FalangBaa

There are dozens of good guest houses in that area for 250 - 500 baht. A really swanky guest house room might cost you 800 baht. You'd be hard pushed to find a "guest house" in Chiang Mai for as much as 1,500 baht! For that price, you should expect an excellent standard of hotel room. The best way to do it is just to arrive and walk down the street and see the rooms. Then you know exactly what you're getting and in less than half an hour you can have the perfect room for you at a small price.

Why would he want to do that (8 straight 30-day runs BY PLANE) when he could simply go once to Vientiane (Laos) or Seoul, for example, and get 2 double-entry visas that would let him stay 6 months? That must have cost him a small fortune in plane tickets, taxis and probably one-night hotel stays too.

And if he's only staying a few days more, he doesn't need to go a 9th time. He can simply extend his visa at Immigration for 7 days paying 1,900 baht.

Why on earth would you want to leave your apartment closed for 6 months? You're losing serious rental income. Lease it out! Leaving it standing empty... AND leaving the refrigerator switched on all that time! That will cost you a lot in electricity AND lost earnings. Are you insane?

How does Koh Samui have "fame as a world-class visitor destination"? There are no tourist destinations in Thailand that are world class. Koh Samui has virtually no infrastructure at all.

I'm glad to see that angels really have a great sense of humour if they deliberately created a city to look and smell so bad, and as hot as hell rather than as fresh as heaven!

BKK is a disorganised, filthy, dangerous DUMP compared to Singapore. So Thailand could only have ranked so high if they excluded those expats who currently live in BKK!!!!!

Singapore might be more clean, safer and more organized.........but is extremely boring to say the least!

If you are excited by Asian women who are beautiful, wealthy, highly educated and speak perfect English, then Singapore isn't boring in the slightest... On the flip side of the same coin, the only Thai women who will be interested in you in Bangkok as a foreigner are perhaps very beautiful too, but are also dirt poor, virtually uneducated and illiterate and with first-grade English skills, and tend to act like spoiled little kids. That makes for a very boring relationship and you even have to pay Thai women for sex too. You don't have to do that in Singapore. You don't need to be the best-looking guy, you just need to dress fairly well, try to be funny and witty, be a gentleman and make the ladies laugh and you can have any number of beautiful, rich Asian women in Singapore who will go with you for fun and excitement, not for money, because they already have plenty of that. What Thai women won't tell you, but is a true fact nevertheless, is that Thai women don't really prefer Western guys in the looks department. They only prefer them because they can get more money from them than they can from Thai men. Give them a choice between an equally wealthy falang and a Thai man and they'll choose the Thai man every time. There's always a social stigma attached to a Thai girl being with a falang man, whether she is a prostitute or not. On the other hand, Chinese girls in Singapore are actually more attracted to Westerners and money is not their primary motivation, because they have money enough. The idea that you as a boyfriend/husband would be expected to support her family in any way would be laughed at and totally goes against their culture. So in short, Singapore isn't boring, it's exciting and unpredictable, and it's Thailand that's crushingly boring because your interaction with women here is so predictable and based exclusively on money, and involves no communication other than the understanding that you will pay them for sex. You can't talk with Thai women except the same way you would talk with a bunch of kiddies in the kindergarten... So you end up feeling like a perv even if the girl is 25 or 30 because her English level or IQ is equivalent to kindergarten. True, there are educated Thais, but they are so snobbish and racist and wouldn't be seen dead with a Western guy. Now how boring is that? Even though I'm not exactly Brad Pitt, I know how to charm Asian ladies and make them laugh, and I have even been wined and dined by Singapore girls at their expense (they actually get a kick out of "wearing the pants" because they are financially strong) and then go back and shag them crazy, for fun, and not ruining it all by having to pay her or fork out for a dying buffalo / sick cousin. Singapore girls win every time!

Fair comment. I did mean Thailand. BKK more specifically. Lets say a concrete condo built in approx 1990...

to be more specific let's say "concrete condos" do not exist. most buildings in Asia are constructed with concrete skeleton (pillars and floors), for outside and inside walls a variety of bricks is used. maintained properly and technical feature upgraded they could last a century or much longer. evidence are buildings in Europe which are several centuries old.

Portland cement, which was the first concrete, was only invented in 1824. Your so-called "evidence" of European buildings which are several centuries old were not constructed out of concrete. In concrete terms, this means that your 100-year argument is more full of holes than a breeze block.

