Rene the German Chef is also a friend of mine.
When the Tsunami hit on the 26th I was in the Banthai next to Mollys and Macdonalds and I ended up climbing over the wall at the back of the Hotel to escape.
I'm seforum.xxxgering around and who should be there but Rene, telling me his car was washed away and the Irish Bars were lost and how he got a call on the morning asking if he had seen the sea go out- so we end up standing wondering which way to run as the reports of another big one coming in abound and people are fleeing in all directions.
Nice guy. I remember one night we are shooting the shi* and talking about how Thai's view Farangs and the fact that there are prices for the same goods for Thais and then prices for Farangs (obviously being higher as we are loaded with cash).
Being German he's quite direct, so he tells me how when he was trying to sell his motorbike (nice bike as well) he put a sign in the road with 2 sides to it. One said 1,000,000 Baht the other side 500,000 baht.
So he's sitting there with this For Sale Sign on His Bike for 500,000 Baht and its a nice bike. So all these Thais keep stopping to ask to buy it.
He then turns the sign round and shows them the 1,000,000 Baht For Sale Sign.
Perplexed they ask why they can't buy the Bike for 500,000 Baht.
''You do not understand' he says. '' This is the Farang price. If Thai want to buy bike- must pay double''
I think this was his source of entertainment, not having satellite TV.
Anyway good luck to him. I'll catch up with him in December.
Regards
Drew