somchai jones

She wasn't the only one who asked me if I was disappointed cos my baby looked Thai! Good job my son was born here in the UK he's so Thai looking, I've been asked loads of times if I'm his childminder or if he's adopted!

My mother was dissapointed I looked western.

Did she put a paper bag over your head when she took you out?

Well, after two years this time of living and working here in Thailand, with a fabulous year in Hat Yai teaching, then another equally as interesting year here on Samui, I have finally made the decision to pack up and go back to England.

So mid March I will be on my way back to the cold weather and grumpy folks, but also to 3 new born babies, a wedding, a wonderful group of much missed friends and family and back to saving all my money, this time not for a return ticket, but to pay my way through 3 years of University that I have decided to do in order to get my teaching degree

It has been a wonderful time for me here, and im not 100% sure about the move, but I know if I dont do it now I never will, and once I have my degree I will be back im sure at some point to carry on where I left off.

So, I will keep you posted on things - of course being a student, I will have even more time to spend on Thai Visa.com so nothing much will change there.

Anyway, thats my news, though you all might like to know

Good luck with the move, Soph.

Sometimes the 'sensible' decisions are the hardest ones to make.

I take my hat off to you.

Strange...I thought the Brits only complained in Australia. Seems like anational past time.

Strange...it seems that I hear more cases of Ozzies complaining about Brits complaining than cases of Brits actually complaining!

You're gonna have to try and make those chips on your shoulders less conspicuous fellas.

You should be thanking the Brits, after all what aboout all the free cricket and rugby lessons we've been giving you recently?

I said "representative"!! I have a British and an Irish passport. But have lived here since i was a small child... Are you stalking me Mr. Jones?!!!

I'll do my best to avoid the temptation to ever mail you again.

I'll resist the urge to reach for the keyboard at all costs.

I do like a lady with an Irish accent though!

Sorry,...only joking.

I couldn't vote cos looked at percentages first.

So am I the only Swiss representative here? I know there are others lurking about...

Reminds me of the Eurovision Song Contest - Switzerland - 1 pt (if they were lucky)

I knew you were Swiss!

This is supposed to be a bit of fun so don't spit your dummies out

I use the word farrang but it is mainly based on English male drivers, cos we're the best

Thai's put their hazard lights on to show you they are going straight ahead , farrangs put their hazard lights on to show there's a hazard ahead.

Thai's flash their lights to let you know they're coming through and not stopping , farrangs flash their lights to let someone pull out in front of them. (this has caught me out a few times)

Thai's see a red light and think speed up and flash my lights before someone pulls out , farrangs see a red light and stop , then whack the steering wheel and shout obscenities at no-one in particular.

Thai's come to a junction and freewheel out until they force someone to let them out , farrangs stop at a junction and after 30 seconds shout about how he would have let someone else pull out by now at no-one in particular.

Well I could go on but maybe someone else can carry the torch for a while.

When driving in Thailand, I expect the unexpected!

One thing I can always be sure of though is that when I'm driving on the highway from Chon Burri to Pattaya, no matter what speed I'm driving at, there will be a Thai driver so close behind me that I sometimes wonder if they want to pass me or 'enter' me!

The good thing about driving in Thailand though, is that unlike in Britain you dion't have to suffer the tiresome phenomenon that is road rage (unless your driving in Koh Samui of course!)

Its what kids say when they make fun of each other...

I wouldn't dream of making fun of you, Patsycat.

I am an English gentleman after all.

Please accept this wai as a sign of my utmost sincerity.

Why don't you post a Poll listing the nationalities and let people vote

to show you where they come from.

The results will be easier for everyone to read,

rather than ploughing through hundeds of posts

If you do, can we have real nationalities and avoid including 'Provinces', for example Scotland would come under 'British'.

As would our other provinces, such as Australia.

I guess that makes me British then .....do I qualify for an EU passport?

You'd have to take that up with Brussels but I'm assuming they'd probably run a 'criminality of the genes' tset first before deciding.

Do I dare tell you, ok I'm Danish married to a Thai

I'm Jocklish (hang head in shame) and was married to a Thai.

Fried noodles and lemon chicken for tea I think.

I'm English and married to a Malaysian.

