lockman

Maybe slightly off topic, but why would any "tourist" not have some travelers checks as a backup fund? Many Credit Unions, etc in USA will issue for free to members. Keep the backup file elsewhere and leave numbers with someone you trust as well.

My problem with this "article" is nothing is taken into account on type of vehicles and people transported. How may of us have been on a clearly overloaded songtow or see 15 in the back of a pickup truck going to work or coming back. Or a bus filled to standing (and none left) room only. I would say if that was factored in, it's not nearly as bad. Would many of the worst countries practices be allowed in any of the least countries? Also in the least countries, is drivers education a requirement in their schools, as well as a mandatory proficiency test? Otherwise it's like comparing apples to melons.

The red-shirt movement is out. And for those that interpret obstruction as violence, the red-shirt movement has a different definition - from the barrel of a gun. Those are the means they wish to apply and those are the means of terror. There is no justification for murder.

What about a red shirt leader in Udon last week who was shot at home. 1 thing leads to anpther and both are wrong.

I'm over by Mukdahan, mine was drilled 6 years ago at the end of the dry season, 47? meters. They also hit rock, 1st place, couldn't get through, 2nd try, just kept resharpening and adding more to the bit, 3-4 days to go through rock, and nothing below but water. Villages around me have had wells go dry every year, and I knew that (reason for own well) mine never. Yea has a few minerals, which I filter for the house, otherwise not filtered for watering plants and stuff. Have a 20GPM submersable pump, has ran full bore before for 3 days, no problems but overflowing paddy. Well was lined with PVC down to rock. And believe me it was really a rinky-dink well drilling system. Oh, boring rock, someone sits on top to add weight to bit.

Came here early 70's courtesy of Uncle Sam. Been coming back for years with Thai spouse, finally got tired of taxes on taxes and moved here in 2007.

On the other hand, foreign currencies are going up against the Thai baht. Win-win situation. More goods for your money. Fewer tourists getting in the way.

HUH? If the baht is LOSING ground against foreign currency, then prices of imported goods cost more Baht. IE, if a barrell of Oil is 100USD @ 29 =2900B, but if that same barrell is 100 and currency is 32.5 that 3250B, So anything IMPORTED become more expensive, and fuel is a major player. Yea good for tourists, but costing the average Thai person who rides a motorcycle, drives a car or truck, or sells imported stuff more Baht. Today I saw 32.5. per USD. Now that decreases the price of exports, but the average Thai person doesn't see much of that.

Daughter is 37 and your youngest is 49?

youngest what??

I'm confused!

in response to your question:

Thais are very liberal about who they call what.

Any older woman or man can be called grandmother or grandfather.

My wife has many, many aunts that are not the sisters of her mother or father.

She has a lot of "cousins that are not the children of her biological aunts and uncles!

All the children in my village call me "Daddy". ( pronounced Dad Deee )

It is what they hear my wife and daughter call me.

So, it is my nickname!

I think you should lighten up a little more...relax!

It sounds like they love you and you love them.

Let them call you grandfather and be happy that they want to!

Don't punish them just because you can not be with your biological grandchildren.

Enjoy the love and warmth they offer you!

You are a lucky man.

Choke dee!

I would strongly disagree

You are wrongly equating Thai words with a bad English translation.

Thais do not normally use the English words Aunt, Uncle, Grandmother, Grandfather

The various Thai words real translation, can include, female from older generation, female from two generations older, female married to my mothers brother, sister of my mother, etc.

There are dozens of words to describe Thai family relationships, not one or two simple words.

Relax and don't worry about the small stuff. I get called "uncle" in Thai all the time, because my name is not a nice word in Thai, and I'm also Grandpa (again in Thai) or brother, etc. Those basically mean you are accepted by people you know, etc. And don't try to compare English to Thai, it gets very difficult as they actually spell out the relationship in the language, and whether older, younger, etc. But when you are older, and are respected, The Thai 's often use Uncle, Brother, Grandfather, etc, and sometimes the darling, etc, as they don't (especially younger children) think in the same connations as we do.

Sorry, but my wife often gets annoyed because I get a better price than her. And price is not just defined by Thai and Farang, but also wheather you can speak the language, how you ACT, how you dress and so forth; and sometimes who you may know where you are at. YMMV is always there except in a store with established prices, but sometimes you can also negociate a discount there as well. It's like being in BKK and similar and negociating with others. If you can speak and understand, especially an Isean type Thai, price goes down.

Instead of only dealing with Phuket, how about getting something done about the double and triple parking all over Thailand.

OK there is 700 meters unfinished awaiting property owners to agree to let that proceed. Arrive with many many sandbags next week to block the water from flowing to OUTSIDE that area..so sorry you have flooded house, property, but you not allow dike construction....so sorry...

