krisb

Just because its Rolex doesnt mean its a 30grand Rolex. They start about 3 grand.

How longs he been with her for? perhaps shes worth it to him.

Perhaps its a fake? There are fake Rolexes that have the continuous second hand now.

Easy statements to make when you can up and leave sticks whenever you like, when you have confidence your nearest and dearest can be treated for illness etc.

Many are happy as you put it, particulary the older generation.But then again there is also a lot of apathy and acceptance going on.

Migration ( younger population) from the eastern provinces to cities is huge in Thailand, why ?

Education,health care, oppurtunitys are the normal driving factors.

Many westerners here dont know what its like to work for 200 or 250baht a day, Then have to survive on that money...not easy.

Anyhow the topic has swayed, the threads about do gooders,..I still say if they wanna spnd their cash on what they choose so be it

People are not poor just because they don't have money.

Unless they are judged by western standards, and I am left to wonder sometimes how many posters on this forum understand the difference between quality of life and quantity of bank account.

Thoroughly agree with these words.

Ok, how much is a big bag of rice compared to a days pay for a farm worker? Its nothing in my home country to buy 20kg bag.

How much is a pack of cigarettes in Thailand? how many locals who smoke buy packets? not many to expensive at 60baht a pak.

1kg of beef?, 1kg of pork,? the lists go on.

I don't know anyone in our village who buys rice .... grow your own or trade with neighbors.

Tobacco ...... same ...... smoke till you drop, rice whiskey ..... same .... guys drunk every night.

Why would anyone buy something they can have for (nearly) free?

1kg of pork or beef, nobody really eats that quantity of meat except for weddings and funerals. (Beef, hardly anyone eats it as Buddha doesn't like you eating beef)

For someone that supposedly lives in a rural area, you have some strange ideas about what people buy!

Beef is to expensive. Not because buddha says dont eat it. Where did you get that from?...India?

Tailor made cigarettes are to expensive at 60baht a packet. So they mostly buy rollies.

Not everyone trades rice, what if you dont have enough land to grow? Trade with your neighbours with what?....why do they sell rice in shops if its traded between neighbours and not bought?

Like I said, no ones dying of starvation, dysantry etc.

Its not that poor. But it is poor....any way you wanna dress it up.

Now I will keep you here no longer, let you get back to trading with your neighbours.

Do you mean these ?

http://www.boutiqueb...hanburi-tourism

Well I am off the net for a few days, off to the Issan farang farmers meeting, but just a passing comment. Seen some good done here by individuals, brother brought the play ground for the local village kindergarten. Friends bring clothes, and school stuff when they come, I supplied a TV and video and some DVDs of sesame street to the kindergarten. Does it really make a difference, don't think so. Makes me feel good and the kids have a party. Wife money allowing feeds and buys ice cream for the primary school on her birthday, a little party. There are people through out Thailand doing little bits here and there, who are making a bigger difference combined, than an NGO with millions of dollars do. Jim

Dear James. I was upset by your OP Header to start with, bagging good hearted people that try and help the poor. you then made a comparison that as I have no shoes I guess that makes me poor(FW). You also said no one stops them building bigger houses, what with. Poverty doen,t pay. Free Health and Milk was mentioned. As we pay for what we get I know the 30baht Scheme doesn,t help if you need Cancer Treatment and the free Milk I,m sure will benifit Kids, but they don,t give it out Willy Nilly to the Poor. Maybe the Thais you wrote of won,t work , but nearly all I know work 6days a week and still can,t make ends meet. Ever tried cutting Cane, maybe they need some rest after doing it for 5 months at a time. You said you live near/in Forest, well most of Issan isn.t Forest and one cannot go out and shoot for food.

It sounds like he (op) has cut plenty cane and rice for half a year then has no work the other half and knows its easy living on 250baht a day. Thats plenty huh?

What do you live on the other 6 months of no work?...oh I forgot its ok, least your happy and get free milk at school until year 6 when parents cant afford to send you anymore.

Lots of Issan is poor. My wife will tell you what its really like, couldnt afford shoes for school, rain on your head at night beacuse the grass roof leaks. have to leave school to go work to help family.

I think the OP is jealous because he cant "do good" and these do gooders make him look like a scrooge.

I hear what your saying OP, but your not exactly right.

Issan people are poor. fact.

The farmers that I know are underpayed. fact.

If any falang want to put a bit of their cash into helping others in villages, then good on em I say...why should it bother you?...its not your money theyre spending.

You gotta relax a bit mate

Rest that ankle..

Issan people are happy . FACT!

Thai farmers are paid the equivelent to their work, FACT!

If any farang want to spend there money helping villages in Essan. Please come & live here first before you decide where to squander your or kind people;s donations.

I live here in Essan. Can I ask you where you live if you don't mind?

Relieve me of my misconceptions.....your a jerk.

I know many people in our village who have a verry good income, in particular from rubber trees in my neck of the woods. I have a good few myself as well as pineaples, herbs & many other fruits, spices, herbs & veg.

Can I also ask if you don't mind where you got the idea that Essan is such a poor place?

If you don't live here & ever take the time to come here I'd be happy to show you around & relieve you of your misconceptions

So before YOU jump to conclusions, and try and tell me what you think I dont know, think again.

Releive me of my misconceptions?? Your not the only 1 living up there mate.

