Getting married / divorced in Thailand - what's required

Thai Marriage Laws

By Anonymous, Created on: 18/05/2007, Last updated on: 11/08/2010

» I am trying to understand why Westerners living and married to Thai nationals are denied permanent residency status once they are legally married in the kingdom. In the west a Thai national receives residency once they are officially married to a western citizen. Procedures are followed and intensive...

• patrickoniam commented : The reason why marriage laws are different in thailand from western countries is just that. We are not a western country. Yes, tourist is a big part of the Thai economy and yes, its good that there are foreigners that are living and working or planning to live and work in thailand. its good to have that diversity.not just economically.Im a thai living in australia and its very multi national here aswell. But historically, western countries like to 'take over' so to speak. we are only doing what we have been doing for the past 3 or 4 centuries, and that is, protecting our national interest. Look at the other countries in our region. Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam were colonised by the French, Hong Kong was colonised by the English and Philippines by the Spaniards and later the U.S. We are the ONLY country in the south east asian region not to have been colonised by ANY western country. And i for one, am very proud of that fact. And its because of laws like the marriage one we have in place, is why we still havent been colonised. I know that it probably wont happen in this day and age but its still how it is. And i can understand that alot of westerners like to live in Thailand because everything there is so relaxed, and i dont blame them. You cant do half the things you can in your own country like you can in Thailand.Or whether its to find a wife or just a change in pace, anything at all for what ever reason, if we just let people come in so freely and live and to own this and own that and to buy everything, because obviously, westerners have more money, then what is left for the Thai people? and where would our country be then?

• 68 replies, 108,200 views

Getting married / divorced in Thailand - what's required

Am I being careful or unfair ?

By Anonymous, Created on: 12/01/2008, Last updated on: 29/01/2008

» Hi to all, Over the past few years I have read many of the posts offering excellent and sensible advice. This was without realising one day I may appreciate advice myself. I will be entirely honest in the details that follow. I agree with a previous respected poster who talked of 'moulding'...

• Anonymous commented : No, AD. You and colin have more than one wife. You and him just do not accepting it, yet. The man-made laws can not change the facts of dharma. I only have two wives and lot of insignificant nameless wives. In Buddhism and traditional Thai culture, wife is a woman with whom you had have consensual sex. Real wife is part of marriage and part of family with children. In the west, "girlfriend" could be a woman with whom you had have sexual relationship. I used to court a muslim, Thai girl, but she was not my real girlfriend; she left a syrian man after being his wife for 2 months. She is now happily married to a Laos with 4 children, which I told before. There is no divorce in Buddhism; dharma is permanent and man-made laws will change the facts. The current urban cultural pollutions are resulted form decades of foreign influences. The minor wife practices are common with chinese tradition where the first wife became a prune and still wished to keep control of her husband by bring him new women and usually servant girls; you can read up on their practices. There is no minor wife in real Tai traditional practices and in Buddhism. The foreing missionaries began making mockery with traditional cultures and practices during the reign of King Rama IV and got worst since the reign of King Rama VI. In USA, there are those mixed up families and lot of single women with children including on welfares; the meaning of marriage very has no value anymore according to man-made laws. Nowaday, marriage could mean of the same sex marriage or other whatevers. Mormons and muslims are still practicing their belief systems including those newly arrived muslims with their wives and children. Mormons and muslims are abusing welfare system and using tax money to support their large families. In Buddhism, the responsibilities are belonging to the men who started their families, in which the family members much be treated equally.

• 44 replies, 18,755 views

Domestic / cross cultural issues - Thai / Foreigner concerns

Why do ONLY foreigners get special promotion?

By Anonymous, Created on: 28/01/2008, Last updated on: 05/02/2014

» The advertising board on the way to Airport is shown "Foreigner Zone.. Buying house (somewhere around Bangkok..) Foreigner, with Special Price!!" I know the property company may want to attract foreigners to invest in property in Thailand. But, what about Thais who also want to own the...

