wasabi

Try this http://www.thai-language.com/default.aspx?ref=tonecalc

I can't get that calculator to work even with IE. How do u get it to recalc?

I dont know whether this is relevant, a couple of years ago we were taking a group of friends on a tour of thailand,one of them had obviously read Lonely planet, because he knew everything about Bkk according to him the Indra Regent was a hotbed of vice and roaches, but he knew of a highly recommended guesthouse also near Pratunam, so there we went for a couple of days, on the 2nd day my wife stumbled on one of the houseboys in our room going through one of our suitcases, needless to say the houseboy was sacked, later on we decided to ship one of our suitcases back home filled with souvenirs that our guests had bought so we could ship them back to england for them, we had no further problems, but this is where the story really starts 8 weeks ago we started to check the state of our suitcases to see if they would last another trip, the large one that we had sent back by sea was a bit battered and smelt funny, so we decided to throw it away , we checked all the pckets and to our horror in the lining we found a very large ziploc bag full of a brown oily substance, we dread to think what would have happened if we had been caught with it at Don Muang, after over 40 years of travelling asia learned something new again, we wont make the same mistake again, as my german friends used to say, Holzauge sei Wachsam!!(young Gerd can Translate ) Nignoy

I always check all my pockets before check out, if i must stow my bags I check them again in the bathroom of the airport I'm arriving at before clearing customs. To the OP's point I once heard, "In life there are millions of chances to keep your mouth shut, take all of them"

Regarding Grammar, my English grammar is very good but this is due to the fact I'm a farang not because I know the rules well. How many of you English teachers actually know the rules that dictate grammar and how many just know it due to being a native speaker? Is it possible to teach English if you have solid grammar but only by instinct?

All of this is not done in a few months. More like years! Not everyone has an idea as youtube and a buyer like google.

But it is still possible. Never give up!

I think those youtube guys went from concept to multi-multi millions in less than a year! I wish I thought of that.

Thank you for all the replies. I'm 32 degree in English but 5+ years in finance and before that 6 years as tech support for a university. I currently am working for a large endowment who has investments in hedge funds, Venture capital, real estate, commodities stocks, bonds basically everything which has given me exposure to the mechanics of a wide variety of investments and how they are recorded and measured. As far as being a person who makes investment decisions, that's not something I'm knowledgeable about. I'm more of an operations guy who also knows how to measure how well an investment did after the fact and how to manage the databases and software that do so. A while back I did see a job that was almost an exact match to mine in Singapore, I applied but didn't get a reply, as I mentioned my odds were probably greatly decreased due to the fact I'm applying from far away.

Perhaps I judged Singapore too quickly. I have been there and found it dull, but I haven't full explored it. Living in Thailand is what I'd like best but if I could commute there frequently that may be acceptable. I'm also very interested in improving my Thai which I've studied for 3 years and living in Thailand would be the easiest way to do so.

I once talked to my employer about telecommuting, they considered it but then rejected it. I was sympathetic to this because it would have been setting a new precedent and there are a few of my duties I'd be unable to do remotely though I could still do the bulk of my job.

It's hard for me to criticize another country's leadership when mine, USA has GW Bush. Even if the majority hadn't come to realize he is a buffoon who can hardly complete a sentence I still would dislike him. He probably has done some good things but above all a leader should be a diplomatic who ushers in goodwill amongst nations for the benefit of his/her own. GW has only caused our image to go down with his cowboy antics. We have lost respect and are losing dominance in nearly every industry.

I for one appreciate reading this. It doesn't change my opinion about Thailand but it is a point of interest. I'd like to see the video.

please don't give up a decent job to become an english teacher here.... leave that to the people with no former jobs.

I make no judgment on those who wish to be English teachers in TH, but the more I research that career path the less appealing it seems as a job for me. Thailand is where I want to live and I'm willing to make some sacrifices but the sacrifices continue to seem too great to make it a satisfying move for the long term. One alternative I bump into over and over is the possibility of working in Singapore, which has a strong financial sector. I find Singapore boring and not nearly as enticing as Thailand but it is only an hour flight away so I may have to explore this option again.

I have applied to jobs in Singapore before with no reply, most likely the fact I live in California USA makes it unlikely anyone over there will take me seriously. I don't know how I could go about living in Thailand or Singapore for the duration of my job seeking pursuit, any ideas on that front? Is it realistic I could go over there on a 3 month visa land a job then come back to get rid of my things and make the move?

If I was Tony Jaa I might get involved but in real life fights are very dangerous, you could lose an eye, a limb your life. There are circumstances I would fight but not likely in the event of a stranger, of course I have compassion for them but you can't save the world.

I'm exploring career options in Thailand. I've seen a few jobs I may be qualified for but am not sure if such jobs are open to Farangs. Here's an example of one. It's not exactly what I'm looking for but close enough.

http://server2.jobthai.com/En/findjob/job_...?Code=100463171

Presently I am a Performance Analyst for an investment organization, I run and create reports and calculate investment returns, but I don't expect to find this exact job in Thailand. I also have experience as a Portfolio administrator and it's this type of work I'm hoping might be open to me. I realize teaching English is the career path followed by many but I'm wondering what else is out there.

