Wednesday, July 2, 2003

: Get up around 9 today. Head to hardware store and buy for Fon: vinyl, wood grain, louvered , pre-hung door for hong naam (B2800); precut wood for last window for her house (B800). We follow the truck to a bus, load everything on the bus and then to the Land Records Office.

Fon has some document that lists her parents, daughter and granddaughter and the piece of property on which their house sits. The parent’s bigger property (100 rai?) is located down the road a little bit. There, they grow rice and have a small rubber tree plantation. The document is a very official looking, multi-page, bound like a passport. Fon drops the book and her ID at some window. After a period of time, we are asked to go upstairs to speak with some official. When we get upstairs, there are 2 rooms, packed with land officials, all wearing military type uniforms, listening to some speaker. They have the same blank, bored looks on their faces that conferees everywhere have. We are then escorted back down to our seats, without actually talking to anybody.

Fon wanders off somewhere. This whole thing is a typical Thai experience for me. I have no idea what’s happening and I sit and smile at all of the people who are smiling and staring at the farang. Earlier, I asked Fon some questions about this title transfer of property from her parent’s name to hers. Are there not lawyers, papers to sign, research to be done, some kind of bill of sale, a note from her parents, anything? Simple answer from her: No. Thinking that my question is not clear, I try again: could anybody just come in with this book and transfer the title, then? Simple answer again: No. Why not? “Thai not do.” After many other questions along the same lines, the best answer that I get seems to be: the title for the land cannot be sold. A portion can only be transferred to a family member and that person is usually the eldest daughter. Some guy approaches me from the side and catches me by surprise. He asks, “Where are you from? Is that your wife? Where do you stay now?”. I tell him America, yes and Bangkok, not really wanting to give much information to a total stranger. Fon returns, says hi to the guy and then she tells me to come and sit with them- apparently, he is one of the big cheeses at the Land Office!

We sit at his desk and have a very pleasant conversation. His English is OK (not as good as Fon’s). A secretary brings us glasses of ice water. We end up sitting for a total of about 35 minutes. Most of the time, we are just chatting. Every so often, either a piece of paper arrives, which he signs, or he put some papers on the front of his desk, which are then whisked away by some secretary. I notice that one secretary is eating, another is playing a Thai baby version of Tetris and one secretary is reading a book. By the time we are done, he has tried on my ring, told me he would like English lessons, given me his card and his home phone number, taken my name, phone number, email and home address and told me that now I have a friend in Loie, anytime I need one. After he did the palm reading thing, holding my hand and gently tracing my lifeline or some such, I ask him if he is married and if he has any children (i.e., are you gay? Remember, this is my GIRLFRIEND here sitting next to me!). Everybody laughs, kind of an odd moment. Fon gets up and goes to another window to pay some fee (B30). While she is gone, an attractive secretary in a form-fitting, blue female business suit drops more papers on his desk. He gives a leering grin to me and nods towards her, “Suay maak mai?” (very pretty, yes?) I say all Thai women are pretty (Tuk pu-ying kon Thai suay maak). Fon returns and everything is complete. Fon now owns a piece of land and the house that she is building on it. Chorchai points out that her house is number 160. Her parent’s house, right next-door, is number 4. I ask Fon what the number of the house is on the other side of her house (“Don’t know”). Remember, in Thailand, houses are numbered by the order of registry at the land office, which pretty much makes it IMPOSSIBLE to find anyplace!

We then head for Fon’s house on the motorbike. We buy some food along the way. By the time we get there, the hardware has arrived.

Work is progressing well on the house.


Thursday, July 3: We stay another day in Loie so that we can check on work on the house and take some final photos for the visa application. Today turns out to be the first day in Loie with no rain. We decide to ride the motorbike to Chiang Khan, a small village about 20 miles north of Loie. Chiang Khan is right on the Mekong River, which separates Thailand from Laos to the north. We eat at a small overlook on the Mekong River, about 3 miles east of Chiang Khan.

We then head back to Fon’s village. BTW, the name of the village is Ban Huay Wai. By the time we arrive, the workmen have finished the front (and final) wall of the house.

Friday, July 4: We leave Loie at 8 AM and arrive at Mor Chit in Bangkok at 4:45 PM. It was a nice ride on a good bus- front seats, so we had a great view of everything. We went through the Phu Kradung National park. It is about 4000 feet high and full of deciduous woods, like oak and maple! This is pretty unusual for Thailand. It does get close to freezing here some nights in the wintertime, according to Fon. Hard to believe, though- the heat everyday is just an incredible, hanging heat. (NOTE: I got to experience the cold the following December, when we returned to the mountains of Northern Thailand. IT WAS COOOOLD!)