HI Mark! Great little video. I use the Smart Bus a lot as I mentioned before. As a solo traveller, with nothing to do and all day to do it, it's a great way to sight see and fill a day in and a great change from sitting on the beach. That café just near the bus stop is a great place to people watch too.😊

Even normal Thai girls will ask for 10-30k baht allowance money. Why would a guy pay for a girl while he’s back in his home country, 9 out of 10 she’s cheating on you and has multiple sponsors that she juggles. Not to mention another fb acct or two with pics of her with different dudes. Thai women are easy to get jealous, but many of them also cheat.

i always use smart bus and any luggage ok even surfboard. i was planning to visit phuket but lots of hassles, hustles even now rainy season. tricky hotel surcharges when you think you are getting a deal. da nang is better. funny thing about the smart bus. before it arrives at bangla heading towards airport a cop shows up to discourage opposition from tuk tuks and taxis

I can't wait to pick your brain brother. Hope to see you soon and I hope you had a good night last night. I sure did!!!!

I will keep that in mind. I believe I spent 1000 to get back to the airport last may.

Not just a Thai thing, I have lived in Bali for 30 +years and seen all of what yourself and other posters have reported, same modus operandi, initial , and seemingly friendly conversation is actually like a job interview to a possible rich sucker that may be easily ripped off, Mentioning that you are staying at the cheapest hotel in town and only get a small monthly pension gets rid of the blowflies quicker than Mortein.

Appreciate the viewer discretion warning about the bus footage. I got through it without too much trauma! 🚌🚌🚌 ✌

I've gotta say..I can't see you being a Bus Boy but a huge savings

I took that bus from the airport and it was a very comfortable ride; the main downside is having luggage and dragging it to the hotel. Once I also took it from Kamala to Rawai but it was full so I had to stand. So ultimately it comes down to dollars and cents just like everything in life other than death. I suggest you do a video on Bolt as frequently I would order it, driver agrees and then sends you a message he is canceling. Also many drivers tend to not accept. This is very different from Uber or Lyft in the West where the driver always accepts the posted fee and never cancels. Peace

Be careful with extras

What about add ons

Highly recommend the smartbus. Took it from the airport as well as from Patong to Rawai. Cost effective and it’s air conditioned 👍

Great video Doc. keep them coming. Hoping to come to Phuket again in Dec.

Even though you hate public transportation a video about how to use the small baht buses to get around Patong to get to other beaches and back would be helpful. Maybe have a friend do it and you edit it?

First off, when you go to a restaurant if they give you a menu in English, it will probably contain elevated prices and in american dollars. You have to reques the other menu, that is written in spanish and contaon prices in pesos. You never pay in dollars for anything in Cuba right now, nor even taxi. They have to accept pesos. Otherwise, you will get taken advantage off on exchange rate. Right now, 1 american dollar is 360 pesos. All you have to know is how the bills look like and then go to downtown in front of main banks or exhange centers and someone will approach you at thw door before you walk in. Those people dont mess around with scams, and they will give you a decent exchange rate. Second, even now i think Cuba is not dangerous unless you wear gold chains or flash your newest cell phone of cameras and if you are ALONE going in dark alleys and DRUNK. Big if, as there are always undercover cops around and penalties are very severe if they touch a tourist. If you go with a Cuban friend, no one will approach you even whem walking in dark. So, just dress down a bit. Third, are you smart enough to have noticed the biggest Cuban scam and propaganda they all do? They all always cry they are poor, they are starving to death bla bla bla and when you come over there, you notice after a while it is not really like this. They are all well fed, they have nice clothes , flat screen tvs, now even electric mopeds, cell phones and an attitude and contemptuous disrespect toward tourists. Remember, someone who is truly hungry cannot afford to be or have all of these things listed. And they always expect something for nothing. Dont give them anything for nothing.

Very useful information! Thank you Mark, Cheers Mate

Great reminder Mark that we do have options. I did notice in may this year when I was in Phuket that Bolt prices were increasing unfortunately...

Smartbus is the way to go

Phuket, BARF!!

i find digital nomads to be ageist. also many expats have more mobility since us expats are fairly well off in comparison. us Boomers had it all, best music, cars, sex. they resent us for it and the fact that they where born too late.

Good stuff.

Nicely done, once again.

