Sassie

Hi y'all:

Arriving in Bangkok on April 13 mid morning. Visiting mair (mother in law) in Phi Mai. Used to being picked up by hubby (Thai) but he is not in a position to do so at the moment. Anyway...having never arrived at the new airport and on the assumption family will not be available to pick me up, what is the best way to get to Phi Mai? Years ago, I took the bus to Khorat, then onto Phi Mai.

Are taxis or limos reliable from the airport (to either get to Khorat, then I take the bus to Phi Mai or to go straight to Phi Mai) or would one advise that I go to the Northeastern bus terminal and grab a bus to Khorat and change buses and onto Phi Mai? Or how about, is there a reliable service that I could book from Canada that would pick me up at the airport and at least get me as far as Khorat?

Any cost info? saw a spot on the forum from december re getting to Khorat but not sure if anything has changed in the interim.

I will see if mair can arrange for a ride but appreciate any thoughts, input etc. in the meantime.

Thanks for any replies. Blessed be.

sassie

Hey y'all, thanks for your words and thoughts. Thank goodness there are no kids!! it will be an interesting visit in December. if more interesting things arise for which i need outside thoughts, i'll it out and fill you in.

blessed be.

sassie

I am not in Thailand but would go every six months. Was in the process of building a rather large home but seeing as I would never get an accounting of the funds and where they went (i.e. to pay the men, buy cement etc.), simply met by "blank" stare and then a "walk away" well i began to wonder (his family started to fill me in on money costing things he was doing that had nothing to do with the house). His family had no idea of the amount that had been transferred and were shocked once they heard. i trust them with all my heart (that is another story).

so anyway, last time i went over the greeting from hubby was cold to say the least and i figured i must have spent about 2 hours of quality time with him (the rest with momma and sister). always phone calls and going out at all hours. his momma actually told me to go home and "make new man" with an "it is ok if you and new man come back to my home".

regardless, i was played (i equate money loss to losing in the stock market). i don't hate him and such for what has happened, i only look and recognize what my vulnerabilities were in the moment(s). i learned, sobeit, i'll move on. but the marriage lingers over me now, in terms of legalities not relationship wise.

hopefully all will go well and i'll be out at the end of the year to be with momma for a few weeks. she is the greatest. he can stay put in the "monkeyhouse". heck maybe i'll call her now as i have not talked to her for three weeks.

so anyway, i put this out here (being open about my situation) in hopes that anyone might have done the divorce thing with a spouse in the "monkeyhouse".

ciao for now. peace out.

sassie

Hey there, thanks for your reply.

Yes, it would be great if you could ask your friend about her divorce and about what the process was like for her and whatever other information she is willing to share.

I've looked things up on the Internet but hearing from someone who has gone through the experience would be greatly appreciated as I am not sure what I am in for.

sassie

Have any ladies (yourselves or friends) married a Thai who then by his own will and way lands in the slammer (drug related)?

I don't want to get into our background (i.e. the piece of garbage/ATM i am) save to say I told him (and his mother did too) that his friends were no good. i love his mom and family and we have a good relationship.

anyway, i was wondering about costs of divorce. if he is sentenced to more that a year, i understand that is a ground for divorce but as he would be incarcerated the case would have to go before the courts.

it's not that i don't love him (as a human being), i just don't care anymore in terms of a relationship.

so any thoughts or insight on divorce? not sure what direction i am headed in, in that regard, so that i why i inquire of anyone out there.

thanks and peace out.

sassie

My husband (Thai) is 10 years my junior (30 v. 40). after a year and a half married i am not sure whether it is his immaturity, his self-centeredness and accompanying rudeness that is now surfacing (maybe i could start another thread on my latest adventures with my sweetie). I put that down to his lack of life experience, to speak in general terms as opposed to identifying each specific area of lack of experience (yeh yeh, i should have known - but i was in LOVE - uh and still am).

i dated many men many years younger than myself and many men older and maturity certainly from my experiences does not necessarily bloom with age (and what is that number thing anyway!?)

cheers

sassie

As a mountain biker/downhill rider, no helmet = POD...Potential Organ Donor. Not that it will always save you (just like seatbelts don't sometimes) but you still wear it.

Regardless, my heart goes out to this young girl's family.

sassie

Thank you for your replies.

Sassie

I am not sure if this is just a plain old dopey question, but are there any rules etc. in Thailand re hospital patients receiving flowers?

My husband (Thai) was just the other day in an auto accident outside of Khorat and will be laid up for about a month . I can not reschedule my flight out at this time as i have my own surgery coming up here in Canada in the next couple of weeks and need to see how i recoup before rescheduling my october flight.

