In this report, we interview Eric who explains why he left Canada and bought a bar in Pattaya Thailand.
Here are links to the Jungle online resources:
- The Jungle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJunglePattaya
- The Rabbit Hole Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRabbitHolePattaya
- The Jungle Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheJunglePattayaThailand
- Google Map of the Jungle
Why he left Canada
Qiang: We are coming back here to interview Eric. We met him during one of my drunk nights and we stayed talking to him until 2 AM.
Dan: Yeah, we closed a bar with him. We don’t really do that anymore.
Qiang: Yeah, like what, It’s two o’clock. How, what the hell are we?
Dan: His story is pretty fascinating. Oh yeah. He’s been to a Thai prison. He has two bars here in Thailand. Yeah. So he’s from I think Canada. That’s why we keep talking ,,, until two o’clock,
Qiang: So we are back. Bring his story to you.
Dan: So this is Dan of Vagabond Awake, and today we’re lucky enough to have Eric on the channel. Qiang and I met him the other night. We actually closed a bar chatting with him. We were having such a good time. And we’ve come back to, we think you want to hear a story. So, Eric, welcome to the channel.
Eric: Welcome to the Jungle.
Dan: What is it about your bar that people come here for … in your mind?
Eric: To Pattaya or my bar?
Dan: Your bar.
Eric: For this bar, … definitely The band. The band. Okay. And like they have a lot of followers that watch on our YouTube channel and stuff. And, when they walk in like there are people I’ve never seen before and some, some of their fans have been following ’em for years. And they walk in and like the band will see and hey, so and so.
Dan: And what kind of music do they play?
Eric: They can play just about anything, but mostly rock. Rock.
Dan: Okay. And, and that’s how you named your bar? Yeah. A song?
Eric: Yeah. Welcome to The Jungle by Guns and Roses.
Dan: And that’s how we get into his bar because of the music. Yeah. We were walking down the street and we heard music and we’re like, Hey, let’s go in that one. Yeah. And we had a really good time.
Why he left Canada and bought a bar in Pattaya Thailand
Dan: So you mentioned that you own two bars in Thailand and you always wanted to buy a bar. Maybe not … these two bars. But any bar. What would you say is the minimum or maximum to come and buy a bar in Pattaya?
Eric: Better have a good couple of million Baht on hand (about $54,000 USD). Okay. And the prices are going up now too. I bought it when prices were down. Yeah. But I’d maintain staff and pay utilities and taxes. Right. Set up companies and all that.
Dan: Can you own a business here in your own name? Yes. But you can’t work in it, is that right?
Eric: I only own 49% of the company. Thai people own 51% of the company. Okay. But there are ways to protect yourself. Doing it Right. With using lawyers and stuff. I welcome somebody to take over my company cuz I’d benefit greatly from it. Okay. But I have a work permit as well.
Dan: So is there a requirement to have at least 51% owned by a local?
Eric: Yes. That’s mandatory.
Dan: Did you own any businesses in Canada?
Eric: Yes. I owned a business for heavy equipment and stuff like that.
Dan: Okay. And so how would you compare, What’s it like owning a business in Thailand versus Canada? Is it harder here? Easier, More red tape? Less red tape? How would you characterize it?
Eric: Well, In some ways it’s easier in Thailand because I hired a lawyer and she just does everything for me. Even my work permit Visa runs, stuff like that.
Dan: Where are you from?
Eric: Canada.
Dan: Canada. What part?
Eric: Mostly Alberta and Saskatchewan. I’ve lived all over both places.
Dan: Cold.
Eric: Cold, very cold.
Dan: And now you’re in a warm spot.
Eric: And I’m never feeling cold like that again.
Dan: Smart man. So maybe that answers the question, why did you leave your home country?
Eric: The cold. The cold, like Canada’s awesome, but just tired of the cold.
Dan: It’s too cold and it’s a beautiful place, Amazing people, amazing food, everything. Amazing food. Everything’s great about Canada, in my opinion, but it’s …
Eric: Oh, I thought you were talking about Thailand being amazing.
