toothfairy

Hi folks,

This is Toothfairy - long time no write, but now I've met a few new faces I've decided to come out of retirement (what other sort of coming out were you expecting, eh??) Just to say no excuse is good enough,Wolfie, I shall be drinking your Tetley's tea bags and eating the Cadbury's chocolate we bought for Jimbob unless physically restrained by Sadman. The chocolate in the fridge has been haunting my dreams ....

Sadman has just told me that Gerd is no longer part of Thai Visa - can't believe it!! Hope that you will change your mind, Gerd - we both thought you were great fun and I was hoping to keep in touch with you. It was a great night at both venues and I had a wonderful time meeting you all, so hope to be online again,soon but am going now as this keyboard is really annoying me. I have to push it down really hard between words as it's broken and as I touchtype this is really slowing me down!!

I dont think it will effect the tourist trade a great deal.  Sure some people will not come here because of the drinking laws but the families that come over here every year will still come, maybe more if Thailand is seen as less of a nightime entertainment place. 

On the other hand the guys that come here for the women will still be able to get their women, just off to the hotel a little earlier.

I didn't notice a significant decrease in the tourist trade when the all night drinking venues all had to shut down at 2am, and then later in certain areas at 1am.

I dont think it affected the tourism revenue at all in fact.

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Nah will always be places - same shi*e different day.

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Maybe it's just me - but so what? Are we all so pathetic that this is major news? Are we all so dependent on alcohol? Are we all that sad? No? Just me then ...!!

I'm touchy feely then.

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Definitely - loving the smell of raspberry poptarts in the morning!!!

I see what you're doing and I hear people do use one mode more than the others but I feel I can't really answer this just now.

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Ok Gazza, just between you me and the whole of the English speaking world, what you said moved me, it felt right, sounded good and the future looks bright!

Sex Tweak

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Sex? Swwweeeeeeeeeetttt!!!! xxx

I've been doing lots of work on communication skills and I'm idly interested in finding out how many of us are visual - "I see what you mean", "I get the picture" "It's clear now" type of people who see pictures in their minds as they speak and use lots of imagery when they talk, as opposed to auditory "I hear what you are saying", "That sounds good", "That rings a bell" type or kinaesthetic (touchy-feely) "I know how that feels", "it doesn't feel quite right to me", "I was moved by what you said.", "That left a bad taste in my mouth." "I smelt something fishy about him." We all use most modalities in speech but we will all be primarily one or the other - I'm very very very visual! What about you?

I'm a hypnotherapist and let me just add one point here that I use when working with flying phobics. Aeroplanes are the second safest form of transport - behind lifts! I rest my case, yer honour!

The same number of people will need the same amount of fuel so early closing is only going to cut the number of people who do non essential trips which can't on the whole be that many, surely. It's just a "let's pretend we're doing something" measure that causes slight inconvenience and more pile-ups in garages where everybody panics at the last minute because they've forgottoen/been too busy to get petrol earlier. It ain't going to work.

I think that solar cells and wind energy (see my partner for that one) are a really good idea, environmentally friendly and always available. We should be doing more for the environment and that seems the way to go.

car oils... i'm serious

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Car oils? Don't forget puppies lick themselves - you'll poison the poor little thing. A bath if you can get him in it and stick some tea tree oil in it - kills everything and won't sting his skin or poison him. I think you can get tea tree oil over there, it's from Australia so maybe not. Even just water and detergent will help if you can't get tea tree oil. Good luck.

Blimey Gal;...................................what's wrong wiv yer that yoiu 'ave to spend 10hrs a day in the clinic.

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work there

Bambi, do you have any kind of a life outside work and ThaiVisa?

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well, i go out sometime(movie ,shopping ,meet friends) ..nowady Im just bored to date with guys .. I try to go to the beach every few months

but my most favorite hobby is

Bambi

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I'm sure most people are like me, that is, they pop on and off ThaiVisa a bit like an escalator - it's fun whilst it's there but you don't have to play all the time. I read a lot more postings than I feel I need to comment on, but it seems a friendly place to be and most of the time the advice is helpful and kind and that is always good. I suppose I spend on average about a half hour a day - once emails and work are out of the way and I've looked after whatever else needs doing.

I am here 4 years, I don't know any reason anymore 

After nearly 2 years, I'm beginning to wonder!

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Sitting here in rainy London, having looked through all my pictures of home (LOS) well, future home anyway. WHY WOULD ANYBODY WANT TO BE ANYWHERE ELSE!? Yes, I know I'm screaming at you - that's 'cos I'm so envious/jealous/frustrated being here when you lot are all there!! The people, the culture, the sun, the food, everything - just everything is lovely in LOS and no, I don't have rose tinted glasses or a miserable life here, just an honest appreciation of a better culture, lifestyle. Any good reasons for being in England??!!

