New member

Post by **steve/m** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:03 pm

Hi to everybody,my name is steve,and new to this forum,but not that new to huaHin/cha am,Well only 3 years new.
I got married to a Thai Aug06 and Divorced June 08.
I met a new lady Sep07 who gave me the strenght and power to carry on through the troubles i was having with my wife.
My New lady and i had a salon in selecam,and maybe i have met some of the users of this forum before,while visiting our shop,or maybe while eating and drinking at the lord nelson.
during may,june this year my new lady/wife spent most of our time painting the temple in the centre huahin.
I arranged the plans to do this in Jan this year with the abbot,through Gan (one of the monks.)
This work was done for free and the paint purchased by myself,I hope to do some more work on the temple as soon as i can get back to LOS.
so hopefully if any member thinks they know myself or my new wife,let me know plz.Best wishes to all.steve

Post by **caller** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:34 pm

Welcome Steve, I wondered if you were on here in view of your posts elsewhere? Now I know!

Post by **Lev** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:35 pm

Welcome to HHAD, be sure to read the forum starter pack:

http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/hh ... 10054.html

And jump right in!

Post by **steve/m** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:25 pm

hi and thanks caller,lev

Post by **Jim M** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:45 pm

Welcome Steve

Jim

Post by **The understudy** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:53 pm

A very warm welcome also from my side steve/m.

I Hope I bump into you in Hua Hin someday!

your's The understudy!!!

Post by **Randy Cornhole** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:02 am

Hi, steve/m and welcome to the family...

Post by **Big Boy** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 2:24 am

Hi Steve, you must be the Farang I was watching painting the temple one day back in May while my wife was inside.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but how did you manage to get around the labour laws? Surely, even voluntary work like yours is illegal in Thailand for a Farang.

I did admire the work you were doing, but the above question has often crossed my mind ever since.

Post by **steve/m** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 3:16 am

Hi BB, Not sure myself,on that point.
While i was in huaHin Dec/Jan we went to the Temple to have our P/up blessed, by Gan a monk ( who has now become a very close friend).
It was at this time i decided to look at the Temple more closer,and noticed what a poor state it was in.I spoke to gan regarding this and offered to paint it on my next trip.
He advised we should speak to the abbot,about this.
When we did manage to see him (twice) he asked many questions as to why and when we wanted to do the work.
Plans were made and a rough date set,and as i never break my word,i came back to LOS late april through to mid july.
I just purchased the paint/paint stripper etc and did the work.
Many times i thought about any probs i might have in doing this,
but life is 2 short to worry about what may or may not happen,
many police,army,navy and wealthy thai people looked at what we were doing and many asked questions,the main one being why we are doing it.
Many thought we were doing it to bring us luck,and did not understand it when i said no not for luck but because we want to do it a few gave donations,towards the paint,and a few gave budhas.
No body ever gave us a problem,in fact,one night i was waiting near the main lights when a policeman walked passed me looking and smilling.
he stopped and started talking about all the amulets i was wearing,He then asked where i was from, england i replied,to which he smiled and said where is your wife,and asked me if i had finished painting the Temple.
Now i have never seen this man or spoken to him before,but he knew who my wife and i were.
maybe immigration did not know what we had done,or maybe becuase it was for the temple,they turned a blind eye.
many people who i have never met before,seemed to know what we had done,some even asking us to go to their restuarant or bar,for free.
cannot give you any real answrs as to why i was allowed to do this work.
but i know it gave me real pleasure in doing it. best wishes steve

Post by **Big Boy** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 3:54 am

Thank you for that Steve - good job

Post by **caller** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:06 am

I've got to add something here, with all due respect to Steve. He started posting on a UK forum I'm a member of a while ago and I hope he doesn't mind me saying that? He is without doubt a 'wear my heart on my sleeve' sort of guy. We've read his up's and downs, in's and out's and been flummoxed by his 'get back in there' attitude. All the +/- of life lived and loved betwixt & between Hua Hin and Cha Am was there.

He clearly enjoys (loves?) and knows the area and I would suspect adds to the cast of characters. His last few posts elsewhere about his meeting with his new lady, tattoo parlours, guns and the like made kind of interesting reading! More so for me as I sort of knew where he was talking about.

I too was puzzled about the temple when I first heard it, good to hear from another equally perplexed who witnessed what he was up to. Quite a task I would imagine!

Post by **steve/m** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:29 am

LOL thanks caller

I just tell it as it happens so to speak.
maybe many of you think im crazy,but i cant live my life any other way.
while i am in england i feel dead. its only when im in LOS that i feel alive,
even with all its ups and downs,frustrations etc. I dont want to see and hear thai people thinking that we europeans are just ££ $$,While i always try to learn more about Thai culture i also try to teach them about ours,and that while in our own countries we also have to work hard,pay bills etc.
As for painting the temple,well i can say that gan and many other monks,took care of my wife and i with plenty of coffee,water and fruit,although the sun and heat was a bit much at times.
best wishes steve.

Post by **migrant** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:46 am

Steve, welcome! I'm not as experienced as many here, but after reading about the painting of the temple, thought I'd add my two baht! I told my Thai wife, and she said it sounds like something I would do, not sure if that's good or bad

Post by **steve/m** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:13 pm

LOl migrant, If its in your heart to do something like that ,then i suggest you go ahead and do it.
Its the fastest way of meeting thai people from all walks of life, and also them getting to know you.
It gave me great satisfaction,in doing this,although i could have done with a sand blaster,at the start.
right now my plans areto find a job and save the pennies for my next trip.
I was thinking of installing cctv cameras at the temple,next time,as on 3 rescent occasions Gan,has been robbed while working selling amulets.
bestwishes steve