Orac

My wife is due in March and we have gone the other way - she had been living with me in England for 1 year but we decided that she would go back to Thailand to have the baby and I am now going backwards and forwards between the two. The main reason was that my wife was getting quite stressed partially due to her not being totally fluent in english (especially some of the more childbirth related terms!) and her also developing Diabetes in pregnancy. We felt it was important that she had the support of her family (particularly her mother) and was in more familiar surroundings. Since I went back with her last month the treatment from the local govt hospital appears to be as good as we were receiving here and she is much more relaxed. Also they are being much harsher with her on her diet due to the diabetes in Thailand than they were in the uk - they have threatened to hospitalize her and control her food if she doesn't do it herself!

The only draw back I am aware of (according to my wife) is that if it is a boy and born in Thailand he may be drafted into the army though I am sure there are ways round this !

Not wanting to defend the police here but referring back the OPs original post, they could have been acting on specific 'intelligence' (I use the term loosely) and could have been targetting a particular flight or destination looking for bogeymen be it terrorists or pedos. Certainly nobody has yet confirmed that the same has happenned to anyone else in the last few days. I flew out on a direct BKK flight 2 weeks ago and didn't get stopped and will be on the LHR-BKK EVA flight tomorrow night so, if I get stopped, I will report back - I am travelling alone so should fit 'the profile'.

To echo Posthai and Guesthouse.

Sanctuary of Truth

I agree Pattaya needs a major clean up, but it is Sex City.

The truth is , that looks to me like a disaster wating to happen .

why ?

I have always found it quite impressive !

You could try Mr T - +6638720318 - I have always found them cheap and reliable

I took my parents to the Jazz Pit/PIK Kitchen on Soi 4 (could be 5!) last year and they loved it - Thai food followed by some relaxing music. Not sure on the price I paid though.

Latest news (Times Online being one of them) is saying 2 brits, 1 german and and American have been arrested.

Though it is clearly good news that these perverts are being weeded out lets hope that this doesn't end up being blown out of proportion by the world press and put more pressure on the fragile tourist industry either discouraging 'good' tourists or worse encouraging the 'wrong' sort of tourist. Too many times the press report this with a small amount of fact and a large diatribe on the problems of Thailands sex industry.

The latest report in the UK on ITN states that 2 brits have been arrested which although it is 'a number' may make the original news look exagerated but, to be fair, seems to be a balanced report without the usual hyperbole - lets hope it stays this way.

Hello Orac,

If your comment was meant to degrade my wife's and mine's true relationship...it is not welcome and you are way off of the true facts and ignorant. My Sin Sod, since I called it that was primarily spent on the wedding expenses and really not much was left over. As well your math isn't correct because you don't know the difference between the Sin Sod and the gift money from the guests at the wedding. The "refund" was based upon the wedding receipts, not the Sin Sod.

If your comment was not intended to insult....never mind..but your math is still wrong and I didn't purchase my wife, our union is one of love and respect. My wife had the chance to marry a long-time Thai boyfriend and didn't do so because he didn't respect her family. She then met me and I respected her family from the beginning and we fell in love and are still happily married after 8 years.....more than can be said about many others who have married due to "purchase" or "love" before us or after us.

Not all farang and Thai relationships are about money grubbing. In fact, most men the world over are in denial that in one way or another, if you want to analyze things in a cold pure way.........they pay for sex and a wife but it is just in more subtle and socially acceptable ways.

My wife's and mine's relationship is about love and respect, even if we did respect the cultural traditions.

Regards,

Martian

edited grammar

Martian,

Please accept my apologies for what was a very sarcastic comment that I should not have made. My comment was based on the fact that the financial transaction of your marriage was so important to you however, in hindsight and since this is the very subject of the topic, I posted too quickly without thought.

Once again my humble apologies for any offence I caused.

Orac

People seem to forget who controls the money tree. If you have a mate who thinks there is no bottom in the well, whose fault is that? My well is certainly not bottomless but I happen to control how much I draw out of the well. Some people should look for a new mate.

Right on! Anyone who allows a person who doesn't understand the words budget, living within your means and save for the future, free access to their funds deserves to be "taken to the cleaners" by their Thai honey. From the beginning I made it clear to my now Thai wife that she will not have free access to my money (which was made prior to our meeting), I am not the answer to any family financial problems and I will not support a life of luxury, even if I have the funds to do so.....I don't believe in it. I told her not to marry me if she can't understand and agree to all of that.

Well, 8 years later we are still married, are financially sound (even after me being unemployed in US for 6 months now and making mortgage payments etc.) and live a comfortable life, having everything we NEED and some of what we WANT. Gotta know the difference between needs and wants.

The success of this started from the beginning....had a agreement with family that if the wedding ceremony yielded less than 100,000 Baht from the guests......the family would refund from the Sin Sod half the difference of the shortage of 100,000 and if it were more than 100,000 we would give family half the difference (share in the feast or famine). It came in at about 70,000 and I told my wife she had 24 hours to get my 15,000 from the family. Although she wanted to let it go, I did not and received my money......setting the standard with her and the family that I stick to my agreements and will not be a "financial pushover". Agreements are agreements and they are made on the honor of a person, family or group.......hold them (wife, family and yourself) to their word from the beginning and you won't have a problem of running out of money, provided you know how and have the stomach to say no.

Regards,

Martian

edited grammar

Just so I have the maths right on this are you saying you managed to buy your wife for 15,000 baht - if so you clearly made a good deal.

