SAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)

[HYENA 4]

I think that's really nice being able to meet some Thai friends. My teerak has no Thai friends. She was told over and over not to make friends once she comes (she said even the TV had warnings?). anyway, she wants a Thai friend...had to go to a restaurant just so she could speak Thai.

I just asked my wife about this. What specifically was she told and what did she see on TV? Kat couldn't recall hearing or seeing anything like this. I'm curious.

I gotta wait till she wakes up. my best guess is she watched some program of maybe a lady gone to farangland and was interviewed saying all the other thais were catty abroad and it was a major one upping contest. She tends to say "everybody says...." and she does believe rumor and media a bit too much when it may have only been one interview.

I'll ask more specifically but once she came, she said she was surprised how nice everyone was and couldn't figure out what "everyone" was talking about. Remember she's from a small town and (I believe) she bases rumor as the world view (everybody) since that's likely how info is disseminated in her village.

To her defense, we had a discussion I think sawasdee3 ??where we talked about spouses not wanting Thai friends here out of the same concerns (some wouldn't give a reason but none/few seemed wanted to meet Thais here during that discussion). I do know over there they can be catty but I guess it doesn't fly and influences aren't as deep here (ie a catty event costing a distant relatives of yours a job or a raise because a cousins uncles brother's wife's nephew punched someone or said something bad.) I was suprised to see all that going on there but I guess our set up (not being so close) doesn't promote it the same here and being a young country we stole only a couple hundred years ago.

I'll have to find that thread...I stopped looking for Thais once I read it but here I am looking now again! LOL!

btw she does have one stupid...incredibly stupid source for how things are abroad (you can get a visa in 2 weeks, etc). I think it could be jealousy misinformation, who knows? I'll let u know later if she's in a chatting mood tomorrow.

Edited August 23, 2009 by HYENA

[louisthani 0]

I think that's really nice being able to meet some Thai friends. My teerak has no Thai friends. She was told over and over not to make friends once she comes (she said even the TV had warnings?). anyway, she wants a Thai friend...had to go to a restaurant just so she could speak Thai.

I just asked my wife about this. What specifically was she told and what did she see on TV? Kat couldn't recall hearing or seeing anything like this. I'm curious.

Well you have to be very careful of Thai communities in the US especially when she is married to a American. There is a lot of nasty gossip that starts developing in the Thai communities if your spouse decides to mingle with a larger group of Thais, especially those who are "illegal" and those whom found other ways into the US than a US citizen.

The last thing you need is dropping your wife off to apply for work at a Thai restaurant, the can of worms is opened.

[daboyz 36]

There is massive discrimination here in the Dallas area. I have seen it first hand. They seem to have this "we were here first" attitude. Also if your wife is from Isaan, be prepared for that.

Go ahead and go for it, but my guess is she will find her own way to cook the food etc.

[rsn 135]

Well, if any Thai wife does want to meet other Thai women to ease the homesickness (at the very least), then usvisa4thai.com is a good place to do that. FYI

Edited August 23, 2009 by rsn

[louisthani 0]

Well, if any Thai wife does want to meet other Thai women to ease the homesickness (at the very least), then usvisa4thai.com is a good place to do that. FYI

Sounds okay

Speaking of Thai restaurants my ex-wife worked in 4-7 Las Vegas Thai restaurants here and none would truly pass health inspections. So thats a reason why I rarely eat Thai in the US.

If I have no choice Ill suck it up and go to a Lao restaurant for a more Thai street food feel in a hole in the wall despite the stuff that goes on in the kitchen.

Edited August 23, 2009 by louisthani

[shawndoc 0]

I think that's really nice being able to meet some Thai friends. My teerak has no Thai friends. She was told over and over not to make friends once she comes (she said even the TV had warnings?). anyway, she wants a Thai friend...had to go to a restaurant just so she could speak Thai.