Meanwhile you go to board, flight personnel say oh cannot take on board, too heavy; must check as bag..for a nice round figure....

Did anyone with economic actual knowledge actually think a 1/3 increase in the minimum wage would not cause inflation?

Did anyone with economic actual knowledge actually think a 1/3 increase in the minimum wage would not cause inflation?

Lawyers are a waste of time and money, will do nothing to get the house done. GSXrnz basically says what is good point-forward action. You disburse the money directly to the material suppliers, subcontractors and workers. Dangle some pie-in-the-sky at the builder to keep him active, after all is said and done is know who and what is needed.

Had a friend who hired a lawyer..and he won in court. However lawyer cost 25000B and as person has zero money = he won nothing. Yep he has a judgement..that is worthless.

Do as others have said use his advice, but purchase materials yourself.

I had some problems during my build, had 2 contracts with same builder. His actual problem was he was building govt buildings as well and they weren't paying him. So I paid him final payment on 1 contract with the note added that the other contract would be paid last payment after all finished on both. Reputable builder however and everything completed.

I've sent many parcels to USA, no problems at all in Thailand, but upon arrival even an envelope with a few papers too 2 weeks. IT IS a USA Post office and Customs problem, period.

They can't control the weather can they? So it will flood this year and probably every other year in the future until a new dam is built.

Very true. And all floodwalls do is make it higher outside the area. More dams needed as well as making wider and more canals through Bangkok to allow the water to have a place to go as it did before massive building in and along waterways.

I've found that anytime I'm near BKK or Pattaya, the food is always not very hot when ordering in any Thai venue, but if an outside vendor and you speak some Lao to them, comes out OK. They think farangs can't handle it (as most cannot) and are trying to make food you can eat. Using Lao or Issean dialect gets the right results. I even remember eating with the wife and she didn't want very hot, and the waitress (different) was perplexed when we swapped plates.

Good luck George. I've stayed at the ??mansion across from wrong way cafe. it was OK, and good car parking.

HUH?? Sounds confusing to me. Our house is in (property) both my wife and my names, and of course immigration knows I live here..so I should not need to report that. That's on the 90- day reporting, etc. Meanwhile if a friend or relative from elsewhere stops over and ends up spending the night we're supposed to report that?

Or our children come to visit using a foreign passport, clearly list this address for a certain period of time on arrival?? HUH

Hey if it's sunk in the sand the best way to get it up is lifting bags, and not everywhere has them, hence the stuff coming from Bangkok. I seriously doubt the ability of a crane to do much, as there aren't proper lifting points for that. So you get the bags, the proper temporary ramp matting, etc, raise the plane, and lower it back down then carefully tow it back on the cement surface. The thing you don't want to do is cause any further damage.

In all fairness, however, How would bus operators fit axles wider than 2.5 meters on buses on most Thai roadways? Most are usually hanging over into the other lane if on a 4 lane roadway, or trying to fit between the motorcyclists , small tractors, carts, etc and oncoming traffic already. Now as far a height, that should be reduced somewhat, as well as making every other window of auto type glass that shatters on both decks. Reducing seating?? Guess you've never been on a double decker that out of any room, including standing room. May be illegal, but until ALL police ar required to enforce traffic laws, etc, nothing will change.

Not any concern for me as well as most rural people who grow rice, as the rice we eat came from our field.........and is far better than the supermarket stuff.

Thai's thought I was crazy with what I required for grounding this house and that everything had to be full 3 wire runs all behind a 3 phase safety cut breaker, and surely stupid when I added a detached garage with even more grounds. Myself I like lots of grounds, even if overkill. But we've had huge surges from the power lines due to lightning hitting close by. Had a few surge suppressors with MOV's smoked while power company transformer blew apart. There is absolutely no substitute for proper earth grounding.

I have to agree with everyone saying rent. People buying homes beyond their means and banks lending stupidly (but forced to in USA) caused the financial mess. Your going to be working OUTSIDE of Thailand for periods of time. Far better to rent your spouse & children a place, go ahead and work out of country and send support money home, and save money in a separate account. Once you have sufficient funds to buy outright, then do so. Reason is, what if something totally unexpected happens to either of you. If you own, the deed transfers to your children, but what if it was you becoming suddenly unable to work. Think about that as well. I leved for many years without a house, and bought one when I was absolutely I would always be able to keep that, and when we moved here, we didn't until we knew we could buy the ground and build on that and completely pay for it. And I wanted a garage, but didn't positively need that, only after a couple years of saving money on our retirement income did we build that, from money in the bank.

Used My Cap 1 Visa there Udon, Roi Et, KK, Kalasin now Mukdahan, never had a problem, but couple of time had to tell them which machine to use (SCB, K bank or Bangkok Bank). Only had one time they wanted to add a "fee" I said NO...manager ok'd no fee. It usually the employee who doesn't know.