I met my Thai wife back in 1993 while I was working here but I was married in the UK at the time. I went owrking elsewhere and came back and eventually I decided that I would divorce my UK wife and marry my Thai lady. I kept working offshore and in Thailand and we eventually married in the UK in 2000 and our son was born in 2004.

I had known her family for a while before we married and I know she sent money to help them and I had no problem with that at all. We now have a fair piece of land in rural Thailand and my MIL lives with us in a small house we built with this in mind.

This Songkran we have her middle brother, his wife and son here since Friday night, her eldest, his and youngest brother are due in today with our niece for 2 or 3 days plus 4 of the middle SIL family today or tomorrow for an overnight visit. That will be our family inc MIL =4, middle BIL family = 3, the other 2 BIL + = 4, plus 4 more.

About 15 of us all told.

I can live with it as the MIL is seriously ill with diabetes and Songkran is a family affair and most of them will clear off by Wednesday anyway.

She would be your niece as well Uncle Marko.........I used to say the same thing. I reached a point and there was never any coming back. Took over a decade. Now, have a Gf who went to college, has a job. Her family have there own homes and cars and lives that dont include me unless its mutual......The process of having the ATM tatoo removed from my forhead kinda hurt but I feel very very well better off for it.....

Agree Nick,i am nearing a crossroads here where,i may just decide to move on,i have not called the Mrs for 2 nights,of course it would never cross her mind to use credit on her phone to call me,and for me that just about sums it up.

If there's anything more depressing than a lonely farang sitting in a bar wishing he was home, it's a lonely farang sitting at home, sipping a beer and wishing he was somewhere else.

My in laws are ace...they leave us be but would always help if needed. Likewise they are always welcome but never intrude

Surely a rhetorical question. It is a package deal. Strongly collectivist cultural framework etc. etc.

Only 3 days?

I have friends in America that can borrow more cigarettes over the years than her entire family in a lifetime.

Besides, what are they, per pack in Thailand?

At least you only get her Thai family. Just imagine if you had to pay for all the ex farang boyfriend too.

You got what you expected. Why do you now not accept what you expect ?

I had 12 of my wifes family up yesterday from BKK and the only one who didn't make it was her Dad as he can't travel any more plus 4 others from another branch. We all ate and drank and the odd 4 went off to the resort next door but one to sleep. They will be off elsewhere today and 5 more will be going home on Thursday leaving 3 here for a while longer.

I have no problems with it considering it is the one time of the year that all the family get together for several days.

She would be your niece as well Uncle Marko.........I used to say the same thing. I reached a point and there was never any coming back. Took over a decade. Now, have a Gf who went to college, has a job. Her family have there own homes and cars and lives that dont include me unless its mutual......The process of having the ATM tatoo removed from my forhead kinda hurt but I feel very very well better off for it.....

Agree Nick,i am nearing a crossroads here where,i may just decide to move on,i have not called the Mrs for 2 nights,of course it would never cross her mind to use credit on her phone to call me,and for me that just about sums it up.

If there's anything more depressing than a lonely farang sitting in a bar wishing he was home, it's a lonely farang sitting at home, sipping a beer and wishing he was somewhere else.

Did either of us say we were lonely?,and you presume we are sipping beer,i dont sip beer ,sir i drink it,so much for your post,Gammon ,sir,Gammon.