YEAR end 2008 phuket Thailand

For the past 20 years orso, around X’mas I’m sending a letter to all my dutch friends.


Feel ashamed not doing this to my many English speaking friends and colleagues.


From now on I’ll keep you up to date on my pursuits and roamings.

This year started in cold Holland with my family and soulmate Tini.
Finally learned the Acol system in playing bridge with Tini.
We even won a trip to Italy at de Looiers bridge club.


Had a lovely week in San Carlo playing bridge and sightseeing.
The marble groves were very impressive-had never seen them before.

In march we went to the island of the Gods –BALI.


My deceased mothers last wish was to spread her ashes in the ricefields of Bali. Found a beautiful place overlooking the sawah’s and facing the mountains. Hopefully she finds the peace she could not find on earth.


Met up with old friends in bali and had a great time.



After a month we went to Kuala Lumpur a few days which Tini enjoyed .
There after to Langkawi staying at my friend captain Jelle’s place.
Met up with nice friends –Bryan –rainer and Jean and others .
Played table tennis –bridge –bowling and a lot of sightseeing and of course tasted the malay endul. In In short had a great time.


In may back in Holland , Holland has changed a lot, and I don’t feel home anymore. Of course losing my mother and thus my “pied a terre” has a lot to do with that.


Anyway I have been in Asia more then 50 years and love it out here.
Europe is cold ,expensive,over regulated and too many,non working so called refugees.


Also the government’s soft approach to the extreme fanatic moslims bothers me .


It looks I’ll spend my retirement days in the far east. Inshallah.



In july back to Phuket ,had a small accident and busted a couple of ribs-painful.


My brother in law died and had to return to Holland for his cremation.


Saw family and friends-’attended reunions of my seafaring colleagues-more bridge .


In october back in Thailand where my house was a mess and I worked my butt of. Now everyting is spick and spam again and I’m enjoying myself.


I miss working on the ships but have to accept the fact that I’m not a spring chicken anymore and running up and down ships gets protests from my legs.



Now for the people that might plan to come and visit or even retire in this beautifull Thailand with its lovely beaches-its many interesting sights –lovely weather –good food and cheap living costs the following free information /advice:


You know when you have been in Thailand too long if:

1 you think a beer at 9 am is normal
2 You start to enjoy the thai TV
3 You immediately grab your wallet if a policeman stops you
4 You think a Honda civic is a rolls Royce
5 All your T-shirts have a beer or bar name on it.
6 You don’t remember when you wore a suit or a necktie.
7 You think white wine goes well with Sang Som (=thai rum=).
8 You wake up in the morning and realizes you don’t have to go anywhere and have the whole day to get there
9 You go to a thai boxing match and find ouy it is a soccer game
10 You find a calendar more usefull then a watch.
11 You don’t like Songkran(= thai’s waterfestival in the new year=) anymore and just stay home with a video film.
12 You drive your car barefooted.
13 You can only walk on slippers
14 You came to realize in the mean time that a Thai spouse loyalties are as follows:


A her parents


B her children (from her ex thai husband who left her for a younger woman


C all other family members. D the family karbouw and goldfish E YOU are the


Absolute last one on her list only good for paying the rent and other bills.


D You realize that the most important Thai words start with an S


Sanuk=fun Saduah =easy Sabai=comfortable Suai=pretty/beautiful.


I’m living here now for 5 years and speak from experience.



Another free info (based on hear-say ,this for the religious under us):


The thai government claims that there is no prostitution in Thailand- well if that is so there are also no temples –banks etc etc


All you have to do is visit PAT PONG in Bangkok –the strip in Pattaya-
Bangla Road in patong on phuket island, or Koh Samui island (to name a few) and you will find :


bars –massage parlors-go-go joints-discos-honkie tonks in all sizes and shapes, occupied by beautifull girls, boys or katoys (lady boys) coming out of your ears



the bar owners classify farang (=foreigners) customers by nationality c.q.
the dutch-don’t tip-stingy-bargain on everything-good behavior
the Scandinavians-drink too much and when drunk fight-most among themselves
the Germans –are too loud –drink enough –treat the night butterflies as cattle.
the Russians –tip the girls extravagant but do not pay for the other services.


the Swiss –stingy-talk about mountains and ,taxes –moan about the heat,the traffic and all other unimportant matters but are big spenders in the restaurants. Well liked.
The French and Italians think they have free bees with the bar girls –but this is a no go in this country as sex is a commodity as is fruit and veggies .the sun rises for free.
the Japanese and other Asians are shy –drink little –tip well-till they are drunk.



For the girls (mostly farm girls from Isarn in the north) that occupy all these places of pleasure and relaxation all Farangs are the same:


They are ATM machines –you push the right button and money comes out.
Visitors be forwarned- sailors knew of course about these matters years ago.

I could go on talking about all the advantages and disadvantages of this beautiful country but the proof of the pudding is as always the eating ,


So come and visit it is safe and the place depends a lot on tourism.
They had already bad luck in tha last few years with the tsunami- ,birdflu--airport closures- ,political problems-economic crisis –you name it.

I’m ending this epistel for all of you and all your loved ones ,


Wishing you a healthy and happy 2009.


Gene alias Eugene alias eus alias captain van luyk alias gene-san alias djengot- or under whichever name you have known and or worked with me.