sylvafern

Thanks for all your suggestions - I've tried them all but to no avail. Don't have a real version of Windows so couldn't download Windows defender, downloaded Spybot that TRM suggested and that found and fixed some problems, but didn't seem to find this one. Tried HijackThis which picked up the problem but when I went to fix it, Spybot denied access. Uninstalled Spybot and tried HijackThis again - appeared to work but when I restarted the computer the website was back again as the homepage! Ughh! Very frustrating. I think I will need to take it into a computer shop and see if they can fix it. Does anyone have some suggestions for what I can ask the fix-it man to do to my computer to improve the security?

Supposed to be about every six weeks but the pain puts me off doing it too often so I usually keep the towel round me til the last second before going in the moobaan pool and try and go in the mid afternoon when it's too hot/sunny for most of the Thai residents. I usually only make it to the beautician when the situation is getting desperate .... a bit likewhen you've left the lawn too long to mow .... unfortunately has the same effect as cutting grass that's too long ..... a lot more difficult (and painful) to get rid of

Isn't RCA mostly full of teenagers? Used to go years ago but too crowded for my liking.

We had a Thai book sent over by relatives. Like the usual baby name books but with the names written in Thai and then transliterated into English (roman alphabet).

We found a book like this in Se-ed bookshop.I also got a Western baby names book at B2S.

I also have to agree that the "Thai person must have Thai name to be a Thai citizen" is a myth. I've got two boys and they've both got English first names and Thai surnames. No middle names. And they're both Thai.

As for picking names for a baby boy - the reason both my boys have got English names is because I couldn't find a Thai boys name I liked. Lots of girls names, but no boys names. There was one, but my husband absolutely refused. Almost vehemently refused. He said it was too strong a name. I really don't know what that means. It just sounded nice to me. The name was Jessada.

Good luck with the little guy.

Cheers,

TT

Definitiely must be a myth. My son is one and a half and has western first and middle names (which don't sound Thai). His surname is Thai although we wanted it to be a hyphenated name (seeing as my boyfriend must have one of the few 2-syllable Thai surnames and my name is only 1 syllable). We were told in Samitevej that if he took my western surname or a hyphanated name he wouldn't be allowed Thai citizenship. I assumed this to be true so maybe this it where the myth originated, or is this also not true. Ahnyhow, as I knew it would be easy to get his NZ citizenship, we stuck with the Thai surname so he now has dual citizenship, both Thai and NZ passports and has his name (as is mine) in his father's Ta bien baan book.

I also had the same problem with finding a Thai boys name I liked - only found a couple I liked (like the one above that could be western as well - eg Jessada could be Jesse) but my b/f didn't like the couple I chose which is why we decided on a western name. Girls names are easier.

I used to go to Angela's just behind Kao San (thru the Susie pub soi) which is very cheap and very quick - only 100 baht and most times okay, but had times when came up all rashy afterwards, so don't go anymore. Have recently discovered that Yves Rocher beuaty/makeup shops (in most shopping malls) also do waxing. Not sure of prices of anything else but their 'bikini' wax was 600 baht (although it turned out to be a Brazillian and I had to stop her from doing more!). Much pricier, but nice, clean surroundings and seemed like she was a properly trained beautician. Will go back again. You can also become a member and buy a course where you get free waxing sessions.

Complete waste of time. In all the years I've lived here I've never seen any evidence of this supposed 'Great Sale'. There's sales on all year round in Thailand - this is just another name for one.

It's my understanding that children can have dual citizenship up until the age of majority. The Thai gov't will then ask them to declare their nationality.

Not so. Thais have been able to have dual nationality since sometime in the 1990's

However, a male with dual Thai/UK (for example) nationality may be subject to Thai military service, if he is resident in Thailand.

The UK also allows dual nationality, but I don't know about the US.

What about a male with dual Thai/other citizenship (NZ in my case) born in Thailand but living out of the country at the age of conscription. Theroetically, called they be called back to do service?

Not that it's likely to be a problem as, who knows if it will even be the case by the time he reaches 21. Also, it's a shady business and easy to get out of if you know the right info and the right people. My b/f had contacts that told him if he transfered his Ta bien baan (?) to another amphur then when he went to do the thing where you choose a black/red ball (or whatever it is) he would get whatever colour it is that exepmpted him from service as there is only a certain number of places per amphur and they had already been filled in that amphur for that year.