• Asianexpat commented : [quote="philhal2":2bop54r1]Very little knowledge displayed here . Simple internet search shows requirements for Thai citizenship , 5 years continuous residency , able to speak Thai and have sufficient funds or suitable employment .100 people from each nation are able to apply annually .I guess unless you can have dual citizenship most " FARANGS "would not forgo the benefits of their own homeland , pensions ,embassies etc !!!!! [quote="overhaul38":2bop54r1][quote="Ian":2bop54r1]I've never been completely sure about why exactly this "special" treatment exists. I''ve never found it in Indonesia - for example - where I used to travel a lot. Nor in Malaysia. Nor Singapore. Nor in Cambodia, Laos. I can only compare it to Japanese racism - but Thais have always seemed far less rampantly racist that what one finds in Japan.[/quote:2bop54r1] It is only a matter of a minor degree. The prime similarities are: 1. Denial of citizenship. To my knowledge no farang has ever been granted Thai citizenship. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong. 2. Denial of land ownership. 3. Special pricing at some facilities/markets. 4. Personal reporting requirement every 90 days. I don't know Japan's.[/quote:2bop54r1][/quote:2bop54r1] In Taiwan one can not get a local passport without giving up their own local passport and I believe that is the same in Thailand. Odd how the US allows them to keep their own passport while giving them a US passport while the Thais and Taiwanese will not give them a local passport unless they give up their own. Biased or Hypocrisy?

• 81 replies, 319,453 views

Domestic / cross cultural issues - Thai / Foreigner concerns

America bashing at Esplanade Mall

By gohmer, Created on: 09/05/2010, Last updated on: 11/06/2011

» I putting this post up because it is related to international relationships with American citizens living and visiting Thailand. It illustrated to me that little is known about America by most people in Thailand, in fact, I think that few in the world truly understand what America is about and how...

• gohmer commented : I knew when I posted this I would get some heat. No problem, I'm used to it. Everyone had very good counter points and I appreciate it. I will only comment on Khun Na Fianna's comments: [quote:oltbaoav]America can act like a playboy in Thailand and do (pretty much) what they like[/quote:oltbaoav] I'm married and came here to work for an American Company courted by the Thai BOI and far from a Playboy. Also, those that do come here, and there's 2,500,000 Europeans/yr that come here too, to be playboys couldn't do so if Thailand wasn't world renown for offering that type of tourism. [quote:oltbaoav]Pick up your closest 'American History' book. Go to the end. Flick back 5 chapters. This is the point where our histories diverge. Edit to say: I'm European[/quote:oltbaoav] That's exactly what I was referring to. America rejected European elitism, autocratic rule, imperialism, etc from its beginning. For example: 40 million Germans, 15 million Asians, 45 million Africans, 30 million Irish, etc, etc all leaving those countries because of economic, religious, racial prejudices, and endless wars. [quote:oltbaoav]Don't forget Thailands neighbours too!!![/quote:oltbaoav] Again, read some history. Vietnam, Laos - if America hadn't been here, Thailand wouldn't have a Monarchy today, it too would be communist. Consider Thai history from 1970-1980 with communists. Remember the 1978 surrender of Thai communists. Also, America wasn't fighting Vietnam, it was fighting the Soviet Union's spread of communism and their mandate to end capitalism and democracy (something that has helped Thailand prosper since the end of WWII). Well, we won that war in 1990 and since then even China has turned capitalists - now look at their success. Oh, and by the way, we didn't start the cold-war. And, it wasn't America, it was France, that ruthlessly occupied Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia and stole land from Thailand for 100+ years. [quote:oltbaoav]we dont get up in arms over a T-Shirt[/quote:oltbaoav] No you don't, because if you had a t-shirt like that about the monarchy, you'd go to prison, so dah! Last points: America has been a strategic partner that has helped keep Thailand independent for a long time. Even after WWII when your country sided with Nazis, Fascists, and Imperialistic Japan, the French and English wanted to put Thailand under their rule, it was America that kept Thailand free from their colonialist tendencies. America is also Thailand largest export market and 2nd largest investor after Japan in bringing new, high paying jobs to Thailand like the ones my company brought here that pay salaries between B45,000-95,000/month versus the B5,000/mo that's Thailand minimum wage salary (and they work 40 hrs/wk for that, not 60 hrs/wk)

