teddy_bare

Does anyone have any experience of setting up a mooban committee? We have been advised by a lawyer the cost would be somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 baht + his fee, and has to be done at the land office. This seems like a huge amount of money for such a requirement. I'm betting that no Thai dominated mooban pays that kind of amount ... or am I wrong?

Thanks in advance.

DIG

What are the benefits of a Moobaan Committee? Is it like a Condo association? How big is your Baan?

I see over a thousand members reading this.

Interesting post that ulimately and predictably shows Thailand in a bad light.

My experience is that Thais don't learn their lessons well. If the tourist downturn and recession continue the money generating activities will increase and the bad press will increase.

I feel for the companies and individuals who are just trying to eek out a living.

Sure there are scam merchants everywhere and Thailand has its fair share. But remember, most people you come in contact with on your holiday are just trying to make a living. If they can get the best price for something they will.

Often a fool and their money are soon parted. Just keep your eyes open, and think shit thru.

LAST weekend, there were at least two fatal motorcycle accidents that occurred on the island, one in Bangrak and the other in Lamai.

Maybe our western compassion doesnt understand the way the locals think about their fate. I see most locals are practicing buddists. perhaps their death isnt the angst ridden rollercoaster we make it. I see locals coping with the most amazing hardships and psychological trauma relatively well. My experiences tell me locals believe strongly in fate and that, if it's gonna happen then there is nothing they can do to change it'.

Muslims would say 'In sh allah'. I guess Buddists have a similar saying.

I try to educate my family on things I believe will help them and keep them safe. They comply but i dont know when i am not there, maybe they revert to what they know. Don't beat yourself up about it and just try to protect your family.

Farang should start taking girls out of the Thai massage parlors. plenty of white skin prostitutes to be had. better yet, about a billion dirt poor white skin Chinese in that place called CHINA.

Why?

i find it funny how guys take great pride in having a white skinned gf in thailand... i mean, wow, congrats, you can find many more chinese in that place called China.

They do?

I have not noticed it.

I though the overall majority here more or less agree about the fact that it does not matter what color it is.

We have our preferences, but in the end of the day we do not care what color it is.

At least that goes for the ones here that are married or in a steady relationship.

Anyhow, I just reacted to your use of the word Farang, as it was farangs in general you talked about, and your referrence to a certain profession.

I suspect he means that many posters often say, 'but I married a white/chinese bird', after saying colour/background doesn't matter. I think I even said it once myself on another thread as a joke, of course . He is indicating although these posters are saying one thing, they use the 'but married a white one' to distance themselves from the very class of people they have been defending least some readers thinks they are one of theses miscreants.

Again, I don't think most males coming to thailand to date, think too much about colour with a racists view, more so as a personal perference. I only have two perferences, slim, women. I just happened to find these in Thailand and have found no reason to move on. I have made my nest and will try to sit in it for as long as possible, cos it's a very nice nest to be in.

So good I wrote it twice!!!

Double entry. Cor blimey missus!!

It seems like a lot of people here don't want to accept the truth of the matter, and I'm sure I'll get loads of people telling me how wrong I am (I wonder why?). But, after more than 10 years of living in Thailand and having had Thai girlfriends of varying degrees of dark skin, it is my opinion that a lot of western guys would be just as happy with a fair skinned Thai girlfriend as long as they still have a lovely personality. However, most just don't know how to go about finding one (most Thai girls hanging out in the touristy areas will usually be of darker skin color, as in general that is the working class/farmer shade of skin color), or if they do know, they aren't willing to put in the effort required (a bit of dating and getting to know eachother, as well as probably no bedtime activities for a while). There are also western guys that just wouldn't be able to chat up a fair skinned good Thai girl, the same way they have problems in their home country with girls. It seems to me, guys who don't really know anything about Thailand come here and fancy themselves as Romeos, and somehow loose sight of the fact that anybody in Thailand with a bit of money can score a nice looking young girl (probably dark skinned though!).

I have also been asked this question by many Thais, and it can be a difficult thing to explain with my limited Thai. The really unfortunate thing though is that a lot of Thais will also pre-judge you on what your Thai girlfriend looks like, dresses like, education level etc. I guess it's up to each individual if they want to buy into that or not. I went out with a very fair skinned pretty northern girl for a while and all the Thais we would meet would tell me how lucky I was to have such a beautiful girlfriend. However, I have never met such a spoiled, mean and volatile girl in my entire life!

