william61

14 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And if they are married, would it be illegal if they have sex?

I think the parents have to agree for a 16 year old girl to marry. And I guess if they agree to that then that includes what married people do with each other.

 

This is not about my opinion if it is right or wrong, it's about the legal situation.

This is complicated: there is legal age for sex with consent (15?), the legal age to get married (17), but they did not actually get married. The remaining option, if not married, is paying for the service, which is illegal. Other options?

14 minutes ago, Hummin said:

You forget one thing, many fall out of school out of many reasons, and is not an option for many. 

Correct, there are lots of these as well. Their options are limited to the jobs that go for the minimum salary and are often already done by the guests from Laos, Myanmar or Cambodia - easy prey for criminals looking for couriers, call center operators +++. Not sure what the required qualifications are to become a motor taxi driver.

9 minutes ago, Hummin said:

This is how they practiced arranged marriages before, and still some few choose to either send their daughters away to find work, or find a husband to them. 

 

So what is their options, if not able to create a life for themselves? Either fabric somewhere if lucky, or "pattaya" jst for the generalization sake

 

 

The available option is to finish school and find a job. Their is no lack of employment in the tourism and manufacturing industries as long as people finish secondary school. This family tried a shortcut that did not work, another youngster in the village opened a bank account and gave the number and pw to a "friend": He is now in prison as the account was used by a call center. Others are trying their luck on gambling (close to zero chance) or other illegal stuff.
Final option is to grow rice and walk the cows to the fields - but this is reserved for the oldies returning from work in cities.

This happened near the village where we have a home where we stay when not in Bangkok. 

One young village girl, 16 years old and from a poor family found an 40/50 year old expat online from a city 50 or 60 km away, and they chatted online for few months. He speaks and chats in English and she only knows Thai. Then a month ago, during the school holiday the guy visited and offered to marry the girl.  The family seemed to think a dream came true and asked for half million baht financial support, which was negotiated down to 200.000 or less.  There was no real marriage and no paperwork done. Lots of stories were going around as the family has to ask other villagers to help with translations...

Then the guy stayed in the village for a month with the girl and after the first days it went downhill according to the stories. The guy could not communicate in Thai and his only interest seems to be in the sex.   He then left and took all that he bought for the family with him. Now they seem to have broken up, with the girl staying in another village for her safety, and the foreigner coming back the first time, threatening with lawyers and police to demand back the money, and coming back a few days later with flowers to make up and ask to take the girl with him.

Surprisingly, after all this time, nobody knows his name or address, not even the "wife". Nobody knows where he lives, what he does for a living etc.

So many things are wrong, so many red flags, and with a foreigner involved (who should know better!).

If the girl would have been forced to go with the guy then this would be trafficking but luckily she is still in the village.

I am interested to hear your views and if there are similar experiences, and suggestions on what to do / not to do.

29 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

My attitude is that, at age 74 and 'rich' by local peasant standards, I should give as I can to others among my large extended family & friends because there are those who slave away every day and are almost always available to help out here 40 kms away when we need help but, despite their efforts, they still can't make ends meet (no education) so they can't cover all costs including medical.  When they come to work here I pay them way over the minimum daily rate, feed & water and fill the truck tank, and to one BIL who's particularly hard-working I give a large donation each December for him and his family & to improve his small farm.

 

But the drinkers & the lazy good-for-nothings don't get a cent from me.  If they ask, my answer is always a variant on 'pull finger'.

 

So the lesson is: Choose carefully who you give to.

Same here, help by giving (no loans, no worries about repayment)

I help those willing work and needing a hand, or those working but not able to provide for the family

Giving loans to those that cannot get a loan from the bank is never a good idea. Not here and not in any country.

Giving loans to family is even a worse idea.

I prefer to pay xx % of what is needed, but not 100%  so that all have a stake.

Thailand is not that different from other countries

Maybe it is only a part related to the USD, as also Euro is gaining value.
It is for a large part related to the poor performance of the Thai stocks and bonds. My Tisco retirement fund has been reducing a bit in value last months, even while more money is put in each month....

Thanks for that, I did not export and then import the 800,000 THB.

There is enough time, so I will do that, but it will cost a bit.

Still best to be safe and 100% correct.

As I bought the condo I have the yellow book

So my current contract is ending of 31 Jan and the company will end the work permit and cancel that extension of stay 

The agent that does the work told me she can get the stamp few days earlier, but the last day to leave Thailand will be 31st Jan.

So here is my plan:

I booked a ticket to Phnom Penh and back and did the online e-visa for Cambodia.

The plan is to do 8 days of vacation in Cambodia and apply for the Non O immigrant O visa at the Phnom Penh Thai embassy

It might take 5 working days and as far as I can see there are no holidays.. 

The required 800,000 THB was parked in a separate bank account few months ago, from salary paid in Thailand, not from abroad.

The other requirements below are easy enough as listed on the website,  with my only question being what can be included in point 5 

(I am over 50 as well)

Required Documents

1. Visa application form completely filled out and signed
2. Photograph (size 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm) taken within the last 6 months
3. Passport (valid for no less than 6 months) and a copy of the passport (Please note that the applicant must be at least 50 years of age and no longer employed.)
4. Financial evidence of at least 800,000 Thai Baht or 65,000 Thai Baht per month in income or retirement funds (or equivalent in any currency)
5. ???Other documents as may be requested by the consular officer????

I know I can go to Laos or Vietnam, but I like to visit Cambodia and hope that with no previous history this application will not be a problem 
What I will bring: Passport, pictures, application form (if I can find it), Bank book and/or letter of the bank (Bangkok bank), Yellow book (address of my own condo) 

Please add anything I missed.