Life with the Thai Wife

[Smithy]

When an American writes:  "After 7 years I have learned to expect ..."  That means they have learned to live with it. 

Here's some nice Americans with their take on noise 


https://www.dahlfred.com/en/blogs/gleanings-from-the-field/547-how-to-respond-to-loud-annoying-noise-in-thailand

[Freddy]

There does seem to have been a lot of funerals this month. It did seem particularly cold for more days this winter compared to my previous 3 winters here (although maybe that's just because I'm more used to the heat). Possibly a factor with the elderly.

[Starman]

The idea of the wake, loud music and a mobile cinema, are a relatively new idea in the villages. This is down to cost. A cinema at a post funeral gathering is to show alledged wealth.

I went to a funeral of a very well to do family many years ago. There was a lot going on. Shows, food, games and all. It was a pleasant occasion and the music was at a sensible level.

Funerals I have been to of not so wealthy families have evolved over time. Pre cremation is about the same. The sad music on a loop for either 1,3 or 5 days, again dependant on wealth. Post cremation ranging from nothing to full on party. The music has become louder. This again seems to be deemed ad some kind of show of strength or alledged wealth.

I must say though, I have never known the wakes to last any longer than the day through to night of the cremation.

[urleft]

In our village there was a running count being done by the Thais on the amount of deaths, I was told it was 10 for January.  Unfortunately several were road kill.  Saw one vid when a lady on a bicycle come out onto the highway in front of a double truck (he missed her), but she was hit by the vehicles passing in the right lane (they could not even see her until she cleared the left lane truck).  You could see her not even looking at the traffic, she was focused on the opposite lane. 

[BillH52]

Did you ever notice the similarities between the way Thai's manage their music and the way they drive?

Whinging on forums isn't going to change anything .....lets talk about Thais and driving instead   

[Smithy]

The idea of the wake, loud music and a mobile cinema, are a relatively new idea in the villages. This is down to cost. A cinema at a post funeral gathering is to show alledged wealth.

I went to a funeral of a very well to do family many years ago. There was a lot going on. Shows, food, games and all. It was a pleasant occasion and the music was at a sensible level.

Funerals I have been to of not so wealthy families have evolved over time. Pre cremation is about the same. The sad music on a loop for either 1,3 or 5 days, again dependant on wealth. Post cremation ranging from nothing to full on party. The music has become louder. This again seems to be deemed ad some kind of show of strength or alledged wealth.

I must say though, I have never known the wakes to last any longer than the day through to night of the cremation.

Have to agree with all Starman has posted.

As for the Wakes...Its normal in our Village that after the cremation ceremony they play some upbeat louder music as they dismantle the awnings and stack the chairs ready to be taken back to the Temple. They don't seem to have the full-on wake's that urleft talks about in our Village.On the odd occasion they have had a Movie in the evening or after 100 days.

[Smithy]

Did you ever notice the similarities between the way Thai's manage their music and the way they drive?

Whinging on forums isn't going to change anything .....lets talk about Thais and driving instead   

I've noticed Band Names with similarities between the way Thais drive

[urleft]

I do remember one village party I enjoyed attending, especially because of the special sound trucks they imported.  Unfortunately as far as I know it has not been emulated. 



    

[Freddy]

Two things both of which can be frustrating:-

Today my wife went to Ruangsangthai to buy a new wheelbarrow. There were other items I neede so to be sure I got the correct items I contacted Bob yesterday with my exact requirements, 4 items in total.....simple right, all would be ready and waiting for her, just hand over the money.

Fair to say it is my bad that I have not learned more Thai and my wife has far better English than I have her language. So the conversation goes like this:-

Noi:- I'm  in shop, man want to know what size you want.
Me:- size of what.
Noi:- what you ask to buy.
Me:- I'm buying 4 different things, Bob knows exactly what I need and the sizes.
Noi:- another man ask what size.
Me:- ok, but size of what, I'm getting nails, paint, and parts for a belt sander. What are you asking about.
Noi:- What size, how big you want.
Me:- Noi, please just listen to what I'm saying.
Noi:- what size, man want to know how big you want.
Me:- Noi, stop talking and listen. What are you asking about, size of paint, size of nails or size of belt sander.
Noi:- man ask how big you want, why you get angry.
Me:- tell be what he is asking about.
Noi:- how big you want. Why don't you understand.
Me :- FFS. You haven't told me what thing you ate asking about.
Noi:- now you angry, if I bring wrong not my fault. Hangs up.

Everything that arrived home was correct ( thank you Bob) and earlier conversation not mentioned.

And the second thing.

Do all Thai wives, daughters, women take a course in tying rubber bands round plastic bags and then another course on how to take them off.
We've got a cupboard full of tupperwear and ziplock bags but everything seems to end up in a plastic bag with a rubber band sealing it.
I can never get the buggers open and then get a bollocking for cutting the bag open.
Frustrates the hell out of me when all I want is a biscuit or a handful of grapes and i have to fight to get the damn bag open.

[Phantom]

Hey Freddy, same same here, nice one.55555

[CO-CO]

We need a ?like? button for posts like than one of Freddy?s....🙂

[urleft]

You nailed that rubber band on bags. 