I must admit, I prefer the fairer look (as long as it a healthy look and not that overly white pasty kind of white), but I would never use this as a criterea for choosing a girlfriend and would be quite happy with a darker skinned girl if I liked her. This is what I also try to tell the Thais who ask me this question.

So anyway, my answer to the question, most farangs don't prefer darker skin, but it's what they can get without too much effort, they are after all here for a holiday or nice easy lifestyle!

This arguement is probably the least liked (by many forum members), as it highlights the possibility that ones' partner could have been, might have been, a working girl. Whether true or not, the perception that ones' partner may have been on the game upsets people.

Unfortunately, some peoples minds' are very small and will never be able to accept another theory or reason for what they observe. That is up to them. Let them live in their myopic world. If they want to treat you and your partner different, walk away, take your custom to someone who may not judge on appearance. Remember there are Luddytes everywhere.

One point of note is that many people who monger, are not the dysfunctional creatures you illustrate. They just like the availability of plenty of cheap action. Nothing wrong with that. To label them with the inability to chat up the opposite sex, sez more about you than it does them. No offensive

Ok follow the ramble,

Perhaps, the Thai perception that farangs like dark skinned girls comes from their observations. Holidaying men meet charming ladies and travel around Thailand to some extent. The said ladies may be of dark skin because they come from places where the skin is darker. The observing thais then put 2 and 2 together and ergo, farang like dark skin.

In addition, the farang who may have lived in the west for most of his life sees tanned skin as being exotic. This may have transpired cos during the 60's, 70s' and 80's foreign travel became more accessible although still more expensive than holidaying at cloudy home . Individuals coming back from a foreign holiday would often be tanned. Therefore a tan became a status symbol of international travel and wealth.

Then there is the dark skin is for field workers mindset.

Also, of every thai man i have asked about their perferance, they almost exclusively liked the Japanese skin colour, which is blue white in most cases. This may come from the mindset above or them watching mainly Japanese porn. White skinned girls are the perferred colour for Thai men, in my experience.

I guess Thai women know this too, hence the obsession with scrubbing themselves white and avoiding any sort of sunlight, despite UV being (nearly) unable to travel thru glass and being able to bounce off every other surface.

Thai women also love white skinned males, in my experience. I too am very handsome BTW. My wife gets mad when I pull weeds out of the garden in the midday sun barebacked. I perfer a little colour as I am otherwise Blue White. My arguement is that if I have a tan, less women will be attracted to me and my wife will have less girls to fight off. Yet she still wants me to be white.

I very much doubt race comes into the equation from a western POV, more likely just personal perference. I would suggest, the majority of the thais I observe are overtly racism when it comes to skin colour, or maybe that's cos I think differently from them.

I once said Sawadee Khrap sam ma (3 dogs), instead of sam mair (3 mums) to the three mums who lived in my ex g/f house.

It made me smile as I realised the looks on their faces.

Most of my friends are Thai, and I made them by learning to speak and read Thai. I used to sit in coffee shops/ by the pool at the gym and read my Thai school books. Staff and other customers would often help me with pronouncation and sounding out the words, vowels etc. If they didnt offer, I would politely ask. Trying to learn a language like this (I found) was an excellent way of breaking down inhabitions and social barriers.

This lead to me having a fairly large circle of friends.

I actually married one of them!!!

Honour among theives is surely a myth.

Illegal activities will always end badly.

If the many reports about Thai prisons are a yardstick, I think most people will sing like a canery, or are you saying you'd go down with the ship?

Ulimately we all take care of ourselves until paid otherwise.

Why is a snitch looked down upon. If an informant provides information that say, stops another crime taking place, surely they deserve recognition. Sure they might only be doing it to save their own skin, but they are also providing a service to the greater community.

Although you were probalbly a victim of a shakedown. So, in future be careful who sees you commiting a crime, however trivial in your preception.

Honour amongst thieves is old school but no myth, dont happen no more like it did years ago but most of those involved in criminality lived by a code, THOUGH SHALT NOT GRASS, but the old days have gone and people more and more grass people up to save their own skins, or go for a reduced sentence, maybe even become paid Police Informers..

that said, grasses have been about for years, ever heard the term/phrase SUPERGRASS.?.

Why is a snitch looked down upon , well lets just say that if your not involved with crimminals and criminality then it's up to you if you choose to give information to the police or not, most people do it in complete confidentiallity and even get rewards, in the UK anyway, but these people are looked down upon by some, especially those they have informed on.

