ragamuffin

Is there any chance of finding out what happened to the girl?

Why should they? The police even thanked my farang friend for taking care of the victim. We weren't driving the van.

Same here, no vans anymore. The trip back was pure horror.

No, it really wasn't the drivers fault. We were on the highway and a smaller road was crossing it like a little junction but no traffic lights. The girl just came straight from the side road, crossed the lane next to us and kept going. The driver was honking and breaking but the girl kept on going an drove straight into our lane in front of the van.

An ambulance took her to hospital and yes, I was under shock and will need some time to deal with it.

The van we took to Kanchanaburi on Friday hit a girl on a motorbike. It was awful. We were on the highway and the girl was crossing at a junction, didn't see the van coming. The driver braked, honked, the girl came from the right, just kept on going - I saw it in slow motion and all I could think of was "stop, stop", horrible. There was nothing the driver could have done, the van ran straight into the bike. The girl wasn't wearing a helmet, her head cracked our windscreen and we all thought we'd run over her and she'd be dead. I was under shock and couldn't even look at the scene or leave the van to help. Luckily one of my friends and a Thai man took care of the injured, turns out she was only about 14 years old.

Apparently the girl was very lucky, though. She remained on the bike when it sled across the road for about 50 metres. No cuts or broken bones but a heavily swollen head. I hope she didn't crack her skull or suffers from inner bleedings but at this speed it is unlikely she wasn't harmed.

This is the most awful thing I've experienced here so far and it happens so often. Never thought I'd be involved, though. Please, wear helmets and be as safe as you can. Don't underestimate Thai traffic.

We're both German .

I'll get in touch with you soon!

happy birthday ragamuffin you are almost exactly 1 year older as my wife. If your bf does not have an academic degree and he wants to change in career anyway then use the time to study again. A friend of mine did his Bachelor at the Fernuni in Hagen (google it) while living in Australia its not really that expensive. Afterwards he could start a new career. You mentioned that you can earn for the two of you. You just need to have a proper Internet connection. Even if he does not have Abi with his dual Berufsausbildung and experience he can study. Consider it...

Thanks for all the birthday wishes, I had a great day .

Just to clarify: my boyfriend does not work in sales. He's a consultant linking sales and clients. Part of his income is commission-based.

He has a German Abitur and then finished an Ausbildung. He's not interested in uni whatsoever but that might partly be due to not wanting more work next to his job.

Just turned 31 today .

How low is low?

Mai ao, mai pen rai ka.

Helps indeed, thanks a lot!

Throwing in a 10-year job and the career he has built, to chance it in Thailand, is a bad decision in my opinion.

It is very hard to get a decent, well paying job from within Thailand. The competition is deep and the opportunities far between...and from an Employers side, the quality of candidates is generally low and quite desperate to apply for anything.

Think carefully. This is one of those forks in the roads that he may be taking the wrong turn.

I wish you both good luck in chasing the dream.

That's why I ask for advice.

My boyfriend is looking for another job at home anyway (for various reasons) - he'd not throw in his current position only to come to Thailand and we're not desperate to relocate.

Sounds bad if your bf comes here with nothing to do all day and in the process gives up his career back home (might be hard getting hired again in his 40's and starting over upon returning).

This won't happen.

We're not going to come here in case his chances of finding a job are too limited.

We're both qualified and responsible, not the "let's open a beach bar cause we had such a nice vacation in Thailand" or "anyone can teach until they die, who cares about a pension" type .

Well, our relationship was long distance for the initial six months, then one year when I studied in England and now again but just for four months. However, we are looking into living/working here together and we won't break up . To be honest, I would not mind him having some time off and me taking care of both of us. He's been working really hard, has done the same thing for me for quite a while and deserves a long holiday - but I'm pretty sure he'd be bored after a couple of months at the latest and of course he wants to stay up-to-date regarding his business field.

My bf and I have been together for 10 years, might have been a bit confusing. I'm in Thailand for a four-month research stay for an M.A. thesis at the moment. It's not my first time here, though. Vocational training means "learning" a job while being trained at school and in the company for 3 years. It's part of the dual system in Germany which offers professional non-academic training, too.

Didnt pick it up at KSR while you were shopping for designer handbags did he?

Apparently you're not familiar with the German vocational training system.

It is an academic degree that tends to be required. Unfortunately the average Thai civil servant or labour law policy maker is not familiar with the unique context of the German vocational training system and its merits.

I know. Just wanted to clarify that my bf is by far not untrained.

A more feasible option for the b/f might be opening some kind of business, considering he has work experience but not a degree.Thought that's not possible without Thai stakeholders?He's got a degree, by the way. Just not from uni cause he decided doing non-academic job training.And pray tell from what auspicious school of learning was he able to graduate from with a degree?Didnt pick it up at KSR while you were shopping for designer handbags did he?

Apparently you're not familiar with the German vocational training system.

He's an IT Consultant for an international company from Japan, currently working in Munich.

Why would he want to work in Thailand? He's probably making more money in Munich than in Thailand.

Because it's not all about the money?

And you're moving to Thailand? How counter-culture can you get????

I know what Thailand is like and I still don't roam around Paragon to show off my latest designer bag. If it was for the income alone we would not consider moving.

You missed the import of my emoticon. The "whistler" implies a tongue-in-cheek remark. It's more of a comment on the materialism-more-rampant-than-the-West culture that I find here. I laud your priorities. Sorry I had to explain it. Takes away from the irony of the juxtaposition of your priorities and the prevalent culture here.

Please see above, my phone didn't display te whistler . And yeah, I totally know what you mean.

Because it's not all about the money?And you're moving to Thailand? How counter-culture can you get???? The OP is in Thailand. Best to read the thread before commenting. Since the OP already is in Thailand and she sound pretty smart, she could also dump the current bf and date somebody who are already working in Thailand. Problem solved, next!

10th anniversary this month and no intentions of looking for someone else. It's either the two of us or goodbye Thailand .

Sorry, my phone is playing tricks on me

A more feasible option for the b/f might be opening some kind of business, considering he has work experience but not a degree.

Thought that's not possible without Thai stakeholders?

He's got a degree, by the way. Just not from uni cause he decided doing non-academic job training.

He's an IT Consultant for an international company from Japan, currently working in Munich.

Why would he want to work in Thailand? He's probably making more money in Munich than in Thailand.

Because it's not all about the money?

And you're moving to Thailand? How counter-culture can you get????

I know what Thailand is like and I still don't roam around Paragon to show off my latest designer bag. If it was for the income alone we would not consider moving.

He's an IT Consultant for an international company from Japan, currently working in Munich.

Why would he want to work in Thailand? He's probably making more money in Munich than in Thailand.

Because it's not all about the money?