TerryWhatsisname

These types of discussions on why one moves to Thailand always amaze me with their dishonesty. Come on! There's only one reason people move to Thailand, and its located under your zipper! And I'm not, repeat NOT, saying theres anything wrong with that. The draw could me one particular woman or man or not. But we ALL know what it comes down to. The rest are just justifications.

Someone mentioned culture???? Give me a break! You just love Thai entertainment, music, sports, movies, art SO much better than in your home country. I just don't believe you for half a second.

It just makes me laugh when this gets trotted out by people who are desperately trying to justify their existence!

I actually DIDN'T come to Thailand for many,many years because of the girls and stigma that everbody hears about at first.I fell in love with South-East Asia,not a country,not a city,town or village,not a girl even but the whole area!

I was working in Bali,Indonesia selling property to the Aussies just before the original Bali bombings in 2000.My local pub at the time was Paddy's Bar,a huge two-storey Irish Bar opposite the ill-fated Sari Club in Kuta.I saw it recently on the internet and it's now a pile of breeze block rubble with grass growing over it,I would probably have been in there that fateful night.

I left 3 months before as the tension in the air was palpable,Indonesian's saying to me in the street"I don't like foreigner working in my country"!

I found out I liked Thai food just as much as I liked Indian food from eating in Thai restaurants in Europe,saw films like "The Beach" and realised I'd like to check out Thailand after all.

Thai girls are very sweet but to say that that's the ONLY reason ANYONE comes out to Thailand is just pathetic!I've lived in Indonesia,Thailand and The Philippines and like them all,I've made numerous journeys to Cambodia,Vietnam and Laos also and some to Myanmar.

For me the food,beaches plus imported goodies from Europe make it my favourite,I've always said it's like Europe in South-East Asia thanks to all the 7/11s etc.Plus,it's centrally located in the area and easy to get to other countries because of that.

I would never travel to a country to live there just because of the girls and anyone who does really is missing out on everything that Thailand has to offer.Maybe it's just because I'm capable of getting girls elsewhere,who knows?

"But Chiang Mai is the least expensive! During our years in Phuket we would spend circa 130/140k a month on average, but since our move back to Chiang Mai our costs have now halved. Our rent here is one third cheaper, our utility costs have decreased by 75% and of course restaurant costs are also much less expensive, all other costs however are comparable except cinema ticket prices which have increased by 50% at least. I think much of the higher cost of living associated with Phuket comes from lifestyle and perhaps a need to escape "island fever" periodically."

I had a house a couple of years back in Ployburin,next to Chiang Mai Land and it was 25k per month,less than half the rent I pay now for a much bigger place!

That was on a 6 month contract as well,not the usual 12 months,I think that was 23k per month!

PC, nice to meet you. Ive decided to shift in with you for a month and see firsthand how the heck you can live on 30K Baht a month. Im in BKK and have given up on budgeting on a monthly basis. I am here as expat and earn an indecent salary with tax benefits but would dearly love to get some discipline into my living costs...

My rent is 55K per month Cable electricity and a water bill that defies any logic, rhyme or reason probably takes that to 60K. I give my Gf about 20K every month and send home for the children about 110K a month as well.

Try and bank/ save money for rainy day but cannot seem to get food/ insurances/ drinks and social life below 100K per month.

So welcome to your new roomy for a while....

Whats your address. will be there Saturday.... cheers

You would get a nice villa with a large pool for 55K in Phuket

You spend or save over 290K a month or Over $9300 in Thailand

I find that hard to beleive but you hear a lot of strange things on forums

Quite right,I have a very nice villa with a large pool in Phuket,for 55,000/Month!

My mortgage is 120k a month then the usual bills start

My sister pays that in England,for a 6 bed,600 year old barn conversion worth about one million pounds sterling!

Where exactly do you live?

PC, nice to meet you. Ive decided to shift in with you for a month and see firsthand how the heck you can live on 30K Baht a month. Im in BKK and have given up on budgeting on a monthly basis. I am here as expat and earn an indecent salary with tax benefits but would dearly love to get some discipline into my living costs...

My rent is 55K per month Cable electricity and a water bill that defies any logic, rhyme or reason probably takes that to 60K. I give my Gf about 20K every month and send home for the children about 110K a month as well.

Try and bank/ save money for rainy day but cannot seem to get food/ insurances/ drinks and social life below 100K per month.

So welcome to your new roomy for a while....

Whats your address. will be there Saturday.... cheers

You would get a nice villa with a large pool for 55K in Phuket

You spend or save over 290K a month or Over $9300 in Thailand

I find that hard to beleive but you hear a lot of strange things on forums

Quite right,I have a very nice villa with a large pool in Phuket,for 55,000/Month!

"Her expectations:

• I have to build 2 houses in her province, one for her parents and another for ourself. (I looked around in the Issan forum and I figured that it would cost around 3-4 million bahts for 2 houses,)
  
• A decent car to travel (600K baht?)
  
• Buy a condominium in Bangkok (1-2million baht)
  
• She wants to own a shop selling stuff. (I don't know what kind of stuff yet, and I don't know how much it will cost, probably 5 million baht?)"
  

She's not totally evil and a gold-digger,at least she's planning to leave you your own condo in Bangkok to ask yourself where did it all go wrong(a la George Best)!

Once she dumps you after 2 years,probably to the day.Then moves in with her real boyfriend,for them to run her nice little business,with her parents relaxing in their own house and she in your love nest with him!

She has talent,maybe an event management company would be the one to set up for her?

There are lots of good and nice taxi-drivers but also a lot of crap amongst them. Once somewhere I was reading the advice to take the back seat just behind him. Lots of Thai women aren't using a taxi when they are alone.

Isn't it an idea to inform TAT (Tourist Organization of Thailand) when you have a bad experience?? They are (mostly) very vulnerable and afraid to lose tourism.

I "adapted" these six years by not being nice and smooth but by letting them feel that I'm not accepting bad behavior.

I learned in the mean time that I must not take a taxi in lower Sukhumvit for a bit more distance, I go by BTS (Ekkamai or On Nut) nearest to my home or walk when the traffic-jam is more or less over later in the evening to Asoke Montri, and even there one has a change to be refused.

No meter? No ride! But the "no meter" trick happens very rare.

I don't flag down a taxi (anymore) who was just before refusing people and I even don't ask anymore when one opens the left-front window to ask where I want to go.

I take as much as possible the ones which are recognized as "belonging" to companies as the blue or yellow cabs.

I correct the driver as much as possible when I see that he don't know the direction too much or when he is taking me for a "ride". Once I took a cab and instead of turning to take the shorter way he wanted to go around. After I asked him his answer was "mai pai" (I don't go) and I left the cab.

I take always care that I have enough small money with me and never pay with 500 or even 1.000 Baht notes to avoid that he "cannot change". BTS-stations and the toll-boots are perfect chances to change into small money when I forgot.

My "adaption"? When I go home in the evening I take always two times a taxi to avoid being rejected or sometimes saddled with a driver who starts groaning at the end "klai mak mak" (very far), so, after about twenty kilometers of the forty I let him stop and take another one at a place where they know me already.

Why on earth would you travel a round trip of 80 km per day without buying a car?Please don't tell me it's because the rent in cheaper!

To the O.P. & other posters all I can say is if you think the taxis here are bad,don't ever,ever go to Manila,Philippines!