lukamar

Sarapee Hospital, Amphoe Sarapee, Chiang Mai.

18-40'51.65"N 99-02'35.59"E

This was bound to happen sooner or later - and guess what?

It was an anti-PAD protester or protesters responsible for this terrible murder.

And further - PAD protesters have never attacked or injured anyone since they started protesting two years ago. Anywhere.

PAD protests - no matter what you may think of them or their motives - are ALWAYS considered non-violent affairs by their supporters -

My condolences to the family of the brave protester who was savagely attacked by these murdering scum.

(Perhaps this story should be in the Thailand News Clippings section)

Here is my take on this and I don't condone violence and am always saddened by the death of anyone....

The PAD knew well that his would happen sooner or later in the north. The anti PAD groups are very organized there and counter any PAD rallies in numbers. It almost happened in Korat a couple of weeks ago when the PAD leader there thought it best to vacate the area. PAD is not anti violence they are trying their hardest to have a confrontation and create an atmosphere where the military will step in and take over the government. In any western country the situation would have been dealt with harshly as soon as they broke through the first police barricade.

If the PAD leaders are so worried about Thai Democracy, and they are not according to there 30% elected MP platform, They would run for office and change the way things are done democratically. The truth of the mater is that few of them would get elected and would be a fringe party at best. They will continue to work in a subversive way going against the law and breaking through police cordons on every occasion, trying to force their ideology down the gullet of the thai populous. If there was an election tomorrow they know that the PPP would be reelected and most surveys feel they would get a majority of the house again.

And on a personal note:_ The PAD is offering cash, food & Teeshirts to those in Chiang Rai who will go to their rallies. I'm sure the same applies to the rest of the country as well. This is the exact thing that the PAD accused the TRT and PPP of with the last anti PAD rallies. Isn't that ironic.

This whole thing has nothing to do with Democracy, little to do with the PAD and everything to do with the old Elite getting back on top of the cash ladder.

Let's not get into a tit-for-tat about the vagaries of Thai law regarding farangs. I think it is quite clear that it is illegal for anyone who does not hold a work permit to engage in these endeavors. But TIT, yes I know.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a Thai real estate agent in CR, in answer to the OP's question?

On the work permit issue. It may well be hard for a Farang to get a work permit as an independent property agent/real estate agent without setting up a company and hiring Thai staff as "brokerage or agency work" is on the restricted professions list as is "driving of motor vehicles or non-motorized carriers for hire" which would let out Foreigners driving people around for a fee.

If the Original poster wants to contact me I'll provide him with a list of the agents and developments, I know about and am not affiliated with...

So who owns the land you built the house on?

The legal side of living with a non-Thai with no documentation is a can of worms. I suggest you may need to seek legal advice.

Yes.. You need to seek some competent legal advice especially if you have forked out any money for the land and house. You may be able to get married legally if you went outside Thailand, Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia and then returned as a married couple that is if she could get a Thai passport.

Cirxcumcision eh??????? ouch...they'll have to catch me first.....I know you're joking...LOL

You did check that she is Buddhist and not Jewish or Muslim. If Jewish or Muslim the instant circumcision may apply. If she's buddhist you can usually buy your way out of it..

Some might say I have no right to comment on this one since the wife and I did the deed without all the hoopla. We told people after the fact. "Oh, by the way we got married." Did not have to pay anybody or suffer all that other stuff. Not sure how many others have been able to pull that one off. Obviously its possible, however.

We came close...LOL The wife's sister told everyone about 3 months ahead and they ended up with a cast of hundreds, about 400. We arrived on Wednesday afternoon and announced we were going to get married on Friday morning... LOL You have never seen so many Thai people move so fast, It gives me hope. We had a dinner for the close family the night before that came to about 1500Bt and we gave Pa 10,000 Bt for the food and drink so he could look like the big shot dolling out cash...LOL The local Monk, there is only one at our temple, couldn't do it so we got some big shot government relative who was a monk for a long time, maybe in a past life. All in all it was a nice time, they got drunk, we went to the lake ( Kwan Phayao) to relax as we don't drink. When we got back the onlookers had left and the Military and Police had arrived. They were invited BTW..

Just go with the flow. I still don't totally know what went on at mine, it was in Pauli language and than there were people in the pictures no one knew...The two dead chickens are still a mystery to all of us. and you get to foot the whiskey bill.

Thanks for the reply. Seems not many folk get down that way and it is only 90kms or so. So I guess its seek and ye shall find !

Maybe it's so the secret won't get out.

