Horatio Poke

As a fluent Thai speaker who's lived here for more years than I care to remember I regret to tell you that you're seeking the impossible. You cannot respond in a way that will stop those questions. The best that you can do is avoid answering them.

I usually attempt to be evasive in such situations - "I don't remember precisely how much", "My wife paid", or better still "I'm not the one who paid", or "That wasn't something that I took a great deal of notice of", or even in a gently confrontational vein "Why do you want to know?" "Why does that interest you?" "Why does that matter to you?".

If the enquirer's line of questioning continues I respond by displaying bemusement, without actually replying verbally.

Good luck!

You might want to peddle your clobber at one of the regular one-day markets - "talaad nat" - but you'll need a Thai to do your bidding for you, and don't expect to come home with much money from it. But it can be fun and an OK way to dispose of unwanted household items.

If you're stuff is more valuable or specialised you might want to hawk it around the local shops and traders, or even your friends and neighbours, or anywhere you think someone might want it.

If it's just a case of getting rid of stuff then giving it to people that you like is the most rewarding thing to do - or bin it.

I have one because immigration asked for it when I moved home. I had not needed one previously during many years of residing in a different province.

If it's easy to obtain or immigration ask for it then you might want to get one. Otherwise I wouldn't bother.

PS: I note that other posters to this thread list many advantages of having a yellow housebook. I have yet to experience any use for it other than at immigration but nonetheless do feel that you might wish to consider their very positive comments when considering whether to go for one or not.

We've used these traps extensively and very successfully too - for rats, mice, and squirrels.

A smallish piece of bread seems to work pretty well and attracts them even when it's past its best i.e. going hard and dry. A small chunk of sweetcorn is often recommended and OK too, but bread remains our preferred bait.

Happy catching!

I've no idea what official policy is. But I do know that I feel far less welcome here than I did when I first arrived as a tourist a lifetime ago, and less welcome as an expat retiree than I did when I first arrived here many years ago. Nowadays my future here feels to be less secure than it once did.

However, I have put down roots, I'm a reasonably well integrated member of the local community, and I'm happy here. Moving on would be unbelievably difficult for me now. So I'm in for the long haul, whatever that may mean. I just hope that future official policy will not thwart me in that ambition.

@Kenny202 and @SantiSuk,

You make some interesting observations.

@Kenny202

I think that what you're talking about is pretty much human nature. Maybe you're more aware of it than in your home country due to feeling to be an outsider looking in, or maybe because you're hearing a lot about it and only a little about other matters (as you say, "We have a lot of genuine friends here too but the few negative types dominate my wifes thoughts").

In your situation (as I sometimes am) I'd rise above it. If you know that you are decent genuine people then you don't need to pay much attention to the minority of idiots that you encounter.

I wish you good luck in Isaan.

HP

.......Mary Haas's dictionary deserves an honourable mention, though it's a little dated now and very expensive.......

For English-Thai, to be honest, I don't like any of them. For beginners the Thai-English English Thai dictionary of Benjawan Poomsan Becker, published by Paiboon is adequate. 425 baht paperback when I bought it.

I agree absolutely with AyG's comments.

I'm a big fan of the Mary Haas dictionary but I don't have one. It's far too expensive, and so for the relatively small number of times I'd use it would be poor value for me.

I don't like any of the currently available English-Thai dictionaries. I have the Thai-English English-Thai dictionary of Benjawan Poomsan Becker as mentioned. I see it as the best of what's available, but have it only on a better-than-nothing basis.

My all time favourite is The Conversation Dictionary of The Thai Language by Dr Wit Thiengburanathum. It is both English-Thai and Thai-English, contains huge vocabulary, and OK transliterations. Some of the translations do seem to lack precision but by and large it gives pretty much what you want, and definitely as much as you need so long as you're not using it for composing sophisticated documents. I used to have two of these dictionaries, lost one, and the remaining one is falling to bits. I bought it about fifteen years ago for 240 Baht. I never see it on sale nowadays, and haven't done so for about ten years. If anyone sees one anywhere, or has a spare one I'd be interested.