As little as 20 years, if the construction quality is very poor. Up to 40 years with really high quality construction. However, the extreme climate of Thailand (extreme heat coupled with extreme humidity and extreme rainfall events) is not conducive at all to a prolonged lifetime of a condo-type building, and developers always have the temptation to cut corners and build on the cheap. Most of them do yield to that temptation. Consider anything over 25 years to be a bonus. .

As for the maximum 40 years, and remembering these are buildings with "really high quality construction", a world full of concrete engineers is waiting in fear and trepidation, because you will be throwing their world into turmoil. No-one will turn up for work in sweltering Singapore. The Insurers Society of Thailand wil have to completely downgrade their estimated lives for concrete buildings.

Will the extremely hard and more-impregnable-than-ever bunkers in Germany, not to mention normal concrete high rises there, suddenly start falling apart due to the even more extreme temperature variations, extreme cold, and much longer rain duration?

"developers always have the temptation to cut corners and build on the cheap. Most of them do yield to that temptation. "

So intelligent men with a record of success who usually build a series of large buildings will risk everything financially. They'd conspire with a multimillion $ concrete company like CPAC or อินทรีย์ both of them risking their reputation. If CPAC (a member of the huge Siam Cement Group) or อินทรีย์ got caught out despite having laboratories at every facility to ensure their reputation their mighty business would collapse overnight. If the developer got caught out he would be stuck with a completely unsellable building and go to jail.

Hmmmm.....doesn't sound feasible.....but no doubt you have multiple evidence to match your "most do yield" accusation (please don't tell us about a two storey shophouse in Isaan which got built by the pooyay's cousin with a 3hp cement mixer), or maybe you've been banging or head against.a concrete column too many....

You're so incredibly naive. You fail to realize that the fuel this country's economic engine runs on is corruption, as is the case for every Third World nation.

"Thailand/Asia and subcontinent is the powerhouse of the world....

Its all built on cheap and pliable labour. That will not last, even now labour troubles are popping up in China.

The future is in Antarctica, the labour force is the most well educated of any continent on the planet.

America has no chance against that brain power!

You're right, but only because the only people who live in Antarctica are research scientists. I agree with you 100% that Antarctica has a great future, as long as we can make all that annoying ice melt quickly enough. It's bloody cold down there!

for 350,000 you can buy a one brm condo in HAWAII...and Jomtiem is not Hawaii....

But that's no use if you can't get a long-term USA visa, which most people can't. Also no use if you want to live in Thailand. Also no use if you don't like Hawaii. But your geography is excellent; Jomtien is indeed not Hawaii. Go to the top of the class.

What he was implying is that Jomtien is in every way vastly inferior to Hawaii. You'd be an idiot to pay anything like the same price. There are any number of brand-new condos available in Pattaya for 900,000 baht and up. Last time I checked, that was less than $30,000. Honestly, what kind of idiot would pay over $300,000 for a condo in a Third World country with Third World infrastructure, facilities, safety, disease risks, unhealthy climate and crime/corruption like Thailand? $50,000 max. is what a pad for a foreigner is worth in a marginal country like Thailand, $100,000 perhaps if it's a really really swanky and large place with several bedrooms, its own swimming pool, et cetera. Invest any more than that in property in Thailand (or similar Third World southeast Asian countries) and you're the living proof of the wisdom behind the saying "A fool and his money are easily parted."

You really need to drag yourselfe into the 21st century, Millenium Eve was almost 13 years ago!!!...........No Jomtien isnt Hawaii and am pleased it isnt but I do think you got the comparison the wrong way round. As for 900,000 Baht condos, they are 22sqm or there abouts in the middle of nowhere and Thai name.....lets just look at Jomtien, I can say that in April this year I sold a 74Million Baht Penthouse....yes 74,000,000!!!...how many $$$ is that in Yankee money.....get with the programme, Thailand/Asia and subcontinent is the powerhouse of the world.....

Thailand is "the powerhouse of the world"? What percentage of global GDP is contributed by Thailand? A tiny amount. The average per capita income of Thais puts Thailand definitely within the Third World. The level of corruption and the low safety standards in Thailand also drag it down. I lived in Thailand for several years (I now live in Japan), but don't make it out to be a "powerhouse" that it simply isn't. It's a cheap place to live with terrible infrastructure. You can break your leg or electrocute yourself just trying to walk down the street. It's already been overtaken economically and in terms of social progress and political stability by neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, and will soon be overtaken by Vietnam too, which is growing massively. Thailand's had its day and that day ended at least 15 years ago. Of course, some foreign residents still cling to the belief that Thailand is the best place on earth.

