richard_smith237

Get a life ?

With that attitude you wouldn't last long in the offshore environment anyway - the words 'Run Off' spring to mind.

Who were you comments directed at ?....cos actually I do work offshore and generally I am the one who does the "running off"....

Another important attribute to work offshore....sense of humour...

Not you Soutpeel - the comments were directed at the Op who suggested that others who have tried to help him 'get a life'....

NRB for the Op I think....

maybe you want to consider improving your personal skills before embarking on work which involves close team interpersonal skills, such as out on a rig

....interpersonal skills - unarmed combat and the ability to kick lumps out each other and not bare a grudge against each other once you are back on the beach drinking cold beer...

Only kidding...

But yes...a very valid point...known of many who started working offshore and were very competant in their jobs, but ended up getting run off, just because of their attitude...Strangely enough...usually the bubbleheads...must be something they are breathing in the gas mix...

Get a life ?

With that attitude you wouldn't last long in the offshore environment anyway - the words 'Run Off' spring to mind.

As others have mentioned, without experience, a specific skill set and the correct certification you have no chance.

But if your aim is to live in Thailand and rotate to work in other countries then you might have a chance. Although unless you are at a senior level companies might be reluctant to pay for travel when locals can easily be employed.

So..... If you are looking to start off as a roughneck etc.. your only chance would be to start off from home and work your way up to a level of seniority where you can work abroad.

If you have specific skills and experience then its something you could still pursue given the right set of circumstances.

Even though I have not yet done so, based on what I have read on this forum I recommend that having a Thai drivers licence can only be a positive thing although I have not found it necessary in the past.

Two points to consider on this arguement.

In Thailand,unlike the UK, its actually the car that is insured and not the driver.

As we know the BIB are not exactly Sherlock Holmes and their invesitgative skills leave a lot to be desired.

Therefore a farang presenting a IDP/oversea's license to the BIB, would be assumed to be a "tourist", therefore chances are they would get away with it for minor infringements...ie fender bender etc...

But hit and god forbid kill a Thai national and there is a "full" investigation, once it is determined you are "Resident" in Thailand, I am certain the issue of not having a Thai DL will come up and once its determined you dont have a valid Thai DL, you will automatically assume blame, irrespective whether you are to blame or not...

I really dont understand why Farangs in Thailand, who could get a Thai DL so easily, insist on driving on an IDP/Oversea's license and saying its ok or even "legal"...as believe currently a person is permitted to drive in Thailand on a IDP/license for a period of 3 months maximum after which they are required to have a Thai DL.

So therefore a Farang who is "resident" in Thailand who has all the doumentation to substantiate the issue of a Thai DL and still doesnt go and get a Thai DL is either:

1. Too lazy

2. Believes that the laws dont apply to them...

My advice...if you are "resident" in Thailand, go and get yourself a Thai DL, it could save you a lot of "pain" later on, at the very least you know you are 100% legal to drive in Thailand, + the added advantages of getting into a lot of dual price places for the same price as a Thai

I have to agree with everything you mentioned here, even the point of being too lazy to get a Thai License. I have also heard about the 3 month limitation.

It something I'll have to do soon. Although, getting the letter of residence / address from the Embassy, getting the medical etc.. seems like a lot of effort for a drivers license that lasts only one year.

Just make sure you have the full insurance before you drive in Thailand and if you can take as many photo's of the accident as you can with your mobile to show your insurance & the BiB, but you should never sign anything you don't understand. Having the Thai driving license will be the most important thing as your insurance will not cover you with out one. I also don't think you would be deported for this in a civil court as its not a criminal court so no criminal offence. Its not always true that a Farang will always be wrong in a accident it all depends on the policeman at the time some good some bad and you just leave it to your insurance to sort out.

regards

Scotsman

I have an first class car insurance and 24 hour road assistance, and I don't have a Thai drivers license.

thats all well and good! but, when you hit a bike and the insurance company turn up they will want to see your Thai license, nd when you cannot show one, guess who gets to pay.

please take my advice and get a Thai license, you will be grateful if, no, when you have a problem.

