Lee4Life

Property ownership by foreigners in this country can be a vexed question because Thai laws regarding it are complex and confusing.

For anyone who values their money or their sanity it is best to avoid this minefield strewn with banana peels.

Long-term family relationships are essential for many things in Thailand. Having trusted relatives front for you is the name of the game. This applies especially to land ownership issues.

It can't be said often enough that family means everything here.

Your position in the family defines who you are.

Without one you are nobody... farang tao-nahn eng..

It's quite obvious that to mercenary Thais, many farangs are low-hanging-fruit.

They come here as refugees from their own countries which have - for the most part - gone to the dogs.

They are looking for love and a new life that, in many cases, includes home ownership.

They came here too late in life... set in their ways and too late to adapt or assimilate in any meaningful ways. Too old to master the language or be anything other than a cash-cow for some greedy woman and her scheming relatives.

Forget about property ownership if you don't have roots here that go very deep.

Sorry to pop your bubble, but I am not a refugee and can go home whenever I like and I have been married for 34 years and am not looking for any women, greedy or otherwise. If I don't master the Language it's because I just got comfortable enough speaking it reasonably well, nobody is ever too old to learn and nobody has to settle for being a cash cow. On the other hand I am sorry that you have such a negative viewpoint and hope that you heal.

You didn't pop my bubble, Lee.

I stand by my post. The observations and considered opinions are based on an adult lifetime - almost 40 years - of living here and watching the changing farang demographic.

From the raffish types of the 1970s to the hordes of colorless retirees who have come down on Chiang Mai in recent years, the scene has never been dull.

The peevish tone of your reply suggests that I may have hit a nerve, or that the shoe fit a little too well.

I try not to be doctrinaire, and usually qualify my conclusions with many or most.

If you don't consider yourself profiled in the post, then why get testy?

The shoe doesn't fit at all. And I don't consider my reply testy...and I was just stating facts, not observations.

Property ownership by foreigners in this country can be a vexed question because Thai laws regarding it are complex and confusing.

For anyone who values their money or their sanity it is best to avoid this minefield strewn with banana peels.

Long-term family relationships are essential for many things in Thailand. Having trusted relatives front for you is the name of the game. This applies especially to land ownership issues.

It can't be said often enough that family means everything here.

Your position in the family defines who you are.

Without one you are nobody... farang tao-nahn eng..

It's quite obvious that to mercenary Thais, many farangs are low-hanging-fruit.

They come here as refugees from their own countries which have - for the most part - gone to the dogs.

They are looking for love and a new life that, in many cases, includes home ownership.

They came here too late in life... set in their ways and too late to adapt or assimilate in any meaningful ways. Too old to master the language or be anything other than a cash-cow for some greedy woman and her scheming relatives.

Forget about property ownership if you don't have roots here that go very deep.

Sorry to pop your bubble, but I am not a refugee and can go home whenever I like and I have been married for 34 years and am not looking for any women, greedy or otherwise. If I don't master the Language it's because I just got comfortable enough speaking it reasonably well, nobody is ever too old to learn and nobody has to settle for being a cash cow. On the other hand I am sorry that you have such a negative viewpoint and hope that you heal.

I'd be surprised if that was a major reason. Westerners have been spraying highly absorbable aluminium into their armpits for decades. However, you definitely shouldn't cook anything acidic in an aluminium pan - rhubarb being the worst. That really is mental. Tomato isn't good either.

I'm not keen on hot food in thin plastic bags.

Some of the westerners I have been around certainly haven't been spraying anything into their armpits...unless it has a terrible smell that is

Immigration and police dont seem to be following what was said about Passports , This is one main reason i left Thailand it is becoming very clear they have adopted a western approach i have only searched in Bangkok but 5 times in one week has turned me off the country , great bloody holiday

What Western approach are you talking about? I have never been searched back home in the States except for by airport security. If you are referring to the Police asking for proper identification then again I would have to say that doesn't happen much at all back home.

How do low global oil prices have a negative effect on Thai exports? ( no...I'm not being negative, I just want to know)

Here we go again , not the first time tourists gets electrocuted and it will not be the last time. Remember the kid in the shower some time ago (no earth connection) ? Or the young guy that was electrocuted when he was walking in a flooded soi? Or the kid electrocuted in the swimming pool ?

This is only a few incidents reported in the news the last 2 years. Parents should just protect their kids at all time here.

Nothing will happen. TIT.

While I agree with most of your points, the statement that "parents should just protect their kids at all times" doesn't really help in this case. The parents only let their child play in the sand on the beach.

You can't nail this one down Thailand alone, I ran a Towing Company in the States for 18 years. The rental agencies all have the same thing written into their contracts, that the renter is liable for "loss of rental". I would guess that the insurance company for the person that hit you has said they are not paying for the extra rental car charges, and the person whom hit you doesn't want to pay, so they are trying to stick you for it.

If this happened back home your insurance company would probably go to bat for you and help you get the other party or their insurance company to pay. The other option would be to take them to court, but this is likely not viable here as the expenses of going to court would likely be far more than the rental fees. (been there done that).

The headline states 55 countries and then they list six, watched the report and they listed six also???

