poldebol

Dogs in a pack, esp. at night are dangerous. If possible, strike out before they form a pack. Do not let a dog at the beach approach you, unless you feel sure you can disperse a pack. At night, never go on the beach without a good stick. Your belt can be a good weapon, but keep your pants up! I have lived in Kathmandu and one of the first things you learn is, when you have to walk home after dark, always carry a few stones. The dogs will understand your message.

Thai see dogs different. Where I live, a farmdog who makes a mistake (steals milk, bites a cow or kills a chicken) gets a free ride to Cambodia, where they are served as a delicatesse. At least that is what the man who takes them, tells us. I hope he does not deliver them to the next sausage factory! In exchange, the farmer gets a small trinket of about 10 THB.

For farang, a dog is like a friend. I wished I could have one in Thailand. For Thai people, esp in the village and at the farms, dogs are a nuisance with some advantages, they will warn when strangers come and maybe keep thieves out. Since they bark most of the night and start howling when a pickup- shop with loudspeaker arrives (at 5 a.m.!) they are not very efficient as guards. Most of the dogs I see in the village do not belong to a person, they usually roam around one spot. It took the ones near my house about 3 months to accept me. They get leftovers here and there and eat from the garbage bins. Especially when they bite a person, they belong to nobody.

There is one exception: dogs are still used as cow dogs here. They are clever, serious and hard workers. They have a good relationship with the man who takes care of the cows and they share the food. They are taken well care off.

Of course there are many Thai people who take good care of their dogs, but that is more a “town thing”.

I do not like the way some people here deal with their pets, they see them as a fashion gadget, not as a friend.

Excellent - about time they kicked these scumbags out of the country - they give farangs a bad name, much better they are locked up back where they come from !

You should see the prisons in Belgium where he will be locked up. A 3*** hotel is nothing compared to this. This is not a punishment anymore.

Better keep him in Bangkok Hilton...

I wonder if you have really seen a Belgian prison. You know many 3 stars hotel who have a bucket for instead of a toilet?

There are no rules nor rates. If you believe there are, they have won the first round.

It depends on the combination of the groom (does he want to give, how long in Thailand, is he a good negatiator, etc), the qualities of the bride (age, beauty, education, kids etc) and the in laws (are they greedy, poor, good etc).

I have given my in-laws more than they asked me (350.000 / 100.000) The next day they paid me back the full amount.

Do not underestimate the importance of the pressure of the family and the village. But usually, the show is enough.

In several Thai Thai weddings I know about, the sinsod was paid back in the form of a second hand car (selected by the Thai groom a few days for the wedding), in cash or reprievement of a loan. The giving part of the money is public, the giving back part is secret. As things happen in a Thai village, it always comes out, or everybody suspects something. Thai people do not like clear lines and a Thai village has 10.000 eyes and 10.000 ears.

Again: there is no historical proof that sinsod had to be paid for a bride in whole Thailand.

The market value of your wife is reduced by the fact she is from Isaan, maybe by her lack of education (not sure you mention this, but 13.000 a month for long working hours, points at low education), but most of all, by the fact that she has two kids. No Thai man will be interested in her. She can only marry a farang.

If you have paid 20.000 THB a month to her mother who lives in a one room house in BKK, you have given yourself a rubber stamp FARANG SATANG. Who figured this amount? In the village here, people who work in BKK send barely 1000 THB a month for a kid, some a bit more, many less.

If your mother in law tries to get more from you than what she got already (she can easily save 10.000 THB a month) this is just the first chapter of a never ending story, as you probably already know by now.

In Sinsod, the social control and pressure from the village and the family can be real, important and very strong. (My wife's family does not bother about it, but they like the show). The parents of the bride have to show they caught money from their son in law. The day I came in the village for the first time, people passing the house of my wife's parents shouted things like: "You are very rich people now!" and "Make sure we are invited!" and "Show your money soon!". We are four years later and I just got married. My wife has a master degree, a good job and no kids. I am the first farang in the village who marries a woman with that qualifications. The parents of my wife begged me to give them 100.000 THB sinsod. They promised to pay me back the day after the wedding. To help them win face. I gave them 350.000 THB, because the mother-in-law of another farang is always boasting that her son in law gave her 300.000 sinsod and gives her 40.000 THB a month (but now and then she comes sneaking in our house at night to borrow 500THB). The day after the wedding, my father-in-law gave me back the money secretly.

The pressure on him to show that he has money is so big that now he has decided to build an expensive wall around his house. He pays this on his own, maybe I will offer him to paint the wall and pay for it (not sure yet).

In a village, this is how strong the pressure can be. But I doubt this is the same in BKK.

