slipperylobster

sticky mouse paper. They won't be able to land safely with that stuck to their feet.

Lao visa fee varies by country. For many it is 1500 baht or $35. You get a 30 day entry.

$36 dollars for me, two days ago. I might have got fleeced for a buck, Bring crisp new bills. I forgot the cost in Cambodia.

Trat is very cheap from the bus station, but I came through the border from Cambodia (flew in and think I paid for a visa..)

The cost of the bus to the border is not worth mentioning.... probably 50 to 100 baht. You could get a sontaew for a bit more, or even a van from one of the guest houses. I liked the one German guest house on the river in Trat.... Riesling...I think. Nice family run guesthouse with plenty of sitting room downstairs. Nice, quiet town with a few hangouts to sip a beer and relax. Nothing special, but a good nights sleep for a very good price.

As mentioned, white skin, for many girls here, is a sign of social status, and is promoted through advertisement. I find it rather sad, as plastic surgery, cosmetics and whitening chemicals are applied so copiously, as to change the natural beauty of a pretty lady to the point of being an inanimate idea of beauty. This contrasts starkly to the Philippines, where they cannot afford treatments but still strive for whiteness, oftentimes with success, just be avoiding sunshine.

I was first attracted to golden brown skin through contact with the mixed heritages of Hawaii. The Philippines, Hawaiian, Japanese and Caucasian mixture was breathtaking. :Living one hour from the Canadian border, white skinned people looked sickly to me. Also, the higher classes would go to California/Florida each winter just to flaunt their darker skin.

Right now, I think the media (advertising) here is going overboard. Plastic, white ghosts of feminine beauty stopping darker skinned and/or fatter girls in shopping malls and pushing products on them. Hey...you need to look like me or nobody will like you. I kind of smile and squeeze my gals hand. Those "beauties" are working pretty hard for 300 baht a day. hehhehehehehe.

Trat has a quick border run. Its a fairly simple border crossing with lots of transportation. Why not spend a few days in Sihanoukville? If you don't like that, just cross over and come back.

I done the Mae Sai once, thats quite a ride from Chiang Mai.

Just got a 30 day deal crossing over in Nong Khai. Thats always a simple pleasure, as I live only 40 minutes away in Udon. I leave here at 0630, leave the vehicle on the Thai Side, get stamped in and out in one hour, and back for breakfast in Nong Khai.

Done 4 other land borders, and also Ranong to burma...... interesting boat ride. After we got stamped back in, took the ferry to Koh Phayam and we loved it. Full moon, but no parties. Night time looked like day. Had a nice scooter on their minature road system (more like a paved path).

Mae Sai.....blah.

been on the road for 41 years now..and half as many countries...actually lived over a year in 4 of those, 6 years in Japan, 15 years straight in the Philippines and just a few years in Thailand.

They said nothing...and actually do not care much to hear about it. I force feed them pictures. Actually they just shrug. One brother (a doctor/psychiatrist) says to me "You aren't crazy, you are just stupid and you like bargirls....!!" My girlfriend is not even from the bar...its what they think (that makes them feel better.)...

Free man.

Cultural differences... Obviously, times have changed, and many countries have taken up laws and conditions that were never in place since human kind has existed. What was considered honorable in the past is now abhorrent. Marriages between older men and younger girls are still acceptable in many countries. In the USA, it is possible, with court permission, to marry a girl of 15. In a few other countries, older men are (get this..."paid" doweries) regardless of the girl's age. As money was hard to come by, many families immediately arranged marriages (yes, even lower than 15) as soon as they had the money to pay the dowery to the perspective husband.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_marriage

I bet those hunger cramps stopped, all of a sudden-like.

Makes me wonder how KFC has been serving chicken for so long, without a shot fired by the staff. However, if you do need to stop an attacker in his tracks, nothing does it better than a gut shot..... head shots are pretty iffy in a scuffly. Best to aim dead center.

And the penalty will be ?? 500 baht fine and photo wearing a ski mask as the poor guy points at them.

The world is catching up with Thailand faster than they think.

Obvious question....drinking with underaged kids for what? Drink Responsibly with adults, it just looks ridiculous for a grown italien man to be drinking on a corner with children. <deleted>??

And 2nd Obvious thing.....Kids on the street with baseball bats.....I never saw one baseball game here.

Is this pretty common?

The whole thing stinks both ways.... and probably, the farang, might have been discussing a 3rd way.

I googled it for ya. Its simple and fast...and no need ask on the forum, as you get many answers that may not be right.

The age of consent in Thailand is 15 (with the below caveat) as specified by article 279 of the Thai Criminal Code. The current legislation applies to all regardless of gender and/or sexual orientation.

However, parts of the Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act, which disallow any sexual contact with prostitutes under the age of 18, are widely interpreted by some local authorities to cover sexual acts classed as "obscenity for personal gratification". Also from the Penal Code Amendment Act of 1997 Section 283bis, having sex with a child under 18 is a compoundable offense even with the consent of that person. The parent or the child may file charges against the other side if he or she later regrets his or her own action. This ostensibly makes the Thai unfettered age of consent 18.