Dan: In Thailand, the people here are awesome.
Eric: Oh, me too. I think Canadians are very friendly overall, I think. Oh, they’re great. But Thai people for the most part are, are very friendly. Yeah. Helpful. Yeah. And I think like Canada’s very safe to live. But yeah, Thailand, I’ve wandered around Bangkok by myself, middle of the night without any fears. No problems.
Dan: I’ve been all over Thailand in all hours and I’ve never had a hint of trouble either. Yeah, so I totally get that. So where are we right now and why did you pick this spot in Thailand?
Eric: I wanted to live somewhere close to the sea, right. And it’s like 150 meters away, so that’s right. I retired unexpectedly and I wanted to buy a bar and I could live above this bar. Everything just kind of fell into place. I was looking at a couple other bars. Those deals fell through other bars in the area and just kept, I kept ending up back on this soi.
Dan: So we’re in Pattaya and we’re in the jungle bar. Yes. Yeah.
Eric: No, the jungle. The jungle.
Dan: Yes, the jungle. Right. So how long have you been here?
Eric: I’d be 21 months.
Dan: Like right before the pandemic maybe? Yep. You bought this bar in Pattaya right before the pandemic?
Eric: Before the pandemic. Actually, our grand opening day of The Rabbit Hole was supposed to be April 10th. That’s the bar next door. The Rabbit Hole. That was the day the government locked everything down.
Dan: Oh, wow.
Eric: So our grand opening was Nixed. And then they said for two weeks … but nobody really believed it would only be for two weeks. It ended up being nine months. So I paid staff all the way through it.
Dan: Oh wow. So congratulations. And you’re still in business?
Eric: Sort of? Yeah, I’m still here. Yeah. I even hired a band during that time, like when I took over this one in September and made it into “The Jungle” and then hired a band during the lockdown. They were selling their instruments and stuff trying to survive like they had no income for months. Right, Right. Then I hired them, gave them rooms to live, and a salary.
Dan: Is this your first time living outside of Canada?
Eric: Yes.
Dan: Okay. And when did you first think that, Hey, wait a second, I can’t do this anymore? I wanna live overseas somewhere.
Eric: Actually, I’ve thought about moving somewhere tropical for as long as I can remember. But like I was looking at different countries around the world, I ended up coming to Thailand first cuz I’d met a woman and came here. And my first day in Bangkok, I felt at home. Right. Wow. I was like, this must be it. Wow. And. Like, it was just an amazing connection I had with Thailand and Right.
Dan: You have two bars here in town and, you kept them open during the pandemic. How were you able to do that?
Eric: I didn’t keep them open. I kept my staff.
Dan: Oh, okay. And what are the pros and cons of, buying a bar in Pattaya City Thailand?
Eric: The cons, I’ll start with. Okay. Tourism’s down drastically. Okay. Okay. Like it’s, yeah. I’ve had so many customers come here that have been coming here for some of ’em over 30 years and they’re like, We’ve never seen Pattaya this quiet, and I’d never seen Pattaya this quiet. Okay. Okay. Three years ago, if you told me that Pattaya could be this quiet. I’d say even if there’s nuclear war, Pattaya would not be this quiet. People would still come here. People want to come here. Yeah. It’s a Party City. Yeah. And like there’s a lot of family-oriented things to do too, and like it’s maturing as a city.
Qiang: But there’s still that partying. Yeah. Yeah. I loved Pattaya as soon as we stepped in the, like, Oh, it’s a place that I can live.
Dan: Yeah. Because everything is within walking distance, a bar, a grocery store, malls, food, beach, everything.
Eric: Yeah. Everything. Songthaews* are everywhere.
Dan: Yeah. We got a 10 Baht bus. Yeah. We wouldn’t even need a car if we lived here. I mean, No way.
