oldsparrow

robinhill

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To begin with the tourist treatment:

http://www.vfs-uk-th.com/visafees.aspx

I think this UK visa fee rate surpasses the actual paperwork cost. AND the worst point is that if the application fail we can't reimburse, UK pocket the fee anyway. Different countries have different way to make profit.

So,... the point which I was attempting to make was that the price levied is supposed to be according to Nationality, but is in practice sometimes made according to one's racial appearance, until proved otherwise.

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For national park or zoo that charge foreigner more they issue different receipt. My friends were born in the US both parents are 100% Thai. They are American, having western look and were charge foreigner rate too.

And of course, for service that don't issue receipt like beach vender, richer look more, than the white look, leads to higer price

caf:

Perhaps this answers my point to you about Farang - Thai relationships; they are often not equal (age, wealth, education)

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Yes caf, I have 2 female cousins married to Westerners, they met in university class there and never have relationship problems. The girls are actually more welthy.However, there are natural difficulties when people from countries of better system come to live in a messy environment. The difficulties can effect relationship but so far my folk have been doing just fine.

Thanks wilsongbrown, I am a Thai, the 5th generation born in this country and think I know something of what the local perceive Jai Dee, Jai Dum and Thai family affairs.

It's clear the western perception of family is much different from the Thai's one. while you get married to have seperate live with your partner, the agricultural base Asian society make it a social relation affairs. The Chinese girl moves into the boy family, The Thai boy move into the girl family, the Japanese bride wears white not because it's the symbol of purity, the Japaneses wear white for the funeral. The girl dies from her family to beloings to the boy family. The new member bacame the helping hand.

Then a richer guy married their girl. What do you expect especially from the poorer families.

Cheating is cheating I don't justify that but for the concept of Jai Dee and Jai Dum there are deeper impact beyond the face value or the present situation.

It depends on how much you commit yourself to the live here with the local people who are suppose to be your folk, or at least this is what they think.

Except for some city folks Thai you can't strictly deploy the concepts of mine mine mine, your your your with your in law.

When you lend support to the in law family you are entitled to request for support back as well. However, according to the western culture you never dream of getting anythin free or without exact bill from oher people.

...and it's just the simple fact that in most of your situation the Thai in law can't lend any support to you, at least for the mean time. Among the Thai we also can't expect instant pay back too. Especially in the family the giving and taking are very blur.

However, the social mechanism of Bunkhun "Paying back" is still very stong. In fact too strong that it override the law and order. Any people who doesn't pay back is branded a anti-social with no personal credit.

Among family it's mostly very unofficially.

Decades ago both side of my grand parents worked in BKK but many cousins were in the nearby province. They took many kid cousin into the house for they could go to school in BKK. They were raised as equal as my parents, share the room, The grannies gave them a ride on the same cars to school. No money was charge. With this Jai Dee and some other, they got respected very much from the cousin families. One even wrote down in his will that my grand dad is a great supporter of his family and his kids must see to my family need. The merit passes on to my parents. The cousins became successful and I can't recall any occasion they refuse my parents's request.

It's all up to you. This can be stupid unreliable invesment. Of course when it's invesment it can go wrong but a free gift won't go wrong.

I never think it's an easy life for westerner to marry a Thai and live in TL. The present situation surprise me.

There is no standard in international affairs.

I am no fan of Thaksin and was glad that he was kicked out even by a coup.

However, it came to me that international community treat Thai junta very much diffferent from the Hondurus Junta.

bkkjames:

But in general when you see so 30 yr olds still reading comics books, perhaps aiming beyond boing is thinking just a bit too far out of the jack in the box.

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The comic book is just a fantasy or novel with picture. There is intensive study on the Japanese comic. Most Japanese adult read it. There is a good netwrk among the J diplomat wives in BKK to exchange the latest comic books for their folks. Some stories have substance, what I still follow are:

1. A school in Japan suffer financial problem. It was taken over and a lawyer came to direct the reform. His strategy is to push student to enter the Tokyo University. In Japan where the Tokyo U. graduate got enormous priviledge in any career this would bring instant fame and popularity to the school. So it goes story of how he analyse the Tokyo U. exam, way of tutoring and some drama of the fight between existed and newly introduced teachers, menatlity of the selected students etc.

