Anonymous commented : Hi Colin. What your wife says is right. She's married to you not her family. Helping a little bit is ok. Anything beyond that can be viewed as parasitic as receiving money just because your related to a foreigner is just discriminitory. Sounds like your wife is a well balanced women. By the way is Buriram anywhere near Det Udom as I have freinds I visit there every year.?

Yasoboy commented : [quote="Aussie John":31duus9x]Yasoboy. I forgot to mention theres a great Isaan writer Pira Sudham who has written many books on the struggles of the Isaan people. I learnt an enormous amount from this writer who was lucky enough to study abroad and writes passionately about the plight of his people. 'Monsoon Country' is brilliant and should be compulsary reading in all Thai high schools. Look him up he trully is insightful and understands the history of your people.[/quote:31duus9x] Need not have to tell me about Khun Peera Sudham (พีระ สุธรรม) I am from Isaan and I know better than you. I’ve read all 4 of his books so is my parent and we all admired him a lot. He is from Buriram. I can even name all his 4 books. Siamese Drama, People of Isaan, The Force of Karma and of course what you’ve mentioned Monsoon Country.

Anonymous commented : Hi Collin. I know a woman from Buriram area who is married with a German Bussiness man. And indeed his took to the cleaners. hes a real money three. She build several houses for her family, but they quarrelling, because the other one have a nicer one. he invite whole the family to spend a vacation in Pattaya. He rented a complete flour of an hotel. But still they find some reasons to complain. Nobody of the whole family is working. The parents sold her to a family in Bangkok to be a servant. Her mother visit her once a year to pick up the money. Thats why Collin don't let peoples comments influence you. You know the reality. Its not the girl or women fault but the black mail of the family. I don't understand why some women still have some misplaced loyalty for their family, and let them abuse them. Its one of the mystery's of Thai culture. In our European culture its the contrary, its the parents who always support the children, when they like to buy some real estate and give financial aid when necessary.

Anonymous commented : I live in Buriram with my Thai girl friend and her 3 children the father of the children has never paid a bht in child support for 2 years but works in bangkok for him self as a taxi driver .Can anybody tell me what the law say in thailand .

villager commented : [quote="Papadragon":7ejb8ow2][quote="villager":7ejb8ow2][quote="rs2000":7ejb8ow2]I am sorry but i find many answers quite confusing. Thai law is confusing enough but is there a definite answer to a simple question?. However i am new to all this and why i am interested is that, i want to retire in Thailand. I am 50 and i also have a gf there and hope to get married by next year. My question is........ how, in the first place do we open an account in a bank there. When i went there i was told that i had to have a work permit. I read that you need to have your money in the bank before you are granted a visa. I would be very grateful if someone can provide a positive, direct answer as to how can i initially open an account in a Thai bank. Many thanks[/quote:7ejb8ow2] h I RS2000, Scy offers good advice, however if I may i,d like to Add a little , apply for a multiple entry Non O visa in your own country , this will give plenty of time to open your B/A cos you have to have your funds in a Thai bank for 3 months before applying for your retirement Visa , Kasikorn is as good as any in my view, all you need is the 800,000 baht , and as Scy advised take your time ,don,t rush headlong into anything, try to get advice from long time stayers in Thailand ,its actually a piece of cake once you know the score , also make it quite plain from the start you are marrying her not all her family otherwise you may have BIG PROBLEMS once you start to live here , I made this proviso right from the word go , because I,ve personally seen so much grief on the farangs behalf when his wife,s family just regarded him as an ATM on legs, and in closing DON'T lend money ,cos i,ve heard enough sob storeys on this score to fill the old testament.[/quote:7ejb8ow2] If you take the advice of Baron Von Trapp(ed in Trang and Bang-up in Buriram you're heading for the same situation they're in, living as tenants in their wives' houses supporting all the unemployed relatives, boats burnt and no way out of a lawless country heading towards total anarchy or Burmese style military dictatorship (it's on the cusp and could go either way) Get into trouble of any kind and no one will help least of all the police , try reading other threads like "Tourism what are they thinking?" "new visa rules for foreigners" "A storm is coming for us..." "Multiple Farang Deaths in Phuket" "Rude immigration staff" "PAD and foreigners" "DEVALUE THAILAND BAHT" and "Thailand NOT For Sale" They'll give you a fair idea of what to expect, the Land of Smiles is a misnomer now I know I tried living there from 2001 to 2007 and left for civilised English speaking Malaysia With the THB at 52 to the GBP bring as little as possible, wait a few weeks and you'll see it revalued to 65+ Opening a bank account is easy, just walk into the Kasikorn with THB10,000 and your passport (they issue an ATM card on the spot and charge THB300 for it) I was 62 when I did it in 2002 at 4 different banks in Bangkok (they never mentioned a work permit) Take your time is good advice (about 20 years should be enough) and don't rush into anything, she ain't going to run away as walking ATMs are thin on the ground in Thailand right now I expect you're already sending money, I knew girls in Phuket who had up to six i.diots doing the same, have you bought her a new mobile yet, how's her mother's operation and is the sick buffalo better yet Maybe you should rethink the whole thing unless you like walking in minefields, that is [/quote:7ejb8ow2] Yep The prophet from Penang speaks out eh, mind you Pappy it did take you almost 6 years before the penny finally dropped did,nt it , which even you have to admit is quite some time for a guy like yourself who seems to have all the answer,s,LOLOL.