Rutnin is THE specialist eye hospital in Thailand.

In Thailand concentrate on looking for hospitality jobs. Jobs aren't reserved for Thais only. In fact in tourism in general the controls are only over guides. You seem personable and with good English and that may be a cue to jobs in, say, hotel reception so long as you focus on hotels that aren't highly focused on Thai customers. Large hotels, though, often have balance across the staff group, some speaking Thai and some not.

@Jeffrey ******

Airlines that allow pre-purchase of excess baggage have a place too. Pre-purchase can be cheap enough, not the punitive excess out of unplanned carriage. Also look for max freebie offering.

@Marc ******************

Exactly right. Ballistic warfare has absolutely zit to do with the traditional meaning of Songkran.

@Ellen *********

And if one were to learn the history of Songkran, came to understand its meaning, one wouldn't party at all!

@Tony ********

Actually a double-problem as in who is the Thai nominee. So often people nominate the Thai wife ................................... so come the divorce!!!!

The deal is honesty. And the problem most normally whether you can handle prolonged exposure to the girlfriend or wife's family. A friend had a horrible time last year as he allowed himself to be bullied into only a few days to do what he wanted. THAT WAS NOT TO VISIT BAR GIRLS - I GET SO SICK OF THOSE ClICHE JOKES but to visit myself in Bangkok and other old friends in Bangkok and Pattaya - particularly an old female friend who is old enough to be his mother. If girlfriend or her family won't handle that it is time to move on. Remember I said the problem is the family not the locality. Important to remember. The locality will will give great new conversational possibilities - like the effect of rice paddy on toe nails.

@Kerry ******

The helpful suggestion is to bring in only what you can carry in. So you need to choose airline for maximum freebie carry-in and for being able to pre-book extra baggage. The latter will also be the cheapest for that extra baggage. If those conditions mean not choosing the optimal route you live with it.

Simply forget anything that you can't carry in with you on arrival.

@Catherine **********

It goes back one hell of a long way to the advent of the Chinese in Thailand. It's not eat out in any sense other than street food in it's origins. All Chinese coolies got in their communal facilities was a bed and the ability to wash, as in city China. Street food was very quickly made - high speed high temperature frying or grilling. In Thailand country food was and still can be quite different. Long and slow and both China and Thailand have hotpot. You can't fight such ingrained culture. Neither can you fight those who feel an ingrained need to support the poor. They provide work for those street vendors, or moving up to the big houses they provide work for cleaners and housekeepers. It is a moral obligation.