2. A doctor was push back by through time by un ID God-like will to the Edo era at the begining of the Meiji Restroration. The story goes on with the real event of that time. The doctor adapt his practice into the period people, sample of many kinds of operation, conflict with other medical schools etc. The writer has a real MD and Japanese medical historian as an assistant. This one is made into TV series and will be on TV in Japan this year.

Oh, the comedy actually conforms with your Phil. on "Pacific Island cultures find injuries (in real life not just movies), funny."

During the drinking he told me of one Japanese comedy set on the WWII era Japan. You see, there was a type of Japanese throwing grenade that they had to unscrew the safety slug and slam it hard on something to activate the fuse.

In the comedy, a soldier grab one grenade, unscrew the slug and hit it hard on his man's head who went down unconscious. He laugh his head off telling this comedy. It can be a goodjoke in TL too. And you can guess that Asian nature dictate that it must be superior hitting the lower rank one.

Harcourt, where is another thread?

Your study is interesting. It reminds me of one Japanese comedy my J friend told me.

Oh yes the Art guy ! The Thai name is ลูกฝรั่งช่างพูด (Talkative Farang's kid) you can google and see the cover.

Fashionably funny? ha ha I don't know you need temporary survey to answer this. It was funny to me. Anyway, my parents went to colleges in the US and I was familier with Farang media and Disney stuffs.

In general I think American pop culture had been popular among the 50s - early 80s TL. Right into early 80s American series/sit-com were still common in free Thai TV. Those generation kids had cowboy outfit. (This remind me of the book, the Last Executioner, story of the last shooter of the Thai prison, there is a photo of the writer as a kid in cowboy outfit also and he was not from the very well off family who really travel to the west)

In early 80s it was the boom of Japanese cartoon culture along with the Japanese economic boom. The kids became Samurai and Ninja instead of Cowboy.

In the early 90s the American popuparity became limited to the rock/pop music. The last wave was Rap oversized cloth fashion, the color Levi 501 and the music band T-shirt boom. The western style decorated restaurants were disappeared. American series were completely replaced by the Japanese game shows.

Year 2000, the introduction of KaraOK the Japanese got strengthen.

Now you see it's the Korean one.

You have to look at each one. The origin is also different and interesting.

Surname is officially introduced in the reign of King Rama 6 (1910-1925). Before that we had to declare "son/daughter of..." after the name when proper ID was needed. Some people may used their Chinese clan name.

So when the surname was to be officially registered. it came from:

1. Given by the King, to bureaucrat mostly. He made it up or use the receipient ิี"Bureaucrat name" (in the traditional Thai system). The Royal Parmission Document was granted in this case.

2. Selected by head of the family, sometimes modify from the "Bureaucrat name"

3. Other mean, some people asked the monk to suggest good names, some selected ancester names.

Many of the very long one are of Chinese families who modified Chinese name and add many good words. There ususlly have Chinese clan name in front such as ลิ้ม /ตั้ง /ตัน Lim / Tung/ Tan etc.

Some surnames of the old noble families are also long. If you have lot of experience in TL you may recognise the different between these and the Chinese origin ones.

Firstr of all Congratulation for your new baby !!

Well, bobby is a popular dog name in TL. One of mine 4 legs mate is bobby. However, one of my 2 legs mate is also bobby, he is 100% Thai.

My opinon, if you like the name, just use it.

No, not because of the legal limitation but because too many groups aware that the Thak in power means disaster for them.

After the Democrat it's more likely that the ex-Thak's boy (Newin), the present puppet (the PPP) and the slippery (like Banharn) will join (dark) force... without the Thak.

These know how to make dirty money like the Thak so why the Thak as big boss again? They just suck the Thak dry and got the vote for themselves.

Many western jokes have been translated into Thai. You see in magazine like แพรว etc.

When I was young there was a book translated from "Kid says a thousand things" collection of funny script from US TV programme in the late 50s.

Many Thais' motto: When you lend money without contract it's a charity grant, do it as much as you can afford to lose it.

JR,

I agree with another poster that generalisation s not the practical lesson at present. becasue you will see no different in everything or everybody then you can't consider the best or possible way to go around and finally no choice in any lifestyle in TL.

Nothing big is going down, it has been like this for a thousand years. It's just yourself that suffer in your situation. This is the focus in need.

