WaatWang

My Thai partner sulks with me if I sunbathe, he loves my white skin.

And I love his brown skin.

We're on the same page, Pattaya Girl!

First time my BF & I went to Starbucks together he started chuckling because I order mocha and he orders vanilla.

My BF celebrates his birthday, and as someone else also mentioned, he also celebrates the day he got his motorbike. We are not married, but he also remembers the day we met and reminded me of it on that day. So at least he values meeting me as much as his motorbike. heehee

We also have celebrated birthdays of his parents and sisters, and exchanged gifts on Valentine's Day.

Anyway, hope you will have a nice 20th anniversary celebration when you are reunited again! Congratulations to you both.

Very lightweight and not terribly effective. Price to value ratio is poor.

I would suggest the Pimsleur material to get up and running with basic conversational Thai quickly. The set has 30-half hour lessons that you can put on your MP3 player and use while strolling along the beach or where ever else is appropriate. They use a building block method and do it quite well.

I agree with Beacher. I started out with Rosetta Stone in my first attempt to learn Thai. First thing I really learned to say was 'the man fell off the horse', which only came in handy one time (so far) in real life. It did cover numbers and colors early on, too which were good to learn.

However I am a very analytical person and didn't like seeing the words without also trying to figure out what letter was part of what word, and what it translated to in English. So those people who said it's impossible to learn to read Thai with Rosetta Stone was not true in my experience. I bought a Thai-English dictionary, and also used thai-language.com in conjunction with Rosetta Stone, looked up the words I knew to see which letters meant what (ie what part meant 'man', 'horse', 'fall off', etc.) and practiced writing them as I learned the words. VERY slow but I liked it, and it was really effective in me learning what sound each character makes, and how words are put together. It wasn't until I started writing them that it started to come together more quickly for me.

However I wanted to pick up more conversational Thai, so I bought the Pimsleur Comprehensive 30 hr program Beacher mentioned. That has been worth every penny. I have learned so much from that, and I can truly use what I've learned when I'm in Thailand. If you're just starting and want a package like Rosetta Stone, I highly recommend using Pimsleur method first. Good luck!

Thank you both for your helpful replies! I am now starting to evaluate different plan options to find the right one for us. I appreciate very much the advice. He is beginning to feel better and thankfully there will be no lasting damage from his accident. His motorbike has been located, too and is now in safe keeping. I'm happy to be moving forward from this nightmare!

Yesterday I called my BF as usual only to find out he had been in a motorbike accident. (I am still in the US, moving permanently in two months time to Thailand.) He apparently had called me at home but I'd already left for work and missed his call - in talking with him he asked if I called him or if he called me. He was vomiting about every five minutes, said his whole body hurt, couldn't remember where his motorbike was, and he was having difficulty walking. I talked to his mom - when the accident happened he was holding something in his hand and in the crash it became embedded in his hand. They had gone to the hospital with all the money they had at the time. The doctor fixed up his hand then sent him away because they didn't have enough money for him to be admitted.

I am freaking out - it's late at night in Thailand and Western Union is now closed. He also doesn't remember where his wallet is, so he had no ID. Long story short - eventually I was able to get some money to him and he's now been admitted. They're estimating about four days stay in the hospital before they'll consider releasing him.

I was appalled going through this with him. If someone is in an accident, do they just leave them there to die if they don't find an insurance card or any money on them? I thought there was an insurance program for Thai nationals where they could get hospitalization for a low fee per day. I did some reasearch on TV today and saw a post that said this is only available in the person's home provence, but if they've lived in a new place for >3 months they can re-register to be covered in their new locale. Does anyone know how would one go about this? When he recovers, I want to have him and his mom & sisters do this so they won't ever have to go through this again. Those of you with loved ones in the same boat, please encourage them to do the same. In the meantime I'll also be shopping for health insurance...

Sorry if I've posted in the wrong place - I only usually read the ladies forum.

You should check with your airline if you are thinking of taking hair dye with you, even in checked-in luggage. Believe it or not, it is in many instances classified as a dangerous substance, and they may take a dim view of you transporting it. I know this as my wife enquired from EVA Air about taking some hair dye with her, and the answer was an emphatic "No". She has now resorted to buying local brands, although she does keep looking in Boots and Watson's. Hope this helps.

