Beetlejuice

That`s one less in the queue at Immigration.

Back about 30 years ago, I met a 91-year-old American gentleman named Richard (Dickie), he did not mention his surname, who lived in a small community off the Tung Hotel Road in Chiang Mai. Did any of you long timers know of him?

Dick explained to me that he was an American journalist sent over to what was then Siam during the 1920s to write an article about the country for an American magazine. After a couple of months he met and fell in love with a beautiful 17 years old village girl, got married and decided to base himself in Chiang Mai, Siam. At the time the girl`s family already had a lot of land that one could buy for a pittance in those days, practically give away when land was not considered as an asset of value and he just plonked himself on there, built a home and then traveled back and forth to the States to maintain a living. Having to travel by ship he would be away for long periods at a time. He told me that as a young handsome white guy, the Thai girls were flocking to be his girlfriends, before and after he was married, with the parents and families actively encouraging their daughters to flirt with the farang. He never bothered with visas back then as farangs were considered a rarity and a novelty; the Immigration formalities were hardly implemented and something he never concerned himself with. Dick told me that Thais from all over the city would turn up just to introduce themselves to him, sometimes suggesting they have a nice niece if he`s interested.

There was virtually nowhere to obtain western type foods, hardly a motor vehicle to be seen, no proper concrete roads as such, no one had a telephone and most communities did not have electricity and the only water supplies were from small lakes or communal wells where people went with their buckets to draw out the water. There were small bar type brothels everywhere in mostly bamboo spit and sawdust type buildings.

Later during the 1960s Dick was sent to Vietnam by the US military as a journalist to cover events of the war. He was already way too old to do active service by then. After that he returned to Thailand, retired and stayed for good. Throughout the years in first Siam and then Thailand, Dick had fathered over 25 children with several different women. Most of the younger village generations were related to him. He told me that he had so many grandchildren and great grandchildren, that he’d lost count of them and forgotten their names. Towards the end of his days, Dick ran low on finances and his village kinfolk supported him. Even at the end of his life, Dick never bothered obtaining a visa, even his passport had expired many years previous.

Sadly only 11 months after I first met Dick he died at the age of 92, healthy right up to the end. I can say he was one of the most intriguing and interesting characters I had met in my life. Only wish someone would have made an initiative to write his life story that I’m sure would have made a most interesting read

Back about 30 years ago, I met a 91-year-old American gentleman named Richard (Dickie), he did not mention his surname, who lived in a small community off the Tung Hotel Road in Chiang Mai. Did any of you long timers know of him?

Dick explained to me that he was an American journalist sent over to what was then Siam during the 1920s to write an article about the country for an American magazine. After a couple of months he met and fell in love with a beautiful 17 years old village girl, got married and decided to base himself in Chiang Mai, Siam. At the time the girl`s family already had a lot of land that one could buy for a pittance in those days, practically give away when land was not considered as an asset of value and he just plonked himself on there, built a home and then traveled back and forth to the States to maintain a living. Having to travel by ship he would be away for long periods at a time. He told me that as a young handsome white guy, the Thai girls were flocking to be his girlfriends, before and after he was married, with the parents and families actively encouraging their daughters to flirt with the farang. He never bothered with visas back then as farangs were considered a rarity and a novelty; the Immigration formalities were hardly implemented and something he never concerned himself with. Dick told me that Thais from all over the city would turn up just to introduce themselves to him, sometimes suggesting they have a nice niece if he`s interested.

There was virtually nowhere to obtain western type foods, hardly a motor vehicle to be seen, no proper concrete roads as such, no one had a telephone and most communities did not have electricity and the only water supplies were from small lakes or communal wells where people went with their buckets to draw out the water. There were small bar type brothels everywhere in mostly bamboo spit and sawdust type buildings.

Later during the 1960s Dick was sent to Vietnam by the US military as a journalist to cover events of the war. He was already way too old to do active service by then. After that he returned to Thailand, retired and stayed for good. Throughout the years in first Siam and then Thailand, Dick had fathered over 25 children with several different women. Most of the younger village generations were related to him. He told me that he had so many grandchildren and great grandchildren, that he’d lost count of them and forgotten their names. Towards the end of his days, Dick ran low on finances and his village kinfolk supported him. Even at the end of his life, Dick never bothered obtaining a visa, even his passport had expired many years previous.

