GuestHouse

I can’t answer your question but I can tell you ….

How Not To Get Rid of Rats Humanely

A few years back we had rats coming into our kitchen from the back of the house, couldn’t keep the beggers out.

I tried all sorts of humane rat traps, none worked.

Our maid said she’d get rid of them and promised to trap them without killing them – She was true to her word.

I returned home a few nights later to hear ‘rattyesque’ squeaks coming from inside the cupboard under the kitchen wash basin. The squeaks got louder when I turned the lights on, but there was non of the familiar scurrying noises of 'ratty' and friends escaping.

Ah! Thought I, the maid has caught the rats, and I made a mental note to add a ‘Rat Catcher’s Bonus’ to her next pay packet – I was in the process of calculating a suitable sum and pondering, the merits of rat weight versus rat numbers as the basis of calculating her bonus, when I was forced to reconsider my largesse.

I opened the cupboard and peered in to discover a constellation of little brown rodent eyes returning my gaze from within the dark recesses behind the washing powder.

A whole family, Mummy rat, Daddy rat and lots of little baby rats, all looking at me with pleading eyes. The baby rat eyes where not brown but a cute shade of sugar pink.

When I moved the washing powder to get a better look I received the double shock – A din erupted and the reason for the din was clear. Rat glue.

Our maid had gone to demonic lenghts not to kill the critters and pasted hyper sticky rat glue to strips of cardboard. The family of rats were stuck to this like shit to a blanket. Not dead, but definitely not going anywhere fast.

So what now? thinks I.

And please, I hope you’ll understand, clear thought while assailed with the frightened looks of a rat family and deafened by their plaintive calls is not easy.

There where not many options, my first thought, running them over in my car was a no no, it would, I figured, result in squashed rats glued to my car tires. Under normal circumstances that wouldn’t matter so much, they would after-all wear off in a day or two. But it happened to be my turn to pick the kids up from school, I could not take the risk of my squashed rats being spotted by tender hearts, no matter how noble my intentions in squashing them.

The solution I decided was to be found in the garden shed.

I carried the strips of laden cardboard – not an easy task - out to the garden and placed them in an empty paint pot retrieved from the shed.

I then squirted in to the pot a good measure of lighter fluid, went back into the house, turned on the HiFi (full blast to drown out the noise) and returned to the garden with a lighted match.

I’ll miss the details out, but let it be said they went out to the strains of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”.

I’d have put on Carmina Burana but I was in a rush not to end their suffering.

I wasn’t happy with the maid, but what could I do, she was a demon with an iron and did my shirts to perfection.

My experience of working with a wide range of Thais, from construction workers to professional engineers, managers, economists etc is…..

Get a bunch of Thai men in a relaxed atmosphere (by that I mean out for a meal and beers) and at some time the conversation will turn to women – It will inevitably get around to an attempt to compare notes, Western women with Thai women.

What comes up in all but a very small number of cases is the topic of “Free Sek”

Thais, and not just Thai men, Thai women as well, have an ingrained belief that Westerners and in particular Western women have a predilection of ‘Free Sek’.

That’s not ‘Sek without Paying’, that is ‘Sek, any time, any place, at the drop of a hat, with strangers, with people they’ve only just met’.

More than a few Thais honestly believe that western women walk around barely able to control themselves at the prospect of ‘Free Sek’.

It’s a bit like the imagined exploits of a 14 year old English Lad relating his holiday experiences in France to his 14 year old mates – The difference, I’m talking about grown, and very often extremely well educated adults.

Now before you get to guessing what it is I myself comment on when comparing notes. Let it be understood, I am not so stupid as to say anything to drunk Thai guys about anything Thai, especially Thai women that is not complimentary. (I’ve a story from the Philippines on that subject that taught me, if you can’t say something nice to a drunk about his country, don’t say anything at all).

Neither when 'Khun Dang Chart' will do nicely.

TAKING YOUR ARGUMENT TO ONE LOGICAL CONCLUSION

One such example of an adult aproach to freedom of speach is the decision by the owners of Thai Visa to limit the bounds of what is discussed to within what they, the owners, feel is reasonable.

