sylvafern

I think it is less to do with the hospital and more to do with the individual doctor. I can highly recommend Dr Suban (sp?) at Samitivej who has been fantastic in the past with my son and with friends' children who have also been there. On the other hand I had an absolutely awful doctor at Samitivej once when I did not feel like waiting for Dr Suban as he had a queue of 10 people. I was not happy with the general check-up and then she went to stab my son with a chicken pox vaccine without even asking me if I wanted my son to have it or not (which I didn't). Luckily I asked her what she was doing first and stopped her just in time.

Or perhaps you could go back to Farang Land! Their you might not be considered so fat . You might find brasieres that fit?

What a nice guy you are .... I think the ladies here would rather you kept ridiculous comments like this out of our forum .... totally pointless and offensive.

My wife got the thing in BKK at Lotus.

Same - Lotus for 199 baht (although was a long time ago now). They probably have the same stock around the country.

I might add that nothing was said to the rest of the staff concerning the circumstances under which the teacher left the school. It was up to him to explain/not explain his circumstances. A few people have asked and I have told them that I am not at liberty to discuss it, but they can contact him.

Except that you have posted all of this on a public forum .... anyone at your school, or even the guy in question, could be members on Thaivisa and they will instantly put two and two together. I think it is morally wrong that you have discussed this on an open and public forum. I feel very sorry for the guy ... he did something wrong, he's been punished .... but does he need it talked about in public?? It's a no-brainer situation - he had to be fired and he was .... what was the need for discussing it in a public forum? Why not ask some of your professional colleagues if you weren't exactly sure how to handle the situation ... you are obviously in management so I am sure you would have connections at other schools whom you could talk to confidentially.

Also, for those that said the 'snitch' should also be punished - I personally disagree if the situation was that they genuinely had concerns about this teacher (not just a personal vendetta). If they were concerned about his teaching or goings on in the classroom, then they had a professional responsibility to report to a member of management.

Thanks for the replies, of course she has the childs interests at heart and is worried about its future, she s only human, Im not really planning on naming myself as the father at this stage, Im just wondering the ramifications of doing so as its something I know nothing about. She did mention she wants the child to have my surname and be able to get a passport, but she is not trying to mislead me, thats just what she would like and she wants to know if I would do it, but shes not going to leave or anything if I dont, and actually Im in a similar position, it could be to my advantage to get married in order to stay in Thailand.

It's not as simple as having your name on the birth certificate ... depending where you are from, you have to shoof proof of paternity (even if your name is on the birth certificate) in order for the child to get citizenship which will lead to a passport .... lying on a birth certificate may actually work against you. However, by adopting the child at a later date, you should not have any problems at all as the child is legally yours once adopted.

Also, think of the child .... is it morally right to name someone on the birth certificate who is not the child's biological father? While you might raise the child as your own, at some point the child might start to wonder why she/he has different personality traits/looks than you, etc. Or what if the child has some genetical medical disorder which requires tracking down the natural father ... it would come as a great shock to learn that the person known as 'dad' really isn't dad at all (in the biological sense). Something like this could end up having a terrible affect on your relationship. You need to think very carefully about what is best for the child, not for the mother as she is not the one which will be affected by this decision later in life.

Also try 02 9114444 - it's a taxi company that is very reliable - any time I have ever booked them, they have always turned up at the right time. They always know where they are going and the cars are new. Mostly men drivers, but occasionally a female .... if you called and talked to them (try and get a man .... there is one female who answers the phone and is useless) then maybe you can arrange a regular female driver. It only costs 20 baht extra on top of the meter.

Curious how many of you have this same problem- a good looking Thai husband or boyfriend that other farang women try to steal from you.

Never had this problem with a farang girl (but I don't really live where there are a lot of holiday makers) but we certainly had rows over situations where it was plain obvious (to me) that a Thai girl was after him! I have also observed it on many occasions with certain types of Thai women out to get (usually farang men, but sometimes Thai) without seeming to care whether or not that person is already in a relationship or has a family. I'm not talking about bar girls here, usually educated out-going and assertive women.

Edited to add: there were also a number of times out at bars/clubs where 'katoeys' also made a play for him!