Im a scottish Korean, but people think i look abit chinese

I imagined you as a blonde, muscley Aussie surfer dude!

It's really quite simple to understand that all humans, whether they'll admit it or not, biologically have bias in selecting their mates which also ties in with social-pychology as far as defining desired traits.

If you really want to get the scientific back ground, do some research about 'Sexual Selection' which I believe was the for-runner to Darwin's Natural Selection studies/experiements.

It's a natural process conforming to the society's desired norms/traits...In multi-cultural societies, the desired norms/traits are relevant to what appeals to you (sub-conciously most of the time)

I'm sure there are plenty of scientific reasons why people are attracted to a certain type (looks, skin colour, personality, etc) and I would say that you are right that a lot of people do have a natural bias towards a certain type of man/women but to go out looking for a partner that absolutely has to be of a specific race ruling out all other potential partners is what I find hard to understand. Like I said, there's nothing wrong with it if that's what you want - it's your life after all, I just think it's a little narrow minded assuming that all men/women from a certain cultural background will have the same qualities and values, etc and that people from other cultures won't have them.

My b/f looked at a Thai website (www.upseed.com) that has a slightly 'unsavoury' picture on it's homepage and now the website keeps reappearing as the homepage every time the computer is turned on. If the computer stays on and internet is closed and opened again, it retains the new homepage that I've set (e.g. yahoo) but it doesn't retain the settings when shut down and turned back on.

I've tried blocking the website using internet options - content - content advisor and have deleted the history, cookies and temp internet files but it still keeps coming back. What else can I try to permanently block it, or to stop it setting itself as my homepage?

thanks for any help.

When I was single and beforeI had my son, I travelled from Surat to Nakhon Si Thammarat to Songkla and on to Hat Yai (and then Penang) by myself using local transport (buses). The most dangerous thing was the 30 minute bus ride between Songkla and Hat Yai with a maniac driver behind the wheel. Of course, nowdays there's a bit more danger with problems in the south but they are mainly further south than where you want to go. In Songkla town itself is (or was) a pristine white beach about 3 kms long. At the end there was a Muslim fishing village where I took my favourite-ever photos (unfortunately don't have digital copies otherwise I would have attached some). They paint intricate colourful fishing boats. I'm not sure if the village would still be the same today (this was a quite few years ago) but worth investigating. Busing to Surat them hopping over to Samui or one of the other islands shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Have fun on your trip!

Not that I'm saying it's wrong, but I don't understand it when people say they want to find a boy/girlfriend of a specific race, or even more general as is often the case in Thailand a 'farang' boy/girlfriend. Surely if you are looking for a genuine relationship, then it shouldn't really matter where they come from. I know in some cases strong religious beliefs, etc may play a part in developing a long term relationship, but in general terms I don't think race/culture should matter, especially in western (or relatively westernised) socieites.

Have you ever heard of the Culture Shock Curve or W-Curve? It could provide some answers to your questions about your girlfriends behaviour and actions.

Basically, the stages of adjustment someone goes through are in a 'W' shape where they go through high and low points .... but the 'ups and downs' in the 'W' could be repeated many times (making it a zigzag).

The first stage is the 'honeymoon' period which can start before leaving. It's the period where everything is new and you're buzzing with excitemnt.

Next comes the 'culture shock' period where you suddeny realise this new life is reality and you begin to think you made a mistake moving. Normal daily tasks become problamatic.

The next stage (the mid point of the W) is a period of 'initial adjustment' which comes after successfully coping with sitiuations that arise and you feel like you've regained some sense of control.

Unfortunately most people fall again into the 'Mental Isolation' period which happens when they have become more familiar with the physical environment (eg cities/towns, weather, etc) but start to compare their home culture with the culture they're living in. Homesickness starts to surface and they will feel isolated from their surroundings.

The final stage - which may take weeks, months, years to reach (depending on the person) is 'Acceptance and Integration' when they begin to feel connected to their new environment, have a realistic view of life their, have developed a history with new friends (especially from the host culture) and start thinking it is a good place to be.