The Asean-US summit set the stage for this to happen. America is grasping to get help and at the same time trying to keep an image of that they are the pillar of democracy. America has made the mistake of letting Asean countries see it desperation. Asean counries thrive on taking advantage of people and things when they are vulnerable, that is where they survive. Obama sold out America finally. There is no turning back. Now Thailand knows America needs them more than Thailand needs America.

Take Thailand out of the picture for America in south east asia and America loses not Thailand. Thailand knows this now for sure and will use it to the max.

Americas greed is coming home to roost.

Are you Mad...

I'd say beyond mad! Not dipping with both oars in the water comes to mind

What ? I have been reading for the past week about how the Asean summit in California was a huge success and how the PM of Thailand and Obama stepped up there relationship, with Obama promising to open new support centers in Thailand to promote and aid foreign investment by US citizens and companies. What gives?

This and the similar raids in Pattaya lately arresting people for not carrying passports....

The military government just deciding to flex its muscles, or, a response to the reports of some kind of IS terrorist threat inside Thailand?

Yeah, those nightclub loving fundamentalist terrorist fanatics. Wonder how they handle a gay man neck massage in the bog. Just the place to find them lurking around the night before a good bit of suicide bombing.???

try to write in english that is understandable to the rest of us "english" speakers! what the hell is a bog?

its English slang for Toilet ...not where you will find pete

Back home it would be a swamp

Salty food?

You can't be serious

If anything, thai food is seriously under-salted.

Rice is always coooked w/o salt

That's 50% of your average meal right there...

Only salted fish is very salty here...I don't see it being very popular...at least here in the deep south

Being expensive might be one reason

btw...try asking for salt in a thai restaurant...

Good luck with that

Most of the sauces here are very high in sodium, and the Thais love their sauces. (and so do I)

Up here in Isan Grilled Tilapia covered with salt is very popular, salted fish of other types are also popular, and sausages that contain high sodium levels.

Have you heard the term in Thailand. " Working Girl " ? I'm sure some guys in the USA Slums, need help.

You must be a real joy to be around

that's a pretty big get together photo for not such a big crime story

They came by Minivan.

Yeah, does seem like a lot of people to catch a car thief. I am impressed that they got him though!

I have a Passport for my Thai vehicle, but I'm guessing that the passport in the article is different?

"All the passengers were plugged from the sinking boat"

So they shot them?

I'm hoping that they meant "plucked"

Why can't they just peel the sticker off?

'Drivers who pass the courses will receive a “Friendly Taxi” sticker to attach on their vehicle to earn trust of their passengers.'

My bad, didn't read far enough. Lecture and a sticker....I thought it was a lecture as in a stern speaking to, and a sticker saying they were bad boys. That's what I get for only reading the headline.

Why can't they just peel the sticker off?

27,762 number of muslim based terrorists attacks since 9/11

http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/site/the-list.aspx

And the number of Christian based state terrorist attacks on let's say, Iraq, Libya, Syria for example, would be?

the attacks against people of arab origin or appearance has gone through the roof in the USA.

In case you didn't catch it the question was how many Christian based attacks, do you have some references or proof that these attacks were carried out by Christians? And what is "through the roof? Facts please

Watch out for the Christians too!

The 2011 annual growth rate of Christians in Thailand was 5.22%. The 2011 annual population growth rate in Thailand was 0.57%. That means that the number of Christians was growing 9 times faster than the general population.

From 2008-2011 about one-third of all new church members for the whole country came from the province of Chiang Mai with 9.22% of all new church members for the whole country came from the city of Chiang Mai - versus the percent of the national population living in Chiang Mai at only 2.57%.

For both Muslims and Christian families, the birthrate has been much higher than for Buddhist families. So by mere biological nature, their religions will see greater growth.

Really? Watch out for Christians? You come up with that for an answer to an article about a monk who is extolling violence towards violent muslims?

Seeing yourself as better than others, due to wealth, is pathetic,

I see myself as better than others due to education and intelligence.

More education does not necessarily mean more intelligence

Does the law apply to UNO cards too? Don't want to get myself in hot water.

This article seems to indicate that the reason for the increase in Chinese tourists is because of the increase in wealth and prosperity in China. I have just been reading all kinds of news reports that indicate China's economy is in trouble, and the article admits that China is in an economic slowdown. If so then how can the Chinese be "becoming richer and traveling more" as the article states?

When the economy back home hits the skids, the first thing people do is look for a closer place to vacation, somewhere not too far from home.

Fortuner drivers own the road. Boy racers on their skinny tired, lowered, noisy bikes think they can take on a big bike

I'm a Fortuner driver and I don't own the road....only half of it. The other half I just borrow from time to time

On a more serious note, I see people driving all types of vehicles doing that, and not just here but in my home country also (but probably more here). Loss of face is global.

This sounds like Bullshit to me .You can Enter the Country and look where you want to spend the night/nights !That has nothing to do with Immigration,,,(My Opinion)Maybe Wrong

My daughter came in at the NongKhai Border Crossing last month and she had to call me to get the correct spelling of our address because she had spelled the Tambon wrong and the officer wouldn't stamp her in. It's not like it was in the good old days, if someone lets you through without an address or hotel booking then count yourself blessed.