Eric: Yeah, like I bought a pickup. I like it for the freedom. Cuz like, like I met a woman from Cora last year and we talked for a few days online, and like I met her on Thai friendly and then one day it’s like, I wanna come to see you. And she said, Yeah, right. You’re. 500 kilometers to see me. I’m like, Yeah,
And she’s okay. This is where I’ll meet you. And I showed up and she was shocked, in Canada, 500 kilometers isn’t much, so No, no. And here, like the highway, the highway like, didn’t. Didn’t take me long to get up there. And oh, and the pros of owning a bar here in Pattaya City … has a history of being a really good party city.
And it, and like a lot of the cons are similar to the pros in some ways, but growing a maturing city and like people. People will come back because it has a long history.
Dan: Yeah. I mean the pros are the cons because if you like Pattaya, those are the pros. But if you don’t, they’re cons. The nightlife, the craziness, the women running everywhere.
It’s pros for some people and are cons for others, but there’s, it’s, it’s maturing. Like there are so many other things to do other than just party. Yeah, sure. Luckily I was licensed as a restaurant beforehand anyway, so, Oh. Cuz I’m planning on serving food there, so it was easy for me to.
Yeah. Okay. That’s next door. An awesome place to be. And like for anybody like, like I see lots of people bring their kids here. Like there’s gold carts, there are museums, there’s, Yeah.
Dan: The nightlife here is a feature of Pattaya, but it doesn’t, it doesn’t eliminate everything else that’s here. Then the water sports, the island hopping. The. The shopping, the amazing food. I mean, all the things that you would normally want on vacation are here.
Eric: Yeah. And there’s so much like within a short drive of here and it’s cheap to rent a taxi to go somewhere. Oh, yeah. I’m wondering, if this applies to both the, the women in Thailand, the local women, and maybe the foreigners that come to visit.
The secret desire of Pattaya bar girls (and their customers)?
Dan: Do you remember the movie Pretty Woman?
Eric: Yep.
Dan: You have a story about a wealthy man who comes to Hollywood and he meets a beautiful woman. And in the end, they live happily ever after. Do you, do you see that either the foreigners or the local women are hoping or thinking or dreaming about that kind of thing? Or is it more just crazy?
Eric: The vast majority of ’em are looking for that. Not all. Not all, but the majority of ’em are.
Dan: Are looking for happily ever after you think?
Eric: Yes. Yeah.
Dan: And this is just a place they can go and have fun and try to find other choices maybe they wouldn’t have found in a more normal city, is that right?
Eric: Yes. And when they come here, and working in a bar, they can make way more money than they would in a factory and stuff. Right. And they get exposed a lot more foreign men. And and like I know lots of ladies that have met men and got married. One of my girls just left me the other day. To be with her boyfriend. A few months ago a customer rented a room off me for, he was here for three months and it was funny cuz like he, he’d started spending a lot of time in the bar and a lot of the time with one bar girl. And then he got COVID. Cool. And he phoned me up and he’s like, I have to stay in my room quarantined for 10 days and have covid. And I said, Well, don’t worry, we’ll take care of you. And he said, Well, can you get this lady to bring me up food and stuff? And it’s like, Okay, why, why specifically her, But whatever. He didn’t really think anything about it. But then the staff started talking and then and then he finished his quarantine.
A few days later, he came to me and he is like, Yeah, we’re kind of seeing each other. makes sense. There were starting to be some rumors, but Right. But like now, he, he supports, so he is gone back to England and he is coming back in December and like she’s gone back to the farm.
Dan: Oh, nice.
Eric: And he’s taking care of her and so,
Dan: So the pretty woman dream is a possibility here.
Eric: It’s a definite reality. Reality, yeah.
Dan: Oh, interesting.
Qiang: I think that a foreigner, can find love in Pattaya City. So Yes, because they would think that pattaya is more like a party area, you know?
Eric: Yeah. Well, there are a lot of girls that will take advantage of that cuz some guy comes here and fall in love with a beautiful Thai lady. She treats him fantastic better than any woman from your home country. Insert country name here. Yeah. And then some will take advantage of that cuz they’re, they’re just out for the money. But there’s a lot of good ones here too. Yeah. It’s a roll othe a dice.