I don’t believe this to be so and have only ever been dealt with in a the manner in which I believe any Thai would be dealt with given similar events (In BKK anyway) with just an Int'l license.

I’ve had two car accidents here, both not my fault.

1) I was turning right (indicator on) when a Mini van tried to over take me.

2) I wasn’t even moving and a taxi reversed out into the side of my car.

In the first event, police were involved, I refused to accept blame, when it transpired that the van driver had no insurance the decision was made by the police that we were each responsible for our own cars. I was driving on a UK licence (with an yearly renewable international licence from the UK) the police looked at my UK licence once and requested nothing more.

In the second event there were no police involved, the taxi said he had no insurance so I told him to get out of there before my insurance turned up. I told the insurance rep what had happened and that as the other guy had no insurance I’ll get the car fixed on my insurance. He wanted to call the police and locate and claim from the taxi driver who'd 'fled the scene' (albeit with my permission). I told the insurance guy to let it go and just let the claim fall on my insurance, it was a simple accident and everyone makes a mistake now and again (it was a simple mistake and not a result of reckless behaviour). Again I had a UK licence with a yearly renewable Int’l licence from the UK.

Even though I have not yet done so, based on what I have read on this forum I recommend that having a Thai drivers licence can only be a positive thing although I have not found it necessary in the past.

Hi,

I am looking to find work on an oil rig in Thai waters. Does anyone know how easy or difficult it is for farangs to do this?

Thanks in advance.

People might need a little more information than you have provided...

i.e.

Age,

Nationality,

Work experience,

Qualifications,

Safety Certification for working offshore (offshore survival and emergency training, helicopter underwater escape training),

Intended work / position,

In most cases if not all, I imagine the work carried out by westerners anywhere in Thailand encompasses specific skills or education. I imagine that Laboring or welding etc is a no goer for a non-national.

I Use the Bus to go to Cambodia and Pattaya from Bangkok, and twice now was stopped when getting off the bus at Etkami (bangkoks bus station) this year and searched. I've never been street searched by police before anywhere. I find it a bit insulting.

The poor countries don’t afford respect to people who are doing the right thing and using public transport instead of charging around in private cars. They still think that only bums should use private transport.... it's so 70's. They should wake up and get with the times.

No one intelligent is impressed with big cars these days...quiet the opposite. Thais still think the most impressive thing they can do is speed through the busy streets in a $200K car having some one in front clearing the way for them...i guess it may impress some people, but not the smart ones

You can't afford a car then? If I could afford a private jet, I wouldn't have to rely on airliners !.

I simply don't trust any bus drivers to get me anywhere safely. And, quite simply put - those who have less money are quite often more likely to commit some sort of minor crime here, I guess not so many people driving around in a Merc would be in the possession of yabba etc.

But I do agree with you on one point, the poor are treated as 2nd class citizens here.

By the way - a statistic from 5 years ago (approx) 50% of the traffic pollution in Bangkok comes from busses

(sorry I cant quote the source, this could be a made up stat. but from the fumes that these busses belch out I think it might not be far off the truth).

I try to be relaxed on this subject, but I do react to the 'go for broke' overcharging.

I recently bought a battery charger for my mobile phone at Mah Boon Kong - 99Baht, works well.

Son then lost his charger (exactly the same model). I noticed exact same charger at one of the telephone shops upstairs at BC (opposite Isetan). 699Baht.

After I said it was too expensive I copped a load of nasty invenctive from the girl (stingy stupid farang etc.), and what she didn't realize was that the Thai man who was by now looking through the glass cabinet was in fact my adopted son (28 years old). He took out his phone and said he was calling the police.

Price quickly dropped to 399Baht, but my son insisted on 50Baht or he would continue to call the police. We paid 50Baht plus my son demanded and got an apology for the rudeness to his father.

If you knew the battery charger was over priced, why didn`t you just walk away and buy one elsewhere?

I`m sure some people enjoy all the hassle just prove a point.

If I see an item in a shop that I want and consider it to be overpriced, than I shop around to find a better deal.

A shop can charge anything they want for whatever they`re selling and the customer has the option to pay the asking price or go somewhere else.

Can`t see the point in making a whole song and dance about it.