• Na Fianna commented : To Gohmer: [quote:2tni33wp]I'm married and came here to work for an American Company courted by the Thai BOI and far from a Playboy. Also, those that do come here, and there's 2,500,000 Europeans/yr that come here too, to be playboys couldn't do so if Thailand wasn't world renown for offering that type of tourism.[/quote:2tni33wp] Sir I was certainly not referring to your good self with my comment. Although what you state is true it's hardly a situation for ordinary Thai people to be thankful for. Regarding which came first, that will only lead to a pointless debate, my point is that ordinary Thai folk shouldnt(necessarily) feel a particularly special bond with USA or any western country simply because their citizens flock here in their droves. [quote:2tni33wp]That's exactly what I was referring to. America rejected European elitism, autocratic rule, imperialism, etc from its beginning. For example: 40 million Germans, 15 million Asians, 45 million Africans, 30 million Irish, etc, etc all leaving those countries because of economic, religious, racial prejudices, and endless wars.[/quote:2tni33wp] I think if you read the last 7 words from your quote that the worm has definitely turned. As stated, my personal opinion of ordinary Americans is quite high, however i believe these situations are large problems in USA at present. Economic strife is repeated ad nauseum from every news source. Relgious prejudice examples can be gleaned from almost every facet of American life e.g. Iraq/Afghanistan, Fundamental Christians teaching such ghastly things as creationism not to mention people turning their back on Roman Catholcism due to countless sex scandals. Racial Prejudice is, i think, something i needn't bother highlighting any examples of. Endless wars is perhaps a bit unfair but USA is starting ot rack them up too! [quote:2tni33wp]Again, read some history. Vietnam, Laos - if America hadn't been here, Thailand wouldn't have a Monarchy today, it too would be communist. Consider Thai history from 1970-1980 with communists. Remember the 1978 surrender of Thai communists. Also, America wasn't fighting Vietnam, it was fighting the Soviet Union's spread of communism and their mandate to end capitalism and democracy (something that has helped Thailand prosper since the end of WWII). Well, we won that war in 1990 and since then even China has turned capitalists - now look at their success. Oh, and by the way, we didn't start the cold-war. And, it wasn't America, it was France, that ruthlessly occupied Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia and stole land from Thailand for 100+ years. [/quote:2tni33wp] I would tend to consider your comments in line with the brain washed anti-communist rhetoric of Senator McCarthy and others, again i dont intend that as a personal attack, more the left over feeling of a lot Americans who were raised in a time of constant propaganda. I think if you read some more S.E. Asian history you shall discover that Ho Chi Minh himself came to The United States and the UN in order gain support for a democratic Vietnam, a chance that unfortunately due to France's standing was never grasped. What did happen was that Vietnam defeated an ex-colonial, weak, overstretched France to gain a semblence of freedom until America meddled in affairs(in the name of stoping the reds of course) with puppet governments that infuriated even the south Vietnamese to the point of rebellion. And this was all before the Viet-US war which ended in anything but victory for USA. Slightly getting off topic here but what im trying to say is that USA aren't or weren't the incorruptible and morally perfect saviours of which you describe. Capitalism is of course better than communism however it doesnt grant a country carte blanche to behave as they see fit and then to expect thanks and praise without criticism. [quote:2tni33wp]No you don't, because if you had a t-shirt like that about the monarchy, you'd go to prison, so dah! Last points: America has been a strategic partner that has helped keep Thailand independent for a long time. Even after WWII when your country sided with Nazis, Fascists, and Imperialistic Japan, the French and English wanted to put Thailand under their rule, it was America that kept Thailand free from their colonialist tendencies. America is also Thailand largest export market and 2nd largest investor after Japan in bringing new, high paying jobs to Thailand like the ones my company brought here that pay salaries between B45,000-95,000/month versus the B5,000/mo that's Thailand minimum wage salary (and they work 40 hrs/wk for that, not 60 hrs/wk)[/quote:2tni33wp] I did edit the my last post to say that im European, Irish in fact. I was simply referring to your question asking would i be offended to see my countrys flag on the teeshirt. And while i of course agree that USA have in many ways been a force for the greater good in a lot of areas in the world the underlying point of my previous post is that this can't come at whatever price the USA demands and if somebody decides to criticise America or any western state, no matter how trivial, perhaps instead of letting it get to us we may remember that we're all as imperfect as each other.

