tesco (British retailer). Big C is closer so Big C is where we shop.

As far as grocery stores go, Big C is okay. They have huge bins filled with fresh meat and fish. You grab a plastic bag and tongs and dig in. Take it to the scales to be weighed and you are good to go. Best of all, they take American Express so I get points. Another advantage to Big C is that they have a taxi stand outside that is quite good. It is populated by older taxis that only do short trips. These drivers are saving up their fares to get their vehicles updated. Taxis often get recycled in Thailand. Most of these drivers know us by sight so the service is good.

Prices average out to be about the same as North America if you factor out esoteric items like strawberries and decent grapes. If you want imported goods than their is always Villa Market across the street with items from back home. I go there for my Cheetos (cheesies).

I have now converted Thavorn from buying pork and putting it out in the sun to dry (extending its life) to buying pork in larger quantities and storing it in plastic containers (meal sized) in the freezer and taking it out the night before. It took a lot of convincing but it cut down on the number of trips to Big C and Thavorn is sold on the convenience. One small step for Thai kind.

TTYL

Sam the Atheist

Bangkok has many wonderful characters that you would probably not find in many cities of the world. It takes a certain type of personality to leave your 'comfort zone' and travel halfway around the world in search of adventure and something different. I have a friend in Bangkok who goes by the name Sam. Sam is among other things, and atheist and a DINK (dual income no kids) and defends his choice to have no children ... stating ... cloning me would not do a society a favor. Sam introduced me to Kinkie Friedman.

Now Kinky is famous with red necks and is probably the most politically incorrect song artist around. Kinky also ran for political office in Texas.  I could not decide whether to choose 'I am Proud to be an Asshole from El Paso' or 'They Don't Make Jews Like Jesus Anymore'.

I flipped a coin and here is what you got.

Kinky in Dublin ... The Irish would appreciate his sense of whatever.

Sam will be leaving Bangkok in the near future. He will be missed.

TTYL

So Much Fun!

Choosing a song for my next post is ssoososoo much fun!

This is Thavorn's and my favorite song!

I can't believe how much fun it is to review and choose a song for a post. I will have to limit myself or I will be posting nonsensical posts just to include a song. Please indulge me this one such post as Thavorn and I love this song and danced to it our night together at Hillary 2 in Nana, Soi 4.

On the Mend

This post's song is from Meatloaf  ... By the Dashboard's Light ... Takes me back to my teenage years and watching the submarine races at Hog's Back.

I hope you are not living your life ... 'Praying for the End of Time'.

Jaidan and I are a lot better today, now that our fevers have dissipated. It is Sunday .. either the end of the week, or the start of the week. I hope you are liking my music feature. I am really enjoying reviewing and selecting songs to include. There are so many awesome songs to choose from and using inductive (non linear) approach to reasoning, you can expect no rhyme or reason to what I select.

This reminds me of my good friend Larry, who is definitely a linear, deductive thinker, and thus the opposite of me. Larry taught Mathematics at St. Pius X and coached girls basketball. Mathematics is the ideal subject for a linear, deductive thinker to teach. I myself, taught Computer Science, where there is no 'right' answer and marks awarded for the correct steps in a proof. I also coached basketball at St. Pius X and that is how inductive and deductive came together to produce many winning St. Pius X basketball teams.

Larry loved the games and I loved the practices. There was no one better in a timeout than Larry. We were both students of the game and I still miss coaching very much despite having coached over 1,600 games in my coaching career that lasted 30 years.

TTYL

Recurring Feature - My Favorite Songs

Now that I have more free time in my life I would like to go back in time and revisit music that for one reason or another turns my crank. I will include a song (most likely in video format) with every post. Feel free to ignore it if you wish. I will warn you my taste in music is eclectic to say the least. To listen, simply click the play button. You can still read my blog while listening to my tunes. I will not automatically play the song as web sites that do so, piss me off. It should be the user's choice.

There is not much happening in my life at this moment as both Jaidan and I have bad colds ... cough, congestion, fever ... so we are staying home and trying to get well.