I find online dictionaries to be very variable, and largely unreliable. Google translate and the likes are maybe OK for single words, but nothing more..... maybe not even that much.

I had a spray sometime ago. I only used it once to ward off three dogs. It was useless. The problem is that the spray disperses to next to nothing in much less than a meter and if there's any breeze at all it gets carried away by it. By the time an aggressive dog gets close enough for you to use the spray effectively you're already in far too much trouble. The best defense seems to be a long lightweight stick (a meter or so - bamboo is good and readily available) with a slightly sharpened end, for jabbing - can be used for clubbing too but jabbing is far more effective.

Most soi dogs will back off at the mere sight of a stick.

Update:

I decided to move home sooner rather than later.

The day after my move I went to KCI and took a completed TM28 form, my wife complete with her blue house-book and ID card, my passport of course, copies of all the preceding, and originals and copies of all documents that I suspected might be requested (90-day notification receipt, marriage certificate, and more). My passport, arrival card and 90-day receipt status were examined. All my documents are in order. I've never broken any immigration rules. I've followed all required procedures punctually and to the letter. The TM28 and my notification were refused.

I was told that my notification of change of address and subsequent ability to adopt KCI as my regular office for immigration affairs could not be accepted unless and until I produce a yellow house-book held in my own name. This is something that I probably can do but it will take some time. I was advised to continue using CW in the meantime.

This looks to me like the old sit-close, irritate, ask-the-time, baht-bus pickpocket manoeuvre. It is best thwarted by the quick application of a step-over-leg-lock..... which in Pattaya is not a wise thing to do.

Thanks again Ubonjoe.

Thanks Ubonjoe.

I assume that I must submit the TM28 form to KCI very soon after moving i.e.Within a few days?

I assume that my wife's blue book will be sufficient as proof of residence and address if she accompanies me to KCI?

Thanks again for your quick and informed reply.

I have been living in Thailand on Retirement Extensions continuously for many years now. My current extension of stay permission expires next year. I am considering moving from my present home in Bangkok to Buriram before it expires. If I go ahead and do so what actions do I need to take in order to do future 90-day check-ins and permission to stay extensions at the office for Buriram Province?

Any advice you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Juu and Jimm are OK and understood by anyone and everyone.

The following are polite and formal but may or may not be understood by poorly educated folks or Thais whose first language is not Thai.

Penis: Ong-ka-chard/Awng-ka-chard

Women's internal bits: Chawng-klawt

Urinate: passa-wa/pass-er-wa (last "a" pronounced as in rat/cat/bat)

Defecate/stools/sh*t: Oot-ja-ra/Oot-jer-ra (last "a" pronounced as in rat/cat/bat)

The above may have lost a little in my poor transliteration but a reasonable imitation of them to a health care professional will be both appreciated and respected.... and hopefully corrected and refined as appropriate.

"Ying gratai" (shoot rabbits) is humorous and lighthearted and refers informally to peeing at the roadside/ up against a tree/ in a field/ outdoors and is usually used to warn others from inadvertently stumbling on the guy with his manhood out and on view. If you use this expression to a healthcare professional he/she will very likely be amused, but even so I would avoid doing so. It wouldn't make you look good.

"Paw ngai" means "Easy going guy" but is used as a description not a name - I've just confirmed this with my Thai wife - but even so, maybe that is what you are being called.

"Paw Yai" means grandpa but is often used as a term of affection for any guy considerably older than the speaker and is often followed by the person's name or a light hearted description. I have heard the following "Paw Yai" names used frequently:-

Paw Yai Mike = (Old) Mike - "Old" more as a term of affection than an accurate description

Paw Yai Kar Yow = Long-legged grandpa - a very tall old boy

Paw Yai Hua Lahn = Bald-headed grandpa - I think that no further explanation is required on this one.....

