ilgitano

Actually - I think a brother or sister of the mother being one of the real parents could give a result like that. But, the mother is the only representative of her family in Thailand - she emigrated from China 30 odd years ago. Could be one of the daughters too. Hmmm.

I'm just guessing here - I'm no student of mendelian statistics or anything. [i just had to use that word here somewhere - sorry ]

You seem to have read up on it a lot. What would the likely result be if the two persons whose DNA is compared were grandmother and granddaughter?

I may be wrong in my calculations here - I recall this from school way way back.

1. For a sibling - brother or sister - of the mother, on average 1/2 of the genes should be the same as the mother.

2. Grandparents - the mothers parents - 1/2 the mothers genes match each parent.

3. For children of the mother, again, 1/2 the genes come from the mother.

So for all 3 cases, I would expect to see half the exclusions showing than would show for a completely unrelated individual. 2-6 exclusions. Of course you can only suspect this if you see a small number (2-3 exclusions) as a larger number overlaps the random-other-parent range of 4-12.

That, under the circumstances then, is a reasonable result. As raised earlier in this thread by Bina in fact. Given that her only family here are her daughters, it could be that one of the daughters is the real mother.

Hmmmm.

Actually - I think a brother or sister of the mother being one of the real parents could give a result like that. But, the mother is the only representative of her family in Thailand - she emigrated from China 30 odd years ago. Could be one of the daughters too. Hmmm.

I'm just guessing here - I'm no student of mendelian statistics or anything. [i just had to use that word here somewhere - sorry ]

Ok, we got a copy of the lab summary - from the Mae Tang immigration office. I got about a half hour to learn something about DNA testing while we went straight to the testing hospital.

This is going to be a report on our confrontation with the doctor supervising the tests.

From the little I got to study, DNA results are usually conclusive; 0.1% or less probability concludes the two are unrelated, 99.99% plus says they are related. Its is rare to get probabilities between. Our results said that there was a 65.5% chance that she is the mother - which is basically inconclusive. We don't get a definite yes or no.

We made a surprise visit to Suan Doc hosptal, and the supervising doctor was not in. He tried to resolve it on the phone, but ended coming in to the office to see us. He was quite angry.

The DNA test checked 16 alleles. 2 definitiely could not have come from the mother. The problem is that if she was not the mother (or father - paternity tests are the same) then there SHOULD have been arround 4-10 mismatches, 2 is like flipping a coin 16 times and getting 2 heads - unlikely. 1 could be a mutation - about a 1 in 400 chance of that, so it has to be allowed for.

2 exclusions could be 2 mutations - about 1 in a 150000 - or the real mother is someone very closely related to the mother. VERY closely related - like a sister at the end of maybe 3 generations of incest. Again not likely.

The doctor was arguing that the girl couldn't be a daughter - like the test was a conclusive negative. (2 in 3 chance she IS the mother dammit) We just made the point we wanted a conclusive result. 0% or 99.99% is acceptable, but conclusive it had to be.

Doctor finally offered to rerun the two failing lines. We should have the results of that in 2-3 weeks.

Epilog: It is a two page document. There is a stamp on the front page indicating that the test was performed at CMU. Noted that the tech is a new student learning the procedures, first time on the equipment.

im not normally one to say this but knowing how convuluted thai familial relationships are, and language glitches, could it be, that your girlfriend is fudging a bit, and that the sister is actually your girl friend's daughter, or daughter of mother's sister... i had a friend marry his brother's wife in the amphur so he could get a visa, although the brother was actually married in the village to the woman... imagine what a mess that would cause for a child's registration?

so, as i say, maybe girlfriend is trying to fudge the results, but still get her sister an id card? there was also a scam with the cards awhile back, and cards were revoked... i think there were posts to that affect here on the forum...

also, in other words, how much thai or language of your girlfriend do u speak or understand. did u actually see the results, or the letter etc? ? and also,ifu ave the money u could always do your own DNA test first thru some other external agent not for court purposes, and then try again? bells are ringing.

bina

My last GF (udon thani) - her sister pulled that scam. Said her older sister and husband were her mother and father, to con her german husband into giving support money to them. Fell apart when she wanted to get a visa to germany - had to get translations of the family/house papers or something and the husband saw it all. Shit hit the fan then. Dishonesty ran in the family, I only hung round for a month then pissed off.