Members, and non members can then choose to remain members or join on the basis of the 'Standards of Discussion'.

This member recalls when almost every other day there was a bar girl rant on Thai visa, the owners put a stop to that an improved the site.

If you want to discuss things off limits here on TV there are other websites where you are welcome, or if you are really 'out there', start your own webboard.

Moderation in all things - Including Moderation.

I broke up with a Thai Girlfriend over this issue. I'd been working in a rather nasty part of China and had spent much of my time promissing myself and girlfriend a holiday when I got back to Thailand.

The holiday on Samuii was absolutely ruined by her constant moaning about the price of everything. The taxi from the airpoirt 'Pehng', the hotel 'Pehng', hiring a car for a few days 'Pehng', a meal out 'Pehng'.

It's not that she'd suddenly got like that, she'd always been the same but in other times I had found it 'cute, amuzing, endearing'.

With three months of Chinese dust and industrial polution stuck down my airways I was looking to sped a bit of money and relax in a place where I was getting the service. I wanted clean rooms, ac that worked, edible food, service and a bit of luxury - Anyone having been where I'd just been would have wanted the same.

She just complained about the price - Constantly!

That brought home the realization to me that if I stayed with her, as lovely has she was, my whole life and the way I live my life was going to be measured against 'The Village Price'.

There's a happy medium, thrift by all means, but I don't want to be made to feel guilty or be moaned at for spending money the way I want to when I've worked hard for it.

Spare a thought for what the embassy staff have to put up with.

I don't take much notice of what the Oatmeal Savages think of the English when I'm in Scotland, much less in Thailand.

Next!

I send Euros from Italy in a bank to bank SWIFT transfer at very good rates.

1. Open a bank account in Thailand (I use Thai Farmer Bank - 'Kasikornthai').

2. Get the bank Thai bank to tell you there SWIFT code, this together with your account number is used to direct money direct to your account.

3. Send an initial small transfer to check that everything works OK

4. Always send Euros to Thailand to be Changed to Baht IN THAILAND - The Rates will be better.

5. Keep an eye on the exchange rates to ensure that you pick the best rates for transfers (I use X-RATES.COM)

You've got six months to run on the lease. In six months time she's going to get the place back without any payment, and will likely want to hang on to your deposit.

Think of the current situation in terms of the negotiating position you hold.

She wants the place back early, you want your deposit back and a payment for your losses in terms of investment.

Negotiate: Tell her, through your lawyer, that you are willing to move and the figure is (Deposit + Losses + legal fees).

What you don't want to happen is this lease to run another six months and be left with no cards in your negotiation stack.

Strikes me that she's let the cat out of the bag... go for gold.

It depends which Thais you are talking to.

I know a number of Thais who are very much into politics and current affairs. A friend married one of our accounts and returned with her to the UK. I had not really spent any time talking with her in the office and was taken aback when they visited us during our holiday to Ediburgh. This young lady was right up on British politics, the goings on in Europe - She knew a lot more than her husband on the topic.

We have a Thai friend who works at the World Food Program here in Rome, perhaps not surprisingly she is very interested in politics, but she's also taken an interest in European history, she's great company in any discussion of what is going on in the world.

Added to which, Thais I have worked, mainly Thamasat graduates, are definately into politics and poliitcal news, they perhaps have to get to know you a bit before they'll discuss the issues and there are some things they don't like talking about (at least in Thailand), get them out of Thailand and they open up.

We moved to Pattaya in the late 80s, actually living in Narklua, which then, compared with now, was a pretty sleepy place and very much a local community.

We moved out to Sriracha seven years later and after our children came along, the place had changed, we had changed, what we were looking for in a home had changed.

But, we still needed access to my work and access to the facilities that Pattaya offered, International Schools, Hospitals, Expat facilities. Sriracha was a good choice balance of the things we were looking for.

I/we would not chose to live in Pattaya now, we occassionaly visit friends, particularly neighbours we had in Narklua, but that's about it, a visit. When it comes to a place for raising a family I think we'd always choose to be some distance from Pattaya, far enough not to be in the place, close enough to have access to the Pattaya facilities.