Sadly only 11 months after I first met Dick he died at the age of 92, healthy right up to the end. I can say he was one of the most intriguing and interesting characters I had met in my life. Only wish someone would have made an initiative to write his life story that I’m sure would have made a most interesting read.

Whether there is some sort of consumer protection laws or not, I doubt whether there is any agency that will take legal action on behalf of a customer as is the case in most western countries.

My guess is that the burden lies with the customer to take legal action against a company under this law or that law. Considering the ultra complicated so-called legal processes here, that can involve lawyers and years to obtain a conclusion, many companies have taken an attitude that most dissatisfied customers won`t bother to go the whole hog and take them to court.

So in Thailand the message is; buyer beware.

As for all those then young semi naked girls in the photos. Appears that we have missed the best times to have been in Chiang Mai. They really were the grand old days.

My advice is; check to see if the address you sent it to is listed in an online directory that may give a name and phone number.

If you discover a phone number, phone the address, explain the situation and ask if the person could kindly forward the package on to the correct address, giving them a forwarding address of course.

Here is my prediction for the outcome of this case. Hope I`m going to be proven wrong.

The woman has already mentioned she is sorry and willing to compensate the family, which between the lines means: setting the wheels in motion for buying herself out of trouble. The elusive phantom motorcyclist will never be found and all drug and alcohol tests will come back negative.

The woman`s story of the phantom motorbike taken in consideration as credible, will be found guilty of reckless driving, then fined, an undisclosed amount of money get out of jail free payment donated to the victim`s family, then case concluded and she goes on her merry way.

Personally, I would have preferred to see her lying flat out in the car and the police officer having walked away from it, but fate has it not to be the case. We will see, and again hope I`m wrong.

Watched the video and it was sickening and horrible.

I am concluding that this is a case of either extreme reckless or dangerous driving or both, that is a 100% certainty. Whether the woman was drunk, or on drugs, texting, racing another vehicle or even fell asleep at the wheel I have no idea.

All I can say is; I sincerely hope that the policeman and his family receive justice

Bangmai -- get real. I've never know anyone to ask for a credit report here in Thailand. That's why the norm here is to put down a couple months rent as a deposit.

But good point about the agent should also be the property manager and presumably a professional who knows what she's doing with an established procedure for this. Also, there should be language in the lease about what happens in the event of late payment. What does it say?

This tenant doesn't sound like someone who would be a good long-term prospect. The sooner the agent gets him to pay up or evict him, the better.

I agree with most of what you say; but the get real part is; that if a tenant begins contravening the terms of the rental agreement or ceases paying rent, then the only legal way to evict him/her/them is to go via the civil court system.

Some years ago a friend rented out his wife’s second house to a Thai family. After 7 months they ceased paying rent and had placed two pit bull dogs on the premises to stop anyone else entering the property. It took my friend 2 years and a truckload of cash to evict them through the Thai civil court.

Our Bangmai is also correct and I get his meaning. It makes sense to have a managing agent or a professional overseeing the tenants that have procedures for dealing with difficult tenants and it is wise to obtain some kinds of references regarding who is going to live in your property, which I guess is no easy task.

Personally, I would never go into the property renting business, neither in Thailand nor anywhere else. Not worth the hassle.

I have no objection to life style choices. Gay, straight or whatever. I do have concern however when you deviate out of your lifestyle choice. If the gay way of life produces off spring then hey congrats. However a gay coupleseeking surrogacy is a tad bit hypocrital to me. You choose a gay lifestyle but yearn the outcome of a straight lifestyle. If you do have money and feel the need for a child, then adopt. There are so many orphans in this world.

So, if straight couples are infertile.....

Perhaps you missed it when people explained human sexuality not changing the desire some people have to be parents?

Quick, let's return to the days when men married, then had kids, then left.. That closeted life surely was better!

If straight couples are infertile (no living sperm or eggs) they should adopt a child.

What is the point of making a child from which are are not the biologic parents if there are enough unwanted poor babies that need parents.