A youngster calling a middle aged or older man "Paw Yai" would be seen as cheeky and might well amuse her elders when doing so.

If they both have the same meaning, I'd rather always just say ไหม / มั้ย because it's way easier for me (a native English speaker) to pronounce.

I wonder if Thai people prefer to use หรือเปล่า in certain situations or if it's just random.

mai is a question, no pressure

ruu plow is a suggestion with hoped for answer. (I want to do this, how about you)

You may well be right, but I would use "laow khun la?" for "How about you?"

I always understand "mai" as "?" when the questioner has no idea of the answer, as in "Are you hungry?"

I understand "leur" as "?" when the questioner has already made an assumption about the likely answer, as in "Would you like to eat at MacDonalds?"

I understand "ruu plow" as "or not" as in "Do you want to go to Bangkok or not?"

...... Those are my understandings, but I accept that they might not be 100% accurate. I'm a fluent Thai speaker, but not an academic.

NancyL

Thank you for your very helpful advice.

Ubonjoe and Jessi,

Thanks for your very helpful replies to my enquiry.

I have recently been to extend my annual "permission to remain in Thailand" Retirement Visa. I was asked to sign a form informing me of the penalties for overstay. It left me wonderng....,

What if I was subject to a medical emergency immediately prior to my visa extension/renewal date and therefore could not attend immigration before running into overstay? This is a scenario that must surely happen. Is there a procedure that friends or relatives could initiate to prevent overstay and its subsequent penalties?

I am at an age and state of health where knowing what needs to be done in a worst case scenario might be very important.

Any help that fellow TV folk can offer will be greatly appreciated.

Just checking to hear if your emails are trickling in or not?

Yes. My notifications have resumed again.

However, this very poorly handled situation and other situations that I've encountered since joining Thaivisa have caused me to decide that Thaivisa is really not for me. Therefore I would be grateful if you'd give me a link to a page where I can cancel my account. It's not immediately obvious how one closes an account on this forum.

I would have appreciated a response to my post. The problem persists

I'm not receiving any Email notifications now. They stopped a couple of days ago. I haven't altered any settings. They're not in my spam folder.

I'm not receiving any notifications now. They stopped a day or two ago. I haven't altered any settings. They're not in my spam folder.

Some of you wrote that 'dtut' is used for any gay guy. Are you sure about that ? I mean, I somehow got the feeling that 'dtut' implies at least some extent of effeminateness. Would a totally non-effeminate gay guy be referred to as 'dtut', I wonder (if he is known to be gay, of course) ?

I think that it is unwise to try to be too specific about the absolute meanings of words in any language. They are always subject to the intended meaning (accurate or not) of the speaker, and the interpretation and understanding of the listener. Language is not an exact science. People don't consider at length before composing sentences in real life conversation. Nonetheless specific translations can provide a rough framework.

So, to return to your question and against my better judgment become absolute in my interpretation:

dtut is used as a descriptive noun for a gay effeminate man, but not a katoey

But this is where absolutely specific translations fall down. How can anyone be sure that he's gay? He might be bi-curious or straight and therefore not a dtut, even though his outward appearance is that of a dtut.

And what is the difference to the naked eye between a katoey and an effeminate straight or gay man who wears effeminate clothes? Or a katoey and a straight crossdresser? At what point of attire does an effeminate straight male crossdresser become defined as a katoey? Is a male bisexual crossdresser a katoey or a bisexual man? Would your answer be the same if he were an occasional crossdresser? If a katoey wears mens' clothes when he goes to renew his ID card is he at that point in time a man or a katoey?

.... and so on....

If we become too interested in defining an exact definition for dtut we then have to define exactly all the meanings of the words in our definition. And that's not how language works.

So, whilst I consider my above definition to be correct and specific it is not set in stone. Language is flexible.

Finally, you asked, "Would a totally non-effeminate gay guy be referred to as dtut?" :

In my opinion, not usually, but if he was it wouldn't necessarily be an incorrect use of the language.