Dan: It’s just like life, isn’t it?
Eric: Yeah.
Qiang: It’s good to hear some happy endings.
Dan: Yeah, of course. Different kind of happy ending, but …
Eric: Bad choice of words for Pattaya.
Qiang: Good life or a happy ending.
Dan: So as a bar owner, is it smarter to be a one-woman man, or is it better to keep your options open and …
Eric: It’s better to stay single here. Okay. Like as a bar owner. Okay. Cause like a lot of girls flirt with me and stuff and I had a, my last girlfriend, like, she’d get jealous with me. Right. Cuz like lady wants to dance with me and buy me drinks sometimes.
Dan: Right, right.
Eric: And get friendly in the bar, you know, like nothing sexual, you know, Just having fun. Yeah, having fun, getting too close kind of thing.
Dan: And she would get really upset and throw a tantrum or something.
Eric: Kind of … my bar staff would say. She can’t do that. You know, she, That’s your job. You have to be the host. And they’re like, You’re not doing anything wrong, you know? But she needs to understand that’s what you do, what you have to do. So, Yeah. Yeah.
Dan: What do you think it would cost you to live in this city if you didn’t own a bar? You’re just a guy hanging out here and.
Eric: I’ve been asked that question by a lot of people and that really depends a lot on your lifestyle.
Dan: Oh yeah, of course, of course.
Eric: Like if my dad was gonna come live here he could live happily for $500 a month, you know, like 500 Canadian, like, cuz he doesn’t drink, he would. Like walk along the beach every day, have a canoe go canoeing or kayaking or something. Yeah. But if you want to drink, have ladies that really drives up the price.
Dan: Well, that’s probably the low end ($500 Canadian a month).
Eric: Yeah, that’s the low end.
Dan: Like, is that like a room that he would be renting for a hundred a month and then foods is another three, four hundred, that kind of thing? Yeah. Yeah. And, and where would you get a room like this, like on these soi streets like this? But what is, what is one of your rooms rent?
Eric: 5,000 Baht a month ($135 USD) plus water and electric.
Dan: So, Okay. Okay. So if someone wanted to come here, hang out in one of your rooms and check the city out.
Qiang: So you are renting rooms out? Can we see one?
Eric: They’re all booked right now.
Dan: Okay. So how do they contact you if they want to arrest you?
Eric: Most of ’em wander by in the street. Do you have a room? Not tonight.
Dan: Come try tomorrow. I might kick this bum out.
Eric: But like I have a few that contact me on Facebook and stuff.
Dan: Okay. So you have a Facebook for the Jungle? And they can contact you on there?
Eric: Yeah. The Rabbit Hole too. But mostly it’s just people wandering by in the street. Like I have one guy here. He is been. You’re like, I think seven months he was drinking bar across the soy. And he asked if she had rooms for rent and she said, no, but Eric does. And so she brought him over and he was like, Eric, he needs a room for three days.
And so he rented for three days and then after three days he’s, Well, I’m on a couple more, a few more, a few more end of the month came and he’s like, I might as well just rent by the month.
Qiang: So your rooms have a private toilet?
Eric: Yep. Oh, okay. Private toilet and shower and everything.
Dan: So, any thoughts about advice for if you were coming again or for new people, anything come to mind about coming to coming here and starting a life?
Eric: Starting a life? Come here a few times and figure out where you wanna live and stay and get a handle on the nightlife. Cuz I, I see a lot of people get outta control. The nightlife here because it’s nothing like Canada or USA or Britain or anywhere.
Dan: It’s Crazy.
Eric: It’s an adult Disneyland.
Dan: Do you have certain nights, where certain things happen here? Like what night’s a good night for somebody coming here? Probably seven days a week. But yeah, like is there a ladies’ night or different?