Anyway my point is...........

Should we care too much?  I mean if Thais look down on foreigneers for wearing shorts in public places surely thats there problem, not ours?  I understand that its our problem if we are going to somewhere official like the immi office and need to get a certain amount of respect to get processed properly, but everyday in the street why should we care about other peoples opinions?

Do we all have to represent our race here?  Are we all ambassadors for our country?

Do we have to bow down to the backwarding thinking of some inidviduals because we are in their country?  I certainly hope not and hope also that people in our own home countries don't think they should dress a certain way because of the under the table comments by some stupid individuals.

I feel ashamed at some of the ‘under the table’ comments made by Thai people at the sight of shabbily dressed foreigners.

Would you feel ashamed of those people in your home country and make comments yourself? I think its the people making the comments that should be ashamed of themselves.

Some Thais make under the hand comments if we are with Thai women, does that mean we should not have girlfriends out here?

Some Thais comment on us because we like a drink, does that mean we should all stop drinking?

Some Thais comment on us just because we are foreign, do we have to pander to such racism and leave the country?

&lt;deleted&gt; that. If some Thai doesn't respect me because I wear a pair of bermuda shorts to the Emporium then thats their problem, the same way that if I wore the same shorts to a posh London shop and I got snotty nosed looks I would say &lt;deleted&gt; them too.

Uniform by the way I wear is jeans and a t shirt and sneakers. Bermuda shorts are an example and I don't wear them but if I chose to then thats my right.

Has this country now got dress codes for foreigners?

Why pander to the narrow minds of classist people, I wouldn't do it anywhere else in the world and do not do it here. I couldn't give a toss if someone things I am shabbily dressed in the restaurant, if the restaurant hasn't got a dress code then I'm fine, if they don't like it, they can go and eat elsewhere.

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to answer all of your questions, my non-conformist days are over. If you wanna be treated good, you have to look good. As for me, I am representing my race. I am the first Black person these people have ever known and I gotta eliminate the stereotypes movies and rap music have created. And since I can speak Thai, I join in on the gossip. I know and they know "or eventually learn" I am different and I don't care for the sloppy tourists and expats.

as for you going to the Emporium, remember this IS NOT YOUR COUNTRY! YOU ARE A GUEST! you have to comply.

you better look good when you are next to me in the restaurant. They might tell me to tell you you stink.

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One thing that we are all clear on - clean, tidy and respectful - all good clean fun (pun intended). What, however, is the Thai take on farangs who "like to sweat" and won't wipe their faces of sweat even in mixed company (men, women, Thai/farang. Is this a social faux pas, or is it acceptable?

Good Topic.

I worry that I fall into the shabby catagory.  I always wear shorts and tee shirt during the day. I might use a pair of trousers in the evening.

I just find it too hot in long trousers.

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I don't think it matters as long as what is worn, is clean and not offensive (i.e. slogans that you could wear happily in front of your mother/wife/partner. Obviously if you see tourists who have no idea of local culture, that's a different matter (and why oh why are they always Brits?) - e.g. going round a Wat scantily clad is just disrespectful. It pays to be female in LOS - more air around the legs, or perhaps more hair around the legs!!

Not as annoying as the "Sexy Movie, sexy movie..." matra that's uttered everywhere you walk in Phantip Plaza, and even when outside the building walking towards it.

Why do they assume that all farrang are porn-obsessed perverts? I feel quite insulted sometimes...

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LOL!

Try walking on Silom. I'm thinking of printing 1000's of T shirts saying "NO, I DON'T want sexy movies thank you!" Erm, but then I'd have to hire a bunch of guys to sell 'em on the streets of course.... ddohhh!!

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Yeah, there's a difference between having a culture that's open about sex and being bullied into it! Farrang equals money and that makes us all fair game, but it is tiring anywhere you go.

My teeshirt would say "I STAR in all sexy movies, I NEVER wear suits, f*** o**"

but now you can serve in all of the forces no matter which way you swing.

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....and what if they have none to swing at all are they allowed?

...or does the Navy put extra meat and two veg on the menu?

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They never gave us extra meat only veg, which had been cooked and stewed for about 5 days, no flavour at all

As for "if they have none to swing at all". Well, all the ladies i have ever met didn't have any to swing and they were let in

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...."Every sailor loves a lady...." Hey Ho!

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As for ladies having nothing to swing, maybe you are looking too low down, and I'm not talking about breasts - ever been hit with a wok!!

