Dear Hillary,

T.G.I.F. Finally the hysteria of so called royal wedding is over as well as the annoying hammering of newspaper, magazines and television not least our local True Vision.

In a living world struck by hundreds maybe thousands of ordinary people dying in war, political turbulence, rebellions and let me say famine, malaria, AIDS and so on, I am totally against and find inappropriate the huge publicity in progress since at least two months on the event that is not suitable to the current times.

The total cost of the show? Huge and significant, enough to save thousands of children’s lives. But who cares?

Have a nice weekend.

Concerned Farang

Dear Concerned Farang,

Unfortunately, the inequality of life as you have described it is part of the human society. Certainly the Royal wedding will have cost billions, and further billions lost through absenteeism in the workforce, but what about the billions of baht to be spent on secondhand submarines in Thailand. Farmers in the NE need assistance more than Thailand needs U-Boats, I would suggest. We are all imperfect, living in an imperfect world. I’ll stop there, or otherwise I’ll get depressed. You have a nice weekend too.

Dear Hillary,

As I am thinking about retiring here, I was hoping you could advise me on a couple of points. It has always been one of my ambitions to have my own little pub (I’ve spent a fair deal of time in little pubs and bars after work). There seems to be a few very successful bars for sale and they only want about 600,000 baht for most of them. Since I will be getting a nice tidy sum for my retirement, I thought I might invest in one by buying a half share or something. It would be nice to make money at a bar, rather than spending money at a bar, don’t you reckon, Hillary! My only worry is that I have heard that foreigners have been ripped off and I am hoping you can advise me on what to watch for.

Jeffrey

Dear Jeffrey,

With apologies to the Charge of the Light Brigade - “Into the valley of death rode the six hundred” (thousand baht). Jeffrey! Jeffrey! For a start, there are very few successful bar owners who learned the trade from propping up the outside of the bar. Even with half shares for sale, have you stopped to think why the owner of such a successful establishment would want to give half of it away? Things to watch for? There is always the third or fourth 50 percent share that gets sold. Unfortunately, with the economic downturn, tourist cancellations, etc., etc., etc., the bar will pay no dividend this year and the regretful owner will buy your 50 percent share back for 100,000 baht. Yes, there are quick profits to be made in the bar bizz - for the seller, not the purchaser. Mind you, if you can get a half share in Jameson’s Irish Pub for 600,000 baht, I’ll buy the other half!

Dear Hillary,

Can you help me? I have been dating a wonderful young Thai girl, a proper young “lady” not a bar girl, and we have become quite serious as to looking into the future. Everything seemed to be going along very well, although we did have some hiccups in the early part, just caused through not fully understanding each other. The other evening over a very nice dinner in our favorite restaurant, she dropped the bombshell. “My mother tell me I must marry Thai man.” Just like that! I was too flabbergasted to follow that line further. Hillary, is this a common thing in Thai families? Does her mother have that much power that she can dictate what her daughter does, and even the choice of husband for her? Surely in this 21st century Thai girls are not stuck with arranged marriages, and if they are, what can a farang do in this situation?

Devastated Dave

Dear DD,

Does her mother have that sort of authority? In a traditional Thai family she certainly does. It may be the 21st century for you, Don, but in Thailand it is the 26th century and despite the extra 500 years, the traditional ways are still very strong. Thai people believe in the need for family members to look after each other and her mother is merely looking after her daughter in the traditional way. You are from an alien culture, Don, and even if your young Thai lady is well versed in the ways of the modern international world, the traditional values will still be held in the family sphere. Have you stopped to consider that the Thai man may have already paid a dowry to the family? In the case of a well educated girl this could go as high as two million baht. What can you do? You can either keep in there and hope, or call it quits now before you get in too deep. However, you should sit down with your girl and discuss it first.