TFB Newsletter                   (Quarterly: July ’06 – Sept. ‘06)  

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Time keeps marching along…we are now halfway through the year! This newsletter will highlight some of the board’s activities during the last few months.

Since the last quarterly newsletter, new additions have been made to the TFB webpage. In the visa section, we now have info on post-K1 procedures (ie, AOS, removing conditions, etc.) in the "Post K1 in a Nutshell";and info on the spouse/child visa (incl. K-3), in the "I-130 in a Nutshell". In the family section, some "Parenting Tips";and we’ve added a dollar-to-bhat converter.  If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for the webpage, please email.   

Congratulations TFBers!  

To proud papas, Frogpatrol & Zenseeker, on the birth of their babies;
To Ken&Lat in famous Chaiyaphum, happy 70th birthday;
To Sanukdee & Zippy who got their wives greencard;
And we are happy to report that Rabbit is doing well after heart surgery.

Sorry if we missed any other celebratory postings. If you have news to share, such as marriage, a special birthday, anniversary, birth of a child, a move to Thailand, receipt of a visa or greencard, etc., please post on the board.

If you haven’t been checking in on the board lately, you’ve been missing out on some interesting posts. For example, we’ve had threads on HRM’s 60th anniversary on the throne (in June) when Thailand hosted celebrations attended by kings and queens from all over the world … We do talk some politics on TFB, namely the recent downfall of PM Thaksin and the ensuing political crisis. Richard has kept us abreast with posts of current news of events.  Of course, issues concering T-F relationships is the bread & butter of TFB--here's just a few (random) posts from the many we've received:

"[W]e all bring things to a relationship... emotional baggage, wit, humor, other family, money, etc... and we are all looking for something from the soon to be partner - which may or may not have the same values and needs as we do. ... So what's my point? Maybe it is that the expectation of the falang is different when they go into the Thai BG/woman scene and so the fall is greater." Zippy

"Thai people in general can 'read' people better than we farang because while we use verbal communication to size each other up, they use verbal communication as a facade and look to other signs for the real feelings. Add to that that women in general are more sensitive to 'signals' than men, and the result is that Thai women understand farang men much more quickly and easily than we understand them." Jeff

"Sinsot and the Falang...We sure have our problems with this. I think this is because it is one of the first cross cultural issues we face, and because it has a monetary price tag, we need to quantify the value...Unit pricing...Price Point...One-owner...Used but not abused. ... The sinsot is a barter between the nuptials family, and not the intended couple at all. Unfortunately this is impractical due to language and distance differences, consequently the structure breaks down and the dilemma begins. ...She [future bride] would not discuss it, so I went to her sister [best friend], who explained that this was a formality between me and her family. Over the course of a few days an amount was decided that she thought the family would feel comfortable with.... So the emotions of giving up my hard earned dollars were never directed to my future bride, but were within the bounds of her family." Mrebooks

"The waiting room at Bumrumgrad is a great place to watch the differences [of relationships].. the guy is bringing his girl there for her visa medical and she might or might not be wearing the obvious BG costume.. and they might or might not be in the comfort zone yet.. but they sure haven't become the "couple" yet who's really familiar with each other. This is not only obvious to me and everyone else but to the embassy staff who grants interviews and approves visas and the such. When my not yet wife and I showed up for our B2 tourist visa interview I'm sure it was obvious that despite over 11 years of age difference.. and that fact that she was never a BG but just an average ordinary Bangkok raised woman.. and the way we "fit" together both in dress, mannerisms, etc, is what resulted in her B2 being approved even with no bank account, property, or anything but my word that things were legit.  …  It's not really about meeting any specific criteria.. it's about being the real deal.. that's hard to fake." Bkksw

Immigration is inevitably a subject of interest on TFB for which we get many posts:

"Effective March 6, 2006 the Amendments to the International Marriage Brokers Regulation Act [IMBRA}…raises two issues which may effect some board readers. Specifically, as more people meet on the internet and/or use the services of introduction agencies, reporting provisions of this legislation are likely to be rather strictly enforced and, will likely give rise to new issues at the interview. My suggestion would be that anyone using such services familiarize themselves with the burdens placed on such agencies by the Act and, to assure themselves that the agency they are dealing with is in compliance. … Second, there are additional provisions relating to "multiple filers" (ie, persons who have filed previous I-129F or I-130 petitions) that members should be aware of." WFWesq

We also discuss many other topics, for example:

On Thai language, "There seems to be two different levels of "conversational" Thai. What you see on TV shows, hear/read in Thai-English books, what they teach in Thai language classes as opposed to what you hear on the street and in everyday real conversations. When talking directly to me, I am almost always addressed in the former. When overhearing conversations, it is almost always the latter which tend to be a bit harder to understand because the vocabulary used is not the same and they usually break into their local dialects. … If you are going to be here - best to make the effort to learn to read. If only knowing the basics, it will help enormously with getting around and building your vocabulary." Iji

On the new Siam Paragon, "I was blown away by what was on sale there. Ferrari, Porsche, Lambos, Hummers, Maseratti, you name it. … We actually stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel on the site before it was demolished. It had a about 20 acres of garden and all sorts of birdlife. Lakes and streams, it was a real shame to see it go. And I agree, what a waste of money!!" Dave

On Thai cinema: "For our European friends, you can look forward to TYG's [Tom Yum Goong] release about now... for Americans, we have to wait til year end … The promo is on in the UK (for a July debut) where the movie is called "Warrior King"… In the US, the movie will be called "The Protector". Hono (Tony Jaa fan)

On experiences in Thailand: "Another time again on Puket the girl working the kitchen could not speak Thai or English but Laos. I ordered a banana milk shake, the girl was pleased, next day I ordered another banana milk shake and next, then I decided to order a Chicken and nut dinner, You guessed it. A banana milk shake arrived. What a hoot. Other tourists were present and I said watch this. I ordered a coffee and received banana milk shake. It was so funny I laughed and paid happily." Trotman

… For newcomers, the board is basically organized into the following categories: T-F relationships, immigration, Thailand-related info (culture, news, travel, language), and networking.  We also have the TFB Café (general chat), polls & links, and even a place for jokes (the "lighter side" folder). If you are new to the board, you can introduce yourself in the folder aptly named "Introduce Yourself".

Hono’s World 

They say that one of the most memorable events in a man’s life is the day his child is born. I can vouch for that. I vividly recall the day my baby was born, being in the delivery room with my wife, digital camera and camcorder around my neck, seeing her come into the world, hearing her first cry, holding her for the first time—it’s something you never forget. … Last month, we celebrated my little girl’s 3rd birthday. Gosh, it seems like just yesterday, she was crawling and babbling away, and now she’s running and chatting away. Like all toddlers, she is curious of the world around her, "Daddy, what is (blank)", or "Daddy, why do you (blank)", are questions posed to me daily. The world must be an amazing place, when you’re three. …. Frankly, getting past the "terrible twos" wasn’t so bad. Sure, my daughter had her fits and tantrums, but watching her transition from baby to toddler was filled with 'Kodak moments'--watching her walk, play, learn words, etc. It was a big change. However, I think the biggest change came not with her, but with me. I’m a changed person after having my little girl. It's as if I'm growing right alongside with her. 

… The next quarterly newsletter will be in October. If anyone would like to write a piece for the newsletter, and share a part of their "world", please drop me an E-mail  and we can discuss more. Have a great summer everyone!

Sawadee, Hono (your TFB reporter)  7/7/06