This one still bugs me after 28 years learning Thai. 'Ter' means you, as applied to a female partner. Same spelling (sera eh, tor tong, aw ang) also means 'she'. 'Kow' means 'he'. Use as 'she' is incorrect.

So, when talking to one's teerak, how to avoid the confusion arising from the use of 'ter' which can mean both 'you' and 'her'?

I was just talking to my friend, A Thai girl, about this last night. She said Ter can mean you and she and if you're close friends, even he and you for a male. Basically it seems to depend on context. For example if you say Kitteung Ter to your girlfriend she's not going to think you are saying I miss she.

My friend posted this in a conversation

ทุกสิ่งจะไม่หวนคืน..เหมือนเวลาที่ย้อนกลับมาไม่ได้

She said it means time will not go back as it was, however I can't quite figure out how she got that meaning.

ทุกสิ่งจะไม่หวนคืน..เหมือนเวลาที่ย้อนกลับมาไม่ได้

Everything will not return same time that return not able

That's how I literally read it and I know the syntax of Thai is different but this sentence still seems clunky to me. The concept of returning seems to be expressed redundantly even though different words are used หวนคืน and ย้อนกลับ. I would write it like this to more clearly express time will not return the same as it was before

ทุกสิ่งจะไม่หวนคืน..เหมือนมาก่อน

it's this last half that has me stumped

เวลาที่ย้อนกลับมาไม่ได้

I'm sure she's right but can someone explain why the latter part should be written the way she has?

The sentence is making a conparison. The first half loosely says that things don't come back, the second half compares it to time. Basically it says, "Things don't come back, just like time that can't be turned back." In English I might say something like, "Just as time cannot be turned back, neither do things (lost/past) come back." It's comparing "things" with "time-that-can't-be-turned-back"

Now that you explain it that way it makes more sense. I was trying to force it into her translation, but I think yours is more accurate.

My friend posted this in a conversation

ทุกสิ่งจะไม่หวนคืน..เหมือนเวลาที่ย้อนกลับมาไม่ได้

She said it means time will not go back as it was, however I can't quite figure out how she got that meaning.

ทุกสิ่งจะไม่หวนคืน..เหมือนเวลาที่ย้อนกลับมาไม่ได้

Everything will not return same time that return not able

That's how I literally read it and I know the syntax of Thai is different but this sentence still seems clunky to me. The concept of returning seems to be expressed redundantly even though different words are used หวนคืน and ย้อนกลับ. I would write it like this to more clearly express time will not return the same as it was before

ทุกสิ่งจะไม่หวนคืน..เหมือนมาก่อน

it's this last half that has me stumped

เวลาที่ย้อนกลับมาไม่ได้

I'm sure she's right but can someone explain why the latter part should be written the way she has?

I thought this was a well written article by someone who has at least a decent vocabulary and sense of humor and not someone who has spent about 5 minutes in BKK yet claims to be an expert.

I have ridden Motosai taxis a few times and always regret it! I'm a somewhat risk adverse person and riding one of those taxis always feels like tempting fate. I guess the reason is being in a hurry and having no faster way to get where I need to go. I too have had my knees scrape against buses and come millimeters away from being jammed between merging Songtaews.

I smell a Troll

Just what we need....another farang female bashing thread.

I never get sick of those

I wish I could write like that. Also I agree with sabaijai's phonetic translation.

Lots of advice with most people baulking the direct question..

Offshore oil and gas industry in The Gulf of Thailand, pays well, good people, plenty of time at home.

Life's too short to sit around and wait for a pay check that will barely pay the months bills..

I researched the oil and gas industry and found while it could be very lucrative with a healthy amount of time off, it takes years to make it to a position of prominence and what I'd call good pay. Though even the bottom of that industry would be more than the best teaching job. What I gathered was in the O&G industry you have to pay your dues for many years swabbing the decks so to speak, after which you can be a foreman or something. Also you have to spend long hours on a ship with mostly other men no matter what position you are in. There are some who started such careers at 18 or 19 and now are in a great position with good pay and ample leave but if you're in mid career like me and early 30s it is a big gamble to start at the bottom again.

OP is long gone! But this is still an interesting thread. I've tried my luck at the stock market and wiped out my account a few times. I have 90% of my money in mutual funds and they always seem to outperform any trading attempts I make. I would love to win at trading, stocks or currencies but I haven't figured out a good system yet. I'd be interested in hearing other people's ideas for successful trading.

In my experience it came down to a lot of homework. I used to trade the HSI (relatively successfully - HKD25k-35k pm from a HKD 100k "float" and mostly no overnight positions, so relatively little risk). I studied the market closely and paper-traded for months before I got in for real. Find one market and stick with it. When I tried to trade the S&P the same way I had with the HSI, I started losing - thankfully I got out early and went back to what I knew best.

Discipline is tantamount - the first time you cut a losing trade can be quite emotional! The market cliches became cliches for good reason; cut your losses and let your profits run (use trailing stops), and the trend is your friend. If you develop a system to time your entry and exit points, as I did, stick to it like glue.