His family and friends keep telling me "no cry sassie, he'll be ok". while he's in the hospital i just want him to focus on getting better but i want to be there for when he is ok to go back home, heck i want to be with him everyday anyway, but that will come to be in due course. oops, i am getting off track.

so i want to send him flowers and i would suppose like canada, that would be ok. it is ok, right?

if so are there any florists or florist services one would recommend. I have never had the need to wisk flowers off to some place overseas before.

thanks for any help.

sassie

Thanks for the replies. Concern regarding money is generally always lingering which is why I am choosing to protect (as best as possible) my investments in Canada. I gave my husband a limit in terms of the money that I would put forward to build a home regardless of what "other" money i have in the banks/investments. Well, i suppose i will just have to wait and see what happens in relation to being "ripped off". Live and learn, even after reading others' stories of being taken.

but you know, his momma pulls in more money monthly with the insurance money (after her husband passed away) than many people make here in Vancouver. not sure how that figures into things (if it even does) but thought i would put it out there anyway.

heading back in october. Will be interested in looking at the accounting books that I have asked him to keep so i have a record of what the money has been spent on (i.e. labor, building supplies and the dreaded uh, smokes for him and new simm cards for the mobile etc.).

Cheers.

Sassie

Thanks again, sbk.

Well, if income tax forms or the like are "necessary" to show a proper income, I would be hooped as he works for his family and money merely changes hands. Hmm, things to consider and things to talk to hubby about.

Sassie

thank-you sbk.

sassie

I was wondering about anyone’s experience(s) with immigration in relation to applying to extend an O visa based on marriage to a Thai national.

I married my husband in October 2004. He lives in Isaan, I am back in Canada working (ah, money, a necessary evil). We are currently building a home (with shop, not sure, but for food likely) in Nakhon Ratchasima province (well, he and the men that he hires) and I was hoping on leaving Canada to be with him in time (1 – 1.5 years) depending on the completion date of the house/shop (and perhaps things that I might learn from any responses to this posting).

My concern is in the area of finances when it comes to applying to extend the visa. What are they looking for in terms of finances: whether he “supporting” me and how much does he make; or the two of us together as a married couple; or each of us separately?

I have money in Canadian banks and investments that will stay put unless an emergency arrives but we do have a joint account in Thailand where the funds aren’t huge by any means but they are there.

As an aside, my relationship with his family is wonderful. Momma “gave” me the land to build the house (the farm, she lives in big big house down the road and then down the soi). It is wonderful with a big rice paddy and pond where we fish for our dinner and trees that are maturing so we can have our own fruit. My husband told me that his momma loves me too much. She is super nice and we have great chats while downing some Changs. We are building the house on our own as she has experience in the building of her own home and are hiring “good man for work. Man work for Charlie before, he is good man”. Charlie, her farang husband, past away a few years ago.

Anyway, any experiences you wish to relay to provide me with some insight would, of course, be greatly appreciated as I realize that there must be as many experiences as there are “officials”.

Oh yeh, move this to another topic site if ya'll feel I posted it where it doesn't belong.

Sassie

sorry to have interupted, but are you able to go back to isaan with your wife and child?

sass

right forum or farang girls? now married to my isaan husband for a month after a year, and well, he is wonderful (no butterfly from flower to flower). love small town life. peaceful.

sassie

Thanks, I need to hear those thoughts from outside of my own head. Yeh, just keep second guessing and third guessing. Guess the guessing is over. Tsk tsk, he is so sweet. Oh well, as my flight is booked for October, I guess I will see where he is at at that time. Hmmm, wonder if he will explain all this to me should I venture into his town to visit (heck maybe he would be so kind as to enlighten me over the phone). But no need to worry my head over this, October will come when it comes and I shall take it from there.

cheerio and thank you both for enlightening me.

Sassie

without too much mumbojumbo, why are the thai police withholding my b/f's passport (he is thai)? I don't ask too many questions about people's past (cuz it is past) but i do know that b/f was "idiot"/"crazy" (his mother's words) when he was younger. he wanted to get his passport, then visa to travel to canada (where i live). but police are asking $$$$ to have his name removed from the computer (10,000 baht i think) and i also learned last night that b/f must go to "monkey house" (his mom's words again) to do "exercise" and he won't be given his passport for 6 months.

b/f was pretty upset on the phone last night telling me so i didn't want to prod any further at that time.

does anyone have any experiences or stories about stuff like this that might help me understand more clearly what is going on (aside from his bad a** behaviour when he was younger). I am obviously missing a page in the b/f's life story.

Sassie

Reading this exchange has been real helpful to me and my upcoming marriage (October or earlier if I land the job in BKK).

