Thailand Thread

[cactus john 1]

I lived in CM for 2 years ( Sanpeesua ) and loved it. We moved down to the village after my wife's grandfather died and the fam needed someone to stay in and care for the house. I was somewhat reluctant at first because of how small this village is ( approx 300 population )

The first 6 months I was bored. Had a terrible time with the language ( CM is mostly Lanna Thai and where I'm at now it is Thai-Lao..) but managed to learn quite a bit..Lao that is..

After around 7 months I was beginning to discover that the village offers just as much as either CM or BKK, just on a smaller scale.

Lots of good places to eat, lots of small bars to guzzel in ( and found that most of the owners are related in some way ) Football ( soccer ) games on the weekend. ( Go Prachin Hornbills! )

The only tourists are those passing through to get to Khao Yai Natl Park.

After a year I found life very comfortable..

I have even taken up golf!

[Karee 4,190]

Interesting turn of events. Nok got a "job."

It's more like a home factory job. We go pick all these pieces up from a warehouse here in Dallas from some Lao/Thai folks to make a necklace. She gets the pieces to put together 1000 necklaces, packaging etc. She sits here at home and it takes her about a day and a half. She gets 8 cents for every one. On her first go around she made $80 USD. The price tag on each sticker is $9.99.

I'm not sure what to think about it. She spends alot of hours doing it, but seems happy to be making her own money. In Thai terms, she is making a months worth of salary in 4 days.

The whole thing seems sorta legit. At the factory there are all kinds of Thai, Lao, and Khmer people there. They have to work there onsite, but Nok gets to take it home. They give her two days to get it done and we bring it back completed. Then they give her a new set of boxes.

She had to show her green card and SS card and fill out a W-4. I was glad to see that they're at least doing it legally.

I'd say it's a sweat shop, but she does it from home.

Not sure what you guys think about this? Any thoughts?

[toma1 10]

Interesting turn of events. Nok got a "job."

It's more like a home factory job. We go pick all these pieces up from a warehouse here in Dallas from some Lao/Thai folks to make a necklace. She gets the pieces to put together 1000 necklaces, packaging etc. She sits here at home and it takes her about a day and a half. She gets 8 cents for every one. On her first go around she made $80 USD. The price tag on each sticker is $9.99.

I'm not sure what to think about it. She spends alot of hours doing it, but seems happy to be making her own money. In Thai terms, she is making a months worth of salary in 4 days.

The whole thing seems sorta legit. At the factory there are all kinds of Thai, Lao, and Khmer people there. They have to work there onsite, but Nok gets to take it home. They give her two days to get it done and we bring it back completed. Then they give her a new set of boxes.

She had to show her green card and SS card and fill out a W-4. I was glad to see that they're at least doing it legally.

I'd say it's a sweat shop, but she does it from home.

Not sure what you guys think about this? Any thoughts?

Seems like she's hired as an independent contractor, though. Doesn't seem like a W-4 was needed. Anyway, that's around $6.50 an hour, so it seems a bit sweatshoppy, if that's what you mean.

[Karee 4,190]

Seems like she's hired as an independent contractor, though. Doesn't seem like a W-4 was needed. Anyway, that's around $6.50 an hour, so it seems a bit sweatshoppy, if that's what you mean.

I'm not exactly sure what she filled out. Maybe she signed up for a one way fishing trip to the Seychelles. I assumed it was a W-4. Thinking about it, it was probably an I-9. Seems like bum wages to you and me, but she has been making $0 since she got here.

I don't know. She seems happy doing it. I don't care either way really. I just think she'd like to have her own money. I respect that. Seems to stop her from talking to me when I'm watching SportsCenter, although I have to get my own beer. Trade off I guess.

She has a few really jealous Thai friends here. (I know Thai women never get jealous about anything) The one "friend" of hers here held this "job" over her head as some kind of weird game. I called the Dallas Puu Yai pissed off (her boss also.) It was all settled after that.

It's the same Thai sh$t, just a different country. You know the deal. Thais will always be Thais. You can put them on the moon, and it'll be the same thing.

