Mark123456

Thanks for the tip, I will definitely give it a go. I do actually have the number of the local tech but I haven't done anything intelligent with it yet!

Gf returned the wai of the cashier in RimPing again today - is she reading this thread?

Congratulations... now we're on "every man is a pedo and can't be trusted." This is the reason that there's a huge shortage of male teachers in the world. The assumption that every bloke who interacts with a child is somehow suspect. It's the suspicion which led to the British tragedy of Dunblaine (when a guy who cared for children all of his life was suddenly alleged by the community to be a pedophile; to date not one child has come forward to even suggest he acted inappropriately but hey better to be unsafe than sorry right?).

"Some kind of ban should be imposed on men from inviting children to their homes unless accompanied by an adult relative."

Would prevent a tutor from having a 14 year old come to their home to learn piano or English (or whatever). It would prevent children from visiting their friends' homes. And so on...

Knee-jerk stupidity will not cure pedophilia but it will make the world a much more miserable place to live in for everyone.

If we cared about children - we'd make sure that pedophiles were offered every possible means of help to control their impulses without hurting children and we'd throw the book (and away the key) at them if they did hurt children. This might actually prevent kids from being harmed but that's too logical for most; much better to assume that every man is animal who hurts kids right?

Though... it's worth noting that the vast majority of children who are sexually abused (the world over)... are sexually abused by a relative. So perhaps it's time to ban all men from becoming fathers too?

You're not honestly trying to suggest that the Dunblaine massacre was the fault of the community for wrongly suggesting that Hamilton was a paedo are you? If I were wrongly accused of being a paedophile, my reaction would not be to murder 16 5-year-old children.

On a side note - I instill financial responsibility in my partners by making them save the money they want to spend. It's something I learned the hard way... credit is almost always a bad idea.

I just stick to dating intelligent adults, much simpler.

The Japanese have NO expectations that westerners will have any idea 'how to bow correctly.' But they do appreciate the fact that they try.

I have a feeling that the Thais feel the same way. When we farang speak Thai and use the wrong tones, the Thais don't laugh at us. They don't expect us to know the correct tones and give us a bit more leeway in our speech. They most certainly DO appreciate the fact that we try to speak to them in their own language.

IMHO it's basically impossible for a falang to speak Thai with correct tones, unless they have been brought up with Thai from infancy. Just as Thais trip over our combined consonants in English.

My Thai GF was trying to explain the tone difference between Ngoo ( mouse ) and Ngoo ( snake ). While I could hear the difference in tone, my vocal chords could not reproduce it.

It gets even worse in her village, where many seem to speak in grunts.

My teerak will hug and kiss me in private. In public is a big no-no. Her family wais me, and I wai back.

Mouse is only an N (Noo) not Ng if you are interested. More modern Thais are not as easily upset by discreet public display of affection and we have friends who hug if we haven’t seen each other for a while.

Often foreigners are looking for absolutes and black or white answers to ease their confusion. Life just isn’t that simple and when blending cultures things become even more interesting. I think we should embrace the differences, learn from them and allow them to broaden our life experience.

If you ask a Thai how to spell a word in Thai using the Roman alphabet, their response will usually be " How do you want me to spell it?" Frequently one will find the spelling of a street name in the Roman alphabet changes on signs from one end of the street to the other. Permit me to doubt your expertise in this area.

He's trying to tell you that the two words you mentioned start with two completely different consonants. One is similar to the ng sound in English and one to n. Thai people may transliterate certain words differently but I have never seen a different transliteration of those two consonants, they are always represented by those letters. If you can't tell that those two words start with different letters when you hear them spoken it's not surprising that you find the tones impossible to reproduce but it's perfectly possible for Westerners to reproduce Thai tones accurately, you don't need to have been brought up speaking the language. It's also easy to teach a Thai person how to pronounce English consonant clusters if you have a little patience.

TOT's customer service is so pathetic I'm going to give them back their modem and router after 2 months of their 20/10 fibre optic service. If the connection goes down in the middle of the day and I call customer service, all they do is log the problem and tell me someone will call back. On the 4 or 5 occasions I have had to call them, it has taken them nearly 24 hours to respond each time. For me, Internet is almost as important as running water and electricity and I simply can't live with a service where they take 24 hours to respond. On one occasion they never called back and claimed to have no record of my original complaint. The trouble is, all you can do is log your complaint again, and wait another 24 hours, so that could go on forever. Like most call centres in Thailand, the operators claim to have no supervisors if you ask to escalate the call.

Also, the router they supplied kicks everybody off the wireless network about once a week and refuses to let you reconnect unless you either reboot the router or change the wireless password. Sometimes, even this doesn't work and you just have to keep trying. They promised to replace this router about a month ago but have yet to do so.

By far the worst customer service I have experienced from a Thai ISP.

How much would it cost the recipient in China or North Korea to exchange that $5 worth of bitcoin into local currency so they can actually spend it, and would they even be able to do so?

"I'm not keen just to give the money...and would prefer, even with the interest payments, that they have the experience of borrowing responsibly and meeting the required payments."