Creepy

Hi Doc thanks for the video. I don’t want to sound like your father, but you shouldn’t be riding your bike in sandals either. I’ve done a lot of target shooting and been on a shooting team for 22 long rifle many years. I noticed on the map several shooting ranges. Is there anyway I can have my pistol sent to Thailand and store it at one of the shooting Best regards.

Hi great video im a new subscriber..its correctly what u say. I know one freelancer in Bangkok made 3 million bhatt last year alone ..same story to farangs divorced on thai friendly has a son to pay for at university runs a small online shop selling clothes 8/10 looks maybe 7. comes over as a poor ordinary thai girl .great english speaking but deceitful and knows how to extract money for school fees and her rent. .

MGTOW is free and doesn’t hurt your life

Ya hay there. Did you give the neighbor a towel to cover up the hydraulics?

Wow. Being from the U S never was interested in visiting Cuba. Now even more so. I have friends who yearly go to some resort in Mexico the Bahamas Caribbean what ever and think - say they were in that country. For me, they were where glorified slaves were serving them. I personally could not be more not interested. I found your videos because I find it fascinating to tour Thailand and the far east off the beaten path where the locals live. The big tourist destinations? Doesn't flip my trigger at all. Living and thriving with the locals, Thailand Laos Cambodia Vietnam maybe Malaysia like those old hippies who went there decades ago. That's what interests me at 60 yo.

Tate has to pay women to like him, and even Thai girls are repulsed by him

I like how doctor makes up stories about things and people that never existed 😀

I think being here has hardened me a lot, and I think it was necessary character development. I’m a cheap Charlie, not a charity.

Stayed at the Terminal earlier this year. Great place for the money.

If you haven't stayed at the Yana Villas on Khao Takiab Beach, you need to. It's an amazing place to stay. It's right on the beach. The suites are large and I always choose the pool villas. It's not a place for cheap people, but it's also not so expensive that it will break the bank. My wife and I are staying here now ( August 2024) and the cost for 7 days was just over $1,100 USD. The breakfast buffet is out of this world. I think it's one of the best in Hua Hin. You can get less expensive rooms without a private pool if you want to, but you would be hard pressed to find a better place to stay for the money. We stay here at least twice a year. We absolutely love this place.

4 intro before you say each time: "now i am going to tell the whole story and it will shock you"

He saw all your video, but still thinks he needs to warn you about bar girls? right

i could afford it but im sure at 62 they would wear me down after the first day, might could try the weekend rate first! lol Should have tried this 7 years ago when i first got my full retirement!

I am 72 miles and my Philippine wife is 27. E have 2 children in Thailand Puckett

These are the people who give Thailand the "ick factor" reputation. Not the women (or men) who have wandered astray due to financial desperation, family circumstance, etc...

Sounds like to me to many old men and guys who can't get a date, so they buy it , went there The girls learned the money system .these men . The prices don't sound like a third world country like thialand such as $1500 a month .. I also think it may not be safe . From watching these videos , I seen some where crime is high in these countries that don't have jobs . One I saw where taxi drivers would drive people away and to a group of guys that would rob them .and the drivers gets a cut.

Survive maybe, but live, not by any reasonable definition of living.

What's up Doc? Are you still in Hua Hin?

Hey mark, Booked 3 night stay tomorrow based on your recommendation. Never been to hua hin before it’s a place on my check list on whether to live here or not, hotel matters little to me as you picking one would have better than me guessing where to stay. Thanks for the video and always enjoy watching.

I stopped to write this comment right after you described "bob". that's me. Totally. Resuming video now.

So I’m curious. You have this listed as the true cost of every guys fantasy but you speak of one. I’m just adventure seeking and I have friends who’ve been there but no one seems to give an accurate amount that one could expect. I understand the variance in prices but I’d like to experience something like this in my life. I’m not after degradation or a crazy situation but a good honest time is what I’d like.

How do I get there, Bangkok n a short flight. I’m going by chritmas😅

Exist YES, Live NO. Not by any reasonable definition of Living.

We have eaten at several of these places and can confirm... the best food and prices thanks doc from nz 👌

You are looking at this all wrong.First of all if you are paying someone a lot of money ,the word is not girlfriend.She is an employee.

I have a Thai gf, and you hit the nail on the head. I also feel like you've just opened my eyes to whether she is honest about anything or her loyalty now. Because when I'm not with her i do not like it

So glad to see your video. All the old creepy guys are such a turn off. They were making me rethink my decision to move to Thailand. But there are good people everywhere.