ThaiSquire

Asdecas,

Suggest you study your history. Khmer speakers because of the Khmer Rouge??? Please. Khmer Kingdom ruled tha area centuries ago.

Top criterion....she must be an orphan. No sick grannies, no lazy brothers...

Glad to hear Phayao hasn't changed over the years. I lived in Dokhamtai, Phayao for 3 years back in the 1980s. I loved it. Quiet, nice people, great food. A lot of places to explore.

bdw...yes, Dokhamtai has been known for it's beautiful women, immortalized in the song Sao Dokhamtai. I lived in Dokhamtai for 3 years back in the 80s. There were some beautiful women, but alas, most headed off to Bangkok to ply their trade. I was told that sao dokhamtai were popular with the Thai guys because of their light complexion.

Phayao, most definitely. Lived there back in the late 1980s for a few years, have been back many times. Nice and quiet, Kwan Phayao a nice attraction. Easy access to Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Lampang.

ThaiSquire

How about a new kwai (water buffalo)? They seem to have a habit of being sick or dying, especially when a Thai and a farang are involved!

My fiancee and I had a brief discussion on how we will discipline our children when we have them, and she believes that its ok to use corporal punishment a little to correct their behavior. I disagree and neither I nor my ex farang wife have never laid a hand on my 15 year old daughter and I think she turned out ok. I resort to other methods when she is not behaving properly such as solitary confinement from her friends or restricting her activities, but would never strike my child.

Is it part of Thai culture to use corporal punishment on your own children? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I am not really interested in knowing personal opinions on whether corporal punishment is effective on an individual basis, I am simply trying to find out that since my fiancee believes in it, do most Thais believe in it as well, and is it part of Buddhism? And if I refuse to let her use it on my children will it cause me to lose face with her and her family? If I ever saw her of her family hit my kid, I would be very angry.

I have stayed in Thailand more than a year and I dont know if I have ever seen a parent hitting a child.

In my experience (20 yrs married to a Thai, 2 children) I've not witnessed much corporal punishment. (Only in the schools.) Then again, in my humble opinion, I haven't seen too much parenting going on with Thai kids! Talk about a bunch of spoiled little brats running around.

Thai Squire

Western books in Thailand are expensive. So, in my hunt for decent books on Thailand, I've been trying to keep to advised books. Some come tucked inside conversations on forums. Others from reading advice via blogs, or even other books.

These are books not just on history and/or culture, but to help ease day to day living in Thailand (at times BKK specific). Books that I'd feel comfortable advising other newcomers to buy (I have friends arriving within the year).

The list I have so far:

Thai Ways, by Denis Segaller

Inside Thai Society, by Niels Mulder

Thailand, a Short History, by David Wyatt

Very Thai, everyday popular culture, by Philip Corawel-Smith

Culture Shock Thailand, by Robert Cooper

Spiritual Abodes of Thailand, Barry Broman and William Warren

The Spirit Houses of Thailand, Peter Reichart and Pathawee Khongkhunthian

Bangkok, by William Warren

Bangkok then and now, by Steve Van Beck

The Bangkok Guide (Australian New Zealand Women's group)

Do's and Don'ts in Thailand, Kenny Yee and Catherine Gordon

Siam Smiles, by Hugh Watson

Heart Words, by Christopher Moore

101 Thai Forms

Purchased, but haven't read yet:

Siam Mapped, by Thongchai Winichakul

Bangkok Inside Out, by Daniel Ziv and Guy Sharette

Four Reigns, by Kukrit Pramoj

Reflections on Thai Culture, William J. Klausner

I have more, but they are not good enough to be listed here (usually bought at the airport when desperate for something to read).

Have I missed any of the top books on Thailand?

(Btw - I do have Wandering into Thai Culture, but don't remember enough of it to suggest it to friends...)

One of the better books I've read on Thailand and its culture is A Child of the Northeast by Kampoon Boontawee. A must read.

ThaiSquire

Western books in Thailand are expensive. So, in my hunt for decent books on Thailand, I've been trying to keep to advised books. Some come tucked inside conversations on forums. Others from reading advice via blogs, or even other books.

These are books not just on history and/or culture, but to help ease day to day living in Thailand (at times BKK specific). Books that I'd feel comfortable advising other newcomers to buy (I have friends arriving within the year).

The list I have so far:

Thai Ways, by Denis Segaller

Inside Thai Society, by Niels Mulder

Thailand, a Short History, by David Wyatt

Very Thai, everyday popular culture, by Philip Corawel-Smith

Culture Shock Thailand, by Robert Cooper

Spiritual Abodes of Thailand, Barry Broman and William Warren

The Spirit Houses of Thailand, Peter Reichart and Pathawee Khongkhunthian

Bangkok, by William Warren

Bangkok then and now, by Steve Van Beck

The Bangkok Guide (Australian New Zealand Women's group)

Do's and Don'ts in Thailand, Kenny Yee and Catherine Gordon

Siam Smiles, by Hugh Watson

Heart Words, by Christopher Moore

101 Thai Forms

Purchased, but haven't read yet:

Siam Mapped, by Thongchai Winichakul

Bangkok Inside Out, by Daniel Ziv and Guy Sharette

Four Reigns, by Kukrit Pramoj

Reflections on Thai Culture, William J. Klausner

I have more, but they are not good enough to be listed here (usually bought at the airport when desperate for something to read).

Have I missed any of the top books on Thailand?

(Btw - I do have Wandering into Thai Culture, but don't remember enough of it to suggest it to friends...)

Had a fairly large lipoma removed from my neck a couple years back, albeit not in LOS. Very basic procedure. Small incision and then surgeon took a tool, basically looked like a small ice cream scoop, and popped the thing out. He showed it to me, and it actually looked like a shrimp. A stitch or two to close the incision and I was on my way.

Jingthing,

You say you do not work and that you are well under the age of retirement. If I were you I'd be going to the social security website and checking info. I do know that once you've stopped paying into the system, i.e. no "activity" for the past 40 quarters, your benefit starts to decrease. I'm not sure if it's the same for disability but if I were you I'd start checking it out. (www.ssa.gov)

I work for a state university. We do not pay into the social security system. Every year I get my benefit statement from the government my social security benefits get lower and lower.

ThaiSquire

This only an academic question as I am not in this situation and hope I never am, but I am curious.

I don't work and hope to never work again, and am well under the social security old age program age of eligibility.

Suppose someone like me, living in Thailand, becomes disabled and unable to work?

Now I have already been told I could move back to the US and apply for social security disability benefits, even though I am retired.

So the obvious expat question is: are these payments legal to claim if you are living abroad?

Of course, the old age program is of course legal for expats to claim, but this question is about Social Security disability.

Even if expats are eligible, I am assuming you would need to go back to the USA to process an application.

Dude,

Not to be alarmist or anything, but the symptoms sound very similar to what I had a number of years ago. Have them check for a brain tumor. I'm serious. I was diagnosed 7 years ago with malignant brain tumor and had almost the same symptoms.

Your GF would need to go to a place where she can get an MRI.