Mothers sister? From China (mid 80's I understand - along with her daughter, my GF at about 9 yrs old) HMMM - bells ringing hey? you wouldn't believe the hoops we had to go through to get my GF her ID card. After some pushing and shoving mae tang finally told us that their records said my GF and mother were from Mae Sai/Burma (first we knew of that) ... We had to 'find-her-long-lost-brother-and-family-in-Mae-Sai' to get reality to line up with bureaucracy,

Current GF I've been with for near 10 yrs now, She has a 27 yr old daughter and 22 yr old son. No reason to hide any others.

And no - haven't seen any letters or documents or anything yet. This is all anecdotal over the phone so far, hence my confusion.

[Colamumbai] A second test seems to be the best idea; it does have to be someone acceptable to immigration. Test wasdone at Suan Doc hospital here in Chaing Mai. I'll check to see if itcan be done again anywhere else - and expedited.

Another complication has turned up - she's supposed to be moving on to another school - shes finished at the current one - and not being having the ID card before starting might complicate things.

[Mario2008] Might be some miscommunication with my GF here, but she says the tests take a couple months (3) to get through to immigration, not a few weeks. I don't know if the delay is at the immigration end, or the hospital but its annoying to have to wait 3 months to find out you've failed and going to have to start over.

Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum.

I am residing in Chiang Mai, and my GF is one of the hilltribe girls (Akha). In a poor village, she and here mother were the poorest. Shes used to being treated with contempt by the authorities here. Getting an ID card took her about 20 years of trying, shes had it about 2 years now. The delay was corruption and an inability to pay the backhanders the Mae Tang offices and the village representatives required in the past.

Her mother has no ID card and is too old to bother with one. She has two sisters. Her older sister just managed to get her ID card on the basis that her sister (my GF) managed to get one, and she has a birth certificate.

Her younger sister is about 11yrs old, and we're now trying to get her ID card sorted. She has no birth certificate, so Mae Tang immigration have required a blood workup to prove shes part of the family.

The blood tests failed - the labs say my GFs mother is not the same mother. <deleted>?

My GF assures me that she is her sister and not somebody elses daughter informally adopted into the family or anything. She even watched the birth.

Mae Tang is infamous for corruption, but this would have to happen at the labs. Whats the likelihood of error or corruption here? Having paid 4000 THB and waited months for results, are we entitled to a copy of the lab reports? Given a copy of the reports it should be pretty easy to show the wrong blood samples have been used, Right? (verify blood types are correct etc)

My GF is guessing the blood samples might have been swapped around accidentally or deliberately.

What recourse do we have here?

(This is par for the course for her over some 20 years of trying to get her own ID card sorted)

I have a Kasikornbank KWeb card I use for small internet transactions, often through paypal. I hadn't used it for about 8 months til yesterday.

I made a transaction through paypal for 5 USD at 0.0303771 USD/THB. Paypal indicates they charged me 5 USD, and say they billed me 164.60 THB (exactly 5 USD at the given rate)

What shows on my KWeb account is 196.48 THB which is exactly 6 USD at paypals given rate. Seems unlikely to be a bank error in that case. Do paypal have an additional fee they're levying but not showing?

In the past the amount that has been debited from my card is exactly what was showing.

One possibility is that paypal debited me 1 USD (to be returned I believe) to verify my card? I had to reenter card details since the card had expired and been automatically renewed by Kasikorn.

At this point allI can on the statement is the sum total of 196.48, I don'tyet have any breakdown of that.

Anybody know whats going on?