If I were married to a Swiss it's highly likely that she would have larger breasts than my current wife, though equally likely that she would be far uglier.

I'm not Swiss - NANNY NANNY POO POO!!

So i can pant all i want... pant pant pant pant pant etc. etc!!

Can you define 'NANNY NANNY POO POO!'?

It sounds quite quaint.

I have a 16 month old son who's half-Thai (but very light-skinned) who is constantly grabbed, touched, kissed, pointed at, talked about, etc, etc when we're out in public, e.g. shopping. I don't mind if it's just a wave, a game of peek-a-boo, or a comment on how cute he is .... but when he's grabbed, touched, taken out of his push-chair when my back is turned, or is being mobbed by people taking photos of him on their phones it really stresses me out, especially when I've already specifically told someone not to do it (shop assistants are the worst!). Sometimes, in my limited Thai, I attempt to explain the concept of stranger danger, but other times I literally push the person away or keep walking at the same pace and run them over with the push chair (and then feel bad cos they weren't to know they were the 20th person that day to maul him). How do others cope with it? Does it drive you crazy or do you just accept it as part of the culture here?

Perhaps you could put a paper bag over your kid's head when you take it out?

I saw an ad in a local newspaper that went something (exactly) like this:

For Ladies Only: Feel lonely? Escort service offers dancing, dinner, massage or your named private dance

Can we only imagine who on earth placed that ad?

An Italian stallion, a Thai gigolo, a Russian with a headspin, a Latino, an English gentleman?

Times are a-changing..... so who pays and what will the ladies expect? Have fun......

There is actually a market for this, a friend of mine (farang) worked in one of those place.

It's targetted to Thais, mostly rich 40s or 50s Thai women bored with their husband, also targeted for second wifes (in their 40s) tired of waiting for their "sponsor" to go home. He would make 10,000 a call and of course it involved more than sex. Basically sex toys for older Thai women. Nothing wrong with that

Popular in Japan too. Sometimes western guys servicing older female Japanese clientele but more often Japanese guys servicing older female Japanese clientele. If it keeps the ol' girls happy and the guys make a few yen/baht/quid/bucks no worries.

I'm holding out till the love of my life comes home next week after 6 months of abstinence. CAN'T WAIT - PANT PANT!!!!

Steady there, Patsycat. Nice Swiss girls don't pant!

Aaaaaarrrrrrrrrgh!!!!!!!!!!

Why don't you post a Poll listing the nationalities and let people vote

to show you where they come from.

The results will be easier for everyone to read,

rather than ploughing through hundeds of posts

If you do, can we have real nationalities and avoid including 'Provinces', for example Scotland would come under 'British'.

As would our other provinces, such as Australia.

I can never undertand that people can get so negatively opinionated about a subject which no-one knows the facts.

The poor bu55er was stabbed for <deleted>'s sake ! !

It is possible that he was just innocently walking home ! !

Agreed!

I'm not getting any so it's not a problem.

Maybe Wes could help you out?

And some people argue that capital punishment is a deterrent.

Capital punishment is not handed down for rape.

In the case of murder, whether it's a deterrent or not, if it means that the victim's family can get on with their lives with just a little less pain then it's necessary.

Glint of lust in the girls eyes......do me a favour!!

Glint of $ £ yen baht rouble euro.......ah now where`s me deck chair?

Speak for yourself.

It's obvious that your girls only feel the small size of your wallet when their hands explore inside your pants.

In my case, their hand....or should I say "both hands"....become entangled around the real object of their desire and it's this that brings out a flashing beam of lust in their eyes.

How long have you been keeping you're gold neck chain in your underpants?

Son of a Beach, what the heck is happing with Thailand.

My wife won't go to phuket/Krabi because of all the ghost from the sunami. Now it sounds like Samui is a lawless island and the wife just told we should not go there. I am running out of beaches

to go too. At this rate in 19 years when I am able to retire to thailand I will have to go to another country just to find a safe beach.

somethings got to change before old Padkapow's dream of living on a beach in Thailand is SOL.

PKG

I would suggest Eastbourne or Tourquay but on second thoughts, you'd probably be a lot safer in Thailand!

The following is an account of another nasty incident that took place on Koh Phangan late last year.

