marios

What I think is important, apart from companionship, one needs someone to be there for him, meaning, one person to call if one needs help. i would suggest people who live alone to perform 'marriages of convenience, so to speak, for truly practical purposes If one is sick or incapacitated for any reason and needs help. This can be done through TV by 'advertising' so one can let be known that the condo where he/she resides is decent and there are vacancies. Remember, young or old, fit or frail being alone in a 'difficult' country is fraught with danger. One just needs a friend to rely on in case of a true emergency. Of course this must be a two-way street. Taking care of a drunk or someone who abuses substances or his body cannot be the first choice for this 'partnership'. As for me, having past middle age I constantly think of this. If of course you live in a serviced apartment or hotel then the problem is less severe.

It means that you have a wife but not a real relationship.

Go ahead and pay her but give her a rent bill for living in your home, and dont share your food with her.

Wife? It has not been specified that she is a wife. "We have been together for four years.."

Under no circumstances this can be acceptable. Only when two lovers in bed joking with each other this can be said. You will have to ask her to explain more what her teacher had told her. She may be, after all, a naive person who may have misunderstood what was said. This you have to ascertain.

This is all nice and well. The problem is that the warrant will be in Thai. The language will be Thai. How many of us can handle this?

Note the 2nd part as it pertains to the OP. Source - Siam Legal

Guidelines to be followed in searches and seizures with a warrant

1. The search warrant must be shown to the occupant before the search is conducted;
2. The officer must give his name and title to the occupant prior to the search;
3. As much as possible, the search must be conducted in the presence of the owner or occupant or a competent member of his family;
4. If no owner/occupant/family member is available to witness the search, the police must secure the presence of at least two independent and competent witnesses before the search is conducted;
5. The items found in the search must be shown to the witnesses, who must acknowledge the items found.

Police may conduct searches and seizures without a warrant when he has reasonable grounds to believe that the suspect has in his possession:

1. Articles that may be used to commit a crime;
2. The fruits of a crime;
3. Illegal items (like illegal substances).

80 baht for a haircut in Hi-So Issan.

Same prize as Samui.

Up in Northern Chiang Mai it 30 baht.

its only 60 in the middle of bkk ..............

60 Baht?

Although I visit Bangkok regularly I do not get a haircut here. Last time I had a haircut was, maybe 15 years ago or more, in the lower Sukhumvit area and I was asked for 100 Baht and the place was not grand at all.I must have looked a very gullible tourist...

Bottom line, you cannot be sure if she is 'virtuous' or not. Now, if after sex she hints that she needs to be paid then you can be sure. Remember, of course, that sex with a woman, wife or girlfriend, costs money one way or another.

The fact that your girlfriend wants to become also Christian is a wonderful thing. This will bring you together, you being a devout Christian. And also you attending religious services in a Wat. You can have the Buddist altar next to the religious icons and cross.

I thing it is a wonderful thing and I congratulate you both and wish you all the best.

I really like to ask two things:

Is it fair to assume that living at the center with all that noise and atmospheric pollution, the presence of birds would less?

And, from your experience, do landlords pay back the deposit upon completion of the lease? This is the issue, I think.

Clearly our friend will not receive his deposit because the sounds of nature cannot be regarded as noise. People understand

noise the one emanating from human activity. he can kiss goodbye his 90k and check for the really quiet place up on to the 25th floor.

Well what do u expect from a developing and lawless country! First world treatment?

This is a little unfair. Taxis in Bangkok, at least, are plentiful and cheap. This alone counters any occasional wrong doing. I am very happy and grateful for what we have in Bangkok. Could it be better? Maybe. The current state of affairs suits me.

Amusing that the Thais are offended that Chinese tourists (shock, gasp!) cut the line and litter

Pot calling the kettle black

In all fairness, however, I have never experienced improper behaviour (jumping the queue) by Thais at the MRT or the skytrain.

I spent one month in Bangkok last Autumn. I checked and I couldn't find anything containing stevia in place of sugar. Stevia, for those who may have not heard of it, is a natural product whose 'sweetness index' is 300 times more than that of white sugar. This is not harmful and has zero calories. It is widely available in the west and I was rather surprised not to have found it in the supermarkets. Maybe I did not look for it thoroughly enough. It is a safe substitute for sugar or aspartame and I use it with my coffee.