You see huge gap in Thai people's lives. Huge gap are also their mind, perception of live, concern for the living and how to make the living.

May be you offer casual Jai Dee because it was your in law and be more on guard when it's business dealing. This's why the Thais have get married with people of the similar background, economic and social status. To you it may sound undemocratic but it's is practical safety measure around here.

Yes sir, lot of time with the local will help.

So, ฮา is the sound and also a common informal word for the meaning I mentioned. BTW, I think it come from English Aha! Ha Ha.

Yes, we talk more than the real point of conversation. It's also the way of communication, repeating stress the priority etc.

Talking on irrelevant point of light talk after the business topic is a way to check if the partner has more opinion on the point/want to know more or not.

ie.

A: My factory can't deliver the product on time. We will compensate this and that...... Please tell your boss to decide.

B: How about some discount instead?

A: The best we can do is......

B: Silent

A: I heard your son will go to the university this year?

B: Indeed, I don't know which one he can enter etc.

In this situation it's Thai way for A to conclude the business proporsal after he saw the body language of B. If B had more question B would return to the topic shortly. If not it mean B took the proporsal as it was for further consideration. Communication also includes social interaction not only the language.

Attractiveness of old foreigner who can't speak local language having different interest, value, food, tv, music is ........(please fill in the blank)

...and the illegal drug is the pure substance.

ie. Offenders who possess 1 kg of 50% pure heroin (class 1) is charged with possession (for whatever) of 500 g. of drug class 1.

JR Texas,

I have no doubt in the story that you are a victim. However, I think Jai Dee means charity, business mean proper legal dealing and, of course, I think cheating is an evil form of Jai Dum.

Yes, please bring your common senses with you(no pun intended). You'll be amazed how many farangs leave that at home.

How strange, thats what i was going to post then got sidetracked about t shirts and forgot to write it....scary stuff... I would rather arrive with nothing and common sense than everything and no common sense as everything will soon be nothing without common sense...

The common sense will tell you that you are no longer in UK so you won't waste wonder why this? why that? why not? why me?

You should bring shoes. local shoes are generally bad and the good brands with quality are more expensive here.

aussiejosh

You talk exactly like (too) many realistic Thais. As someone who had grown up in his teen you are the real local product, no doubt TL suit you very well.

"recreational quantity" !! I think it's just "personal abuse quantity".

If you possess less than the said amount it's the "possession" offence. More than that and it's "possession for the purpose of disposal" AUTOMATICALLY.

However, if you are arrested on the act of selling it, any amount is liable for "possession for the purpose of disposal".

There are different penalty for different offences and different kinds of drug ie. heroin and Yaba are in the same class while cannabis is on the other.

Informal and similar meaning = ฮา

ขำ is used to describe specific thing/event but ฮา has somewhat broader meaning and can describe many things more than ขำ

ie.

ไปเที่ยวครั้งนี้ฮามาก = The holiday trip is full of funny thing. VS ไปเที่ยวครั้งนี้มีเรื่องขำมาก = There are many funny events in the holiday trip.

คนนี้ฮาดี = The guy is funny/capable of doing funny thing.

They tend to hire Muslim as butcher for the meat can be classified Halal for Muslim customer.

When people don't kill cow or eat beef it's because they respect เจ้าแม่กวนอิม - The Chinese Godess, she rides on cow (or bull?). It's more common among Chinese-Thais. Some Thais may not eat beef on the reason that it's "big" animal and they don't like killing of big animal.

For me I eat any meat on the market and sometimes told friends that eating big animal means killing one once in a while but eating small animal means killing many in a day.

....However, well manner Farang man has advantage as they treat girl better..

You gain or lost cutting edge with different people.

As a sudent I was amazed that a Japanese girl student grab a bottle and fill a glass for me, even before her glass ! She said it was J girl table manner, she did that by instinct. She felt I treat girl very well when I insisted I dont want her to serve me.

Years ago on business trip abroad with lady colleague and also farang counterpart. At the table I filled my glass first, the farang friend tease me "Ei Ei, you can get the boy out of TL but you can't get TL out of the boy" then he proudly grap the bottle and filled the lady's glass first. Back in TL, he came to my office driven by his lady colleague. It was my turn, "HA HA, you can get Austalia out of the Aussie when you get the Aussie out of Australia."