crazygreg44

to the poster , my biggest advice : Stay Calm and easy !

On the solution of his woes :

There is this poster who suggests to incorporate soft pushes via superstitional behaviour of the Isarn inhabitants of said condo. I like this idea VERY much !!

If I were you,m I would softly and cautiously invoke small blows. One is, when the family plus their drunk brit is on foot and away, dare to shift small amounts of garbage to their doorstep, So when they return, they willl have to step over a small amount of the trash they had shuffled before. Commence this as often as you can. They may knock your door commandig explanations, but then it is up to you to tell them, that you hear tiny voices emerging from their room when they are absent. Tell them that you and your wife hear tiny , soft weeps coming rom the premise when the tenants are not there. They will soon start to believe that a ghost is involved , and take action. You will get rid of them for sure. Play it upon them and have fun doing so.

I just hope that your "upmarket" condo will maintain it's value , despite rumours of ghosts hauntig the building . . . . .

this happens with most resorts in prominent spots. Just a question, WHERE do you want to spend New Year ?

Try to be flexible. if you haven't been there before, it might be useful to know a few resorts or hotels in the area of your preference.

again .. WHERE is your point of destination ? We in the forum cannot offer help without at least a hint on what you intend to do

Hearing Aids Service in Bangkok :

Intimex , phone number 026285509

intimexhearing dot com , Visutkasat Road . The map is on their website. It is in Banglumpoo area, right underneath the elevated street that leads from the Rama 8 bridge into town

They have a very good service and are very competent, had my own hearing aids checked there twice. Very friendly !

yeah, I would just get back there on the 19 th with a smile and report. Why make yourself looked up being pudent when they are so busy, as you mentioned. No one wants to discuss when the office is so busy - you said it !

Of course the 90-day report-clock is set back when entering Thailand again . .just smile . . . .take it easy . . .

Don't know why I can never automatically quote OP anymore, but quoting:

"But it seems that when my fiancee and I raise the topic between ourselves, I get really irritable. Why is this ???"

Probably because it goes against the way you were brought up. Years of being told what is normal and what is not. In terms of SinSot the western cultural norm and your Thai half's cultural norms are opposite. You've both been brought up or dare I say "brainwashed" (harsh?) by your environment.

I'm feeling really damned irritable, and we usually have no issues between us. I need to come to terms with her way of thinking. Any positive suggestions, anyone ?

Questions (of many)?: Ask yourself: are you simply letting your pre-conceived (and perhaps even prejudiced) ideas get in the way of a happy future? Are you more concerned with "winning" or building a future together. Are you thinking just "win" or "win-lose" rather than "win-win" as a partnership?

Suggestions: Talk it over with your intended. Explain how you feel. Your pasts are different, your future needs to be combined. In what ways will she compromise for your values?

To share a personal situation. To be honest I was also uncomfortable with the idea based on my upbringing. Looking back with hindsight, I certainly do not regret my decision in deciding this was not a "battle to fight" or continue to argue about. I answered the questions above for myself, even though it didn't feel quite right: heart vs head vs upbringing. In the end, I paid a reasonable amount compared to what my wife's brothers/sisters/cousins did.

Several years later if you gave me a choice between all the money I have or my wife and kids - it's a no brainer. As time goes by, the SinSot sum looks smaller and smaller, and not just becuase of inflation although that helps too

BTW Just because she's marrying a foreigner or just because she's been married before does not necessarily mean no Sin Sot. Look for what others did in the extended family as you best guide. Contrary to many on here Sinsot was not created to rip off foreigners. Although it has obviously been abused for that purpose quite a few times

I d say this is by far the best opinion and reply over Sin Sod issues since I have started to read these posts !