A Grass is different to a snitch, a a Grass is someone who is usually involved in crimminal acts or has been but gives information to the police for money as a paid Police Informer or to get themselves out of trouble, a grass is a first class scum bag IMO, the lowest of the low and sometimes lives in fear of their lives if found out to be a grass / Police informer and get their just rewards from the people they grassed if caught up with.

As for the OP's post, yeah your probably right about the person who grassed up for the illegal card game, he probably got himself into some trouble and he is being used by the Thai Police as an informer, I cant see the police paying him though, they dont even pay the Volunteer Tourist Police, by the way, I've played cards for money for years in thailand and have never had a problem with the Police, who knows, maybe my time will come but it seems to me that the Police don't give a flying duck if no Thais are involved in the game, or maybe I have just been lucky..

Maybe I am reading your post incorrectly, but you make it sound like giving information that prevents crimes a bad thing. You suggest giving information to the police is a bad thing.

My prespective and experiences differs. I guess I walk along a different path.

Of course the criminal will look down on anyone who prevents the criminal from their goals, but their morality and thought processes are already warped and therefore (I believe) are less worthy (unless shown otherwise) than that of the law abiding community.

The mentality (of the criminal) you hightlight demonstrates their childish/selfish thinking patterns. They are really only looking out for themselves. The myth is exactly that. It's a unspoken and dark code of conduct that was used to prevent people snitching on other criminals thru fear. Nice code! I doubt it was adherred too as commonly and romantically as you allude to.

But of course you and I are allowed to disagree

I can only presume in this case that you have bought yourself a REAL helmet..average cost of about 15000 baht but up to 40000 baht and more....if not ...hope you believe in buddha!! because thats all thats gonna save you! The plastic pot that people wear on their heads is an absolute waste of time.

Some sort of sick joke!!!

So your statement "if everybody wore a helmet there would be a lot less deaths" would only be a truism if ALL had a REAL SAFETY HELMET.Thais cannot afford them[ and realistically can not afford not to afford one..but..life is cheap in LOS] but anyone else at all concerned at not becoming a vegie should!

I am angry that that powers that be make one wear a helmet that does not have one iota of impact resisting benefit to protect ones cranium from devastating injury in T/land or conform to ANY standard purely to save paying a fine.

IT IS A JOKE..but sadly it is the law!

The shit helmets that 95% of people wear here are good for TWO things only;

[1] To keep your hair dry in the rain.

[2] So you can ride around T/land without worrying about paying a fine.

I disagree. I came off my moped in Patong on Nanai road at maybe 25-30km. My plastic skid lid took a good knock as I 'Para' rolled off my bike. The helmet cracked in two, not my head. I did break my clevial thou

Honour among theives is surely a myth.

Illegal activities will always end badly.

If the many reports about Thai prisons are a yardstick, I think most people will sing like a canery, or are you saying you'd go down with the ship?

Ulimately we all take care of ourselves until paid otherwise.

Why is a snitch looked down upon. If an informant provides information that say, stops another crime taking place, surely they deserve recognition. Sure they might only be doing it to save their own skin, but they are also providing a service to the greater community.

Although you were probalbly a victim of a shakedown. So, in future be careful who sees you commiting a crime, however trivial in your preception.

Hi, genuine questions asked with respect.

Do TV moderators who live in Thailand have Work Permits for the work they do monitoring the forum?

Do they need one?

My buddy is well over weight , so much so that instead of a neck he has an exended torso . However , being HUGE isnt a problem , the ladies love his double beer barrel stomach and he never has problems with getting a lady. He recently married a beautiful woman , stunning in fact and no one can understand why she would chose him rather than a younger healthier and fitter looking man . The Answer is that he is one of the nicest genuine guys you would want to meet. Its not always the looks and money that attract the girls as he hasnt got much dosh but obviously being who he is makes up for what he hasnt got.

Its not just thai women either ,i have a friend in the uk that is probably 110 kilos, hes got a superb personality and ive been friends with him for 30 years, women swoon over him, he makes them laugh and feel like the only woman alive,,, ask the girls what they like, a body/looks wont be on the top of the list i bet,.unlike us men ,and thats what gets us into trouble ! ,.......

Gets you in trouble.. i learned my lesson after 1 sexy wife from hel_l. I tend to want a girl with a brain and of course normal looks. Rather have an average girl with a brain then a looker with bad temper. However most perfect would be a looker with a brain.

There is some evidence that good looking people develop less social skills due to other peoples reactions in social interactions with them. The other people ignore social failing/faults because the people are nice to look at.

lesson learned, top-up at a gas station next time.

My experiences in trying to save time/money usually cost me more too.