We have one more week in Bangkok and then we head out to the JW Marriott in Phukett (a 7 star resort) for a week of fresh ocean air. City smog in Bangkok seems to be on the increase according to a Bangkok Post article.

A tuk-tuk and a motorcycle manage the clogged Phahon Yothin Road under Saphan Khwai BTS station. The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority and the Pollution Control Department has reported that the Saphan Khwai intersection is one of the spots where the level of air pollution exceeds health standards. Other spots that have too many contaminants for our own good is Rama IX intersection, Si Phraya intersection, and Rama III Road.

AIR POLLUTION

Expect city smog to worsen, experts say

17/07/2013 

Apinya Wipatayotin

Bangkok's air quality is likely to worsen, air pollution experts say.

Supat Wangwongwatana, secretary of the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia, said he was concerned about the increase in the amount of particles, carbon monoxide and ozone in Bangkok, largely a result of traffic congestion.

Mr Supat said the amounts of these air pollutants should not have increased over the past two years after the introduction of the more environmentally friendly Euro-IV petrol as the regular fuel in the capital.

"With Euro IV, we expected the air to be better and cleaner. But the result has been different to our expectations," he said.

He said air pollutant concentrations were still too high, and air quality problems persisted as there were so many cars on Bangkok's roads.

Mr Supat said many pollutants were generated by incomplete combustion in motor vehicles, which releases carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, pure carbon and other materials into the air.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Another huge contributor (IMHO) to air pollution are the many street vendors who cook over charcoal. However I would agree that cars and motorcycles are the main culprits. It is not unusual to hear the tell tale 'ring ding' of a 2 stroke motorcycle in Bangkok. North America banned 2 stroke motorcycles in 1972. Unlike Canada where vehicles are likely to rust out before they die, there are many, many old vehicles without pollution controls, on the streets of Bangkok. Labor is extremely cheap so these vehicles have a very long life as they get repaired often than than retired. Compare Bangkok to Vancouver, where all taxis are Toyota Prius's.

Street vendors, motorcycle taxi drivers, and Policemen are usually wearing masks over mouth and nose.

Street vendor with mask ... day care to the left.

Motorcycle taxi drivers with mask.

Traffic cop with mask,

At some moment in time I anticipate moving to an Ocean front community like Hua Hin or Pattaya. However, for the moment Bangkok keeps me entertained and I can always get away for a while.

TTYL

Canadian Dollar vs Thai Baht

It is interesting to follow currency valuations. This year the Canadian dollar took a beating, losing 18% of its value to the Thai Baht. These fluctuations seem to have no basis in reality. In  reality, Thai tourism and manufacturing are down. The Thai government recently took action to lower the Thai Baht to make its products cheaper in the international marketplace as well as to give tourists more bang (pun intended) for their money. This has had an effect on trading with the Canadian dollar:



Back a year ago in May 2014, one Canadian dollar got you 29.80 Baht. In January of 2015 that fell to about 25.19 Baht. Expats converting Canadian dollars to Baht took a hit. After the Thai central bank taking action in April, the Canadian dollar started climbing back up to 27.50 Baht and I anticipate it floating back up to 30 Baht where it historically likes to be.

Has this happened due to better Canadian performance in world markets. To check, one only has to look at the same period for the Canadian dollar to US dollar.



The above graph does show improvement for the Canadian in relationship to the US dollar. As we get into the uncertainty that the 2016 election will produce I expect a further strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the US dollar which will also indirectly strengthen the Canadian dollar against the Thai Baht.

Just my humble opinion, but things look good for Canadian expats, especially if oil prices rise a little bit. Tourism always drops during the rainy season in Thailand so this will also have an effect. I am not sure why the rainy season scares away the tourists. It typically rains for 30 mins, once a day. It's no big deal and hotel and airline costs are lower! Go for it :-)

I have met a few expats living in Bangkok who make their living by trading currencies. They are not living large, but they are getting by.

TTYL