...alternative ideas for infants

Personally, I would buy gold, eg a gold bracelet, and I would buy it in Thailand.

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Maestro

Is it a kind of an educational toy?

But you have it right. For such a small kid that's what Thais do.

It's true - my son's Thai grandma bought him a 6,000 baht+ gold chain which is almost a whole month's salary for her. For me, it's hard to understand as I keep it locked in a drawer as he is far to young to wear it (safety reasons) and I wouldn't want it getting lost (or stolen) if left lying around.

I agree with a mobile, especially for the 2 month old who will get more use out of it. I had a fancy mobile that ran on batteries and and three different tunes each lasting 10 minutes - was great as it gave me time to do things like have a shower, etc without having to worry about him. The four month old would be ready for a baby gym if he doesn't already have one - get a fancy one with lots of things that dangle, preferably one with chain-hooks that allow the toys hanging from it to be interchanged and hang at different heights (e.g. for when lying on the floor or if in a bouncer seat).

I bought a Sony A100 DSLR 6 months ago and I am finding that I am just not getting the opportunity to use it often enough to make it worthwhile keeping it, so I'm looking to sell it and downgrade to a regular digital camera. It's in excellent condition, still under warranty for another 9 months. Has not been used for past two months. I have the original packaging and instruction books etc.

It is the set that includes two lenses: 18-70mm and 75-300mm. Includes 1G memory card, camera bag and a tripod. Selling for 35,000. Originally 50,990 now selling for 44,990 at Central and Sony stores.

Extremely easy to use camera, takes great photos. Would definitely be keeping it if I was getting more use out of it (find it very difficult to spend time taking photos with a 2 year old in tow!). To find out more details about the camera, go to the Sony international or Thai websites. PM if interested in the camera. Thanks.

You are missing a wonderful experience and opportunity for your children – as well as a wealth of very hard working, dependable, loyal and fun help around the house.

Sorry, I have to disagree with this - unfortunately. I have found every Thai maid I have ever had to be unreliable, undependable and completely unloyal. Very sad but it is the case in my experience (although I do think if you live in the centre of town it is easier to find a good maid). I have had so many different maids, it's ridiculous. No matter what I've tried, they don't stick around - overpaid, underpaid, live-in, live-out, part time, full time. With every maid it has always been the same old story. They start off well - hard working, reliable, turn up to work, etc then after a couple of months they start having sick days, and then more sick days, and then they stop turning up and when you call they say they will come the next day, but again they don't turn up, and after a week or so of saying they will definitely be in the following day, they decide to quit. In the meantime, the house has become a pigsty as every day you've expected the maid to turn up so haven't cleaned yourself. This has happened to me over and over again. I am currently maidless (since last week) and due to trying to save up for a trip away, will tackle the housework myself for awile. Next time a get a maid, I will definitely have a preference for a Burmese maid as, in my experience, they are far more reliable, loyal and hardworking .... and they actually know how to clean.

As far as answering the OPs question ... try asking your friends to ask their maids if they know anyone, asking your husband to ask the local motorcycle taxi drivers if they know anyone, asking the people in the local shop (my local tailor found me a maid once), putting up a sign at Villa (if the branch allows it), etc.

just came across this australian website in a magazine .....

www.slimform.com.au

The catch phrase is 'sizes for the women you are' and the pictures are of a curvy larger lady wearing pretty bra and pants. Went to the website looking for mail order, but they only say which shops they sell in plus have a link for wholesale .... maybe a place to start looking for stock.

Just ordered something off of bravissimo for first time, so when it arrives, will let you everyone know if it's any good.

other phrases worthy of instant firing:

ooh, you very big...

no have big sie...

or

we have big size (said to someone who is actually a size 8 (not me!) who, due to having white skin, is automatically classed as fat!)

My friend just divorced her Thai husband (they'd grown apart) and all it took were them both to go in to the office and fill in some paperwork. Difficult if your husband is in jail, I guess, but as far as I am aware there was no need for a court appearance. If you need more details, I could ask her exactly what to do.

I only ever top-up using an ATM ... I topped up the other day (1-2-call) and the expiry date is May 2008.