• evan10 commented : Gohmer, there are many people in the US who are pretty chauvinistic and will insult other countries. I think that in every country there are chauvinists who think their country is the best. Just think about how many times you've heard people in the US denigrate France or Canada for no reason. Or think about how people talk about the Muslim countries. We changed the name of French Fries to Freedom Fries for a few years after 9/11. How stupid was that? This T-shirt is probably harmless. There are a lot of other causes in Thailand that are more worthy of your time. Yes, maybe that t-shirt is a little offensive, but there are legitimate reasons for people in SE Asia to hate the US. The US dropped more bombs on Laos during the Vietnam War than all countries dropped on each other in World War II combined. We flew 580,344 bombing missions over the country. Thirty percent of these munitions didn't explode, and are still laying around the country. Every year, people are wounded, maimed or killed because of these bombs. Here's a link about it: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8089366.stm. We also killed perhaps over a million people in Cambodia as well. While trying to counter the communist insurgency in Cambodia, the US destroyed the rural areas of the country, driving millions of people from the countryside to the cities. The population of Phnom Penh increased from 375,000 to roughly 2 million. This caused widespread famine and death. By the CIA's own estimates, 600,000 Cambodians died from US and South Vietnamese invasions from 1970-75. When the US left Cambodia in 1975, we estimated that another million Cambodians would die as a result of famine. Here are some links about the US involvement in Cambodia during and after the Vietnam War: http://www.understandingpower.com/Chapter3.htm#f60 http://www.onwar.com/aced/chrono/c1900s ... ia1970.htm Even though you don't learn much about this in high school and college, the US is an imperial power. We didn't fight wars all over the place to fight Communism. We have fought 3 large wars since the fall of Communism 20 years ago, so if anything, we have become more aggressive. We fight wars to benefit big business, and use the threat of Communism or Terrorism to whip Americans into enough of a frenzy to approve of international violence.

• 119 replies, 154,424 views

Thai news stories

Do you speak English Khun Noy?

By surapong, Created on: 26/07/2010, Last updated on: 07/01/2016

» Ms Noy’s gonna need some English lessons in order to pass her tests to prove that her command of the language is good enough before being granted her visa. The number of Thai women from the Northeast marrying foreigners is rising every year. Over the past few months, almost 2,000 people have shown...

• prommee_NE commented : [quote:h33i7dt5]beau58 wrote: No offence. But, you completely miss the point, and I suspect you know little about Thailand or Thai culture(s), judging from your remarks. It is a very well known fact that most people in this country, especially those upcountry have little interest in learning English. It is also a well known fact that upcountry people, especially in Isaan have little interest or belief in education, which as I stated in an earlier post is the reason why Isaan has the highest drop-out rate in the country. [/quote:h33i7dt5] I am in complete disagreement with you on this one...It is not that the children of Isaan have little interest in learning,,,but many of the teachers have little interest in teaching!...I am not surprised about the high drop-out rates because of it. When I was first introduced to the "English Teacher" in the village I have frequented over the last 12 years, I did not know he was speaking English...my wife translated for me! When relatives with their children came up to the village from South BKK in August, their children (5 & 9) spoke good English and shocked many village children with their vocabulary and pronunciation...only a select few have been taught by me in the village (8 nieces and 1 nephew)...Four of the nieces were kicked out of the school for knowing English too well! Those four nieces now get paid more than the teachers, having found work in BKK! That is not the only subject...Geography is sadly lacking and when I questioned the teachers, they told me that only Thai geography is part of the curriculum...I showed a map of the world to 12-15 year olds and none of them picked out the UK correctly..nor the USA and nor Australia....in fact they could not pick out Vietnam or Cambodia or China from the map. They were all shocked when they saw how small the UK was and how big the USA was. I taught several subjects independently of the school (I am not allowed to teach because, although I have the qualifications, I do not have a work visa)...I found that in general the children picked up new information readily and without difficulty...at first it was difficult to get them to question anything, preferring to just listen and regurgitate. However, when I made them each to be teacher of Thai to me that soon changed. They empathised with the difficulty of teaching what they knew and it was not long before they realised they were picking up English much quicker than I was picking up Thai (although my Laos improved considerably). No doubt you will consider I know nothing of Isaan and am a mere farang...However, I will counter that argument with you knowing nothing about the lack of teaching skills in many Isaan villages.