Because some people believe in principles. If the prices are close then fair enough, a small haggle is often expected.

If the price is more than double of that should be then it should be pointed out before walking out. If the assistant is impolite then that should be pointed out to them also.

Sometimes I laugh and just walk out, sometimes I'll point out that at double the normal cost I'm not even going to bother haggling they have lost the sale whatever price they now choose.

I remember being asked for 6000B for a wooden carving of an elephant, by the time I'd reached the door of the shop it was at 300B - I told the assistant/owner that I wouldn't even pay 100B for the carving now because they'd been unreasonable the first place. The next time someone is shopping at that place for the same item the price might be a lot more reasonable.

I imagine that at some point my time / money has be saved by others who have done the same thing.

This is why I make a point sometimes. It's sometimes simply a childish attempt to 'win', but mostly its for the benefit of the 'greater good'.....

I remember a thread similar to this running a few months back - I got the impression from that thread that a number of the posters believed that the suits ordered came from a central factory and were thus quite similar in quality and cut. I'd like to know for sure.

I had one suit made years ago (from the place that advertises in the Thai airways magazine), I was not terribly impressed with it and felt that often suits off the rack (i.e. Next, Ted Baker etc in the UK) were of higher quality.

IMO when looking at cost effectiveness alone buying a car in Bangkok doesn’t seem to make much sense. But then neither does going to a nice restaurant instead of the cheaper alternatives on offer.

There is something to be said for the quality of life a person chooses and these decisions are dynamic and very personal.

I would not want to live here without a car.

Is having a car a status symbol? I think so, otherwise everyone would all be driving around in Honda’s, Toyota’s or family vans.

Is having a car convenient? I think so for the majority of the time, but this also depends on time of travel and location.

Forgetting about the costs for a moment. A taxi is no alternative to the ease of having a car and driver and when I have a family here I'll consider having a driver a useful cost vs convenience balance.

The BTS’s offer some convenience within central Bangkok but often a taxi is also required, so I find the BTS convenient only at certain times when going to locations along the route.

Although I am lucky and get decent taxi drivers most of the time, my most common thoughts before flagging a taxi down is, will I get a ‘good one’ or a ‘bad one’ and I’ve had enough bad drivers to make the decision to have a car based on ‘quality of life’ worth it.

-------

As far as 4x4’s are concerned, I think there is enough reason to own one in a city like Bangkok.

Firstly the Roads are quite often rather poor – although its not off-roading, so maybe a weak justification here.

Secondly but most importantly from my point of view is the physiological aspect. For what are stereotypically known as a very happly and caring People when in a car Thai’s or more specifically Bankokians are rather aggressive and there is remains some sort of law of the jungle mentality where the bigger car gets priority (and no, I don't over-assert myself in a fortuner ! Sorry fortuner drivers, that discussion is for another thread. It just appears to me that about 25-50% of the fortuners on the road are driven in a rather over assertive to aggressive manner).

To illustrate the my point where a 4x4 seems to suit a city like Bangkok: In Bangkok I have owned a large 4x4 and a smaller sports car at the same time driving them alternatively or when I felt like driving the other (I just like cars). When driving the smaller of the two cars I was amazed at the increased frequency in which I was cut up, had near misses, was blocked and not given way to. Driving the larger 4x4 is a simpler and more relaxing affair and the sports car was sold as I found myself using it less and less.

This is a topic about non-BG Thai women on Samui and how to find the "right one" (I should know, I'm the OP). There is no reason any western women should be posting here, fighting windmills. Just as western men are not welcome in the Ladies forum commenting on western ladies' quest for the right Thai male.

surprising attitude, given that this is the Samui forum. I don't see anywhere where it says its restricted to men only. And the fact is, most western women would know lots of non-BG Thai women (I certainly do) and might be interested in giving you advice on how to meet a nice Thai woman.

But, the fact is, a very large percentage of the many Thai women I know (all of whom, btw are not BG) are not necessarily interested in meeting a western man. Your beer swilling woman chasing predecessors as well as the general Thai perception that a Thai woman with a western man is a BG prevents alot of the nice Thai women from getting to know the nice Western men.

