WinnieTheKhwai

And no requirement to wear orange I presume? I don't think I own anything orange.

Basically we need Thaksin back.. Then everything will get back on track with the economy and tourism, also for Chiang Mai.

I like Kamphaeng Phet; for Bangkok it's pretty much half-way, for Pattaya a little bit short of half way. But there is nice accommodation there along the river there. Actually there quite a bit to see too in Kamphaeng, some nice historical sites.

Nakhon Sawann I never liked much as a town.

What's the deal with the yacht club by the way, is it also possible to join or take a sailing course there? What sort of prices?

( Can always use an additional legitimate activity in Patters.. )

I was once in the same situation.

Well, almost same, it was not a 7-eleven but another convenience store brand but that's not important right now.

I went for it. Just as a fling, no strings attached. After erm, being together just about every day she asked me to help with the months rent.. Which was almost reasonable given how much time I spent in her room. So I made a donation, the rent was something like 2000 baht I believe.

So good value. Good memories. Fair mammaries.

For a serious relationship however I would pick a girl with a more similar background/education as myself though.

Ok [- in case nobody else comes up with a solid lead -] in that case I would show up a little early at the school and ask the van drivers showing up there.

There can be charges for uniforms, shoes, books, excursions (if any) and lunch (optional).

Either way it won't break the bank.

Or do an international school, or international/English program at a fancier Thai school. That's more expensive.

http://maps.google.com

Note that Global House's own site also uses it: http://globalhouse.co.th/map.html

You can zoom way in on their site, too.

Definitely closer. Perhaps still a bit too close to the old Lamphun road though..

If you want it exact I can bring my GPS tomorrow.. I pass it daily.

Either way it should be good enough to find it.. it's not exactly a tiny hole in the wall..

Just out of interest, I saw some of the intersections are called "Saman Samakkee".. Could that be the official Thai name for that road? For example the intersection with the Canal Road is called "Yaek Mae Hia Saman Samakee", quite a mouth full.

> Hideaway Restaraurant off Hang Dong Road is good.

I think it's reasonable, but not really worth going out of your way for.

It's operated by Dacheeso, so the same place where you go to buy their overly bland cheese and watery yogurt.

It's located in Moo Ban Amorn-Nivet, which is on the Hang Dong road on the left side when going out of town, a left turn JUST before the big Siam Commercial Bank. Then just keep going until you see it on the left hand side.

> Thaksin seen here kowtowing to General Suchinda Kraprayoon "

!!!!!The same Suchinda that CHUAN gave a medal and effectively rehabilitated while he was PM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No really, give it your best shot.

As monks are supposed to be free of (sexual) desire, it shouldn't really matter which team they batted for prior to becoming monks.

('Supposed' and 'Shouldn't' being the key words)

Did you ask the schools?

Also, this being Chiang Mai, you can actually send your kids to school yourself and not have it take 3 hours before you're back.

The added benefit of that is that your kids will be in child safety seats and not all over some van or songthaew. (I assume)

Am i the only one who feels uncomfortable with the frequent use of the word 'girls' rather than 'women'?

Probably. Look it up in a dictionary if you must. They're available online, check all the usages.

Thailand: where the worst of the West meets the Worst of the East .... and they breed.

Look, it is what it is.

Some statements, various people will find some of them correct:

- In essence Pai itself as a town was no different from any other Northern district town.

- It is in a VERY beautiful valley, and because of this has a feeling of relative remoteness

- Unlike similar towns, Pai became a very hot backpacker destination, mostly to just 'chill', and because staying there was near-free at the time.

- More and more people came, and the place now caters also to more up-market tourists, and Thai tourists.

- It's still an amazing sight.. You're still basically in the middle of nowhere but you suddenly have fancy foreign foods,

baguetts & croissants, good coffee, etc, etc. To Thai tourists especially it's amazing to suddenly hit a 'Farang' hotspot, as if

they were dumped there by a UFO.

- There is now a wide range of accommodation options, some cheap, some distincly more high-end.

- The area is still as beautiful as ever.

So, if the 'Farang ghetto' is not your thing then at least appreciate the variety of accommodation and breakfast options as well as nighlife options (live music, etc), and explore the area during the day. Or, don't stay in Pai itself but continue to places like Soppong et al.

Overall it's a great trip. But as been said before, be VERY careful on the roads, especially if it rains. You didn't say if you would hire a driver as well or just rent a van, but either way make sure you drive carefully.

What could a farang possibly do in this situation?

They could walk.

That would be a risk those women take by having the baby against the expressed wishes of the presumed father.

Note that this scenario isn't exactly a rarity among, erm, lower income groups in this country.

I wonder if anyone has been able to talk such a girl out of having the baby?