Because I believe that some couples if applying to adopt via the official agencies would not qualify or proven unsuitable for a multitude of reasons to become adoptive parents and therefore attempt to go via other channels.

Any couples of both sexes or same sex, whatever, who have all the qualifications required to make suitable adoptive parents, will always apply via the official processes and not even consider hiring the services of a surrogate from a third world country. Those who do must be considered suspect.

I so totally disagree with this surrogate business, and it is a business. It is no different from prostitution where women are using their bodies as a product and for a service.

Through surrogacy the official processes of adoption can go under the radar, by-passed, a loop hole around the system. Babies could end up anywhere, breed as slaves or even for medical experiments and body parts, that I have no doubts is already happening. I believe it should be made a criminal offence for women to become surrogate birth vessels without going via the official procedures.

Regardless whether the couple are same sex or not, the question is; would they make suitable parents? It has to be morally wrong when it becomes possible to obtain a baby as easily as choosing a puppy from a litter of dogs. This whole question of surrogate births has to be given priority and somehow regulated for reasons mentioned above.

^ Short sighted at best. We don't know our neighbors until we live near them. If we don't know them how to we choose them? I lived in up-scale mobans where the folks were just as tacky as the poor souls near the rail road tracks, drunks, wife beaters, screamers and spitters. A guy who f**ks up your family's quality of life is an animal. The guy who does and never has a clue he's done anything wrong is at the bottom of the food chain. I don't care whose country I'm in, I'm going to stand my ground. It's cowardly to eat someone's s**t with a smile.

Better to be a live coward than a dead hero.

I prefer not to live among neighbors wherever I have lived in the world. I think most people feel the same. But unless you have truckloads of cash and can afford to buy a huge plot of land, build a house right in the centre and a 12 ft high wall surrounding the land, then I`m afraid we are stuck with it and have to find ways to get on with people.

Over the years I have witnessed a few of the locals going hammer and tongs at each other, and I can tell you, it`s scary, they go berserk. There have been times when I`ve been expecting to hear gunshots during a dispute, thankfully that hasn`t happened yet. Thai people can have two sides to them, give it the right approach and they`ll move mountains for you, go in like a grizzly with a sore head and you will find they are on a very short fuse. Also considering that the locals are well established in the area, you are not, they could make a difficult situation if they take a dislike to you.

I am by no means suggesting that we should kiss a-se, my point being, think before going in and try to be calm and collective for your own safety, especially when the odds are against you. It`s only common sense.

Make a claim to an area and sooner or later someone will turn up with a piece of paper saying you have no rights to be there. The plight of the sea gypsies has been an issue over several years, even protested directly to the previous prime minister with hollow promises to defend these peoples rights, yet these people are still being bullied into vacating the area.

The sea gypsies are people of little wealth, have no real powers and considered insignificant in the scheme of things. The disputed area is wanted by big business that will use even dirty tactics to harass them out of there, and sadly the so-called investors will eventually win. They have the finances, the strength and the backing of big business and the powerful behind them.

Unless the sea gypsies receive full support from the very top and the complete backing of the influential, then there is very little hope of them receiving real justice.

Report them for corruption to a higher national authority

WHY?.....It will achieve nothing.

Why not? If all is legal and above board.

With who`s money was the said land purchased?

Wife's family have owned it since forever....they gave a piece to each daughter....Wife has Chanute....But the village bully can do what he likes....hence she (the wife) has lost some of her land....and for reasons i CANT discuss on here....There looks like no way of stopping it...

YES everything is legal and above board, from her end..

That`s great and gets that out of the way.

3 metres of land is a lot to lose.and If you believe that going through the official channels is going to be a waste of time and considering that everything is legal and above board on your side of it, then why not hire the service of a reputable lawyer, take all the paperwork, explain the situation and let the lawyer deal with it? Or at least ask a lawyer for some professional advice and decide whether or not this is worth taking further.

In the majority of cases, just one letter from a lawyer to the appropriate authority letting them know your wife means business, will scare them enough into correcting any errors on their part.