That’s always the stigma attached to meetings between difference sexes of any nationality in areas such as Samui…

I've never dated a BG and never dated a lady who is specifically looking or only considering a western man to date with - Something seems incorrect with the initial ideal in that situation that would always be put me off.

In order to classify themselves, people generally classify others into brackets; boxes so to speak. In areas more commonly known for having more questionable moral mapping there are more common classifications and denominators which appear to be limited towards the negative end of the social spectrum. i.e. In Samui it would be more understandable for people to think that a lot of the women there are involved in the P4P industry, whereas in areas like Bangkok its more common for people to classify others into more elevated positions on the moral ladder. The same I’m sure works for women who are looking for respectable men.

In an area like samui, given it has areas quite frivolous in reputation it seems that while there may well be examples otherwise its far more difficult to achieve a meaningful, respectful and lasting relationship.

It appears to me that the Op is searching for a respectable, attractive, well educated lady of a similar age to himself – I can’t understand why she needs to specifically be Thai if she has all the other attractive attributes, however that’s down to personal taste I guess.

Given all the criteria above –

Respectable (High moral standing, well behaved, Never involved in work of a naughty nature)

Attractive (But not slutty looking !)

Well educated late 20’s early 30’s (Masters degree)

I would have to offer that his chances in Samui are somewhat limited. And, if there were ladies of the social standing that he requires it might be difficult to overcome the classification that everyone applies on each other when they first meet.

In Bigger cities (i.e. Bangkok) life is more ‘normal’ in the terms that most people do something that fits within the moral boundaries of other peoples classification and therefore meeting other respectable people seems easier.

Many of us have a lot of millions but why pay 4 something that you can get 4 free? In the rich mans world u dont pay 4 things like this,u get payed 4 just being there..ok? .These kind of money, they all go to charity (of course) Got it.

My handicap is too high to get paid for golf so unfortunately regardless of my bank balance, I still have to pay.

Someone earlier was mocking the 'Elite' part of the name and the fact that us members were purchasing 'Elitism'. The Elite part is something I wish was missing from the name, it really does give off the wrong impression. None of the card members I know feel elite we simply bought into a program where visas were easy and golf was potentially cheaper.

As a good friend once told me, "I'd rather know I can buy 10 of these Elite cards than actually own one."

Spoken like people with visa-envy ...and in relation to visas, mine is definitely longer than yours or your friend's.

Oh look, it's one of the 'I'm a better expat than you' brigade.

I am on a multiple entry Non-Immigrant B and have been for 10+years now. No envy here. I also have a work permit so I can come and go as I dam_n well please.

And you paid 1 million THB for your visa, while I paid A$220 for mine.

Just too funny.

I doubt he paid B1000,000 just for the visa. How much do people pay for their golf ?

A B1500 course played once per week works out at B78,000 per year.

A B2500 course played twice per week works out at B260,000 per year.

This is just an idea of the savings offered by the program when looking at Golf alone, then there is the spa. The Visa is a bonus feature which creates a great convenience of not having to go the Consulate at home, or the immigration office in Bangkok every 6 months, year or 15 months etc, not having to ensure that your Thai bank account is always topped up to the correct amount.

As mentioned, some people are on a work permits (and I know some who are on a work permit and still joined Thai Elite for the golf benefits) - but there are many others who are young (i.e. 20's / 30's / 40's) not of retirement age, who do not work here but have sufficient funds to join this membership. And the previous poster is correct - The Special Entry Visa with a life of 5 years is the longest option out there unless you are going for PR status.

There is no argument about whether or not TE membership is worth it, it clearly is. The underlying factor is the lack of confidence in the board / government to ensure that the program is run correctly and continues to do so according to the terms of contract.

"Mr Udom said he had cut down the company's costs for this year to 200 million baht. This has angered card holders as a number of premium leisure services and venues have been removed. The membership contract carries a clause that the company "reserves the right to change, revise, or withdraw the service without advance notice"."

"without advance notice" might be imagined by some to imply "without compensation"

It does not.

Correct – In fact last month the use of most of the services (golf courses and spa’s) had been frozen while government were carrying out their audit.