Allow me my two cents, I was short of replying, I have never had this issue on the table again after telling my Thai GF that paying Sin Sod for me is not acceptable, as A) she is not a virgin any more ( while sporting a broad grin , an she was married before and has two kids which I am willing to support along with her ( my broad grinning becoming more serene ) and C) I kindly ask her to querry what she would prefer : A big Cash sum on the hand now , for once, and a bad mooded husband, or , better , suitable sums trickling all the time while we are happily married ( the grin becomes almost sermon like )

She is into tradition, while I am farang and into MY tradition. Tell her it should be viewed onto based on BOTH partners. And a nice, sound compromise made which will satisfy both you and Stepdad ( i bet he needs a new motosai, then why don t buy him one, 40K is no sum, BUT DO NOT CALL IT SIN SOD before you have not talked it out to the satisfying final with your other half !!! Tell Stepdad that he will not receive Sin Sod but here's some wardrobe & wedding party support !

It s the ART of bringing the two different cultures together while not loosing face and makinf sure the other does not loose it, either

If you happen to live in the Cha-Am area, it will be an easy find. All over Cha Am beach, there are tandem and even triple and quadruple - bike rentals, so asking to buy one should get you at least a good address of a shop where you can obtain them. I even recall having seen some on the left side of Phetchkasem Road after entering Hua Hin coming from Bangkok. There also is Mike s Bicycle shop, Hua Hin Bikes, which is IMO one of the best bicycle shops of Thailand . .

Best is to rent a motosai and start off checking out Soi's and places you think you would like to stay. There you will find so many "for rent" posts with a phone number, then have your - thai speaking - friend call them up on the spot for more details. Make notes, keep them at bay saying "will think about it and probably get back to you" and keep on searching until you think you have found the right location. My GF and me found our pretty & inexpensive townhouse on the first day out . . . .

If you plan to rent an apartment or a condo unit, go to the buildings by yourself and ask the management in the lobby on available spaces for rent.

Easiest way to do - and you will find the good offers, deal with owners directly, btw, the internet only sports the more expensive offers, mostly agents-wise. Good Luck !

IMO, you are responsible for your toddlers actions. Have him/her climb over the aquarium and tilt twenty half million Baht worth Koi's over across the floor would result in the action of making you responsible to the damage. Why would a minor event like breaking a glass which you allowed your todler to "play" with - and adult would have taken proper care - make you less responsible for your actions ? I'd even say, if I was the owner of a restaurant and watch you drop a glass in the middle of having a jolly good time, I would just neglect it on the bill. But if I watched you to pass things to a toddler who in my opinion is not trained enough to give proper care, I would even walk up and ask you to keep an eye and a chain to your still-stupid kid or pay the bill for broken things.

I am sorry I might sound a bit harsh but I was educated in such a way that we children were not allowed certain things to do my parents didn't think we were old enuff to perform. Like playing with things which don t belong to us, or pulling at animals, or like running about yelling like pirates on a attack, in a restaurant when we were not the only guests.

What you described can happen to you in any part of the world, depending on the view of the restaurant management. 45 Baht ? it is the equivalent of 1 and half a buck, if you rate it worth a discussion, sorry you are wrong in a restaurant, better eat at home where your kids are allowed to touch and smash things up to their like because you are such a coward not to educate them to some degree of manners

Jeez, It's easy to see how you came by your name at the top.

I begin to find this thread highly amusing !!!!

Well I'm an adult, and I have broken glasses etc here - knocked off the table during the evening etc - easy to do especially when the table is small and loaded with plates as Thais tend to do. I have never been charged. I think in that case I would have just held back the tip. It doesn't matter that its only 45 baht - its my 45 baht. Having owned restaurants in the UK and a cafe here, I would never charge for breakages (unless intensional, which has never happened as yet). Restaurants and cafes usually have stock enough of such items and they wear out or become dated well before we run out though breaks - its cheaper to buy them i bulk. Also, big things like the Koi in the above example should be covered under the insurance, if I added half a million baht to your bill for somehow knocking over or breaking the fish tank, would you pay it? Most people do not like being conned or taken for a ride, once bitten, twice shy - pissing off a regular is just plain stupid - ESPECIALLY for 45 baht!