[Andy and Pui 16]

I was curious if anybody knows what the colors of paper given after your interview means? I have heard of yellow, pink, and white. Are there anymore then those three colors? Thanks.

[cactus john 1]

I'm not exactly sure what she filled out. Maybe she signed up for a one way fishing trip to the Seychelles. I assumed it was a W-4. Thinking about it, it was probably an I-9. Seems like bum wages to you and me, but she has been making $0 since she got here.

I don't know. She seems happy doing it. I don't care either way really. I just think she'd like to have her own money. I respect that. Seems to stop her from talking to me when I'm watching SportsCenter, although I have to get my own beer. Trade off I guess.

She has a few really jealous Thai friends here. (I know Thai women never get jealous about anything) The one "friend" of hers here held this "job" over her head as some kind of weird game. I called the Dallas Puu Yai pissed off (her boss also.) It was all settled after that.

It's the same Thai sh$t, just a different country. You know the deal. Thais will always be Thais. You can put them on the moon, and it'll be the same thing.

Wish mine would get a job.. maybe it would keep her off Facebook & Ebay all day.

But then again, she probably wishes I'd quit watching NHL Network all day too..

[cactus john 1]

Happy Birthday to HRH the King.

My brother in law who is serving a 26 year sentence in a Thai prison, was notified that he is receiving a royal pardon and should be released by December 12th.

What a wonderful Christmas and New Years present for my family.

( and it took 2 years of chatting up the right folk, & money passing through several different hands..)

[toma1 10]

Happy Birthday to HRH the King.

My brother in law who is serving a 26 year sentence in a Thai prison, was notified that he is receiving a royal pardon and should be released by December 12th.

What a wonderful Christmas and New Years present for my family.

( and it took 2 years of chatting up the right folk, & money passing through several different hands..)

Interesting... what were the charges?

[AaronLV 12]

The consulate here in Chiang Mai is great. We went in last Thursday to file our son's CRBA, everyone was very nice, and helpful. I am even more amazed that on Tuesday I got an email saying his Passport & CRBA was ready to pick up.

[cactus john 1]

Interesting... what were the charges?

Theft.

The consulate here in Chiang Mai is great. We went in last Thursday to file our son's CRBA, everyone was very nice, and helpful. I am even more amazed that on Tuesday I got an email saying his Passport & CRBA was ready to pick up.

Fantastic folks to deal with. The only downside is having to park across the street at the city offices.

[toma1 10]

Theft.

26 years for THEFT? That's insane! Did he steal the crown jewels?

[AaronLV 12]

Fantastic folks to deal with. The only downside is having to park across the street at the city offices.

We found a market right before the embassy with a big parking lot in the back, for 20 baht.

[Nicoco 26]

I really miss Chiang Mai. But I'm pretty sure that Ice is completely ready to leave. I miss the cheap+good food...

[cactus john 1]

26 years for THEFT? That's insane! Did he steal the crown jewels?

He stole nothing.

It's a long story, but a perfect example of how Thai justice works.

Nutshell: He quit a job in which he was quite good at to start his own company. The owner of the company he quit was afraid of him getting her customers away because he was doing it better than her. She told him she would not let it happen and filed charges for theft that he stole her ideas.

The court filed 30 theft charges against him.

The former boss paid off the prosecutor & judge.

She, the former boss who started all this ####, is now dead.

[toma1 10]

He stole nothing.

It's a long story, but a perfect example of how Thai justice works.

Nutshell: He quit a job in which he was quite good at to start his own company. The owner of the company he quit was afraid of him getting her customers away because he was doing it better than her. She told him she would not let it happen and filed charges for theft that he stole her ideas.

The court filed 30 theft charges against him.

The former boss paid off the prosecutor & judge.

She, the former boss who started all this ####, is now dead.

26 years for stealing IDEAS? OMG. Normally, you would have to have a non-compete clause in an employment contract for this to be actionable at all, and EVEN THEN, it would be a civil case, not criminal.

How long did he actually serve?