GuestHouse

I have a feeling that you are about to learn the truth of the saying

BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER

With respect to the assertion that "he's not smart enough", I'd first ask the question 'What where thinking when you employed your inlaws in your business?'

That this will give rise to problems is not a matter of 'IF' but 'When'.

Figure it another way, what is worse, being late for meetings or causing a member of the family to loose face?

Go speak to the most senior member of the family and get them to help you sort this problem out NOW before it sorts you out.

Some 300 unmarked graves found two months ago

That these graves where found 2 months ago and we are only now getting to hear about it suggests that there has been some kind of response from the government.

And I agree, very low.

It doesn't say they are Tsunami Deaths either.

Learn to read Thai and then get yourself over to Manager.com and Panthip's chat, you'll find some acidic humour aimed at Thailand's high and mighty there.

No need to start your own, the Thais are doing it for themselves.... hey there's a song in there somewhere.

In Thailand, any person sentenced to death shall be shot to death.

And therein lies the problem. Who gets sentenced to death and who does not.

The government white paper has broad cross party support and all three parties have stated they will be proposing changes to the laws governing pensions in line with the White Paper within their manefestos.

The thing to be careful with is what constitutes payment and non payment. For example, it would be possible, and very likely that the 30 year rule is achieved by attaching non payment to claiming child care or carer's allowances.

This enables the government to say they are supporting carers while leaving workers still forced to pay.

The issue that TV members should be concerned with, and I might add writing to their MPs about, is the denial of pension increases from the date you leave the UK if you move to Thailand.

Get writing now.

I speak, read and write Thai, I started learning in my first week in Thailand and while it took a lot of effort, learning Thai has paid huge bennefits in terms of my life in Thailand.

I would urge anyone who wants to live in Thailand to learn the language.

Put it in the highest intrest account you can find (in Thailand) and give her the savings book to look at occasionaly.

I'm sure just having that much money will be a great comfort to her.. bless her.

A clarification is needed.

Your child is entitled to British Nationality if you yourself were born in Britain.

If you obtained your British Nationality by birth because you were born overseas to British Parents then your child would not gain British Nationality.

Likewise, your child, if born in Thailand and receiving British Nationality from you, will not be able to pass British Nationality to its own children.

Do register the birth at the British Embassy as soon as possible, Do get a British passport for your child and Do keep the British Passport valid at all time, and, under your control.

Most people who have problems settling in Thailand (anywhere for that matter) do so because they bring their problems with them.

If you have to put the financial screws to your wife to keep her "under control", then you're a failure as a husband on many other levels.

Hats off to that.

You want a pet, get a dog.

If you can't cope with an adult relationship don't get married.

Exactly. I advise farangs to avoid thailand the best they could.

Or at least be careful

Backpackers are usually a financially poor breed and use backpacker hostel accommodation because it is cheap.

Studies I've seen on Backpackers demonstrate that they are generally middle class, degree educated, or heading for their degree and generally heading into the professions.

It was one of the issues debated when Thailand announced it was going to crack down on backpackers in favour of upmarket visitors - It turned out, when they checked, that a substantial number of the up market visitors where former backpackers returning with more money in their pockets.

In terms of big theft, backpackers have a way to go before they catch up with the antics of Thais robbing farangs of their homes/savings and the occassional Farang expat con-men.

I can remember 4 women that I saw/met that were beutiful to the point that if I close my eyes now I can remember the exact moment I first saw them.

Non of them are Thai and I have spent half of my adult life in Thailand.

So do the maths.

We bought land in an area where there are extremely few other farangs, we bought through the bank's distressed sales (debt release schemes).

The next time I went into the bank ( a week or so later) all the property had gone up 50%, when I asked if prices where going up the guy in the bank told me that foreign money was moving into the area... I haven't come across any other foreigners buying in lately and the land prices have stabalized.

I think it has to be said though, there exists a Farang Effect and it is significant.

We bought land in an area where there are extremely few other farangs, we bought through the bank's distressed sales (debt release schemes).

The next time I went into the bank ( a week or so later) all the property had gone up 50%, when I asked if prices where going up the guy in the bank told me that foreign money was moving into the area... I haven't come across any other foreigners buying in lately and the land prices have stabalized.

