qualtrough

If you really think you must make a loan why not ask for some collateral? That is not an unheard of concept here. If they sincerely want/need the money and intend to pay surely they would be willing to place something they own of value in your hands as collateral? If they have nothing, or if they are unwilling to offer anything up, the chances that your loan will become a 'gift' have just increased dramatically. Anybody asking you for a loan is asking you a really big favor. If they are unwilling to return the favor by doing something that minimizes your risk then they are imposing on your good will and you should not feel any obligation to them whatsoever. That is the way I would operate, but if others want to do differently that is their business.

Yeah, and unfortunately, it is something that cannot be explained to people who do not want to hear it. So, for those who do, here is breaking news:

manners and attitudes are very often communicated non-verbally, especially in Asia.

Most adults can tell the difference between an ordinary friendly smile, and a come on smile; most women in Asia can tell the difference between an ordinary friendly attitude, and a proprietary one; I was talking about the latter.

Here in Thailand, I have often encountered this attitude from older Thai men, especially when I am out late and coming home alone. It is an attitude that crosses the anonymous sphere and assumes much in the way they glance at you openly. It is quite obvious in an otherwise polite society.

As a female here, I think I am well versed in this attitude, as it has occured a few times, or enough for me to notice a pattern.

What are other patterns or experiences other people have with security guards or building people overstepping their bounds?

Kat, you have chosen to live in a culture wherein the majority of people think that a single woman going out alone and coming back at all hours of the night is not a good thing. That attitude is not going to change in your lifetime so you will get 'looks' from time to time. Having said that, if your security staff is stepping over the line or making your feel uncomfortable you need to inform the management.

I have traveled all over the world for the last 35 years, and without a doubt the worst customs and immigration experiences have been in the US--hands down--and I am a US citizen. If you are asked an inappropriate question such as "Are you there for the girls?" you should immediately ask to speak with a supervisor and file a formal complaint. You are under no obligation to answer rhetorical questions about personal preferences.

On my last visit with my family (wife, two daughters) the immigration officer in Seattle looked like she was going to go postal as she made a big deal out of removing our passports from their plastic covers. Didn't say one word the entire time, but made it very clear she was disgusted and angry that she had to do that. If she had asked me if we could remove them I would have happily done so. BTW, that is the first and last time I have seen anyone remove the covers.

I had one US official ask me whether or not a I was a secular humanist when he discovered I was doing field research for a Ph.D. in Thailand. Unfortunately I didn't follow the advice I just gave above as it only registered with me after I left the line.

A freind of mine who's traveled all over Asia, including Thailand told me once that the Thai's are essentially a "warrior" people. I'v always kept this in mind when i'v been in Thailand!

Do you mean "warriors" as in fighting noble wars; or as in cowardly and sadistically murdering unarmed tourists ? Please clarify....

Thais, God bless 'em, are not a warrior race, and if so, they are the most spectacularly inept warriors ever. A comparison of the boundaries of Thailand some 100 years ago and today tells you all you need to know about that, or the fact that they could not wrest a tiny island from the Laos a few years back, or... They are part of a culture that generally puts a high value on avoiding conflict. Because so much emotion is constantly held in check, when it gets loose it usually blows big-time, no restraint. The importance of face is another issue.

A loan in Thailand translates to a 'grant' or 'gift.'

Only loan what you're willing to give away.

A westerner being with a Thai woman involves him giving money.

No money, no girl, no girlfriend, no wife.

One of the top questions a farang needs to ask himself when he wants to shack up with a Thai lady is:

How much am I willing to spend to stay with her?

If that amount is not sufficient in her view, there's either no relationship, or it's a strained one at best.

Any notions of romance, are best left for novels and videos. Regardless of what she might say about romance and love, her prime concerns are money (for her) and security for her family.

Unfortunately, farang men are so easily duped, that they keep getting on the conveyer belt of hopes and dreams for their entrancing Thai gals and dumped down the other end with dashed hopes and thin wallets.

Have to agree with the others who rubbished this post. Been married 11 years now, two kids, and have not experienced one of the issues raised by Brahmburger to be the case, not one.

I have a similar situation to yours, wife has one brother, parents run a shop, put kids through college, extremely thrifty, etc. I was asked one time long ago by the brother-in-law to loan some money for the purchase of a small flat. Probably a similar amount of money to yours, I forget the exact amount. I told my wife that I was not lending money for any speculative ventures, and that my responsibility was to her and our children. Only possible exception was if someone was sick or dying and needed medical help. But--in order to soften the blow I told her to tell him that my money was tied up in investments overseas and that I would be penalized for early withdrawal. The brother ended up getting a loan and all worked out well in the end. No repercussions, and no further loan requests either. He is a sober hard-working guy and the property he purchased worked out well. I am pretty confidant he would have paid me back, but why risk all that trouble? If you let it be known you are a soft touch you will be forever getting hit for loans, etc. and it will be difficult if not impossible to change that policy without affecting your relationship with your family. My advice to anyone would be to make it clear from the start that you are not an ATM machine or a bank and if they don't like it they can suck eggs. The advantage of that policy is that you will know who your real friends are. Saying that I know that this would be hard to implement with some families, so choose your in-laws well!