If your mother-in-law lets you wait for seven hours in the heat and does not offer you a glass of water, what does she have to do to let you see the light? Boil you in a big pot and dance around it? Maybe she is just being honest with you!

I do not know whether your wife loves you. If you take good care of her two kids, she'd better.

Nobody should legally marry a Thai man/ lady if she/he has not lived here and with her/him for at least a few years, especially if there are kids involved. Being separated for a year will not help you to have a clear judgment either.

You have two options:

Run and cut your losses. I think GungaDin is right.

Tell your wife it is you or your mother. You have paid sinsod too much already. If your wife does not follow you in this, she will not follow you in big decisions after you are married. Her mother will always meddle in your marriage.

Why does your mother in law insist on April. Is she in debt? Has she made commitments already?

I live in a village where nearly all women spend some of their live in BKK or Pattaya. Most of them have no education. Everybody knows what (esp. the women) do, but nobody ever mentions it. I came here about one year ago. Before we lived in a big town for three years. I know Thailand since nearly thirty years. The situation still baffles me everyday.

The short sharp pain is better than the long dull pain. Do not decide before you feel you have some control and trust your wife 120%. There is no need to hurry.

If you can let a tap drip into the water, the ripple will stop mosquitoes reproducing.

Am I reading here that the Thai have bought these detectors in quantity and did not check them before they paid or signed?

Two months ago I asked to test-ride a Yamaha for only 50 m on the parking of the shop. I had the money in my pocket for the advance. "Test-ride no possible Mister"

"I wish you a very happy day" Wai Wai!

This has to be about as accurate as tossing a coin. The great tragedy is that soldiers lives are involved in this SCAM.

How about some accountability here? To much to ask for SURE! TIT!

Tossing a coin is about 50% accurate, I guess. 4 in 20 is 20%. Coins would be cheaper and more accurate.

Wikipedia:

Visa requirements for Thai Citizens

Both Malaysia and Singapore are listed under countries Visa-free or visa on arrival for a period of 30 days or less

Are there many rich farang who married a poor Thai lady?

Sure most of them.

Or at least they're not too rich.

If they are, you can't probably afford them...

I can not afford a poor Thai lady?

Well, you probably can't afford any, rich or poor...

Your answer is off topic and lacks logic, not easy if you can not afford a rich or a poor woman.

BTW how do you know? You must be very rich if you know something about me without knowing me. Crystal ball?

Are there many rich farang who married a poor Thai lady?

Sure most of them.

Or at least they're not too rich.

If they are, you can't probably afford them...

I can not afford a poor Thai lady?

Are there many rich Thai ladies who married a poor farang?

Are there many rich farang ladies who married a poor farang?

Are there many rich farang who married a poor Thai lady?

Are there many rich Thai ladies who married a poor farang?

Money transferred in June, but missed in September?

Siam Commercial Bank has the good habit of confirming every transaction > 1 million

edit:they confirm by phone

Hope they get sent away for long time...20M baht is just pure greed.

to all you people on this forum be it 1 baht or 20 million this is not on if it were your credit card or bank account I bet you would be crying or is forgery,theft,or deception ok in your country I am pissed off with some of the stuff that comes up on thaivisa, we or most are all Falang living here in THAILAND by the grace of the King,the Government and the Immigration officialls,I fought in the Vietnam war with these people, I dont agree with some of the underhands that go on in this country but let me tell you it happens in my country to, if you get caught your cun is toast as for the politics when in rome do as the romans do if you arent happy then pack your bags and go bi nun home to your country and see how you fair, I live here on a retirement visa, have to show credabillitty as to how I live not like the comers and goers non o or 30 day border runs. I love the THAI people Dearly and I am happy to live here come what may

kindest Regards Ronnie lcpl vietnam war

I do not agree, but I am happy here. Glad also that you do not hand out the visa. You do not have to like the "comers and goers". People who have a visa, have the right to be here and express their opinion.

So you have children using lighters??? Sounds like the parents need a course in stupidity management.

Seems you have not been to many parties in Thailand, especilally on the countryside. I just wanted to warn people who are not aware of the danger of balloons. There were about 150 people at the party. Most of the men were drunk. A few kids grabbed a lighter from a table.

Sounds like you could use a course in understanding the Thai situation.

I paid sin sod and got the money back the day after.

I just want to warm people. Went to a wedding party. The place was decorated with about six bunches of 50 balloons, bought at a local shop. Children tried to cut the lines of the balloons with a lighter. After the explosion, two children had to be brought to the hospital with burnt faces and forearms. Seems in Thailand balloonshops use highly inflammable gas. The mother of the bride insisted on having balloons because it is fashion nowadays.