- "We figured that there was no place better to have nothing to do than on a tropical Thai island. However this idyllic setting was soon marred by an experience that neither Ben nor myself have ever encountered, and for the life of us, never hope to encounter again.

One morning after attending a yoga class high up on top of a mountainside on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, where there was a platform overlooking the entire beach cove, we decided that spot would be a great place to bring my guitar and let our creative juices flow. What better backdrop could there be for allowing us to work through all the little ideas we’d had along the way but never had the time or place to really flesh them out. So we made the hike up there and sat for a while enjoying the view and the pleasant experience of having nothing to do but be creative. While I played some guitar, Ben took advantage of the wonderful view and stared his yoga routine. I then noticed out of the corner of my eye that there was a group of Thai men coming up the path to where we were. We recognized one of the men as being the owner of the restaurant and bungalows nearby. The platform where we were was abandoned and run down like it had once been used but since forgotten. We figured that he was probably the property owner of the land so I initiated our introduction with an extended hand and a warm smile to greet him as he approached. His response to my friendly invitation was not at all what we were expecting. My handshake was not met with an open palm but instead with a closed fist wielding punches. You can imagine the state of shock and confusion we were in. Without any sort of provocation we were being attacked for what seemed to be a harmless act of trespassing. I jumped up, with my guitar now in my hand being held like a bat to use as protection. We still weren’t sure exactly what his intentions were. We didn’t know whether he was just trying to scare us to get us to leave or whether he was seriously looking to get into a fight. At that point the fight or flight mode kicked in and I had to decide what to do. I quickly took in my surroundings and noticed that there were about 4 other Thai men waiting with a look like they we’re anticipating the moment when they could jump in. In a split second, I made the decision to refrain from retaliating, knowing that if I took a swing at this man that I would soon have four other guys on me, beating me to a bloody stump. So I tried my best to avoid him while at the same time trying calm the situation by talking to him to find out why he was so furious. It soon became apparent that his intentions were not to get us to leave his property but rather to keep us trapped there so he could continue to vent his violent aggression. This was just the beginning of the dread we were already feeling. By this time one of the other guys, had picked up a long baseball bat sized log and had his arms cocked back about to take a swing. Whenever Ben stepped in to intervene he was threatened with raised fists and was outnumbered, overpowered, and frustratingly unable to do anything but try to reason with these people, who were incapable of clear thought. At that point everything became a slow motion blur. I don’t know what happened or what I did exactly but the next thing I knew I was fighting my way out of the grip of one of the guys who was trying to knee me in the face. Only the fleshy part of his thigh was making contact with my cheek, so miraculously my nose didn’t get broken and my blood stayed on the inside of my skin. Freeing myself from his grip, I was no longer worrying about knee caps kissing my chin but now saw the first guy charging at me with my own guitar in his hands and the look of determination in his eyes. This might sound completely absurd but the dilemma I was facing was how to avoid having my face broken by my guitar while at the same time trying to save my guitar from being broken. I don’t remember what my resolve was but from inspecting my wounds afterwards I put together that I had used my forearms and hip to block his swings. Unfortunately (or fortunately as the case was) after impacting my body several times, the guitar finally gave way and cracked in half. For some reason this seemed to satiate his violent temper because he threw down the broken pieces and began to walk away. With a wounded body and ego, I gathered up the remains my guitar and hurried down to our bungalow where we packed our shit and got the hel_l off of that island. We stopped at the police, but it is doubtful they will do anything as the police here are a joke and corrupt as all hel_l. We later ran into a woman we had met on that beach and she told us that one of the men who had surrounded us had beaten up her british friend, for confronting him when she had found him cheating on her."

LINK: http://kauratravels.blogspot.com/2005/10/v...oken-notes.html

This really surprises me.

I've been attacked by gangs of youths for no apparent reason in London when I was younger, but in all my years spent in Thailand, unprovoked violence is something I've never encountered and never worried about.

If this was an unprovoked attack as has been reported, my sympathies to those who were set upon.

Local journalist attacked by drunken German Tourist in North Pattaya.

A fascinating case now from Soi 2 in North Pattaya, a popular area for foreigners who enjoy the many beer bars which can be found there. Police arrived to find a heavily intoxicated man, identified as Mr. Jens Willy Lemnitz aged 51 from Germany, lying on the side of the road. The original call made to police indicated the man had failed to pay for food and drink at the Doy Beer Bar.

