chonabot

We used that last year, it's an MS access derivative (2003/2007)and should have an English language option.

I wasn't very happy with the way the school had tailored it and did a few changes.

Back in the UK so can't really look at their software, I'll do a little look online and pm you.

I know an idiot who had been an expat wife for many years in Asia before returning to England and sat in her car at a gas station for 30 minutes waiting for an attendant to come and fill up her tank. Some people are beyond help from the beginning.

You may jest ; but in the village where I live in UK we have someone who fills up the tank! He says it would be bedlum if it was self service , as half of the village is in the early stages of Alzeimers. Last year when I was there, he told me he turned his back 2 secs to get the phone and an old lady drove off with the nozzle still in the tank. He had to throw the phone down and sprint off to get the nozzle out before the pump was ripped out "a la Mr Bean style".

I think you'll find it's called "oldtimers" disease

It's all so funny until it ruins the lives of your own family.

I know an idiot who had been an expat wife for many years in Asia before returning to England and sat in her car at a gas station for 30 minutes waiting for an attendant to come and fill up her tank. Some people are beyond help from the beginning.

You may jest ; but in the village where I live in UK we have someone who fills up the tank! He says it would be bedlum if it was self service , as half of the village is in the early stages of Alzeimers. Last year when I was there, he told me he turned his back 2 secs to get the phone and an old lady drove off with the nozzle still in the tank. He had to throw the phone down and sprint off to get the nozzle out before the pump was ripped out "a la Mr Bean style".

I think you'll find it's called "oldtimers" disease

It's all so funny until it ruins the lives of your own family.

Having been back for about 3 months I can say that the biggest culture shock so far is the crappy service we receive in restaurants and bars here.

Despite having to pay nearly 70 quid for a crappy Thai meal for 2, the words 'please' and 'Thanks' were distinctly lacking, as was the tip.

my old man was a pom and I copped that shit all the time as was the oldest in the family, as such I was supposed to set an example for the other kids so any excuse I copped it and bloody good sometimes, I am glad I had my Nan to turn to at least.....

Nice story but why mention that he was British?

Get over it..this is Thailand.

Children are swatted with a piece of bamboo on a regular basis in schools here. I've seen it hundreds of times.

Every class room has a "teacher's stick" ready for use when needed.

I've never seen any physical damage done, but I have seen it bring wild children under control.

Like you, I was shocked the first time I saw it happen, but now I see it as a good thing.

Things would be better in my country ( USA ) if children actually had a reason to follow the rules, be respectful and behave themselves.

Have you ever noticed how respectful and well behaved Thai students are?

i AM SURE THE SAME PRACTICE WORKS WELL AT HOME TOO!

Hmm..the schools that I taught at didn't have this stick in every classroom

Get your facts right, chap...

Sadly it is Thai culture, I was teaching private English lessons last year and had a really disinterested student.

I phoned his mother to let her know that he wasn't really paying attention.

The next lesson, he showed up with a black eye and a bruised arms.

Apparently his mother had a 'word' with him.

I didn't call her to complain again

Employers/employees?

Although it will be a royal pain in the arse...in my vast opinion I would move and enjoy seeing my grandchildren one day

Do you have any sort of contract, Carolina?

I just called my Partner 'Partner' and she started looking for business colleagues in the house....

It's 2013.

The term 'Partner' has been used to describe one's other half ( straight/bi/gay) for at least 10 years.

People who think it's used for gay relations exclusively probably think that all Mardi Gras Carnivals are just for gays as well

I prefer the term 'wife' but don't have issues with the P word.

How many times, previously in a conversation, have you referred you your wife using the word 'partner'?

I would suggest never. Even though you have no problems with the term.

I have a few times, but usually in interviews and to people that I do not know socially.

It is an unintrusive term when you meet other couples.

'What's your partner's name?' Is better than asking if they are married or not whilst still being friendly enough.

I wasn't talking about questioning other couples or interviewing people.

But YOU (as a heterosexual male) speaking about YOUR (female) wife.

And isn't it interesting how you keep trying to change the focus of the discussion.

My first example was referring to my use of the word when being interviewed.

A common question that I am asked in my interviews is 'what does your partner do?'

And my reply is usually ' My partner likes to pick holes in other people's discussions on TV...she is rather sad in that respect'

As this was my only reply to you, how can my style/content be perceived as 'you keep trying to change the focus'?

When someone replies and adds another angle, it is usually to keep the conversation fresh and to allow other perspectives to be introduced.

