tonititan

I kind of feel like I shouldn't help you after the "wife task" comment. Kidding. But those aren't actually wife jobs, they're household chores and lots of guys do them!

I agree about asking around in your area first. If you live in an apartment, you could ask your neighbors or the manager/office workers. That's how I got my maid. You said "my house," so maybe you don't live in an apartment. In that case, you could still ask your neighbors, a local motorcycle/taxi driver, or someone who works on your street. My maid was referred by the condo manager, was married to a motorcycle driver who worked my soi, and lived down the street. I thought that was excellent because she was very reliable since she lived down the street and didn't have to commute. I felt that I could trust her because not only did she seem like a good person, but her reputation in the neighborhood would be affected if she stole anything, etc. An added bonus was that when I locked myself out of my apartment late one night, I could call her to bring my spare set of keys since she was so close!

Pros:

1. Can save significantly more money than in my home country

2. Easy/low-stress lifestyle

3. Great travel opportunities

Cons:

1. Weather

2. Language barrier/difficulties

3. Being so far away from family and friends

And, you guessed it, managed to get her pregnant. Yes, he is certain it is his child.

I'm just curious - how does he know for sure that it's his baby?

I don't know why everyone enrolls their kids in school here at the age of 3 (and I'm not going to argue on whether that's the best decision or not), but I do work at an international school and can give you a couple practical reasons why some of our families send their little ones here. First, I think it's just out of convenience if there are older siblings at the school. Some of the parents would prefer to drive to just one school, and the families are already part of the school community so it just makes sense for them to send all of their children here. Another reason we get lots of little ones is for English acquisition (this is obviously for non-native English speakers). I can say that when kids start in the elementary (primary) school at age 5, I can notice a HUGE difference between the English abilities of the children who attended preschool/nursery here at our school, and the children who attended Thai nursery schools or bilingual preschools. The kids who don't have much English when they start elementary school definitely struggle a lot more for the first year or two. Yes, most of them catch up eventually.

I'm assuming your daughter is an English speaker, so I agree that no, it's not necessary to enroll her in an international school at her age. As long as she's in a language rich, developmentally appropriate environment (whether that's a nursery or at home), she should be fine when she gets to school in a couple years.

I really enjoyed KB Resort on Kai Bae beach. It was pretty relaxing, with not too many bars around - but still plenty of restaurants and shops. It's right on the beach, and some of the bungalows are beachfront. I believe that there are a/c and fan bungalows. The pool was the best part of the resort. It was a double-layer infinity pool with beautiful surroundings. There was a small kids' pool with a waterslide for small children. I was there last summer but can't remember the prices. I think it seemed a tad high to us considering the island was pretty empty, but the pool was worth whatever we paid.

Price for a Ticket to Frankfurt ex Bangkok in Februar (18 - 28 Feb 2010) was 41300 THB in TG Coach. For May (07-24 May 2010) it comes up with 56100 THB. Same flight, same class of service. That is over 30% increase.

Yeah, I figured that the price would change depending on the date of the flight. I meant that I have been watching ticket prices for the exact same dates, and the prices haven't fluctuated at all over the past few months.

For Premium Eco on TG, sorry but this product is only available on 4 Aircraft out of 73. Only the A 340-500, formerly used on the NYC and LAX Route, offer this class. I agree that is a good thing and also very comfortable.

Wow, only 4/73? I guess I'm lucky that my route (LAX) does have it!

Well economy class does have individual monitors.....it just depends which plane your on and how old it is. Are you with me on this?

Gotcha. Most of the flights I've been on did not have individual monitors in economy, so I guess they were probably older planes.

I'm not usually a nervous traveler, but I think that I would be nervous about visiting Iran. Have you been following the news regarding the 3 American hikers who accidently entered Iran, were accused of being spies, and have been held in Iranian prison for a few months? The news stories indicate that they're not being treated well, and they were denied a lawyer or consular assistance for a long time. It's not looking like they're getting out anytime soon. That kind of thing DOES make me nervous.

Yeah, I was shocked to find out that economy class doesn't have individual tvs. I usually fly in TG's premium economy class, though, and the entertainment is great. For that and other reasons, I definitely think it's worth the upgrade!

To add insult to injury, there is this crazy idea about holidays...you still must wake up early in the morning to go & sign in/out & then you can go home. So much for spending a week away somewhere.

That's nuts! Do you have to do this every single day of a weeklong holiday?

