siamesekitty

Note:  As for the 2nd qt.  -- consider this:  there was a threat, but it was more like "comply or else"  .....  he didn't so he got killed!

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He was supposed to do something but didn't? Hmmm..

Was he supposed to give more money than that?

Was he supposed to find something else as payment instead of money?

Was he supposed to kill somebody?

Was he supposed to hurt somebody?

Was there supposed to be a body part in the briefcase???

Did the briefcase contain funny money?

Was it a drug deal?

Was the man an addict?

Was the woman a dealer?

If it didn't have anything to do with drugs, were there any other illegal activities involved?

I'm always getting bitten, I must smell sweet or something!

Seriously, I'm Thai but was raised abroad, I'm always making a fuss about the mosquitoes while my friends and family don't seem to have any problem! Maybe you build up some sort of immunity after a while?

Did the woman pay the man for anything?

Did the man pay the woman for anything?

It's on the telly right now, seems boring so far. I'll watch it for a while and see if I can stay awake..

LOL... thanks for the concern

To add to that, it really bugs me that the news said that while they were investigating the bag that was suspected to be a bomb, THEY DID NOT WARN PEOPLE! Onlookers were told that a soap (lakorn) was being filmed! To me that is shameful, management only concerned about the impact on the business.

(Reminds me a bit about our Mr.T, 2 years ago he scolded the guy who came out and warned about a possible tsunami, saying such talk was nonsense that would only hurt the tourism industry! )

Note: Guide above applies to most Thai weddings, middle to upper middle-class, in Bangkok. Not sure about the traditional Isaan, traditional Northern/Southern or very Chinese or Muslim, or super "hi-so" weddings though.

Passed Central Ladprao on my way home tonight, noticed police cars and bomb squad guys. Later watched TV and heard there was a false alarm.

Yes, I'm worried about bomb attacks, as a mall rat who goes to shopping centers about 3 times a week. (No, I'm not filthy rich, just a poor shopaholic who at times can get her fix from just window-shopping. )

Siamese Kitty's Guide to Thai Weddings

1. Get dressed. For guys, either shirt with tie or a suit, depending on how fancy the hotel is. Do not wear a black shirt. (Black slacks or suit are okay though, they're not expecting you to wear green pants or anything.)

2. Put money in the envelope the invitation came in. I would suggest 200-1000 baht, depending on your financial status, but keep in mind that you might be judged by how much you give. A small amount is acceptable if it is known that you're really scraping by, but if people think you're well off, or if you are a "poo-yai" (rather senior), more will be expected.

3. Enter hotel, arrive at function room. Give the envelope to the ladies at the table in front of the entrance, receive small souvenior in return. Sign your name in the registration book and wait your turn for photo-taking with bride and groom at the entrance.

4. Eat. Talk. Chitchat with mutual friends and other guests. "Oh, you're from the groom's guest list? Nice to meet you, I'm one of the bride's guests." Expect people who don't even know the bride and groom personally (acquaintances of bride/groom's parents, along with their family).

5. Some activity on the stage as bride and groom come to the front, MC talks about how they met, video or slide show may be shown, bride and/or groom may sing a love song, best friend of bride/groom has a few words, a toast to the couple, etc...

6. Possibly more eat, talk, chitchat. Some people start leaving. More eating, talking. More people start leaving. No official end to the wedding reception, people just start heading home when they feel it's time.

Well, for real or a show, I've heard vendors have been hiking up prices, blaming the increase in raids.. higher operating costs, you know...

Maybe some have webbed feet and 6 toes, bad breath, black teeth, a hump and god knows what other aflictions.

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ohmigod, you've met me before??

Okay, here are 2 for the other side (gotta try to balance things out here ):

1. Quite a few years ago in one of my college courses, a group went up the front of the class to begin their presentation. After a couple of minutes my farang lecturer stopped the girl who was presenting, saying "mai fang... mai fang!" (ไม่ฟัง = I'm not listening). The whole class was shocked , wondering if it was that bad, until we realized he was trying to tell the girl to speak up a bit louder, he couldn't hear her! (ไม่ได้ยิน = I can't hear you!)

2. Exchange student friend of mine went to buy one of those pink-colored sweetened milk drinks. They are called "nom yen" (นมเย็น = literally means cold milk). Pointing the the jug they had on the counter, she said "khor nom chompoo" - May I have some pink boobs? (nom นม = milk or breasts, chompoo ชมพู = pink) Needless to say, the lady was pretty amused.

She's gonna kill me if she sees this, now see why I say I don't want friends and family visiting this site?? (see this currently hot topic Letting Outsiders Into Our World..., Do they know who you are?)

Um, and sorry mr.j, I mean no disrespect at all sir, just trying to give an example of the difficulty most people have in trying to gain a comprehensive understanding of a foreign language. Hope you're not reading this though.

My family and friends know I post here and my user name, part of that is they read my blog to find out whats been happening see some pics ect. It saves on e-mails!!

I always feel that when writing here that if you would'nt say something to someones face, why write it? seems a bit cowardly to me, any one can just sit anonamyously and rip people apart. In fact I'm probably mroe abrasive in person than online.