I think it has to be said though, there exists a Farang Effect and it is significant.

If the policy discrimates on the basis of Race, it is a racist policy.

However, it is a leap of logic to then claim that the people who work under the policy are themselves Racist.

Over 220 posts and over 3000 views in a couple of days.

It is quite clear that Dual Pricing Does Matter and it would seem it matters a lot.

Now, if by "sex with minors" you mean paying for sex

No, I mean ANY sex with minors, and I would define a minor on the basis of the age of consent in Thailand (since this is the Thai forum) AND the age of consent in the country of origin of the foreigner, where that country sees fit to enact laws governing the behaviour of its citizens overseas.

I certainly support the passing of such laws.

But don't miss my first point.

If what attracts you to Thailand is the climate/food/culture/life style etc then it is highly unlikely that this issue is of any concern.

If on the other hand you come to Thailand for sex with young people, then yes I can see why you don't like these laws.

As for the argument 'She/He acted older, looked older, was being paid etc'.

The basis of these laws is to protect Children, as minors they are not legally competent, as an adult you are legally competent and under the law legally accountable.

Why should being caught having sex with an underage person (Child) worry people who on another day go to great lengths to tell us they are in Thailand for the Culture/Climate/Food/Quality of Life etc?

Sex with minors is a dispicable crime and I have zero sympathy with those caught or with any argument they might employ to mitigate their action.

First piece of advice, there is no trust law in Thailand, a means by which lawyers act on behalf of their clients is by Power of Attorney.

DO NOT EVER SIGN OVER A POWER OF ATTORNEY IN THAILAND.

With respect to the actual issue of 'Legal Trust', any British law firm will act as trustees to a trust fund, but more usually a will and testiment leaving funds/property in trust. The fees are reasonable, far better than those offered by banks.

Your friend may already have trustees under pensions he may hold. If he is receiving a pension from a private pension fund/company pension fund, then his dependents will almost certainly be entitled to an income after his death.

The way to deal with this pension income is to write a 'Statement of Wishes' to the trustees of his pension. He may for example state he wants any pension/lumpsum payment to be paid into a fund for his child, he might add statements to the effect that he has taken care of his wife by means of purchasing a home/savings etc and is concerned for the upkeap of his child. He would make such a statement to stave off any challange to his 'Statement of Wishes'.

The same goes for life assurance payouts.

I certainly think that if he wishes to secure a trust for his child he should do so in the UK, not Thailand.

As general advice, one of the most compelling reasons to leave funds in the UK is to ensure that you and your will control those funds in the event of a child being born late in your life.

If your friend does have funds in the UK that are sufficient to provide and income, or pensions/insurances in the UK then tell your friend to contact a UK lawyer.

He should NOT bring those funds to Thailand in the belief it might be simpler for his family. International payments are easy and well within what a well instructed trust could manage.

The expat miser community are not going to change this policy by boycotting the parks

Perhaps, and I grant this might be a bit much for you to grasp, the issue is not the price and a matter of saving money, but a case of being blatently discriminated against.

The sign outside a national park declaring foreigner and Thai prices is a notification to all Thais to rip foreigners off, to treat them differently (Obviosly acceptable because the government are doing it).

The underlying message is one of discrimination against a section of the community and more disturbingly against the children of that community.

The question to my mind is, at what time is Thailand going to come to terms with the foreingers within Thailand?

While in the meantime that an imigrant community should persue equality of treatment is not surprising, that you choose to denegrate that on the basis of penny pinching speaks volumes.

Once again the answer to someone disagreeing with you on a point regarding life in Thailand is to tell them "to go home".

The utter worst of expatriates in Thailand, biggots who would deny other's their opinions.

I guess its easier than having an inteligent well thought out response.

meemiathai, enlighten me as to what it is you find so distasteful about foreigners objecting to being charged more for the same services as Thais?

You clearly do not like injustice, you give examples of other injustices, non petty and all deserving to be challenged.

So why get so upset when a group of people challenge an injustice that affects them personally?

I am genuinely curious of why you feel the need to defend the dual pricing policy and why you are so very keen to abuse those that object to being discriminated against.

It is a curious mix, to object to injustice while at the same time abusing others who do something about injustice.

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