mrdome

If you have a real strong reason why it has to be Thailand, then go for it. There is always a way but it will come with a price.

If not, keep your mind open to alternatives.

As you are free anyway, why not take a year to travel around and look at the different options and talk to some of the expats who have settled down in these places?

Dear exaviar,

I am not sure if you will still come back and post here but I am just curious:

Was moving to Thailand your husband's idea?

If yes, please nix it right away. You should nix it even if it wasn't because no responsible parent would do this unless there was a strong ulterior motive behind this (wanting to save some money and be in nice surroundings does not qualify). You could hardly find a culture that is more removed from our Western ways than Thailand and you will not find a country or people that share your expectations of how things should be. You would learn plenty but you need to weigh how much of a price tag you are willing to put on that.

As many have pointed out the visa you mentioned plain does not exist. The employment opportunities for your husband don't either. Your kids will likely have a great time (and perhaps your hubby as well) but for the whole family and for what you are looking for Thailand just isn't right.

Sorry about the rudeness encountered but let's call it "tough love" and this place is famous for it. There are a lot of people on here with real good information and I would recommend that you find them and take heed.

Anyway, thanks for posting in the first place. It did make the day for several of us reading it, just perhaps not for the intended reasons.

For accommodation ideas I usually start at tripadvisor. If anyone knows a better site, do mention it. Thanks!

Could you not bus it to Manhattan & take the subway from there? A bit of a pain, but if it could save some $$$.

I am telling you. from LAX to BKK or NYC to BKK, return you cannot beat Asiatravel.com. There are plenty of ways to travel in the states cheap.

I flew out of JFK once and swore I would never do it again. Traffic getting out of JFK was the worst I have ever been in. I also don't have anymore family there that could make a NYC flight possible.

I am stuck with a limited choice of airports.

PHL - Philadelphia

BWI - Baltimore Washington International

EWR - Newark Liberty (New Jersey) (Last Resort Airport).

Classy reply, Ratsima. SirDougless reply was really uncalled for.

Are you still confused?

Yes.

If so, how have you survived life this long?

I'm always amazed that I have. Dumb luck, I guess.

Seriously, it is so obvious! You must be joking ...

Not at all.

BTW, thanks for your kindness and your help.

"...has ruled out serving jail term, saying he will have to "stand for justice" by not accepting 'unfair' legal action against him."

Just brilliant, I'll have to remember that if I'm ever in a legal tiffy.

Time to get rid of the stupid "lose face" mentality ...

No better way to identify the fundamental problem many posters on this board have. Dare I say it, you will not change Thailand and Asian culture but it may change you.

One does not have to like or agree with everything one sees or observes but it is best to keep a certain distance and not get too involved.

Planking is hard for the average male foreign visitor to Thailand... belly gets in the way and tilts 'planker' to either feet or face making it necessary to call it "ramping"

[...]

P.S.

This guy picked the wrong religion to study whilst in jail. He should be studying Islam and praying to Allah, - if he wants to make any impression on the judges. [...]

Just for the record, the main religion on Bali by a wide margin is Hinduism.

Two recommendations for you (not sure how far they are exactly from the ferry, but they are not on the other side of town at least):

Star Lodge, 39, Muntri Street Georgetown, 10200, Malaysia

Hang Chow Hotel, No. 511 Leboh Chulia, Georgetown, Pulau Penang 10200, Malaysia

It stops short of the actual airport, so you need change yet again to another form of transport. The escalators are not tuned to move people with baggage, typical usage for an airport.

Are you mixing up airports by any chance? Shall we make an appointment to show you (that it does go all the way to the airport).

I wrote on Sunday "it looks pretty bad for him" and today it looks even worse. At least those conspiracy theories were nipped in the bud fast thanks to the change from a "not guilty" plea to "DNA pointing to a consensual encounter".

I get this feeling that having a father for your baby is not really valued by some Thai women. Can't have been much love between them.

If he is innocent it should be fairly easy to prove.

How did he check out and when and who did he speak to?

Any records of phone calls or room service orders?

What do the surveillance cameras show in regards to him coming and going (OK, they could be manipulated to a degree)?

How did he get to the airport and at what time (I'm assuming he didn't take public transportation)?

If it wasn't him in the room, how did that person get in? What about the DNA evidence?

Perform background check on the maid, etc...