I'll be in BKK for a week in the Sukhumvit area, and I heard there is an area, or even one street actually,

, with loads of bike shops.

I'm looking for aftermarket parts for a Suzuki raider, and an airblade, NOT big bike parts:

raider:

#415 rear sprockets, chain

steel brake lines

adjustable front brake and clutch levers

alloy swingarm

airblade:

rear disc conversion kit

I can't find these in Chiang Mai, but that's besides the point, I think.

I'm not too familiar with BKK, so any EXPERIENCED help pinpointing this specific area I heard about, would be great.

thanks in advance,

jbeck

If you get on Rama 4 and follow it China town, go over the railway tracks, they have a whole street devoted to motorcycle spares. The street is one way and most of the shops are on the right hand side

You dont need to fly back, Just leave Thailand for say, Malaysia, PH and post your passport back to a friend/mate in your home country with all the necessary forms. It probably takes 10 days maximum. Nothing illegal about this method. Only illegal if you try to stay in Thailand when you are applying for it.

Legal yes, but what about staying in a country 10 days without your Passport ?

Could be a big problem (except for lucky ones who can get 2 passports).

You have no stamps in the passport that you have been in UK and get the Non-B-O Visa ! . . . becuse u are in etc., PH . . .

What is the reaction when u come back to Thailand then ?

No problem.

You don't need to go in UK to get your (Hull) Visa,

you only need to be out of Thailand.

I have 2 UK passports. nothing illegal about that. You can get 2 passports for many reasons. Ask the Embassy.

I have mine due to my work in the Middle East. Just took a letter from my employer saying I needed another passport as I may be asked to travel to Israel. If I get a stamp from them, many Muslim run countries will not allow me access. Pathetic I know, but handy for getting a 'O' visa whilst I am out of country.

Again, everything totally legal and easier and more enjoyable than traveling to the UK in my case.

You dont need to fly back, Just leave thailand for say, Malaysia, PH and post your passport back to a friend/mate in your home country with all the necessary forms. It probably takes 10 days maximum. Nothing illegal about this method. Only illegal if you try to stay in Thailand when you are applying for it.

Trust me, I have done it, absolutely 100% legal

Just One problem then !

You have no stamps in the passport that you have been in UK and get the Non-B-O Visa ! . . . becuse u are in etc., PH . . . What is the reaction when u come back to Thailand then ?

Go to the Hull Consulate website. It states only that you have to be out of thailand when applying. They will only send the return stamped passport to a UK or EU address cos of the fees.

I have been in and out of the UK and have never received one entry or exit stamp.

Nothing illegal, as I don't take thou kinds of risks.

So they once again fail to address the issue of non retirees or those under 50 years old wanting to make Thailand their home or semi permanent residence. They bang the "illegal worker" drum but never try to work out why people may actually work illegally. Cost, pure and simple. Make it relatively painless to go legitimate and you solve the problem.

If you want to stay in Thailand a long time, then just prove you can afford to do so. The Bt65k a month is the only figure which is already in the public domain so use that one. If you have Bt200k in the bank then you get 3 months etc. If you own your own home, then some discount is applied as you do not have to pay rent.

Lets be serious, everyone can fly to a friendly consulate and get a Multiple Entry Non Immigrant "O" visa. The problem is that it costs about Bt60k to Bt100k when you add in all the visa trips every 90 days and the flights etc. Surely an easier way would be to offer some sort of legalisation which cost less.

You dont need to fly back, Just leave thailand for say, Malaysia, PH and post your passport back to a friend/mate in your home country with all the necessary forms. It probably takes 10 days maximum. Nothing illegal about this method. Only illegal if you try to stay in Thailand when you are applying for it.

Trust me, I have done it, absolutely 100% legal

If one has received a refusal notice which bears little or no relevance to the actual details of the applicant, then the obvious thing to do is get straight onto the visa section demanding an explanation and a correction.

Moaning about it on an internet forum will achieve nothing.

As for the suggestion that the ECOs are deliberately refusing applications that meet the criteria in order to raise funds......

Funds for whom? They're not on a commission!

Perhaps I didn't make it clear. The visa section does not enter into conversations with visa applicants. They will not see you, they will not take calls, they have yet to answer any of my emails. The assistant in the gold fish bowl in the visa section, simply and repeatedly said 'your appeal has been received and if you do not hear from us in (up to) 2 months, your appeal will be sent to the UK for assessment'. I repeated the urgency of the appeal many times and in a few different manners. I am quite articulate when needed, but the response was the same (brickwalling).

