skylar

I worked in accounts management for a market research company, but I packed it in a month ago and am on the interview merry-go-round. Fun times

Phuket Air can run, but it can't hide... especially not from members of TV

If they considered that a normal part of being a student? maybe :-) just as likely is This is Thailand ... :-)

The choice was up to us, but most secondary students at my school did ad hoc volunteering. I never saw any BIB throwing random students into a paddy wagon because they played with slum children once a week or because they were fundraising for a village in Isaan.

(one advertises itself as not for profit and that 50% of donations goes to their projects......and the other 50%?).

"Not for Profit" means they aren't trying to "make" money with their venture.

The other 50% that doesn't go to their projects goes to things like administration costs (office rental, salaries of the top people, travel to exotic places, hotels, meals and so on).

I think it was Oxfam that got into hot water a few years ago. They advertised that for just a dollar a day, you could feed a child in Africa.

Turns out that almost 98 cents from every dollar they collected went towards "administrative" costs, and the other 2 cents went towards actually feeding the starving kids

That doesn't sound like Oxfam to me. I used to be extremely cynical of NFPs, but the reality is that without offering decent salaries, these organisations wouldn't be able to hire the best people. Project management within a timeframe and a budget really is an art and is not something many people have the skills to do effectively. At the same time, funds have to be spent wisely to its best potential. Here's an article from The Age, giving some information about admin expenditure: The Age - Ten-year wait for tsunami aid

Someone I know recounted an incident that took place on board a flight where an NFP executive was flying first class. The air steward approached said person and gave him a gentle piece of his mind about the conflict between the NFP's mission and the price the executive's organisation paid for the seat. There was an uproar within the airline's management, the employee was admonished for expressing their personal views while on the job, and the NFP no longer booked any first class flights (although I don't know if they did so with another airline).

I did a lot of volunteer work through my school on my non-imm O visa. I studied full time using the same visa as well.

There are often no problems with volunteering IF <big if> the volunteer work you are doing is not taling a paying job from a Thai person. Technically it is illegal without a workpermit for the volunteer work you are doing.

The school I went to is known for its community work. However, one hour here and three hours there in a week is hardly going to sustain someone, either farang or Thai. Perhaps it was fine for me to volunteer because my normal occupation was that of a full-time student.

All in Melbourne, to be more precise!

I seriously doubt that even if you adopted the whole elephant, you would be the only person adopting it.

I did a lot of volunteer work through my school on my non-imm O visa. I studied full time using the same visa as well.

Hmm, why not try the Scandinavian Chambers of Commerce? They have excellent networks and you can peruse the member directories.

Swedish - http://www.swecham.com/SweCham/asp/

Danish - http://www.dancham.or.th/

Norwegian - http://www.norcham.com/

Skylar I think you are living in another world. temples, bazaars and KSR are part of Thailand.

I am aware indeed that these things are indeed a part of Thailand. I never said that they were not. Temples, tourist attractions and backpacking areas however were not a part of my everyday life. During the five years I lived in Bangkok, I spent most of my time at school, on holiday in another country or in a different part of Thailand or going out with friends and family.

That's pretty negative. If I were you fanta, I'd make something up like having to care for my sick, lonely relative who has now deceased and explain that it was easier for you to go there, no one else was available and Thai society depends on the younger generation looking after the older generation and that relative couldn't get a visa to stay in Holland. Have some imagination

Is Romance of the Three Kingdoms the same story as mentioned in the novel Letters from Thailand by Botan?

It's not a question of them being idiots or womanisers or anything like that. When I have come into contact with these people, they always talk about Thailand from the viewpoint of an outsider. When I think of Bangkok, I think about things like shopping, ice skating, swimming, rollerblading, nightclubbing, great restaurants and the like. I don't think about temples, Khao San Road or night bazaars.

I might take visitors from overseas to see the sights, but I never hung around Bangkok's great landmarks as a teenager. So many backpackers have asked me if I have ever been to KSR and I have always replied no. I don't need to go to KSR for anything and don't think I have ever even been to Banglamphoo.

I'd go out with a farang guy who grew up in Thailand (not that it is an option for me, as I am happy with my Aussie Viet). I wouldn't touch a backpacking farang or single expat male, though. I just don't think they would have the same perspective of Thailand that I do, that's all. I may be generalising, but that is my position on the matter.

I wouldn't trust a poodle to kill a King Cobra. They just don't have the body mass or the strength.

Why not do a course by correspondence? It might be solitary, but it would give you something to do.

When you do get home please consider seeking some help for depression, everything I have seen you post here points towards depressive illness as being a major issue for you. Unfortunately, Thailand is probably not the place for you to seek this treatment.

I was thinking this, but didn't want to post it. Props to you jdinasia for being honest. It can be hard not having a support base, particularly when the OP lives very far from home on his own. He's young, too. A lot of expat families had it tough when I was living in Thailand. Give him a break, guys. There is such a thing as a quarterlife crisis these days.

Try and get out of it nicely while looking for another job. If you are fired, you will not get a reference. You can make up any multitude of excuses as to why you left your job. Good luck!

I don't like camping anymore. My sister and I went on a school-led 3-day camping trip up Mount Baw Baw (Victoria, Australia), and it was a nightmare.

While we were pitching our tent, one of the tent sticks broke. Also, there wasn't any flat land, so we had to set up the tent on the side of a hill. As it was April, it was chilly during the day, but the temperature went below zero at night. We woke up at several intervals each night, and as my sister and I were hugging each other with our teeth chattering from the cold, she managed to tell me that she hated me.

I burnt my hand on our little cooking saucepan one night, and I unexpectedly threw our dinner away into a bush due to the shock.

Also, one of the students broke the orange poo shovel while digging a hole for her number two. Because of this, the next night a student stepped in an uncovered number two and managed to smear it all over the inside of her tent.

No more for me, thanks.

The Robinson School of Music had a good reputation in the 90s - don't know about now though. Check out http://www.robinsonschools.org/

The OP is clearly trying to be fair towards the three main people in his life. His daughter will be slighted, irrespective of her occupation, if she is left out of his will. Similarly, if inadequate provisions are made for his wife and youngest child, then they too will be disadvantaged.

Does the house have exceptional value that the OP feels it is better to rent it out rather than sell it and place the money in a high-interest account (or similar) that can be divided between the three parties as the OP sees fit? Or does the OP foresee that moving to Thailand may not work out and wants to keep the house and rent it out for that reason?

TP and Morden offer interesting and viable solutions. Basically, it is unknown as to whether any or all of the new family will move back to the UK in the next two decades. Bear in mind that the house may be nowhere near the university that his younger child chooses to go to, and his wife will have to do the un-Thai thing and see her child once in a blue moon during its uni years and possibly its working years too if she wants to live in that particular house.

If you also have an Australian passport, you may be able to take advantage of the B-A visa, which is valid for a year during which you can study, holiday and work in Thailand.

Hope your luck changes soon soon Skylar

Thanks, TP. I sent off another one this morning!

Speaking of which, didn't the 50 used to have a small, clear plastic insert on the left side of the bill ?

Haven't seen one of those in quite awhile either.

Those were minted in Australia to commemorate 50 years of the King's ascencion to the throne. The entire bill is plastic.

Only this one. I've been posting and reading more lately as I am currently unemployed.