way2muchcoffee

Buriram is probably as fine a place as most Issan areas. Still, 30,000 is 30,000, and to some folks just isn't enough. A person on 50k in Pattaya could afford to purchase a vehicle and still live comfortably by cutting down on Western food and prowling bars. A person on 30k in Buriram would be hard pressed to do so, especially if they were supporting a family. For the right person at the right time in their life this is a great opportunity.

I seriously doubt you'll find any work whatsoever, at least until you turn 18. Even then there are only a handful of places that would even consider you. Most teachers here wouldn't consider working at any of those places. I do wish you luck, but I think your goals aren't realistic. If you want to come out for a good 3-6 months and travel and check out educational opportunities then that would be a great idea. I'm sure you'd have a great time and learn a lot in the process. Proceed with caution here. At the very least please make sure you have an emergency back up plan to get yourself home if you end up in an economic or social situation that spirals out of your control. Beyond all that, come on out. Thailand's a relatively safe place to live and learn.

It's really neither here nor there, but MSG is linked to migraines. I had them often when young, and always when MSG was in my meal. It took a while to work it out. Now I don't seem to have a problem much. But every once in a while....

As far as the girl. She probably needs treatment/counseling of some kind. She also needs to be locked away for a considerable time to prevent her from being a danger to herself or others. I doubt she'll get the psychological help she obviously needs, but there is no doubt in my mind that she'll be incarcerated.

That's seriously over the top behavior. It goes well beyond the manufacture of false infractions. This is assault and robbery. Very disturbing.

In regards to his signing, it is required by law, as the husband in a land transaction!!!!!

Indeed. However, given his status as PM it was also illegal under anti-corruption laws that were in existence at the time.

It isn't necessarily the multiple choice nature of the tests. The PAT/GAT are also multiple choice. The SAT is multiple choice. Some of the test in the IB Program are multiple choice. Same for GCSE. This suggests that it is more the nature of the questions on the multiple choice exams given in Thai schools that is the problem. Bear in mind that a Thai teacher will have 15-20 periods per week with class sizes up to 50 students. It isn't particularly easy to do other kinds of testing when you have 500 exams to mark in three days.

Anyone who lives here with a Thai lady may be assumed they have met that lady in a bar or brothel.

IMO relatively easy to sort out for locals...mannerisms, speech, fashion sense, and the inevitably shaky history/story. Compounded if there are other family members around. There are plenty of both, but more of the former.

It all rather begs the question what is the point of sorting anything out in this regards? Does it make people feel superior to know they married a Chula grad? Why? Does it diminish the fact that there are plenty of good-hearted bargirls who could make very good partners and wives if given the chance? Does it diminish the fact that there are plenty of bad-hearted non-bargirls who would not make good wives, despite their elevated social class?

I fail to understand why people are so insecure that they cannot accept that it is a big world out there. People make the choices they make for whatever reasons they make them. People will live with whatever consequences result, both good and bad. There is so much comparison and defensiveness relating to this issue. It all stinks of hypocrisy, non-existent face, and primary school "my dad can beat up your dad" kind of thinking.

Godheads R Us has a new product line...

In direct competition with Maidenheads R Us.....

most of those in so called developed countries who have cause and opportunity to illegally d/l or buy copy protected stuff- are usually relatively well educated- in fact, sufficiently eductated to deploy a fuzzy blend of marxist economics, post modern relativism and semantic twists in the service of rationalizing illegal behavior.

"educated people deploying a fuzzy blend of marxist economics, post modern relativism, and semantic twists in the service of rationalizing illegal behavior."

I love it. Nice turn of phrase. I resemble that remark!

I think there are two aspects here: culture and social class. In my experience middle to upper class people tend to bring things to parties, particularly if they are from the city. In the country it's a different story. In the village there may be a party this week at some house. People are invited. People come. More come than are invited. People drink and eat. Nothing is reciprocated at the time, and very little thanks is given. The thanks comes the next day as people talk about the great party so and so had. Good feelings abound. People gain face. People remember. Later the party will be at another house. They may even try to outdo the last party in whatever way they can. In this way the food and drinks are reciprocated. And so it goes.

Info removed due to copyright issues

Astral

google 'em.

for something simpler, legal, and more direct you could try here: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

My family is poor. It hinders....

Bottom line you would need minimum of $3000 a month (to days money)and a place that you own to live for retiring comfortably in Thailand.

You must be joking. $3000 per month in today's money? I live very comfortably in a 3-bdr townhouse in central BKK where I pay rent, with both truck and motorcycle payments, on around $2,000 per month. That includes being able to save each month. In retirement a person living in rural Thailand with low rent and no vehicle financing could easily be comfortable on as little as $1000 per month in today's dollars.

Yellow signifies alignment with PAD specifically. That is not who I support. You mistakenly assume support for one particular politician as alignment with his party and also with a former community organization now turned political party of their own. I don't support the Democrat party in general as my support is limited to Abhisit based on actions he has taken and statements he has made. Simply because the democrat party and Abhisit in particular benefitted by PAD actions does in no way make them the same animal or organization. You know this to be true.

