Note: All persons having sex are consenting and over the age of 18.
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CHAPTER 10 -- Settling In and Hathaikan's Surprise
The building where Noi worked was newer construction and had a lot of glass. It looked rich. I guess it was a good place to house a financial planning firm. Nik and I got up to the fourth floor and waited for Noi to come and get us.
Noi was dressed in a green pants suit and had her hair pulled back. She looked fully like a businessperson. She led us back to her office and we sat down at a table where she could sit between us.
"Now Jeff, to live permanently in Thailand you will need to be a permanent resident for a minimum of three years. After being in Thailand legally for three years you can apply for a permanent residency permit, that permit never expires. You also must apply for a Thailand residence certificate." She held up her hand, "I know, 'what's the difference'? Well, let's just say there is and leave it at that. It would be too difficult to explain."
"Now financially investing," she continued, "and living here for those first three years, means you must apply for a Retirement Visa. I can help you with filling out the paperwork and go with you where you need to go and apply for it. The only real requirement you are going to have to do is an 800,000 Baht deposit, into a Thai bank, for 2 months prior to the application."
"How much is that?" I asked.
"A little less than $22,000."
"Can't I just write you a check for $25,000 now and get it over with?" I joked. I knew an American check meant next to nothing here in Thailand. In fact, if you gave a check written off an American bank account, they would begrudgingly take it, but it would take anywhere from 30-60 days to clear. Doing a transfer would take only minutes.
"We can transfer as much as you want into a Thai bank, it just must be a minimum of the 800,000 and in there for 2 months before you can apply for the Retirement Visa. That minimum must also stay in there. I can take you to the Siam Commercial Bank that is inside Central Pattaya to open the account and set up the transfer. The only other thing that you must have to live in Thailand is health insurance, and I will introduce you to my agent, he's English and has lived here for nearly 40 years now and has owned his own insurance brokerage house for the last 30 years."
"That all sounds great Noi. I will probably transfer at least half of what I now have into the Thai bank. It will save me a lot of hassle from having to go to an exchange every day. Please let's start setting things up."
"There's only one last thing we have to do," Noi said, and she looked to make sure the blinds to her office were closed and she kissed me.
"Sealed with a kiss huh?" I joked."
Nik, who had been silent up till now, said, "What about me?"
"I'm not going to kiss you unless you have his cum in your mouth."
"I'm talking about my Thailand citizenship Noi!"
Noi giggled, "Just teasing Nik. I did a little digging for us both. Since I was born here, to a Thai mother, I can get my citizenship automatically through 'jus sanguinis'. You were born here with both of your parent's being Thai, it should be even easier for you. Now, for you to marry each other here in Thailand you only must do a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage. Basically, prove you are free to marry."
"I have never been married, so how do I prove that?" I asked her.
"The certificate will be done through the American Embassy in Bangkok. I assume they will do a records search to confirm everything."
"Do I have to see or talk to my birth parents?" Nic asked.
"I don't think so Nik." Noi replied. "I think that the adoption records at the orphanage will suffice. It's still in business in the same building."
"I guess that's another check box to add to the list then Nik," I told her. "Anything else Noi?"
"That's enough to get started. I will block off a couple of hours in my schedule for us to get that deposit made and will let you know when."
"Sounds great Noi."
"Thank you, Noi," Nik said and gave her sister a hug.
We left Noi's office and walked out of the building. I looked at my watch, 11:34. "Want to hit up some street food Nik?"
Nik looked around to get her bearings. "Let's go up to the Buakhao Market. We can do some casual clothes shopping on the cheap and grab a bite to eat."
"Sounds good. Are we walking?"
"No, Baht-Bus, it's quite a way up and around Third Road. The Baht-Bus will drop us off at S Pattaya Road. We can walk from there."
"You got me lost just saying that. Lead on Sacajawea," and I gave her butt a slight swat.
We walked to the space marked for the Baht-Bus and waited for a few minutes until it came. Nik talked to the driver to see if this one would take us to where we wanted and then Nik told me, "20-baht". I paid the driver, and we climbed into the bed of the small pickup and sat on the bench seat. I leaned back with my arm around Nik and enjoyed watching the city go by.
When we arrived near the Buakhao Market we walked the short distance down S Pattaya Road then took Tai 22 for the short walk down that alley to Buakhao Market.
Again, I was blown away with all the different stalls selling just about everything you could think of, the majority however was clothing.
"Let's eat first, I didn't eat enough for breakfast." Nik said.
"I am too, it's because we both had pussy for breakfast, and it was Asian, so it doesn't keep you from getting hungry again a couple hours later." I said with a shit-eating grin on my face.
Nik stuck her tongue out at me and replied, "But it was such delicious pussy, we really must eat it again soon."
We both laughed and looked around for a food stall that looked good. There was a stall obviously selling fried fish of different varieties, everything written in Thai but the price. It all ranged from 20 to 35 baht, and that was for a huge steak of fish. I shook my head 35 baht was less than $1.
We finally found a stall selling different curries, soups, and stir-fry. I pointed out one of the items that looked like a light broth, pho type, of soup and the lady handed me a bag of it. Nik had gotten a stir-fry, and it also came in a clear plastic bag. She grabbed 2 plastic spoons from a holder and said, "Come on I'll show you how to eat Thai fast-food," she walked off laughing at my confused look.
I followed Nic to an area with tables and chairs where we could sit and eat. She explained, "Some of these vendors in stalls will serve on sticks, or paper boats like what we had at Runway, others are like this one who will serve your take-away in a plastic bag. Around here they are not expecting you to eat here but take it home with you after shopping at the other vendors."
I nodded my head in understanding, although I still felt like I had just left a pet store with a bag of tropical fish. She handed me the spoon and I watched as she carefully opened her bag and started scooping out stir fry and shoving it in her mouth. I did the same and found my soup was very tasty and not too spicy. The meat, however, was suspect. "Nik, what am I eating?"
She looked at what I had on my spoon and said, "Is it good?"
"It's delicious," I answered. "But what is it?"
"If you like it, then that's all you need to know." And she went back to work on her stir-fry.
I ate some more trying to figure out what I was tasting and finally gave up and ate what was in my bag. When we were done Nik kissed me on the cheek quickly to not offend anyone looking and said, "I'm proud of you."
"For what?"
"That was the Thai version of Vietnamese pho."
"I figured that much out Nik."
"It's made a bit differently. The meat is usually beef and pork and it's cooked in Thai dark soi sauce and nam tok."
"Okay."
"Nam tok is cow or pig's blood mixed with salt."
"Oh, then that's why the meat was salty and tasted slightly metallic. I thought it was just the type of meat."
"That didn't bother you like I thought it would."
"I've come to accept that I'm going to eat strange things here. I was just curious because I thought the meat itself was different, and not the way it was prepared." She seemed satisfied with my explanation and took my hand and led me into the bowels of the market and we spent most of the afternoon shopping at the various stalls.