Maybe you should have handed her 500 Baht extra ad flipped the table over.

Fully agreed ths one !!!

The charge for towel gambit isn't that rare and they don't usually ask. It's OK for tourists who are one offs but I usually don't want the towel and it's a cause of stress to stop them before they pop the seal without asking, so I am less likely to repeat visit a place like that. Sometimes there is even a charge if you managed to stop them, they just assume you took it.

hire someone to slap a wet gambitted towel around your face and lower parts for being so off-topic. I like to visit places where the food is splendid and the staff is funny , and I don t minde being charged 45 Baht for a piece of deramic broken by my toddler. It escapes my notion why I should not be held responsible for. My family continues to come back to the grill , and some day the persevance will get paid back by an extra I Screa for a child grown up enuff to hold the waffles without breaking or dropping it

yeah hey, I would leave it to the owner if he/she charges for broken items. I have come onto situations when the bill was a fww thousand Baht, and some of our group broke a glass or cup. Never to be charged, But if it was a meal for a cheap 400 Baht, why would a broken item not go included in the bill

I admit this is a very controversial entry . . . I agree on the poster that there can t be a right or wrong answer.

If we are TV members to discuss 45 Baht "seemingly" overcharge here on TV , we are gotta enjoy the thousands of entries ya can expect . . .

IMO, you are responsible for your toddlers actions. Have him/her climb over the aquarium and tilt twenty half million Baht worth Koi's over across the floor would result in the action of making you responsible to the damage. Why would a minor event like breaking a glass which you allowed your todler to "play" with - and adult would have taken proper care - make you less responsible for your actions ? I'd even say, if I was the owner of a restaurant and watch you drop a glass in the middle of having a jolly good time, I would just neglect it on the bill. But if I watched you to pass things to a toddler who in my opinion is not trained enough to give proper care, I would even walk up and ask you to keep an eye and a chain to your still-stupid kid or pay the bill for broken things.

I am sorry I might sound a bit harsh but I was educated in such a way that we children were not allowed certain things to do my parents didn't think we were old enuff to perform. Like playing with things which don t belong to us, or pulling at animals, or like running about yelling like pirates on a attack, in a restaurant when we were not the only guests.

What you described can happen to you in any part of the world, depending on the view of the restaurant management. 45 Baht ? it is the equivalent of 1 and half a buck, if you rate it worth a discussion, sorry you are wrong in a restaurant, better eat at home where your kids are allowed to touch and smash things up to their like because you are such a coward not to educate them to some degree of manners

well , for the sake of justice here, I just reread the OP , when he said that the restaurant staff gave the 2 year old toddler the CERAMIC bowl. I guess my quote as being unfair in the part when it comes to destroy other peoples property, but this is void when said people hand you the item in the belief that you can take proper care for it. so when the staff hands out ceramics to a 2 year toddler, the responsibility is upon those who believe a toddler is fair enough educated to take car of these things properly. Tit for tit tat. Or i'd claim , KYAC ( keep your ass covered )

cheers to the OP he was right in querying the bill . . .

IMO, you are responsible for your toddlers actions. Have him/her climb over the aquarium and tilt twenty half million Baht worth Koi's over across the floor would result in the action of making you responsible to the damage. Why would a minor event like breaking a glass which you allowed your todler to "play" with - and adult would have taken proper care - make you less responsible for your actions ? I'd even say, if I was the owner of a restaurant and watch you drop a glass in the middle of having a jolly good time, I would just neglect it on the bill. But if I watched you to pass things to a toddler who in my opinion is not trained enough to give proper care, I would even walk up and ask you to keep an eye and a chain to your still-stupid kid or pay the bill for broken things.

I am sorry I might sound a bit harsh but I was educated in such a way that we children were not allowed certain things to do my parents didn't think we were old enuff to perform. Like playing with things which don t belong to us, or pulling at animals, or like running about yelling like pirates on a attack, in a restaurant when we were not the only guests.

