mpdkorat

I always gave info when asked, but newbies spouting the right and wrong ways of doing things in Thailand always irked me.

They've been in Thailand ten minutes, and they already know the whole landscape. Especially why you got ripped off and they did not. Experiences, posters?

One of the first things i learnt in Thailand...

I've been here long enough to know i know f*** all!

(its an attitude thang)

Spot on Wolfie

Just on the one topic of dowries: The going rate for a dowry in Issan is 1 mllion baht upwards, and how many girls' families, just from Issan province alone, get a fat dowry paid by farang every year? You won't find those dollar amounts in gov't statistics. Plus, there are the inevitable on-going amounts paid to the wife and her family and often there's properties bought in the wife's name that are left to her if the couple splits up (which happens more often than not). This all may sound off-topic, but the point is there's tens of billions of baht annually of outside money that gets infused in to the Thai economy that is not acknowledged by the Bangkok bean counters - that comes from farang - tourists and unofficial residents.

That interesting my isaan young brother in law just paid 40,000 baht. He must have got a bargain!!

That's 40k SPLIT between 2 adults .... 20k each ... not crazy at all!

Maybe not in BKK...but it IS a lot in most places.

I have a friend in Chiang Rai who is married to a nurse. He gets 20 000 teaching, she makes 12 000.

They 'fail' the 40 000 test. A teacher and a nurse "aren't the types of people Thailand want"?

If he is a teacher suggest he gets a work permit?

Follow the advice from Scouse. Explains it all.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=105205

many thanks for info.

if a child is registered as british would he/she still be able to be thai ? i.e id card/passport?

Yes

The signatory must be a British passport holder and they must even put their passport number on the form (presumably so they can check the authenticity of the signature from their records.) They even phoned up my wifes signatory to check that he was who he said he was and that he actually did know her. I'm not sure if they check the status of the signatory though.

So it looks as though if you dont have a British subject who has known you for 2 years in Thailand you may just have to get a friend from overseas who does. If you do have a British mate I would be inclined not to worry too much about his profession

If you do not know a British national or other Commonwealth

citizen locally with those qualifications, a citizen of the

country in which you are residing may complete and sign

the form, provided he/she has a similar standing in that

country has known you for two years and the Consul

considers his/her signature to be acceptable.

I didn't use a British passport holder to sign my daughter's photo. A Thai colleague's signature was acceptable - I think any professional person is OK.

I had forgotten about this requirement. So I did not have anyone with me to countersign. I asked someone else waiting behind me if they would mind signing, which they agreed too and this was done in full view of the Embassy official and the rest of the people waiting. It caused a few smiles but the embassy official was quite happy with the arrangement. So from my experience I do not think they are that bothered.

in the case of a thai/english baby.can the baby be registered at the brit emabassy if the couple are not married ?

likewise can the child be registered with the thai authorities having a farang father,if not married ?

If the British father is shown on the birth certificate there should be no problem if the child was born quite recently. The law changed a year or so ago allowing fathers not married to pass on their British nationality to the child. You will need your full birth certificate and passport. Mother will need full birth certificate, ID card and tabian baan. Child will need Thai birth certificate. The British Embassy will issue a British birth certificate. If the Child was born before the law changed (You will have to check on the actual date) you can still do it, but it has to go back to the UK for a decision to be made. Could take about 9 months to a year.

Mpdkorat, glad to be of assistance. With respect to leaf lard; that sounds to me like the porcine equivilent of bovine suet (the fat which surrounds the kidneys). I would love like to get hold of some proper suet because I desparately want to make a beef steak and kidney pudding just like wot mum used to make, but that's another story.

So far as the pork fat is concerned, we only use the fat which covers the animals' muscles, usually loin, belly or leg, and I have no experience of fat covering internal organs. I hope you give my method a try. The results are worth the effort and you get the added bonus of a pile of pork scratchings to enjoy with your next can of Chang. Cheers!

I will certainly give your method a try and thanks again for your assistance.

Thanks Sheepshank for the great post.

I have been looking into making my own lard but keep coming across leaf lard, the fat surrounding the internal organs. In your experience do you think that making lard from fat from any part of the pig makes much difference.

Mpdkorat; as you so rightly say in the title of this thread, lard is rendered pork fat. So why don't you render your own pork fat? I've been rendering (or more correctly, my wife has been rendering) locally purchased pork fat for years. Not only do I use it, soley, when making hot water crust pastry for raised pork pies but I also use it hasip/hasip with butter when making short crust pastry for pies/pasties and savoury flans.

Just as an aside, I know a Thai woman whose husband left her and their son for another woman. She went to family court and has gotten child support out of him. He makes monthly payments, not much, but then he doesn't make much. But he does pay and the family court sided with her.

Also on the side. I know a thai woman who took a farang boyfriend to the family court and the court ordered the farang to make monthly support payments for thier child. He has property in in Thailand.

Lard is sold as a German delicacy under the name "Schmalz" in both Friendship and Best supermarkets in Pattaya.

Thanks PC that good news, just need to get someone to run the guantlet to Pattaya to get it.

They do sell Crisco, Im not exactly sure what its made of, but It made to be used in baking recipes

Greg

I have been told about Crisco it's a well know US brand name, but I believe it is made from vegetable oil and is indeed a shortening. It might work with pork pies, but I would like to at least try to get Lard first.

Is Crisco easy to obtain in Thailand?

I'm trying to make authentic pork pies, but need pork lard to get the right taste. Anyone know where I can buy lard in Thailand. All I have been able to find so far is 'shortening' made from Palm oil.