There is lots to do in Phayao and the surrounding area but most of it requires local knowledge. It's hard to find out about Phayao on the internet. Most farang just stop for lunch by the lake and head out again down the road. There is a great little covered day market just behind Thai Farmers Bank ( I think that's the bank). There is a real nice little golf course ( 9 holes) on the Military base about 3 Km out of town on 1202, slow down at the gas station, can't miss the Gate on the left. If you are into Buddhism as it should be there is a small road on your right about 100 yards before the Military entrance just before the shop houses. There is also a sign but it's in Thai. Just follow the road and it ends in the forrest with a small temple with one monk it's a very special little hideaway. Our house is on the left of the temple road. Lots to do lots to see but most, just pass through, and miss it all.

I should add that almost everyone in Phayao, including the government offices, speak Northern Thai almost exclusively.

Work to start on new bridge linking China, Laos and Thailand

CHON BURI, March 30, (TNA) -- Construction of a new Thai-Lao bridge, aimed at boosting trade and tourism among Thailand, Laos and China, was expected to start the middle of this year, a senior Thai Transport Ministry official said on Sunday.

Piyapan Champasut, deputy permanent secretary for transport, said after visiting the planned construction site of the new bridge that his ministry would give details of the construction which could start in mid 2008.

Total investment in the construction was estimated at Bt1 billion of which the Thai and Chinese governments would foot the bill equally, Mr. Piyapan said.

The new bridge – to link Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Rai with Laos’ Huayxai province – is expected to open in 2011. The bridge will serve to link northern Thailand with Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province, passing through Laos.

The planned opening of the new bridge in 2011 would facilitate a second port in Chiang Saen district of Chiang Rai, due to open at around the same time, and would help boost trade between the three countries in the future, said Mr. Piyapan.

The new bridge will also assist roads now under construction, from Chiang Khong district in Chiang Rai to Luang Nam Tha in Laos and on to Kunming. The total distance of the roads is about 1,500 km. (TNA) – E111

My feeling is that Mama is dominent and my gf is naive.

For me the attraction is in the nature of the girl.

She says that for mountain people, husband comes first, family comes second.

I think you have pegged it that Ma is dominant, it's the case with all Thai families I think. My mother in law is a sweetheart but rules her kids like she's royalty. That's just the way it is in the North and northeast from what i see it's part of the culture. I can see where you find the attraction with an unspoiled beauty not having been tainted by the outside society, it's something primal but you also have to realize that that will change and so will she once she gets out of that environment. As long as you are ready to accept that change it's fine.

I have to say that my wife thinks i come first but family is a close second. I also said my wife had been on her own for a long time and was quite modern in her thinking when i met her otherwise i think that would be totally different. Still coming up to songkran She has told me not to give her the phone if any of them call you you can take out of that what you want.

You didn't say if you planned on staying in Thailand or return home once you were married. If you bought some property (or property they had) and built a simple small Thai house, put in you wife's name, you could allow your MiL to live there. You guys would still have the money and title but she would have the status of having a new house. Sometime it's not always as it seems in the LOS. Or by them an old truck or car that's status too. Face is everything.

We have been having a bit of fun at the OPs expense but there is a bit of truth in everyone's reply. Getting married to a Thai is definitely different than getting married to someone in our culture and can have some pitfalls if you are not ready for them.

I must admit i was lucky and my wife is her own person and although family oriented very seldom agrees to send them any money unless it's an emergency but her family is also not poor so that probably has a big bearing on it too. She paid for her own university along with scholarships so they can't hold that over her.

Just look into everything and put all your concerns on the table before you get married. If you don't want to send money every month lay it out right at the start - No money ever or you will only pay medical expensed up to X amount. Tell them you are not planning on building a house for them to move into, things like that. When we moved back to Canada my wife's parents moved into our house at our request, it's worked out well they even remodeled the bathroom and the front yard, at their cost.. The downside is we probably will not throw them out when we return but we know our stuff is safe in "our" bedroom which is locked...LOL

Think things through and make sure you look at it as a business arrangement rather than a heavenly love story, her family are looking at it that way.

One thing I forgot to ask. Is she a Thai citizen? If not you may be in for a huge can of worms.

I'll go along with 50-100 as well. if she is uneducated but gorgeous the low end. if she's well educated and gorgeous with university degree decent well paying job and speaks English well the top end. If she is a virgin maybe a bit more because of her great moral upbringing and values.