This was very annoying and quite disrespectful of the members but identifies the typical ‘no action is the best action’ attitude of many Thai’s when something doesn’t really affect them. The lack of information flowing to the members has been quite annoying.

Since the audit Thai Elite have circulated a letter identifying the updated list of services. Better late than never but the program has been heavily embarrassed and by now is surely void of any consumer confidence.

The new effect for me is that one of the golf courses I used to play regularly (Lake wood) is missing from the lst, and the BMW to the airport is now a Camry.

From my point of view as of 1st August the program continues as normal. For how long is anyone’s guess, but it’s too late for me, I’ll admit I made a mistake by having confidence in a program such as this which asks for money up front.

In 4 years time I am still hoping I’ll be able to post on Thai Visa.com and tell everyone that I have recovered my money and that any remaining privileges I use are free.

The best thing to do about the mess, would be to skip all the golf and other costly stuff and just let the card holders enter and stay in the country in a much easier way than the normal visitor. IE they bought a VIP lane for visas.

Golf is the primary reason many of us bought the card. While we (Card holders I know) are not depending on the continued Thai Elite golf package we are certainly hoping it continues as per the original contract.

As of August 1st 09 there are 22 Golf Courses in Total (see below). There are also some 57 Spa's.

The 5 year Visa remains unchanged. Fast track through the airport remains unchanged. Airport Limo is now a Camry (was a BMW 740 Li).

Medical insurance has been removed (Most expats already have their own).

In light of the recent bad press due to a Government Audit at which time the TE assets and many of the services were frozen I'll be happily satisfied if the program continues as it is.

Current list of Courses:

The Unico Grande Golf Club.

Summit Windmill Golf Club.

Green Valley Country Club.

Muang Kaew Golf Course

St.Andrerws 2000

Rayong Green Valley Country Club

Bangpra Golf Club

Laemchabang International Country Club

Pattana Sports Club

Chiangmai Highland Golf and Spa Resort

Summit Green Valley Chiangmai Golf Club

Santiburi Country Club Chiangrai

Dynasty Golf and Country Club

Krisda City Golf Hill

Royal Gems Golf & Sports Club, The

Mission Hills Kanchanaburi Golf Resort

Evergreen Hills Golf Club & Resort

Palm Hills Golf Resort and Country Club

Springfield Royal Country Club

The Imperial Lakeview Hotel and Golf Club

Royal Samui Golf and Country Club

Mission Hill Phuket Golf Resort & Spa

There are also some 57 Spa's

I dont know if it was widespread or a one off problem

but last night while using my gprs package which still had 100 something mins left

I noticed they were using my call credit instead,

After a few calls today I was refunded but they denied it at first,

Keep an eye on it anyway

I had a B3000 over charge due to GPRS while I was overseas (outside of Thailand). I turned on my phone, but made no calls and did not log onto GPRS.

AIS are blaming it on MMS messages that I received from one unwanted Thai news network site (T-News - its in Thai so I can't even read it properly if I wanted to).

AIS are also saying that they are not responsible, I am saying neither am I because I didn't open the messages. I still believe its a GPRS connection problem.

AIS are still trying to charge me by offering me promotions and backdating them to cut the B3000 down to B1000 - But I have stuck to my principles on this one and told them that this is not a solution, its simply ignoring the problem which will happen again if I turn on my phone while over-seas.

I believe that the GPRS overcharge is not an isolated occurance and happens to many in Thailand, however, the packages are generally cheap so people may not notice the 'over-use', but over seas usage they'll notice.

I would put it down to simply the fact that Thai's like dealing with Thais, whether it be interaction or conversation. Even when having a conversation in Thai ,it takes more effort on their part to have a conversation with a foreigner since in most cases the foreigners incorrect speech makes it hard for them to understand. Even if the foreigner speaks near perfect Thai, many ill educated Thais just shut down and almost refuse to understand if there is a Thai present which they can converse with instead.

Regards Bojo

Spot on. I believe it's this simple.

Based on what I have observed it appears to me that this is nothing more than simple ignorance of the waiters-waitresses etc being more comfortable dealing with their own nationality and they mean nothing by it.

It’s not a big deal but I know what you mean, after a while it wears thin.