This incident allegedly occurred at approx. 1pm. How long did the attack go on for? 10 minutes, 20 minutes? And yet he then managed to get dressed, collect his bag and make his way to JFK, clear security and sit on his plane by 4:30 pm.? I don't think so. Anyone ever try to get to JFK from midtown NYC? Anyone ever had the exerience of TSA screening at JFK? It doesn't go fast and VIPs get treated like the great unwashed lining up with the rest of us.

Oh, I very much do think so. It takes 30 mins in a best case and close to two hours in a worst case scenario. First class passengers have no lines and he may have even been checked in already - heck, I am usually on the day of departure while still at home.

Not saying he did do it or he didn't but if the defense can't prove it wasn't him, it looks pretty bad for him. Fascinating, how someone who seemingly has it all can risk it all too.

If he was occupying a VIP room, the maid would have known that the room was occupied. If he had checked out, then the front desk would have sent a message to the maid on the electronic gizmo they carry to advise the room was vacated. Maids do not just enter the VIP suites at the Sofitel. If the room was unoccupied, why was the maid even going into the room?

Sorry, but you are making assumptions.

"Chlorpyrifos has been around for fifty years and has, till very recently, been passed off by the company that manufactures it as being safe for human health. Dow Chemical Company, USA has been distributing its products under the brand names Lorsban and Dursban around the world."

A longer list:

"3M Livestock Premise Spray, Dursban, Disvap Mec, Lorsban, Pyrifos, Pyrate, Pyrinex. "

I wonder what it is sold under in Thailand and other Asian countries.

It's "60 Minutes" New Zealand, not the US program you are talking about.

Interesting that the reported tests were performed by "current affairs television program," "60 Minutes." That's a somewhat serious and popular news program back in the states (likely one of the best offered there; I think they've had Obama on a couple of times), so this sorta suggests there could be a 20 minute news segment concerning "Deaths at the Downtown Inn in Chiang Mai" aired back in the states. Maybe it'll make it to youtube, if such is indeed ever aired.

I wonder if a test for this can be made that any traveler could easily do. I had never even considered this as a serious threat and I still come to Thailand and the surrounding countries every year. This is just horrible.

Do not expect your flights to arrive on time. If you have a connecting flight on a different airline, I doubt any airline would accept any responsibility for that. Always give your self plenty of a time cushion.

Kingfisher were late departing from BOM by 2 hrs so I missed by connecting flight with Bangkok Airways at 9pm. I informed the staff who said they'll sort it out, arrived BKK and after a lot of confusion they put me in a hotel and told me to come airport 5am (pick up hotel 4.30am) for first flight to Samui. Arrived airport 4.50am and BKK checkin had no notice of this flight rearrangement, was told that Kingfisher air won't be opening their checkin counter till 6am (i.e. i'd have missed the flight) and despite the best efforts of BKK air to contact their supervisor they were obviously still in bed or on the way to work. Not wanting to deal with the incompetence of Kingfisher i paid the rearrangement fees/penalties myself and boarded the 6am flight to Samui.

Complaint to Kingfisher, acknowledge but went under answered. Complaints/review to skytrax never posted - never trust that site, its a con.

I believe there is a big difference between Western monks and doing this in a culture that has never seen this before and won't support it and being a monk in Asia. What is it that you just don't understand, khaowong1?

... greedy government taxes etc have pushed all fares up, ...

Governments are broke, mate. It's either taxes or no social security, as in Asia. I am fully aware that it might come to both things for Europe for some of us or our kids.

Not sure why you farang feel its so great for you. You came here to enjoy our culture and day to day living, weather included. Yes we can't change how nature is, but, it is cold for us. Do you wonder why we feel the way we do when you make your feelings known, it always has to be about you. :jap:

Trust me honey, when Asians who live here in frozen hell, where I reside, bitch about the cold in winter and embrace the summer heat, I know exactly how they feel and I welcome them to say it. Of course it is about 'you' - who else would it be about?

Doesn't reading fall under "thinking too much"?

Now if reading were more like shopping or sleeping! Why can't it be?

sorry, this former ex-private Uni in BKK teacher could not resist.

I crossed at Aranyaprathet/Poipet on February 20th and back on March 3rd. Both times completely without problems. This is a non-issue for tourists.

LukDod, we are not speaking about the same place. I'm talking about Sim Sauna Herb Steam Thai Massage...By Blind Man..., as seen here:

http://www.paradise-pattaya.com/pattaya-massage.html

Motorbike taxi only? No baht bus?