Belgian newspaper in french:

http://www.dhnet.be/dhinfos/article.phtml?id=155786

Baically same infos as already posted here

Parents added murdered guy was a calm guy

That article mentioned that the family is trying to locate two Frenchmen who were drinking with the brothers but they have been unable to do so. A German was also there, but since he was not mentioned again presumably they have been in contact with him.

I have banked with Siam Commercial Bank for years. There Internet banking interface is easy to use. If Bangkok Bank makes life hard for you screw 'em.

If you have to/want to pay, tell whoever is arranging it to get receipts for anything over 1000 B and reimburse them for those. No receipt, no payment, except for petty expenses.

Anyone who thinks that torture is ever justified is a terrorist.

So right...

Interesting Nam Kao, but what the heck do those stories have to do with street beggars??

A few years back I had to buy a ticket at the airport in Seattle for some reason and they wouldn't let me buy a one-way ticket unless I could show them a visa. I wasted a lot of time arguing with them about the non-neccessity of doing that, but in the end bought a full fare ticket as their suggestion so that I could get a refund on the return portion. Only time that has ever happened to me.

I was going to rant about the miserable failure of the Bush administration in its idiotic 'War on Terror', but I asked myself, is it related to Thailand? Answer, No. So I won't say anything.

1. Have you applied to AIS for Roaming Service.

2. Have you tried it with a local SIM card?

I have used AIS and DTAC services in Hongkong without difficulty.

Not to be recommended as it is expensive.

Much better to install a local SIM card.

BTW Phones sold in Thailand are no longer locked.

Astral,

Thanks for the advice on global roaming, I will check that out. And thanks for the warning. I once had to make an emergency visit to Sri Lanka when my mother was in the hospital there and rang up a bill over a $1000 dollars for phone calls made over the space of 5 days. Ouch! If the roaming activation doesn't pan out I may check out the local SIM option. I am only in the US for 10 days and don't use the phone for business, so being able to use it on ocassion is more of a want than a need.

I want to thank everyone for their help. I will be exploring several of the suggestions offered by members.

SamuiJens-I know what a gf. I just don't understand what relevance that has to a thread on beggars. Get some sleep and perhaps you can make a more coherent reply tomorrow...

Let review this

1. First answer Terry 57's question.(good un, by crikity 57)

2. Google Mafia

Other evidence you will find later.

But as you think, all of Thailand is drivin' by "mafia", buddha man, there can't be that many Sicilian men in LOS!

3. If you don't like it, move, to some other country.

4 If you have a thai gf, then she to is controled by your "Mafia"./and paying to them) All in what YOU THINK!

Ok, so you apparently pulled the 15% statistic out of your arse.

Mafia, buddha man, move to some other country, thai gf?? Sorry, I can't make any sense out of what you wrote. Try again tomorrow when you sober up!

Give you're $$ to charities and at the most 15% gets to the ones that NEED IT, THEY ARE THE MAFIA. Check out how much $$ gets to the needy by charity, maybe "theCambodens" learned from them.

SamuiJens-Meadish Sweetball provided a link to a site that cites a study by the International Labor Organization (ILO) on the child begging racket in Bangkok as well as an article from the Sydney Morning Herald. You can also find additional information on the Stop-Childbegging site at http://www.stop-childbegging.org/. It is in Thai, but since you have apparently conducted in-depth research on more than 25 beggars in Thailand that should pose no problem for you. This is just one portion of the begging racket as practiced in Bangkok and elsewhere.

OK now, some of us have provided links to actual research and reports documenting this practice. Can you please do the same for your 15% figure? Is that just a few charities, or all charities? Would Father Joe and his work in Klong Toey fall under that category? Have you ever visited his center there? Are small NGOs working closely with the poor, including beggars, included in your 15% figure? We eagerly await your documentation.

I find that the post office employees are rather hit and miss with the CN22 forms. I have decided to use those all the time now as it surely cannot hurt and might well avoid a delay or needless opening of a package. Last time I was at the PO I asked for some and they gave me a small booklet of them.

Some time ago I bought a Nokia cell phone. Inside the phone it says it is a model 3315. My service provider is AIS, and when the phone is on it says AIS GSM at the top of the display. Not a fancy phone, but I thought (?)at the time it was supposed to be a tri-band that would work in the USA. However, in several trips back to the US I have been unable to use the phone in the US and HK. I would appreciate anyone with expertise in this area letting me know what I need, or what I need to do, in order to make calls using a Thai mobile when in the US. If it means getting a new model, please let me know what to ask/look for. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

Go to any phone store and have it unlocked - easy process can even be done by yourself with a brief google search.

Vespa-thanks much. I will try the search.

Vespa-a follow up question if I may. Unlocking will allow another SIM card to be used, but will it deal with the problem of my phone not roaming and finding a local carrier in the USA or HK?

