Spain: Paradise Lost just started. ITV (9pm)

Jonbvn

bendix wrote: »

'Pattaya Jumpers', throwing themselves off the balcony of their high rise one room slum apartment, after their hooker girlfriend had left them when she realised he didnt have any money after all.

I thought it was called the Pattaya Flying Club?;)

I just beats me why people who go on holiday for a few weeks to somewhere sunny suddenly consider themselves qualified and able to run a bar, despite having no previous experience in the business, nor able to speak the language. It is akin to me offering to extract teeth in Germany, when I am a qualifed civil engineer in the UK:p

bendix

Pssst wrote: »

Thats an interesting insight into the shallow existence of both bar girls and their "boyfriends" in Thailand. Not somewhere that appeals.

It's a great place, but just not for people with relatively weak willpower and no sense of personal discipline. I lived in Bkk for five years and saw guys throw themselves into that lifestyle, and had these illeducated girls run rings around them. In every respect, when you advised them not to go anywhere near bargirls and pointed out that hookers represented about 0.1% of the female population, their answer was the same: "oh no, but she's different."

It always ended the same way.

Couldnt see the attraction myself, but horses for courses.

chucknorris

This is a very interesting programme for me and my wife as we are thinking of spending about 5/6 months in Spain (approx Nov - March) each year in about 5 years time when my wife retires (at 45).

Although instinctively I would prefer to buy (eventually as I wouldn't jump in like those on this documentary) because longer term holiday rents are so cheap in the winter it just doesn't make economic sense to buy and live there only 5/6 months especially when you consider property tax, utilities etc, risk of burgulars in an empty property and the hassle of trying to do holiday rents during the summer.

vigilaire

Chucknorris - I think you are right in that the way forward is a long term winter holiday let. I went to Spain for a month initially and once there ( I speak enough Spanish ) you soon can find what you want locally and suprisingly cheap. If you deceide you've had enough then just move on - no real downside risk. Having travelled a fair bit I'd NEVER burn my bridges by turning my back on the UK. Yes I know there are many problems here but it is always nice to know at the back of your mind that you can return to the familiarity and support networks if it goes pear shaped abroad.