Loot is still in business but only available on line.

Here it is,

http://www.loot.com/

And try these,

Find your ideal flatmates today

http://www.spareroom.co.uk/

Into London.com

http://www.intolondon.com/

Welcome to ARoomtoLet.co.uk

http://www.aroomtolet.co.uk/

Easy room mate UK

http://uk.easyroommate.com/

Type room to rent London in Google, millions are listed.

If when you return to the UK and you are in a low paid job or out of work, you may qualify for housing benefit if can find a landlord who will accept you.

Good luck with your search.

This looks like the information to use when I've got some work - and looking to settle in with the work. :jap:

Normally I stay with friends, but a couple of times when I've arrived late or just passing through I booked with Hostelworld.com.

Actually must admit a pleasant surprise, I thought it would be worse. The last place was very close to Paddington Station. Sorry can't remember the name but only a 2 min walk. They have lots of places on their website though.

Thank you for that website !!! :wai:

I see many list 'dorms' and 'privates' at pretty close to the same rates (near 20 GBP - good for me) private is a private room? so close to dorm rates? Shared bathroom, right?

Isn't there a new Tunes hotel just opened in London, I know the earlier you book with them the cheaper the room.

Early within some kind of limits - just tried a Febuary booking, 250 quid! Current rates seem to be 50-70 quid. Bit rich for my blood.

3BB - 590+tax, 630. Just need the land-line, but you don't have to have a voice service - can be internet only. Would recomend a land-line for speed - I don't think the wireless options can match hardwired for speed yet. I download a lot of movies, and need the speed.

Been weathering the economic storm here in CM, but gotta go back and start work now.

Anyone know cheap accomodation in London somewhere? I hear rumors of 20-30£ B&B or hotels round Earls court area, but can't find anything under 40£ online.

Last time I stayed (a month) in the Kings Cross hostel across from the train station, 20£/night, 100£/wk(?), shared 8 bed-room. This time I would like to get a room to myself though.

The plan is to settle in London for a few weeks til I've lined up a contract, then settle in wherever the contract is. Cambridge last time, for a year.

There are a few 40-50£ hotels arround there. Can negotiate a week rate with hotels/B&B in the UK? is that a done thing?

Any suggestions? Anyone know of cheap medium-term accomodation in London?

Just a word of warning, we quickly discovered that our gas-oven doesn't reach high-enough temperatures, for baking stuff, so had to get a decent electric one instead. I was told this is due to the bottled-gas being a bit crap.

In our bakery we have commercial ovens powered bypropane gas and they work just fine. They can reach a temperature of more than 400 Celsius. So the problem isn't due to the gas.

You said 'propane' - are you using the same gas as everyone else - LPG compressed in the cylinders? 'Proportion of propane to butane can vary depending on use and source'. The amount of butane in the mix (a heavier gas) might be the issue. (ie too much butane = crap gas )

If anyone is interested, just did the calulations for gas/electricity cost effectiveness:

Gas energy works out to 12.8 kWhr/kg, and a recharge of 15kg is 115 THB: works out to about 0.6 THB/kWhr. Electricity at cost is about 3 THB/kWhr. Gas for heating/cooking is a lot better value at 1/5 of the cost.

<snip for brevity>

Funny, we've been paying 300-320 B per-cylinder (delivered) for years, and so do all our friends in CM, can you tell me where I can get a recharge locally for 115 B ?

And my gas-cooker is a Whirlpool WGR 40J, the burners on top are fine for boiling things, but the oven struggles to reach a high-enough temperature to bake or roast.

Sorry, she told me 'sam loy sip ha' for 15 kg - I seem to have lost the 'sam' in translation, so you are correct - 315 THB here. Thats the washing lady here, and she knows what shes about. Works out to 1.64 THB/kWhr - about 1/2 electricity.

I'm wondering if these ovens running too cool are maybe designed for natural gas rather than LPG? But LPG is 3x more energetic than natural gas, so I would have thought that they would run too hot rather than too cool...