Addressing what mumbojumbo said, well yes, the ever present sex industry was part of our reason to move away from Pattaya. Firstly and foremost our daughter was beginning to become aware of the sex industry and secondly even in our quiet soi there were occassional bust ups between drunk guys and the girls they were bringing home.

We had non of that in Sriracha.

As for crime, I think your main worry is burglary, and you are going to have that to deal with everywhere. A farang moving in any where in Thailand is like putting a flag pole up in the garden with "We've got loads of money and have no idea how to stop you thieving it".

As others have said above, common sense and regular security take care of that problem.

to parts

Philippines They haven´t done nothing....

When I was last in the Philippines (and it's not that long ago), in the space of three months I came across - People taking pot shots at our construction site from nearbye hills. The front of our hotel being riddled with bullets, a grenade thrown in shopping center where I was having lunch and riots in Manila in which numbers of people where killed.

Maybe I was unlucky... Maybe the Foreign office where right.

But I take it as granted that where there are problems in Thailand (for example the southern provinces) the Thai government are doing their level best to hide any risks.

(not sure what any of this has to do with Thailand though)

I can see a very useful Thai link

What with spying on international money transfers AND emails, perhaps there is scope for an individual who having given all his life's savings to a Pattaya/BKK tart, might persue the NSA/CIA/GCHQ for damages on account that they have prior knowledge of the fact that the lady in question was scamming a number of guys.. and that they did not warn of this crime.

The hearing ought to be in public on account of high public entertainment, if not public interest.

I'll add the following information just incase someone else goes this route.

All visa applications to the British Embassy in Rome are handled through approved agents. We chose CAT (Vialle Di St Anna) on account of it's only a few hundred meters from where we live.

The Agent's Fee was Euro30 for handling the application.

The Visa Fee was Euro132, payable by a banker's cheque to the British Embassy and of course not refundable.

The form VAF1 gives a number of choices as to which visa is being applied for, she applied for the "Family Visit Visa' on account (as Scouse explained) there are rights to appeal if a family visit visa is refused (I think that is what I understand, Scouse can correct me if I'm wrong)

To make an application the applicant MUST be resident in Italy, so we provided both my and my wife's Permesso Di Sogiorno (Residents Permit).

We also provided:

A cover letter explaining why she wanted a Long Term Visitor Visa

An attachment to the application that explained each query that might arise - for example why we left the UK while she still holds a Settlement Visa

We provided a letter from my employers confirming my employment, confirming my assignment in Italy and confirming my base salary + Six months pay slips

We did not provide full statements of other income or copies of bank statements

We provided a certified copy of our Singapore marriage certificate (Stamped and signed at the Singapore High Commission in London)

I can hear someone asking - Why does she need a visitor visa if she already has a valid settlement visa?

The answer, as we discovered when she went by herself to the UK recently, is that the Settlement Visa is just that, she has to be settled OR travelling back into the country with me OR I have to already be in the UK where she is travelling alone to meet me OR she has to have evidence that I am close behind her on the next flight.

As I explained here at the time, she was extremely lucky that the immigration officer accepted her explanation that she was making a three day visit and returning to Rome - had they not she might have been refused entry and that recorded on her visa history.

Anyway, all done and dusted now, but do be carefu of this travelling alone on a Settlement Visa if the UK partner is not in the UK when the Thai partner travels.

My wife picked up her multiple visit visa from the British Embassy in Rome today (from the visa agents).

It took some digging to find the full conditions that need to be met, and some advice from Scouse, but anyway, she has the visa (Valid for 5 years - Not more than six months per visit) and it sits, Bizarrely on the next page to her still valid Settlement Visa - Long story can be found here Applying for a Long Term UK Visitor Visa

Again thanks for the pointers Scouse... You really ought to be making this a business.

GH... and of course Mrs GH..

I was wondering.. (Three parts to this)

Those of you who have children in a mixed Thai/Non Thai marriage - What language do your kids speak?

And what is the mother language of the child's mother?

Finally, where do you live? (ie Thailand - The UK etc)

So if you are a Frenchman married to a Thai, do your children speak French or Thai (assuming that your wife speaks Thai - not all Thais do, for example expat Thais).