It appears to me as though these little etiquette idiosyncrasies occur less in places where the staff are more likely to have received better training.

If his true intentions were to give something back rather than gain something he should have done this anonymously.

Broadcasting it in this manner indicates that he is buying popularity.

I have Thai friends who support him and also Thai friends hate him - they have given me further insight into his activities and how they have been observed in their negative and positive light - but few ever offer a non-bias opinion. So from my side I pretty much sit on the fence... I believe he has done some good, but also enriched his wealth as a direct result of his position when in power. Now he appears to be creating more damage. If he loved Thailand more than himself his ego might well have relented a while ago.

It is actions such as this that I believe are nothing more than publicity stunts and ridiculously transparent. It's insulting to Thai people that he thinks they are not smart enough to see through the facade. But this is Thailand and it seems that quite often people here only see what they want to see and refuse to acknowledge any information conflicting with their ideal.

lol, poor people cant handle families having a nice time or able to accept that their issues are entirely their own problem. ho hum.

I have to say though that I have been disturbed by drunk/obnoxious/irritating/annoying adults on planes & on the ground a hel_l of a lot more than I ever have by babies or kids. And thats in any country too

And to add to this...

When drunk/obnoxious/irritating/annoying adults behave the way they do there is simply no excuse for their terrible and inconsiderate behavior.

When babies cry on planes there is little that can be done. And its easy for anyone who has had a cold on a flight to understand the discomfort a baby might feel with the depressurization - and often feeding etc seems not to help - A baby cannot be taught to equalize their sinuses.. There really is little which can be done other than leave them at home, but this thread has shown enough that this is not an alternative option.. So... wear noise cancelling head phones - i.e Bose Quiet Comfort 3 > Excellent !

When children are running around and being a little unruly I start to blame the parents for not having an adequate control.

Either way - the problems begins with the adults...

I’m not a parent, but hope to be in the future.

IF taking a city break for a weekend etc I’d have no qualms about leaving my child with family (if in the UK) or with family (+maid if in Thailand).

However, for an extended holiday: i.e. a week or more then I imagine that my future wife and I would probably miss the enjoyment of our child enough for it to have a detrimental effect to the enjoyment of our holiday.

IMO Some active holidays such as skiing are not ideal for toddlers and children younger than say 5 years old, but in these cases there are always decent child minders and toddler groups so that the parents can get away (i.e. Mark Warner resorts) but then there is always a financial balance to achieve.

As far as flying from the UK to Thailand or Thailand to the UK is concerned, I believe it could be a real headache but there are some medicines out there to make your child more drowsy (the morality of these medicines is not something I’d have issue with). While the travelling is probably a headache – once at the destination I’m sure the pleasures of having a ‘family’ holiday is well worth the efforts.

I have had some nightmare flights were other peoples children run riot, babies scream and I flit between feeling annoyed and feeling sympathetic towards the parents – Noise cancelling headphones really assisted with this…

Babies, toddlers and children of any age are always met with great enthusiasm by the Thai's - its often a wonderful sight to see. My sisters family were quite taken aback by how the Thai's played with and entertained my little nephew while we were enjoying ourselves and relaxing.

I have to relay my own experience regarding this very topic.

My wife and I were forbidden from living together when we were just dating. We always had to have a relative of hers with us when we went out on dates, usually her sister. After a year of doing that I thought it would be time to pop the question and she mentioned that we would have to do it traditionally for her parents to accept our engagement.

Using her help and some research online about traditional Thai engagements, I found that it was a complex process. First our parents would have to meet (Not possible for me as my dad was on contract on the other side of the world). Second I would have to present her with some gold in multiples of two, 2 baht of gold or 4, 6, 8... etc. And lastly we would have a small party and a visit from some monks.

On the eve of our engagement, we were preparing to leave for her hometown when her parents called her and told her that she must also bring 100,000 Baht to give to them. I completely flipped and told her that it was not mentioned before, that I refuse to pay it and that I was calling our "traditional" engagement off. The next day I went out and bought a proper western engagement ring and proposed while on a dinner cruise. I know her parents never really accepted that but she did and we have been happy ever since.