Eric: Well, we have Tequila Tuesdays, Fireball Fridays Sambuca Sundays, and they’re all discounted drastically. Right. And I’m working on some specials. Other days of the week. Right. I’m thinking about maybe starting to do karaoke in the rabbit hole too. I have a few customers that are real characters that this one guy comes in with his wife frequently and thanked me many times for not banning them from the bar. And I’m like, Why would I, from the bar? Like everybody loves you guys. Well, he gets crazy, you know, And it’s like, yeah, it doesn’t hurt anybody. Yes, he might like to look like a fool to somebody, but, but after a little bit of time they’re acting like him. Like he gets everybody going. He can. What you want. Act the way you want here.
Dan: We had a really good time here, so Yeah. Well, Eric, it’s been fun chatting with you. I really appreciate you taking the time to tell your story and share it with our audience. No problem. And happy to do it. You guys should come down here. I hope you enjoy the jungle as much as we did. Or the rabbit hole. There’s a pool table next door, a Great band, The beer is here, everything, drinks and a lot of fun people. A lot of Eric’s Bar girls are a lot of fun. It’s a, it’s a fun place to be.
Eric: Some are crazy.
Dan: Well, thanks so much here. Thank you. Right on.
*Songthaews are covered pickup trucks with seats in the back that transport people for cheap sort of like the Thai version of public transportation.
Avoid Thai Prison from This Visa Mistake
Dan: So when we met the other night, you mentioned that you’d spent time in a Thai prison.
Eric: Yes.
Dan: But you didn’t, you didn’t seem like the kind of characters that I’ve seen in the movies that are in Thai prisons. They’re not tattoos all over your face. And now we have a lot of questions. And so how long were you in prison and what was the craziest thing that you saw?
Eric: I probably can’t talk about the craziest things I saw. Okay. I can tell you all kinds of stuff about being in there, but I can’t really talk about everything because I could get in trouble here.
Dan: Okay. And so did they feed you or did you have to bring your own food? Because in some countries, if you’re in prison, you have to bring your food. Yeah.
Eric: They supplied the food. It was, uh, rice and cucumber soup three times a day, whether you wanted it or not. Right. And I’m not talking nicely flavored Cucumber.
Dan: Of course not.
Qiang: But the reason that you went to jail … can you share here?
Eric: Yes, I can, I can share the reason why. Yeah. Yeah. I had a six-month visa. I’d been here over four months, almost five months. I’d overlooked the part where I was supposed to check in every 60 days. Okay. I was just touring aroand and having fun. Doing my thing. And then, uh, when I went to leave, I was at the airport going through immigration and they’re like, Oh, your visa’s no good. And I’m like, No, right there. It’s good for like almost another month.
And they’re like, No. And um, it’s no good. And they’re like, 20,000 baht. I’m like, it’s a scam. You know, I’d never heard of this, you know, and it’s like they want me to leave the country, you know, But the plane leaves in less than an hour. Yeah. They’re not gonna make me miss my flight. Well, I got to see the underside of the airport and all kinds of places that most people would not get to see.
Dan: So they, they send you away for three weeks. Is that based on the amount of time or No? Um, what happened?
Eric: That was early Saturday morning and they arrested me and then they took me to holding cell to a local nearby police station. They brought in an interpreter the next day and she explained everything to me. It actually was quite funny when, um, the interpreter was talking to me cuz she explained everything and what I’d done wrong. And I’m like, Oh, okay, now I know. And what you have done wrong. Yeah. I didn’t know that. My visa was still good, but I hadn’t done my 60 day check-in, 60-day check-ins required at the time for that kind of visa.
And she laughed at me because when she expired and everything like I was relieved, you know, like, okay, now I know, you know? And I said, When can I come? And she’s like, You’re in jail in Thailand and you’re wondering when you can come back, . And she said, Most people don’t wanna come back at this point. This was on Sunday. And she said, um, tomorrow morning, um, you’ll go to court. And she said, You’ll plead guilty. You’ll pay a 2000 bath fine if you have 2000. And I said, yes, I have 2000 baht. And she said, Then, then you’re free to go. and I’m like, Right on. You know? So I went to court, plead guilty, paid my fine, and then they took me back to cell. I thought I was free. And they’re like, No, you have to be deported because you’re a criminal. And I’m like, Well, if I’m a criminal, when can I come back? And they’re like, Oh, you can just like one guard I was talking to about it. He’s like, Oh, your flight’s, uh, going through Japan. He’s like, Um, just jump plane and come in Japan.