My moaning about it on an internet forum, was in the hope that it might be addressed and to highlight the fact that the visa section does not enter in to converstions with visa applicants. I imagine they used to and were constantly abused by individuals' who wife/gf/husband had had their applications refused. I expressed my concern about the timescales in a covering letter included in the appeal paperwork. I asked the visa section staff member on duty to convey my concern. I email several times, but received not answers. I called the embassy and asked to be put through to the visa section and was told 'they don't take calls'. My brother faxed the embassy to confirm it was his wedding we were attending.

Have I missed another method? helicoptor into the embassy, chaining oneself to the main gate?

I have written to the compliants email address I was given. Guess what, no answer.

If my moaning on an internet forum can initiate some action, or alert anyone who has control or is responsible for the visa sections action, then I have achieved something. Not that it helps me much, but it could help the next guy/girl just trying to get their loved one to the UK.

Geezs I was only wanting to take her to a wedding and meet my family, what part of that could the ECO not understand? Why would they completely change the reason for going, unless they are particularly stupid or unable to read typed text in an online application??!!

Then again, misreading is fairly common I see

was there any warranty on it? One year is long in Thailand.

My experience would say there isn't such a consumer act and as Raro pointed out a year is long in Thailand, even for a government let alone a warrenty

Surely picking up a taxi in the heart of the city is better than getting one on the outskirts (airport) that then has to drive into the city anyway?

This is probably good if you live in central ish Bangkok.

BTW there is never much traffic congestion as you come out of the airport and move towards the Rama 9 / expressway corridor. It gets busy when you move off the expressway depending on the time.

Too many people whinging about a service that hasn't even started. You guys must order shit loads of beer, cos your glasses are always half empty.

Lighten up. When has any service been 100% useful for 100% of the users?

As for price, the airport is some 25km outside of Bangkok and will undoubtably be safer and less scary than a F1 taxi ride.

I work in Iraq and the most dangerous part of my tour is the journey to and from BKK airport by taxi!!!!!! For short trips abroad I leave my car in the short term car park despite the daily costs of 250 baht per day. Better than risking my life on the (lack of) abilities of a Bkk cabbie.

This link will give an opportunity for the 'taxi ripoff brigade' an alternative to whinge about. I have been in thousands of taxis in Bangkok, and have only experienced a few trying to clock up milage. just ask them where they are going (in Thai) pai nai? and they soon get the idea you know your way around. Try telling them you have a car and drive in Bkk every day. Not too hard to learn and say. Saves hassle and a need to report your displeasures on Thaiwhinger. Their biggest fault is a lack of safety knowledge and a misplaced belief in fate and the multiple of lucky charms obscuring their forward view.

I don't see the problem.

I have come thru the airport twice in the last month and only saw a few people waiting at arrivals. Only the yellow coated taxi girls asked me if i wanted a taxi. No one asking if i want to go to Pattaya, no one hassling me about taxis.

What's all the fuss?

There are always fools being parted with their money. Why the song and dance? Sour grapes?

To all that complain about bad service.

Please remind yourself you are paying a small fee for a lot of work. Profit margins will be at the slimest.

You want quality service at bargain prices. It's not going to work.

hire a car and drive yourself. getting a visa at the border couldn't be easier, and the procedure is well documented here. Too many scammers at the border? boo hoo, are you telling me every tourist area doesn't have people hassling you all day. just say no. These guys do remember you mostly and dont bother you. If, of course, you look like a complete tourist idiot, looking around and clueless, then yes they will approach you.

I for one will leave my car in the airport and pay the parking fee, rather than take a Bangkok taxi to get to and from the airport. Why, cos they drive outside of my comfort zone.

This happens regularly we put a visit visa for a girl who had been to the UK on a 1 month visit 1 year ago returned promptly.

We supplied land document asset her previous passport with visa in it, also 2 further copies of it etc etc.

In his refusal he wrote as you are a first time visitor to the UK ???

You have no assets or ties to your host country and little contact with your boyfriend 6 months phone calls 3 x per day ???

No right of appeal so we just waste another 3900 putting it back in.

I am guessing you reiterated all of this in a supporting letter, yet they still managed to miss it.

The Thai staff asked my wife why she was putting her application in so early!!!! This was on the same day the Embassy annouced a 4-6 week turn around 90% of applications and 2 months for 100%.

I also dont understand the online appointment system, which we used. She still had to wait in a queue despite being 8 moths pregnant.

You either book an appointment and expect to get served around about that time or you turn up and take your chances. Seems like they have merged the booking an appoinment and take your chances = long wait and expectations unforfilled.