Some options:

1. Use reason and common sense. (unlikely to work, but doesn't hurt to try)

or

2. Make promises ("we're not ready yet, but we will be in the future")

or

3. Leave. Faced with having to raise a baby alone without a good income, some will opt not to have the baby. At that point it's possible to gravitate back together again, but no guarantees of course.

or

4. Pro-actively move the decision along, such as by making a hospital/clinic appointment and taking her there. Having an abortion is very much considered 'wrong' in Thai culture/religion, so by having someone else "make the decision for them", they might just go along with it as it would be less of a 'sin' (baab') for the woman, resulting in losing relatively fewer points on their karmic score cards.

-------

NB: I'm no big fan of abortion in general, to put it mildly, and I do believe the guy is as much to blame as the woman in any such case. But since you asked, these are the answers and I realize they're not pretty. Consider that many Thai women genuinely feel that abortion is the murder of a baby; it's not entirely unreasonable to allow an expectant mother to not kill their baby. Even if you do manage to force an abortion it can cause severe distress, psychological issues and severe strains on the relationship. Having a kid can be a good thing; keep in mind that in this culture the father is not really expected to be overly involved in anything baby related other than at conception. Don't turn it into a bigger thing than it really is. Having babies is as natural as lusting after women is.

if you rephrase and ask whether fidelity and cheating exist in thai society, of course that is not something I can deny

but to talk about fidelity and cheating being part of thai culture is something i have to refute. or that it is something that is accepted, again something I have to disagree with

I can understand your sentiment, but I do believe Thais are more inclined to have adventures on the side than other countries I'm familiar with. Take for example the Philippines or just about any Western country; if you say you're married and have kids then any kind of flirtation ends right then and there. In Thailand however if anything it'll encourage the flirtation if not immediate then in the very short term. I see this time and again. Now, do Thai people ACCEPT that their partner has a fling on the side: no way, by and large, unless it's a severely unequal relationship. But are they more open to having a fling themselves: absolutely, and that goes for both men and women. (No, not all men and women)

Most arent foolish enough to think that there gonna get away with it for long, its dam_n hard work to keep 2 at once bro, be careful what you wish for you may just get it.. If your dead set on having a full time chick on the side you better never let her know where you live, work or hang out normaly, get a second sim card with a seperate phone number, only use cash,

Did anyone read the original post? It's not about having a relationship on the side, the OP has a highly jealous partner who gives him the third degree and waterboarding when he as much as wants to go have a drink with a friend! All the other stuff such as if he actually 'strays' is nice banter but not the issue the original poster raised: How to have some time for male bonding, having drinks and hitting the bars when having a highly jealous and suspicious spouse. I bet that's not a scenario many here are too unfamiliar with??

umm... are you sure you read the first 5 or 6 of the op's posts maybe take a few minute and re read them.....

Yeah, but I think the OP is a bit confused himself, mainly his assumption that Thai men don't have a worry in the world to have fun on the side. I'm saying that with a jealous partner it's actually immaterial if the man actually/factually strays or not. The more basic issue is of jealousy, trust and respect for each other. Men SHOULD be able to go out, drink beer, play golf, hang out with friends, watch the football, etc, etc without this leading to seismic events domestically.

I can understand your sentiment, but I do believe Thais are more inclined to have adventures on the side than other countries I'm familiar with. Take for example the Philippines or just about any Western country; if you say you're married and have kids then any kind of flirtation ends right then and there.

to my dislike, i can quote way too many personal experiences to refute that claim.

and I dont think im all that exceptional that would warranty these western men to suddenly depart from their values? to me it would say that it is something they do without much thought.

so how does that make thais, or western any more or less inclined to fidelity?

there maybe some difference in the way its done. but thats all.

Agree. Most Western men would give up fidelity without a thought if they thought they could get away with it.

The difference is that most Western women would not be interested in a married man. (An affair possibly, but they wouldn't target him as a b/f or for marriage)

Yes, that's precisely what I meant, though I didn't make it clear enough; outside Thailand I think women are far less likely to continue or start a flirtation if they know the man is happily married.

Thanks for that... Sounds awesome those things I have to say.. Would places like Miguel's do those though?

Too bad there doesn't seem to be any Mexican food that doesn't come wrapped in something dough-like or otherwise has an overload of carbs in it..

Why is that too bad?

Well, for me it's uncomfortable to digest, and fattening. Same applies to pizza.

Peking Duck.

Most if not all of the fancy Chinese restaurants around town do it.

(Another one, while not a Peking Duck with the little pancakes, "Fujian" restaurant which is at Oriental Dhara Dhevi does an excellent roasted duck. )

Too bad there doesn't seem to be any Mexican food that doesn't come wrapped in something dough-like or otherwise has an overload of carbs in it..

As for the name, Ankor Wat is just called Nakhon Wat in Thai. That's not strange in itself, lots of places are called something else in countries other than where the place is located. Like Germans don't call Bavaria that either. The Swiss don't call Geneva that, etc, etc.