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Both the Republican and Democrats track record of dealing with their veterans is abysmal. For Trump to be called out for stating what he thinks while the rest blab on about how anti-american it is to dish war veterans is worse in my opinion. No war veteran after serving active duty should have to be on food stamps, or sitting in a homeless shelter or be in need of medical care. I get the feeling Trump would provide that help to those that needed it regardless if they were a war "hero" or just an ordinary grunt doing his or her job. name any past president who has made it a priority to spend the money to help these men and women. Is John Mcain a war hero?? Yes, no, i dont know, but he served and did his job and he is owed the respect for doing it. But one should not be drawn and quartered for voicing a polar opposite opinion, as in part is that not what our past war veterans fought and died for.

To all the other republican candidates i think it will be a cold day in hell before any one of them declares they will help any of the veterans coming home with post traumatic syndrome without jumping thru all hoops before getting what should be offered without any questions!

Popular ST apartments used by most farang for longer term stays. Rent was 2500-4200 baht based on size and location not including electricity but did include cable tv with a few english channels. 1StSmonthmupufront and one months deposit, very standard. There are very few, if any, rental properties listed online. Once in town hit up a few of the farang hang outs like mut mee, brendans, chilis and you will get flooded with options. If you are from australia hit up the many girlie bars in ozzie alley by the white inn and you will get some good advice as well

Funny how we, as people, place a higher value on property then we do on our children. You trust your current breeder (and her family) with spawning and raising your children but not with her having a partial ownership in some dirt, mud and bricks (ie a house). I presume that it is easier to replace the children (have more with another spawner) if things dont work out than to build or buy another 5,000,000baht house.

As to the question, yes it has been done by hundreds if not thousands of people in the same position as you in this country.

Moved back to North America last year after 12 years away. Found a great job, nice community, wife (Thai) & daughter enjoying it as well. Making good money, new friends and all in all enjoying our time. I would love to move back to Thailand but the wife loves the quality of life.

I would say do some research, find a location you want to relocate, look for employment and move back. I think you may be surprised at the reception you receive and with life skills the job s that are available.

Go to any reputable travel agency tell them what you need and for a small fee they will book a dummy flight for you and print off an itinerary. Some will even offer to produce an insurance policy, medical & cancellation to cover for the time period

, again for a small fee. No need to go thru all the hassle of booking a refundable flight on your card and then going thru the hassles of getting the refund. As well if you find an agency that specializes in visas etc, they can assist with your application.

Keep in mind there is strong chance of this person being sexually abused himself as a youngster. In many cases of serial abusers it comes as no surprise he will have been abused by a person in the family or known to the family.

Gave posted this before about a very well known "western" managed english program that is being taught across thailand. When they took over the program at my previous school they did no background checks. I even offered my current clearance letter and they declined. Went to their training program in bangkok afterwards find out the guy sitting one person down from me was the guy accused of killing his thai girlfriend in pattaya or phuket. Caught him outside of udon thani.

This company does no background checks, hires "teachers" without degrees (maybe no highschool degree), and is expanding faster then they can hire people to fill all the schools. If they were to be required to follow this rule i am sure they would never find enough teachers to fill the need. So am pretty sure this requirement will not be followed thru with.

Just a further reminder to anyone who has children to take an active role in vetting your childs education program, school and teachers.

Recent news article described how there was no disciplne in the classrooms anymore. No-zero grading policies, no fail rules that promote students to the next grade even with poor or failing marks, consequence-free disciplne policies, no homework rules, and more. Thailand? Nope, Canada.

I think the education system as a whole (ie, around the world) is in dire need of correction. How does one fix it? More money? In some areas of Canada, US, and the UK, education spending is either secon or third behind healthcare or safety in government spending. So no.

The money just needs to be better spent. More schools, smaller classes, related subjects - people talk about learning world history - yet there are distinct native american indian people and languages which will become extinct in the next couple of years because of the lack of understanding local culture. What good does knowing European History when losing your own takes place. Thais need to know Thai history and culture. They need to know and understand their own language. For most Thai students they will need basic English at most. Those students that want to learn it will find a way to learn it.

There are massive problems in education on a global scale but for Thailand I almost feel as though they need to slow down, develop a stronger base, less concern on how they compare to their neighbors and the world (it is developing their own problems), require all students to complete M6, and reduce their reliance on foreigners. But then again i supplement my childrens education with at home studies as well (both in the west & thailand).