Come back. He said, You just need to leave the country . That’s all like, the rules have really changed since then. Yeah. None of this is guaranteed to happen again. Every case is different. Yeah. And I’m just telling your story. Yeah. Like now it’s like a 500 bat fine a day and uh, went for overstay and then just go.
And then, um, if it’s more than. 90 days or something, you can’t come back for a certain period of time. But back then it was harsher in some ways, but easier to come back. I had one guard he would like, he, we talked lots about me coming back and he said, Yeah, just jump plane in Japan and come back and visit me.
And he’s, but not like this . But the guards were, um, like in the holding when I was an holding cells in police stations were really nice. Um, they let me in my cell phone and stuff. The reason why I was in there so long is I had to wait to be deported. I’d given the Canadian Embassy money to buy a ticket.
They, they took like two and a half weeks to buy the ticket.
Dan: To buy the ticket?
Eric: Yeah. And like they’d come see me once in a while in detention center and, The last time I saw the one guy from the Canadian embassy, he said, Well, this is the last time I’m gonna come see you. He said, I’ll come see you every three months from now on
And I’m like, I gave you money to buy me a plane ticket. It takes like two minutes to buy a plane ticket. You know, it means while we’re trying to get you a deal. And it’s like, I really don’t care about the deal. I want out. You mean that he buy you the ticket today? You can. To date? Yeah. Well I had to be, um, like I had to be in custody until I was on the plane.
Dan: Oh, so they deported means they take you to the plane? Yeah. They like, they they escort you?
Eric: They actually escorted me onto the plane. Okay. But it was actually kind of funny, uh, cuz my flight left like real early in the morning and they took, um, a bus full of us to the airport. And there was two of us, um, that were friends in jail that, um, our flights were leaving in a few hours, so they didn’t put us in a holding cell airport.
And, but everybody else went to this holding cell and the two of us were up in the airport with guards at one point. The other guy, they couldn’t find him. They said me like, Where is he? Like, we’re worried. They’re all serious. And I’m like, Oh, he is over in that store over there. And I said, I go get him.
Went over there, got him, brought him back, and they’re like, Okay. Anyway, we’re getting really bored cause we’re just wandering around the airport. But we had to stay with inside his security or our guards all the time. Right. And then, um, we went into this one store for a little bit and came out and we couldn’t find the guards and we’re panicking like,
Dan: Where are our guards?
Eric: Oh, it was a hilarious hurt, but like we’d talked to them and told them, you know, like, We wanna get on those planes more than you want us on those planes. Like, we’re not trying to get away . And I guess they finally figured out that we weren’t a flight route, you know? But, That’s great. Then I don’t know what they did. I don’t know.
Dan: So you got on the plane without seeing the guards again?
Eric: Oh, no. Um, later, like closer to my flight time. They showed up? Yeah, they showed up. Okay. So I think they went sleep somewhere or something.
Dan: So were you in a different kind of prison than the ones I see on tv? Or why, or, or was it actually a little tougher than maybe you’re hinting?
Eric: Um, actually the one guy that I was friends with, he was from the USA. Um, he had done, uh, I think it was two years and 10 months. Like a, like hardcore Thai prison. But he said that was actually better than where we were.
Dan: Oh. Because the conditions?
Eric: The conditions because, um, he said like, they’re, um, mice and, uh, sparrows could get in and they could catch ’em and eat them and stuff for a little bit of meat and things like that.
Dan: Wow. And crazy. Did you feel in danger at all? When you’re in the prison.
Eric: I can’t really answer that.
How to Survive Thai Prison
Dan: Okay. So maybe you can answer this: Are there three or four ideas you could say, If you do this, it’ll, it’ll go better for you. Uh, like just ideas about how to, if you will stay alive or how to get along well in, in a Thai prison?