I did the Thai marriage bit last year and name change but before applying for a visa - as a UK citizen it might be slightly different but the main thing that struck me was the amount of travelling and waiting involved. The bit that caught me out was after getting the permission to marry from the MFA at Laksi and then actually marrying in Bangkok we had to quickly (we were tight on time) fly up to Udon Thani to go to my wifes local Amphur to change her ID card to my name and then return to MFA in Bangkok to get her passport changed (3 day wait).

[

On another note:

anyone know much about this?

Jersey’s Secret "Gold-Backed" Currency Set to Double

Located just off the coast of Great Britain is a tiny island with the world’s leading "gold-standard" currency. Unlike the plummeting U.S. dollar, this money, the Jersey Note, is fully backed by gold, and will never lose value due to inflation or global chaos. Over the next 18 months, investment expert Peter Schiff expects it to hand investors 70-100% gains… while the dollar sinks further.

NOt meaning to sound stupid (I know very little about finance!) but surely this would be the same as buying gold with the same risks ?

I have been keeping an eye on EVA website as I am due to fly with them soon and they are still planning cancellations on some flights via BKK up to 13th Dec at present - I assume other airlines are having similar problems in getting back to normal.

When my wife first came to England we were in the supermarket and she was asking about grapes and I told her that they were used to make wine. A month later after her having consumed huge amounts of grapes she told me that they weren't working - apparently she had misunderstood and thought I had told her that they would make her WHITE.

China/Myanamar border - 5.7 magnitude according to below.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recent...147.php#details

hi guys, thank you for three really good and informative replys, we are not sure what to do at the moment, the banks in the uk will give 7.01% if you are prepared to tie your money up for one year at a time, which is ALMOST enough if we live up jungle in Udon, i am lucky in so much as we (my wife works at a super market when we are in the uk and does not send 1 satang home ) do not have to support any of my wifes family and nor does she have any children. wiyh regards to the 100 rai that is about 40 acre over here in the uk, would i be right in saying that for rice paddy ground next to a road would be about 10000 bhat a rai ? in which case that would be approx £160000 which and i am sure you know where i am going now!! would give a return of £11200 ayear interest in a uk bank or £250 a week !i dont spend that in pattaya!! what say you ? thanks again for all of your comments, has any one else got any thoughts cheers michael.

Micky,

You need to take into account inflation on this if you take all the interest out annually - 250 pounds in 10-15 years will probably be worth a fraction of its value now but the return from farm produce should keep track with inflation.

Try the PIC Kitchen/Jazz Pit on Soi 4. They have great Thai food and 'easy listening' Jazz. I took my parents there a few weeks back who are also in their sixties and they loved it.

Dean,

The translated version of the affirmation (stamped by MFA) is valid for three months.

Cheers

Orac

Razz,

Sorry - missed a bit.

The marriage can be registered at any Amphur.

Orac

addresses.doc

Razz,

I went through the process last week on this. The UK Embassy would not issue the affirmation same day for me even though I got there first thing. I went back first thing the following morning and got the affirmation back after waiting all of 10 minutes. Went with one of the touts outside who did the translation in about 30 mins. It was then about 45 mins drive to Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Laksi (near DM Airport). After paying BT.800 for the 'special' service I was helped to fill the form in and had to wait all of 5 minutes to be seen and was told i could collect in 2 hours. I tried my luck after 1 hour and it was done so I was out of there for 1pm.

If your friends want to do this two days should be plently especially since they are only 10 mins from DM Airport if they want to fly straight off elsewhere in Thailand.

Cheers

Orac

AFFIRMATION_OF_FREEDOM_TO_MARRY.doc

Tscor,

It is on a run through between Suk Sois 2 and 4 where the Rajah Hotel car park is - If you walk up soi 4 past Nana Plaza turn right into the car park after the 7-11 or go up soi 2 pass the Marriott and it is down the walk way opposite the Majestic Grande Hotel.

Orac

Haven't stayed there since last October but can certainly recommend it - rooms, food and environment are very high class. The only problem I has was the security man insisted on checking my TGFs ID every night against the register (same guard every night for 2 weeks) so she now insists we stay elsewhere as she doesn't like being treated like a bargirl!.

Can recommend the Sabai Resort on 2nd Road by big C as an alternative.

I can also recommend Woodlands having stayed a number of times a few years back however, when they were full one time, I tried the Sabai Resort - next to Big C on 2nd Road - and have not been anywhere else since. The Ruen Thai Paradise Rooms front onto a private swimming pool (about 20 rooms I think and very few people staying in them). Rates for walk up have been THB.2200 low season and THB.2400 high season.

Thanks for reply MA

The wife to be is up in Nong Khai but I am sure she would be quite happy with a holiday in Pattaya if called for, however, I have this horrible vision of strapping my parents into a baht bus for a 12 hour trip!

My best man who was sorting this has just had to return to the UK suddenly and will not be back out there now until October hence why I am trying to do it from here.

I know this is going to cost me and am not neccesarily trying to do it on the cheap so what I am really looking for is a good recommendation for a tour organiser in Pattaya/Bangkok who would be capable of doing this (I would also need them to sort out a 2-3 day trip to Angkor Wat as well but since this would not be for so many people should be much easier).

Many Thanks for your comments.

Orac

I would appreciate a little help/advise if anyone has any experience (or can point me in the right direction) regarding chartering coaches.

I am getting married in Nong Khai in October and need to get about 40 friends and family from Pattaya to Nong Khai (4 days/3 nights). My thoughts were to charter a coach which would be able to stay with us and shuttle us around whilst up there.

I have tried e-mailing a couple of cach companies found on the internet but no luck - I will not be back in Thailand until late Sept which would be leaving things rather late so am struggling to do anything on the spot.

I would be very grateful for any suggestions.

Many Thanks

Orac