Consider this: A person could be a Thaksin supporter, but not necessarily support PTP, or Rak Chiang Mai 51.

I see your point Lao Po. You are quite right to notice the immediate skepticism. I initially resisted temptation to question the veracity and sources of the article because it all seems rather pointless. I am neither yellow nor red, but I do support Abhisit, for the time being at least. I rather despise Thaksin, but that is really neither here nor there.

I reckon people simply question the article because it makes some very damaging accusations and because there are no corroborating reports by other press. It in no way means that the events described didn't occur, only that there isn't enough information to make that determination.

Why is it that every thread picturing our current, lawful, PM Thaksin in a truthful light, always closed or deleted on this forum?

We have to put up with hearing foreigners talk about "charges" they know nothing about, or even what the "charges" even are, or who made them, or why they were trumped up by jealous business competitors. But, when true facts are stated, or happy pictures are posted, then they are deleted or closed.

Why can't Thai people post the truth on this forum so the foreigners can learn something about the truth? Our "elected by us" PM will return to a hero's welcome.

To answer some of your questions:

1. Why isn't he locked up? Because he is not guilty of the trumped up charges and the flippant "court" did not consist of any unpaid, corrupt participants. All of the normal judges were sidelined while the criminals who pushed Thaksin out were spinning their web of lies.

Or perhaps he isn't locked up because he fled the country after a single guilty verdict, without bother to appeal, and with several more trials pending.....

2. Why doesn't the international community arrest him? Why does the international community support him? Because he the was the first Prime Minister in Thailand to complete full terms in office and be re-elected by a landslide by us, and then be pushed out by criminals while he was fighting for Thailand in another country.

It's my understanding that the international community doesn't support him as he isn't welcome in several developed countries.

3. Why do so many foreigners believe what the media spins? Because they only have access to biased, limited media and because many forums delete or close any factual, truthful reports.

Fair point, though your version of the truth isn't necessarily the truth either....

4. If Thaksin is not corrupt, how did he get so rich? Thaksin was not rich when he began. While studying for his Master Degree in America, his wife Potjaman worked in a McDonalds are you sure about this? links? to help make ends meet. Upon returning to Thailand, he had several failed business attemptes.

When he decided to jump into telecommunications, seeing other countries that has cell phones, he decided to attempt to help his country and himself by launching his own company and mobile phone satallite.

He found it very, very difficult to get financing, no one wanted to invest, not even some of the richest in Bangkok. Thaksin eventually succeeded and became a billionaire overnight as his work and dilligence paid off. All of his naysayers, became insainly jealous as he slowly turned his back on them and surrounded himself with people he could trust, just like YOU would do.

of course loaning a large sum of tax payer money to Burma for telecommunications investment stipulating that his companies must be the broker didn't hurt his fortune gathering efforts.

The jealousy continued to build as he became more powerful, branched out in other businesses successfully, helped our country, and empowered our people. The elite in Bangkok were left behind, students outside Bangkok were given more opportunity to learn and advance, as were farmers and the poor.

The elite in Bangkok were forced to pay their workers a livable wage not so livable methinks, which we know is still too low, but getting better, we were able to sell local made products to make more money, and drug sellers and drug families were eradicated. The streets were safe for a couple of years well I was attacked on the streets of BKK twice during Thaksin's rule, but never since. obviously this proves nothing. neither do your assertions., now since he has been gone, the drugs are back and killing more of our children than ever before.

Yes, we still love him and await his return, and the progression of our great counrty, until then we sit in stagnation and chaos with colored shirts our only headlines instead of how our country is moving forward.

LasT but not least, PM THAKSIN WAS DEMOCRATICALY ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE, US, WE ELECTED HIM !!!! NOT A FLIPPANT COURT!! WE ELECTED HIM AND WE WANT HIM BACK !!!

perhaps you should write him a letter urging him to return and take responsibility for his actions then....

Please do not delete this thread, it not fair to us.......thank you

I'm still working on not feeling slighted when a maniac bears down on me in the fast lane on the expressway(and I drive fast) and sits 15cm behind my taillight until I move over- but then again why worry- the Thais don't.

Nothing to work on there. If someone is in a bigger hurry than you, move over momentarily and let them pass. Problem solved.

...and the illegal drug is the pure substance.

ie. Offenders who possess 1 kg of 50% pure heroin (class 1) is charged with possession (for whatever) of 500 g. of drug class 1.

Somehow I think this will never happen, here or anywhere else for that matter.

...but what strikes me as odd is the huge variation in the penalty for possession of class I narcotics. 1-10 years in prison or a fine of 20-200thou leaves the judge with a lot of leeway so to speak to differentiate between a quantity which would be less than 3 gram.

This is probably a good thing, in general. This gives the judge ample room to consider mitigating circumstances, number of prior offenses, etc. It certainly beats the mandatory minimum laws in the US.

Well, duh.....