My wife heard all the same. She has one Thai sorta-friend, but refuses to be more outgoing around Thai people. She's on USVisa4Thai, but never goes to any of the events. (Although I think some of that is because everyone there is from Issan and has kids, and she isn't and doesn't)

[daboyz 36]

I think that's really nice being able to meet some Thai friends. My teerak has no Thai friends. She was told over and over not to make friends once she comes (she said even the TV had warnings?). anyway, she wants a Thai friend...had to go to a restaurant just so she could speak Thai.

My wife heard all the same. She has one Thai sorta-friend, but refuses to be more outgoing around Thai people. She's on USVisa4Thai, but never goes to any of the events. (Although I think some of that is because everyone there is from Issan and has kids, and she isn't and doesn't)

Yeah be careful with the Thais here. They are VERY racist against their own people for some reason. One lady at a Thai restaurant brought my wife to tears. This really applies with Isaan women coming here.

[HYENA 4]

Well, if any Thai wife does want to meet other Thai women to ease the homesickness (at the very least), then usvisa4thai.com is a good place to do that. FYI

Thanks, much appreciated! I live out in the country in MD so we have plenty of every race depending on what part of town you're in. I believe what you say about Texas....West Virginia (parts of it) tends to take a more inbred stance regarding people who are not inbred, too.

I'll direct her to that website. My computers dont type Thai (i think it's better for her learning for now...scares me some people come here and never really try to learn the new language...). After 10 days of frustration, she is at least starting to open her English books (finally). She wants to drive, get a job, etc. My answer for everything is "learn what's in your book and I think you can do that easily".

[HYENA 4]

I think that's really nice being able to meet some Thai friends. My teerak has no Thai friends. She was told over and over not to make friends once she comes (she said even the TV had warnings?). anyway, she wants a Thai friend...had to go to a restaurant just so she could speak Thai.

My wife heard all the same. She has one Thai sorta-friend, but refuses to be more outgoing around Thai people. She's on USVisa4Thai, but never goes to any of the events. (Although I think some of that is because everyone there is from Issan and has kids, and she isn't and doesn't)

Yeah be careful with the Thais here. They are VERY racist against their own people for some reason. One lady at a Thai restaurant brought my wife to tears. This really applies with Isaan women coming here.

I just don't get the Isaan versus ethnic Thai #######...they all look the same and they're all Immigrants here (just like I look like a German or a Swede-farangs all look the same to them)- I jokingly tell her. It's more class warfare....we're better than you, our kee don't stink. I've seen some nasty things happen to her in Bangkok just because she's Isaan. I flat out don't do business with anyone unless they're Isaan or they're friends with isaan or they're financially challenged (seems those without stick together easier and money creates hate).

I ask a lot over there (and here) kuhn ben kuhn Isaan mai kap?

I guess it would be like trying to befriend a German in Thailand...or a Brit (not my cup of tea-I steer clear of them over there)....I dunno. It's a very rumor/gossip and keeping score culture over there.

[rsn 135]

Well, if any Thai wife does want to meet other Thai women to ease the homesickness (at the very least), then usvisa4thai.com is a good place to do that. FYI

Thanks, much appreciated! I live out in the country in MD so we have plenty of every race depending on what part of town you're in. I believe what you say about Texas....West Virginia (parts of it) tends to take a more inbred stance regarding people who are not inbred, too.

I'll direct her to that website. My computers dont type Thai (i think it's better for her learning for now...scares me some people come here and never really try to learn the new language...). After 10 days of frustration, she is at least starting to open her English books (finally). She wants to drive, get a job, etc. My answer for everything is "learn what's in your book and I think you can do that easily".

Just my opinion, but you might want to rethink the no-Thai keyboard policy. Think about what it would be like if you moved to Thailand and you were not able to type in English anymore. It will be helpful for her to be able to type in thai for a number of reasons:

• she can communicate with other Thais via email, web sites, etc
• she can lookup information in Thai or browse her favorite thai websites
• etc...