• beau58 commented : [quote="prommee_NE":2l4jbff3][quote:2l4jbff3]beau58 wrote: No offence. But, you completely miss the point, and I suspect you know little about Thailand or Thai culture(s), judging from your remarks. It is a very well known fact that most people in this country, especially those upcountry have little interest in learning English. It is also a well known fact that upcountry people, especially in Isaan have little interest or belief in education, which as I stated in an earlier post is the reason why Isaan has the highest drop-out rate in the country. [/quote:2l4jbff3] I am in complete disagreement with you on this one...It is not that the children of Isaan have little interest in learning,,,but many of the teachers have little interest in teaching!...I am not surprised about the high drop-out rates because of it. When I was first introduced to the "English Teacher" in the village I have frequented over the last 12 years, I did not know he was speaking English...my wife translated for me! When relatives with their children came up to the village from South BKK in August, their children (5 & 9) spoke good English and shocked many village children with their vocabulary and pronunciation...only a select few have been taught by me in the village (8 nieces and 1 nephew)...Four of the nieces were kicked out of the school for knowing English too well! Those four nieces now get paid more than the teachers, having found work in BKK! That is not the only subject...Geography is sadly lacking and when I questioned the teachers, they told me that only Thai geography is part of the curriculum...I showed a map of the world to 12-15 year olds and none of them picked out the UK correctly..nor the USA and nor Australia....in fact they could not pick out Vietnam or Cambodia or China from the map. They were all shocked when they saw how small the UK was and how big the USA was. I taught several subjects independently of the school (I am not allowed to teach because, although I have the qualifications, I do not have a work visa)...I found that in general the children picked up new information readily and without difficulty...at first it was difficult to get them to question anything, preferring to just listen and regurgitate. However, when I made them each to be teacher of Thai to me that soon changed. They empathised with the difficulty of teaching what they knew and it was not long before they realised they were picking up English much quicker than I was picking up Thai (although my Laos improved considerably). No doubt you will consider I know nothing of Isaan and am a mere farang...However, I will counter that argument with you knowing nothing about the lack of teaching skills in many Isaan villages.[/quote:2l4jbff3] I accept a lot of what you say, as it is your experience. But, I suspect it may be the exception, rather than the rule. It’s true that I am not an expert on teaching skills in Isaan, as I was only a Farang university professor in Bangkok for 13 years and never taught up-country. I also did work for the MoE (a frustrating experience, I might add) and am aware of many issues in education throughout the country. My comments about lack of interest in education in Isaan etc. are not anecdotal, but based on research. Despite your 12 years of frequenting ONE village in Isaan, upon which you based your entire rebuttal of my comments, you are still only a visitor with very limited experience, and certainly no broad or professional experience. You’re mistaken. Isaan teachers, and indeed Thai teachers in general are interested in teaching. It’s just that they are the products of a broken and out-moded system, poorly trained and poorly paid, who simply don’t know any different way to teach than, the one-dimensional, absolutist approach of rote learning. It makes learning boring, and students anxious to leave school. Add to this the overt pressure from largely poor farmer parents who see little value in education, when they need their children to work as soon as possible to help out with family finances, and you have the large drop-out rate one sees in Isaan. This of course, then perpetuates the cliche Isaan native with no future, because of lack of sufficient educational credentials.

• 130 replies, 902,399 views

Thai business stories

Choosing cheap Chinese Products over Thai jobs

By needchange, Created on: 17/10/2010, Last updated on: 24/11/2015

» Everyone knows the story of what has been happening in the US in terms of the trade deficit with China. If you go to Walmart, almost every product sold there comes from China. Walmart is America's biggest retailer if I'm correct. The trend is the same at many other retailers around the country. So...