Some time ago I bought a Nokia cell phone. Inside the phone it says it is a model 3315. My service provider is AIS, and when the phone is on it says AIS GSM at the top of the display. Not a fancy phone, but I thought (?)at the time it was supposed to be a tri-band that would work in the USA. However, in several trips back to the US I have been unable to use the phone in the US and HK. I would appreciate anyone with expertise in this area letting me know what I need, or what I need to do, in order to make calls using a Thai mobile when in the US. If it means getting a new model, please let me know what to ask/look for. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

Go to any phone store and have it unlocked - easy process can even be done by yourself with a brief google search.

Vespa-thanks much. I will try the search.

Definitely a mafia business, and we try to manage and remove the ppl in our district when they are around. We got rid of the farang beggar with the sign as well. Cheeky sod.

Do you mean the guy who "just needs a few hundred baht for his ticket home"? He's still here. I saw him at BTS Siam Square at the weekend.

As for a mafia controlling the beggars, yes I believe it's true. I travel to different areas of Bangkok each day and have noticed at least 3 beggars who take it in turns to sit at the same places. The places are as far apart as Petchaburi Road, Silom and Soi Ari.

One of them, an old lady, has only one leg and the stump on the other leg is bandaged and has a spot of "blood" seeping out. I have seen her for about 3 years now with exactly the same spot of blood.

Another, a blind man, has huge loudspeakers and can be heard singing at least 30 meters away.

Another woman sits and bangs away at some kind of bells.

These 3 beggars take it in turns at sitting at exactly the same spots in 3 different areas but are never there together. How can some blind man drag 50kg of equipment across Bangkok from day to day.

Also, today I noticed a beggar setting up some electronic keyboards with huge speakers on top of a footbridge. How can they afford such equipment?

Petedk(er du dansk?) There is no Mafia, find a begger who speaks english or if you speak thai, then buy them a mal for 40B and give it to one that you can talk to and you will find that it NOT what you WANT to THINK. This way , especially when you talk to more than 25,That I have, then you know it's nothing but a scream for help-I'll admit there are SOME PHONIES out there, even a lot of farang, try there luck. But the mainstream are the Humble ones, just ask them, they pick those areas cause it where the most people with $$ are of course. If you needed to beg wouldn't you also find the best place for it?

Let's review. You spoke with approximately 25 beggars and they told you they are not part of any organized gang? Of course they would tell you if they were under the influence of a gang, so I guess that settles the issue...

The Captain is right about begging gangs in prime locations. This topic has been investigated numerous times over the years by the Post and Nation, government agencies, and NGOs. For an example, follow the link posted by Meadish Sweetball on page 3 of this thread. These gangs are ruthless and exploit disabled people and babies. As someone else pointed out, many of the beggars are not even Thai, but are primarily Cambodians. I am sure many Thais give because they genuinely feel for the beggars, but for many it is a function of making merit by giving to the poor. I think a better reaction to this situation would be to give to a legitimate charity that deals with the poor. If you are giving to beggars in any downtown location in Bangkok you are almost certainly enabling the gangs that exploit these people.

Some time ago I bought a Nokia cell phone. Inside the phone it says it is a model 3315. My service provider is AIS, and when the phone is on it says AIS GSM at the top of the display. Not a fancy phone, but I thought (?)at the time it was supposed to be a tri-band that would work in the USA. However, in several trips back to the US I have been unable to use the phone in the US and HK. I would appreciate anyone with expertise in this area letting me know what I need, or what I need to do, in order to make calls using a Thai mobile when in the US. If it means getting a new model, please let me know what to ask/look for. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

Well My friend(GF) Filipina working in minburi has sent me two small packages and both just seem to have disappeared. First was in Feb,2006..never got that..sent just plain old mail..not surprised.

The second one she sent around Aug.10. This time sent RMS. The Guy at Big C where she sent it from said "No EMS in New Mexico" so they sent it RMS..

Did a "Track and Trace" on the RMS Registered Mail Service

Results for RBxxxxxxxxxTH

Scan Location Description Delivery Status

Monday, August 21, 2006 12:11:34 PM

KHLONG CHAN Accept

What's this mean? Lost in Khlong Chan?

Don't know my Thailand Geography very well yet, but I'm guessing that it didnt get far from Big C

Does this happen a lot even with registered mail? Not really worried, just a couple of Tshirts. Was in an RMS envolope. Any tips on shipping so things dont disappear?

Whats the big deal for a couple of Tshirts? Guess I'm glad to help out if someone needed them

Looks like the last know location for the package was Klong Chan postal center. Your girlfriend should bring the documentation down to a post office to put a trace on it.

If your girlfriend sent something from Big C she was using a private postal service like Mailbox Inc. They generally provide a good service, but just take your mail down to the post office after charging you a bit extra for the convenience. In my opinion this just adds an additional opportunity for mail to go missing. Advise her to send directly from a post office next time. Airmail times can vary considerably. I find packages and small envelopes to the US take about 2-3 weeks on average, but I just had someone say it took a month. Registered mail can slow things down a bit because transit of the item must be recorded at various stages. Overall I have had very good results with the Thai Postal system over the last 25 years (knock on wood).