7 years ago my neighbor decided to go into the charcoal making business. I am all for free enterprise and people trying to make a living for themselves, only problem was that he created his brick wood burning furnace only a few metres away from my home. The wood smouldered for days, all the acrid smoke and fumes coming into my home for days and nights, it became intolerable.

At first I sent my wife in to have a word with the guy to reason with him in a polite and subtle way. He told my wife that he only intended to create the charcoal a few times a month and that we would just have to put up with it. On that note, I made the decision to confront my neighbor with all guns blazing. I went into his house ranting and raving. Then my neighbor`s sister came onto the scene and defended me, as did many of the locals. So my neighbor came up with a cunning plan, he installed large plastic plumbing pipes as chimneys to extract the smoke at a higher level. This worked for about 3 hours then, surprise, surprise, the plastic pipes melted. After that my neighbor moved his furnace to another plot of land he owns in another area. Problem solved.

Firstly, you need to have good attitudes towards your neighbors, always friendly, inviting and tolerant, keeping in mind we are not in the west now, so we have to make alliances. First approach is to have a polite word with the neighbor and calmly with a smile explain the problem, but only if the problem persists. If that does not work, then go for a firmer approach. But and it`s a big BUT, my family and I are well known and respected within our local Thai community, and we regard our direct neighbors as both friends and neighbors, so I was able to get away with my angry rant after suffering 2 weeks of choking fumes and the polite approach failed, because they all know me well. Since that incident, everyone knows that I won`t tolerate burning close to my home and never had any problems since.

My logic is this; the majority of my neighbors have lived in the area for many years, quite a few born here. They are either related or closely connected, but my family and I are stand alone people, we do not have any close associations with the locals except living in the area for several years. So I have made an effort to always keep on friendly terms with the neighbors and to never fall into disputes and tolerant of most of them unless it`s to the extremes like the charcoal incident, when during the time I considered there was nothing to lose.

Report them for corruption to a higher national authority

WHY?.....It will achieve nothing.

Why not? If all is legal and above board.

With who`s money was the said land purchased?

Once you are on a retirement visa, than this can be extended provided you fulfill all the imposed Immigration requirements to do so. Your past status here in Thailand is irrelevant.

A couple of cheap meals and a free exclusive room? Hate to be a pessimist, but I don`t think so.

I would go the reverse route, rent a cheap hotel room for your conference, then take a couple of breaks and use an outside restaurant for your meals or perhaps the hotel`s room service.

Hi guys,

I think you both have the solution with the letter from the company :-)

I'll ask for that to be typed up and buy the boss a coffee for her troubles

Do you have any official letters from the UK sent to your residential address in Thailand? For example; a bank statement, letter from your tax office, from your pension or insurance company, or a P60. Any one of those will suffice.

I've got to agree with those who have a problem with the idea of those who continue to feed a dog who is running lose when it's known to have a problem. They're not doing anyone, esp. the dog a kindness.

We had a dog in the U.S. with a somewhat similar problem, although hers was that she couldn't be trusted around any animal smaller than she. Actually she looked similar to this dog in the head and we grew to suspect she was part pit bull, part small terrior. We had adopted her from an animal shelter and she was great around adults, esp. those who knew how to handle dogs. But, she was vicious with smaller dogs and created major problems in leaving our property to attack neighbors dogs. Fortunately none were seriously injured and we willingly paid the vet bills, but after one court appearance, we realized she had to be kept on a chain at all times that she was outdoors.

And we had a 20 acre farm with plenty of native small animals to keep her busy. In fact, part of why we got her was for "varmint control", which she did very well. (rats, raccoons, muskrats) The problems arose when the area became gentrified with country estates and neighbors with small dogs, instead of the intimidating big dogs of the other long-time neighbors.

After the second incident with a small dog, we realized we had a problem and had her under control at all times. Difficult for a dog who was used to roaming 20 acres. When we left the U.S., we mounted a major campaign to find a home for her and eventually did on a neighboring farm -- a larger one where her hunting abilities would still be valued.

