Ladies,(and gentlemen if you can)

My GF,soon to be wife(Thai) and I(Aussie) currently live and work in the middle east, and we have two plans of action for when it comes time to leave here, sometime towards aug-sept 2004.Plan A;move to LOS, start business, make babies, live life etc etc,Plan B;Move to Aus, do the same!But after reading a few of the posts in the visa section and around the site, the B plan is starting to become my preferred option, what with all the new visa regulations on the way etc in LOS.Anyway my questions are how can I help my lovely lady understand that Aus could be a better option for us.She is not totally against the idea of going to Aus, just needs some encouragement I think!Also are there any Thai clubs or similiar, prefer Syd area?Websites she can visit?Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated, she speaks perfect english, and is quite "western" for want of a better term, so I cant see any probs with language etc,Merry Xmas

I guess the first thing that you need to do is take her to Sydney for a vacation.

Avoid the winter so she doesn't realise that the first Sydney winter frost will chill her to the bone.

There's a B I G Thai-Oz Association and Thai Community in Sydney, and there are Thai Temples. The RTCG in Sydney sponsors Thai Festivals, Songkran and Loy Kratong. Thai restaurants and Asian grocery stores abound.

IMHO, having got out of there to live with the wife, LoS is better, but keep Plan B simmering. Thailand has a lot to do to get its' act together at the moment regarding foreign residents, but it is happening, albeit slowly.

Good luck with whatever path you decide on. Making babies is a good plan.

Thanks Men,

We went to Syd a few weeks ago and would'nt you know it, bloody freezing, raining, windy, oh well, aleast she liked the inlaws, and they loved her too! :blink:Funny how I'm in the chic section but the only replies are from blokes,just a thought!Good Dr, does the thai ass. in Syd have a website that you know of?

Dunno about a website, but when the immediate silly season has passed, I'll make a few enquiries. There's two Thai language newspapers out of Sydney, and you can get a dish to get Thai TV. ( warts an' all )

cj

We live in Adelaide and there are a few Thais here and we see them at the temple when we go but she prefers our family life.

My Wife loves it here, she has made a lot of Aussie mates and really is part of the furniture.

I am sure your GF could fit in, dont look for a Thai life in Oz it wont happen, just enjoy your life here if you come.

Definately keep practising for your future siblings, practice makes perfect.

heve a good one mate and PM me if you want to about life in Oz with Wife Thai.

Xmas happy

Camel, probably 'cause not too many of us "chicks" have thai wives, we could only give you our take of giving up our lives and families at home to move here. Would guess the circumstances would be the same but reactions? You would have to just give it a shot. My husband liked the US but (surprise surprise) preferred living on his tropical island (better fishing here ) Would he think of moving to the US? Sure, especially if the Thai govt makes it difficult for us to live here (still working on that passport thing but not feeling hopeful at this point ) . You might want to point out all those visa difficulties to your wife, I know my husband hates dealing with the bureaucracy, might sway her opinion to Oz.

If yo ugo to Sydney, you will be fine as far as Thai stuff goes as the Dr has said. I went to a Songkran festival at Darling Harbour with my Thai friends a few years ago. There is a big population of Thais in Sydney and restaurants abound. If you want to shock her into living an Aussie lifestyle as opposed to being in an Asian environment, just take her to Cabramatta for the day. It is a melting pot of Asian cultures, from Cambodian, Laos, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese...and also other Asians like central asians and assorted groups. It is difficult to find anyone who speaks english. Anyway if she sees Cabramatta she may long for a more 'Aussie' experience.

IF and only if...she gets out alive. It ain't the safest place in the world there.

Newcastle has a good size Thai community, good Asian shop in the city several smaller ones out in the suburbs, Woolongong much the same, Cabramatta all the vegetables, herbs & asian shopping you could ever wish to partake of [but heed the Dr's advice when you visit Vietnamatta (no disrespect intended) even the Police are careful in that neck of the woods]

We are on the verge of moving back to LOS not due to any dislikes of Aust mainly due to likes of LOS.

If you and wifey to be do make the trip to the land down under, take Bronco's post as good advice

My Wife loves it here, she has made a lot of Aussie mates and really is part of the furniture.

I am sure your GF could fit in, dont look for a Thai life in Oz it wont happen, just enjoy your life here if you come.

Our experience is Thais dont tend to live in enclaves in Australia. Unlike many of the earlier european arrivals (Greek, Italian etc and of late the Vietnamese & Middle Eastern arrivals, they like to become part of the greater community and partake of Thai life with who and when they choose.

Regards

Mijan24