AZBill

Thanks! That's very helpful. My wife is a US green card holder and it's just a 5 day trip with me to Sandals with return tickets, a job to return to and plenty of cash so she shouldn't be refused.

Does anyone know if a Thai citizen is eligible for a visa on arrival for St. Lucia? Thanks.

Got the issue with my wife's brother. Good family of hard workers but at 19 he wants to just stay in his room and play on the internet all day. Won't do a thing to help the family. Hope his number comes up for the military when he draws soon.

I lived there for work for a while and enjoyed it but I was glad to go back to the U.S. I did meet my wife there which has been a blessing. We occasionally return for a visit but neither of us would ever want to live there again. It is still a third world country with a very narrow and skewed view of the world and outside of some beautiful places to visit and great food I wouldn't ever consider Thailand as a permanent or long term situation. I suspect a lot of westerners living like that its possible to live there cheaply but if that isn't your main motivation life in the west is far better IMHO.

As an attorney who worked in the corporate area of law for several years in BK with many Thai lawyers at some very good firms, their rate was anywhere from 250 to 300 U.S. per hour for a partner level attorney. Some services are also flat fee. I suspect in general it's not much different than in the west overall. Some charge more, some less and some work on flat fees. Some Thai attorneys I worked with were very sharp and some not so much. You need to shop around and try to get a good referral from someone. You can't paint it with a broad brush.

Sounds like you picked a winner there. My wife buys me little gifts all the time and never forgets my birthday. There is always something special she comes up with and even hand makes me beautiful cards.

Nobody cares about the UN. They are a joke in the U.S.

Almost every time my wife and I go into a Thai restaurant here in the U.S. they ask her if she wants a job! Been this way for years so I think her prospects are good!

They will if you're worth loving. Just sayin........

As a lawyer licensed in the U.S. who has had clients in Thailand and throughout Asia, I can tell you there are quite a few bad apples representing themselves as U.S. lawyers. Especially in the immigration area. Ask which bar they belong to then either search their name in the directory of the state bar site or call and ask. Thailand has become a dumping ground for disbarred US lawyers and some who never attended law school at all but represent themselves as lawyers. Be careful.

When you see a video of drunk Thai men kicking in the head of an elderly female tourist and her family it's time to vacation somewhere else.

Sure seems like it's getting worse. I'm in the U.S. But my wife's friends and family are all saying the same thing. I always felt safe there but not so sure anymore. This last incident was all over the U.S. news and social media and will have a negative impact on Thailand's reputation here. Sad to see and a bit nervous about a trip we are planning later in the year.

Got my 10 year in Hong Kong without issue. Picked it up the next day.

I'd never live there again but not because it's a bad place! I just prefer my own country though I still enjoy visiting.

Regardless of custom or location I will always tip for good service. People in the service industry work very hard and get paid very little and take a lot of crap from all sides. it's more about appreciation for their efforts in the face of all that than anything else to me.

It's the messed up western marriages and relationships which usually cause the guy to get fed up and look elsewhere. One could just as easily write about the gold digging, angry, heartless and self centered shrews comprising western womanhood. Look anywhere in your own country and you will see some pretty dysfunctional stuff between the sexes. As you say there are many like my wife and I who are in the middle of the extremes, as most of us are (that's why they're called extremes) and we are quite happy and have been so for a decade. For those that aren't, well someone has to make up the extremes or sites like this would be pretty boring!

My experience with Thais is that they aren't good with money. Nobody teaches them about handling it. My wife's family makes a pretty good living by Thai standards but I can't believe how they piss money away and forget about saving a dime. I've tried to show them how to handle money over the years but it just falls on deaf ears.

I like Amazon coffee.

Ever been to Central Pennsylvanis? Boob, Bum, Short, Bem, Butt, Bub and those are just my uncles!

It is a very common Buddhist perception and belief. It's not meant as a downer but quite optimistic to your friend as she anticipates a better rebirth or a complete break from Samsara (cycle of rebirth) and the achievement of Nirvana.

Buddhism practiced by the laypeople in Thailand is an a la carte style. They take what they like when they want to. As a Buddhist myself I identify very little with the practice in Thailand. Buddha did not promote ceremony or idols and thought such things were crutches for the weak of mind. He certainly never promoted going to a temple to ask for good luck in a lottery. The seeking of merit by Thais is always related to the hoping that some craving will be satisfied. As much as I adore my wife, I see these unskillful practices by her but gradually she is starting to understand and see what Buddha was really trying to say.

Can you name a first world country ruled by a military Junta? Coups when the vast majority vote in their government of choice? It's not all about the cosmetics. I almost died in a very nice Thai hospital because they diagnosed valley fever as the flu! Thank goodness I made it back to the states in time before meningitis killed me!

Racism exists and always will. That is their choice to be ignorant. Your choice is how you react to them. Don't allow them to destroy your peace.

I would never take life event advice from anyone on an anonymous chat board. You are right that Thailand is much more than bar girls and scams. Having worked in Bangkok as an attorney among Thai and international business people for many years I could never relate to the Thailand portrayed by many of the sexpat types on this forum. If you dwell among prostitutes and seedy bars whether in Thailand or your own country then you will of course have a very jaded view of the society. Listen to the losers in your own country talk and they sound the same as the the ones inThailand. I personally have no desire to live in Thailand but it has more to do with the heat than anything else. I've always enjoyed the country and its people and still enjoy our visits.

Don't look at it often anymore but Thai Visa is the only one I use when I'm bored or need some info.