Eggmeng commented : [quote="bobbyd":3ihurzzb][quote:3ihurzzb]by thaiherb on Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:30 pm Can anyone help me answer my question on behalf of my brother? I applied for a B2 visa for my brother and paid for a pin number since February 17, this year. I tried to get an appointment by log-on the internet a few times a day for more than a month. Every time I log-on and answered all the questions required, the end result is appointment is full or not yet opened. What is the catch? Why a visa agencies can make appointment for their group, but I can't do for just one person? Thank you for your help.[/quote:3ihurzzb] Call the American Citizen services number listed on their website and ask them. A person actually picks up the phone![/quote:3ihurzzb] Assuming that neither thaiherb nor the brother is an American citizen (if they were why would a visa be required?) then I don't know why they could expect assistance from American citizen services. Do correct me if your experience says otherwise.

Eggmeng commented : If your target groups are not limited to Thai children, the Mae Sot area in Northwestern Thailand is a great place for education and humanitarian efforts. There are some 70 schools and orphanages there that have been built by NGOs, private donors and international volunteers working to educate the children of economic and political refugees from across the border in Burma. There are also several refugee camps in the area that are home to large numbers. You will get a high level of cooperation and support from the people working with these children. I'm sure they would love to have them learn to swim. If you don't want the complications of working with the larger organizations (NGOs), then go directly to the smaller facilities that are privately funded and run. You can visit this link to view a short documentary with some info on the subject. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08LPwwUdWNw

Eggmeng commented : Cracker, if your gf's older sister has brought men to meet her parents who she did not later marry, this could be a cause for embarrassment, but unless they were sharing a room or openly displaying affection, (which they should not have been doing, for the sake of the family), there is nothing shameful in this. Sorry but I don't buy this excuse. Your gf may be afraid of losing face, but there may be also someone in her hometown who she would prefer does not know of your existence and intention to marry her, and/or vice versa. Living in Cambodia, you are probably aware that in some rural communities there, they still post banns when a couple plans to marry. This honorable and traditional practice (which also existed in the West at one time) announces to the community with a proclamation, a couple's intention of marrying, and discourages pre-marital indiscretions and deceptions. If I was in your position I would not consider myself engaged until I had met my fiancee's parents, and as many of her hometown friends and family as I possibly could. Or, just take your gf on holiday to NZ and have a great time, without expectations.

Eggmeng commented : I have a close friend in the same situation, (not it's not me.) Her best guess is that her application is sitting in a pile on some desk at the Ministry of the Interior, where they are unlikely to make any decisions when they don't know from month to month who they will answer to. She is so frustrated having spent so much time and money, she no longer cares if she gets PR. Given the current state of things, I would probably feel the same in her place.

Eggmeng commented : Yes there is wide scope for this sort of thing, but there are also limits. We live in a modest gated community. There is security and a small shared swimming pool but it's far from hi-so. Most of our neighbors are middle class Thai business owners who like my partner, have bought one of the 80 small townhouses in our complex. Early on, one of them installed some massage beds in the ground floor and put up a sign outside advertising services. No one complained. Who they thought their customers would be I have no idea. Our complex is at the end of a dead end street and there is no traffic whatsoever except for the residents and the occasional mobile vendor. But when her husband started a metal fabrication business and was laying his work out in the street - grinding and welding daily in the same area where the children play, I went straight to the developer who fortunately still maintains a sort of management presence. He put the kabash on the metal shop immediately. That was last year. The half-wit who thought he could get away with this has not spoken to me or met my gaze since, but I could not care less. You must and you can in some cases, draw the line.

Eggmeng commented : Several posters have mentioned "attitude" and how foreigners should either try to adopt a Thai attitude towards life's minor inconveniences, or stay "home" where a mindset change is not necessary. However I don't think the ability of Thais to tolerate noise is due to their attitude. More, it is a matter of conditioning from an early age. But what is the cost of this conditioning to a populace's intellect and mental health? Have any studies ever been done? Have there been any connections made between the disturbingly low IQ scores that Thai children are getting, and their exposure to too much noise and far too much TV and other garbage stimulus in general? Also I find that attention spans and what Buddhists would call "mindfullness" (others might call it focus) are very poor here. Now having said that, I have been living in Thailand for almost two decades now. Perhaps it is just as bad these days in developed countries and these are simply ills of the modern age.