Ok, how much is a big bag of rice compared to a days pay for a farm worker? Its nothing in my home country to buy 20kg bag.

How much is a pack of cigarettes in Thailand? how many locals who smoke buy packets? not many to expensive at 60baht a pak.

1kg of beef?, 1kg of pork,? the lists go on.

look, they arent poor like some countries, no ones dying of starvation or dysantry...I agree 100%

My point is if anyone wants to blow their cash on whatever up there then good on em. Its not my or your money so who cares.

So if your wife didnt work at a bar but she was a prostitute, does that cancel itself out?

And what if she worked doing massage? and there was a bar next door?

Wow, the possible scenarios are endless

I met my wife at the beach on a sand bar while eating a mars bar.

Does that count?

jj market?

The people in Issan had no idea they were poor until they got televisions. Now they watch the soap operas and realize that some Thai people are incredibly wealthy. What does that mean? Absolutely nothing. Life goes on for them and a full belly is happiness.

I hear what your saying OP, but your not exactly right.

Issan people are poor. fact.

The farmers that I know are underpayed. fact.

If any falang want to put a bit of their cash into helping others in villages, then good on em I say...why should it bother you?...its not your money theyre spending.

You gotta relax a bit mate

Rest that ankle..

The only reason the village kids look poor is because theyre dirty from playing outside with their mates from around the village.

Not sitting inside by themselves playing video games.

Answer to your question OP is 100,000baht would be plenty.

Just tell her your gay.

They are all rubbish,this is a joke thread surely.

Just cause you dont like them, I do and so do plenty others.

Go read a book then.

No, not porn.....

Ive seen some great Thai movies from the well knowns like Ong Bak, Chocolate, and Beautiful Boxer was also really good and far from being a cheap b grader.

Id like to hear about others that folks have seen and can recommend as a good/great Thai movie to keep an eye out for... Thanks!

my wife watches heaps on youtube like full length movies, lakorn, music videos etc.

if you dont have a thai keyboard, just google 'thai keyboard' and you will find a few sites that have thai language keyboards on screen. Easy then just cut/paste onto youtube.

Best Ive found so far.

I dont understand...If youve lived there for 22 years and know the people who want to borrow the 150grand and they will give it back at the end of the day, then whats any stranger on here gonna offer you in advice?

Also whats all the cars, houses etc got to do with borrowing a sin sot for a day?

Taxi drivers will refuse to drive you to certain places after dark in Bangkok. Sorry, I can't remember where it was we wanted to go. Khlong Toei?

The Norwich Union insurance company has described Bangkok as the most

dangerous place on earth for tourists based on insurance claims.

www.virtualtourist.com/.../Bangkok.../Warnings_or_Dangers-Bangkok-Crime-BR-1.html -

kee ne ouu means sh@t sticky. so there you go.

Not really 'lower class' as such or bar girl talk if you wanna call it that, more slang kinda.

OP,are you talking about showers in hotels?

If not then go to the website coolthaihouse.com

You will find all you need.

Ps, if your worried about hotel showers, you will be fine.

Just dont drink the water ok. Bad poo poo then.

Another assumption by the OP is that his gf is guaranteed to receive a Visa for Australia.

Visas which are more then 3 months in duration require a medical clearance ... the main complication being the medical X-Ray.

The X-Ray process could seriously affect the unborn child and the medical staff use other methods, but this requires the lady in inform that she is indeed pregnant.

There are serious repercussions if you falsify the Visa application.

I cant remember if my mrs had 1 for tourist visa or not but the OPs mrs cannot 100%.

So regardless of the OP wanting to have his child here and all the underlying what if this and that, if shes required to have an xray for visa.

Its a no go. She cant.

I havnt read all the thread but heres what I think..

My wifes about to have our daughter here n Adelaide, Australia.

The best hospital in Thailand is easily outdone by our Aussie hospitals.My wife wanted to have our baby there but after speaking to a Thai interpreter that works at womens and childerens hospital here she soon changed her mind.

Your wife will be here on a tourist visa, her hospital bill will be in the thousands. Perhaps a thousand a day while staying there,ring the hospital here and ask.

So, having the bubs in LOS will be alot cheaper for you, you can go VIP in a hospital in LOS.

Other costs are perhaps 200 a visit to see midwife pre labor. So far up to 7 months without my wife having medicare(which she does now) have been maybe maybe 2grand. Not that much really.

Yes the baby can be born here, yes it can be Aussie regardless of where its born because of blood lines.

Im sure you are eligible for baby bonus also even if the bubs is born in LOS....check that out.

End of day, if you have the cash, then have it here.

Like I said be prepared for a 1000$ a day hospital bill here in AUS.

There is no way your wife will get medicare on tourist visa, I tried.

If you get married then get a bridging visa then medicares easy, we got it.

Good luck with bubs and anything else just ask me or PM me.

BTW each airline website has 'flying while pregnant rules' on their website.

My wife is like the totally opposite, she is a lot like her father.

If she is pissed, she will let you know and I personally think she likes to argue (not with me).

She was a manager at an IT company in Sydney for a number of years, I think she learned a lot there as she had to stick up for her and her staff a lot because they had a bad senior manager who was a complete idiot.

Maybe if he didnt have that experience and live in Sydney for 10 plus years, she might be more like her sister.

I believe it's what experiences ones go through.

So another for personality not nationality.