Taken from the Website.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_Asia#Thailand

The banks over here are not a problem. My U.S. Bank limits me to 18000 baht per day.... If I need more on a particular day, I would have to Wire. Right now, by the way, Western Union as a no fee special if you happen to be traveling to the Philippines.... HAIYANRELIEF is the code. Can do online, and can often pick the amount up in USD. This is not related to the OP, but is good info, if you do plan on going there.

they got two, but scammers work with impunity just outside the temples of Bankok, snatching up naive tourists for shopping trips to buy fake jewelry. Temple is closed, but I can take you to a place for cheap gemstones....

Her a$$ and her hair.

Now, 23 years and a couple of kids later, her backside's expanded slightly but, hey, still looks gooood to me!.

Unlike the majority of Thais, she had and still has naturally frizzy hair and is quite often asked by others how she 'makes her hair like that?'. In fact, Thais often initially speak to her in English in the belief she's not Thai.

My girl has that frizzy appeal as well...

The first night was free....

Someone remind them not to forget the jetski boys, the police, and the taxi drivers.

My list is a bit longer....but that would be a nice start.

Something moist and slippery.

She was an eel farmer?

"Obviously I'll do whats right for our son and normally that means parents together ..."

Correct...in a perfect world. Sometimes "doing right" is making sure you do not disappear from you son's life altogether. You can cram alot of quality time in a few days a month. Good memories for your son. It is not neccessary to play the martyr and pretend everything is normal between you and your wife. It will just get ugly...and that is exactly what your son does not need to see. In some ways, you get the advantage, because your son will be so happy to see you on those few days, and the times are always good. I have seen ugly, bad marriages where the entire family suffers from misery and depression, along with constant bickering...that really leaves a bad mark on the children...worse than separation.

Easy answer. Do it before it expires. I do mine about a week ahead, and get an additional 30 days attached to the end of the 60th day... The 60th day of the visa terminates and then, the next day, you begin the 1st day of your extension. Total of 90 days.

I have had 5 or 6 extensions done in Udon. It is never a problem, and I never seen anyone refused, It has nothing to do with your clothes. It has everything to do with being a tourist.... just put on there that you need to see more temples. I bring my Thai girlfriend with me, she is 46 and has a furniture store. A couple of smiles, good talking, and she has me sitting there signing away and out in an hour.

I try not to do back to back visas and extensions (except on the double entries). Anways, I fly out to the Philippines twice a year and once to the USA.

If you have to ask what 555 and TIT is on this forum, then I think you need to get out more. What is there to discuss about it?

How can anyone possibly be satisfied with a pair of nasty old panties, when all that real tush is readily available.?

When it's over, you pretty much have only one option, and that is "Damage Control". Do not do what I did....I just walked away from everything. Granted, I have my full retirement check (worth a million dollars from 1995 until hopefully the year 2040 (if I take not buses or trains here). My retirement is good enough, but I sure miss all my personal effects, my house, car and lifestyle. Freedom is a big tradeoff, however.

Get a lawyer and fight tooth and nail for everything you can get...and your son too. You will have a lifetime of regrets otherwise. My son is being held for ransom in the Philippines. (monthly payments) Guilt and constant demands break down my willpower and I send more than I should. It would be cheaper to have him with me. I even had to leave the Philippines, to avoid ugly scenes with his violent mom.

Don't give up one baht until your things come back to you....and secure that lawyer today. Take the initiative....get evidence that would work in your behalf on anything that might be construed as immoral, illegal, or unfair....on the wife. My advice would be to maintain contact with her only through your lawyer.

Worth the expense.

Just have the sender cancel and send it to a buddy who does have a passport. Simple dimple. Hope you got a buddy you can trust.

Sounds like hell. Glad I don't live where the OP is!

Perhaps too much camembert, just finding a way out.

If your only going to use it for basc call, txt etc, buy a cheap Nokia .. Had one for years before going to an iphone. The thing was indestructable, 3 times fallimg out of 2 story builing , phone that is , and once out of my pocket at 80kms on my motorbike ... and if it gets lost, stolen ... your not gonna be out of pocket much... alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

You might be right but the Nokia I have and have not been very happy with for a year has just crashed the microSD in it and I have lost a lot of pics and stuff.

It must be a vengeful yet sensitive thing.

Hear ya ... I only used my cheap Nokia for call and TXT ... not sure if it even had a microSD ... .. Now I'm walking around with a miniture computer in my pocket ... how things change !! ... remember the earliest "Brick" mobile phones in a bag

Same here. Cheap phones use the same methods for transmission as an expensive one. (A tower). We have lost two of this lil blue nokia phones and never winced. A 30 dollar loss.

Keep your expensive stuff safe. I leave all the computing gear at home..where it belongs. I do not need to be out on a date and just sit and fiddle with a damn pad. People who do that are just rude and obnoxious. Go out and smell the flowers and talk to each other in person. Leave the Video games/ facebook and email at home for those lonely nights.