Swiss1960

Maybe because Thailand has more tolerance than the west.?

Yermanee

Hit the nail on the head, probably just as many in the west but due to social prejudices they remain behind closed doors.

If you do not think that there are social prejudices towards the "trans" segment, think again. There are barriers that prevent them from aspiring to senior positions in business, the health care industry and the government. Human beings are the same all over and if someone doesn't conform, he/she gets stepped on. Trans people in Thailand are tolerated, but still have limited redress in employment equity, pensions, benefits and civil laws. If I take up with a trans in Germany or the Netherlands, I have protections not available in Thailand. If I am discriminated against in my workplace because I am transgender in North America, I have some strict laws that will protect me. Not so the case in Thailand.

You are of course with the legal aspect, much more acceptance and protection for them in Europe / US...

However... I know quite a few transgender people in Europe who would rather have a social society acceptance (as ladyboys have in Thailand) than have the legal protection and still be discriminated and despised by the poeple around them... the law does not help them being treated as outsiders and does not help them that the people around them still treat them as psychic...

Thailand could teach some countries about tolerance. Thais don't seem to have any hostility to homosexuals or transgender people whatsoever. Worlds apart from the states(where I come from I'm ashamed to admit).

You are right about tolerance and right about the US... but even though Western Europe is now much more accepting from a legal perspective, it still is the societies attitude towards transgender / homosexual people that needs lot of adjustment until we would have the same level of tolerance as in Asia

And that is why I really think that the Wiki article about Third Gender ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_gender ) has a very good point when it talkes about the impact of the "heteronormative" gender system in the West which only recognizes man and woman... and the christian religion based condemnation of equal gender relationships does not help at all...

That said, of course it is obvious that in Thailand, more and more Thai "ladyboys" are just men who started to take hormones / get implants in order to be able to get their share of the sex-business to which their is a steady inflow of Westerns who come here to live their phantasy / dream...

Unofortunately, nowadays ladyboys are only seen in the context of sexual encounters and the real roots of the "real" ladyboys - the gender identity issue - is mostly forgotten or ignored - which many of the previous posts clearly prove.

I think Dorothy is dead right when she talks about suppression in the west when it comes to ladyboys / transgender / transvestites... our (Christian religion based) culture does only know a heteronormative social norm and since - even today - homosexuality is seen as a sin by those religions, it is very difficult for western transgender people to live a life the way they want.

In Asian countries however, there is a cultural accpetance through the religions, whether Hinduism or Buddhism and it is thought to go back to the Vedas (1500 BC to 500 BC). Therefore, for those really interested, i would recommend the Wikipedia Article about "Third Gender" which will give you some insights that are not biaised on some of the crap I read above. Just quoting one part:

"In the Buddhist Vinaya ... there are four main sex/gender categories: males, females, ubhatobyanjanaka (people of a dual sexual nature) and pandaka (people of various non-normative sexual natures ...) As the Vinaya tradition developed, the term pandaka came to refer to a broad third sex category which encompassed intersex, male and female bodied people with physical and/or behavioural attributes that were considered inconsistent with the natural characteristics of man and woman.

Contrary to what is often portrayed in the West, sex with male ... was the gender role of the third gender, not their defining feature. Thus, in ancient India, as in present day India, the society made a distinction between a third genders having sex with a man, and a man having sex with a man. The latter may have been viewed negatively, but he would be seen very much as a man ... (in modern western context 'gay')."

I do clearly think that this culture with deep roots in Buddhism just makes it much easier for transgender people to be widly accepted and therefore, we (western) think that their are many more ladyboys in Thailand than in Western Europe - which might or might not be true. One fact certainly is that many ladyboys have realized the business they can make with Westerns (ask yourself why that is and who should be blamed for it...) and thus, we Westerns see many ladyboys in the tourist centre and maybe therefore think that there are many more than in the west...

But again, if the west could wipe out the christian religion based suppression and discrimination and would cease to qualify transgender people as having a "mental disorder according to IDC-10", then we would see a fast growing transgender community in the West also.

I capture backpackers, scalp them, and then sell their hair to thai wigmakers.

Really glad I am bald already

i have been looking at many websites in many different languages during my retirement preparation process... and what ever those are, they all did give value to my thinking... some are just amusing, some are giving lot of good advices (for me specially those from Swiss guys who talk about their experiences with insurance, Swiss retirement funds, procedures etc.), some are giving lot of information about how NOT to do it...