I wouldn't care whether the prices were western or Thai prices - just having a shop that had bras in bigger sizes would be fantastic! If this idea takes off, how about having swimwear as well. Most lingerie sections in department stores are next to the swimwear but, like bras, they never have 'western sizes'.

Definitely agree with NOT having men working in the shop - gay, straight or otherwise (and by otherwise, I mean 'ladyboys'). Someone advising and fitting bras should definitely be a person who has real boobs.

Also, I suggest any staff be quite 'western' in their personality ... not people that will take one look at you and start laughing as is often the case in Thailand. For the shop to be successful, they should also be trained in what they are doing - they should not - and I repeat should not (!) pick up a bra and go and show it to a customer without knowing what style they are looking for or what size they want. I am sick to death or sales assistants making judgements about what I want and what size I am ..... the other day at one of those stalls for 'big' sized clothes, the assistant took a guess at what size I am and shoved a size 24 skirt in my face .... absolutely no clue whatsoever as I am a size 14-16!!! I have been shown the most hideous clothes numerous times almost as if they automatically think 'fat' means ugly!

If you want to get an idea of what a western style lingerie shop could be like - take a look at La Senza at Central World. Your shop would need to be better than this one though .... they don't have bras higher than a D cup (maybe a C cup) and the assistants looked at me like I was an alien when I asked if they had double-Ds!!!

Good luck - hope your idea works out - I'll definitely be a customer!!

Young babies shouldn't be given citrus (including fresh fruit juice) until at least 6 months as their intestinal tract is too immature to cope with it. Experts are experts for a reason and I don't think certain advice should be ignored. Do a quick search and every website will say the same thing. In fact, some even say a breast-feeding mother shouldn't drink orange juice as the baby could also have gastric problems due to dringking citrus through the mother's milk. The fact that your baby is not drinking formula could be related to the fact she is drinking orange juice - if her stomach is upset by the juice, then she's not going to want the formula. By the way, even at 6 months when juice can be introduced, you should be diluting it one part juice to ten parts water for fresh juice (this is what UK Dept of Health suggests).

Maybe she doesn't like the formula you are using. When my son was young, I treid about four or five types before finding one he really liked which was Enfalac. Great because you can also get it in single serving sachets which are brill when out and about for the day. To get him drinking formula I ended up tricking him. When he was breastfeeding I would have a warm bottle of formula waiting and when he moved his mouth off the nipple for a break, I quickly slipped in the bottle (or nudged it in without him knowing). After 3 or 4 days he happily took the bottle whenever he needed it and I finally had some freedom! I did this at about 11 weeks as I went back to work when he was 13 weeks old.

I learnt a lot during my teacher training that I never would have learnt through experience alone.

And, I bet you have also learnt a lot from your actual teaching, especially some things that you would of never learnt in your teacher training

I think that a few years of experience standing up in from of a class of 50 non English speaking teenagers teaches you a lot more about ESL teaching than you would learn in a lecture or from writing an essay.

I just saw in your other topic that you are only 24 ... knowing that, my advice is go back to Aus, do a proper teaching qualification - don't take the easy route (even if there is one ... I still question that it is possible to do a masters without a bachelors) and come back here - or anywhere - and get a decent paying job. To say what my salary is compared to what teachers at Thai schools get would be a bit embarrassing, so lets just say it's well above what you quoted in your other topic as being a decent salary. At 24, going back and studying for 3-4 years is nothing in comparison to what you will get out of it in the long run. It is not all lectures and essays as you think it is - I don't think I ever had to write an essay during my initial training and definitely never attended a full-on lecture - everything was done in tutor groups and almost all classes were hands-on and the assignments were practical. Of course, there are a few 'boring' classes, but for the most part it probably is not what you are thinking. Is there any way you can do it online if you didn't want to study full-time or even return to Aus? Not sure what the status is for Australians studying at New Zealand universities (would you be considered an international student... possibly not?) but my college offers a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning which can be done online. I am just completing this degree (when I was at college it was a diploma course so I have had to upgrade) and have done all papers by distance. If you are starting out, I think you do need to attend a couple of workshops onsite.

