bernard

To Chanchao,

It makes no difference if you are married or not. Give the child whatever name you want. Just make sure that your own personal details are translated correctly on the birth certificate. ie: if your middle name has a spelling in thai that can easily be mispelt as another name, this will cause problems for the child later. Especially, when they go to school.

possom,

from reading 5 pages of this, I think nobody knows the answer to your question. All through the reading I have been asking myself the same question. Looks like we shall have to wait and see. I do thoroughly agree that we should know the answers before and before we get turned back at the point of entry.

I thought this site was supposed to have 'experts' on the subject. Hence, thaivisa.com.

Maybe, somebody will have a definitive answer in a few days time. Keep looking.

By the end of 2005 it'll be 1K baht, probably!

Does anybody have any idea what Don Muang will be used for after the new airport opens. The new one is on the wrong side of town for me.

pepe & john b good have broached on a subject that deserves a new topic. How about 'is thailand in danger from the spread of islam - discuss from any perspective'.

Anyway yes, there does seem to be a hidden agenda starting to surface.

With regard to the man dying in gaol, all condolences to his family. We will probably never know the true answers.

I have found embassies do help if approached for advice. However, if demands are made help will be painfully slow. Just imagine how you would feel when somebody thumps your table making demands. Make them feel good and they will bend over backwards (well, maybe not literally) to help.

Hey up2u, you know when you've been in the middle east too long, when you think it's normal to see the goats in the front seat and the wives in the back of the pickup along side the camels.

Thanks again Yohann.

Anybody know any REALLY good lawyers?

Hey Mar, had the same problem myself sometime ago. I found a little shop on Sukhumvit between soi 3 & 1. They, if they are still there, will make them for you in 2 - 4 days. That was 3 years previously. However, they are still really good and comfortable. I've not needed to go back yet. Cost was 800 baht. They started at 2,800 baht but I haggled a bit -well, quite a bit really. It was good fun. Whilst haggling it is good to send someone out to buy softies for the store keeper to drink whilst doing the business. Smile and they will have enjoyed the experience as well as you.

Would that be making a career out of creating holes for public relations to fall into?

Besides all that, I don't know anyone who would admit to knowing someone who owns a 2cv let alone thinking of obtaining one for themselves.

Did you know, the 2cv braking system was used on Rolls Royce cars for some years.

Thank you Yohann for your comprehensive advice. I really do appreciate it. Your point 1, with regard to having the houses registered to ensure that all concerned are aware of where the money has come from for their construction has got me asking more questions. Perhaps this is not the place to go into details deeply. However, when the houses were built I and the family went to the local aumphur office to do precisely what you have suggested. To put it bluntly, I was told to sod off as it was impossible for a farang to do anything like that.

Well, I just shrugged my shoulders and considered that to be the end of that. I am not that worried about it. Life is for living and all that stuff.

I don't have enough money left to purchase a Thai registered company (10M Baht), having spent it on a trust fund for my child and adopted children. Basically, everything I do now comes from what I earn.

I don't consider any of this to be 'buying a wife or lover' as some would think. Besides, how is it in Thailand any different from the rest of the world. Rhetorical question. You can't take any of it with you.

Yeah! I know she is only joking.

Thank you all for the varied advice. I have spoken with the head man in the village and he basically agrees with me. As do all the monks in the temple. The fact that I have built a house for my wife to be and her children from her previous marriage. Enabled her children to go to a good school. Built a house for her mother and father and bought a pickup for them too. Oh yes, and my intended and I have a lovely daughter together already, seemed to do the trick.

Mind you before any of you get the wrong idea, this was all done previously because I truely wanted to do it. Not, to be like many farang I see who are just showing off.

Maybe, I have put the cart before the horse. But, that's just me. The amount doesn't matter, it was the principle. Her parents have not asked for any money. Now my future wife has agreed as well. She still thinks I'm keeniow. But, I can live with that.

Thank you bluecat for your patience.

Thanks for the advice. I've viewed all the previous replies on the topic and I get the picture. Thanks especially to you dutch and to Dr PP's consolidated remarks. I'll consider this to be closed now. I know it is an exhausted subject. However, us newbies may not have come across it before. To you senior members it maybe boring old hat stuff. Please have some patience with the newbies.

Has anybody any advice to give as to what is the polite Thai way of saying you do not agree to paying the 100,000 + gold to the parents of your intended bride?

what if I build a house on land that my Thai wife owns. Can I own the house?

1 thing you have to remember folks about islamic influenced countries is that they try to impose the will of the few vociferous mullahs onto the silent majority.

Women, especially 'farangs' are treated as 3rd class citizens by the zealots.

Why do you think that most arabs, who can afford it, go to places like Europe, USA and Thailand during ramahdan. In their own country they enforce their idealisms in public. In private it is a different matter. However, during the month of ramahdan, between sun up and sun down, they have no escape.

I could go on for ages about this. I've had 1st hand experience, with my Thai wife, of walking down some streets in arab countries. Trust me, it is not an experience you want to subject a lady too. It wont happen again!

Hey Brianbrain

Buy yourself a good size memory stick in Thailand. When you get to the UK, transfer all the info that you think is absolutely essential (dont be sentimental). Then, sell the gear and come back to Thailand and buy some new stuff. Printers are as cheap as buying refills. I'll bet most of the gear is old anyway.

Best regards

Bernard

Many thanks for the replies. Guess I'll have to think again or tell the girl friend the trips off!! God, will she go ballistic. You all know Thai ladies. When they want to go somewhere 'dueay khan' they want to go! Maybe if I say she should go alone and leave me in Bangkok. Do you think she might agree???? (I'm only joking). I know the answer already. Thanks again.

I'm going to hire a car in Bangkok and travel to Malaysia and back again. Does anyone know of any border documents that I may require concerning the car? Usual passport stuff accepted. Or even, do the car hire companies allow you to do this? Thanks for the advice in advance.