Surin mem·oir

lightfoot

lightfoot

Surin Legend
Early 90s late 80s I think my second or third trip to Thailand had some Business to do in Bangkok. I met a lady in Bangkok (Imagine that) did some visiting then went to Chiang Mai for a spell where I met another lady, we also visited. Returned to Bangkok to spend time with the first lady and of course she had to take me home to Surin. Maybe should've stayed in Chiang Mai, Really like the Gal in Chiang Mai, but you can't walk backwards. Anyway it was a fun trip on the train Coming back from Chiang Mai.and a fun trip coming to Surin being chauffeured by one of my friends associates in my friends car.
One of my first impressions of Surin was Petchkasem Plaza, it was new and a very nice shopping center.
Of course we went to her village and picked up beer along the way, lots of it. My friend in Bangkok sent one of his friends along to drive his car, keep an eye on me, He visited with the folks, did not speak in English just listened. When I got back to Bangkok my bilingual friend who was a pharmacist (Passed away, Sure miss him) When we got back to Bangkok my friend filled me in on the story.
Lady had been previously married to a German man. He mysteriously died by Hanging ???. Anyway when the police found him he had a rope around his neck and was dangling away.
At that time I knew everything just like now he ha ha. What yo mite call a Tin horn, Tenderfoot, ,Cheechako if you are new to Alaska, US Lin-go.
It was an amazing experience. Found out later this lady passed away, she was years my junior.
Thought I'd make the story after some reminiscing.
Now here is the interesting thing about 13 + years ago I met another Lady in Chiang Mai, first we lived in Chiang Mai for a while then moved to Surin, in a Village not far from the village of my previous visit about 20 years in the past.
This is where I ended up, You know life is Ying and Yang. I do miss Chiang Mai and have gone back to visit many times.
But like most of the people I've talk to I've talked to, they say there's other benefits here.

Now I'd like to get your opinion on that one ???
 
Interesting story Lightfoot. I too have a few "what if" stories. I may have ended up in Chantaburi which is one of my favourite places.

I would be interested to find out what the "other benefits" of living in Surin are though.
 
Interestingly, I suspect that most people's perceptions are that Surin has grown quite significantly in the last 10 years.

I can only say that in the last 8 years, there has been an abundance of construction work carried out - presumably due to the frequent claim made that Surin is the "Gateway to ASEAN." One measurement of the city's development might be the increase in numbers of D-I-Y and construction outlets here, with HomePro, and DoHome being recent arrivals, adding to ThaiWatsadu, Global House, Home Mart/SCG. Add Mr DIY to the list (including their new store in the city this year) and it becomes very likely that the population of the city must have grown pretty dynamically in recent years.

Wrong!

According to Thailand: Major Cities, Towns & Communes - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information (citypopulation.de) the population has actually fallen during that time, from their estimates of 40,169 at the end of 2010, through 39,477 at the end of 2015, to 39,025 at the end of last year. These aren't huge variations, but do show a downward trend when - given that enthusiasm mentioned about the Gateway to ASEAN" - you might have expected a very substantial increase in numbers.

With the increase in the size and number of outlets, it is inevitable that without a large increase in the spending power of the population, some of those will be struggling to survive. We know that new restaurants attract the curious and the trendy for a few weeks after they open, only for the clientele to move on to the next hopeful venue leaving shattered dreams behind them; not always, Cent, but often! This contributes to the feeling of "you should have been here a few years ago when the city was buzzing!" instead of looking at so many places with shutters closed, new and old alike.

The former I.Q. buildings supplies and home improvements store which closed down and was replaced by the "bigger and better" DoHome store was a dirty, run-down business, unsustainable in the original version despite the several I.Q. cement and concrete businesses that helped support it and their housing land development business.

In short, there isn't sufficient money around today to feed the new businesses and new housing that so many thought the last decade would justify. Is it therefore any wonder that places like the Petchkasem mall are only just hanging on by a thread, without the funding available to modernise and maybe attract new tenants and customers?
 
Some 8/9 years ago, IQ did a great trade. However they lost their clientelle when each of Thai Watsadu, Home Pro and Global opened. Same thing happened in Buriram.
 
"not always, Cent, but often!"

Very true, Merlin. Many places have opened and closed over the years here. And many are still hurting and just barely surviving from the covid lock down and curfews and such and lack of any westerners coming back to work and coming through Surin. The foreign temp teachers and the others doing things like working the elephant rescue places, etc. used to drop a good amount of money every week/month in the restaurants and bars. Some places are/have started side businesses to supplement their usual businesses I have noticed too. And the government does not help, and actually hurts business with all their extra long weekend holidays and liquor sales bans.
 
Wombat said:
Interesting story Lightfoot. I too have a few "what if" stories. I may have ended up in Chantaburi which is one of my favourite places.

I would be interested to find out what the "other benefits" of living in Surin are though.
Click to expand...
No steep hills to drive up - at this moment in time I can't quite bring to mind the "other benefits".

12 years ago I was spending 2 weeks every month further south by the sea in Chumphon.
Like Surin not an important tourist centre.
At that time there was only one departmental store - the spitting image of Petchkasem - called Ocean,
The guys from Bangkok called it "Ocean Museum".
I see there is now the Ocean Shopping Mall - meaning probably still locally controlled.
Presumably there must be BigC etc. somewhere near.

I miss the Cabana Breach seaside resort
 
I quite enjoy living in Surin, it's not too big and not too small. Apart from clothing and shoes, the shops cater to most of my needs, especially the D.I.Y. stores. The only thing I miss is the sea, but for me, the absence of the sea and sandy beaches is an added bonus. When I did live close to the sea, and I took my black Labrador for her daily swim, I suffered badly from sand-fly bites. The local clinic nick-named me "The Sticking Plaster Man". I suffered an allergic reaction to the bites that resulted in open sores taking many weeks or months to heal. I was covered in plasters on my arms and legs to cover the affected bites.
 
I have never been a fan of living in tourist meccas where six months of the year strangers flock in...unless I'm the tourist.
I could never imagine a reality as a full-time resident of Las Vegas, Pattaya or Phuket with a family situation.
That's just me.
Surely the majority of those residents avoid the luggage crowds too.

That stated Surin fits the bill. Possibly we get an elephant tourist crowd and Buriram MotoGP Racing totalling two weeks in non-Covid years.
In Surin environs we're definitely not inundated with strangers in our mists.

So for me I'll put down roots here eventhough I know certain resources are limited locally for growing older.
Ones family situation is paramount.
Without a family Surin loses its flavour.

On the whole we're treated fairly well by the locals with little to no concern as elders of the youthful population.
I believe that feeling is quite different than in our native lands if you're out 'n about past curfew. jimho
 
Wanderer said:
and much much much better governance.
Click to expand...
Yeah, they have Newin, who has a lot of political and military influence (and money), plus a good brain, and he seems to know what he is doing and brings in a lot of things into the city that are of great benefit. I will add that the Makro is definitely under the management of much more customer friendly and better management. Better replacement of stock and choices.

I am wondering if the government there in Buriram is helping the small businesses. Not so in Surin for sure. I am hearing many in Surin are having problems with their businesses rents. 100K baht, to be paid in full annually, or close up and f**k off. Seems they do not care if the place will sit empty for a year or more rather than lower the rent in these difficult times, or even take a monthly rent payment instead. More here will be closing I believe. Also, rents in Surin for business properties are highest in the area. Downtown Surin is very expensive.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top