AZBill

Yes my experience is with large international companies in Bangkok and I have very little experience with the countryside Thais and have no reason to have such associations. Maybe that is the way it is in the countryside but I also think that most of you who live and work in Thailand and are associated with or are married to country girls or live in the countryside have no idea of an entirely different side of Thai culture and business from inside large companies. There are plenty of very hard working, smart and educated Thai men and women working in these large companies. Ive worked with Thai lawyers, engineers, executives, bankers and scientists over the years, both men and women. Plenty of Thai go getters if you look in the right places. Now that said I do believe the Thais do lack a sense of innovation and have a difficult time thinking outside the box but that's a far cry from being lazy.

I'd say Singapore would be my number one by far with Thailand second. Guess it depends on your criteria. They all have their charms and worth a visit but wouldn't consider living in any of them.

Agree with your wife. Let her deal with all that stuff. As a Farang you must know by now living there you are a walking target for both friends and foes. My best advice would be don't live in Thailand. Neither my wife nor I ever would. But assuming you will continue to live there keep a low profile with the locals and leave it to your wife to handle conflicts. She sounds pretty good at it by your account!

My wife will post pics of places we travel like anyone else but doesn't like to flaunt what she has on FB and really doesn't like her friends knowing about all she has. But mostly she posts pics of food.

Sounds like there are some things your wife may not have told you about!

I just dont think the Thais pay too much attention to content. It's about the look and they probably have no idea what JD even is. On a visit to BK once my wife and I were eating at a restaurant next to a trendy fitness center and saw a lovely hi-so walk in wearing a shirt that said " I F___ on the First Date." I kid you not! She clearly had no idea what it actually said, but it had lots of pretty colors! Lol

We tried to keep a secret about coming to Thailand on short notice for my wife's best friend's wedding so as to surprise her. My wife told one friend and told her not to tell anyone. By the time we got there the whole town knew!

My wife won 3500 baht on our last trip!

Mother in law and father in law are both wonderful people. I'd welcome them both in my home anytime as they have welcomed me in theirs for many years now. Unfortunately they have no interest in leaving Thailand and visiting the US despite my standing offer to bring them over anytime.

As a professional who has done quite a bit of business in Thailand and in HK over the years, I can't see a single reason I would want to relocate to either place. Visit yes but live, no way. Even my wife who is Thai has no desire to live in Thailand anymore after a few years in the US.

Painting with a pretty broad brush here! Every country has lazy people and every country has it's go getters, including Thailand. I've personally worked with many such men and women of the latter over the years as a lawyer handling large business transactions over there. If what you are seeing is lazy and unproductive people then you likely need to find a better class of friends to associate with.

You really need to be a bit stupid not to know the difference between a con and the real thing no matter what country you are in!

When we visit my wife's family it's always fun being one of the few farang around. I'm always treated very well by the locals - at least to my face. What they do or think otherwise is of no consequence to me either way. I come for my wife and have no interest in staying past a visit or forming life-long bonds with anyone outside the family.

Net fishing in the middle of the road during the floods a few years back sticks out in my mind!

From the sounds of it, I don't think you're going to like where you track her too!

I can't complain! Pretty dang happy with my girl!

Go where you have a future. It's not as hard as you think to get your gf to the US as long as she isn't a bargirl covered with tattoos, you can cover the cost and your intention is marriage. You're not doing yourself any favors living here as you described.

I can't imagine it at all! A visit from time to time to see the in-laws during the winter months certainly but never a full time situation.

Never had the problem. Can't get her mom and dad to leave their village though I have offered many times on trips over to Thailand. They are happy to just go to the local Thai buffet!

Having lived and worked in Thailand off and on over the years, and given that I can afford to live a very comfortable life in Thailand or my home in the US, I choose the US every time. Not even close. That said, I do enjoy my visits to Thailand and there is always something new to see or do, but I'd never choose to live there full time, and my wife who is Thai concurs. She has no desire to go back to live there anymore.

Yeah my experience with that whole phrase has taught me over the years that it's her polite way of saying I don't want to do that. Thai women won't offend your manhood by taking the decision away from you like farang women, but they know what they want and what they want you to do. This is there way of gently nudging you in the right direction! That said, sounds like you have deeper issues here! Think long and hard before you jump in with both feet!

Yeah my wife has an uncle like that. Funny story - we are visiting for 2 weeks so we walk to the market to get a few things and my wife buys some Thai whiskey for the Uncle. I rebuke her and say why do you encourage him by buying him whiskey - but him some milk or something healthy. She looks at me as serious as a heart attack and says "what's wrong with you? Drunk people not drink milk!"

I almost wet myself I was laughing so hard!

Yeah I don't get it either. Really bland food but my wife loves it when she's here. I think it's the whole cook it yourself thing that they enjoy. Who knows? I'm like you. I don't bother trying to figure it all out.

Seriously????