If you have Windows, your computer can type in Thai. All you need is a Thai keyboard or decals w/ Thai & English letters that go over your existing keys. You can set a hot-key (combination of keys) in Windows to switch the keyboard from the English character set to a Thai character set.

As far as learning English is concerned, look around your town for ESL classes. It will help her to learn english (obviously) and get more exposure to the community.

Just my 2 cents.

[daboyz 36]

Well, if any Thai wife does want to meet other Thai women to ease the homesickness (at the very least), then usvisa4thai.com is a good place to do that. FYI

Thanks, much appreciated! I live out in the country in MD so we have plenty of every race depending on what part of town you're in. I believe what you say about Texas....West Virginia (parts of it) tends to take a more inbred stance regarding people who are not inbred, too.

I'll direct her to that website. My computers dont type Thai (i think it's better for her learning for now...scares me some people come here and never really try to learn the new language...). After 10 days of frustration, she is at least starting to open her English books (finally). She wants to drive, get a job, etc. My answer for everything is "learn what's in your book and I think you can do that easily".

Just my opinion, but you might want to rethink the no-Thai keyboard policy. Think about what it would be like if you moved to Thailand and you were not able to type in English anymore. It will be helpful for her to be able to type in thai for a number of reasons:

• she can communicate with other Thais via email, web sites, etc
• she can lookup information in Thai or browse her favorite thai websites
• etc...

If you have Windows, your computer can type in Thai. All you need is a Thai keyboard or decals w/ Thai & English letters that go over your existing keys. You can set a hot-key (combination of keys) in Windows to switch the keyboard from the English character set to a Thai character set.

As far as learning English is concerned, look around your town for ESL classes. It will help her to learn english (obviously) and get more exposure to the community.

Just my 2 cents.

I set mine to Alt Left shift. She never uses it though. I need to get those stickers for the keys.

[daboyz 36]

I had a USB Thai 101 keyboard but I left it in Thailand. That would be an easy way to deal with it and not mess up your laptop. I know she's here now, but Phantip in Bangkok is a good place for that.

[rsn 135]

I set mine to Alt Left shift. She never uses it though. I need to get those stickers for the keys.

That's the same combo my wife uses. Not 100% sure where you can buy the decals or Thai keyboards in the U.S. but I'm sure you can find them somewhere online. We actually picked up a USB Thai keyboard in Bangkok before we left for the U.S. It was pretty cheap and much better than the decals. I had a bad experience with the decals when I attempted to "install" them. I pretty much suck at peeling off the tiny decals and placing them evenly on the keys. I screwed up a few and gave up. I'd advise going the Thai/English keyboard route if you are as unskilled as I am.

[rsn 135]

I had a USB Thai 101 keyboard but I left it in Thailand. That would be an easy way to deal with it and not mess up your laptop. I know she's here now, but Phantip in Bangkok is a good place for that.

My wife just reminded me: We looked at keyboards at Phantip (one of my wife's friends works at at an ink store over there) but ended up buying one at TukCom in Pattaya when we visited her sister and bro-in-law. I think we only paid about 230 baht or something.

Edited August 25, 2009 by rsn

[daboyz 36]

I set mine to Alt Left shift. She never uses it though. I need to get those stickers for the keys.

That's the same combo my wife uses. Not 100% sure where you can buy the decals or Thai keyboards in the U.S. but I'm sure you can find them somewhere online. We actually picked up a USB Thai keyboard in Bangkok before we left for the U.S. It was pretty cheap and much better than the decals. I had a bad experience with the decals when I attempted to "install" them. I pretty much suck at peeling off the tiny decals and placing them evenly on the keys. I screwed up a few and gave up. I'd advise going the Thai/English keyboard route if you are as unskilled as I am.

I had the Thai USB keyboard, but I left it in Chiang Mai. Now I'm stuck showing her Youtube Thai videos. Pain in my a$$.