Yo Sup

Follow these simple steps.

Step 1. Go to pharmacy and buy a couple of pregnancy tests. Cost maybe 200 baht.

Step 2. Pee on the pregnancy test - important she pees, and not you

Step 3. Check pregnancy test with results on box - there will be 2 options - positive (congratulations) or negative (phew)

Step 4. If she is pregnant, get expert medical advice and make an informed decision and do things correctly and safely. Ignore myths.

Step 5. If she is not pregnant, you know you have been scammed and it's time to move on.

If she refuses step 1, 2 or 3, you have been scammed. Move on.

Yeah, that is what I should have done, the problem is, she already said she "took it out". So there is no way I can check if she is pregnant or not.

It's a scam! I have been through as similar experience and there wasn't any 2 month vacation. It was in another country where abortions are legal.

The way I see it is she wants the 8000 plus her salary for the two months. Give her some walking papers, and find another place to hide the sausage.

Oh, and get you business snipped. It's well worth the tranquility.

There's a bevy of shops that are on a street near J J park. The street runs under the BTS starting from Mochit, and they have some of the best prices in town! I'd be surprised if you could not find what you are looking for. I got a set of Michelins today for the TG, 1260 baht!

Learn to cook, it works for me...

Run. Forrest. Run.

Actually, up until things were clarified, that thought was continuously passing through my mind.

Only problem is, my house only has one door.

Use it quick.... If the BIB are involved....no ones coming for you....

Run. Forrest. Run.

getting smart with a Thai cop not a good idea... can't remember the detail but recall bits of a story from a few years back, someone did a similar thing making the cop look like a complete turkey in public. The resulting massive loss of face made the cop snap.. he pulled out his gun & shot the 'smart a$$' dead, then promptly turned it on himself and pulled the trigger.

At least the cop got it half right

And I like that half mak mak...

Stay away from any dealer near ngamwongwan mall

Bangkok Storage! The guys from England. Runs a tight show!

Events like this kinda put Thailand in jeopardy of being credible.... Oh, I know this happens everywhere, but "everywhere" doesn't bill itself as kind, trusting and honest.... and then try to fleece you every second of the day.

"Thailand has a beautiful culture and is one of the major Buddhist countries in Southeast Asia. The country is religious-oriented and has a good harmony and principles of good living. These should be the selling points of Thailand," he said.

I just found a place for a great breakfast on soi 33 called Bar Fly. It is owned

by an American and they make the best breakfast in Bangkok. Homemade hash

browns, biscuits and gravy they can even cook eggs over easy which is hard to

find in Bangkok. I had their eggs benedict and it was fantastic. The owner was

telling me that he just started opening for breakfast because he and his

customers were tired of eating breakfast at 10 am so he is opened at 7:00. Bar

Fly is not a real fancy place but it is clean and the food was great.

What's he get for his plate of heaven?

Imagine if you are a wealthy person, and therefore powerful in a developing nation, and you took large sums money out of the country at a favorable exchange, and then waited for the economy to drop.... You'd make a fortune.

That is a pretty good list, Yo Sup. I've always followed those basic practises and the times I didn't I often learned to regret. However, I like good quality stuff and I don't cut corners if I want something I know I'll enjoy. That is why I've always had good equipment that I use all the time. Most of it I've had for years. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for cameras and computers. They go out of date and I find myself up grading every couple of years when the need arrises. Unlike most women, I don't have a closet full of clothes, but the stuff I have is practical and good quality.

Thank you Rene. The way I see it is there are things you spend money on, and places you look for value. The basic list; Lawyers, doctors, dentists, tires, health insurance, mattresses, sheets, pillows, shoes, clothes and good food.

I understand the computer part well, since my hard drive is full, I'm teetering on the edge of a purchase that I don't want. I like Asus computers, BTW, and Sony cameras.

I remember my first trip to Thailand many years ago. I was buying a pair of jeans and haggling with the seller trying to get 10baht off the price. My mate said 'you do realise that you are haggling over about 30 cents don't you?'

He was right and I realised it just wasn't worth my time or effort and that the 10 baht meant a whole lot more to the seller than it did to me. Lesson learnt 1st day in Thailand. Don't get me wrong, if something is clearly over priced i will either get a fair price or not buy. I just can't be bother haggling over pennies.

Winning meant more to the seller, since you are a farang...

Beware the lil old ladies. They are the most dangerous.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

I once stood in the sleeting snow on Manhattans upper west side waiting for a taxi, after about 45 minutes one arrived. Out of the darkness came a lil old lady who jumped into my cab. I snatched her bald...

They don't get any room here either...

He would do better cruising around the farang bars selling injections of sobriety and common sense.

Do they make sobriety injections and doses of common sense? Just curious...

300 baht a day min wage is not going to make anyone bankrupt.

These companies were insolvent before the minimum wage was implemented.

