007

"He has tried to send many letter from Thailand to the UK but they never seem to get through."

Tell him to try the internet. I find it nearly 100% effective.

If he sent the letters via the usual postal service from Thailand, then he may have to wait for weeks. Then again, a bank back home that sent a letter to me once, penny-pinched on the airmail and sent the letter by ship instead, even managing to mis-send it to Sri Lanka(!) first.

Having said that, I've always through that the income requirement for married couples is a red-herring. Even if it wasn't officially needed, I can't see how you'd be able to live a semi-decent life in Thailand for 40K per month.

40K baht - I used to live on that kind of money (in different currency, of course) back home in my OECD home country. Why would one need to spend the same money per month in a developing country like Thailand? I mean caviar each day, isn't that boring? Or maybe it's the nightlife which costs that much, besides your wife?

Just to inform you, the average income for the approx. 6 million people living in Bangkok, is approximately 400,000 THB per year. Among the people I know (including my wife, her family and all our friends) I don't know a single one who earns less than 75,000 THB per month. So not all Thais are a burden, just the same way that not all foreigners are a burden.

Yes, I can confirm that I see each day only wealthy Thais walking and sitting around (some of them without shirt - I mean the men): lottery ticket sellers, trash collectors, beggars, conductors, sales staff: they all make at least 75,000 baht a month!! :lol:

Official statistics (source: http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/guess-no-more.html) show that the average monthly income per household for Bangkok plus four neighbouring provinces was (2006) : 17,787 Baht. Does anyone have newer statistics? If not, let's presume that the salary increase over the past five years has been 50%, then the average salary these days could be 26,680 baht, with unskilled workers, maids, construction workers, etc. making more like 6,000 baht, while others like businessmen, engineers, doctors and bargirls making 100,000...

As much as I appreciate April Fool jokes; one shouldn't give the authorities ideas to follow through...

Nonetheless, I always wondered why married guys have to show 400,000 baht less than single retired guys? Do the officials perhaps calculate like this: 365 days X 1,000 baht for short time plus 365 X lady drinks at 100 baht each, minus 15 drinks for the occasional girl who isn't thirsty??

And of course the students do need to have the willingness to learn.!

I work at a private public school with an EP programme. My colleague, who is South African and an excellent teacher, recently confirmed my initial impression after just starting work at the school, that 'it seems to be fashionable among Thai teenagers not to learn English...'

Just to give you an example: at our school, where the classes are small, the students learn almost all subjects in English from Native English speakers and Thai teachers; that is from Nursery up to grade 12 (i.e. up to 16 years). Many students (especially older ones) are just not interested to learn any foreign language, neither English or Chinese, and the results of speaking skills and other skills in grades 11 or 12 are very poor. Can you really learn a foreign language if you don't want to?? Are English learners in Vietnam or Cambodia, where the English proficiency is much higher, smarter or just more eager to learn a foreign language?

BTW, just yesterday I saw that overweight, privileged Attorney General of Thailand (woman with a 1930s hairdo) on visit in Tokyo

F#*+ Google!! Okay, you got me here. :jap:

I forgot what the exact job title was, but it was a hi-so, influential persona working in the Thai government apparatus. Anyway, it gave me (a shocking) inside what those people think about the world outside Thailand/Asia. Or have you ever heard after a natural disaster in the western world (I mean in the last 60 years) what a 'great achievement of the white/Caucasian/European race it was to overcome the catastrophe..

its too cold. whatever some tourists from snow mountain here say, it is too cold.

You've been too long to Thailand (or the tropics), if you think that 24 C is cold.

Then what is it that makes Thai complain more early than farang when the weather gets over 30 C

Ron maahk

...and below 25 C.

We should remember Thais are used to the heat, and the recent cold spell has had an adverse affect on them especially the old and their homes are not equipped for cold weather.

I just wonder why Thais always cool down their shopping malls to a freezing 5 or 10 degr. Celsius if they can't stand the cold.