Hey guys,

If the police cuffs some one, you are complaining, they don't you are complaining too! That it was again a foreigner, maybe they are to stupid too do it the Thai way.

And by the way elligal is elligal, so don't do, only because many Thais do too.

I'm a musician, and I hate when people tell me, they are making copies from my CD. Should give the dead penalty for such offence!

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If the songs were genuinely good, people would still go see their shows.

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Hate to be anal, folks, and nothing of value to add AT ALL (except that it's illegal and neither of the two versions you tried, but hey, communication is communication and that's good.) P>S> No, I'm not a teacher, and yes, I do need to get a life!

an interesting town indeed, the mayor might as well set up a shop to sell those signboards..

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Couldn't agree more, think of the revenue and the goodwill to and from tourists. After all, if you can laugh about something that is, after all, genuinely funny in another language, then go for it, I say. (P.S. Anyone got a spare sign?? Should I try E-Bay!!?) Anyone got any funny names of places near them? I know of a Pratt's Bottom and a Middle Wallop.

Thank you all for your help, at least thanks to the people that provided useful and thoughtful posts, e.g. Pattaya_Fox, ThaiExpat and mattnich.  Less thanks to the people that provided such thoughtless input as "just throw her a months salary" and "buy yourself out of the wedding now". 

The good news is I got to the bottom of the situation, having lived and worked in Asia for many many years although only 3 in Thailand, you'd think I'd have a sense of the Asian method of not getting directly to the point.  As a falang, when we want to say something, we just darn well say it, but the Asian 'face' thing requires that you verbally circle the issue for a while before getting down to the issue at hand. 

As in many Thai/falang relationships, there are misunderstandings due to language problems.  Neither my wife nor I have mastered each other's languages although we are both making efforts.  The misunderstanding here is that my wife thought I didn't want to show money at the ceremony because by falang standards, showing money for the purposes of showing off is vulgar.  My wife also admitted, she didn't like that practice, actually she brought it up before I and before I subsequently agreed with her on it.  She determined from that, that I didn't want to pay a sinsod, even though I had said, how about 200,000 instead of my wife's suggestion for 400K.  So today after great effort, my wife admitted the whole thing was about money and face.  I was quite surprised and repeated my offer of 200,000 baht.  As per my readings of past posts regarding sinsod, 200K seems to be a generous but not lavish amount to pay. 

Anyway, my wife, who I do indeed care for very much and her father wanted to build a house for my wife and me on his land.  The money was to buy teak from a nearby unused house and to rebuild a new house.  Dad owns about 100 rai or more and "our" house would be for us rather than for the other relatives in the region.  Although my wife and I have no plans to relocate to her village for many years (if ever) we would stay there when we visit the village and when we decide to build somewhere else, we can re-use the teak wood.  It seems that building a house, then taking it down some years later and rebuilding with the same wood in another location is not unusual practice.  I'm told by my wife that they can build a very simple house for 200,000 baht, although less lavish than for 500K, but I personally have no idea of these costs.  It will be ours (my wife and mine) in theory but I have no delusion that I'll ever recoup my money (nor do I care).  I am also assured that there will be no further requests for more money for additional house related things.  I explained my study of the situation via thaivisa.com.

All's well that ends well (so far).  I'll fork out the 200K, my wife seems to be happy about that.  She BTW  is 100% confident that in future I'll help out the family with important things like education for the children beyond just our kids, and I will. 

Thanks again for all the help.

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I'm so glad you got this one sorted and rather surprised by the cynical attitude of some members. Loss of face is very important in the Thai culture and the assumption that just because this lady got pregnant before the marriage means that it is not a love match is naive and ludicrous and, in my eyes, not a bit insulting to those involved. I'm pleased that communication is free and open in this thread, but as a newbie, I'm beginning to wonder just how hardbitten and cynical some members are? Answers on a post card, please!!

I've posted a bunch of photos on my site www.thaichange.com/cm_flood.htm for anyone who wants to look. Since I took these early this arvo the water level has come up further - and it's now raining heavily which means the usual back-up with the drains will compound the problem. As you'll see from the photos some local landmarks have been hit hard.

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Don't know the area at all but gutted by your pictures. The Riverside Restaurant was particularly poignant. I really feel for everybody involved. Here in England we complain about the rain, but the damage it does over here is non-existant in comparison. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

It certainly sounds as if there is enough stuff on it to make one want to go to the hassle of changing from the cards we have now to a new one, but equally, it may be more hassle than useful if it isn't outsourced professionally. Good luck with it, it's certainly a good idea in theory.