Chinese New Year Is Comming

[henryalleman]

I'm married with a Sino/Thai lady. For more than 30 years I escaped from the tradition of given an Angpauw envelop to the younger relatives. Therefore my question.

Do you give the Angpauw?

Do you give it only to the grand children, or also to the children married already.

I'm married into a middle class family so how much I would suppose to give, and do I give everybody the same amount or is it depending on age.

I could ask may wife, but I'm afraid that she will be too generous

[britmaveric]

How now Brown Cow?

[henryalleman]

How now Brown Cow?

My Thai family are Bangkokians.

[bkkjames]

I'm married with a Sino/Thai lady. For more than 30 years I escaped from the tradition of given an Angpauw envelop to the younger relatives. Therefore my question.

Do you give the Angpauw?

Do you give it only to the grand children, or also to the children married already.

I'm married into a middle class family so how much I would suppose to give, and do I give everybody the same amount or is it depending on age.

I could ask may wife, but I'm afraid that she will be too generous

If you have escaped it for 30 years, continue to do what you are doing.

[mmushr00m]

I dont think you need to give unless you have kids....then again I could be 100% wrong.

If you want to be cheap, buy one of those generic ang paos. Make sure it looks the same as everyone elses. That way they wont know the measely B20 came from you.

[Old Man River]

I'm married with a Sino/Thai lady. For more than 30 years I escaped from the tradition of given an Angpauw envelop to the younger relatives. Therefore my question.

Do you give the Angpauw?

Do you give it only to the grand children, or also to the children married already.

I'm married into a middle class family so how much I would suppose to give, and do I give everybody the same amount or is it depending on age.

I could ask may wife, but I'm afraid that she will be too generous

I always let my wife handle it, but based on past experience, it is THB 20 until they figure out how cheap we are (reach the teen level). Then it goes up to THB 100. We normally skip the adults.

[tangoll]

In Hong Kong, we would give lai see beginning on the first day of Chinese New Year (which falls on 26 January this year) to unmarried young people that we know, whether related or kids of friends, and also to service people who provide service to us on a regular or normal basis. Even if already married, we would give lai see (or ang pao or hung bao) to very close relatives, like our own children, nieces and nephews, children of very close family friends. The more generous givers would also give lai see sometimes to waiters, taxi drivers, receptionists and other service staff at spas, massage parlours, etc. People love to receive lai see, and sometimes a once a year lai see will guarantee good service throughout the year.

The normal lai see amount in Hong Kong is now HK$20 (about baht 100). A generous lai see would be HK$100 which would be given to those very deserving service people. To close relatives, the amount would be minimally HK$100. Giving out lai see would last no more than about one week.

In Taiwan, I hear the amounts are much greater.

Giving out lai see is not so much a question of generosity, but more a question of maintaining warmth and feeling in the relationship between the giver and the receiver. The amount need not be large, and any lai see received is long remembered, and in the final analysis, the total amount given out is usually nominal. Except in Taiwan.

[henryalleman]

If you have escaped it for 30 years, continue to do what you are doing.

I was never in the country on Chinese new year before, but now I will be there.

I always let my wife handle it, but based on past experience, it is THB 20 until they figure out how cheap we are (reach the teen level). Then it goes up to THB 100. We normally skip the adults.

If it was only 20 or 100 Baht I would not ask advise. But I married into a SinoSino/Thai middle class family and they give minimum 500 up to 1000 Baht for the grand children. Young adults who go university are getting more. Married children and in-laws get the same amount. So its a very expensive tradition, and my name is not Thaksin

Another problem is that one of my daughter-in-laws is from a well off family, and there family members get a rather big amount. I know that she and my stepson don't expect such amount. Does any of the TV members who are in the same position can give me some advise what to do. I don't like my wife start to nag about it. In 30 years they never asked us for something and they take really good care of us when we are visiting them. Maybe now you have a better understanding of my dilemma. Also because I can't give one less than another.

Normally I avoid Thailand during that period, but I'm moving up there, so it will be difficult to escape this year.

[Heng]

It's all relative and there are no set in stone rules.

In general... to those younger than you but in the same family (including business "family") is okay but not required, to kids and anyone who still hasn't finished school is generally okay across the board... total amount is determined by both how much you can afford and what their own level of wealth is.

Channel 3's boss gave out 5-6 thousand to most of the on air folks (500-600 folks) and top tier support staff working for him last year. I never give out more than a thousand per envelope to top employees, and kids (you're a kid in my book if you haven't finished school) get 300-500. It's your call, and if you're the head of the family, you can bend the rules a bit to suit your own standards... as per Chinese custom.

Many guys I know skip out on ang pao/hong pao altogether and just throw a party for their employees, certianly more economical than paying out to everyone directly... and after the first few cases of whisky, no one cares what holiday it is anyway.

[henryalleman]

It's all relative and there are no set in stone rules.

In general... to those younger than you but in the same family (including business "family") is okay but not required, to kids and anyone who still hasn't finished school is generally okay across the board... total amount is determined by both how much you can afford and what their own level of wealth is.

Channel 3's boss gave out 5-6 thousand to most of the on air folks (500-600 folks) and top tier support staff working for him last year. I never give out more than a thousand per envelope to top employees, and kids (you're a kid in my book if you haven't finished school) get 300-500. It's your call, and if you're the head of the family, you can bend the rules a bit to suit your own standards... as per Chinese custom.

Many guys I know skip out on ang pao/hong pao altogether and just throw a party for their employees, certianly more economical than paying out to everyone directly... and after the first few cases of whisky, no one cares what holiday it is anyway.

thanks for your advice