LPG is a mix of propane and butane, both burn with near the same energy/kg. The mix depends on source and intended use, propane being preferred in colder climes because of a lower boiling point than butane (-42C vs -0.6C). Precious little chance to make 'crap' gas, I still reckon it's a design issue.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/lpg1.htm

[edit] Is there a time limit on editing posts? I wanted to correct my previous post...

Just a word of warning, we quickly discovered that our gas-oven doesn't reach high-enough temperatures, for baking stuff, so had to get a decent electric one instead. I was told this is due to the bottled-gas being a bit crap.

Who told you that? The salesman?

Its not the bottled gas, the burners in your oven are underrated. Cheap design. LPG is basically a mix of propane and butane, proportions varying based on location and supplier. Not enough variability to be able to make 'crap' gas.

What make is it? One to avoid.

If anyone is interested, just did the calulations for gas/electricity cost effectiveness:

Gas energy works out to 12.8 kWhr/kg, and a recharge of 15kg is 115 THB: works out to about 0.6 THB/kWhr. Electricity at cost is about 3 THB/kWhr. Gas for heating/cooking is a lot better value at 1/5 of the cost.

Off topic: Did the calcs for water too - Ground water, town supply and drinking water:

Ground water (smelly and discolored) cost is basically your electricity charge for the pump. Works out to 0.2-0.3 THB/m3 (cubic meter) for a 12m head.

Town supply - (clean) works out to something like 17 THB/m3 - thats the local washing shop. I understand that varies with usage, and might be arround 13 THB/m3 for a residential user.

Drinking water is arround 1000 THB/m3 in bulk. You install your own filtration system, it still comes in about 300 THB/m3 based on filter cost (1500) and capacity (5000l)

I only investigated the installation costs for drinking water, as the others are already fitted at the place I just rented; about 4000-5000 THB installation for a small system. Don't recall capacity.

..............................Life is getting interesting.

It must have been pretty dull previously if you call this interesting.

Well ... life is generally 'interesting' in a nice way - no need to remark on that. That is 'interesting' in a not-so-nice way - which required some comment I thought.

I'm looking at this exact trip - CNX-KL and KL-STN both air asia.

CNX-KL. 890 THB (promo) - add 700 THB taxes

KL-STN (UK) 11000 THB - add 250 THB taxes

KL-STN: I'm annoyed cos I just missed out a special to STN for 635 RM (about 6350 THB) - like it expired the day after I saw it.

Currently works out to about 12700 THB - about 250 GBP

Reasonable price?

But I have a question: I can book these both the same day, but CNX-KL lands at 12:45, and KL-STN takes off 15:10.

I know airasia is Point-to-point only - gotta do the entire international checkout to checkin loop from scratch, including baggage. I have seen warnings saying AT LEAST 3 hours, more better.

Overnighting in KL would add maybe 500 THB for a room and 2 x 130 THB to/from the LCCT in KL. Done all this before, but haven't tried connecting the dots like this.

If I try for same day, I have 2 hr 25 mins. Checkin must be before 45 mins before liftoff - so I have to go round in 1 hr 40 mins, doable if the CNX leg is not delayed.

Is it worth the risk to do it same day? How often are flights air asia FROM CNX delayed? Or would it be better overnighting in KL, for an extra 1000 THB or so?

An additional complication I just noticed: checkin closes 1 hr before flight now, not 45 mins, giving me 1 hr 5 to complete the loop.

And worse my passport will have 4 months remaining at the time of flight, so there may be some hassle with overnighting or even disembarking at KL - and they want to sight an onward ticket for transit I think. how will they 'sight' and eticket? print out the itinerary enough?

Life is getting interesting.

I'm looking at this exact trip - CNX-KL and KL-STN both air asia.

CNX-KL. 890 THB (promo) - add 700 THB taxes

KL-STN (UK) 11000 THB - add 250 THB taxes

KL-STN: I'm annoyed cos I just missed out a special to STN for 635 RM (about 6350 THB) - like it expired the day after I saw it.