Is there any information whether he was robbed or not? If yes, then of course foul play is a certainty and if this is true I would not preclude a carnal component to this tragic story. The providers of the sex partner knew who he was and planned it. Of course, this theory might be plausible if robbery had taken place. I do not want to be disrespectful to the deceased. We are all humans, full of weaknesses.

This is only a theory, not an effort to smear one's reputation.

This is the funniest topic ever. It is an exercise in frivolity and silliness . I couldn't stop laughing reading the various suggestions/remedies. I really want more like that where the goodnatured humour is so prevalent.

If the girl is so young and sweet and her parents have a business and she lives in a city then for her to love and care about you, you must be handsome and young. There is no need for a girl like that to look for a mate on the internet. She could find all she needs in Chiangmai. If she is looking for a rich person, and she thinks you are one, then one might doubt her sincerity when she talks about love..Unless of course you are a handsome hunk and she may have fallen for you. If you are a middleaged+ farang without any special attributes, rest assured that she is trying to harvest gold. I doubt her sincerity, get out of the situation . This is my opinion.

Judging from your post, one might think of you as a person who is searching for a meaning in your life. You are in your mid thirties and yet the idea of having a family does not appeal to you. You have worked as a volunteer helping people in many countries trying to do something meaningful in your life. Clearly Thailand, for you, is just another country with readily available sex and that's it

My advice is to find a woman as restless as yourself who's seeking a higher goal,like yourself and proceed with immersing yourselves in volunteer work.

The layman's interpretation of your symptoms of 'nothing pleases' is that of depression. You need a noble cause to make you feel alive. I suggest you continue with volunteer work.

Thailand, I find, is still very good when medical facilities are concerned. They have good hospitals which are fully staffed seven days a week. In more advanced western societies it is safer to be sick on weekdays rather than weekends or public holidays. I have found in my association with Thailand since 1986 that I feel secure that medical help is readily available at a still reasonable cost, especially now that I have grown older.

For a few more years Thailand will remain attractive.The food, the hotels the availability of taxis the accommodation and of course the still easy availability of female companionship make the country desirable. If and when the country becomes richer the doctors will need to work less hours and charge more and the women will be older and more vulgar and the rents will be higher. When this happens, another, poorer country, will be the new farang favourite and the cycle will continue

There are separate laws for condo ownership and freehold titles. Basically foreigner may not reach the majority to control the land is the gist of it.

Answer: no. Now count the seconds until the company, BOI, usurufuct, lease et al. brigades start.

I don't doubt that there are separate laws for condos and freehold titles.

But my question is, what constitutes a condo? And I think that's the question being asked by the OP as well. If not, I apologize to the OP for my presumption.

Do all the units have to be in a single structure, or can they be discreet structures on a common patch of ground which is owned by the condo association? In that case, each owner would own their building, but none would individually own the land their building is on.

For example, could they be a line of attached units similar to a Brownstone, or can they be a bunch of bungalows scattered across a single patch of land, owned by the (by law- 51% or more Thai controlled) "condo" association?

Or is the ubiquitous multi-floor apartment style the only legally acceptable definition of a condo?

This exactly my question. Does a condo need to be apartments clustered together in a single building or it can be individual units on the ground without ownership of the land. (You cannot tear it down or alter it, for example)

There are separate laws for condo ownership and freehold titles. Basically foreigner may not reach the majority to control the land is the gist of it.

Answer: no. Now count the seconds until the company, BOI, usurufuct, lease et al. brigades start.

I don't doubt that there are separate laws for condos and freehold titles.

But my question is, what constitutes a condo? And I think that's the question being asked by the OP as well. If not, I apologize to the OP for my presumption.

Do all the units have to be in a single structure, or can they be discreet structures on a common patch of ground which is owned by the condo association? In that case, each owner would own their building, but none would individually own the land their building is on.

For example, could they be a line of attached units similar to a Brownstone, or can they be a bunch of bungalows scattered across a single patch of land, owned by the (by law- 51% or more Thai controlled) "condo" association?