Good luck. Alan

I use hair dye regularly. I've flown to Thailand on three different airlines from the US, and brought dye with me every time, never had a problem. I took it out of the box, put it in a ziplock bag to save space, and packed it in my checked baggage.

Sounds like our hair is the same SBK - I have to use a particular kind because my hair does not take to the dye very well, and I have to leave it on a long time to get the right color. My hair grows fast so I have to use it frequently. I'll have to check out the brand you tried!

Didn't vote because presently I've got one foot in Thailand and the other still in the US. Went to Thailand the first time almost 1 1/2 ys ago, just to visit my family there. My cousin introduced me to my current BF who is Thai. Loved the weather, the language, the architecture, my new friends, started learning Thai, but thought I must be crazy to even consider moving to the other side of the world! So I visited several more times - going every three months and staying for a month to see if the novelty would wear off. It never did - and the third trip convinced me to make the move, so the wheels have been in motion since then. My job approved me to work remotely full time as of April, and I'm officially moving to Thailand this September. We're staying in Thailand for the foreseeable future, but getting his visa lined up because he's planning to visit the US with me next summer. We'll just have to see where life takes us...

Hi sbk,

Thanks for your post. You are right, everyone is different. I guess that moment was a big "Aha" moment for me because it made me realize how different we were, how differently we see things; while at the same time it made me see that despite all these differences it's working out so beautifully between us. Maybe it's me that changed, maybe he changed me. Whatever it is, I'm happy!

OK so my BF & I went to the movies and there was a preview for the new movie Duplicity.

(Google 'official Duplicity trailer' or look for it on YouTube.)

To me the relationship between the two leads reminded me of a relationship I was in with a long-term ex (and we were both American). Fun, and just playing games with each other, "tests" to see how the other would react, etc... To me the movie looked cool and I was laughing as the two leads interacted with eachother.

I look at the BF, who did not even crack a smile, and asked, not funny? He said no, their relationship is not good. No trust, why would someone want to be in a relationship like that? Why would that even be something to joke about?

And it just struck me - how things are sooo different in my realtionship with my Thai BF. He's right! And I was in a relationship like that for a long time. Looking back and looking at what I have now, it seems much better to show your true feelings all the time and do little things to show the other person you care. I guess just wearing your heart on your sleeve. We have fun, too but it's just so much lighter and open. I'm not sure how to describe it.

So this made me think, maybe other people in farang-Thai relationships might feel the same and have insight into this. Anyone care to comment?

I'd like to hear what you think of the moment of death and perhaps where you think you'll go next...

Hi Nampeung,

Many people have talked about meeting loved ones on the other side. I have done animal rescue for a long time. I am hoping that when I die, one of my horses will be there to meet me as well, and we can ride off together. I'm sure that by now she knows all the best trails there, and she can give me a tour. Plus she always liked to go faster than I had the heart for, so when I die she can take me as fast as she wants and I won't have to worry so much about falling off.

I hope you are having a good day today.

Hi Nampeung,

I actually noticed your other thread last night, and it's strange to me, how much it has affected me. You see, even though we have never talked, you have been my teacher. About a year ago, when I started reading posts on ThaiVisa, your posts gave me hope & guidance. I was kind of thrown into moving to Thailand unexpectedly, and met a Thai guy, yadda yadda yadda but I just loved your grace, your sense of humor, and the knowledge & advice contained in your posts. So first let me say, thank you for helping me, even though you did not know you were doing it. I am so sad you are leaving us so soon.

As for your question, I am writing from the experience of my mom’s death, also just over one year ago. She had cancer about 8 years ago, went into remission, then it came back with a vengeance and took over her body. She was very sick and within only a couple months went from living a vibrant life, to hospice. She was not able to stay at home – she had to stay in the hospital.

But my mom was amazing. Like you, she still had her mind, and that is the most important thing. Although this was very difficult for all of us, she made it something special. She couldn’t write herself, but transcribed down advice for people she wanted us to remember – things from her life, things she learned, that she wanted us to remember. She took time with each of us individually and shared with us things she loved about us, and things she wanted us to improve on. Never in a negative way, just to help us grow. And we had the opportunity to tell her what we loved about her as well. Making peace.