I want to see Thai wages up to 300 baht an hour so they would be competing against the West on a level playing field.

The productivity level of the labor in Thailand is light years behind the west. In my company, if you stood around picking your nose, you wouldn't make it through the shift. A level playing field is a pipe dream. Blame it all on the "educational system" of Thailand, that's where the problem begins.

This country may be getting a bump right now, that may be coming to an end soon, but it's not ready for the world stage by any stretch of the imagination.

I tease a friend of mine all the time and say he's a "cheap Charlie" but he just laughs at me. Of course, he always pays his own way and he knows what I say is just in jest. He just doesn't waste his money on unnecessary stuff. He would rather sleep in an inexpensive 350 baht room out of town rather than a fancier one down town for 500 baht. He would rather eat noodle soup on the street for 25 baht than an American breakfast in a nice restaurant for 100 baht. He won't buy lady drinks at bars because he doesn't want to take the gals home. But still, the women all like him and are always trying to attract his attention.

But, there is a difference between being frugal and being cheap. Frugal is being sensible; being cheap usually means you don't always pay your own way.

I agree! I saved this article so I would keep it fresh in my mind. In a country like Thailand where all they do is try to squeeze every last satang from you, this is a good defense. TG, BTW is even cheaper than me.

Frugality often gets a bad rap.

Many people misunderstand frugality and assume that it's nothing more than being "cheap" when, in reality,

frugality is making sure that you get the most from the money and resources you have, even if they are limited.

For those who are just beginning to embrace frugality as a part of their lifestyle, here are 10 frugal commandments to live by.

10. Thou shalt not buy things you don't need.

To get the most from the money that you have, it's essential to have a basic understanding of the difference between wants and needs. Chances are that a lot of things that you assume are needs are only wants you have disguised as needs in order to justify purchasing them.

Basic needs are food (including water), shelter and clothing plus the essentials needed to work so that you can provide those basics. That means that the TV (and virtually every other gadget in your house) is a want and not a need. Having the willpower to buy only those things that you really need (being frugal doesn't mean being stingy, but it does mean that any wants you do have are specifically saved and budgeted for as opposed to impulse purchases) is essential to getting the most out of frugality.

Simply put, if you don't need it, don't buy it, no matter how good the price.

9. Thou shalt only buy when you have the money.

One of the basic premises of frugality is having the money to pay for the things that you buy. By budgeting and saving for those things that you want and paying for them with cash rather than using credit, you ensure you aren't paying far more than you should be for the products and services that you buy.

8. Thou shalt purchase by value, not price.

One of the biggest misconceptions about being frugal is that those who are frugal only purchase things that are cheap or the very lowest price. The truth is that those who are frugal always try to buy the best value taking into account other factors such as the life expectancy and additional upkeep costs that come into play beyond retail price. This often means looking at the long term cost of an item rather than just the initial purchase price.

7. Thou shalt be patient.

Those who embrace frugality rarely have the latest and greatest gadgets that have just hit the market. Instead, those who are frugal wait for the early adopters to embrace the technology until the point at which the price falls to a reasonable level as the gadget makes its way to the masses.

Those who are frugal are usually a generation or two behind on the latest gadgets, but they still perform the functions that need to be done and they get them for a fraction of the price.

6. Thou shalt buy used.

A basic tenet of frugality is to get the best value from what you purchase, and this often means purchasing products used. Those who are frugal are more than happy to let someone else pay full retail price and absorb the premium pricing for products that are depreciating assets (think of the difference in price between a brand new car and a two-year-old vehicle, as an example).

Used products are often a fraction of the price of the new models and in many instances perform the needed task just as well.

5. Thou shalt look for alternatives before buying.

If you need something, automatically going out and buying it is not an approach that a true frugal person would take. Instead, before spending any hard-earned money on something that may only be used a few times, consider alternatives.

Is it possible to borrow it from a friend, a neighbor or a place such as the library? Would renting it be less expensive in the long run? Do you have something else already on hand that can be used to perform the same task? Buying is only one of many options when it comes to getting things you may need.

4. Thou shalt ignore the Joneses.

Part of living a frugal life is understanding that life isn't a competition over who has the most stuff. It's important to concentrate on your and your family's needs, and not what others are spending their money on. Just because your neighbors bought it doesn't mean that you need to go out and buy something on par or better.

3. Thou shalt not pay full retail price.

When you are going to make a purchase, you should never pay full retail price for it. There are a number of ways to avoid paying full retail such as using coupons, finding discounts, waiting for sales and negotiating a lower price. With a bit of preparation and forethought, there is never a reason to pay full retail price for anything you purchase.

2. Thou shalt not waste.

One thing that those who are frugal hate is waste. While this obviously includes the waste of money, it also goes beyond money to such areas a wasted resources and wasted time. Efficiency is a frugal person's friend, and those who are frugal tend to follow the green mantra of reduce, re-purpose, reuse and recycle for the things that they do possess.