Good story - It seems in this case that they crossed the line and were indeed attempting to stretch a little more out of their prospective Son in Law. Also, it must have put a lot of pressure on your fiancee at the time, so congratulations to her for sticking to your side.

It's my understanding that according to tradition the girls parents (if they can afford it) should pay for the engagement ceremony and that the SIL is responsible for the wedding and sin-sod. Usually the cost of the wedding would be recovered from the guests 'donations'...

I'll be getting married with 12 months and am reading these threads on appropriate behavior and stretching the limits with interest.

In my case we'll be given a healthy chunk of land on Bangkok on which to build our house - so I can't say that I'd be too upset is the sin-sot (which is a fairly significant sum in-itself) is kept. But I have learned that asking money for engagement is stretching tradition a little too far !

the best thing to do in this situation, when such a low amount is involved, is to learn the lesson, to pay the fine with a smile, and to forget about it. Giving a hard time to an immigration officer can only results in troubles.

I disagree with this attitude. If someone has faced a situation such as the one the Op describes then I think they should make a complaint. Of course its not necessary to get angry or rude, but to simply state your disappointment at being given incorrect advise by someone in such a position is what should be done.

A friend of mine recently got sent on a wild-goose-chase between the airport and Suan-Plu - Eventually getting sick of the run around he demanded to see a senior officer who tore strips of his juniors for wasting so much of my friends time. In this case the didn't know the correct policy so rather than check with their senior they sent him off to another office.

This complaint and its reaction by the supervisor may have well have since saved other people time and hassle. This is why we complain or bring the attention to these departments and organizations when something is wrong.

I have seen many gross old fat Farangs walking hand in hand with some young Thai girl who looks about 16 wearing skimpy shorts and thick makeup. Yes, this does make me feel sick.

What makes this worse is that the girl is probably only with the guy for financial gain. Nothing wrong with that but when this is done openly in public and I see all the passers by staring, it’s really embarrassing.

I consider these people the lowest denominations of society.

I couldn't agree more with these sentiments.

It's the hand in hand parading around that makes people sick, it gives westerners a negative reputation and aging single westerners an even worse reputation. Everyone understands the moral rights and wrongs of using their wealth in a sexually predatory manner but we are also talking about the 'oldest profession'. So do what the Japanese and Korean's do - enjoy yourself be mindful and respectful of everyone else and keep your behavior behind closed doors.

What is also objectionable is in some cases the public behavior of these couples is quite deplorable and its unfair to expect the average passer by to accept this as the norm.

That said, places like Pattaya exist as they do in their form for a reason and if you go there you have to accept what you see or avoid the place.

In other areas, i.e. Bangkok this behavior is disliked simply because we dislike being tarred by the same brush when many Thai's see all westerns as one.

There are many experts on this forum who seem quite single minded and unable to open themselves to the idiosyncrasies, opinions, traditions and social expectations that don’t fit their own or the circles in which they socialise.

Just because other peoples experience is not the same as another’s it doesn’t make it right or wrong.

There is a whole spectrum of tradition and hoops that couples have to jump through which dramatically differ throughout the ranging demographic groups in Thailand. These differences in education, social status, modernisation, westernisation, culture and tradition all have a strong result on the expectations of a prospective son in law.

So, If you are living with your girlfriend its quite likely that the parents disapprove and would prefer to ‘believe’ that you are married. It’s even possible that your girlfriend, in order to ‘protect the face’ of her parents has told them you will get married and that this money request was nothing more than the sin-sod they expect.

It might help to double check and triple check with your girlfriend about exactly what this money is for and why. Sometimes in theses circumstances an oversimplified answer is given which can be unintentionally misleading and discussion may help you understand the reasons behind their request.

Whether the sin-sod request is fair or right is something which has been discussed many times on this forum and only something you can answer yourself.

But briefly, I don’t know of any of my Thai friends in Bangkok who have not paid sin-sod. Some received it all back, some only half. Of the Western-Thai couples I am friends with about ¾ have paid sin-sod and for those who did, it was returned. The amounts of sin-sod in the Western-Thai relationships matches that of the Thai couples and is in accordance to the status of the lady and their family.