DavidAlexander

"The International Union of Sex Workers (IUSW)".... Regardless of who it is, I also look at polls done by special interest groups as highly suspect. These numbers look like something I would come up with given a couple hours on the internet and a spreadsheet.

They have the breakfast buffet at Duke's twice a month now I believe. Went six years ago in the first month or two of living here and met a guy and his Thai wife I've been good friends with ever since. You never know....

I wonder if alcohol played any part in that plan?

I live in Chiang Mai and know several students at Chiang Mai University. CMU is the 3rd highest rated school in Thailand and has several international programs, taught in English. An international nursing or engineering degree can get you out of Thailand and into a much higher paying job in the West.

4 hours ago, tandor said:

agreed...Second question, why can't she keep track of her money...methinks she is not capable of holding office!

Yes, so much cash she couldn't properly keep track of it and for some reason (ha) unwilling to put it in the bank leaving a paper trail. Assuming the secretary only stole an amount she guessed wouldn't be noticed - 5 - 10% at most, that adds up to enormous amount just laying about.

14 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

How does one accurately measure any kind of intelligence?

As there's a wide variety to choose from.

Well, without too much detail (you can google it), they've been doing it over a hundred years and have gotten quite good at it. The standard IQ score is a very good predictor of academic and chosen career success. This simply means high IQ people become doctors and whatnot and low IQ people dig ditches and whatnot. The anticipated problem in some western countries is that automation is gradually eliminating low IQ jobs. What then?

21 hours ago, proton said:

Haven't culturally compatible tests been devised and the results much the same? 

Back in the 70's/80's the government paid a few million to the University of Minnesota (Mecca of psy testing) to develop an IQ test that all ethnicities scored equal on. After three years they (quietly) gave up.  Regardless of the design, it always came up Asian, white, hispanic, black.

Wait 'til the end of March/April/May. In Chiang Mai alone I bet 20-30,000 overleveraged Thais were dependent on the Chinese tourists, now down 98%. I'm guessing credit card defaults will be the first to start soaring.

One important thing to remember. I live in Chiang Mai and sometimes leave and re-enter the country in Bangkok. When I return I sometimes stay in the Bangkok area and visit friends or once went on down to Koh Chang for a week. When I get back to Chiang Mai I ALWAYS keep my return air boarding pass and hotel receipts to show when I do the 24 hour report-back. So far they've always been accepted as legitimate reason for not reporting back to CM immigration upon 24 hours after returning to the country.

As my wonderful grandfather told me the day I turned 21, "There's two kinds of sex, sex for free and sex you pay for. The only real difference is free sex tends to cost a lot more." In the 40 years since, I don't think I've ever gotten truer advice.

Having said that, I pay my 'from-the-country' Thai GF 10,000/month, what she would earn working in the fields. She has a daughter and has to pay all the things associated with that. In return she cares for me like no woman in the West ever would. A fair deal I think....

I can only assume the Thia Immigration gestapo will now swoop in and ask for proper visas and work permits from the foreign experts who came to help. Sorry guys, but rules are rules....

Screwed up and have a flight out one day after my tourist visa expires. I know it's a 500 baht fine, but I'll be coming back in about 3 weeks. Does anyone know if this is 'black mark' on my file anywhere? I could bite the bullet and change some airline reservations but we also know what a pain that is and would be way more expensive than the 500. Any advice?

Slept with two times in 13 months? She isn't your girlfriend, she's your English student. Jeezz dude, wake up and smell the Thai tea.