Currently works out to about 12700 THB - about 250 GBP

Reasonable price?

But I have a question: I can book these both the same day, but CNX-KL lands at 12:45, and KL-STN takes off 15:10.

I know airasia is Point-to-point only - gotta do the entire international checkout to checkin loop from scratch, including baggage. I have seen warnings saying AT LEAST 3 hours, more better.

Overnighting in KL would add maybe 500 THB for a room and 2 x 130 THB to/from the LCCT in KL. Done all this before, but haven't tried connecting the dots like this.

If I try for same day, I have 2 hr 25 mins. Checkin must be before 45 mins before liftoff - so I have to go round in 1 hr 40 mins, doable if the CNX leg is not delayed.

Is it worth the risk to do it same day? How often are flights air asia FROM CNX delayed? Or would it be better overnighting in KL, for an extra 1000 THB or so?

Hi myauq I sent you a PM. Please contact me as I noted in that message and I will see if I can help to get your problem sorted out. Thanks.

Ian

Kasikornbank. Saw them recommended on another thread and was having hassles with getting service from bangkok bank - wanted internet and couldn't get it.

Walked into Kasikorn Thapae main office (Chiang mai) with my passport and 500 baht, walked out with a visa/plus card, internet access 20 minutes later. Got one of their 'web shopping' cards (apply online from your kasikorn account) and am now hooked into paypal, no hassles.

With these changes its past time for me to get my act together on this myself.

I've been putting it off. I hate this stuff

To date my nose is clean, but I pay a lot more tax than I need to I think, and it looks set to go a lot higher.

I am an NZ born, NZ resident up to 6 years ago with dual UK/NZ passports. I work on extended (1yr+) contracts in the UK, but otherwise live, but not yet work pretty much anywhere else. I have no ties in the UK, having worked there for 15 months in 2007-2008. Only worked, no ties or girlfriends or anything else. I don't even know anyone to forward a replacement cash card to me

Can somebody point me to a good thai/uk tax and company advisor here in Chiang mai so I can set things up properly?

Thanks Sabaijai, will be staying there for a while from the middle of the month. Hope to stay for at least a month.

Hi Moe,

Looking to stay there a while myself - a couple weeks or longer depending how it suits. I have several years of intensive study behind me, and I'm not looking for more teaching right now but to practice and consolidate what I have learned so far. Would this place be good for a solo retreat - can I just practice with minimal supervision in my kuti / walking somewhere quiet? are the group sessions compulsory?

Ahh..the pursuit of the fountain of youth amuses me. Everybody wants to go to heaven ...just not right now

The search for the alchemists stone - making gold from base metals, and the search for the fountain of youth. We know how to make gold now; just not cost effective - you need a nuclear reactor of some kind.

The fountain of youth looks to be more viable - rHGH looks to be a close candidate. HGH production in the human body falls off as we age, to about 20% of 20yr old levels at age 60. Restoring this to youthful levels looks like it can improve the quality of life of the aged a lot.

rHGH is US FDA approved for adults with low hGH .. is an approved treatment for low HGH & the medical conditions associated with low HGH.

concise web site: http://www.csmngt.com/human_growth_hormone.htm

US HHS / FDA web site: http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/2007/04/t20070326a.html

Disclaimer: You need a doctors prescription to use HGH in most places, and many people don't like needles.

Who gave them the right to record my passage?

Who gave that rat the right to share my kitchen?

Who gave me the right to complain?

You say you have a thai account just transfer it. Any amount is ok. You can open another account with very little in kasikorn bank for instance...I doubt the a uk bank is coming to thailand to seize your assets but who knows. I think they would go after the estate first..

Just try to keep it in GBP as long as possible - so you can choose your rate later. Somebody advised BKK with a GBP forex account. Maybe forex with another institution.

(just wading into the fray - my two stang worth)