Eggmeng commented : Every time I have asked a lawyer or policeman if foreigners have the same rights as Thais, they have said yes. While in practice it may not seem to some that this is the case, I believe this is often due to cultural misunderstandings. Certainly the one who is a position to contribute more to the policeman's favorite "charity" will have an advantage if law enforcement get involved, and all other things being "equal." Years ago I had a dispute with a Thai lady and was forced to call the owner of my rented house. She had been harrassing me with visits to my home. The police and the Phu Yai Baan also came. It was after midnight. They all listened to my side of the story and then hers. The Phu Yai Baan did the talking. He asked questions like "How long were you together before you split up?" I stayed very calm, spoke Thai and was VERY respectful to them. She on the other hand, was semi hysterical and behaved rudely. (She had a terrible temper.) When they realized that she and I were a bona fide former couple and "respectable" people, and that it was not another farang/bar girl liason gone bad, they considered our account of the events and told my ex that she was in the wrong and should leave me alone. She stormed off in a huff while the cops were still talking to her. Bad move. They said I should not hesitate to call them if there was a repeat of the incident. No money exchanged hands. At least not as far as I could see. Of course it's only fair to say that my landlord was a respected man in the village, but my ex is a middle class business owner in her own right, and drives a nice car. But she's also from another province. In my view how you fare has more to do with your status in society and your attitude, than your ethnicity.

Eggmeng commented : Probably most of the Thais in your condo don't make chit chat with the maids and handyman etc., for the reasons mentioned. But I doubt they would find it odd or untoward that you as a Westerner would do it. My guess is that most of your neighbors couldn't care less, but that there is one would-be hi-so who has as they used to say, "a bee in her bonnet."

Eggmeng commented : Yes, interesting the crouching thing. Our nanny and our staff do it when they pass in front of me. But I've also noticed people in public situations do it, who I wouldn't have thought placed themselves beneath me in the social hierarchy. I base this on their ages, dress, professions etc. So I'm convinced it's simply polite when passing others, if your head is higher than theirs, to bow it slightly. And since I don't wish to be impolite, I now do it too. Perhaps some Thais would care to comment on this custom.

Eggmeng commented : [quote:3v27nwva]I can guarantee you that this case has nothing to do with class issue. I am Thai and I am an expat working abroad and I can tell you exactly that this is the classic case of westerner and country girl. Your neighbor would feel very uncomfortable when you talk to their maid as 1. they think you could be sexually harassing the maid 2. seducing their maid (Thai people has the image that many westerner just come to Thailand to find wife) 3. country girl are easily attracted to westerner as a result of quick cash and easy life (they fear their maid will leave them) [/quote:3v27nwva] This sounds like a good guess to me. If it is on target and the building manager knows the truth about the complaint, the version he gave you is the one that is least likely to provoke your indignation. You could try taking a stab at guessing who the offended party is, and the next time you find yourself in the lift with (I'm guessing it's a) her, engage her in a conversation in which you express your admiration for Thai family and Buddhist values. Tell her what a great gal your wife is, how you met and how romantic was the moment you proposed. Show her the photos of your kids in your wallet, and ask about hers. Lament how so many foreign men give nice guys like you a bad name with their disgusting behaviour. Bore her to tears with this drivel for as long as the ride lasts, and longer if you can. Of course there is always the possiblity that you don't have kids or even a wife, or that your neighbor is simply afraid that you are trying to poach her maid, who may be the best one she's ever had. On second thought, perhaps it is best just to say Sawadee and leave it at that.

Eggmeng commented : [quote:2yad7asy]Perhaps this where the misunderstandings start. Customer "I want hot chips, french frie lhon, mie nhow." person behind counter.. "Ok, mie nhow mie?" Customer "Chie, mie nhow, ow lhon." Half an hour later, customer "where are my french fries?" person behind counter "you want nhow?" Customer "no you \\\ /////, I want them hot and I want them nhow!!" Person behind counter dissappears!.....?[/quote:2yad7asy] Yes SJB, I think this is where your misunderstanding starts. The transliteration is a little tricky, but I think I've deciphered your "nhow" as the Thai word you want to use to say you are feeling cold. When referring to objects (like french fries), or the temperature outside you need to say "yen" when you want to say "It's cold." Amazing that no one here has yet commented on the economics of fast food - the reason why companies like the one that owns the BP started getting into the business big time a few decades ago, and why fast food of all shapes and sizes has proliferated in Bangkok in a shocking way. Successful fast food franchisees make money at the expense of people's health and well being. A friend of mine commented that there is absolutely nothing you can buy to eat in a 7-11 that is not detrimental to your health. That's probably only a slight exaggeration. In a decade many countries in Asia will face all the same eating related health problems that exist in some Western ones.