Alternatively a Frenchwoman married to a Thai, do your children speak French, Thai, both or another language.

I'm interested to hear if people teach their children both languages in mixed langauge marriages and if so is this more likely where the mother passes her language or more likely where the father passes his language.

Greenwander, do not confuse electrostatics and radio transmission with Magic Moonbeams - They are not the same thing.

From being a child I have always grown food, my parents grew nearly all our vegitbles on our own land. From before the 'Organic Food' movement got going they only ever used the land, compost, and a concoction of rainwater, horse <deleted>, fish blood, dead rabits etc, rotted down in a huge big water but.

Good healthy food.

But what about food in Thailand - Thai farmers drench their land in chemicals, many using black market imports of dubious and often illegal content.

I talk to Thais about this issue and all but a very few have no idea about food contamination, or if they do it doesn't seem to bother them.

It's trust the expert as usual - One Litre per Rai improves yeald by 20%, let's use 5 litres and retire on the proceeds.

So what does the house think. Are you concerned about the use of chemicals in Thai food produciton?

Are Thais you know concerned?

Would you believe a claim in Thailand that food is 'Organically Produced'

Or is it something you don't think about?

Let's hope the Thai government have the sense to look elsewhere...ie the UK.

Tony and his cronies are in the process of liberlizing gambling in the UK.

Organizations who work with gambling related problems are warning that this will give rise to an inevitable increase in Gambling Addiction, Gambling Debts, Poverty, Family Breakdown.

Groups such as the Salvation Army and the Rowntree Trust, who were involved in the campaign to control gambling back at the end of the 19C are publishing forcasts of the problems they see arising from their historical record and long experience in this particualar area of social problems.

The UK government acknowledges there is 'some risk' and promise to fund assisatance out of the increased taxes gambling will generate. (A bit like the way they are dealing with the increased problems arising from the liberalization of Alcohol Sales over the last ten years).

Let's sit back and watch what happens in the UK first.

Utter nonsense.

The fear is based on the increased conductibity of ionized air around the phone's arial.

In truth the ionization that occurs around your mobile phone's arial extends to a few micro meters - Not the sort of thing that puts you at risk of a lightening strike.

You've more chance of falling down a pot hole or crashing your car while on the mobile.

But, small as the increase in risk that you are exposing yourself to is, we nevertheless live in hope.

There's a coffee shop directly oposite the junction of Narklua Soi18 and Pattaya~Narklua road that sells coffee equipment and I believe also is the head office of a Coffee Franchising business.

They do a great Breakfast in the Cafe.

I haven't worked in Thailand but "safety first" isn't something I associate with Thais. I prefer working in a developed country then commuting home to Thailand.

I work in the oil and gas industry and I have worked for twelve years in O&G in Thailand (Engineering/Design/Construction/Commissioning - Upstream). I have been very impressed with the levels of safety compliance on the Thai projects I have worked on.

I chose to move from Thailand for reasons relating to the reduction of pay and conditions, a direct result of improved Thai experience and expats begging to be allowed to stay in Thailand.

I think the golden years of being an O&G expat in Thailand have passed. Thai mamagers, engineers, designers, operators, maintenance crews are doing a superb job at a fraction of the price.

A few expats hang around on dwindling deals and there will be a very few who still get the full expat deal, but these are assigned to project specific rolls and almost exclusively are reserved for long term staffers with the exact experience the project requires.

Right now well qualified O&G engineers can pick up (₤)six figure pay deals in Europe and a lot more in the middle east/Russia/Caucases.

If you want to go the O&G route, start outside Thailand and earn real money to holiday/retire in Thailand.

Touching on what Thaihome said earlier, one of my duties is interviewing applicants for jobs – I regularly come across people who, during their interview, press the desire to work in Thailand – It draws into doubt the applicant’s motives and is an immediate message that the applicant is not interested in going to a lot of the other less desirable places we work.

Count me out this time... but SunbeltAsia have a couple of Guesthouses up for sale right now if you are interested.

Old Boys Network in the Oil and Gas Industry... Whatever makes you think we'd get up to such things