Eastender

Does anyone know of any useful books on business in Thailand?

Thanks

Hi,

My wife has been living in UK for only a month now on the 2 year (settlement?) visa. We're considering a brief trip to Paris in spring, maybe just for a few days.

Does she need to apply for a Schengen visa? Is this easy to get?

Could the the trip have any bad effect on her UK visa and her future chance of getting ILR?

Thanks.

There are bottles available with a dark alcoholic liquid which I beleive is purpose made for aborting pregnancy at early stages. If it's not designed for this it is at least used for this. The bottle has a picture of a woman's head - possibly bought 'under the counter' - not sure.

I know someone who has used this and due to some concerns I would like to know it's contents.

Thanks.

Are there any cheap companies to call the UK from Thailand? Thinking of the ones where you dial a service number first for cheap rates, rather than the cards you buy. Preferably ones which can be dialled from a mobile.

Thanks

Helpful advice, thanks to you both.

I need to take a suit on a flight. Would prefer to fold it and pack it in my suitcase, one less thing to carry.

Is it likely to crease? Should I carry it onto the plane?

When next in BKK I need to buy a flight from BKK to London. I have little time so need to buy quickly, cheaply, and preferably using a credit card.

Any recomendationd for a travel agency to visit please?

Thanks.

My Thai wife will be joining me here in the UK soon to live. We hope to start a family soon and it led me to wonder how differently Thais bring up a baby/child.

So how do you think a Thai mother's way of looking after a baby differes from that in the west? Are there any fundamental or obvious differences, or maybe none at all?

OK, I know it my sound funny.

My Thai wife came to the UK twice this year, 2 weeks each time. While here her hair was falling out, a lot more than normal.

She didn't seem stressed at all and didn't change her diet much as she bought veg with her and cooked Thai food. It could possibly be due to different water here, I don't know?

Any thoughts on this as she'll be coming to live here soon.

While in Thailand over xmas I need to buy a flight from BKK to UK for my wife. Can anyone recomend a travel agent in east BKK, around the Sukumvit or Asoke area?

A phone number would be a bonus.

Thanks.

I used to live near the uni and am quite sure there are no guest houses. There are a few hotels on Ramkamhaeng though, walking distance to the uni. The best bet is the Chaleena Princess on Soi 65, (opposite the more expensive Chaleena hotel) about 480 Baht a night including breakfast. If you stay here you can use the Chaleena's pool. They speak very little English here. There's another I think on Soi 22 or 20 that looks a little pricier.

GuestHouse. Among the necessary documents you didn't mention insurance. Was there a reason for this omission? Is it, shall we say, 'optional'? I'm thinking of myself driving for just a few hours total.

I didn't realize there was a motoring forum until now!

I know a Thai who occasionally borrows a friends car for quite long distances, and thinks nothing of driving without insurance.

Firstly, am I right in thinking it's the same as elsewhere, the driver needs insurance, not the car.

Secondly, is this the norm, or the exception?

The reason for the question is my Thai wife will have the use of a car during my next visit to Thailand. We need to drive between BKK and Nakhon Sawan (4 hours north). I wonder if I were to help out with the driving is it more likely I would get pulled over and driving documents checked?

I tried to do the same thing recently. My wife was granted the 2 year settlement visa but as she wasn't coming to the UK until early next year some was being wasted and so we wanted to put the start date back by a couple of months.

I phoned the British Embassy in BKK. A Thai lady answered with very good English, I explained my question, she went away, came back and told me that the visa issueing officer may change the visa start date under special circustances.

Wishing to discuss this further and see if there would be a fee I emailed the officer. His reply stated that they could not change visa start dates, regardless of reason or circumstances. He re-stated this on a 2nd email after I'd pointed out an assistand had told me it was possible. I would like to have copied these emails into this forum for future reference but unfortunately don't think I have them any more since a PC crash.

I probably got the email address from the website, so you could always try the same.

Good advice, thanks all.

I had originally written my spech with 'suay', then thought perhaps it was a little shallow just to refer to my wife as beautiful (though I think she is).

Perhaps then I'll say 'wan nee pom mee kwarm sanuk procwaa pom mee panrayaa suay le jai dee'.

Does that sound about right?

