Change Of Address & More
Dear Everyone,
If you have a look at the top of this message, you will find that a number of our contact details have changed. Except I have removed them from this blog, so that was irrelevant. This has happened for a variety of reasons.
1 We had to leave Australia and move to Thailand, where we will be until Scomo & Co allow us to come back to our home in Western Australia.
2 Telstra gave us some wonderfully wrong advice about our mobile phone contracts which means we cannot activate any form of roaming. As such, our Oz phones are only good for WhatsApp and Messenger.
3 Nb Telstra also committed to cancel our internet package to coincide with our departure, but “forgot” ensuring we had to pay for another month. Hmmm.
4 We had to buy Thai phones and new numbers as our old numbers had expired. The old Nokias are no longer accepted as we have to have the track n trace apps downloaded, even though mine hangs up every time I use it. So two new Samsungs were needed.
5 Caroline’s email was hacked, and she forgot what her backups were, and so on etc etc. So she is using this new address for her emails. Her Messenger is still working and her fave method of comms. Certainly beats having to talk to me.
6 Our house in WA is occupied by a lovely lady of good moral standing. She keeps the parties to fortnightly and all stoners are ejected by 3am. Post to the house will reach us eventually as friends are taking care of it.
7 Having joined the 21st Century reluctantly, I can now be contacted via Twitter and even through my recently constructed website which has a ‘contact’ form.
Twitter - @DickieGibson
Website - www.gibsondickie.com
After close to a year of wonderful support from the Australian Department of Home Affairs, we finally had to leave our home in Meadow Springs and resettle in our holiday home in Hua Hin. It has been different actually living here rather than being on holiday. Drinking every day was a viable option on a seven-day break, but not so much on a multi month trip. Same with “massages”, nightclubs, golfing and restaurants. The Bintabaht big aggressive ladyboy is quite confused to see me sober, he/she/it is also quite intimidated by Caroline.
Hua Hin is coming out of the hottest season and into the wettest season, making the climate in Thailand a bit of a challenge. Factor in the largest Covid outbreak in this country so far, and its not all sunshine and beaches, though it isn’t bad. The bars are shut for now, but takeaway drinks are available for home consumption.
Some of our “not lock down” rules.
- Play golf providing wear a mask CAN
- Drink alcohol in a bar CANNOT
- Drink alcohol in a restaurant CANNOT (unless you know the manager)
- Go to the beach CAN
- Go to shopping malls CAN
- Enjoy a relaxing massage CANNOT
Having come to Thailand frequently for eleven years, I thought I knew the cost of living and expected to be slightly better off while living here, but we have had a few surprises. I have left out the cost of massages as I might incriminate myself.
Item Australia Thailand
Prescriptions cheap expensive even though no script needed
Beer $20 / 6 pk $10 / 6 pk
Wine $10 mid level $45 for vinegar
Electricity expensive mind blowingly expensive
Bottled water $2 / 500ml 40c / 600ml
Soft drinks expensive cheap
Aussie grapes $9 / kg $4 / kg
ECG test $80 $20
Fried chicken 3pc $11 $3
Bar stools $50 $80
One upside of being in Hua Hin is the chance to meet up with some long term friends who have made this place their permanent home, and others who are temporary regulars. But the downside is being separated from friends and family at home. There are people we are really missing, and if you get this message then you are probably on that list somewhere. If you don’t get the message, then its either “oops sorry, I forgot” or “you are a bit of a dick”, pay your money and take your choice.
Our tourist visa has been replaced by a type O visa valid for 3 months, and which is a stepping-stone to a one year retirement visa. We are taking this option so that we have a level of continuity in our residential rights. The beauty of Thailand is that you can sort a visa by having money in the bank and paying a small fee. Having to hope for a DoHA extension every 3 months in Oz was stressful. We (like everybody) hope that the world returns to normality some time soon, but in the interim we needed to protect ourselves.
Caz has kept herself busy by fighting her humidity hair on a daily basis. She now makes the coffee some days, and even cooked a couple of times. She also does all the cleaning, laundry, painting etc.
I sit on my backside quite a lot, and continue my attempts at writing. The second book is in detailed editing with the publisher, and a third book is completed in it’s first draft. I also buy the beer and make sure the water is cold.
Thank goodness for the gardener doing the garden and the pool guy doing cleaning the pool. They make me feel like a movie star, only without the desire to preach my left wing values to everyone.
So, that’s about it for now. The main purpose of this message was to inform you of where we are and how to contact us.
We wish you all good health and happiness.
There are some of you where we are “quite worried about you”. Please let us know if you are okay.
As I am extremely lazy, I plan to use this generic document to send to multiple people, therefore it is short on personal interaction. But I/we will be forthcoming in future correspondence once we establish some direct contact. So don’t think I am being cold, nothing can be cold in this climate.
Take care. Stay safe. Be healthy. Be cautious. We hope to hear from you, and see you, soon.
Cheers
The Dickie