Have a search on the internet for more info - there's variations to the curve but I pretty much think it fits in with your girlfreind's behaviours. Also, here's a list of culture shock symptoms I got off the internet:

Feeling very angry over minor inconveniences

Irritability

Withdrawal from people who are different from you

Extreme homesickness

Sudden intense feeling of loyalty to own culture

Overeating or loss of appetite

Boredom

A need for excessive sleep

Headaches

Upset stomach

Small pains really hurt

Depression

Loss of ability to work or study effectively

Unexplainable crying

Marital or relationship stress

Exaggerated cleanliness

Feeling sick much of the time

Hopefully some of these symptoms will help you understand that your g/f is probably not just being 'immature' as some have suggested, but is probably showing signs of moderate to severe culture shock. By the way, she may not even be aware she is suffering from culture shock, so perhaps showing her the curve and talking to her about some of the symptoms will help get her to talk to you about it rather than keep it all inside.

I used to have a cat (two, actually) in a apartment building that had a sign up that said no pets. Other people had pets too, but I guess it depends how strict your security people are when you walk past with a cat carrier.

I've also lived in houses on Sukhumvit 71 - not sure if this is too far for you but they were way cheaper than you budget - 17 and 18,000 per month but nice houses (one a split house flully furnished, one a older house but with a big garden). That was a couple of years ago but I'm sure for your budget you'd be able to find something awesome in that area if you're prepared to move a bit further out (but still on the skytrain route).

I only like 100% cotton, good quality sheets/duvet which are rare to find in Tescos - I bought one there once, but same problem it was a comforter rather than a duvet cover and didn't fit in the washing machine. Prices for sheet/duvet sets here and SO expensive, especially at Central - even on sale! Other places to try (although, also expensive) are The Mall and Homepro. Never buy full price though as sales come up regularly. Have had sheet issues many times when really needed new sheets but could not bring myself to pay the prices.

However, it IS possible to buy 100% cotton GOOD quality sheets (fitted) and duvet covers but luck has something to do with it .... there is a brand (no idea of the name) that goes around places like Big C, Carrefour, etc and has a booth selling them. They appear at my local Big C every few months and stay there for a coupl of weeks before disappearing again. A king size plain coloured sheet set (incl pillow cases) is about 4-500 baht. I'm not sure how much the covers are, though. Won't help you immediately, but you should look out for the stall whenever you're out doing your shopping.

Are you looking for places to take your son during the holidays or wondering what he can do while you are working?

More than likely you will probably employ a nanny/maid so that is one possibility for childcare. Also, as Masterchief says, most schools offer 'summer camps' (day camps) which he could enrol in - it wouldn't necessarily need to be at the school he attends normally.

As far as things to do during the holidays, there are quite a few places in Bangkok that could be visited. e.g. Dreamworld (amusement park), Safari World, Suan Siam (Water Park), the Children's museum, Science Museum, Siam Ocean World (aquarium), the Nestle factory (excellent child friendly tours!), Dusit Zoo, etc etc.

Maybe some others have got ideas of places to visit as well.

You should definitely see how it goes and have fun - lucky you to find a nice young hottie! I'm 32 and my b/f is 25 so there's a 7 year age gap. We met when he was 19 (although he told me he was 21) and at first didn't think it would last. In fact, after seeing him off and on for about 6 months I broke off contact with him as I decided he was too young (and couldn't speak much English at the time). However, after a couple more months I was seriously regretting my decision and realised I only made it because I was worried what people would think of me having such a young guy. Luckily he contacted me again through a friend to set me up on a date with his mate .... which I agreed to only if he came along to (and I later found out he only set me up in order to see me again ... felt sorry for the friend who got caught in the middle!!). Have been together ever since. Sometimes we do experience problems that could have something to do with age ... e.g. staying out late on a night out, 'lack' of life experiences compared to me (e.g. travelling, living on your own and fending for yourself, etc) due to the fact we got together when he was so young. Overall though, I think he's proably more mature than most western guys his age. It was him that first started talking about marriage (not that we've done that yet) and babies and he's a good dad and really doesn't go out drinking much like other guys his age. Personally, I generally find that I'm attracted to younger guys rather than older or even my own age.