I didn't pay a dowry exactly but Pa ended up with our car somehow,LOL (we were moving back to canada anyway) maybe worth 120,000 max and i bought Ma some gold about 10,000. I might add Pa is well connected with the Military (He's retired) and the police in Phayao province and that's a definite plus and my wife is very well educated and worked in the Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai University Hospital.

For a cool million you may be able to wed Thaksin's daughter or some well healed society type with real strong family connections to the government or Military.

They will get the million out of you eventually so don't make a huge down payment up front.

Did you discuss the costs of the wedding parties..

Go stay in Kanchanaburi on a saturday night and see how you like it.

Why would I ever consider going to Kanchanaburi, let along by property there?

Some rivers can be very noisy with boat activity, crazy party boats etc.

Noise is definitely something to take into consideration if you are buying property anywhere. Some noise is not as obnoxious as other noise to me. Boat traffic would not bother me unless it was 24/7 but I'd go crazy if I lived across the street from a bar.

A lot of the property along the Kok is also gravel base and I have a feeling that is probably not the most stable. The ones I have seen that are reasonable priced are also very low bank type that you would think flooded easily. It's not like buying a rice paddy and filling it as it may get washed away every year. We looked at a large plot around 7-8 Rai but not chanote a long time back and it was less than 200,000/Rai. We had to ask ourselves why as paddy land was more than that at the time. We did see one other property that was very nice but it was only about 150TW with an old Thai house that would have to be bulldozed and it was pricey for what you got but we high bank and had an old dock that looked like it had survived for a long time..

Is that possible to have my wedding on the elephant?

That isn't a problem as long as you have larger elephants for the monks so they can remain higher than you or you lose Merit and they may not let you take your Chiang, alive or bottled, into the Amphoe office where you register and are actually married.

All joking aside you can have any kind of ceremony you want. In Chiang Mai they just had a huge one using hot air balloons, probably fueled by mother in laws. hot frequent requests for cash Your actual marriage is conducted in the amphoe office when it's registered I don't remember much from the whole ceremony thing we had at our house, and i was sober. it was mostly in Pauli language & Northern Thai had 2 dead chickens and some other stuff I didn't recognize, a bowl of water and some roses that were dipped into it and a lot of string..

Oh congratulations and welcome to the club. You now get to turn down loan requests, water Buffalo Vet bills and other such monetary stuff on a regular basic. Remember to have sufficient copies of your ATM card to cover even distant cousins as give aways at the wedding dinner along with enough food and whiskey to cover a good drunk for the inhabitants of a radius of at least 10 KM.

Don't know if this may help but I stuck this URL in my bookmarks a long time ago.

Pools

It's not technically hard to do but a lot depends on if the plant is fresh or dried and what specific sort of concentration the person wants.. Do a quick search on google for making herbal extracts and it will yield you lots of information.

Horeca!

That's just a foodservice industry term. It means HOtel-REstaurant-CAfe. Lots of companies have a HORECA devisions, Macro in Thailand springs to mind.

More better.

I want to write a bit on my blog/newsnet site about Mae Sai immigration but I would like a bit more info if anyone can provide it.

Do they do all the same procedures as they do in Chiang Mai? When I was in Phayao I didn't even know Mae Sai immigration existed, maybe I didn't get out enough.. Any other info or insight that anyone can add to the info here already would be helpful.

Thanks

Anyway, the website is http://www.sw-phayao.ac.th/ , at least the english on the site isn't atrocious , unlike most other Thai attempts at multilingual sites!

I asked my wife about the school but she didn't know much. Her best friend has told her that it is very popular at the moment. Maybe it's a case of the best choice of all the poor choices.

Great Pic, thanks for posting it.

Alos try to speak english to your wife and son as much as you can and let your wife speak only Thai to him. That way hopefully he will be able to speak and more importantly understand both languages and get a better life from the start.

Try to read to him as well and get him interested in books. I read a lot but my wife not so much. :D

I'll second that. We both speak english and Thai to our son in the house. Sometimes when a child is in a 2 language household they take a bit longer to speak but they soon catch up. That can be a bit concerning when you see other kids talking away and yours is not at the same level, but not to worry.

We also use the Thai/English books that are in both languages. My wife is the one that reads to him most, she reads the book in Thai and then reads it again in English. He loves it. There are also some good dual language VCD's available. Most are designed for kids to learn Thai but they work the other way around as well.

Congrats to you both. Our son is 2 1/2 and it's changed our life, for the better most of the time. Take lots of pictures, lots and lots, and if you have a digital post a pic for us..

PS:- Don't volunteer to help with the laundry.