[Freddy]

Just a couple more. I'm sure we could all go on forever. The first will remain in my mind forever. The first part of our house was built whilst I was still in the UK so I had little involvement other than visits over and sending he cash of course. After I moved over in 2014 we had a large kitchen extension done. So we go to Global House to look at some internal doors. I saw several I liked but all were displayed in 80 width and I wanted 90 width. We had the usual staff member tracking our every move.

Conversation-

Me:- Noi, can you ask the guy if this door is available in 90.
Noi:- what you mean.
Me:- this door is 80cm width, I want to know if it can be ordered on 90xm width.
Noi. It's 80, look it say 80.
Me:- yes, I know. Can you just ask this man if it can be ordered in 90.
Noi:- No, can't get it say 80.
Me:- you haven't asked him, can you ask him please.
Noi:- why, it say 80.
Me:-Noi, will you please just ask him if he clan order this door in 90.
Noi. Big sigh.   Long conversation with shop guy.
Me:- can he order in 90.

Man walks to next aisle of doors, Noi follows, I follow. We stand by other doors.

Me:- what are we looking at.
Noi:- He want to show you this door.
Me:- I don't want to look at this door, I want to know if he door I like can be ordered in 90.
Noi:- long conversation with shop guy.
Me:- Well, can he.
Noi:- can he what.
Me:- get the bloody door I like in 90.
Noi:- why you always so angry.
Me:- because I'm asking one simple question and you haven't answered yet. There is only one thing I want to know.
Noi:- what you want to know.
Me:- give up and head for the truck before all the doors in Global come tumbling down.
Noi:- (as I'm walking away) Why you get so angry.


And the last which is still ongoing. I do appreciate that most Men hate shopping with their wives regardless of country or nationality but Noi can take it to a whole new level.

We do a regular run to Buriram for shopping usually consisting of Big C, Makro and Robinsons.
Big C usually pretty quick as only a couple of things. Then to Makro.
I take one of the big carts and Noi a Trolley.
Noi heads straight for the fruit and veg.

I load up the car cart with a couple of dozen 6 packs of water. Now heavy and moving slow but think good exercise. I then get all the items that I like to have. Yogurts,pasta, nuts, baked beans etc. I head for the tills, pay the bill, load the truck and then go inside.

Where's Noi. Still in fruit and veg. Every Apple, pineapple, cucumber, lettuce leaf, carrot, grape......................lifted, inspected, rejected, selected.

Pass her the card and retire to the benches at the front of the shop to watch the world go by whilst resigning myself to the fact that she still has the Fish, Frozen,Dairy, Meat, Dry goods, tinned goods, and cleaning goods sections to work her way through. A silent prayer is offered to Buddah that she doesn't want anything from the kitchenware department.

Record so far is 2:45mins on the bench outside. I now take my dog with us, Noi waits outside while I get my bits and water (Max 20 mins) I pass her the card and take the dog for a walk.

What I should add is that Noi and I have been together since 2012 and she is honestly the hardest working Thai lady I have seen here. She never stops and overall takes very good care of me.

[DeputyDavid]

Spot on Freddy. Those damn rubber bands.

I had dsl internet and wanted to upgrade to fiber optic. Wife called out the 3bb guys. They all walked around talking a lot. I explained that with new construction I wanted to preview the house. Conduit already in ground so just need to pull cable. Looooooong conversation in Thai. I finally said STOP. WHAT IS BEING SAID.

I am told after a good 20 minutes of Thai talking that I have dsl wire not fiber optic. FFS I KNOW. That is why they are here to pull new cable.

Another 20 minutes of talking then they want to go inside to see where I want the box. Back outside more talking.

WHAT?

We only have dsl cable can not hook up fiber optic!  Why so moody!

Ok start again. I WANT FIBER OPTIC CABLE PUT IN THE PIPE UNDER GROUND FROM THE POLE TO THE HOUSE. CAN DO OR NOT??

No you only have dsl.

Ok. Is there fiber optic to the main box in the village?

Yes.

Bring it to my house.

Oh you need new cable!

Ffs

Yes I know. Can you do?

Oh we do not install.

No problem I will.
Oh ok we will bring cable tomorrow.

Why so moody I am asked again and again.

Next day they drop off a 900 meter roll of fiber optic cable. I ran it to the pole and left the spool. They hooked it up to the main box a few days later.

Gotta love it!

[Smithy]

Do all Thai wives, daughters, women take a course in tying rubber bands round plastic bags and then another course on how to take them off.
We've got a cupboard full of tupperwear and ziplock bags but everything seems to end up in a plastic bag with a rubber band sealing it.
I can never get the buggers open and then get a bollocking for cutting the bag open.
Frustrates the hell out of me when all I want is a biscuit or a handful of grapes and i have to fight to get the damn bag open.

Here is a You Tube on ....... How to Tie a Plastic Bag with a Rubberband Like a Thai

This was filmed in 2012 ....it's now 2018 and he's still working in the How to Untie a Rubberband on a Plastic Bag that has been tied by a Thai
Reports are it should be out sometime in 2022