way2muchcoffee

I've just been reading up on abortion in Thailand. Evidently abortion is legal in the case of rape, incest, or when allowing the baby to come to term may harm the mother physically or mentally. It is the last clause which allows hospitals like Bamrungrad to perform abortions virtually at will. Mental harm is such a vague and open statement, and this determination is entirely up to the licensed doctor. Many private hospitals and clinics will perform the service.

I am not suggesting that the young man is somehow not financially responsible for the child on a 50% basis. The intent of this post is only to clarify abortion law and abortion practice in Thailand.

Regarding the young man. He does not deserve jail, even if he doesn't ever pay a satang to the unfortunate girl or her family.

Debtor's prisons were abolished long ago in many countries, and for good reason. Fraudulent or other criminal debt is one thing, but most debt is not of this type. There should be a civil legal process for recovering money from borrowers who default, or from 'deadbeat dads'.

Right, another BS answer. When I was in high school ( a few years ago) nobody thought anything of a 14-15 yr old girl with a 19 yr old guy. Now it's a major crime with jail time required. Sure looks like we have become a much more moral society in the past few decades.

Hmm. I graduated in 1987 and it was completely unacceptable in those days. 14 and 19?! Maybe 16 and 19 would have been barely acceptable, but not 14. Different generations I guess.

Haybilly - I didn't mean this as a slur on your parenting. The comment was addressed to TheDon. When you said step-daughter I just assumed circumstances were such that you weren't acting in a parental role. Sorry for the misunderstanding....

Well, presumably you would have put a stop to your 14 y/o daughter having a 19 y/o boyfriend in the first place TheDon.

Why not do something original, instead of getting yourself killed chasing some Movie/Novel inspired pipe dream? Great movie though wasn't it? If you haven't read the book, check it out.

Actually 'ordinary' Thai women don't earn much more than between 6,000 bt and 12,000 per month. It is the 'extraordinary' ones who earn more than 15k per month, based on national figures for income per capita (I used 2006 figures). If I made 10k and my wife made 100k, I most certainly would be asking her for money.

And they should be watched too. Nobody is innocent. But it doesn't make sense to wear blinders and ignore the misdeeds of the party you support. All parties, all governments, all politicians should be watched carefully by the general population.

I'm actually being quite serious. When any government allows such an egregious betrayal of the public trust, and wanton pillaging of the national wealth, that a military coup is the only way forward, it is expected that the next few governments would be watched like a hawk. This is just common sense.

I would have thought that the educated population would want to keep an eye on the party that allowed it's leader to change tax laws for the purpose of personal enrichment. It worked so well that a couple of months later he could avoid paying taxes on a sum of money that was a little less than 1% of the GDP for the whole of Thailand in 2006.

I expect he meant the majority of people who have had the luxury of a university education, and those who otherwise take an interest in the government of the country.

I've been with my wife now for 6 years. We started to wear rings of commitment after about 2 years. We legally married after 5 years together.

I expect that the women feel it adds an air of respectability to the relationship, especially when walking around town together. To any passersby the rings imply a long-term commitment, lest they assume the relationship is of the more sordid variety. I've found many Thai women to be quite sensitive to this possible assumption by strangers.

What about the good little girls who go into this blindly trusting and then take a swan dive out an apartment window when the man pulls a disappearing act.

Swain, I could tell many a tale of a Thai women that has been left in the lumber by a Farang. One case is of a very nice lady who had stayed with a Farang for a number of years in rented accomodation, he came home one day, packed his clothes up and walked out cos he had met a young girl who had just come to Pattaya from up - country.

This Farang lost nothing, the Thai woman lost 5 years of her life and was left with the rent to pay.

Most stories we read on this Forum are about how bad Thai women are, but there are also other sides of the Thai coin too.

Hmm. The farang lost 5 years of his life too. If the farang was paying all the rent himself then she got 5 years rent-free on top of that, and probably numerous other improvements of lifestyle. It isn't as if the farang lost nothing in the deal. He should certainly have handled the break up differently, but I think a more balanced view of the situation is appropriate.

Legally, Thai rate = Thai National ID Card.

Are you sure about that John? I was always told that because I pay taxes here (around 120k annually) the work permit and/or tax id card are all that is legally required for entrance to national parks at the local rate. I could be wrong, but I've always just paid the local rate when I have bothered to bring those documents with me.

^^ Nice post. Agree completely.

There does seem to be quite a bit of inequity when it comes to how some Thai people treat the customs and cultures of Westerners. Nevertheless, I am quite happy with the life I have made for myself and my wife here. I doubt we will ever live in my home country, though it isn't absolutely out of the question.

Oh lets not get too patronizing - Bush and Blair's war on terror results in far more innocent lives dying almost on a daily basis than did Thaksin's war on drugs. We certainly dont need moral lectures.

LOL - Bush and Blair would have made excellent Nazis as well.

I'm happy to be an equal opportunity moralizer!

I can hear the men in jack-boots coming - gotta run....

It's truly shocking to hear anyone raised in the west condone, let alone applaud, this kind of policy.

Shame on you. Shame, shame, shame. You are the kind of people who would have made excellent Nazis.

Is this a sincere question? Please....

Me too. Aren't they just so cute and cuddly and helpful?

If the thai LTD.CO borrowed money from the bank using the house in the Company's name as collateral to buy a new car should i register the car in the thai LTD.CO name or in my own name,which is the best move.

Thanks again.

Unless you have a Thai guarantor, or you or your company has income in Thailand, I very much doubt that any Thai bank will lend you money for buying the car. If buying a new car you may be able to get financing through the manufacturer.

Sophon

I had my wife as guarantor - before we were married, but she has no income, no credit, and no bank account, so it really wasn't in the role of guarantor, more of a cosigner. The car is entirely in my name. In this circumstance I was asked to put 25% up front.

I hear what you are saying.

But the typical Thai also sees corruption at every level from the highest echelons on down. Benz capital of asia and all that. Everyone's getting in on the action and thus making a better life for themselves and their families. Why not try to milk a bit off the 'rich falang'?

I'm not saying I condone this behavior, but I can understand the temptation and the economic forces behind the practice.

6-8,000 bt/month is decent?

You try it for 5 years, come back and let us know how decent of a life you were able to have.

Why can't they just do an honest day's work?

Perhaps because an honest day's work doesn't provide an honest day's pay for the majority of the population?

re to mutcoffee :if u trying to show y sin soot is not required u maybe better leave out the part after the marriage where it seems u dishing out a whole lotta baht.

good 4 you btw.. very kind and generous!

I think I was just offering an alternative to the practice of Sin Sod as it tends to be rather offensive to western sensibilities. Whereas even us callous westerners can understand the need for an emergency medical situation, or preserving the title to the family land, or any number of other things that are sure to come up.

I appreciate the compliment of being 'generous', but it isn't all that generous in my opinion. It is just what anyone with a little cash would do for their families.