DrWho

Korea, Thailand, HK

Korea -- North or South?

I used to visit Seoul (though I never lived there), but I've not been to the North.

Actually, I'd love to go to the North to see what it's like.

Watch this:

See those women at ONE MINUTE TEN SECONDS.

Obedient; disciplined; well behaved. That's what I call a woman!

Sorry if you want to ask more questions, I suggest you start a new topic. Going off topic on your own topic is not how things are done around here. Maybe the norm down Singapore way, but around here we have standards. Not high ones, but standards nonetheless

A reasonable attempt at humour.

But a fail, nonetheless.

Feel free to try again when you've had a bit more coffee.

you better hurry up or that big presentation you are making for your meeting today or it will end up like most of your posts on here...rushed, ill thought out, lacking in details, and barely comprehensible.

if you keep replying to me instead of fixing the error of your ways, don't blame me that the whole office will be sitting there in silence while you read word after word of every slide on your ppt. Take a look around during your presentation today, see how many people are chatting away on their phones via facebook to the effect of 'man this guy is boring me to tears'. if you see more than 30% of the audience doing this, skipped to the learnings slide at the end, assuming there is one and wrap it up quick quick..

Lame.

Sorry if you want to ask more questions, I suggest you start a new topic. Going off topic on your own topic is not how things are done around here. Maybe the norm down Singapore way, but around here we have standards. Not high ones, but standards nonetheless

A reasonable attempt at humour.

But a fail, nonetheless.

Feel free to try again when you've had a bit more coffee.

OP...

I've met a few men (particularly from Australia and the UK) who have UK brides.

My wife is Thai. We've been together for 8 years. So I'm not "in the market" for an English bride

Out of very polite curiosity, what's the appeal of a English bride?

Clever!

I may be an asshol_e mate but dont let that get in the way of your ego ....

Why not just stop being a fool and start your own threads.

Are you a weak-minded parasite, or are you in control of your life?

If you're a man worth calling a man, stop creeping round me. I'm not interested. Move on. Do your own thing. Make your own threads.

Are you man enough to do that, or will you come creeping round me again?

flies are attracted to shit I guess. subtle enough for ya?

Ah, the hallmark of the jerk.

As much as you tell these fools to bugger off .... they never go.

Though I've only been here for a short time, I've noticed that very many expats are married to local women.

I've met a few men (particularly from Australia and the UK) who have Thai brides.

My wife is English. We've been together for 16 years. So I'm not "in the market" for a Thai bride.

Out of very polite curiosity, what's the appeal of a Thai bride?

Dear DrWho, Even though your question is not stupid at all

Expecting decent answers from a gathering of scummy people.... is not brilliant

The response made in post number 83 exemplifies your point admirably. The guy wrote:

Regarding your last sentence, she told me while naked, that she does this out of pity for you. Your are right though, she is pretty sexy.

But most people who've replied come across as very decent.

I may be an asshol_e mate but dont let that get in the way of your ego ....

Why not just stop being a fool and start your own threads.

Are you a weak-minded parasite, or are you in control of your life?

If you're a man worth calling a man, stop creeping round me. I'm not interested. Move on. Do your own thing. Make your own threads.

Are you man enough to do that, or will you come creeping round me again?

Mexico, Bolivia, Uganda, Libya, Cambodia, China and Thailand and looking to drag my ass through Saudi Arabia next year. I will feel like a whore and maybe break contract but I feel I need to be imprisoned there before I have the cash to be free.

How was Uganda?

Uganda was raw and almost every day I would see something that surprised me. The women are renowned for their ugliness though and everybody shouts at each other when they speak. Get a motorbike or car and you'll live happily, enjoying every weekend.. cars are expensive though.

Thank you for sharing that. If you have time, perhaps you'd be kind enough to post more of your tales. I'd love to hear more about Uganda.

Have a great day tomorrow (Wednesday).