• drake commented : [quote="needchange":288ih6hj]Well, I plugged in an extension cord and it blew the fuse in my apartment. Have you noticed how low-quality some things in Thailand are? Check out the extension cords, faucets, tools, and other hardware and electical items for a home. It's utter rubbish. Why does this stuff exist in this country? It's been the same crappy quality for the last 15 years. It is absolutely true that a faucet made 100 years ago in the west is much better quality than what is available here in Thailand today. The faucets are my grandmother's 120 years old house still work today. If you buy a faucet here in Thailand most will break within a couple years. They even rust! What a joke this is. [/quote:288ih6hj] Well, this particular issue is, unfortunately, global. Most people aren't inclined to pay for the good stuff, even if they can afford it, and the manufacturer can't keep making the good stuff unless they charges 2 arms and 3 legs which yet reduces the number of customers. It's a vicious cycle. At the end, you can't get the good stuff even if you are willing to pay. The faucets in the US DIY stores today are chrome plated plastic or cast plastic with thin metal facade - and they want $150 for those. You want chrome plated brass ? That will be $350+ thank you very much. My buddy purchased a new BMW a few years back and found out the hard way that the door handles were chrome plated plastic which broke off in his hand after 3 months. Ack. [quote:288ih6hj]And Thailand's electrical extension cords are worthless. If you plug something into them the plug often comes out. They are oversized compared to the models found in other countries. Thailand still hasn't chosen one type of pu as well. Some are round and some are flat so when you plug things in you have to screw around with the plugs. Why is this crap allowed to be sold here? The Thai government should regulate quality in this area. [/quote:288ih6hj] The Chinese powerstrips or receptacles around here seems to be European dims so if you have a US plug it's going to be a tight fit and sometime requires a little tinkering with tin snips. Had same issue in China. Now, the contacts inside these receptacles are no doubt made of crapmetal that fatigues after sitting around doing nothing for a few minutes (just like union workers) then loses it's ability to maintain tension/grip on the prongs. This isn't a problem that is unique to Thailand. They've got the same crap-a-tension-cord in the stores practically everywhere now. I've had to put up with them in China,Taiwan,Cambodia,Laos,Burma,Europe,UK,& US. Believe me, it's a global plague. Oddly, the [i:288ih6hj]wall outlets[/i:288ih6hj] in my house in the US had the same silly problem (won't retain plugs) when I moved in a few years back and those sockets were 20 yrs old US brand mfg. in Mexico not the '[i:288ih6hj]cheap Chinese junk[/i:288ih6hj]'. [quote:288ih6hj]Thailand can do better. It can make quality products. The government needs to set some standards and crack down on the junk coming in from abroad. The junk sold in these hardware stores is the same for decades. It's all coming form the same supply line which probably is from someone who is buy cheap products from China. But even the new superstores are selling this crap. I recently heard that some low-quality pirated products from China made their way to the US. They looked exactly like higher quality products and had the labels and packaging which decieved everyone. In the end they were discovered when they were used. The didn't perform like the brandname ones. Stopping these kind of products is difficult now that pirating has advanced so much.[/quote:288ih6hj] Yup, you are right on both but this is also an issue of affordability VS bling and/or outright fraud. On one hand there are superstores which specializes in low cost Chinese tools in the US. and while the tools aren't [i:288ih6hj]Craftsman[/i:288ih6hj] or [i:288ih6hj]Snap-On[/i:288ih6hj] they will get you by for the cost of just a few beers. On the other hand there are fake brand-name goods from China that are sold in low end stores in the US at heavy discount. The disti. knows they are fake, the buyer knows or suspects but they don't care because they are cheap. These counterfeits are destroyed whenever the Customs guys get a hold of the shipment. And then there's an issue with tainted industrial goods I'm sure you've heard of like the lot of Propylene Glycol that was known to contain Ethylene Glycol but tagged as Pharmaceutical grade Propylene Glycol and sold through the Chinese Govt. clearing house then ended up in cough syrup in Panama in 2006 ? Or the tainted honey which was sold to Thai packaging houses at a discount but without disclosure and then rejected (for the second time) by the EU inspectors. Or the plastic laced seaweed..... [quote:288ih6hj]A few more notes I want to bring up in all this about low quality products is about why change might not happen so quickly. First, there are those making money from pushing cheap junk from China so they don't want change. Second, the businesses here don't have a lot of foreign competition due to laws so they have more freedom to control change. Lastly, the wealthiest people who have the loudest voice for change don't speak out. This is because these people don't actually have to buy from the local shops. The wealthy people in Thailand I know don't think twice about buying something super expensive for the quality. These products are super expensive because they aren't allowed into the country in any large quantities. In addition, many of these products are smuggled in when wealthy people or others travel abroad. So my point is that Thailand's wealthy don't have to shop in mainsteam shops. They may own the shops or businesses supplying the crap products but they don't actually use them themselves. So there is a divide between what the average person has to face and what the wealthy big business people face. There's a lot of money to be made in Thailand for any Thai who wants to improve quality here. Quality is one this that is lacking across the spectrum in terms of products and services. In order to know this you really have to visit the developed world to see how different quality could be in terms of products.[/quote:288ih6hj] Believe it or not, the 'rich merchants' you are down on are stuck with the same extension cord you're using. The fairly expensive POS power strip I bought at Central was just as much a POS as the cheap ones I got at Seri Ctr. OTOH, the '[i:288ih6hj]cheap Chinese[/i:288ih6hj]' strips that I use in the US came from Walmart for about the same price I paid for the ones from Seri and they works great. Again, it's what the market will allow. The price/quality/need equation must make sense for all in a transaction. Purchasing power is a big thing. Walmart can dictate a nice product spec and still get a sweet price break because of the volume they are buying , the guy at Seri can't go to the same vendor and get the same deal. I'd recently picked up a Fluke clamp-on AC current meter, made in USA industrial grade instrument and certified accurate, for a modest price of $365 before tax. A similar meter from China is on sale this week for $14, the plastic housing is junk and the certificate is non-traceable. I'm not going near it. There's a $160 Mitutoyo digital caliper on my bench, it had served me well for almost 20 years. I can't tell the difference in term of accuracy between it and a Chinese version that only costs $15. Whatever it is, isn't it enough if it works adequately and it is affordable ? I mean, how good does it have to be to make ppl happy and how much would anyone be willing to spend on it anyway ? Speaking of visiting the developed world. I'm sure you've heard of the latest kiddies fad in the US? $50 [i:288ih6hj]cupcakes[/i:288ih6hj].....!