But at the end of the day, no website can match all... do you want to live rural or in town... do you want to eat Western or Thai... do you want to live family life or beer bar girl life... do you want to buy or rent...

Websites that talk about / give advices about how much money "you" need for retiring in Thailand are pretty much stupid... nobody with clear thinking will retire to Thailand without having been here and seen all (including pricing). Only then, you can do your own budgeting once you know how and where you want to live and which qualities you are looking for in your retirement age.

One condition, like mentioned: the money transfer to your bank account should be nearly in real time.

The concept of "real time" is not of interest for the exchange rate, as your transaction has day and time stamp that will be used for fixing the exchange rate to be used and that is independant of whether it is a POS or ATM transaction.

First step in a transaction is the authorization request from the acquirer to the issuer about the expected amount to be charged. That is done in a real time mode where the acquirer sends out the transaction and waits for the answer. Depending on the answer he will honour the transaction or not. When the issuer has authorized the transaction, he will normally make a reservation for that amount against your card account / bank account and will then be waiting for the clearing record to arrive some days later. The authorisation shall ensure that you can not overdraw your account and is specially important in the area of car rentals and hotel reservations.

The second step is the acquirer sending out the clearing transactions later, either later in the same day (he can do it once in the evening or many times, depending on his bookkeeping system) or even days later - he has up to 30 days to do the clearing (some smaller merchants collect transactions and only send them once a week, as the acquirer charges them a fixed fee for the submission of the clearing records independent on the number of transactions).

The third step is VISA / MC doing the settlement between Issuer and Acquirer (both having accounts set up with VSIA / MC for that specific purpose. That is the time VISA / MC will put in the "correct" exchange rate based on the transaction date and time. In a POS environment, the acquiring bank will now - after he received the money from VISA / MC - credit his merchant with the money.

Finally we have the clearing from the Issuer bank to the cardholder account. Issuing bank will now charge you with the final amount and will at the same time delete the outstanding authorisations from your account. The amount charged to you can vary from the amount that was "reserved" during authorization, again mostly in car rental or hotel transactions.

Even if you have a payment slip from returning your car / checking out of the hotel, that amount is not final and can change over time. Why? There can be charges for extra milage or filling up bas that have not be booked when returning the car or their could be extra charges from minibar / missing items in your hotel room. Unfortunately, this happens very often and our call center receives loads of complaints about these extra charges... that is also why nowadays, lot of hotels will let you wait during checkout and ask housekeeping to check your room before they do the checkout transaction.

Quite a few balcony jumpers disagreed with you.

My theory is that most of them had run out of money and had to go home.

... would have had to go home would be correct...

But I have a lot of reasons that make me dissatisfied in Thailand

- beer that does not get served

- food which quality does not match price

- beach vendors who don't get "mai krap" in the first place

- flooding when my fridge runs out of supply

- BiB who cause chaos on the streets

but then... most of those points would make me dissatisfied in all other countries too...

sorry, duplicate...

Obviously, the swipe machine at the bank's counter is not programmed as the one at Big C, i.e., in the Point of Sale mode -- since the bank is not selling something with a profit margin that would allow cost coverage for the 2% or so "swipe" (interchange) fee. Now, while the bank's counter machine is programmed in the "ATM" mode, not "POS" mode, whether or not you could use a "swipe and sign" (vs. PIN) mode -- I don't know. Not sure why not...

POS and ATM modes are different specifications and normally, you can't just "swap" from one mode to the other. It also requires different processing contracts whether you are a sales business or an ATM provider. If you want to do both, you need both contracts (but I am aware that some shops provide cash advance and process them as normal transactions, but this is really illegal from a VISA / MC point of view).

Interchange for normal sales flows from the acquiring (POS) bank to the issuing bank (guarantee for the payment) and interchange for cash advance flows from the Issuing bank to the acquiring (ATM) bank (for maintaing maschines with cash). Both interchanges are percenctages of the amount due.

Whether or not the terminal in a bank works in swipe mode, chip mode, signature mode or PIN mode depends on

a ) is the terminal able to go online and check the PIN ?

b ) is the terminal able to compare the PIN against the values on the Chip ("EMV" terminals)?

c ) does the card allow cash advance without PIN at all ?

d ) does the bank terminal allow a cash transaction with signature?