Dr Who should get in his tardis and head for the dark side-Pattaya at night.Then report back his moral findings on a % of the expat community.

Funny how the OP should start his journey in lower sukhimvit.

Bangkok is a massive city with a varied assortment of foriegners, the same as any other international city.

Do you live in BKK? Do you wear bifocals?

Hub of "undesirables"?

Dr Who, you have moved to "The hub of the hubs"

Thailand sets itself up as the hub for everything and unfortunately it does have a high proportion of rejects from overseas, but that's what you get when you create a whore hub, alcohol hub, paedophile hub, drug hub, scam hub, corruption hub, mafia hub, animal, human and drug trafficing hub, lawless hub, etc. hub.

Nevertheless, there is a proportion of expat men who are not attracted by all the hubs and lead "normal" lives, similar to any other guy living in a sophisticated, westernised country.

Find different places to go and hang out and you'll find them.

Yes, I read all about the "hubs" nonsense today.

Your quote: "a high proportion of rejects from overseas". I can now see this is true.

This forum, actually, evidences your quote. It's a quote which my HR Manager echoes.

But I never imagined that Thailand would be like this.

In no order over a one year stint-Toronto, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Manila and finally Bangkok

Less than one year, Frankfurt, London, St. John's Newfoundland, Rome

Favourites to date-Bangkok, Frankfurt, Toronto

Least favourite-Manila

Rome. I used to visit clients in Rome. I remember staying at the Holiday Inn near St Peters.

Rome is great, but I preferred Milan.

Mexico, Bolivia, Uganda, Libya, Cambodia, China and Thailand and looking to drag my ass through Saudi Arabia next year. I will feel like a whore and maybe break contract but I feel I need to be imprisoned there before I have the cash to be free.

How was Uganda?

As an engineer - UK, The Netherlands, Denmark, USA, Japan, The Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Germany, France and of course Thailand.

Before that a professional cyclist - France, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium.

Italy was head and shoulders the best place to live and work - and the worst place to race.

How interesting. Thank you for sharing.

Can I ask where you cycled in Italy? And France? And Switzerland?

Do you still cycle here in Thailand?

I once cycled from London to Brighton.

I had a Holdsworth. Does that mean anything?

Italy was head and shoulders the best place to live and work - and the worst place to race.

Italy...specically Tuscany is still high up in my list of places to retire to..

Tuscanny ain't cheap. I used to visit a client in Florence (Firenze). He had an amazing farmhouse with a small vinyard and olive grove. A wonderful life!

Provence in the south of France would also be nice. But again, it's no longer cheap.

Have you thought about parts of south America: Peru and Ecuador? Great food; relaxed lifestyle; affordable.

I guess it all comes down to your own individual budget.

Hello again.

My current thread about expats working in Thailand reveals that lots of men on this forum have experience of working in a wide range of locations around the globe. I find this extremely interesting.

Perhaps you would like to say where else you have worked.

My personal resumé is small: Singapore and Thailand (BKK).

Would I be right in assuming that many of you have worked in the Middle East?

Thanks in advance for any input you are willing to offer.

Dear DrWho, Even though your question is not stupid at all

Expecting decent answers from a gathering of scummy people.... is not brilliant

The response made in post number 83 exemplifies your point admirably. The guy wrote:

Regarding your last sentence, she told me while naked, that she does this out of pity for you. Your are right though, she is pretty sexy.

But most people who've replied come across as very decent.

A quick thank you to everyone for replying.

It's both surprising and interesting to note that there are so many other expats on this forum who have experience of working in East and South East Asia.

I look forward to sharing ideas, thoughts and feedback with all of you in the near future.

There maybe some validity in what the OP is saying, lets face it Thailand has large numbers of foreign retiree's, hanger's on and wannbee's where as places like Singapore dont, the vast majority of expats in Singapore, HK etc are working there with reputable companies, therefore there would be a tendancy for there to be more undesirables in Thailand just based on numbers.