Or is the ubiquitous multi-floor apartment style the only legally acceptable definition of a condo?

I am not sure what OP mean? If you think you can own land here? better rethink, you can't.

I "own" a nice house in a Moo Baan with my wife in the Pattaya area, a house in a Moo Baan is the only option for us, who on earth wants to live in a Condo if you got a kid?

Can you please explain what do you mean by 'own'. Is your ownership governed by the same laws as that relating to condo ownership? I understand that you do not own any particular piece of land. The surrounding grounds and facilities are common property for which you have to pay a monthly maintenance fee just like a condo. Is that so?

Thank you and I thank all who responded to my query

I wonder what is the status of the gated communities. Can one buy a unit under the same rules as if buying a condo?

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

cheers

Mario

PS

I am sure this issue has been tackled before. Please bear with me, thank you

Try the Chatrium on Naratiwat 24. It used to be called 'Oakwood' in the past. It is a luxury property and their 45 sqm studio costs 42000 Baht per month. They accept pets but I think they do not allow them on the grounds. They have to be confined in the apartment.

Google Chatrium and everything will be clear.

This was happening in the past a lot. It is simply a question of money extortion. It was called 'escort'. You pay a fee and the girl passes on. The Filipinos have 11 million workers working abroad. Most ,if all of them, are considered second class in the countries of employment and most of them are suffering abuse and injustice. If the Philippine government decides to protect its citizens they should ban the export of the workforce. They do not, of course. The remittances in effect support the country. What bothers me, instead of the government protecting the goose by allowing them freedom of movement, tolerates instead such behaviour from the immigration police and imposes the exit fee. Any Filipino travelling abroad will remit money back to the country one way or another.

I think your case can only be attributed to bad luck. The wrong greedy officer happened to be there.

People complain about Thailand and the treatment they get from the police. Well, the Philippines are much worse. The foreigner as well as the local are fair game. I dislike the country.

Seriously? You think most of the 11 million (your estimate) overseas workers are being abused. They're actually considered superior workers overseas in many fields. Sure, some countries consider them second class (Arab countries, Hong Kong, Singapore), but this is not universal as you suggest it is.

This is simply a case of a bargirl invited to go overseas for a 2 week sexual vacation with a self proclaimed whore monger (with 50 visits to the Philippines to his credit). She doesn't have a visa and no proof of relationship. They actually do try to protect their citizens, and in particular young single girls, from exploitation overseas. This is a model that some other poor SE Asian nations could do well to follow.

If you have the correct visas along with job invitations and follow standard protocol, there's no problem.

This is not a case of government corruption. You will not succeed in a paying for a girl to leave - I'd love to see you try that. I'm certain that you would be arrested for attempting to bribe a government official and possibly charged for people trafficking. That could get you life in prison - no shit.,

Most of these officials take their job very seriously and get very angry if you try to suggest they are corrupt. This is the airport mate, not a back office down at the local immigration office.

The 11 million is not my estimate. It was stated by the Filipino Ambassador to the UAE in an interview with CNN. The Asean countries citizens are allowed 30 days in any other ASEAN country. The officer would have interviewed the gentleman and assess the situation himself. It was a holiday. Not necessarily a prostitution thing. I believe the overzealous official had an agenda other than protecting the virtues of the Filipinos. Maybe he wanted to push his way around. I think it was wrong and unfair. This is my opinion anyway. As for the fact that the Filipinos are superior workers that may be so sometimes, I do not dispute that. I know however that many Filipino doctors are working as orderlies in US hospitals because their doctor credentials do not much US standards.

Having said that I want to stress that Filipinos are outward, fun loving warm people and it is a joy to have them around. It is the hypocrisy of the officials which bothers me.

This was happening in the past a lot. It is simply a question of money extortion. It was called 'escort'. You pay a fee and the girl passes on. The Filipinos have 11 million workers working abroad. Most ,if all of them, are considered second class in the countries of employment and most of them are suffering abuse and injustice. If the Philippine government decides to protect its citizens they should ban the export of the workforce. They do not, of course. The remittances in effect support the country. What bothers me, instead of the government protecting the goose by allowing them freedom of movement, tolerates instead such behaviour from the immigration police and imposes the exit fee. Any Filipino travelling abroad will remit money back to the country one way or another.