Did anyone see that movie that was out a few months ago with Uma Thurman (I think) who was 37 and dating a 23 year old that turned out to be her shrink's son? A great romantic movie but in the end she decided to 'let him go' which I thought was the wrong ending as I thought it was sending the wrong message - if it had been the other way around, I'm sure it would have had a 'lived happily ever after' type ending where the couple worked everything out and rode off into the sunset together.

Not just you. This past week have had heaps of problems accessing websites which normally could access fine ... e.g. emirates airlines, yahoo inbox, etc. has been really frustrating. The only reason we use TOT is our landlord works there so we get it on employee discount but am starting to wonder if it's worth it and should just pay for my own.

Pleanty of horror stories out there regarding int'l schools - but mostly schools in the 'third' group. Usually along the lines of being promised something and when you arrive here it's completely different than what promised or led to believe. Definitely not true that the good international schools only hire from abroad. I've worked at a school in the 'second' group and currently work in one that is in the 'first' group (not one of the ones mentioned above) and got both jobs while in Thailand. Have also been interviewed by NIST (and others) while living here. Lots of people at my school and know people at others that got their job while living here. Current job got by sending in CV on spec around this time of year (April) which is a dificult time to get a job as most good schools have finished their recruitment period. Luckily must have been a right place, right time situation. Make sure you don't fall into the trap of being given a 'local hire' contract. Any good school should give you a contract equivalent to overseas hire teachers (e.g. salary, accomodation, other benefits, etc should be the same). The only thing you may not get is the initial flight and relocation allowance as you are already here.

I can't give much advice as my son is only 18 months old but I can forsee this happening in my case too. Now that our son is starting to become his own independent person we have differing opinions on what counts as 'being naughty' and how best to deal with it. One thing I try to do is stick by my partner if he's already sent him to the 'naughty spot' or whatever so that my son doesn't see we feel differently about something, and then talk to my partner afterwards about it and try and agree on the best way to deal with certain types of behaviour. Interested to hear what other people have done in their cases.

Phimai ruins about 30 mins past Khorat on the road to Khon Kaen and Ban Prasart Archaelogical site about 5-10 minutes on the left hand side of the road before the Phimai turn off (small sign only - 3000 year old skeletons can be seen still in their burial site).

i think we ALL flirt to a degree. it can be so subtle that many people other than the flirtee would not pick up on it.

it fun. it makes you feel alive. it gives you confidence. and above all ITS HARMLESS.

flirting and sleaziness are two different things in my opinion.

on this board, there is a huge amount of flirting going on. who cares though? its just words. nobody gets hurt by it.

so, go on, all you pretty girls and spunky men (yes, its an austrlian term) go and flirt your cute butts off!

have a nice day!

Totaly agree with this

The situation here is desperate, and people should realise that. This is the only 'foreign' country I have ever lived in which does not have a rescue centre with farang volunteers. Even in rural Mexico they had this basic assistance, run mostly by Americans.

There are several rescue centres around the country which have been mentioned in other threads in this forum. Do a search for soi dogs and they will come up. From what I know, one of the biggest projects they work on is sterilizing stray dogs so they will not continue to have unwanted littlers. Obviously, the problem in Thailand is huge but there is several organisations out there trying to help (with both Thai and farang volunteers and workers).

i don't really like to be called a "lady" (or god forbid someone should call me ma'am!), but it's not really so offensive, it is just me being in denial that i am 30 now.

My 18 month old knows the word 'man' but when he uses it for a female and I have to correct him and say it is a 'lady' when it's someone my age it makes me feel old! Can't exactly teach him that she's a 'girl', though! Other than that, don't have a problem with the word. Terms like 'ladies night out' sound just as good as 'girls night out' but 'womens night out' would just sound weird.

I guess it's the same chain that's in Carrefour on rama 4 - my b/f queued up for about 20 minutes to get some of these buns which were okay, but nothing special if you didn't eat them straight away (the ones we took home never got eaten). Next day, saw the same thing in Lotus (Chaeng Wattana) as well, so couldn't understand what all the fuss was about!!