You sound like you're discussing lending your daughter money, not your wife.

True Visions, by the look of this page: http://th.beinsports.com/how-to-watch/

I return wais. Why? Because I don't like to be rude. Ignoring a wai, in my opinion at least, would be akin to ignoring the outstretched hand of a Westerner who I had just met.

I can think of dozens of things that foreigners do in Thailand that make me cringe but waiing is not one of them.

Returning and initiating, two totally different subjects.

I never initiate (they are not my lord), I rarely return (I am not their serf).

Happy to wave my hand at them. Good enough for a foreigner, I think.

Your post makes no sense - how does returning a wai make you socially inferior?

The people who say they cringe when they see foreigners returning wais to waiting staff, children etcetera sound extremely pretentious and obviously still don't understand the nuances of waiing. I'm not going to pretend that I do either but I have seen well-to-do Thai people returning the wais of children (I was told they do it because they are trying to reward the children as they learn how to wai) and I've seen my gf return a wai to a supermarket cashier on the odd occasion. Admittedly I have only seen her do this 2 or 3 times in 10 years but when I asked her why she chose to do it on one occasion, she basically told me it's up to the individual and she felt like doing it, or words to that effect.

Again, how many times do I have to tell everyone, the card is a CREDIT card and Truevisions was clearly told this and not to use it as a debit card.

With CREDIT cards no PIN number is needed. The problem is that the "manager" doesn't have the intellectual curiosity to try to figure out the nature of the problem. I call that idiocy. I called my credit union and got the card unlocked and today I'm going back to the store and find the one gal working there who knows how to run it correctly. She won't admit it but I think she's the only one who has figured out how to operate their system properly and the "manager" has trained everyone else in the office incorrectly.

A PIN number IS required for my credit card, and many others. If your claim that they are treating it as a debit card is based purely on the fact they are requesting a PIN, you don't know what you're talking about.

I was on a stakeout this morning in the bakery section of a major supermarket. In 10 minutes I saw three farangs touch bread and not buy it.

Maybe time to go back to only eating rice.

Somebody probably touched the rice at some point, too.

Yes, they probably did but I have yet to meet anybody who simmers bread in hot water for 15 minutes before they eat it so it's hardly the same thing.

I saw the message on the card reader when my card was declined in Sizzlers, or the first half of it at least, and it said I did not have enough money so in that case the staff were not interpreting the message wrongly, they were just telling me what it said. It was, however, wrong. I had plenty of credit, it was my PIN that was the issue.

I do cringe if I see it done wrong but it becomes natural with time and understanding. just as you may learn the languge with time, hopefully you learn the customs.

Why be so precious about it? If somebody does it wrong at least they're trying. Nothing for you to cringe about. Strange attitude.

I return wais. Why? Because I don't like to be rude. Ignoring a wai, in my opinion at least, would be akin to ignoring the outstretched hand of a Westerner who I had just met.

I can think of dozens of things that foreigners do in Thailand that make me cringe but waiing is not one of them.

I noticed when I got my PIN wrong in a branch of Sizzlers

I never thought Sizzlers would ask for a PIN, since in Thailand the POS machines defer to the "chip and signature" mode (or "swipe and signature" mode for a non chip -- or inop chip -- card). Was your card a European "chip and pin" card, with no fallback option to "chip and signature" mode?

Sorry to get off track, but just trying to imagine the scenario where Sizzlers (in Thailand) would ask for a PIN....

My debit cards are for UK bank accounts but can be used with or without a PIN. Some shops ask for it and some don't. I'm not sure whether the credit card I used has a similar fallback option because I don't use it very often.

Not enough money in the account is just a translation of the Thai wording on the card readers, it doesn't mean they think credit cards have money In an account. I've used credit and debit cards in many shops here but I've never noticed a difference in the way they are processed. What do they do differently?

I noticed when I got my PIN wrong in a branch of Sizzlers that the machine displayed a message saying there was not enough money to pay the bill, It's not necessarily the staff that are idiots, it's perhaps the software in the card readers that leads them to believe such things. Also, it is perfectly possible to get this message with a credit card, if the machine thinks you have exceeded your line of credit, so its not due to any confusion between debit and credit cards, just a linguistic misunderstanding by the sound of it.

A problem that occurs with the same card in the same store, month after month..... The definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

I always use cash everywhere for shopping, never understood why people don't ....glad I do after reading your OP. Only use C/C for booking flights, wish I didn't have to though.

It's easier to pay with a card. I don't understand why people waste time withdrawing cash from an ATM when they could just pay for their purchases with a debit card. I rarely use cash nowadays - can't be bothered.

It's been my observations that he "longer term" 30-50 years olds tend to be involved with NGOs and religious groups. As KKK said, there's a high "churn rate" with the digital nomads and teachers in that age category. There are older retirees who are year-round residents and younger, active retirees (age 50 - 65) who seem to be more into travel and are in-and-out of Chiang Mai, using this as a base for travel.