She made her room a constant party. She invited everyone she wanted to see before she died and we all went into action to make sure all of them got to visit with her. They had to move her to a bigger room because there were so many people surrounding her all day. Though there were tears, there was a lot of laughter! She asked us to bring special foods, and she ate whatever she wanted. At one point, *only* the chocolate frosting & cream parts of a Boston Crème Donut. J I brought in her radio, and at night when she would go to sleep she would listen to her favorite music. Anything she wanted, she lived like a queen for that last month!

I remember her advice, she said if we had the chance, it was the way to go. Because when you go to someone’s wake and they tell stories about how great that person was, she got to hear it and experience it while she was still alive. I admire her so much for being able to do that, and leave us in that way.

I don’t know if this is exactly what you’re looking for, but maybe you can take comfort in some way from my story. Please know my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, even though we’ve never met. I wish you peace and clarity.

My Luxury Item:

- Fresh blueberries. They are equivalent of $10 USD in Pattaya for a tiny package, but when I crave them it's worth it. At home I could pick them fresh off the bushes.

But what's worse is that now my Thai BF is also hooked on them. I'll buy a package, put it in the fridge, go to have some later and they'll be all gone! He will also steal them out of my sangria when we go to get Mexican food (even though they're the frozen variety there). haha I have created a blueberry monster.

These *would* be my luxury items, if I could find them:

- Fresh NY style bagels

- Pre-made vegetarian items (fake beef crumbles, sausages, hot dogs, fake chicken, etc). I'm a vegetarian and all I can find are veggie burgers.

- Diet Pepsi with Lime (but I work around that with Pepsi Max & fresh lime)

If anyone knows where to find these in Pattaya (but maybe a road trip to BKK once a month if they're up there!) - please let me know!!

Great thread. I enjoyed reading it!

PattayaParent ~

LOL, no it's a Mexican holiday. You can Google it or read about it on Wikipedia here if you're interested. (I tried putting in a link for you but the forum won't let me post a URL.)

IamAgel ~

Thanks for the info. So neither of the ones in Pattaya do anything special that day? I guess just having some Mexican food will have to suffice!

It's my first year here and I'd like to find out if there are any good Cinco de Mayo celebrations to be had in the vicinity of Pattaya. Anyone have any recommendations? Or should I plan to go to Bangkok instead? Thanks for your time!

Hello Skyhi,

OK so we're both newbies. I've been reading ThaiVisa for about eight months and just registered last week. Now your post has inspired me to write!

I'm kind of sad that after what everyone had to say, it sounds like you decided not to try. I am one of those crazy people that listens to my intuition no matter how ridiculous it might sound to my brain at the time. It's worked out for me so far...

So here's my take. You say you 'know you both feel a very strong connection'. Why try to ignore that based on the *possibility* of a negative outcome?

For sure, you don't know him much yet. Yet you say you 'rarely speak in the presense of other people because I think it makes him too nervous.' Could it be that he thinks it makes *you* nervous?

Here is where I'm coming from. Except for my high school sweetheart (when both of us only had entry-level jobs), all my relationships have been with men who earned a lot less money than me. I guess it's worked for me because I value the relationship more than money, I don't mind spending money if they don't have it, and I don't make a big deal out of it. I am committed to them for who they *are*, not how much money they have.

I met my boyfriend a year ago. Never even dated an asian guy before, not love at first sight. Rather it was just as you say, I felt a very strong connection to him. Every day we spent together, it got stronger. No logical explanation to it, but no denying it. No, it definitely hasn't been easy. Would I go back and change it? Not for all the money in the world.

As for people staring, yes it's annoying. But that just is what it is. You can't control what others think or do, but none of those people have any power over what *you* think or do unless you allow it. My boyfriend actually made up a silly little game for us to play (when we catch someone staring at us) that takes the edge off for us.

I like what Boo said, 'not having to answer questions or get opinions until you've made up your own mind first'. See if you can get off on some neutral turf somewhere and get to know each other slowly. Even if you only become friends, would that be worth it?

Anyway, my post will probably only cause more confusion in your life. But, you did say all comments were welcome! I think you should get to know him better. Of all the men in the world, why are you attracted to this one? There must be a reason. Hopefully not only to get people posting on ThaiVisa.

Chok dee!