A group of journalists accompanied the Police and as they were recording the incident Mr. Lemnitz suddenly stood up and walked towards a journalist working for the Pattaya People organization and punched him in the face. He retaliated with a kick to the face of Mr. Lemnitz. Eventually Police managed to place Mr. Lemnitz on the back of a rescue truck and he was taken to Pattaya Police Station where he faces charges relating to a variety of public order offences and assault on the journalist.

-Pattaya City News

Monday 6th February 2006

taking the heat of the Brit lager louts for a few days.........

These sad Oz blokes still have a huge chip on their shoulder.

They've never forgiven us for getting rid of all the undesirable elements from the UK and shipping them off 10000 miles away.

Add to that the fact that we've been giving them rugby lessons and cricket lessons and you almost feel sorry for the poor sods!

Ladies, a much simpler method of birth control is

available; the Aspirin.

Rather than taking it the traditional way though,

i.e. orally with a glass of water,

it should be retained firmly between your knees during

times of arousal.

r u serious?

Absolutely.

A method that developed in the far reaches of Cornwall, South West England.

Even up until fairly recently, being relatively cut off from the rest of England, the country girls there took it upon themselves to search for an alternative to the pill and even condoms that weren't always readily available.

Esther Stockwell, a farmer's daughter almost at the end of her tether after giving birth to seven children whilst still in her early twenties came up with the solution after a brainstorming session with a group of Cornish womenfolk in the local inn.

Still a relatively unknown method of contraception outside Southern England, doctors and pharmacists are usually unwilling to prescribe the aspirin method between the knees as it is not 100% reliable, particularly if the woman using it has sweaty knees.

Ladies, a much simpler method of birth control is

available; the Aspirin.

Rather than taking it the traditional way though,

i.e. orally with a glass of water,

it should be retained firmly between your knees during

times of arousal.

Has anybody had experience or know people that have received their MBA from Sasin Graduate Institute of Business (Chula). I am mostly interested in Sasin, but would like to know also about Thammasat or other MBA programs.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

As far as i know, Sasin is not featured on any of the three most common rankings of MBA (FT, BW, Economist). Might want to doble check though. if you're purely looking for an MBA with high reputation, I would go somewhere else.

Sasin does give you an opoprtunity to stay in thailand, helps you generate a thai network, gives you the opportunity to learn thai (since you're there).

I'm not convinced of the quality of teachings, but I have not been there. It is affiliated with Wharton, but that doesn't mean it carries Wharton standards. I did my MSc at a very well known university and several of my teachers were guest teaching at other universities. In their opinion, guest teaching is clearly lower quality than resident teaching. I'm doing my MBA part time at another top university now, but haven't asked my new teachers for opinion on same subject.

You need to decide what are the key criteria for your selection of university. If you're just looking for the most well-known university, with the aim of landing as high paid job as possible in consulting or investment banking, Sasin is probably not your top choice.

nm

Sasin isn't featured in the global rankings but is consistently featured in the Asian rankings.

So, it really depends on how much location matters.

If you need to/want to stay in Thailand, then Sasin is a good choice.

Slightly further afield but still in the region, you may want to look into the MBAs on offer in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Whilst unqualified to comment on a farang female/Thai male reletionship (mainly because I'm a farang male married to a Malay female!) I do feel that I can empathise with any pair that are involved in a mixed cultural relationship.

Without doubt there will be problems to overcome, particularly in the early stages of the relationship.

Just the fact that you are from different cultures/religious backgrounds/societies will guarentee this: the fact that SE Asia and Europe/US/Oz are so different will compound it.

Some couples will not progress - aside from the added difficulties mentioned above, like a percentage of couples anywhere, they are not meant for each other and it's a passing phase. However, those couples that do stick together and overcome the hardships of the mixed relationship will in my personal experience be strengthened by it and grow from it. The fact that you are from different worlds can be a continuous source of discovery and interest.

My wife and I met in our early twenties, now both in our late thirties were still going strong.

Sorry I can't be more focused (farang female/ Thai male) but as I mentioned earlier, I feel I can empathise to a certan degree.