Eric: Be very submissive. Submissive, Yeah. Okay. Especially with the guards. And listen to. they tell you to do, like, it’s like you just, you don’t question it. Right. Just immediately respond.
Dan: Yeah. Okay. And anything else?
Eric: Like, uh, try and make friends with lots of people in there. With lots of people. With lots of people. Like, um, like it was easy for me cuz Canadians are generally well liked. Um, I was the only Canadian in there at the time. I guess one had been taken out a couple days before I got. But everybody was like, Hey, another Canada, You know? Yeah. And like I met, made all kinds of friends and everybody, everybody just called me Canada. Like most people you just called by their country name, which is …
Dan: Was it mostly, uh, other Thai locals there, or was it foreigners? What was the demographic.
Eric: It was, uh, all, all foreigners. All foreigners.
Dan: All. So it was all immigration, uh, problem.
Eric: Yeah. Yeah, it was Immigration detention Center. I forget the name of it now, but …
Dan: Okay. Um, and, and were they a rough bunch, would you say? Or they just somewhere made mistakes?
Eric: Some were rough. Yeah. Um, there was a lot of dumb asses like me in there, but , but some of them had been through the system several times. Like when they, when they first transported me there, they, uh, put me in a holding cell before they put me up in the, the big room. And there was a guy from Czech Slovakia. Or former Czech Slovakia and um, and we’re talking and he’s like, Oh, you want to get into this room? You have to hope you get put in that room cuz it’s nicer than some of the others. I’m like, come on. And he’d been through the system like six, seven times. Right. And um, and like his girlfriend was bringing him food and stuff and, um, And he gave me an apple at one point and I said, No, that’s okay. And he said, Trust me, take it. He said, because he said, You’ll be wishing you’d taken it in a couple days if you’re not outta here. So, Right. But, and he was right.
Qiang: Did you take the apple?
Eric: Oh yeah.
Dan: So did you lose weight in there?
Eric: 30 pounds.
Dan: 30 pounds in how long? Two, three weeks?
Eric: Yeah. 30 pounds.
Dan: Was that mainly dehydration?
Eric: No, there’s lots of water to be lots of water.
Dan: Um, wow. So that’s not, it wasn’t dehydration?
Eric: No, um, it was not eating cuz like, cucumbers, soup and rice three times a day. Um, like our, we, our western bodies are used to taking in so much and just shitting it out and. But, but the Asians that were in the room, um, like there’s one guy in there from China, um, he’d been in there 10 years and cuz probably spent the rest of his life in there. And, um, because he, he was a wanted criminal in China. Oh. And so China obviously isn’t gonna pay to bring him back. Thai government doesn’t wanna let ’em go. He’d been in there 10 years, but he was the picture of health. And there was a lot of other Asians in there too that were the picture of health. But this guy from China was amazing cuz heard his story and he still had a smile and he’d been in that room for 10 years. And it was just, and all he had was a pair of underwear in it. They didn’t look that old, but. So somebody must have left them for him. Cause, But that’s all he had like a pair of underwear. Like he didn’t have any clothes to wear in there. Like Wow. Wow. But it was really, I met a lot of interesting people in there and made some friendships.
Dan: So that was in 2015? Okay. Yeah. When did you first come to Thailand?
Eric: About 11, 12 years ago. Best place in the world. Being in Thai prison was one of the best things that ever happened to me in my life. So Right. Is it when you’re living like that, it really changes your outlook on things and makes things real.
Thai Prison Changed My Way of Looking at Life
You know, like so many of my friends, they want to have the biggest, fastest cars. Right. Big fancy SUVs and campers, Right? Yeah. And stuff. And when I got out of there, I was just like, I’d had lived with nothing for three weeks. Right. And. Um, like wondered from day to day how long I was gonna be in there. Right. With nothing to do except talk to each other. Right. And it just changed my way of looking at the world and thinking about things.
Dan: And was it sort of, uh, your mind cleared, that kind of thing?
Eric: Yeah. You know.
