Unwisemonkey

Being a history channel type anthropologist I asked my wife why Thai's dothis, and she didn't really know. We speculated, I came to the conclusion that it was probably because a long time ago before Thais had doctors, the monks were responsible for teaching people about health and cleanliness as well as spiritual beliefs, and that it was probably just something they did to help control lice and other parasites. She responded with... How did you know the monks used to control all Thai medicine? I explained that it happens in every culture around the world because religion is one of the first structural forms to organize any society. I still think the lice control is the primary reason for doing this. I've seen Thai's often picking through each others hair like chimps grooming each other. Kind of nice way to bond I think. This is one Thai way I wouldn't mind seeing more of in the west.

Perhaps a family discussion would be in order to find a caretaker for them since neither seems inclined (nor would they be happy to) go into care. Additionally, a power of attorney can be had and is probably a good idea, the main issue would be that the son in the US won't really be aware of whats going on on the ground as they say, so may not be the best person to yield it.

And now we stumble into problem number two. He visits about once a year I'd say. He knows perfectly well the situation but how a court would view it... I understand. But honestly in his immediate family he is the best qualified. My wife and her sister don't speak to one another and both have issues. Even if I was just a friend of the family their brother would still be the best choice because I would not trust either sister to carry out the wishes, sorry wifey sad but true. I don't know much about trusts but my understanding is that the executor (Chief Trustee) is in charge of making decisions and his job for which it is perfectly reasonable to expect a little compensation too, is to make money for the trust. I figured he could hire the maids or whatever they need and have his girlfriend who lives here in Thailand report back to him, and help manage their business affairs, or get another auditor of sorts; whichever is acceptable to the family.

Just as an example of some of their behavior that is alarming (less so then other examples) They had a rental property for businesses and one tenant was complaining that the toilet was broken. They blew it off, and quite literally said "oh I didn't think he was serious" This went on for a couple of months and ended up a source of conflict between one of the other tenants and himself. I inspected the toilet myself finally only to see it was indeed broken and in need of repair. This is just one of hundreds of similar incidents. I think I will address the brother privately and let him be the one to open the discussion. Family discussion is out of question though. I really doubt that would amount to anything. I've been here for over a year now and I'll just hope you trust my judgement on this particular set.

Believe Thai law does have the option of putting people in care if they are not competent to make their own decisions. There was a case a few years ago of a university lecturor being committed against his wil on request of his family.

But it does comes down to if the family wants this. In case of the father you say he is mentely competent, so a court will probably at most only declare the mother incompetent.

I think you are right that doing so would be alien to many Thai families. You can discuss the problems with them and let them decide what to do.

There in lies the problem, and that is the dynamics of the relationship between the father and mother. Although the mother is slipping away it's more of a delusional state of mind. She is still the old battle axe she's always been and the father loves her so much it doesn't matter how insane she acts he will stand by her. If she demands they test their karma by dancing and handling cobras he will do it! Well maybe not that extreme but you get the point. That and they both worked for the government before retiring so they know all the right things to say in all the right ways. Their lifestyle though was in part to another relative who they treated like a slave to act as their maid, even referring to this relative as the maid and paying her very little. Nearly the same age as them she managed to kind of bandage the exterior but after a western style deep cleaning of their home I realized just how far along they have headed into convalescence. It may not be dire straights quite yet, but I think certainly prudent a time to prepare so they can maintain some of their wealth and live a better quality of life.

Okay hopefully I placed this in the right forum. My wifes parents are very old, and going senile. They drive me crazy in the usual Thai ways but I have put that aside to really look objectively at the situation. Without going into overzealous detail about how they live their lives I'll make it clear to the readers that I don't want anything from my wifes parents. They are middle class Thais, the father is in his 80's and mother is approaching her 70's. The old man still has it together but is slowing down. The mother has been by all accounts slipping slowly into dementia since a stroke she had before I even met the family. The only one I can see who is capable of managing a quality of life for them is their eldest son who lives in the U.S.A. I want to ask him to do something about it, but I thought it may be prudent to ask a question here and maybe get some advice. So my question is: Does Thai law allow for children to take power of attorney over their parents estate? From what I see culturally that is probably something as foreign to them as the rest of us. The thing is I truly do feel pity for them, despite how frustrated I get with them at times. These were some pretty considerable people in their prime but seeing their house and properties fall into disrepair and their refrigerators filled with things one and two years past their expiration dates is disheartening. I try to clean up for them and have stumbled upon rat and mouse scat and that unmistakable scent of rodent urine. I watched my own grandmother live like this until finally the family decided that no amount of protesting would change their mind, and by then she had developed cancer. In the case of my wifes parents, I told her they won't die of old age, they will die of food poisoning or toxoplasmosis from rodent feces or something.

Is there any legal recourse I can suggest for the eldest brother to take?

I'm teaching English, and the logistical problems are huge. The English programs at school have the same problems as every other program. ...

But we share 4 computers between a staff of over 20 in the English Department.... ...

Facebook is blocked on all school computers which is a pain in the ass because I cannot communicate with my friends who are proffesional teachers in a timely manner ....

<deleted>?

Are you for real? Can you imagine that people learned languages without a computer and the teacher have access to facebook.

OMG. I don't have children. But i read from time to time how foreign parents are worried about the schools here and the teachers. Complains about the Thai teachers, but when i read some words from the foreigners here, posing as 'teacher' and report their little issues and silly opinions i would as parents worried about these farangs teachers if not even more. They are definitely equally NOT QUALIFIED.