What you described can happen to you in any part of the world, depending on the view of the restaurant management. 45 Baht ? it is the equivalent of 1 and half a buck, if you rate it worth a discussion, sorry you are wrong in a restaurant, better eat at home where your kids are allowed to touch and smash things up to their like because you are such a coward not to educate them to some degree of manners

Hi, had a very nice shashimi lunch in the Patpong area. One of the last Soi's before the Christian Hospital ( which one I can t remember ) is lined with quite a few japanese restaurants and sushi places. It's one that has a kind of silvery/grey front with only one small door entering , a bit hard to find. Sorry I have no card from the place.

The have three types of TUNA shashimi, the most expensive 0ne however 3000 BAHT ( the highest fat tuna meat ) , they start however at 260 Baht for a nice tuna raw meat shashimi.

Regarding Fuji, believe it or not, the meat of tuna still gets imported from japan ( you can buy an occasional chunk of tuna on the local fish markets but these have been transported around and around and i would not try to eat them raw as the risk is high they have been emprinted with worms ) and the tuna catch is on heavy declline world wide. They seas are strongly overfished, and i believe the best pieces of tuna go to high paying restaurnats, and chains like fuji now tend to buy 2nd or even 3rd grade. Warehouses in Japan are filled, but all this is older catch.

Raw tuna shashimi is, as the big bluefin tunas are on decline world wide , becoming a luxury food more and more. They are on the verge of extinction, it is disputed to put a ban on catching tuna to give the stock a chance for recovering. If you believe it or not, the truth will have to be seen on customers platters before anything will happen. You are endeavouring the first glimpses of a tragedy on your food platter which has not fully reached awareness.

Why go Index or Sb . . when you can have everything off the stocks from a Thai-chinese run big furniture store ? They are everywhere. And they have nice stuff if you dare to check them out thouroughly. Prices are negotiable, and they deliver to your doorstep !

I don t get your point. USA current is 110 Volts AC, not 220. So a machine from the USA does actually NOT work in Thailand. The plug however fits the socket !

I share the same dream with you, a Quad with a 350/400 ccm engine. I am aware they cannot legally been driven on larger roads or cities. Anyways I plan on just using it upcountry, so the legal issue is not a big one to me.

The license plate you have seen on the Farang's quad in Patong, might not mean anything. You can mount any plate into the rack , does not give you any legal rights, you just run a cool number or your birthday date ! I have seen quite a few big bikes that have no green book but are riden nevertheless, sporting a "useless" license plate just for decoration. This Quad you saw just had a nice decorative plate, that's what was to it.

As far as my knowledge goes - up to now - I think Quads ( ATV) are available but not legal.

Allow me a small contribution on this matter, please.

A child born by a german father - foreign mother, will receive a german passport at the local German Embassy, if the father shows up with the infant's birth certificate and claims fathership.

If the baby also holds another - lets say, Thai citizenship by birth, the german Embassy will hand out the German passport nevertheless.

Dual citizenships apply until its holder turn 18 years old. At this time, under german law, they will have to decide under which citizenship they like to remain. If the 18 year old says he/she wants to keep a Thai citizenship, the german passport will get revoked.

The situation here is, the newborn will show up with a Thai birth certificate , born from a Burmese mother with Burmese passport. The prospected father will have to show both documents to the German Embassy to claim fathership and receive a german passport for the newborn. As it will be the sole citizenship of this baby - we said before that it will not be granted burmese citizenship, at least not on the spot - why would the father worry about double citizenships anyways ??

One poster here warned that time limits apply. I would suggest to the Father to make sure he gets all required documents within the periods required as soon as possible to don t hang around between Koh Tao and Samui !! A call to the german Embassy would help greatly , isn't it ?? Or do you need Mum's help on this ?

As the baby is now neither a Thai nor a Burmese citizen , so we are tempted to believe it falls under Thai Visa rules. However, some posters here define that Thailand does not fine overstay for infants upon leaving Thailand. It seems to be fair, and I think the OP can trust on posts giving this fact. He should remain calm under any circumstances and don t worry much about it.