One consideration is that it's more difficult for people in the age 30 - 50 age bracket to secure long-term visas than those over age 50. Often they have to scramble and string together various schemes to remain here long-term and sometimes these schemes don't work out too well.

Yes it would seem that way. I would how ever like to point out that the OP was interested in Chiang Mai or Pattaya. The visa requirements are the same where ever he goes in Thailand.

And it's really not difficult to stay here if you're under 50. I'm not sure what is meant by 'schemes'. I've never applied for a visa that the Thai immigration officials were not more than happy to give me. The only people who do seem unhappy about some of the visas that under 50s expats utilise are over 50s expats. Quite why they care or what business it is of theirs, I'm really not sure.

Many things are just normal as that's what they see their whole life, when they spend time in farangland they often see how selfish and disgusting it is to endanger their childrens lives the way they do.

Such unsavory self righteous indignation. I'm sure the Thais love their children as much, if not more, than you do. You're a disgusting human being.

So thais love their children more.

You will not find my children without a seatbelt or helmet.

Sitting on the drivers lap etc.

Even thais that can afford a baby capsule often don't.

What you call love i call selfish.

Many can do far better despite their situation.

This is quite true. My daughter's grandmother has plenty of money and yet has never bothered to buy a child safety seat for her car, even though she used to like taking her granddaughter out every week. Family supposedly educated, wealthy, blah blah blah, but completely stupid as far as road safety is concerned. She's no longer allowed to take my daughter anywhere, for the record. Couldn't make them see sense so gave up trying. Idiotic in my opinion.

I understand what was going on. These backpackers could clearly see that your Thai 'female' friend is actually a ladyboy with extra 'tackle' on offer, whereas you, in your drunken haze, were mad enough to think that she was a pretty female - and born a female.

So these backpackers were trying to do you a favour...

Shes not a ladyboy , those bottles of whisky dont come for free

Here's where you boast about what your whisky buying is getting you, in case you've forgotten.

Shes just a friend, and I dont pay for her services , and I havent said anything about what happens when She comes back to my room , I didnt sau that I put my hand down her knickers , thats just your imagination thinking about what probably happens .

I really dont know why you are focusing on that aspect of the story , the main point of this post was Western womans view of falang and Thais relationship, and she, just like you, can only focus on the interment aspects of it .

She does come back to my room to translate my Thai language FB messages and anything else that may or may not happens is really no one elses business

You said you knew she wasn't a ladyboy because the bottles of whiskey you bought weren't for free. Don't need to be Columbo to see where you're going with that comment. It's not my imagination, it's your words. You're right it's none of my business what happens in your room - I wish I'd never read this thread now.

About 95% of the country are certainly poor, with no assets they could cash out. This is a country where 5% of the population holds about 70% of the wealth.

Much like the USA then.

Well it looks like Luke was 'one over the eight' again, was bumping into everything/everyone in sight and then tried copping a feel of his 'bargirl /friend'.

Maybe the female backpackers didn't like seeing this lass treated like a cheap piece of meat with some drunken slob feckling her, having or maybe she wanted Luke for herself?

The falling over incident happened a few days before and I have no need to coop a feel of her as she always accompanies back to my room when I need to get the money to pay for the the bottle of whisky ,

The backinging female drove off with her on her moped.................and came back a few minutes later

I dont force her to come back to my room and shes under no obligations to do anything . She just grabs my hand and accompanies me back to my room to make sure that I come back and pay my bill

That's all well and good Luke, but no one is judging you here pal, but you are putting yourself in the firing line somewhat, though it does seem as though you are seeking a little reassurance here, or maybe you are feeling a little guilty about your 'relationship' with this lass.

Why don't you just take enough money out with you to cover your bill so she doesn't have to 'accompany' you home every night? Would be a lot easier for the pair of you.

It is a sad fact that many visitors to Thailand know little and understand less they dynamics of the bargirl function/lifestyle in Thailand Luke.

I don't know if you've ever seen a vile Brit TV presenter called Stacey Dooley who has made a few documentaries about 'prostitution in Thailand/The Third World where she tries to come across as some 'heroine' trying to rescue the 'poor exploited girls' all the time.

Many visitors, especially female backpackers/travellers have a similar mindset.

This I know from experience having travelled around Thailand/SEAsia several times in the past with Western girlfriends, only to find that once I was able to show them the 'bigger picture' and prove that no one was making the girls work at 'gunpoint' and indeed some did rather well for themselves out of it all, their attitudes towards the scene changed dramatically.

Maybe next time you are sitting with your friend near some backpackers, to allow them to chat to her (especially the females) could lead to a whole change in their mindset, which in turn, could lead to them helping to explode many of the common myths surrounding the scene.

Every little helps....

Yeah, there's a worthwhile exercise.

Who cares what the girls are doing and how well they are doing for themselves? If people want to sleep with hookers that's their business but to come online and tell everybody about it is a bit pathetic. I don't want to know that some sleazebag has had his hand down a girl's knickers in return for buying bottles of whiskey, that's the kind of thing you should keep to yourself really.