You probably won't have a lot of luck. I have never come across one in all my years here. M&S didn't even have D cup bras the other day. Friends have recommended bravissimo.com (British website) as a source of larger sized bras and swimsuits, but I haven't tried it yet.

If you are not sure if you are interested in teaching, why not arrange to shadow one of the ESL teachers at your wife's school for a few days so you can get an idea of what it is like. Most schools are happy to have people come in for work experience. Your age shouldn't be a problem - it's not too late to start something new.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is a one-year course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for graduate degree holders that allows them to train to be a teacher. (wikipedia).

PGCE is a an actual qualification rather than a reference to general post graduate certificates. I'm sure other countries have similar qualifications.

I do, however, find it extremely bizarre that in Australia it is possible to get straight into post graduate studies with out ever having completed an undergraduate degree. Experience counts for a lot, but it doesn't count for everything. I learnt a lot during my teacher training that I never would have learnt through experience alone.

Got an infant rear facing baby carrier/seat at Mothercare for about 3,500 baht (on sale) at Emporium which lasted until 9 months then a Maxi-cosi car seat he's been in since 10 months and is still good at 2 and a half. Was 7,000 on sale at Central (from 11,000) and I'd highly recommend it. It is way more secure in a the car than my friend's car seat (doesn't wobble at all when belted in correctly) and has a very good harness. Also has reclining positions which is great for naps on long journeys.

I am not sure if there are any promotions on at Central/Emporium at the moment but if they have any coupon promos going on, it might be worth spending 1000 baht on something else and doing a lucky dip to get a discount coupon to use when buying the car seat. The Mall has a similar promo going on at the moment where te more you spend the bigger the discount voucher.

To get to The Mall from Khon Kaen direction ..... on Vipawadee Road, go past DM airport and look for signs for 'Ngam Wong Wan'. You proabably need to do a u-turn coming from that direction as it is to your right. Go down Ngam Wong Wan Road. When you come to the first set of traffic lights (don't go over the over bridge), go straight ahead and The Mall is on the left hand side past the hospital (less than 100 metres from the lights). They have a very big children's and babies' section including a Mothercare.

Congratulations - the pictures are cute - especially the second one where her face is resting on her hand!

Behind Koh San Road (thru the Susie Pub soi .... assuming Susie Pub is still there!), veer to the right and next to a beauty shop called Angela's is a reputable body-peircing wholesalers that also do clean, hygenic peircing. Had my belly button done there ages ago and never got infected. Grew over when was pregnant and had to take peircing out but was thinking about getting it redone but not so sure now .... have been here so long not up-to-date with western fads and fashions .... is it really considered cheap and tasteless now?? Any other opinions?

You are right - but not only is a PGCE a post-graduate qualification, it is a British qualification so I am not sure how the OP is managed to be enrolled in one in Australia. Also, it will not lead into a MEd (Masters in Education) without first gaining a Bachelor of Education. I can not see how it is possible to do either of these qualifications without an undergraduate degree.

If the OP is interested in returning to Thailand (or elsewhere) as a teacher, especially if he wants to teacher in Australian schools or international schools, then he would be better off doing a teaching qualification. I'm not exactly sure how works in Australia but I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to find out by contacting universities. In New Zealand, Primary teachers train full time for a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning and secondary teachers do their chosen degree in the area of specialty (or a BEd) and then a post-graduate teaching diploma.

I work at one of the accredited schools you've listed above and having gone through the process you might be interested to know that it is a long and detailed process and not something which is gained instantly. If St John's has already passed their initial visit, then it's going to be around two years before the assessment takes place (the time frame is set by COIS not the school). During that time the school will be getting absolutely everything in order right down to the nitty gritty details. I wouldn't knock a school just because it is not accredited - if it is currently going through the process then it's well on the way to getting the actual accreditation. My advice is to go and visit all of the schools you are interested in ans not to make any decision until you've seen them for yourself. Try and go during the school day, perhaps with your daughters, so you can get a full picture of what the school is really like.

Is it imperative your children have to go through an American system? Can they not get into university with British qualifications? If you were prepared to investigate British schools, you will have a lot more choice in schools.

Going by your requirements mentioned throughout this topic, it seems as if Kesinee is your only choice at the moment.