SIAMBULL

Exhaubatant indeed. Mai pen rai. I'll sell stateside and buy there.

Thanks for the input.

Anyone shipped a vehicle from the States to Muang Thai?

I'm assuming it's exorbitant but maybe less than selling here and buying there.

Input appreciated.

Thanks

BULL

Very different certainly. Although I believe the thieving sister would not have fallen, in abject ignorance and self esteemless neediness, to the influence of a thieving boyfriend and the temptations of card playing. I do know the sister and while she cannot be trusted to use what little brains Buddha has bestowed, I do believe that were my wife and I with her she cold have resisted the call to corruption. Perhaps....

I think the idea that sis would someday have a visa to America and/or we would retire to Isaan and all live happily ever after, just could not inspire her from such a great distance, adequitely, to stop temptation/corruption/theivery from entering her heart. Were myself and my now American educated wife there, I think sis would have done better and perhaps even been inspired to put her life together and maybe even find a 'respectable' boyfriend rather than the scum she passively allows into her life.

She is now reportedly surprised that the money has stopped flowing from America and low and behold has expressed, from her current situation in Bangkok, CONCERN FOR HER CHILDREN!!!?! Ain't that special......

BULL

Ubon

Is there reliable high speed internet in Ubon? I need to make money, even on holiday and require my notebook and a connection to NY markets. Thinking we will visit the family (minus my wife's thieving sisters) and look over Ubon for retirement for yours truly. Where else would I go than where the wife, who is a joy, is happy!?!

BULL

The wife has agreed that she will take care of all Isaan finances from her Bank of America account that I fund every month (not much really we are frugal and rebuilding financially). She continues to discuss events in Isaan only because she is now shocked (opening her eyes to the truth) by her family's behavior and needs to talk. I listen and repeatedly comment: "don't care, don't care." I do care but apparently that's my problem and their problems are theirs'.

Just say no.

I was planning to retire to LOS. I speak Thai passably and was learning to read and write and there were many things I loved about Thailand besides the easy women and cheap living. Now I feel that noone is to be trusted there and I would always be at risk. We thought a big house in Ubon where I could help with the kids' education and lead a simple life close to the wife's family and business. Now I think not.

Starting to think a move into the heartland of America is a similar retirement plan. Boring, can't understand the natives and lacking basic big city resources. Same same.....

I wanted the exotic and ever interesting Thai culture around me but ....... well exotic thieves and ignorant sloths ain't really interesting.

Thanks everybody for your takes on my ridiculous situation. These events, while upsetting, are reality and I'm a believer in truth. Nice to learn the truth even if it's ugly.

Chok dee to all you expats. Nice to know some are doing very well.

Sawatdee Krap.

BULL

You are so lucky that you live in the United States. There you will find Alanon and Co-dependents Anonymous meetings available in most cities. Learning to say no and setting boundaries and dealing with your self-esteem issues will dramatically change your life for the better. It takes courage but the journey is well worth it!

Condecending trite. Thanks

You've got it all wrong.

Give your wife a fixed monthly allowance within reason. Let her do with it whatever she wants, but keep yourself out of family matters completely. If it's the wifes money they usually have more respect for it!

Yes. Some sound advice. Obviously I have it all wrong. (Nice guys don't have to finish last... they can learn and get on with enjoying their lives!) My perception is molded by my culture/education/ethics (ethics--now there's a concept!). I want to help these jerks-- clearly my problem. My satisfaction achieved by the "family" doing well and gaining face in Isaan is my motive and ya know.... I can give that up pretty easily.

Let the wife deal with the Isaan finances. Now that's a plan. Not my problem, not my pleasure, not my "family".

Thanks for the feedback.

BULL

Maybe Thaksin will give them another 500 baht and they can worship him some more......

Well continuing my saga of adventure and mishap in the Land of Smiles:

First idiotically marrying a bargirl, later divorsed... what a mess.

Then my good girl 2nd Thai wife came to the USA and has done well (citizen, Community College etc.) I was convinced that as the folks in Yasothon are my "family" it was a humanitarian ideal to support them and invest and help out. Nice thought.....

Well after buying them more land, paying off the mortgage on Mae's house, supporting and putting in special schools 4 of my 2 sister-in law' s children (who of course live with their Granmother as the sisters are too busy to be raising children), buying cattle and supporting the sister-in-law who was my wife's closest ally every month so she could come home from Bangkok and work the cattle and rice field well--- you geussed it: she got a Thai boyfriend and stole all the money. This class act stole her brother's money for the tractor, my land payments and the funds I had sent her to put her in hair cutting (cosmetology?) school. Walked with all the cash and when asked why: "I have a boyfriend" Nice huh? Forget the family, forget the plans, forget you're own children and parents, take the cash and run with the Thai pimp daddy. Oh I almost forgot: the other sister convinced me to invest in her Bangkok restaurant. Amusingly the payments for the loan have not been forthcoming. Whodothunkit?

What kind of people do this? I understand that poverty and ignorance make honor a meaningless exercise and that ultimately I am seen as a non-human ATM. Thai Rak Thai and take all you can from the stupid Farang... but to steal your children's future and burn you mother and siblings. I'm pretty fed up with Siam. Apparently they smile to cover their secretive coveteness and just don't have the basic brain power to comprehend planning for a better future or acting honorably so as to build and model character. I suppose that's the key: a characterless culture with a take on Buddhism that is basicly Tam Boon for more cash. "Oh Lord Buddha give me lottery numbers."

Anyway I told the family: no more money. Farang ATM closed, out of order, forget the gravy train, sis blew it and it's over.

Now I feel in my gullible Farang heart that I can't leave Mae satangless. Yeah I feel guilty and continue to want to help-- pitiful American Farang that I am.

At least this family produced one fine little human and she is my wife and now a US citizen. She is of course shaken by her sister's evil actions but Thai style immediately wants to forgive her and gloss over the truth. That's Thailand: smile and don't think and everything is JUST FINE! My Pen Rai!

BULL

Well bull has his two posts in so he can go back to shelter under the bridge. Its starting to rain.

The bridge is in California and indeed the post is BS. My apologies to the group but I wanted to know the answer so I wrote hypothetically (ie. BS). Sorry guys.

The wife is my Thai sweetheart who is here in the USA and recently got her US citizenship! Yes we're celebrating and also plotting to get her sister and family here thus the admittedly ridiculous hypothetical. Thanks for your replies. I am actually an educated professional and a veteran of pretty much every LOS stupid mistake a Farang can make, but I found my good girl and she's here and I'm no longer a 'player' nor the fool I once was.

I pay monthly to support a vast extended Isaan family and am happy with my sweety here in California. I actually no longer visit LOS as my girl knows what I was and did (repeatedly!) and requests I cease. We're happy Buddhists together.

BULL

Thanks. What a pleasant response.

BULL

Yes she's a great Thai girl and she's preggie with my kid now. As I'm married here stateside I can't exacty go for a fiance or spousal visa. I assume the kid is automatically a US citizen as it's mine for sure. Can the kid get a US passport? Can the mom get a visa to the US? My wife stateside knows and would actually welcome the kid and his mom (no further boom boom is the deal).

Yeah I'm irresponsible but it's done and I don't want my kid in the Thai educational system.

Any thoughts appreciated.

BULL