Not sure why you farang feel its so great for you. You came here to enjoy our culture and day to day living, weather included. Yes we can't change how nature is, but, it is cold for us. Do you wonder why we feel the way we do when you make your feelings known, it always has to be about you. :jap:

Dear stkyricesf', at first, we are no guavas (or "farang")!! Or would you like to be called a 'coconut' when visiting our countries??

Then, it is up to us to exchange our thoughts about liking or not liking the weather in the place we visit/live in. We learn this (critical thinking and discussion in school), which is very different to school in Thailand with rote learning and teachers telling the students the answers and/or helping them actively to cheat in their high school diploma exams.

Yes, we love Thailand, especially the climate and weather, and we like to 'talk' as much about the weather as coco..., I mean, Thais do. :jap:

Karl Joseph Kraus is accused of luring the girls - one of whom was five when the alleged abuse began - to his home near the northern city of Chiang Mai with chocolates and English lessons.

Sure, I can see it: old ugly "farang" geezer to 5-year old Thai kid: "How about some free English lessons?" - Thai kid: "Yes, I really want to better my situation as an underprivileged child and learn English right now instead of playing in the garden..."

BTW, just yesterday I saw that overweight, privileged Attorney General of Thailand (woman with a 1930s hairdo) on visit in Tokyo, saying on NHK TV: Asian people should learn from the situation after tsunami and earthquake, as they 'have unique family values as compared to Europeans'. She then said something like 'we have to foster our Asian values like in the Asian crisis in SE Asia when the people in Thailand suffered tremendesly...' (she was about to shed crocodile tears, judging from her face), '...but we all cared about each other, different from the many homeless people in the western world...' (At that moment I had to switch to another TV channel, cause I probably would have vomitted watching this any longer...)

Honestly, I felt like watching 1930s TV when Thailand was an ally of Nazi-Germany and militaristic Japan.

Down 20% since the New Year. Wow that is impressive. Unless of course we are talking Thai New Year that is. I bet they all got a medal to pin on their uniforms, to add to that already dazzling array, they already have

jb1

Within the last few months I had to file two police reports because of two crimes committed on my person - one on theft (thief''s identity known to police) and assault (assailant known to police). Both cases weren't followed up by the police - the police reports were just 'locked in a drawer', and my assailant had to pay the princely sum of 200 baht for assaulting me with two baseball-like bats. That way, I have no doubt, Thailand can "reduce" the crime rate by just not following up on reported crimes.

Them dam farang, why you hate Thailand so much, come, come spend all your money......Blaaaa blaaaa blaa

Prime Minister Abhisit said, "I am increasingly concerned. The oversupply of rooms and seats are among key factors pushing Thailand's brand reputation into a downward spiral. Huge volume, cost-conscious tourists bring the country's brand down, which in turn attracts lower yield tourists."

Mr. Abhisit, if the TAT more and more promotes Thailand aggressively (and successfully) in places like Africa, Eastern Europe, India, Bangladesh, China, etc., then one shouldn't be surprised if tourists spend less time and money in Thailand. That's because most people in Albania, Bangladesh and China have less cash for holidays and/or much shorter holidays.. If, at the same time, Thailand p***es off long-stay tourists with ample money to spend, then Thailand will only attract "lower yield tourists". (Someone who has studied at Eton and Oxford should know that, shouldn't he, Mr. Abhisit?)

So how do i understand this? people don't come to Thailand because the visa is too expensive? is this for real? Wow, Now, Thailand has no visa fees,everybody is going to come here and spend lots and lots of money,they saved on the visa fees............PUKE...

Is that the kind of tourists Thailand needs - the ones who cannot/don't want to afford a visa fee of 1,000 baht?

I think they plan to use all the fat Thai cabin crew, to keep them occupied.

For that money on such a short trip there better be a job included in the price...

Thank your for your Answer

Exactly this is the main Point, why I ask for Advice

Using this Money for 9 Months to invest and get some Return

9 months may be enough to become a father/mother, but I personally would be vary to invest the funds I need for my long-term visa into the stock market for such a limited time.