Question though: B/F's bank account is pretty low in baht, to say the least. Are they looking for a certain level of finances/activity in either his account or a joint account, or mine (I will maintain a separate foreign account in my name and try to open a Thai account). If his account is "poor" but he (thru his momma) can still take care of me (which I know he/they can), would immigration then look to me for the "supporting" money?

Hopefully that question makes sense.

I am getting the visa requirements under control, thanks to reading the forum, just working my way around finance requirements.

Cheers,

Sassie

"is that they seek security before anything else first..t

But then again, don't all women?"

Maybe some women OOO but this one in particular says "stick it where the sun don't shine, sweetie!!!", in response to that lovely comment of yours. Take care and blessed be.

Met my boyfriend in December in Isaan (through a Thai friend of mine and also met my boyfriend's mother the year before that). We only said "hi" initially but the feeling/electricity that ran between us was incredible (and still is). We flirted for a few days while he was showing us around and after that ... well we spent the rest of my time in Thailand together. I returned to be with him in April and inbetween we emailed and telephoned regularly. In April he asked me to marry him (and have a family) and I said yes to marriage & baby when i return in October (a long way off). He is sweet, sexy, smart, polite, treats me like gold. His mother will give us land to build a house in Isaan (nice property too!), house plans/designs. I have stayed twice with him & his family at their home. They all say how much they love me and miss me. I love and miss them very much too. And we are farang/thai Angelina & Billy Bob with each others name tattooed on us (even if it doesn't end up working out (WAH!), i've had the happiest time of my life with him and his family so his name, in Thai, will remain on me).

However here in Canada my family & friends are skeptical of my recent time with him. Their main points are money related in that i work in Canada, make good cash, own a townhouse. He doesn't work (odd jobs sometimes), lives in small town (i love it) and is usually spending his time helping his mom at home, driving her around, working on the farm/land. So maybe (and like mentioned above) he is in love with me and my money. Which is ok but seeing as he wants me to eventually remain in Thailand, I'm like "where is the money going to come from?" (my good job does not have pension etc. attached).

I love him dearly in my heart and soul and then I think with my head and about financial responsibilities. So I am in Thailand, heart and soul, but my head is still in Canada, wondering about money. I looked out for him financially in April and he seemed embarassed (although he certainly accepted the money) and told me before I left that he wants to be the one to give me the money. But is it all talk and no action...so like usual i will be waiting another few months to be with him and see where things have progressed to in that regard (i.e. did he get work, or is he waiting for ATM Sassie to return).

I hope we will get it all figured out cuz i love him and Thailand very much. And I'm about ready for a new adventure in life.

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone? Cheers.

Sassie (best get back to work, boss doesn't pay me to post, darn it!)

Thanks for that info. I am willing to consider anything that is available. Certainly not going to limit myself to the legal world (legal = stress but money too). A change of life is adventure and you only live once.

Sassie

Thanks Sunbelt.

This may sound dumb, but what kind of work do farang females usually find in Thailand (i.e. BKK, north, northeast but not south)? I'm a registered trademark agent in Canada and legal assistant but my understanding is that office/secretarial is off limits (not sure where the agent work lies, maybe like legal services which is off limits). I am still canvassing law firms nonetheless (via email from Canada).

Is there any one better source of job listings than another? A change of fields is fine by me.

Any thoughts or advice or direction for this newbie? I'll leave it at that. If more info is required, just let me know.

Sassie

And I almost forgot, I haven't ever met anyone here with those ball bearings (?) THERE! My goodness, that makes for an exciting time. But, bless my guy anyway, who would've thought someone would tattoo my name (and soon to be face) on one's self?

Sasster

Let's see, I met a most delicious Thai man last December, visited him in April, he asked me to marry him, I said yes, we have visited 2 architects and one home being built, as mentioned in another thread, building home on farm/land his momma gave us. So soon, I hopefully can be rid of the "visit" every 6 months. Also, have interview with BIG law firm in Bangkok (a level of independence is a must for me) . I love Thailand, you know, one of those "inside" feelings and you kinda can't explain it. Or maybe, when I am there (I am back in Canada), whether wandering Isaan (I am just not a beach girl) or with my guy, I just feel like I am home. Anyway, after 8 years with the same firm in Vangroovy (aka Vancouver), it's time for a change, and i just hope that this firm in Bangkok will say yes to me. Of course, the food is excellent (I make som tam and tom yum in Canada, the extent of my Thai cooking skills), the climate/heat I love (rain or no rain), it's ###### inexpensive (for me) and I miss all the dogs (15 of them) at momma's house (uh, palace?) and I miss my Thai family. Simply (and maybe it should have been all I said), when in Thailand, I am happy.

Now I just have to figure out those ###### visas.

Sassie