If you're playing on the exchanges, get recommendations for a good broker. Of course this was before the rise of these online systems, so maybe you don't need a bookie anyway nowadays.

Oh, and of course never play with money you can't afford to lose!

I was pretty good about cutting my losses, it was letting my winners run that was hard. I found myself getting whipsawed a lot. What I'd do is set a 10% trailing stop loss, however I'd try to keep an eye on the market and if the stock closed down 6% from where I bought it (this didn't necessarily happen in a day) then I'd sell it the next day if it wasn't showing positive by the close. The 10% t-stop is meant as a fail safe allowing for volatility, where 6% is the desired loss point. I'm sure this is overly simplistic and could be improved but seemed to work. However I found almost like a curse stocks that had nice gains would erode and I'd only capture small part of that gain. Secondly I'd sell stocks with a decent gain after a bit of a sell off not wanting to lose all my gains, only for it to come roaring back to new highs. It was often uncanny how I mistimed selling my winners, a few times within minutes they took off to new highs . I tried various stop tightening techniques to no avail. The results were random and not the product of skill, luck is not a long term strategy so I'm still hunting for the right technique. But I will only commit serious capital if I have a system that is working in the mean time it's the daily grind for me.

I work in finance but am not a trader, I know all about portfolio accounting and calculating performance but trading alludes me. I have seen many fail and am doubtful most can make a living at it though I also know some do, and strangely can do so with ease. I also agree you must control your emotions and never place your personal feelings in the market arena. I like technical trading most but I definitely pay attention to fundamentals as well. My last attempt was a month ago, my total account was down 6% so I decided to take myself out of the market because I found myself wanting to take more risk to make up for the loss, and the market is never a game of catch up. I also find many parallels to poker, doubling down, knowing when to fold, bluffing or know when you're being bluffed. The two have a lot in common. A healthy understanding of game theory helps too. I'll be in Thailand in a week but in another month or so I may take another stab at it. I'm thinking of going primarily short next time.

OP is long gone! But this is still an interesting thread. I've tried my luck at the stock market and wiped out my account a few times. I have 90% of my money in mutual funds and they always seem to outperform any trading attempts I make. I would love to win at trading, stocks or currencies but I haven't figured out a good system yet. I'd be interested in hearing other people's ideas for successful trading.

I'm glad they're leaving Thailand the day I arrive.

I agree with what everyone has said here. There are situations, such as on the phone vs face to face when you know the person understands you but either consciously or unconsciously refuses to understand you. I do think most times it's a power play, and sometimes it's a result of shock.

It is an interesting paradox. Is there anything that Youtube would ban? Yes they would ban porn or killing. I think everyone can agree these things are "offensive" Yet to Thai people those things pale in comparison to defaming the king, it's many multiples more offensive than the items youtube would ban do to the mores and taboos of the USA. So on one hand it does seem hypocritical that youtube bans some types of videos seen as offensive but not other types. Then the original purpose for free speech arises. if you start to censor some things, eventually you censor everything. Because everyone will find something offensive. Basically youtube must decide who they are willing to offend. In the age of the internet, trying to censor does seem to create the opposite of the intended effect. Yet could the Thai gov't legally have ignored something so offensive? What if you tube were playing a beheading video, surely a senator would demand it be removed. If he/she sat by and did nothing their constituents would quickly cry out. So in this sense Thailand is acting no different than we would.

Now does Thailand have any legal recourse to tell us what's offensive? I have no idea but instinctually it seems no. Perhaps someone in the USA is offended by a Thai website, I doubt they can sue Thailand and force them to remove it.

I don't consider myself a particularly saintly individual or man of redeemable value. However I have fancied the idea of teaching English or another subject at an orphanage. The only orphanage I know of is in Pattaya. Hmm, refer to first sentence.

I think you mean หรือ you forgot the vowel. It depends on the context it can mean or, but placed at the end of the sentence I think it's the same as ไหม

It seems to me that คือ can always be glossed as 'i.e.'.

hi richard,

if 'glossed' means 'interpreted as' or 'substituted with' then i'd argue that คือ will not always be able to be glossed as 'i.e.'. for example, เขาคือใคร won't work.

that said, i think that as a general guide, the parallels with 'i.e.' are useful. like 'i.e.', คือ will generally be used after something, some person or some state of affairs has been hinted at or described, then there will be a คือ word like นั้นคือ or คือว่า and then the thing, person or state of affairs will be named.

so,

เรามีเรื่องจะต้องรบกวนเธอ คือว่า ขาดคนทำอาหาร

i have a problem i need to bother you with. namely, we're short of a cook.

เธอหันไปมองคนที่มีค่าที่สุดในชีวิด นั้นคือ ลูกชายวัยห้าขวบ

she turned to look at the most valuable person in her life, her five year old son.

all the best.

I have yet to master the difference between คือ and เป็น I can use these correctly in contexts I've heard before but when a new use of to be pops up I'm usually not sure which to use, though เป็น seems to be the more common one.