That's easy! Copy the Israeli system. Hire trained psychologists to screen passengers with questioning. Also clean up the background searches. The Nigerian should have been denied boarding just based on his background, no search needed! Focus on the PERSON not what the person is CARRYING. It works. The only reason the scanners are coming in now is for PR after the Xmas underwear bomber. The public is demanding that SOMETHING be done; whether it solves the problem or not be damned.

It's easy for the Israelis to do it at their airports and for their inbound flights world wide as we are talking small numbers but imagine a large airport like Heathrow or Suvarnabhumi. It would cause mayhem and we'd have to be turning up 24 hours before departure to allow for it. Unless that is you divide the world into those worth protecting and those who can take their chances.

Is it true that there is no body scam at Tel Aviv airport?

I'm led to believe there are no scams at Tel Aviv.

Sorry couldn't resist.

Not everything that shines is gold, even in Tel Aviv.

I agree the OP is doing well doing what he is doing for now. However, it is always possible that the Antwerp consulate will decide to stop granting him one year O visas and tell him, hey you are living in Thailand and over 50, its time for you to apply for a retirement O-A visa or if they know better (they often don't) start getting annual extensions based on retirement in Thailand.

There is a catch though. Someday Thai immigration will no doubt decide to RAISE the financial requirements to obtain extensions based on retirement. It could be tomorrow, it could be 10 years from now. In any case, those ALREADY in the retirement system here will likely be grandfathered in at the CURRENT financial requirement levels. For the OP to continue as he is doing, he risks someday being required to qualify at potentially higher levels.

Actually, the Royal Thai consulate has already raised the amount to 850.000 THB at my last application (08 apr 2009)

<br />

Again, this will not work. They don't detect explosives stuffed into anuses and vaginas. They do NOT need to be swallowed. Sorry to need to be this explicit but the bad guys read the papers too. Duh. Why this big spend of money and yes loss of privacy for nothing?

<br />So how exactly does the current system detect these bum bombs?<br /><br />Come on, let's hear your ideas. How would you detect them or are you just going to kiss your tush goodbye every time you board a plane just in case?<br /><br />You can be as explicit as you like answering this question.<br />

<br />That's easy! Copy the Israeli system. Hire trained psychologists to screen passengers with questioning. Also clean up the background searches. The Nigerian should have been denied boarding just based on his background, no search needed! Focus on the PERSON not what the person is CARRYING. It works. The only reason the scanners are coming in now is for PR after the Xmas underwear bomber. The public is demanding that SOMETHING be done; whether it solves the problem or not be damned.<br /><br />I usually detest the use of the word SHEEPLE, but the idiotic knee jerk reaction to the Nigerian is a classic SHEEPLE moment. Yes, the next step will be anal and vaginal searches. I can hear you all now, bend over, or don't fly!<br />

Is it true that there is no body scam at Tel Aviv airport?

My wife works as a nurse in a hospital. I always look around at the hospital grounds when I go to pick her up. One of the first times I told her:

- "I know who are the real bosses of the hospital."

- "Oh yes? An who are they then."

- "The ambulance drivers" I said. She was shocked and shot back:

- "How do you know?"

Say no more, say no more.

We have them in the kitchen and the bathroom. The in-laws says it is the time of year for the ants to come and visit us. I sprayed all their routes with shaving foam. The bathroom looks like a shopping window at X-mas now.

I know nothing about land or ants. But

"They don't live in the ground, but prefer to live in any above ground enclosed space"

+ : you never see ants on a clean beach

+: my little grey cells

= could you just try to clean one tree as much as possible, clear the land under it and cover at least a circle around the three with beach sand? Compare with another tree after a few days.

If it does not work, you can sit on it and think you have a private beach. If it works, I want a few kilo of lamyai.

Belgian, 63 y, 800 K in the bank, visa category "O", good for multiple journeys, issued by Royal Thai Consulate Antwerp 080409, last entry at 14 dec 2009.

My immigration office is Arunyaprathet.

With this visa I have to leave the country every three months. I have made a visa run to Cambodia.

My question

A friend of mine, with same age and money in the bank has a retirement visa. He does not have to leave the country.

Actually I thought I had a retirement visa.

What are the differences, advantages between the two systems. Since my office is Arunyaprathet, going to Cambodia for 10 minutes is not a problem. Is that the only difference? I go back to Belgium at least twice a year.

Thanks a lot.

I would love to go and probably will. How many days?

In Khon Kaen they had a big Kaset Agricultural fair at the King's 80th birthday. I went there nearly every day and was even invited to help with the plowing of a rice field. Useless to say I made a complete fool of myself.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/1...ies-phone-calls

FBI 'fabricated terror emergencies to get phone records' The Guardian 19 january 2010.

Another fine example of how the war on terror is used to curb democratic values.