I've been keeping an eye on ticket prices for this summer, but I haven't seen any change in price over the last 3-4 months. Does anyone know if Thai ever adjusts their fares? Any sales perhaps? Or is the price I see now most likely going to stay the same? It's been surprising because most airlines seem to change their prices every 5 minutes!

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Honestly, I think there's a good chance that she could be quite unhappy here. Bangkok is not very wheelchair accessible at all! It will be difficult for her to go places she wants to go. People with disabilities are not always treated the best. My good friend who uses a wheelchair has gotten many nasty comments about how she needs to just stay home. Add on top of that the fact that your friend doesn't speak any Thai, and I think she would be very lonely when you are gone.

I can't help with the route, but I can tell you that I have flown Thai Airways premium economy and EVA evergreen deluxe class. They seemed pretty similar. Thai felt a bit roomier, but EVA was still much better than flying economy class. EVA has always been a bit cheaper (at least for my route), so I usually choose it.

The teacher job market in the US is very varied.

Many people claim to not be able to find a job, but they really mean they can not find a job in their area.

Furthermore History, English, Language arts teachers will always have a hard time compared to science and math teachers.

Here in PA I see 30+ jobs added in just the last week, quite a lot for this time of the year.

But while there may be an emigration of teachers from western countries, I don't see Thailand's wages as a huge welcoming banner when you have S.Korea near by offering decent wages, a round trip ticket, and a much more modern society.

But time will tell eh?

Yeah, that's a good point. There are jobs available if you're willing to move to high-need areas and have a high-need job.

The friends I was talking about (who are mostly elementary school teachers) have been looking in several large cities (in different states) as well as rural areas within a couple hours radius of each city. They do understand that they can't expect to find a job in their own neighborhood. Some of them have told me that if they have to move 10 states away, they would rather move overseas and at least have some adventure.

And I completely agree that Thailand will probably not be a big draw for teachers financially. But, the lifestyle will likely attract some more teachers. Some of the recent arrivals I've met have said that hey just wanted to take a break from worrying about making big bucks. You're right, though - we'll just have to wait and see.

I do this every time I fly back to the States. I usually fly Thai Airways to LAX, then book a completely separate itinerary to my final destination. I have never had any problem, except you MUST show them both itineraries when you check in with Thai Airways at BKK. They have said that they have no way to look up the other flights, and their computer obviously won't show your whole trip. I have never been charged twice for luggage fees.

As someone else said, yes, you have to claim your luggage upon reaching the US. However, this is not the same as the regular baggage claim. It is a special baggage claim within the international arrivals/immigration area. Everyone must pick up their bags (no matter where they are heading next, or on which airline) and drop them off after passing through customs. Depending on the airport, it can be as little as 25 feet that you have to carry your bags to the drop-off point. If the bags are checked through to another US destination, you don't have to worry about your bags again until you arrive at your last stop.

** My separate itinerary is usually on American Airlines (which is not a Star Alliance partner, I believe, but still somehow affiliated with Thai Airways). I have no knowledge of United Airways' partnerships. You should probably double check that they are in fact partners, but if they are, then checking the bags all the way through shouldn't be a problem.

Most western countries have a shortage of qualified teachers and so these people do not have to come to Thailand to work.

This surprised me, because it is quite the opposite of my perceptions (which I'm obviously admitting are just my opinions, not hard data). I guess maybe it depends on which western country you are talking about. I will admit that I have no knowledge of the demand for teachers in Europe, Canada, Australia, etc. However, it seems that in the US right now, there is actually an excess of certified teachers. Schools are downsizing and laying off teachers. At the same time, more retirement-age teachers are staying in the workforce due to fears about financial security. The stories coming from my teacher friends back home are all indicating that it is VERY difficult to find a teaching job right now. Last summer I read a newspaper article regarding teaching jobs in the large metro area I used to live in. It said that for every open teaching position in the area, there were about 250 teachers looking for a job! I have several friends in different parts of the country (certified teachers with Education degrees) who have been waiting years for a teaching job. Some are working as restaurant waiters, some are unemployed, some are working odd jobs to get by. And they are telling me that it is a very bad idea to go back to school for a master's degree in education, because it actually makes them less marketable (because they would require a higher salary).

What does all of this have to do with Thailand?:

Right now, there are plenty of applicants with Bachelor's degrees in Psychology, Business etc.. But very few with Education degrees.

You are referring to applicants in Thailand, correct?