I'm quite confident of the tones.

As part of my speech I want to say 'lovely wife' (......wan nee pom mee panrayaa naa rak) and mean lovely in the general sense of the word, looks, character, personality etc. My dictionary says lovely = naa rak, however I thought that just meant cute.

Should I use naa rak for lovely? Is there a batter adjective to use?

And for future reference does naa rak only apply to people? Can it cover animals, objects and situations?

Thanks.

How do I say 'it's not your fault', in roman script please? Please give the tones if you can.

And if anyone wants to add any other useful short phrases then please feel free.

Thanks.

Your question is a bit too general. What are you after, bars, pool, bands, nighclubs, ladies, men? Would you prefer to be around westerners, or Thais?

The main road of Sukumvit has a good share of each of the above.

it won't make life any easier for those with Thai wives in the U.K., not that they should care what people think, but if they enjoy the show then good on them

1) You're right, it won't make life easier.

2) Everyone always adds here, 'not that they should care'. Well, people do care about how their wives are regarded. Its inescapable, they're not made of stone.

3) Thailand, if it truly had the national pride it says it has, should act if it doesn't want to be caricatured in this way.

4) Maybe those Thai wives in the UK are 'mail order' or ex-hooker, so perhaps something relevant is being said.

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Too right Moog, I totally agree. I once said to a guy I had a Thai girlfriend. 'Thai bride' he kept saying as though I'd ordered her from a catalogue. And that thanks to TV.

Going for job interviews now I'm reluctant to mention I have a Thai wife in case it prejudices their image of me.

In fact I had a job interview yesterday, they asked if I was married and I explained. Today I found I didn't get the job. I wonder if they watched Little Britain last night and thought about me before making their decision. Yes, that's what I'll put it down to!

Back a few years leading up to Bush's visit to BKK the law was the same, and they enforced it.

I was reading this very site and came across a post by someone, can't remember who, who had been arrested on Sukumvit for not having a pp. He told the police it was in his apartment nearby and he could get it for them, also showed them other ID (not sure what). They said no, we have to arrest you and did so. Luckily he had a mobile and freinds. He finally found a friend who could get his pp for him, and who also had his own too (otherwise he'd get knicked as soon as he turned up) and they finally let him go.

Luckily for me I'd read his post cause the very next day (honest) I made sure I had my pp with me. I was walking along soi Mahadthai, in Bangkapi, miles from any tourist spot and was surrounded by 5 immigration officers. They asked for my pp and where I was going. I mentioned my apartment, they never asked why I lived there or was dressed smartly with only a tourist visa but on seeing my pp let me go.

Many others were nicked and/or deported during that time in the panic to remove possible terrorist or just those they didn't want. (The customs officers asked me if there were any blacks in my apartment block).

That was obviously a very exceptional time and I mention it more for interest than anything, or though I guess the point is if the police want or need to use this law they can.

Head to the police station at the top of Koah Sarn, cross the road, turn  right walk 20 meters first right at the Ayudhya Bank this road is full of great guest houses, merry V, Siam Orchid are two good ones about 240bt a night, all large beere are 40bt on this road too, great food. Good luck

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Is that not turn LEFT at the bank?

Just to add to what people are saying, I would have thought at the end of Nov you could just turn up and get a room somewhere - unlikely to be fully booked.

The Lonely Planet website and forum may be of more general use to you.

Wanna buy a one way ticket for wife flying BKK to LDN. I posted a similar question about a month ago about recomendations for my wife buying a flight, and me paying from UK by credit card. I was advised this would create difficulties. I've also found that booking a ticket from the UK puts the price up a lot.

However, as I will be in Bangkok at the end of December, and she wants to fly to UK at the end of Jan I'm hoping I can buy her a single flight from there.

Can you recommend an agency in BKK (pref. east Bangkok) where I can buy a ticket using my credit card?

If so I can hoepfully pre-book from here, then pay when I'm there.

Thanks.

Me, 40 years young, her, 31 next week.

Hi,

My Thai wife has just passed her driving test in Thailand. She'll be coming to the UK in Jan next year and I believe she can drive for a year only on an international driving licence here.

Do you know where can she get her international licence from? Any idea of the price?

Thanks.