I think your case can only be attributed to bad luck. The wrong greedy officer happened to be there.

People complain about Thailand and the treatment they get from the police. Well, the Philippines are much worse. The foreigner as well as the local are fair game. I dislike the country.

Please, please, dear Russians, do boycott Thailand.

Why do you say that? Is it the Russians alone or the wish extends to all tourists?

some of these critics are harsh. To live through life without ever trusting anyone is not my idea of a decent life. My Thai friend cheated me and my wife out of milions but the fact that he was a long time good friend hurt more than the loss of money. Everything is in my wifes name. If you can not trust your wife then you should not marry her . Unfortunately in Thailand it is the man's conciet that is the problem. He thinks he is so hansome or a desirable husband that his wife is marrying him for love and not his money. He should first look at his future wife and ask him self would a similar girl in his own country would marry him for love. He is too full of himself to admit that he could not find a young or desirable girl in his own country to marry him.

You see so many young girls married to old men here who obviously married them for thier money and many are anxiously waiting for them to die or perhaps are conspiring somehow to get rid of them.

I do not think there is any middle aged, balding, maybe fat farang who believes that the lady marries him for his looks. Most probably she will marry him in order to escape poverty. Also, if the guy is pleasant, loving and he is relatively generous to her parents, then, why not , she will feel affection for him. She will never have lustful thoughts about his body ,.of course, but she will accept his embraces not in a totally negative frame of mind. If the girl is not a total loss, meaning she had not been abused as a child and grew in a relatively loving family then the chances for a successful marriage might be there and the whole thing might succeed. Again she, like any woman on the planet dreams of a prince on a white horse(or elephant, ha,ha) For the woman to respect a man he must match her needs in bed and be decent towards her. If this happens the chances of a vengeful and fraudulent behavior are less, I think.

In my culture there is a popular saying which goes like.. 'do not f..k a crazy person and do not be f..ed by a crazy person'.

The girl is psychotic, no doubt about that. Women ,and men, are more jealous when the opponent seems to be of the same social level. It hurts less and humiliates less if the opponent is of higher status. From my own experience with Asian women, I was on more than one occasion told by an insecure/jealous girl that she cannot accept I replace her for another Asian. If it is, however,a White/westerner woman, THEN SHE CAN SAY NOTHING ABOUT IT. This is how it was put to me. Clearly the inferiority complex of the non white towards the white is there, unfortunately, to the extend that if the spouse 'upgrades' the companion then the 'lesser' one has to accept it. No contest. She will not lose face if she is been defeated by a more potent force.

As an experiment try with a white woman of your circle to pretend to be your new love. It could be dangerous but it is the only way, in my opinion, to succeed. There is no way to escape an obsessed person. This might be the right button to push, make her understand that you need one of your own, this is what is expected by your family and culture.

Good luck

Mario

One has to tackle the core issue. The core issue is that people want to live in Thailand not because of the availability of sex but also of the magic of Thailand. Magic means finding cheap taxi at the speed of thought, going to affordable hospitals which are fully staffed 24/7, or almost. Finding accommodation costing a fraction of halfway similar in the Farangland. The splendor of the malls the foodcourts of delicious food at 100 baht. Delicious food is the norm in Thailand. Finding a sex partner is straightforward and hassle free like most transactions in Thailand. The list is endless. People just love Thailand and want to live here. Many tourist establishment owners In my country, during the dead season(winter) move en mass to Thailand for 2-5 months just to enjoy the country and have the 'old cheese removed'. The country I am referring is Cyprus, a tourist destination itself but no comparison to Thailand. I have been more than 15 times to Thailand and I loved every occasion. Thailand ,despite the huge language impediment and the contempt of the authorities and people, still exerts a huge attraction to all who have tasted her.

Now, the 34 yo friend, is of course under the spell and influence of this huge force and has succumbed to it. He just wants to come and stay. His financial status maybe unclear but the message is very clear, 'I want to go to Thailand'

cheers

Mario