I have encountered more and more certified/licensed teachers who are considering looking for jobs overseas because they cannot find work at home due to the excess of teachers. There seems to be increasing competition for the "best" jobs. I have heard that some of these teachers are willing to take lower-paying jobs (not just at the high-paying international schools) because it is better than nothing, and they cannot afford to survive in the US. So, my prediction is that there will be an increase in teachers with Education degrees who are coming to places like Thailand and working as English teachers. How that will affect the salaries for the non-certified/Education degree English teachers, I have no idea. I'm definitely not claiming to be a financial analyst.

I have never heard of anyone getting a visa to stay in Thailand in order to study English, only for Thai.

Unfortunately just because you've never heard of it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist (but at least you admitted you had no clue, so you get some points for that )

I am fully aware of that. That's why I made sure to say I have never heard of it. That's also why I also went on to say:

But, maybe someone else will know of something.

Thanks for the points, though.

I would probably drop your efforts to get your money back, but also ignore his demands for more money. I was involved in an accident once, and the police chief (who was very helpful, actually) explained that since it is a civil matter, he couldn't force us to pay anything, and that his job was just to help us negotiate with the other party. He said that yes, they could sue us, but that it would never actually happen because of the time and costs involved in a court case. There's a decent chance that this guy is just demanding money as a reaction to your request for a refund. If you let it drop, he will probably let it drop as well.

I wish to continue to learn English language, but most of schools dont provide documents for visa. If i want to ask about teaching I think that I have to ask about work permit at first, and I didnt write about thai language

sorry for my english

Ok, that clears it up. I have never heard of anyone getting a visa to stay in Thailand in order to study English, only for Thai. But, maybe someone else will know of something. If it doesn't work out here, maybe you could go to an English-speaking country and try to get a visa there.

Speaking as an English teacher I can say his question is perfect and, yes, I understood what he meant the first time as well. Maybe some of you posters could use some English lesons?

I disagree. I don't think his intent is clear. He asked which schools offer documents for a 1 year visa. His subject lines says "Shools of English." This usually implies a school in which a person learns English. Is that even possible? To get a visa in order to live in Thailand to study English? I think that is what is causing the confusion. Some people understood the OP to mean that he wants to teach in a school of English, others that he wants to study English, and others that he wants to study Thai at a school for English-speakers. I don't think it's clear at all.

I'm hoping this is a joke, but sadly, I think you're serious.

Were you planning to tell your wife about your girlfriend, new baby, and plans to secretly/illegally marry your girlfriend as well? I think that as much as it will hurt her, you need to tell your wife. She has a right to know and to choose to leave you for a man who will be faithful and honest.

Something that I have noticed in the women that I have dated is that women who have positve feelings about their fathers are more likely to have successful relationships with men.

And I have noticed that in the men I have dated, the ones who have loving and respectful attitudes towards their mothers make better boyfriends/husbands.

Most Thai women won't use a meter-taxi if alone. I suggest that farang male also avoid using them alone, during the hours of darkness.

What about farang females? I guess that means I shouldn't be concerned about taking a meter taxi at night alone? Just kidding.

Sorry I can't help, I have no idea what you are referring to. All I can think of is 1.21 jigawatts! (from "Back to the Future," if you don't know it)

I think that everyone who has used an AOT limo got "scammed" because their prices are so high.

Well put, this says it all.

How can an agreed fare for a pre-paid journey be a 'scam'?

I wouldn't really consider it a "scam" for experienced BKK travelers who know their options, fully understand that the AOT prices are higher (and maybe why), and choose to pay that price anyway. It seems to become more scam-like when it is a 1st-time tourist who is repeatedly approached inside the terminal (those AOT people can be persistent!) and told that XX is the going rate to XX, before the tourist even has a chance to get outside, check out the situation, and realize that there are other taxis.

I agree, though, that "scam" is probably a strong word in this situation, especially when the price is pre-negotiated. I was joking in my previous post when I said that anyone who had used AOT had been scammed. Perhaps a better word might be along the lines of "unfair" or "deceptive" (at least to visitors who don't know any better). I can't seem to think of the perfect word to describe it.

When I moved, I hired a truck driver (the kind with the wire sides/roof covering the truck bed). It cost me 1000 baht (plus I think I tipped a little). It was just one guy, which was all I needed because I had friends and security guards to help carry things to the truck. I think I ended up using him for about 5 hours, which included waiting for me to have the boxes ready, carrying them down to the truck, loading it all up, one trip from downtown to the suburbs (~30 mins driving), unloading the truck, one trip down the road to pick up a sofa (~15 minutes driving), and one trip back to the new condo to unload the sofa. Hope that helps!