What gets me is when the police catch their victims they sing like canaries !,.look at this one guy telling them he bought in bulk in bkk, ,unbeleivable. "Samber said the drugs had been supplied by a dealer in Bangkok, who would ordinarily charge him Bt130,000 (about $US3,825) for a 500gm (about 17.64oz) bag.

He said he would then on-sell the drug in Pattaya for Bt3,500 (about $US103) for a three gram (about 0.1oz) bag, making a net profit of about Bt453,333 (about $US13,347) from the sales."

I am not a math scholar but does 3 grams equal = 0.1 oz??????

Well there are about 28 grams to the ounce. If we call it 30 grams to the ounce then 3 grams would be about a tenth of an ounce and there you go.

Uuuuugh! Get out of your box and change the paradigm!

In the West: THB 100k = small engagement ring

In Thailand: No engagement ring required at all! Just offer the same amount in cash and everything is bliss! If things are good with the family, you will get it back when nobody else is looking. If the family is dirt poor, maybe not - up to what her family really thinks about you and your sincerity.

To the OP: You have to understand TIT! This Is Thailand! In Thailand and especially in the village, if a guy so much as does the naughty with a girl, they MUST get married or at least engaged - IMMEDIATELY. It's the traditional family values and honor thing we used to have in the West. All that Pattaya loose and casual relationship behavior DOES NOT HAPPEN or APPLY in the village. Get with the program or really, you need to find another country. You are in Thailand. Thai rules apply, not yours.

They are Thai, but other than that, they are just like families back in the West. I am sure her family is being asked by others back in the village: "Hey, is that guy going to marry Nit or is she just his whore?". Your actions will answer that question for them.

When I married the wife in the village here is how it went:

For Sin Sod we put in 50,000 THB, the ring valued at about 200,000 THB (family heirloom of diamonds set to a new ring to fit my wife's finger), a few baht of gold that we had purchased over the 5 years we spent together before marriage, the deed to a 1 rai plot my wife purchased before we married.

At the end we received all of it back except for a 1/2 bt gold necklace we gave to grandma and about 15,000 bt we gave as a gift to grandma.

I paid for the wedding - this was a 3-day affair during which we never rain out of alcohol or food - total cost was about 100,000 maybe a tad more.

The family is poor, the parents have passed on, I give support monthly in small amounts to the grandmother, and help my brother and sister in-law make ends meet as necessary. Estimated at about 5,000 per month all-in.

The extended relatives used to try to ride the money train, but over the first couple of years we found a neat system - if they borrowed and didn't repay they were cut off. This was made clear up front. Most of them are now cut off. Works for me. Obviously in a true emergency I would consider helping even those who are cut off, but they don't know that.

I live in the central business district of Bangkok and rarely drive in the city. Certainly a vehicle is useful whether or not you live in BKK. For me the list goes:

Cons

1) Parking is a pain in the city

2) Traffic is horrendous, particularly during rush hour

3) The purchase price was a bit high compared with back home

Pros

1) Handy for a move

2) Easy to roll out of town on the weekends without having to lug bags out to the soi, then to bus/train station

3) Nearest place to catch a taxi is about a 200 meter walk out of the Moo Baan

4) More transportation options for emergency situations

5) Vehicle retains higher value due to low mileage because of limited use

6) Handy when making large purchases, grocery shopping, or when moving something too big for a taxi

7) Can easily visit any part of Thailand and comfortably explore areas off the beaten track

8) Maintenance, repairs, taxes, and insurance costs are low

I've rented bikes all over Thailand.

I'd go with the following pricing:

1) Scooters (Wave, 125 cc) - 200/day

2) Scooters (Wave, 100/110 cc) - 150/day

3) Scooters (Mio/Fino) - 250/day

4) Scooters (Air Blade) - 300/day

5) Scooters (Old) - 150/day

6) Phantom/Boss - 500/day

7) CBR 400 - 500/day

8) True Big Bikes - 800-1000/day (depending on make/model)

I'd make the following recommendations:

1) Offer an alternative to the passport ransom. Perhaps a credit card number, ID card, or a cash deposit.

2) Require the tank to be full upon return. Always ensure they go out with a full tank.

3) Be very clear about existing damages with customers - make them feel comfortable and trusting.

4) Don't charge for general wear and tear, tires, brakes, etc, including flat tires and minor scratches.

5) Be clear about damage charges, pick-up/transportation charges in the case of an accident. Be up front with the customers. Review the store policies at the time of hiring and include them in the rental contract. Make sure they understand and agree.

6) Do offer a delivery/pick up service - maybe charge an extra 50 bt for this.

7) Buy plenty of helmets of different styles and sizes - anticipate your customer's needs.

8) Provide chains and locks .

9) Find a police contact you can trust in case you have trouble with Thai competitors or customers.

10) Find a good mechanic/repair shop you can trust, or do it yourself.

11) Ensure there is always a competent English speaker around or available at the business

12) Be prepared to be ripped off/cheated in some ways. Do not take this out on the other customers through unfair policies and pricing.

Good luck

Tough times. I think you know what you need to do already. You seem to be pretty well clued in on what's going on now and what the future will be like with your husband.