Basis is that both terminal (POS as well as ATM) and card have a so called CVM (Card Verification Method) printed on them, which contains all possible authorisation methods allowed. terminal and card will then negotiate with each other, which verification method to use

For cash advance, European cards mostly (95%) have the rule "Online PIN Verification" as the only accepted option for cash advance. Most European banks (60%) will NOT allow cash advance transactions with signature anymore and will decline them. Some European banks (30%) today even decline any cash transaction based on magstripe, as these are seen too dangerous (we call them "fallback" transactions, if the ATM is not able to read / deal with the chip).

That all said, depending on the technical specification of the terminal inside the bank and depending on what the card will accept for verification, you might or might not be able to do cash advance with signature in a bank... but since the banks in Thailand want to do business (and charge fees), they sometimes offer paper based cash withdrawl... they will then input the card number and amount and other values in their back office system and the transaction will arrive at the issuing bank as a so-called MOTO (Mail-Order / Telephone-Order) transaction... with is highly risky again and can be disputed by the cardholder most of the times and then the Thai bank will need to send all the paperwork with the signatures and probably copies of the ID to the Issuing bank to prove that the transaction was made by the genuine cardholder.

We do not wish to integrate here. She wants friends.

Dont' you see that you already found the answer? She does not find anybody in tennis, fitness etc etc... you don't wish to integrate or start networking...

Soooooooo.... She will NEVER find the friends she is looking for, as those friends don't exist in BKK under your conditions...

End-of-Story.

Me-drop-out-this-post

What criteria does someone have to be to be one of her peers ?

There are something like 67 million people in this country. Can you not find one person that she has things in common with of who you think is good enough for her ?

Is the problem really that back home she could go to a club where other wonderful people hang out and find other wonderful people with her interests and tastes in restaurants and clubs etc while over here the Thai people that can do that, who have the money who do come from rich families are way above hers and yours social status (unconnected farangs will most likely always be unconnected farangs unless they make it big in business here or marry someone who is) and aren't interested in a farang air hostess.

While the other people in these clubs and restaurants ( most likely the vast majority) are wannabes spending credit or what's left of their parents money, most likely from land sales, desperately trying to climb the social ladder.

A solution would be for her to get a job here and mix with people of a similar intelligence to her which she would find by natural selection in what job she would be able to get. Or maybe join some farang societies or clubs.

If you and her just want to go to social climbing clubs and restaurants, go back home and do it there. People with real social status or money here aren't interested in Thai or Farang social climbers, real people yes, but people that want to hang in the 'best' places with the 'best' people. I'm afraid you're wasting your time. Only wannabe's will be interested in you especially if you tell people the same things you've said on here.

People with real money/status/ connections in this country keep it dam_n well quiet. Because they know how many gold diggers, social climbers, people lokking to get in on the act there are in this country.

If you do really want genuine friends then get involved with people as said through jobs or societies and meet other middle class or upper working class people like yourselves and your stay will be much more enjoyable.

Very well said indeed!

My wit is only surpassed by my forehand. It simply overpowers opponents...like Justice Scalia eviscerating the rationale for Obamacare.

How good for you Ivy League braggart that you see yourself on the same level as Justice Scalia....

I understand her problem. She does not hate Thailand or Thais. ... and she does try.

He simply defended himself, albeit in a confident, if not cocky manner.

Thanks for the effort and the update. I said before, I did not challenge whether he is what he says he is, but I challenged (and will continue to do so if I find the time...) the way he was bragging about it...

And when you say "she does try"... that definitely was NOT the message the Op brought over about his GF... all he was talking about was that she will never be happy if she does not find other Victoria Secret supermodels to chat with... again a completely different message from what you are giving us...

Lets swap tall for big then shall we?

By the way... glad to read you're feeling better now (regarding your question about tox labs...)

wow...too much negative energy here... i can get a fan club with all the haters out there... give me a break... i may look paranoid but if you where at my shoes or every Iranian shoe you wouldnt speak right now you would be speechless cos every man alive here is politician and thats why we care so much and yes i have been searching to open a pastry and money exchange but we all do respect f every hater out there i dont care what you say i care about my life...

Haters? What has your Iranian shoe crap to do with your question about the influence of the US embassy closure for the exchange rate??? what with opening a pastry shop??? you asked a question... people told you that it's an irrelevant question... and you told the people it's not... so you seem to know better... so enlighten us with your thoughts about where the exchange rate will go because of some riots in front of US embassies...