1. Thou shalt do things yourself.

When something needs to be done, the first choice to perform the task should be yourself rather than hiring someone else to do it. Frugal people tend to be do-it-yourself experts and do not pay others to do things that they can easily do by themselves. When they don't know how to do something, they research it to see if it is something that they can do with the proper instructions or something sufficiently complicated that it's best to let an expert handle.

While it may take some practice at first, getting these 10 frugal commandments down will make your savings account look a lot healthier in the new year.

Ask theblether, he's a Scot

We scots are a warm and generous bunch....even to those less fortunate folks who try to cast us otherwise.

I worked with a Pom years ago who claimed that the 'frugal Scot' thing was actually a Welsh plot, and that it was the Welsh who were tighter than a fishes proverbial. I just try not to tread on Celtic toes where possible - they tend to be attached to large Celtic feet

The true story is, the legend of Scots being tight was a self inflicted wound.......back in the days of the Music Hall a Scotsman called Harry Lauder was a mega star, probably the biggest star in the UK at that time. One of his running gags was a punchline which went this " nearly as deserted as a Flag Day in Aberdeen ".

A Flag Day was a charitable collection day, so the gag was that people from Aberdeen were misers.......unfortunately in the minds of the English audience it came to pass that all Scots are misers.

So thanks for that Harry!!

To be honest it doesn't bother me.....there's far worse things can be said about a country than being careful with money......just ask those Welsh sheep shaggers.

What's wrong with shaggin' sheep? Baaaa

"He said he only talked to them on the telephone not in person," Lieutenant Colonel Kusol Pongbunchan, chief investigator of the local district police told AFP.

Someone left the tigers next to a bin for him to pick up? Who exactly was he bringing the tigers to, and how was he going to collect his money?

I once watched a copper put a boot into the face of a drug dealer he caught. Shut the dealer right up. There are ways to make him talk.... Thailand is no stranger to them....

Maybe the discrepancy is occuring at the gas bowser...

Try changing where you buy your fuel...

Thanks for the thought, but I pop into whatever when the need arises. Don't take that the wrong way... I almost always get the 91 gasohol, and I watch the meter before take off. I know the trick they pull, unless there's another one.

Also check what grade of gas your girlfriend's Thai husband uses in his scooter...

His fuel bill has no doubt halved in recent times

I got rid of her when the hubby found my texts on her phone. Last thing I need is an alcoholic, violent, control freak making a million baht a month figuring out who I am. I moved too! She said she wasn't married, BTW.

Try checking out Supercheap, if you need supermarket items or booze. In Chalong there is a restaurant called "Fatty's" that has great food and the portions are huge. On the street that runs through Chalong, across from TTT language school, there is a bar run by a nice girl named Tang, she speaks English and has a fair price. Many expats go there. Across the street and more toward the circle is a place that has a Sunday roast, all in for a few hundred baht. I forget the name but you can't miss the sign. There's a dive shop across the road from it. In P-town, on the main drag where all the bars are, there is one place that is uptown and reasonably priced. Hot girls!

Iannaman is right, the locals are right scum who will cheat you every chance they get. Many bars will add drinks to your ticket, so keep the bottles, or pay as you go. Restaurants will add items too.

There is a visible mafia presence, and an attitude of indifference, supported by the police, who do nothing to protect you or solve a crime committed on a tourist. Keep your wits about you and stay in a group if you are drinking.

Don't rent a jet ski!

Sorry but I just don't believe the numbers quoted:

- Thai students - 450 - believable.

- Singapore students - 550 - not believable because teachers actually teach 99%

of all classes in English in singapore, students totally immersed in English from

day 1 at Kindergarten. The averageTOEFL score for Singapore students must be

a lot higher than 550 / the gap cannot be just 100, impossible.

The article was written by the Nation.....

When those teaching english can barely speak the language then it doesn't look bright. Those with kids being taught english by thais at school will know what I mean.

Those with kids being taught by Philipinos will know too!

Yo Sup - LOL. You're too sensitive.

Davejones - LOL. You're abusive.

Perhaps you can explain why pointing out that your advice is wrong is abusive? Wrong advice should be pointed out so that others don't waste their time by following it. That's being helpful to others, not abusive. You are way too sensitive. Get over it.

It is simply your opinion that my advice is wrong, and you made it personal by saying "that's such bad advice" and "back to SEO 101 for you". You should have, or could have, said; "that's one way to do it, here are some others..." You don't even post anything about how SEO should be done, you just find fault and attack.

Since I have owned business in NYC and SF, and now on the internet, I'm not sensitive at all. You can't be sensitive, and survive in those environments. Also, I have had many employees and have learned to watch comments and behaviors, because they say a lot about a persons mental state...

If your such an SEO expert, why don't you share in your knowledge? Maybe your in the SEO business and you want to attract a client...?

I don't have anymore time for child's play. Get on with your life.