The following might happen: 1) the stock(s) (market) rise(s) by 100% and you double your money; good for you, or 2) The market falls by 50%, meaning that you'll have to find 400,000 baht elsewhere...

Haunted inn and cause of death - fright?

Well, let's look at it from a Thai viewpoint.

One possible explanation is that the foreigners ('falang') committed suicide because they had problems, which is not good for Thailand's image as #1 tourist destination. Keeping it secret is the order of the day.

Another possible explanation is that the foreigners ('falang') committed suicide because they wanted to waste the time of the Royal Thai Police, thereby keeping them from doing useful things, e.g. playing video games.

Then there's this possibility...

Britishers 78 and 73 'theoretically' died of heart attacks from having sex together, but were found in separate beds.

After all, those 'falang' are all sexmaniacs. Keeping the incidents a secret is the order of the day, in order to protect Thailand's image as The Morality Hub of the World.

There is also the possibility that the hotel is haunted by a ghost (possible brought in by 'falang'), killing the bad people (='falang') first. This is a catastrophe for the hotel as no-one will want to work there anymore. Keeping this a secret is the order of the day.

Also, all those 'farang' have bad karma and/or are members of a mafia so they, perhaps, died because of their viciousness. Again the high regard that Thailand has in the world should not be sullied, so keeping this a secret is the order of the day.

Not sure it's any more than in other countries, but if it is it might be because of those whitening creams...

I knew that gorgeous girl who started to have pimples, telling me it was from the whitening cream she used..

There is a hysteria in Thailand to have white skin, i.e. looking like a bed sheet. Thai women, having the choice between a slight tan and a face full of pimples (from long-term use of cheap whitening products) will more often than not choose the latter one.

Now ask yourself, what would a Thai man have done in this situation? He would have beat her until she begged for mercy, that's what.

Precisely

Agree. It's not likely that the police would follow through with the case. (I had to file two complaints recently; one for stolen items, one for assault). Don't pay outrageous sums of money to the scammers; police fines are ridiculously low in Thailand.

15.000....? That sounds expensive. You should send a note to the financial whiz-kid of this forum, he'll give you a few pointers on gardeners and other stuff you can employ in order to make it cheaper.

Did I mention they have to be biling....triling...multilingual?

Wayyyy to expensive! The other day I was insulted (again) by some low-life employee in my apartment building. I told him in no uncertain terms to 'shut up', after which he assaulted me, hitting my wrist with a big baseball-bat like stick. I filed a police complaint. The boys in brown told me that the maximum charge for assault is 500(!!) baht if you get really beaten up or cut with a knife. In a less serious case like mine the assailant will be charged just 200 baht.. Watch out guys, a life is cheap in Thailand.

Classical: Caruso, Maria Callas

Pop: Mariah Carey, Beyonce...

And no, I'm neither Italian, nor Greek, or American.

Ah, the irony is massive!

How do they say in Thai: 'Som nam na'?

More than 3,000 Thais went to work in Libya last year alone. There are 33,000 Thais working in the Middle East, sending home remittances of more than Bt55 billion each year, according to a Labour Ministry report.

Remittances of more than Bt55 billion : 33,000 Thais = Bt1,666,666/person (or US$55,555)! Hey, pay must be really good in the Middle East.

Why not clear the damned footpaths of vendors - far cheaper...

...and tell the motorcyclists to use the road.

One positive would be, perhaps, that you wouldn't need to jump to the side every couple minutes, as the bikes (hopefully)

couldn't get up onto the 'skywalk'...

If you are the lease holder I.E. your name only is on the rental agreement then YOU decide who goes in or not. they have to abide by that.

If they let anyone else in then they are assisting in a illegal entry.

my suggestion. change the lock yourself. its easy.

Greg

Cheers, Greg. I though so to. As for the first time, they can always argue that she used to stay with me, and I didn't tell them. But IMHO she does not have any business in the apartment building anymore as she is not a tenant.