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For me, it's not an issue of insulting people anonymously (Nanny nanny boo boo, I can call you a doodyhead and you won't know who I am!) but the very personal issue of privacy. Sometimes you might want to bring up some issue that you've been thinking about, but probably wouldn't want to discuss with anyone you know, and the forum allows for just that. Not that I have revealed any of my deepest darkest secrets online yet, but I just want to have the peace of mind that if I want to, I could.

OH MY GOD. What has happened to the skies in Bangkok?? It's raining as if in advance for the whole year!

Soooooooo wanted to sleep in today, but have some extremely important tasks to do. I think I'll get an "Employee of the Day" award or something, 'cuz there's hardly anyone here yet!

After sun there is raining.

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What's so funny about that?

Um, nowhere in Mr.Scamp's post stated that he needed advice. He just remarked that he'd prefer not having friends and family come to the website and see all he's said in his posts, and asks if anybody else in ThaiVisa felt the same. I certainly agree with him, as it is a matter of ones privacy. It doesn't really matter what your parents are like, how old you are, or how you live your life, you should be able to express your views on forum without wondering if anybody you associate with is reading them.

Heyas!

I am a man but I have a Thai wife. She would like to know if there are any places in Bangkok where you could do some kind of permanent hair straightening. I myself tried to find some information for her from internet and I found information about some kind of silk straightening (Silk transformation) or something.

What are the costs for such operation and how long does it take? How long does it last once done?

If anyone has any information.. thanks in advance!

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Nowadays nearly all the hair salons offer this service, ranging from the smaller shops for 400baht, to the average going price for 1,000-1,500baht, to the famous salons that could charge over 5,000+! Quality depends on the straightening cream used as well as the hairdresser's knowledge and experience.

I forget the exact process, but basically it involves hours and hours of sitting there and having the lady straighten about 10 strands a time using a hair iron, then putting the straightening cream on it and leave it for a while before washing it out. The end result after the whole process is that you can wash your hair and leave it to dry naturally, and it will look like you have just had it done at a salon! Sounds unbelievable but it really works!

Just be very careful about choosing a trustworthy salon with people who know what they're doing, and use high quality straightening cream. I'd also warn against redoing it again before all the previously treated hair has grown out and has been cut off, otherwise you could end up with seriously damaged hair (which happened to me TWICE - don't believe the lady when she tells you it's okay to redo it!)

The gods up there poured some of that down on Jatujak this afternoon, later they got bored and left us to dry up.

Totally understand what you mean, Scamp... try having a pair of conservative Thai parents!

Best off writing them in full Tambon, Amphur ect...

Maybe, but I only use 'T', 'A', and 'J', and never had any problems.

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I never write the 'T', 'A', or 'J' and never had any problems either. Don't worry about them, just write the names in the correct order. (eg. 567 Ploenchit Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330)

My mom always ask for central serving spoons when dining out, and some Thais wuold find that a hassle, while others would understand it, same goes with the Chinese la, regardless of class na, it's more a personal culture with some influence from the larger culture. Chinese people I know seem to find  central serving spoons obtrusive. 

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It's always middle spoons (or chopsticks) at dinner at our house. We cane the servants out back if they forget. Cleanliness is next to.... something like that.

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Same thing with my auntie.. without central serving spoons she could hardly eat. As for my mom, she asks for serving spoons when eating with anybody outside the immediate family. She doesn't mind when it's just me or my dad or brother though (go figure ).

slight correction, aqua - It actually said all 22 safe homes in Sweden had reported many cases like this, not 22 people.

The newspaper's warning is a very broad one, doesn't seem to specifically warn against using Internet agencies, but seems to address all Thai women considering marriage with foreign men and planning to go live abroad.

This kind of story is a familiar one though, surfaces every once in a while.

So why did you still not translate the  first few words?

ผู้สื่อข่าวรายงานเมื่อวันที่ 1 เม.ย. ว่า ...

"Journalist's report on 1st April"

Maybe someone has a sense of humour?

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Sorrrryy.. Guilty as accused (not translating the whole sentence.. main concern was whether I would get sued for mentioning this guy's name )

But if you're thinking it's an April Fool's joke, well... 1) It's the biggest news on the front page 2) It's a day late 3) I don't think the majority of Thairath's target audience (ชาวบ้าน - regular Thai folks) would get the joke

My pleasure..

Yes, I also agree that the story does not sound very credible, using the word "most" quite often throughout the whole story.

Actually, I had left out the first sentence of the article, which mentions that this information was from someone at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

ผู้สื่อข่าวรายงานเมื่อวันที่ 1 เม.ย. ว่า จากการเปิดเผยของนายนิยม วัฒน์ธรรมาวุธ ผอ.กองคุ้มครองและดูแลผลประโยชน์คนไทยในต่างประเทศ กรมการกงสุล กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ ว่า....

It really sounds like the reporter is simply repeating what was told to him/her by this one person, and it ended up sounding very much like a generalization. (That awful concept that often pops up in ThaiVisa forum! )

It certainly lost credibility when they used "most women who...".

I'm sure it does occur, but I doubt it's most....

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Yep, it really did say "most women.." The Thai wording was "ผู้หญิงไทยส่วนมาก..."