She was such a tenacious varmint hunter that we had other farmers asking if she was going to have pups while we were in the middle of paying legal fees related to her. (she was fixed, thankfully)

But we stopped allowing her to run loose once we realized there was a problem. Now maybe it's because it was the U.S. and it's just something about the treat of a court appearance and the cancellation of your business liability insurance that gets your attention (we ran a retail greenhouse/nursery business from that site), but still I'd like to think we would have done that without those threats.JosephineCroppedPhoto.jpg

This is the photo that got her a new home.

Edit: I look at this photo some years later and realize she looks old and harmless, doesn't she? Hmmm... appearances can be deceiving.

Must say I really hate these type of threads. Always sad.

That is a beautiful dog, looked like he had real character. I think you will agree with me that the saying is true; it is not possible to teach an old dog new tricks and I feel sympathy for the OP`s dilemma and even more sympathy for the dog who`s fate lies in the balance.

My dogs are kept within the confines of our land and are a part of our family, they have full run of the house and sleep in the house at night and thoroughly spoiled. I would rather have my arm cut off than get rid of my dogs, we love em to bits.

The problem for the OP is, that if the dog is unpredictable and could turn, especially if children could be at risk, then homing the dog is going to be a difficult task. And if the dog is used to roaming about, keeping the dog confined to an area could result in the dog becoming even more aggressive. I also would not want a dog around that mean`t I had to be cautious when we had visitors.

For the first time, I don`t have any suggestions and can only say; I hope the situation gets sorted one way or another..

Who isn't divorced?

If you get married, it's gonna happen.

(Unless one of you is lucky enough to die first)

Post again in 5 years, and you'll be telling us how she took you for everything you had in the USA, and how you wished you'd never moved back there. It's inevitable!

Always good to look on the optimistic side.

I have been married to my Thai wife for 32 years and have many farang friends both in Thailand and abroad who have been married to Thai women for well over 20 years, have families and extremely settled and happy with their lives.

You and some others like you may have been unlucky, but as a whole, men only get the women they deserve. I can assure you that what you say does not represent a great many of us.

My advice to the OP is; always use common sense, never get into things over his head, be patience and work hard for a secure and positive future.

The OP is still a very young man and seems to be trying to find a direction in his life. Wishing him and his wife prosperity for the future.

My favourite Mexican of all time:

And where exactly would this bus tour take the tourists?

I circular trip around the moat, to see the slender of the Loi Kroh Road, the historic Lai Tai Guest house, the ancient medicine women still working the massage parlours, the majestic Tapae and Chiang Mai Gates, about 6 minutes. And considering all the loose hanging cables and tree branches, there is no way I would risk traveling on an open top double decker bus in Chiang Mai.

Our granddaughter did the same. Father (no legal marriage) not seen for more than 10 years.

Changed to mothers name.

Not much more than a visit at the local amphoe (district office, citizens register).

Small fee (100? or so).

My wife assured me: father did not have to sign (which I would have expected).

Changing to Western step father’s name:

either they accept a self determined transcription to Thai script or they will need an official translation (transcript).

A name in western script will not be registered to the Thai citizen register.

On the other hand:

he will get a Thai ID card with his name in Thai (legally the official name) AND the name in western script.

So make sure that the name in western script is really identical with step fathers name.

In our famliy (granddaugthers) I found three different (!) names in western script for the identical Thai name

(ending with ...jan ...chan ...chans, the latter one being most ridicolous)

What about the name change being reflected in his Australian documents?

If he has 2 passports, both an Australian and a Thai passport, the passports must be in exactly the same names.

For example, it is legal to have duel nationalities. If the guy leaves Thailand on his Thai passport and shows his Australian passport on arrival back in Australia, he will have to explain that he has duel nationality, which requires all passports registered in the same name. My daughter traveled to the States last year. Prior to the journey her American passport had her first, middle and surname, but the Thai passport only had her first and surname. So she went to our local amphur office, placed all her names on her Thai ID card then went and bought a new Thai passport, all done in a day. So both passports were then in exactly the same names.

If the guy travels from Thailand to Australia or vice version and the passports do not match in exactly the same names, then each country will not official recognize that he has duel citizenship, meaning that he would require a visa to travel to Australian using his Thai passport or a visa to remain in Thailand on his Australian passport.

Could it be that the elusive Khun Nung was tipped off?