qwertz

The airport immigration queue

A couple of my family members are in care homes here in Germany and I speak from experience when I say the care here would be difficult to match anywhere in the world.

I have lived in Germany for 20 years and have been a freelance interpreter for the last 30 years. My British pension is derisory but I was never so naive as to believe the government would keep me in comfort in my dotage, so I saved whenever I earned. Consequently, I have enough to get by and I still work part time, because I want to. My advice to younger people, prepare to take care of yourselves now because when you reach 65 you will become a very low priority case in the eyes of the government du jour..

PS: BENDIX; HOW YA DOING?

0p, if you're ever in Pattaya, top watchmaker corner of Soi Buakao and Central Rd. He can fix it.

join a coffee club . how could you stay in a condo all day . try some night life know whay i mean . james hat yai

Well i dont stay in my home all day, but when as i dont drink, going to bars in the evening, is not much fun, though it can be for a snooker or two

Erikur,

You don't have to drink alcohol in a bar.

I rarely drink alcohol but I can get tea or juice in any bar.

I always travel alone to TL and I always make friends.

All you need do is make clear that you enjoy the company you're in.

But first find the right company.

Such a well worn topic.

The age difference is really not as important as the form of relationship.

It is a fact that both genders like a younger partner - or one who looks young -

because cosmetic appeal is a fact of life for the vast majority of people.

Even the nature of the economic relationship has degrees, measured by

how far one is prepared to go to meet the wants and needs of the other.

As I'm no longer in the first bloom of youth, the age difference puts me

squarely in the "old man likes young stuff" category but I have never rated

sex as the first priority in a relationship with a woman. For me it's a bonus

if it's just a little more than casual and in that event it's immaterial if my

choice of bedmate is younger or older than me.

I would not, however, consider a lasting relationship with any woman

more than 10 years younger because I don't think it would work for me.

Why bother? Don't bother!

I've made a good living the past 30 years as an interpreter and translator.

I hope nobody learns the languages I worked hard to learn, it will perpetuate job security

for everyone in my profession. BTW, there is not and will not be for a long time to come,

a computer that can translate or interpret as accurately and instinctively as the human brain.

Don't believe me? Google your translation and watch it spit out nonsense!

Sorry, I didn't understand any of that, can you get someone to translate it for you?

So sorry, that was English - if you let me know which words baffle you I will gladly elucidate.

Why bother? Don't bother!

I've made a good living the past 30 years as an interpreter and translator.

I hope nobody learns the languages I worked hard to learn, it will perpetuate job security

for everyone in my profession. BTW, there is not and will not be for a long time to come,

a computer that can translate or interpret as accurately and instinctively as the human brain.

Don't believe me? Google your translation and watch it spit out nonsense!

Just tell the girls you're a butterfly - this they understand.

Thai girls are not so different from others.

They admire a gentleman but they still sleep with rogues.

Must a mid-life crisis be a sad thing?

I've been through several, starting at about age 30 and I've enjoyed every one.

The same advice I would offer as an expat applies to anyone thinking of resettling in a strange land, TL is no exception.

Do your homework well in advance, learn the law of the land, especially that concerning business or work.

Learn the basics of the language.

Learn that not all street wise expats - or locals - where you land are trustworthy.

If you have a blind side, learn to hide it.

Do not burn all your bridges.

Do not let your heart, or other portions of your body, rule your mind.

Make common sense your number one priority.

There, I've said it without one bad word about TL (which I love).

As a starter:

If you must tell the truth, be sure to park your car at the back door with the engine running.

Somebody stole my first wife.

My one regret - he sent her back.

I think for a Thai wife insufficient funds would be the ultimate passion killer

I think for a Thai wife insufficient funds would be the ultimate passion killer

Some of us don't disappear, we just take a break when the input becomes a little too pedestrian, like "breaking news" , drag and drop comments from other posters

and the old favourite " - "me TG has done me wrong".

Your are giving her about 20 US dollars or 14 UK pounds per day.

Can you live on that?

Too right, Garry. That equates to about 500 Euros; I couldn't get a live-in girl friend for that figure where I live.

Unconditional love should mean you don't count the cost.

Unfortunately, the only unconditional love I see around me is perhaps that of a mother for her child and vice versa.

Marriage for somebody's gain has long been prevalent in many cultures: so long as both parties are aware of the implications, there's no real

impediment.

It always seems to me though that many non-Thais who check in here have doubts, otherwise why would they ask?

The best advice anyone can take is - if in doubt, leave it out.

P.S. Hi eekie

Being neither rich nor good looking, I rely on my good manners and a calm bearing. It works everywhere, not just in TL.

I had left off visiting TV for a while as input was becoming somewhat bland and repetitive but at least this item is worthy of comment.

Jessica is perhaps wiser than many of you may think: she knows that if she is to continue earning from from writing articles she has to write what people want to read and that doesn't necessarily have to be true, while fact is often more boring than fiction. Hence her junk which has sparked this lively debate. Like or not, her article has hit the spot.

If I had written such an article based on fact - who would care if Germany, where I live, has statistically more part time or full time sex workers of both genders than Thailand, that paedophiles only need visit the TIergarten in Berlin at night to find what they seek, that the states to the east of us have mafias that force people into the life and that the men who visit Patpong, Nana and Pattaya are only a small fraction of us sun starved Europeans who are actually there for a long cheap chill out - for which Thailand is still hard to top. I don't think my factual article would merit a second glance from most people.

I can only hope that Thailand gets back to normal before my next trip, otherwise I'm going to have difficulties finding an alternative as good.

So many people move to Thialand because of the inexpensive cost of living so you get what you pay for.

Fair comment...

To the topic at hand, regarding True...although not related to wifi etc....I will defend True (UBC) not from the programming perspective...yes its cr*p, but from the customer services point of view...never had a problem with them, in fact was given a PVR decoder not so long ago for being on the Platinum package for 5 years...Yes was very cynical when Mrs Soutpeel told me True (UBC) had phoned her and told her we where getting a PVR decoder for free and figured we would get shafted for "addtional costs" at some point, but to date the monthly bill hasnt changed....

The same thing happened to me with a Cyberpoint card. I called Cyberpoint and they connected me and gave me a 500 Baht credit for the inconvenience.

OP, just tell her you'll pay and don't pay - it's what the Thais do

^interesting every thai lad I know who is married never paid any sinsod and they say that farangs are just being scammed if they actually give any dosh to a money grubbing family. SinSot is only for show, if anyone tells you differently they are full of BS. Now I am not saying after you are married you won't help the family time to time within reason because you will.

Sinsot is not a dowery!! I sometimes seriously wonder about some tv members intelligence sometimes.

Nicely summed up, BM but intelligence has very little to do with emotion and too many farangs don't do their homework or bother to observe what the locals do.

When will you guys realise that you don't have to pay sin sot, it should be a gesture of goodwill and not a cash deal.

Do you really believe that the majority of Thai men pay sin sot?

If your girl was married previously, why not ask her what she did with her ex husband's sin sot?

If it looks like becoming a bone of contention, maybe you should step back a little and reassess your situation.

Maybe you're too old to hear other opinions but but any kind of moral blackmail bodes a bad start to a hoped for long term bond.

If I may interrupt your bun fight for a moment, maybe it's too cold for Thais in England.

It's too cold for me and I'm a Brit.