Dan: So all the distractions you would have in normal Yeah. Daily life weren’t there? Yeah. All the things that would take you away from quiet contemplation, Uh, were. And so you were stuck Yeah. Living in your life, if you will. Yeah. And living in conversations with other people.
Eric: Like all I had to do all day was talking to people in the room and hearing about their life and the world and stuff like that.
Dan: Right. And we were all in there for the same reason.
Eric: There’s a few that were in there for more serious offenses waiting to be deported. Right, right. Um, it just really changed my whole outlook on life.
Dan: So, So you mentioned friends wanting things. Did this. You’ve learned about yourself? Was it like you felt less materialistic or something?
Eric: Yes, in many ways.
Dan: And so the joy of the simple moment Yeah. Suddenly was more satisfying to you? Yeah.
Eric: Like cuz when you have your freedom taken away and you have absolutely nothing, like not even good food
Dan: or even choice of location. Yeah. Or yeah.
Eric: And you know, it just kind of put everything in life and perspective.
Dan: Right. So it made you appreciate.
Eric: Oh, definitely. Like, especially for, first of all, getting out.
Dan: Like everything was slow motion.
Eric: Everything was a thrill, you know, like I could have a Coke, you know. Like it was the best Coke I’ve ever had, you know, Like.
Dan: So would you recommend overstaying your visa to people?
Eric: Um, I would recommend time in a Thai prison.
Dan: You would? Yeah. Yeah. Wow. as sort of a self-awareness thing? Yes. Like it just, it sounds almost like Buddhism.
Eric: Yeah, maybe, but it just, um, like it literally changed my life for the better. Like in many ways it was the best thing that ever happened to me in my life. So would you say you had more moment to moment joy? Yes. And less stress? Well, not right now.
Like, um, especially for the first couple years afterwards, you know, like that when it was so fresh in my mind. Right. Um, like, yeah, I enjoyed everything much more, appreciated everything much more. Right. And now I’m getting more outta that, but I still have that with me partially and like, and I have no grudge against the Thai government because I screwed up, you know?
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I did my time. I’m more ticked at the Canadian Embassy for leaving me in there so long to get me a plane ticket, but at the same time, I shouldn’t be because, uh, I should thank them for that because it changed my outlook in life, right?
Dan: So it, it reminds me of, uh, I went broke for the first time and I was, this’ll sound stupid, but when I was like 20 years old and I lost everything and I had a couple businesses running, and suddenly I lost it all. During he 1981 recession in the US and not having anything like even my car was repossessed. That was kind of a, um, that was an awakening for me of sorts because I, my whole personality was based on my possessions, if you know what I mean. Mm-hmm. , and that sort of was an awakening for me. It sounds like you had some, a similar sort of
Eric: Yeah, and like the last few years that I worked in Canada, I drove truck off road and, um, in the oil field and. Lived in the truck. And a lot of guys I worked with are like, How can you do that? And I said, I have no living expenses. Everything I make goes into the bank, right?
My expenses are like my food, beer smokes. Yeah. And my cell bill. Yeah. Everything else goes into the bank, right? And, um, you know, and they’re like, I couldn’t do it. And I’m thinking there’s time in my life where I would’ve loved it. Don’t get me wrong, living in a Peter Belt, but compared to Thai prison, it was like five star Hotel.
Dan: You could have a Coke.
Eric: Yeah, I could have a Coke, I could even have a beer. . And I had a nice soft bed to sleep on. I’d flat screen tv, microwave, like everything I wanted in there.
Dan: So there’s a lot of people, you probably know this in the US probably Canada too, that are living the van life, like living in their van. Some of ’em are very, you know, expensive vans. Some are in just in self-built vans, but it’s a way of reducing their expenses. Yeah. So they could save and travel or save and buy a house, or save and retire, whatever it is this thing to do, it’s become quite popular.
Eric: So that’s, that’s basically what I was doing except I was doing it in a $300,000 Peterbilt.
Dan: Yeah. Yeah. Great. Thanks for sharing that. I appreciate it.