[/b]name='loong' timestamp='1348176817' post='5684963']

Whether the US embassy is open or not does not affect the exchange rate.

Change your money when you get here, you will get a better rate than in the US

but i think its gonna affect ... it did affect on iran , iraq , so on

if you think, why did you ask?

Thinking is not so bad in first place... problem is that the Op has a preconceived opinion that something is going to happen and just seeks confirmation...

But Op, you are right... something is going to happen... the Baht / US$ exchange rate will either go up or down or stay the same... your guess is as good as everybody else guess... but don't confuse some riots with wars...

Lets swap tall for big then shall we?

That would be up for a private conversation

ok, gotta run, heading to the meet now to prove my bonafides...

About which, only you care.

Yep, unfair leaving us for what will be worth nothing for us while we enjoy picking on him..

DUDE, I WAS REFERRING TO DIFFERENT WOMEN...all my girls are blonde ex model types....you are not cleared to land

and 5.9, 5.10, 5.7 is there really a difference?

That's a hell of a difference... if she can't wear minimum 4-5" heels, model types will walk like cows and not be happy with life... and if she wears them but has a gnome at her side (that would then be you...) she will not be happy either... and the difference from 5.7 to 5.10 is an important 3" already...

What error?

Is she 5' 10 or 6' 2?

It seems you have two heights for your GF.

He said 6'2 in heels... so for once he is right... however, she also was 5'8 and 5'9 and now 5'10 in the past days...

But honestly, I am disappointed that an Ivy Leagy top boy mingles around with a brat that can't even wear 6" heels...

I would look like a clown next to a 6'4 woman. I already tell her not to wear heels because I am only 6ft.

Behave like one... then look like one... you could consider it a natural next step

Dude, they think she is a Russian hooker! No wonder all the Nigerian and Arab guys look. I'd feel bad if I were her too.

Nope, I know plenty of Russian hookers and she does not resemble one...at least not the ones here....I did love me some whitelion though...dam_n that place closed..but 1000 bhat per drink to look at calhosnikey from the equivalent of Russia's West Virginia..nyet horosho.

She is blonde, 5'10" and D cup. What is not Russian hooker about that?

The complaining... Russian hookers don't when you pay

What error?

Is she 5' 10 or 6' 2?

It seems you have two heights for your GF.

He said 6'2 in heels... so for once he is right... however, she also was 5'8 and 5'9 and now 5'10 in the past days...

But honestly, I am disappointed that an Ivy Leagy top boy mingles around with a brat that can't even wear 6" heels...

Alright she's hot (assuming she's not a shemale); alright looks like she's in BKK based upon the photo. My thoughts? The surroundings look like a dump. Perhaps if you got a better apartment or whatnot she would be happy.

You think so? For me, she looks a bit fat around the hips... needs more training... but agree with the dump...

As Switzerland is neither EU nor SEPA, we don't have to follow all that stuff.

You guys do seem to have a way with sidestepping annoying involvements and problems:

No EU entanglement

No EURO involvement

No NATO involvement

Prettiest patch of land in Europe

Able to restrict mosque construction -- without crazies materializing

But, I guess if the Vatican gets invaded, you'll have to whip out your flamberges.

Not if they transfer the money from the Vatican bank to Switzerland on time...

I also have a serious mid level national security type job..well have had them and am waiting on a call for the next one...and if you were a nut and posted my info it would not bode well for me to leave such an obnoxious cyber trail behind....the gun toter security folk get people for much less than this if they want to.

So please tell me again... as I am genuinly confused... what is it again why we should admire you? for not being man enough to keep your girl happy???

I came on here--albeit, quasi tongue and cheek--looking for a possible solution to my dilemma.

Solutions have been offered to you many times... but as long as you are just bickering about the missing top notch supermodels and Ivy league guys in BKK, you'll miss the point always...

- you only want your gf for her looks (which I assume)? Change her for a eastern european stripper and this one will not complain about nothing while you pay...

- you really love your gr? then sell your house / flat here, move to a cheaper room and keep her in a nice place in Vegas till your problem there is solved

- does she love you? I doubt, otherwise she would understand your current situation and stop complaining all the time.

if the two of your really have a relationship deserving that name, then fly her in only once every two months for 1-2 weeks and let her stay whereever she wants for the rest of the time... it's for 3 months only as you clearly outlined, then your flat in Vegas will be yours and that's the end of the story.