I am not sure about the political career being ruined. You have got to think with all this stuff out in the open there really could not be much left to hide (one hopes) unlike any of the others. I am sure with the right PR person in place he could do quite well in politics

some suggestions...

Get passport photos done here in thailand. I get like 20 done at a time but i go quite often.

It is possible to download the application form from website, just make sure it is for vientiane.

Fill out everything before getting to consulor section of the embassy.

Laos visa is mpre ecenomical if you pay with clean and in good shape US bills. Depends on your passport country of origin as you may range from free (swiss) to $42 canadian passport. I always get $50 US in tens, fives, and ones. i live nongnkhai and get them from a local money exchanger.

You will need 1 passport photo for Laos visa or they can charge you one USD and they will scan your passport photo.

Pick up form either window one or two. If no people around knock gentlt on the window. Take MORE than one pen with you, they can be hard to find and you may have many people ask to "borrow" yours.

After submitting application with passport, photo, and fee, wait by window 3. they will flash the passport photo page and call your name.. be ready everyone crowds around thinking it is theirs. CHECK your passport AT the window for correct passport, visa foil "full page" and any change due. I have paid $60 USD and gotten back my change but you canc not leave the counter area.

Once at the consulor building of thai embassy, and you have all your paper work done and collected a ticket for the queue go upstairs, look for the sign pointing up some stairs on the left hand side of the back wall. People upstairs will photo copy all the pages you need, they can sometimes look to see if you are missing anything, then staple it all together in the right order for about 3,000kip or the equal in thai baht.

If you have everything set you should make this in two days by arriving a on the early flight into udon thani.

Take the airporter out of the airport in udon.

I would not take the bus from laos border into vientiane, get a taxi. Many are blood sucking vultures but most are reliable.

I always stay at AV Hotel near fountain square for the location. Lots of restaurants, coffe shops and near enough to the river for nice pleasant stroll at night. But then again i am married and not looking for anything but a couple of cold beers and decent pizza "look near scandinavian bakery for a decent wood fired pizza and beer lao dark:-)"

Good luck easy process lots of good tipstfrom the many posters above

You are right. Not everybody is a 9-5 slave to the man worker. Some people are free and fly by the seat of their pants, yada, yada yada. Then sh@t like this happens and a poster gets all snippity. No flight plans, no hotel bookings, no this, no that, flip flops at the Embassy, probably wearing a wife beater as well. and low and behold no tourist visa. And people question why?But like hey dude your just hanging and chilling i know.

Have your gf, or yourself, google the name in thai. I find you sometimes will get better results when deal8ng with some of the lesser well known places. some places do not have website but will be on facebook however many are listed in thai only.

Just a thought:-)

OMG...gf parents dont have a house....patongphil you killing me.

Almost fell out of my chair laughing....an american suing an agency in thailand. And you left chiangmai for it..

must be a troll post, nobody could be this simple.

I comes across that you may be taking this whole teaching thing a bit too serious. As I tell people back here in the US calling people in thailand "teachers" is like calling the kid who makes fries a "chef". Pretty much anyone can do it but really your just like the fry guy only making less money.

Perhaps reread what was written. A few of you have leapt to some far fetched assumptions. I wrote i do not believe he has lived a fuller life than I.

However a few people seem to know me and know what this gentleman was thinking.

Perhaps putting ones life at risk helping others unable to help themselves is not living a full life. I stand corrected.

How does base jumping make ones life fuller, even if afraid of ones own skin. You posses the same narrow minded view of those you are being critical of. Not only did he break the law, but by his actions he put, potentially, the lives of others at risk via rescue attempts.

No he did not live a fuller life than me, his was shorter though. All the same my condolences to his famil.

Moved back to Canada last year with wife and child. But came back with a job offer, 10 years younger than you, and not looking to rely on minimum wage jobs till my government assistance kicks in or couch surfing with my parents.

I am sorry but you do not seem to be the most ambitious of persons. This is not to be snobbish as one poster eluded to, but moving back to a minimum wage job hoping for the wife to get the same until your government assistance cheque arrives sounds like pretty crummy lifestyle for the next 5 years or so.

How about finding something you like, take some on line courses, do some upgrading, anything to show any future employers your worth more than minimum wage.