However, I'm glad you find my perfectly logical reasoning to be 'interesting' - I write for a living and take that as a big compliment

The term 'Partner' has been used to describe one's other half ( straight/bi/gay) for at least 10 years.

People who think it's used for gay relations exclusively probably think that all Mardi Gras Carnivals are just for gays as well

I prefer the term 'wife' but don't have issues with the P word.

How many times, previously in a conversation, have you referred you your wife using the word 'partner'?

I would suggest never. Even though you have no problems with the term.

I have a few times, but usually in interviews and to people that I do not know socially- at this point they do not need to know if I am married or not.

It is also an unintrusive term when you meet other couples.

'What's your partner's name?' Is better than asking if they are married or not whilst still being friendly enough.

The term 'Partner' has been used to describe one's other half ( straight/bi/gay) for at least 10 years.

People who think it's used for gay relations exclusively probably think that all Mardi Gras Carnivals are just for gays as well

I prefer the term 'wife' but don't have issues with the P word.

I'm a wee bit offended that some of you think that Mercedes Girl is not a real person.

Sniff.

Why is she called Mercedes Girl? Why not just 'my friend' or similar! Unless she's got an account here I guess.

Donno, it wasn't me that named her, other members here know her too.

How come I get the blame for everything?.

Nae bother, you had a point to make and made it well.

The problem with boards like Thai Visa is that there is always someone with nothing better to do than stick an oar in.

It often ends up in a royal thread <deleted> (as we have here) and their work here is done.

Off the top of my head I would imagine that better than 90% of Thai/farang marriages fail within three years where the Thai partner is required to live in the UK, the odds against it being sucessfull must be woefully poor - climate, distance from Thai family, diet, racial attitudes, the biggest reason perhaps is the fact that the two parties to the marriage will probably not have known each other for very long, outside of a few months initial holiday in Thailand, it's a recipie for failure from the outset for the desparate.

Where do you think the Thai partner of that failed relationship then lives?

Remains in the UK ... or returns to Thailand?

Is it the spouse or the country of settlement that divides them?

.

I reckon the country of settlement, in the case of the UK, is the biggest most obvious obstacle, not really knowing your partner outside of a brief holiday environement is obviously a variable that is high risk.

As for where the Thai partner stays after the split: my guess would be that the vast majority head back to Thailand, it's the in-country equivelent of going back to the village. I'm sure that a small percentage find other things to do but ultimately a return to basics is on the cards.

As an aside: like many other expats here I have toyed with the idea of taking my Thai wife back to the UK and indeed we have been for holidays, we were even granted a settlement visa three years ago that we never executed, I just couldn't do it to the woman, it would be criminally unfair and she's far too nice of a person to have to suffer that sort of treatment. BTW, we've been together for nine years.

Horse for courses, I've been married over 16 years and my wife definitely prefers it here to Thailand.

We've just returned from 2 years in Kalasin and now live in Fort William, Scotland. Perhaps the way Thai people

are treated by their spouse is more important than they way their host/guest country treats them?

This has been happening for 20-30 years already and was fairly common in my home town in Oxfordshire.

A pretty small local population and at least 25 Thai/Uk marriages existed there.

You could usually tell which marriages were on the level by the age difference.

But, perhaps surprisingly, only 3 of those marriages were dodgy.

Of course, I have been away from there for about 2 years and maybe the balance has shifted.

I got into a spot of bother about 5 years ago when a youth asked my wife, in a local restaurant, for a blow job.

My reaction resulted in me being banned from that establishment

The amount of stick my son got from his school 'mates' about being the product of such a relationship was one of the reasons we left.

Now we live in the highlands of Scotland and he has been treated very well by comparison.

This is probably taking the thread OT - sorry OP

Proud to be a Scot..again

I came here in 1988 aged 23, and wasted a lot of money coming back and forth. Kind of moved here permanently in 1999, failed, and back in 2011.

Now back in UK caring for my sick parents, but had a blast. My son actually seems to prefer it here (Scotland) than back in Kalasin.

Oh well, maybe everything happens for a reason...cue music...Limp bizkit/somtam

Your fault only is the sense of poor parenting , you can solve the problem with good parenting and letting kids know both parents need to agree to things not just one.

But it is sadly to late when the step-children are in their teens. I had a similar issue when ....oh never mind

This is a great way to boost your income, it has worked for me since January!

Aye and Buckskin Joe's Village - Halycon days and nights