As little as 20 years, if the construction quality is very poor. Up to 40 years with really high quality construction. However, the extreme climate of Thailand (extreme heat coupled with extreme humidity and extreme rainfall events) is not conducive at all to a prolonged lifetime of a condo-type building, and developers always have the temptation to cut corners and build on the cheap. Most of them do yield to that temptation. Consider anything over 25 years to be a bonus. I've seen condos that look very shabby after 10 years, which would mean that if you decide to sell it, you could get less than what you paid for it. This is just one of many reasons why it's always more prudent to rent in Thailand, even in the very long term, rather than buying anything. There are too many unknowns. You could end up selling for less than you paid, or you might decide to leave Thailand for a variety of reasons. Renting in Thailand is so cheap and easy. I was renting a nice new condo in Phuket for 10,000 baht a month. The selling price of identical condos in the same building was 2.5 million baht. You could rent it for 21 years for the same price as buying it. Why buy, when you can't even be sure that you'll make any profit? The supply in Thailand greatly exceeds the demand. This economic rule applies to housing, labour, girlfriends and many other commodities, because costs in Thailand are so low. Supply always exceeds demand. That's not conducive to rising prices, except in the case of girlfriends/wives. If you were buying a condo in e.g. Singapore or Hong Kong, you'd definitely make a nice profit. In Thailand? Unknown.

for 350,000 you can buy a one brm condo in HAWAII...and Jomtiem is not Hawaii....

But that's no use if you can't get a long-term USA visa, which most people can't. Also no use if you want to live in Thailand. Also no use if you don't like Hawaii. But your geography is excellent; Jomtien is indeed not Hawaii. Go to the top of the class.

What he was implying is that Jomtien is in every way vastly inferior to Hawaii. You'd be an idiot to pay anything like the same price. There are any number of brand-new condos available in Pattaya for 900,000 baht and up. Last time I checked, that was less than $30,000. Honestly, what kind of idiot would pay over $300,000 for a condo in a Third World country with Third World infrastructure, facilities, safety, disease risks, unhealthy climate and crime/corruption like Thailand? $50,000 max. is what a pad for a foreigner is worth in a marginal country like Thailand, $100,000 perhaps if it's a really really swanky and large place with several bedrooms, its own swimming pool, et cetera. Invest any more than that in property in Thailand (or similar Third World southeast Asian countries) and you're the living proof of the wisdom behind the saying "A fool and his money are easily parted."

Bangkok AHEAD of Beijing, Mumbai and Jakarta... Best laugh I've had all month!!!

Aren't there about 25 bars in Nana Plaza?

So... Now you have 25 things to do in Bangkok. Sorted!

Well, surprise surprise... Another dreamer/drifter who wants to wash up in Thailand with no degree or qualifications believing that Thailand owes him a living. Go to the end of the queue... There are about 100,000 foreigners already waiting for some kind-hearted Thai to give them a work permit and a plum job with a good salary. Many of them end up being unqualified English "teachers" on 20,000 baht a month, or open up a sleazy bar. Dream on, young man...

You are honestly MUCH MUCH better off in Shanghai. The opportunities to make money or make something of yourself in China are huge. You're only 30, you shouldn't be thinking about moving to Thailand permanently. This country is best suited to people aged 60 plus. A great place to retire, perhaps, as long as you have good health insurance and live near a good hospital. Thailand ISN'T a good place for business at all (despite what all the fake TV ads will tell you) and is a terrible place for a foreigner to try to own any assets at all. In this region, Malaysia, Singapore (No. 1), China, Hong Kong and even Vietnam are much better places for a 30-year-old foreigner to try to make something of him/herself. Forget Thailand, it's for retirees, families of Russian/Chinese tourists and irredeemable sex addicts.

"The nightlife on Walking Street is a bit Disney-like, and seems pretty cleaned up, with plenty of families coming to have a look."

Yes, I agree. The new slogan for Pattaya should be "Pattaya: Where Your Disney Dreams Come True". A very clean and safe city, nothing illegal going on, ideal for families with young kids, especially the lovely places to have a quiet drink on Soi 6. Bring your grandma too, she'll love it.

Pattaya... Good, clean, Disney-themed fun for the whole family!

