The price of a job

[Othello]

The wife came up to me on Sunday and said
"Good news, my niece has been given a job at Big C"

Great I thinks.

"They want her to open a bank account"

You know that feeling you get ! i.e. How much is this going to cost me!
"Only 200 or 300"
Ok not too bad, wait for it.

"She needs new shoes"
Not unreasonable.

Next.
"She needs a medical, X ray and that"

So we start.
Off to the hospital, medical 550 Bhat.
Off to Big C.
Open bank account with Bangkok Bank, 300 for ATM card, 200 deposit.
Total 500 Bhat
Shoes, slacks, hairband 500 Bhat.
Back home. Dont like slacks. I donate a pair of black trousers that no longer fit.

"She needs 2 new blouses".
500 Bhat.

Now 20.00
Total 2050 Bhat.

The bit the gets me is not a word of thanks from the girl, her parents or my wife.

I got more thanks for helping a black stranger in the street a few weeks ago.

Perhaps I expect too much.
Then again I am just a guest(as long as the money lasts)

[arjay]

Your niece got a job.

(Not your wife or yourself?)

So I am thinking why should the obligation fall to you to kit her out? Does she live with you?

If you felt an obligation, - with hindsight, - perhaps the solution would have been to have donated 200 baht towards her opening a bank account and continued with what you were doing at home or wherever.

[beer monkey]

The wife came up to me on Sunday and said
"Good news, my niece has been given a job at Big C"

Great I thinks.

"They want her to open a bank account"

You know that feeling you get ! i.e. How much is this going to cost me!
"Only 200 or 300"
Ok not too bad, wait for it.

"She needs new shoes"
Not unreasonable.

Next.
"She needs a medical, X ray and that"

So we start.
Off to the hospital, medical 550 Bhat.
Off to Big C.
Open bank account with Bangkok Bank, 300 for ATM card, 200 deposit.
Total 500 Bhat
Shoes, slacks, hairband 500 Bhat.
Back home. Dont like slacks. I donate a pair of black trousers that no longer fit.

"She needs 2 new blouses".
500 Bhat.

Now 20.00
Total 2050 Bhat.

The bit the gets me is not a word of thanks from the girl, her parents or my wife.

I got more thanks for helping a black stranger in the street a few weeks ago.

Perhaps I expect too much.
Then again I am just a guest(as long as the money lasts)

Good post,

Mmmm not a word of thanks...sounds familiar.

Maybe she will offer to pay you back when she gets her 1st pay packet (Or a few hundred baht each month)..... :-"

[mortiboy]

"Maybe she will offer to pay you back when she gets her 1st pay packet (Or a few hundred baht each month)..... "(BM)

Thats a laugh! more likely get crap from a rocking horse! probably come back for more."Farang him hab good heart!"

[Othello]

Yes it was the wife's niece that got the job.
Yes she lves here now as it is easier for her to get to work from here rather than from the village.
As for payback, forget it, the bat's have flown

[arjay]

You could always drop the hint (tongue distinctly in cheek) that by supporting the niece, you'll maybe get some of the sin sodt (dowry) when she later gets married.

[beer monkey]

Will she qualify for staff discount where she works, could come in useful...10% or something...or naff all...?

[Pakawala]

I don't understand the relationships that so many farangs have with their W/GF . I had a fairly long relationship with a GF a couple years ago and now my TW of 2 years and any time I've been asked for some cash for various items, it's ALWAYS been with a PLEASE and many THANK YOU's from both parties.
before and after the transactions. Even when I've said, "No" and given an explanation it's always been met with, "OK, I understand, maybe next month?" They both know I'm on a ridge, fixed income and I won't go into debt... even for myself, if I can void it. Now, having said that, I just purchased a new computer with several accessories and put it on my AMEX Card. When I told the wife her only comment was, "well, it's your money."

So, what is it that you guys are doing different??

[mortiboy]

Not everybody is the same here.Funny old world here.But it isn't much different than our countries.People in all wnks of life.
My G/f has never asked me for a cent.She has hinted but never asked me.She says she is geng jai(feel guilty to ask) If we go shopping,I see her sometimes hover over something she likes.I say "You want?" "No"too expensive save your money!

[FrazeeDK]

During my 33 years of marriage to my TW we've contributed financially to her extended family quite a bit, particularly while we lived in Thailand 97-02 and Vientiane 02-07.. In almost all occassions we get a most respectful Wai and many thanks.. Rarely did they ask us for anything. Usually, we would perceive a need and make the suggestion to "help" with various purchases or home improvements.. Our biggest assistance was paying for 3 years of Rajhabat University for our neice, the last kid in her 8 sibling family and the first one to graduate from high school and college. Again, the thanks and respect was profuse not only from our young neice but from the entire family who were proud as punch to see their youngest graduate. Seeing my 72 year old rice farmer brother-in-law wiping tears of joy from his eyes at the graduation (but of course he said something was in his eye) was a huge payback on our investment.. Seeing our neice move into a good accountant job in BKK and maintain a solid life style without the profligate 20 something craziness of most BKK youngsters was great too..

so, on the topic.. If you've got the money, and see you can do good for family, it's up to you... Fortunately, my in-laws are not greedy or grasping nor big drinkers. Perhaps, from most comments in the forum, they're rather unusual for your typical rice-farming folk in Udon province..

remember the old Thai adage, Tham Dee, Dai Dee (Do Good, Get Good)

lucky me...

[Skippy]

remember the old Thai adage, Tham Dee, Dai Dee (Do Good, Get Good)

yeah there is also the other one that refers about getting sugarcane from a elephant once it alreday has the sugarcane you can't get it back off them

- sounds like Thai families and Farang money!!

The BIg C story sounds familar - I would have personally would have settled for an offer to pay to it back then let it go....

re the discount - what is the bet when you try and use it the first time she will expect a 5% kick back from the 10%

- ha ha

you gotta laugh or you will cry



Skippy