Thread: Thai Culture Head of Family

Originally Posted by al007

My wife and I paid for the funeral

Did you ask yer missus if her parents paid into the village 'Insurance Scheme' for the Grandma? Chances are that they will have. It covers funeral costs.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Originally Posted by al007

My wife and I paid for the funeral

Did you ask yer missus if her parents paid into the village 'Insurance Scheme' for the Grandma? Chances are that they will have. It covers funeral costs.

That's a regional thing, they don't do it around my area, instead they just have collections, popular, big Baht, no one, unliked, no money.

Strange, not 10 km from me, they had the funeral scheme, guy running it did a runner with the money a few years ago.

We have a village banking thing, that covers some of the costs of funerals, but wife had 10.000 BHT in it, wanted the money for something, counldn't get it for months.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Originally Posted by al007

My wife and I paid for the funeral

Did you ask yer missus if her parents paid into the village 'Insurance Scheme' for the Grandma? Chances are that they will have. It covers funeral costs.

That's a regional thing, they don't do it around my area, instead they just have collections, popular, big Baht, no one, unliked, no money.

Strange, not 10 km from me, they had the funeral scheme, guy running it did a runner with the money a few years ago.

We have a village banking thing, that covers some of the costs of funerals, but wife had 10.000 BHT in it, wanted the money for something, counldn't get it for months.

And yet, not approached as a business transaction as found in the West.
More akin to social/familiar extensions.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Originally Posted by al007

My wife and I paid for the funeral

Did you ask yer missus if her parents paid into the village 'Insurance Scheme' for the Grandma? Chances are that they will have. It covers funeral costs.

Maybe I paid to much this time but it is not lifestyle threatening to us

however I have told wife never again will I be caught the way I was this time

First time in ten yrs been caught by her on money so not so bad

grandmother used to get money each month from me, have said that same amount goes into separate bank account until it gets to 20,000 and then I stop, what is in there goes towards her parents funerals

No village scheme but everyone contributes during the week of feasting

never seen so much money wasted probably 100,000 bhatt on little very quiet timid 92 yr old lady

This sort of money would make a serious difference to her parents, they are very poor

For me another lesson and sad and depressing

Originally Posted by al007

never seen so much money wasted

Well, if farang foots the bill...

Originally Posted by al007

This sort of money would make a serious difference to her parents, they are very poor

Thai face, strange thing to western minds, wifes grandfather went to hospital.
9 sons, some driving brand new SUVs, kids at Uni in BKK, he's in a public ward.
Private room, aircon, fridge, TV and bed for your wife, Buntharik hospital, 600 Baht a night, not one of his son would, as a group, or personally pay for it.
I paid in the end, he's 105 years old, accorrding to his ID card, which is BS.

When he dies the sons will pay big dollars for the funeral, but today my wife brings them food, thier hut is 100 meters

Well I am very new to TD and do find it different

One of the posters on the newbies where I started says he is banned from this section

He posted

Al, great thread you have going about the family, such a pity I can't post on the thread.

So you've lived here for 10 yrs and been married 4 times, and you know nothing about Rural Thai families.

There is a couple of posters on that thread who I thought weren't gullible, fluke would be proud.

Do not really understand the context of what he is saying, but no doubt in time I will understand more

Thai families Issan yes fascinating, my wifes grandmother 92 lovely quiet little lady, never had children, was married to wifes grandfather, after his first wife her sister died, too many step brothers and sisters to understand

Wifes father carries illegal gun despite having with seven others in the village been charged with murder, took 3 yrs and many court hearings and lots of bail for it all to be closed

One of our four Alsations sleeps outside our door

At the end of the day I am content and happy , will however never understand this culture, or actually lack of culture

Do you know what quotation marks are for?

Originally Posted by al007

lived here for 10 yrs and been married 4 times,

seriously?

Originally Posted by stroller

Do you know what quotation marks are for?

So you are a school teacher, thought I had left them behind me on the other forum

I am rather uneducated, still in full time education (at 72)and continue to learn every day

maybe you could write a couple of pages about quotation marks

thank you teacher

Originally Posted by raycarey

Originally Posted by al007

lived here for 10 yrs and been married 4 times,

seriously?

Seriously enjoyed serious brief comment

Oh very seriously,3 D I V O R C E S cost very serious money,

today seriously content and seriously happy

Is that sufficiently serious enough

Seriously thank you for the serious observations , seriously appreciate serious people !!

Originally Posted by al007

I am merely seeking information

BIL is 35, I am 72, my wife 40

Wifes mother and father still alive, fortunately they live 3 kms away, father ten yrs younger than me, mother about the same

none of them have any material things like money

My wife and I paid for the funeral

When locals contributed father in law drunk on locale was gambling money away

very normal truely dysfubctional issan family, with many incestuous relationships

My wifes two sons live with us and I provide for them also provide for her parents, my choice and happy to do

I speak no thai

I like to stay distant, am happy to give the so called title away, but prior to doing this just wonder what tradition actually says

This all reads rather trollish.