I have been working as an HR consultant as well as organizing work camps for a small oil and gas company. Good money, okay lifestyle as I work from home based office most of the time. Took me nearly 6 months of searching and applying for work but waited until I found the right job.

But to your point, Washington would be my state of choice. Pacific rim, lots of work, bit expensive though.

Good luck.

Glad to see that by standing up for yourself, ie strongly worded email detailing your concerns, netted you a better schedule. It is situations like this that as a group of people, foreign teachers, we can band together with a solid and strong voice to encourage our employers to see the value in what we do. I encourage all to voice their concerns as you did, ie. Strongly worded email, so that we can as a group, call it WTU, defend our rights to a fair wage, better working conditions, pension and health benefits, designated break periods, clear and concise contracts, and open and direct communication with management.

Perhaps we as a group could charge a small monthly fee to fellow teachers to help coordinate a monthly news flyer, perhaps arrange a monthly meeting or two and perhaps use the money to support a small group of people, let's call them "representatives of the movement" to say "bargain" on behalf of the oppressed group of foreign workers. Our fellow brothers and sisters will have a voice, one voice a solitary voice, to say no more. We are not going to take it anymore. Take this message to management, demand action, in a strongly worded email, perhaps then we can fight for change. To no longer be the unforgotten, under paid,under represented in a land full of under represented people.

Or perhaps just accept what you are. You are the foreign worker in a country who really does not give a rats ass if you show up or not. I am sure your school director, like mine, probably does not know your name, pays you less in a month then he/she makes in a day, probably could not read your email, and only showed up to have a bit of a laugh to see the foreigner doing the old song and dance in front of his posse. I have signed 7 contracts here and not once have I ever needed to drag along my wife and a chum. But anywho.....

Richard R Barnsworth

VP Designate

WTU

(Western teachers union)

Omaha, Nebraska

7 years in Thailand been thru countless checkstops and was "fined" one time for no helmet. But never once felt unsafe. Back in the good old US of A and almost feel like never sitting behind the wheel of a vehicle. Live in a small town but the local police make it well known to not cross them. Hate to think how I would feel if i were not Caucasian!

Thailand needs to become more like the UK when it comes to things like this. As well as adopting their immigration policies, justice system, tax system, healthcare system, then this would become a better country to live in.

The list is pretty well done. What I have found from my time living in this region is that just around every corner you can find something interesting. Unique temple, outstanding family restaurant, neat little guest house and various attractions. Hard to list everything and certainly a guide like the one you found will help hit the hi lights. Most times I just recommend getting a motorbike, car or bike and hitting the road. It is however a large piece of real estate which will take time to discover.

It Can get warm at times just as it can be rainy at other times, but there is that magical time frame from early January to late February (near my neck of the woods, Nong khai) when you get beautiful blue skies during the day and cool evenings. Also I love the very beginning of rainy season☔️.

Check out the mut mee website from Nong khai. The owner has a ton of info on the Nong khai and surrounding area www.mutmee.com. Not an endorsement just lots of travel info.

Just curious...are you paying the money or your son. If it is your sons money, who cares. If it is your money then the only way I would pay up would be if I got to sample the goods. Sit down with the little chaf and the future bride and state clearly you will provide the cash but you get a weekend with the little darling. Either way it is win!

Actually this has happened more than once on the friendship bridge between nong khai and vientiane. More than one person has lost it either on the bus, in their bag, or stolen. In all the cases i know of (3) the person was taken back to the the country they departed from. So not sure if this is standard or not. However had one guest who claimed they lost their passport but could produce their second one (dual national) but the Laos officials would not accept him and refused him entry. The Thai officials were on the verge of detainig him when his lost passport magically reappeared.

Recently had a cyclist who after clearing customs rode about halfway and stopped to take a photo put his camera bag down and had his passport fall out. Arrived at Laos checkpoint could not find his passport. Told his story, border guard drove him back to spot and there was his travel wallet with his passport. So sh!t happens.

let me see...

Met via internet website, thinks you are fat and smelly, wants to get to know you before having sex, goes to school to better herself, shows appropriate degrees of public affection, seems to have enough income to live from.....you "wont be funding anyones lifestyle for a year before getting any action"....and you ask here if there is anything suspicious? Yah do the poor girl a favour and leave her alone. Let her find someone who will possibly want to be with her for a year not wanting to shag her.BTW, she is 35, you?? 60?