Upon leaving Thailand WITH the baby, however the father needs to show birth certificate , and maybe even a statement that he is sole caretaker. I am not sure about the caretaking issue. One might imply that Immigration wants to see a proof the father is not kidnapping the child from the natural mother. Maybe I am just paranoid over this, why would they stop father AND child on the airport on the way out ?

After he has left Thailand WITH the baby , lets say for Germany, on any return to Thailand the baby falls under Thai visa rules regarding minors of foreign parents.

matey, I am from Gurmoney, i went through customs with three bottle of sparkling red wine brande "little red hoot". Its a real cheap sprakling winde, not very unsimilar to your cheap Aussie beer. hahahaha, They snatched me, opened the bags, I said this is for my friends WAAN JIEWT , upon which they grinned and waved me the pass-through-buddy grin. Why don t you coward just shut up and try your luck ? Nobody's ever get arrested for a sixpack of piss slurp !

Another classic.

it s a matter of how to deal with it. Tell your Thai Spouse , you grant her definitely 6000 Bahrt per vmonth. Tell her, on how to use the money is up to yours . . but never ask me for more, again. Sick water buffaloes, you go Isaan , i want to see them !!!

Ok i have no problem with this, as long as it includes the time Thai pupils and students ( amongst some elders who love their daily read ) spend reading. I am aware they survey covers the time Thai people spend in School reading ( besides marching , flagging, singing and reciting ) It is of no practical use , I would really like to know the fact the survey was based on.

In general, I often see elderly Thai reading a book for leisure, whilst young peole I only endeavour speaking to their mobile phone, watching TV, talk talk talk to each other , or just pick noses.

Tsk tsk tsk - The name calling's started a bit early tonight.

I know it's off topic, but why oh why when ever an American, English, Scottish, Thai or other nationality does soemthing which offends, do we get these petty, narrowmided comments that invariably degenerates into a slanging match along the lines of 'my nationalities better than yours

.' It is so boring to read and smacks of the poster having a complete inferiority complex. Most expats here are discriminated against through anitquated laws, but we live with them as we choose to live here. Lets not throw sh*t at each other on an expat based forum, we get enough of that when we deal with officaldom here :jap:

P.S. It was stupid thing to do i do agree with that part!!

Agreed ! I remember the story about the hun who committed suicide in french style, after wreaking havoc in his neighbourhood Jemenite-style, strapping a bomb belt around a woman, raped her US marines style and had her edetonated. Then he drove up the road to find two Indians, droppend him into the swimmingpool shouting proverbs like " go fight yourselves underwarter" , blamed it onto the british. Then an austrian turned up and reminded him that Hitler was a born Candaian, upon which the aforementioned happened. RIP nationality !

seems to be new !! Nothing said about having 800k down for a certain amount of time . . . seems they changed the rules ??!! Blame it on me if I am wrong but this is the latest government site :

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2493

so it s walk up, show them ya got the 800k on your account since 30 minutes ago and there you go !!??

OP, you are so right. The same kind of problem in expat swamped Pattaya. Caroline cheese products? Only available at one store I know about it Pattaya -- Foodland, the others don't have it and offer the much higher imported price alternatives. Fresh roasted hill tribe coffee beans whole? Haven't found anywhere in Pattaya. (Bangkok and CM yes.) I could go on.

No DOITUNG coffee beans at Tesco Lotus Pattaya ? ( always at the BOTTOM of the shelf ! )

is there some Pattaya profile the police could use like

bar owners

big bike shop owners

people that drive cars with big sound systems

people that start drinking beer at 7am

people with tattoos on their face

etc

etc

people that wear baseball caps in reverse with the peak at the back

people that wear sunglasses indoors (you are especially guilty if you do that in Carrefour or other shopping malls)

people that wear sunglasses on the back of their head with the lens's looking backwards (indoors or out)

people who wear two golden Rolex watches on each wrist. One showing Moscov time, the other Pattaya time