You have misunderstood. I'm not saying that Pattaya is a family-friendly place, but that Walking Street is a bit Disney-like. Soi 6 is nowhere near Walking Street, so not sure what's that got to do with it. The comment was about Walking Street, not Pattaya in general. To put it another way, if you come to Pattaya for the bars and like places like Soi 6, then you might not like Walking Street because it's probably not hardcore enough. I had a quick wander down Soi 6 and the atmosphere is totally different to Walking Street. No families wandering around Soi 6. Soi 6 seems more for people looking for sex, while Walking Street seems more for coming to have a look at what all the fuss is about. The people coming for a look seem to vastly outnumber those coming for the sex.

How can you tell, just by looking at someone, whether they are coming for sex or not? Do they have to have "pervert" tattooed on their forehead?

"The nightlife on Walking Street is a bit Disney-like, and seems pretty cleaned up, with plenty of families coming to have a look."

Yes, I agree. The new slogan for Pattaya should be "Pattaya: Where Your Disney Dreams Come True". A very clean and safe city, nothing illegal going on, ideal for families with young kids, especially the lovely places to have a quiet drink on Soi 6. Bring your grandma too, she'll love it.

Pattaya... Good, clean, Disney-themed fun for the whole family!

I have a sinking feeling that Thailand should abandon this over-ambitious goal of becoming a modern-day Atlantis. However, it's doing quite well already at become a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. It would be well-advised to stick to that route. They just need to allow casinos in Pattaya, and maybe in Phuket.

I think someone left out the SATIRE.

Or maybe they are worried that Lady Gaga is planning to bring her fake Rolex's with her next time.

Didn't you know? Lady Gaga is BANNED from Thailand, a country that follows and upholds the highest levels of morality and where sexually suggestive behaviour and revealing clothing are anathema to the very ethos of this Buddhist nation of the highest purity. Thailand doesn't need any Satan-worshipping smut like Lady Gaga exerting its negative impact on the pure and generous hearts of its people.

Quite right too! The first offence should be a warning, the second offence mandatory imprisonment. It sickens me to my stomach to see morally bankrupt tourists always trying to bring fake goods by air into Thailand, the hub of 100% genuine and extremely high-quality products.

You won't make a lot of money; a few thousand a month in profit, after staff wages, rent and utilities are paid, a few tens of thousands if you're lucky and your store gets loads of business. The real winner is always the 7-Eleven Corporation back in Japan. If owning a franchise was a licence to print money, everyone would be doing it. However, there are so many 7-Elevens around in Thailand now, if one happens to open up close to yours, that could cut your store's profit in half overnight. Consumers have no loyalty to one particular 7-Eleven. It's a very risky business. You could be doing decent business, then a couple more stores open on the same street and you're broke. 7-Elevens in Thailand shut down almost as often as they open up. Basically, to make money from a store you need to have an original idea and own it and run it yourself, not as a franchise. 7-Eleven Corporation in Japan is a multibillion dollar global corporation because it makes billions in profits every year from its franchisees. You, as the franchisee, will always just earn a modest income, unless you're in a very high-traffic area like central Bangkok where you can have several customers in the store every minute of every day. Out in a rural area, as it seems you are, I doubt you'll make much money from it at all... You can make a lot more money from a coin-operated laundromat, for example. Not sure if such services are called for in rural areas, where people wash their own clothes at home...

First, I would ignore the advice given by poster FalangBaa. Sounds like he is speaking from bitter experience. If you are looking for a Catholic priest then you might want to check out the website for Holy Redeemer Church in Bangkok: www.holyredeemerbangkok.net Good luck.

That was a bold statement. "Holy Redeemer Church"... Is that the place where you can redeem all your coupons to get a nice discount on your nuptials? And I believe I heard it offers a package deal too: Buy one marriage and get the divorce at half price, for a limited time only.

For the kind of job description you've just described, you'd be lucky to get a salary of 20,000 baht a month in Thailand, in other words about £403 a month at the current exchange rate. You'll be living in a dive apartment (i.e. single room with fan) and eating fried insects and Isaan sausages on the street. Nightlife, if you can afford it, will be a bottle of Siam Sato (27 baht) consumed in your miserable room or on the steps of a 7-11 store mixing with other foreign lost souls in Bangkok. Forget about Thai girls too. Any foreigner earning 20,000 baht a month will be considered a leper. Better stay at home. Your local McDonalds maybe has a vacancy, and at least at home you'll have access to decent infrastructure and free or subsidized health care.