Eggmeng commented : [quote:fd1pgbem]just wondering whether the fast food joints recycled the cooking oil?[/quote:fd1pgbem] I think most everyone, home cooks included, use cooking oil several times before throwing it out. In places like McDonalds this is controlled in an automated way, home cooks just go by smell and appearance. I agree that Thai eating habits are becoming more like than those in the West, largely due to the availablity of more processed food products. Their convenience is indisputable, the adverstising convinces people they taste good, and after a while people forget what fresh whole foods tastes like. Meanwhile the detriment to health is ignored by almost all. The rule of thumb is to eat as far down the food chain as possible. In other words, whole foods purchased in something close to their original form and ideally, not far from their origin, be it a farm or whatever. Of course this is much easier said than done for busy working people, and this is where fast food operators have jumped in. When people don't need as much time to prepare and eat their lunch, their employers can get more work out of them. They earn more money and have more disposable income to buy more and bigger cars and applicances, and unneeded junk. Some people call it consumerism. There are still some places in the developed world, like Southern Europe, where commerce shuts down for a few hours in the afternoon so people have time to prepare and enjoy a wholesome lunch. But this way of life is slowly vanishing. You can read in today's business section about how the Central Group plans to push their Mister Donut operations. You don't have to look any farther for an example of what I'm talking about. Traditional deep fried Thai fried treats have been cooked and eaten for ages, the difference is the ability big companies have to market such products. Thais still snack on lots of fresh fruit, but thanks in part to the Central Group and others, we are now seeing more obesity in Bangkok than ever. Watch for this trend to continue.

Eggmeng commented : It is facile in the extreme to say that Constantine Faulken was executed simply because he was a foreigner. He had come to play a key role in a Thai K**gdom that was complicitous in terrible European exploitation of that part of Siam, and he grew immensely rich and powerful in the process. The guy was very far from a saint. You can read the whole fascinating story in Maurice Collis' book "Siamese White." On another note, I think people who live in Thailand (or as an expat anywhere), often attribute their growing sense of dissatisfaction to a degradation of their adopted country. What they sometimes forget is that people's ideas simply change as they age, regardless of their environment. These same people might just as easily have become embittered and discouraged had they stayed at home, simply because their awareness matured.

Eggmeng commented : [quote:2sb3n7m9]I have never read this, and do not research thai history in english, although I did check wikipedia for a reference about Yeragi Constantine's (Falcon,Phaulkon) "complicitous role in european exploitation" of Thailand. It is an interesting angle, but I would like to point out that K---G Narai granted Falcon the title of Chao Praya Wichayen, and lesser titles, and to attack Falcon's integrity is directly insulting character of \\ //// Narai. Falcon's death is not the moral of the story, only part of it. [/quote:2sb3n7m9] Thanks, your post reminded me of the correct spelling of Phaulkon's name. It's been many years since I read the book. I think K**g Narai did what he had to do to keep the Europeans happy at that stage in Siam's history. He probably didn't have a whole lot of choice. I would not venture to say how this reflects on his character. But assuredly there were a lot of people who were unhappy about how a relatively select few enriched themselves by cooperating with the Europeans who were raping the land and the people (often literally in some cases). As a foreigner there was perhaps less sympathy for Phaulkon than for others. That would stand to reason. But he was executed I think, largely for his perceived crimes. If Wilkepedia doesn't have what you're looking for, get "Siamese White." It's a great read. The real SOB was Samuel White, the story's protogonist. The house he lived in Mergui (Myeik), Burma, is still standing, and you can visit it. I have. Several years I heard they were making a movie about Phaulken's life. Then I stopped hearing about it. Never found out what happened and why it didn't get made. That's a pity, I think it could have been a cracker.

Eggmeng commented : [quote:16bn6du0]You might notice I am very interested in this period of history, taking the enormous amount of time to translate documents filled with Rachasap (\\ //// vocabulary), [/quote:16bn6du0] I think we're probably in the wrong place for this discussion, so I''ll end my contribution to it by saying your study of this period of Thailand's history certainly appears to have been in depth. And your point that xenophobia has existed here for a long time is not in dispute. I think you''ll find "Siamese White" is more a diverting novel (albeit based on a real life man and actual events) than a historical treatise. But I'm sure you'll enjoy it. What I meant by "...European exploitation", was that the big trading companies that employed people like White and Phaulkon did not not care how they got the job done in the Far East, as long as they brought home the bacon. And bring it home they did, while brutalizing large numbers of natives they used for this.