My thai wife's sister married an Englishman in the UK 3 years ago. They returned to Thailand after one year and are heading for separation and an inevitable divorce due to his intolerable behavior. All of his assets are in property in Thailand held through a

49%/51% Thai company. To complicate matters they now have a baby.

He has made it clear to her that if she leaves he will give her nothing and she has no money to fall back on.

For my part I am not going to pay for the upkeep of his wife and child nor do I want my wife to do so. I am however prepared to fund a divorce which ensures that he meets his responsibilities.

The question is that whilst obtaining a divorce will be possible how do I ensure he pays whatever is awarded to his wife and child?

Divorce in the UK is one option as is Thailand, I think, as shortly after they returned she went to her home amphur with a thai translation of the marriage certificate and changed her ID card to one bearing her married name so I hope this equates to registration of the marriage in Thailand thus opening up the Thai option.

Any opinions would be gratefully received as would recommendations of a lawyer in Thailand or the UK.

Get a good local family lawyer here in Thailand. Where is the property located, as a local lawyer will have contacts in his local Amphur. Remember anything bought after a legal marriage the proceeds can be split 50/50. He will also be ordered to help support the child on a monthly basis. The mother will also be expected to support the child, so do not expect the father to pay all the expenses.

It has been reported in another forum that all immigration booths at Bangkok airport have a pink paper saying 'present passport, lading form and onward ticket'

Anybody can confirm this ?

A friend of mine was require to show his boarding pass a couple of weeks ago. He did not have it and was sent back to get a replacement. Took him a further hour to clear immigration. So best have your Boarding pass ready just in case.

I am a 66 year old retired electronics engineer, living near Khao Yai, just heard about this site, wondering if there are any other Aussies in the area that would like to communicate, I have been living here for 7 years now.

Regards Ian.

Hi Ian I have sent you a personal message. Click on your personal messages and you will see it.

but the last time I checked prostitution in Europe is not LEGAL.

The only west European country I know of where prostitution is illegal is Sweden, and that is a relative new law (few years) but in the UK. Norway, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Spain and Itali prostitution is legal in one form or other, and I should think that covers the major countries in western Europe.

I can assure you being a prostitute in the UK is not illegal. Soliciting for the purpose of prostitution is. The girls try to get round the soliciting problem by putting stickers in phone booths but they were fine heavily and charged for the cost of cleaning the booths. Last I knew they were just putting card in the booths. There are other offences relating to prostitution that are illegal but I'm too lazy to go into it.

My 17 year-old Thai sister-in-law is 7 months pregnant. The guy is not willing to take any responsibility. She was supposed to be coming to stay with us whilst studying Law at Khon Kaen university. I used to think she were a clever girl. Seems such a waste for an intelligent, extremely beautiful young girl.

My wife is furious but obviously wants to do the best thing for all concerned. In another way she seems happy that a new baby is coming.

I suggested giving the kid away, but they didn't like that idea.

My father-in-law(ex-army) is furious and everyone is scared of what he will do.

My wife is wanting to go back to her home town and confront the schoolboy.

Any suggestions as what to do?

Should I offer to look after the kid?

I have not read the answers to this thread, but if she is 17 you have redress in law.

I think you know this already? If the father is older that will make it easier too. That will be a lever to get money out of the family to help support the child. If she was studying law that helps too, she has a higher standing. With regards to the child just enjoy him/her and collectively as a family take care of him/her. If you are unable to extract money from the fathers family, it does not really matter. But get the mother back to uni ASAP.

[Flame deleted. Please keep it on topic and avoid starting arguments. This is an informative thread and we like to keep it that way. Thank you for understanding. /Meadish]

DBren are you the the same guy from SCT in the 90's

I've been in CM for past 7 years on a non-imm retirement visa, which I just re newed. Lady with immigration police suggested I get a permenant resident permit. Have been considerting going the PR route, but do not know what would the benefits be or if there are any drawbacks or pitfalls.

I would want to apply at the Chiang Mai immigration and save me a trip to BKK.

Have read all the treads on TV about permenant residence, but dont see anything that specifies what the benefits or drawbacks are?

As far as I can see not too many benifits at all

My son was born in the Thai Military hospital in Korat, 17 months ago. It was a natural birth. He was 3.5kg. Bill 3200 baht. Very good service indeed. Food for thought

I’m just about to renew my one year extension on the grounds of supporting my Thai wife. I believe I do not have to supply a new medical certificate for the renewal. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks.

Nothing new about this. Intermittently they've asking for boarding passes at Immigration since at least July 2004 per reports on other boards. I've been asked a couple of times and for awhile they had small signs up at the Immigration counters at Don Muang requesting passengers to have them ready.

-redwood

Interesting I have never heard of this requirement before. Best keep boarding cards handy. It delayed my friend from getting through immigration for quite some time before he got his replacement card. Then to the back of the line.

I was told yesterday by a friend that when he went through immigration after a flight from Australia he was required to show his boarding pass. He had lost it so he was sent back to get a replacement. Anyone else heard about this?

You can't go far wrong with Yorkies sausage and bacon from Friendship sausage is just over 300 a kilo and bacon round about the same.

Another cheaper sausage man is the Bakers Oven on soi nern plub wahn his are 200 a kilo...........almost up to Yorkies standard.

Yorkies are the best I have in Thailand. Anyone know where to buy sage. I'm thinking of having a go making some myself. Wish me luck..............

Oh dear............you're just too late. I was snapped up.

You been going to the gym Martin you are now in top shape mate!!!