High scores on editing put what I wrote to make me appear ignorant and stupid. Cut the crap and work on your own reading comprehension Sergei. I teach over 1000 students each week and it's no easy task. I don't teach with a computer, but I suppose I am to create different worksheets ESL games and various assignments by hand in a timely manner to reach all of those classes, each with a different level of skill. Sure why not lets assign an oral presentation in English on provincial history for Matayom 5/1 as well as matayom 5/12 They can all handle it.

Facebook is blocked and you convienantly left out that I wrote it was a minor grievance, because I'd like to communicate with my friends who are proffesional teachers and can give me advice and practical tips. I haven't met a single foreigner yet who has ever claimed to be a proffesional teacher, what I have encountered is some brave people willing to try something new and take it very seriously despite having the chips stacked against them. This includes being aware of their own inexperience. You make light of these teachers and their "little issues and silly opinions" but offer nothing because your opinion counts as that much... NOTHING.

I've sat down with parents of the Thai Students we teach and completely unprompted heard the exact, near verbatim complaints about the English department and the issues facing it that I've said and many others here on this board. Contrary to popular belief not all Thais and Thai parents are all ceremony and easy going mai pen rai , take it easy this is Thailand. They know the score. They have hopes and expectations for their children and their country and when you are in a position that effects directly literally at least a thousand lives... you tend to take all these little things pretty <deleted> seriously because they all add up and amount to one big <deleted> problem. And you know if these little things were done and done right that it may not solve everything but it would make the most of what you have on hand and make it that much easier to reach more students. I've gotten into disagreements with my fellow native speakers about western education, in short I said that if a Thai Teacher had access to the same quality of resources teachers in the western world had that within ten years Thai students nationwide would be competing academically amongst the top tiers of students worldwide.

In Summation <deleted>.

I'm still getting my financial feet wet in the Thai money pool, so I'm curious, as to how these funds are buying up Thai Baht? Thailand is if I am not mistaken unique in that they have two currencies the local Baht which we all have and use, but for the forex markets they have the Thai Offshore Baht. What values are we seeing that are being reported? Does the government back up the TOB with interior Baht? And which value is being reported?

I'm teaching English, and the logistical problems are huge. The English programs at school have the same problems as every other program. Namely the no fail policies. Oh you've thrown chalk and chipped tile at Ajarn all year long like a rabid monkey, let's have a ceremony to celebrate your academic progress! Beyond students attitudes is the resource problems. I teach at a fairly well known high school that gets lots of cash pumped into it from the parents and the government. But we share 4 computers between a staff of over 20 in the English Department.... Okay make due with what you have I say and take the blows on the chin, but it gets even more ridiculous. The computers are not properly networked together and the Staff Thai, and foreign have not been trained on how to use the systems that are streamlined and easily used. There is no central server for Teachers to log into from home so they can continue working on assignments, the school has a website for showcasing bologna achievements of the students and administrators but there is no academic uses at all. Facebook is blocked on all school computers which is a pain in the ass because I cannot communicate with my friends who are proffesional teachers in a timely manner, but that's a minor grievance, however the computer lab which is always full of students has FPS games, access to pornography and more.

The Thai Staff is completely divisive with one another too. There are two camps. One supports the native speakers teaching and values our input, the other camp is hyper critical, enjoy interuppting our classes, and revel in listening to the students abuse the foreign teacher in Thai language curses, and do everything they can do undermine the situation. The old guard is about to be retired that is the only saving grace and it seems the Government is advocating early retirement to get new, younger, friendlier, open minded teachers who can speak better English in and working.

Then there is classroom size. teaching tools, testing tools too, no scantrons or anything everything is done by hand... this is 2010! I am at a very popular school for people to send there kids at and the teachers don't even have a scantron... /rant.

English is the most powerful language in the world. It is very difficult language to learn despite others comments, because it is also the most alive and thriving constantly assimilating new words. Spanglish anyone?

hmm maybe I ought to mint my own local currency That should take care of the problem. I'll call it the Farang, and back it with som tum.

Well said. I've brought this issue up several times with my friends, that the only ones who could reasonably be profiting from this windfall are the small percentage of financial aristocrats who have enough money and influence to manipulate the market.

Why risk your money trying to manipulate the markets, when you can get tip offs to exactly which way it will go from Central Banks or the politicians/banksters that run them weeks in advance.

Months even. Foreign investment from corporations are moving out of Thailand and into Vietnam Cambodia and Laos, where labor is cheap, I recall an article about Ford Motor Company building a factory in Cambodia I think, and Thai Financial Guru's recommending Thai investors put their money into stocks of companies operating in neighboring countries. If you got every red shirt a brokerage account and a little financial education perhaps Thailand would end up with a huge voting middle class an a new bourgeois.

Cheaper cars and bull market stock portfolios would be enough buffer for a short while from any currency bubbles but how long would that last? It's too soon yet to make and solid predictions, currency devaluation will continue around the world, until the infrastructures that support NAFTA and EUFTA are fully equipped and ready for competition, ASEAN members are limping behind and don't seem to have many options at the moment. I'd steer clear of borrowing money from China to fuel competition as they already have a lot of U.S. Debt on their balance sheets. It may be worthwhile to consider changing immigration laws and citizenship requirements in the kingdom if for nothing else then the exchange of ideas and knowledge. Let the western worlds disenfranchised come in and help prop up a larger middle class [tongue in cheek].