• 48 replies, 211,938 views

PR news / Promotions / Events

TripAdvisor reveals favourite destinations

By prnews, Created on: 28/09/2012, Last updated on: 28/09/2012

» [attachment=0:2dhnz3j0]Tripadvisor.jpg[/attachment:2dhnz3j0] TripAdvisor reveals favourite destinations searched by Thais BANGKOK, Thailand – 28 September 2012 – TripAdvisor™, the world’s largest travel site*, today revealed the top ten international destinations in 2012 that Thai travellers...

• 0 replies, 1,480 views

PR news / Promotions / Events

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By prnews, Created on: 10/07/2013, Last updated on: 10/07/2013

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PR news / Promotions / Events

ASEAN Takes Front and Centre Role

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» [b:1h7z27ga]ASEAN Takes Front and Centre Role at Asian Financial Forum 2015 in Hong Kong[/b:1h7z27ga] [b:1h7z27ga](6 January 2015)[/b:1h7z27ga] – Senior ASEAN leaders and ASEAN-related themes will figure prominently at the upcoming Asian Financial Forum (AFF) in Hong Kong, to be organised by the...

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PR news / Promotions / Events

Hisense, world’s leading technology brand, ...

By prnews, Created on: 13/10/2016, Last updated on: 13/10/2016

» [b:22hheh0k][size=150:22hheh0k]Hisense, world’s leading technology brand, enters Thai market[/size:22hheh0k][/b:22hheh0k] • [b:22hheh0k]Hisense is launching a 4K ULED Smart TV with its cutting-edge technology, good quality and elegant design, aiming to break into top three in Thai TV market shares...

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