Originally Posted by al007
I am merely seeking information

This all reads rather trollish.SAYS Antrobertson

Well it started as a very genuine seeking information post, and has maybe degenerated somewhat due to the responses

[QUOTE=al007;3592621]

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Originally Posted by al007

My wife and I paid for the funeral

For me another lesson and sad and depressing

No worries...there will be plenty of more lessons in Isaan class...."seriously"...LOL

Originally Posted by al007

3 D I V O R C E S cost very serious money

Did you have a big funeral type event after each one?

Originally Posted by al007

So you are a school teacher, thought I had left them behind me on the other forum

Nicely put.

Originally Posted by al007

Well it started as a very genuine seeking information post, and has maybe degenerated somewhat due to the responses

Get used to it. Normal practice on here.

Originally Posted by stroller

Originally Posted by al007

3 D I V O R C E S cost very serious money

Did you have a big funeral type event after each one?

Never thought that way

First 13 yrs two kids sad but life

Second 14 yrs some of the best and happiest yrs of my life, she was manic depressive and went off medication into manic mode all again very sad

3rd bitch from hell Russian Israeli only lasted until divorce 18 mths, her mafia friends in Israel had got me locked up no lawyer no embassy, got out by trying to commit suicide, on arrival at hospital almost unconscious almost dead, but got to phone and lawyer, lost 85% of worldwide assets

So when free celebrated never thought about funerals or revenge, just happy and grateful

All positive living and learning experiences

Al, you seem to have had an interesting journey. Tell us more!
I presume you are retired, however unlike most on the forum, you are not short of a quid.

How did you earn your coin?

I am a slow learner, bit or very dyslectic

Normal forum reply I presume would be robbed banks

However I did a bit of that but stayed legal in the process

I had a lot of Luck, Price Waterhouse UK qualified as Chartered Accountant and then PW Jamaica, then worked multinationals London, NewYork and TelAviv

At 40 Finance Director UK PLC and stock exchange company

Controlled by asians, they wanted me to lie under oath, so quit

Then became largest Pizza manufacturer in uk wholesale, Sainsbury, Asda, Bejam etc

Sold to Dalgetty

Then financial services advising expats, had a house in Guernsey for awhile

Sold that as well aged 49 forgot to go back to work, never made decision to retire, like never made decision to be here in Thailand Full time again just happened

I have enough if we are careful, but not wealthy, was wealthy when retired but a couple of divorces soon got rid of that; always believed be careful with money, its hard to come by as many will confirm easy to piss away

Hence I choose Issan to live wanted the ocean but felt too expensive

To day I invest a little in stock markets and generally at the end of the year have more than I started with, I aim for 20% return, sometime more sometimes less simple but sound personal finances

For the last fews years have expected to eat capital but so far so good

YES i have had colourful good life and many many stories am starting my memoirs might just make good money, might make nothing nothing ventured nothing gained

Originally Posted by Neverna

What does being "head of the family" mean to your wife?

Given that incest is ok with the family he now no longer has to tap her on the shoulder to unload some dirty wash water and instead has permission to have at it with the younger sibling's.

Originally Posted by Fondles

Originally Posted by Neverna

What does being "head of the family" mean to your wife?

Given that incest is ok with the family he now no longer has to tap her on the shoulder to unload some dirty wash water and instead has permission to have at it with the younger sibling's.

You need to remember

Vice is nice

But incest is best

The Game all the family can play

https://teakdoor.com/images/smilies/smiley-laughing.gif

^^^
Great reply, thanks for sharing.

You made your own luck and followed your own path well done.

I presume that you as a CA, working in generally an advisory capacity, making the move to become an entrepreneur was a major change - did your previous experience/contacts lead you to the Pizza business?

When it comes to losing money I believe the greatest destroyer of wealth is divorce - not poor business decisions.

I am on wife No 3 hope it is my last however I have 11 years on you so may catch up hahaha.

Your obviously a very good calculated risk taker if you can achieve 20% returns investing in the market.

I invest in my own businesses and tend just to park excess money on the market as I can achieve a better than bank return.

Good onya Al

Found the Pizza business through a small add I put in the FT, was unemployed at the time

Went and met them the existing italian partners

They were loosing money

They asked me how much money I wanted to assist, and I was pretty sure that had none

So I suggested I help them part time a couple of days a week and we talk about money if they were happy with me in a couple of months time, and if happy they backdate my pay, if unhappy pay nothing

this would give me time to see the figures and work out what I might be able to achieve, and how much I could get them to pay me

My friends said madness working for no money, but I said I was unemployed and this would not stop me looking for a job at the same time, nothing ventured nothing gained

the business had a good reputation and strong customers

It also had three partners all fighting

well two months on I had turned the business back to profits, went to one customer who represented 60% of the business, put figs before them explained that we were a low cost producer and lost money

Got the increase, I asked for 12% needed 6% but got 10% over the moon

Then said fighting between 3 partners no good, came up with a scheme where I bought one third for a nominal sum and the business paid the exiting partner over two years

bought another big bakery in lancashire also loosing money again no money

Within two years had sold out to Dalgetty

Legally sheltered the gain from tax, finally had piss off money did not need to sell my soul to the devil anymore

Originally Posted by al007

You need to remember

Vice is nice

But incest is best

The Game all the family can play

WTF, I can read...