Based on my own observations of 10 years here and in comparision with other countries I have lived, worked in, Thailand does seem to have a lot more "damaged" , bitter, resentful, chip on their shoulder type expats floating around than I have seen on other places

You are obviously an expat who has experience of working in a number of regional locations. Your comments are well observed.

Many of my colleagues are based in HK, KL, Seoul, Tokyo, Sing, and Macao. The general consensus is that the man who has been transferred to BKK is the man who has drawn the short straw.

My contract is only for 6 months. After this, I'm back to Sing.

In my firm Manila is the shortest straw, most last 1 month and either quit or beg to come back to Tokyo/SIN/HK. The ones posted in BKK end up being in-house tour guides for the rest of the firm. You have to be very very careful suggesting things to do in BKK. I know one guy who ruined his career being posted in BKK and his big mouth.

That's interesting. What is it about Manila that's so bad? I've not been there, but I've heard terrible feedback.

I think I can understand the rest of your post. My wife and I have a Thai chauffeur. We are quite certain that he has been told where he can and can't take us. He won't take us to that market place PATPONG. We think it's because there are too many scams there.

Singapore and KL expats are mostly on better packages and are generally higher up the company ladder than those in BKK as the cost of living is higher, so it makes sense to keep lower level employees in cheaper postings such as BKK. In Singapore you don't find pensioners and school teachers ( although when I lived in Singapore I knew some freelance school teachers ) as you do in Thailand.

You don know your talking through your bottom dont you ?

<deleted> are you on about? I've been in the region two decades and have lived in both countries and know corporate expats in both countries from two decades ago until now.

Well if you have lived in the region so long, you would know that numerous MNC's have their regional Asian HO's in Thailand, namely BKK, and satellite offices in Singapore and KL.

Therefore their main corporate structures are sitting in BKK..ie the higher ups on the corporate ladders as you put it and packages between BKK/Singapore/KL are pretty much the same with slight adjustments for accomadation costs in Singapore, because yes it does cost more for accomdatation in Singapore

Yes, you are right. If anything, the tangible benefits of being here in BKK are better than in other regional locations. We have a nice house in a gated community. Our daughters attend an international school that is within the same complex (or MOO BARN). The maid comes every other day (at our request), and the gardeners/swimming pool men come once a week.

Our neighbors are mostly Japanese, and they are extremely pleasant and polite.

The standing joke that to be assigned to BKK represents having "drawn the short straw" stems from Thailand's reputation for sleaze and crime.

An assignment here does not by any means indicate a reduction in salary and associated benefits. I apologize for not having made this point clear earlier.

There maybe some validity in what the OP is saying, lets face it Thailand has large numbers of foreign retiree's, hanger's on and wannbee's where as places like Singapore dont, the vast majority of expats in Singapore, HK etc are working there with reputable companies, therefore there would be a tendancy for there to be more undesirables in Thailand just based on numbers.

Based on my own observations of 10 years here and in comparision with other countries I have lived, worked in, Thailand does seem to have a lot more "damaged" , bitter, resentful, chip on their shoulder type expats floating around than I have seen on other places

You are obviously an expat who has experience of working in a number of regional locations. Your comments are well observed.

Many of my colleagues are based in HK, KL, Seoul, Tokyo, Sing, and Macao. The general consensus is that the man who has been transferred to BKK is the man who has drawn the short straw.

My contract is only for 6 months. After this, I'm back to Sing.

I invested 13 years in Singapore - and now I'm here. Drew the short straw this time, didn't you? Well, never mind, we all cop a ration of shit sometime or other. It could be worse, Iran, Iraq, Saudi, the Sudan, Afghanistan and Libya are marginally worse. Belgium's pretty gross too!

Ever tried Manila?!!

The OP is either blessed with accute powers of observation or cursed with a severe case of judgementall prejudice.

On the basis of the evidence pesented by expats in Thailand it is impossible to discern if the OP has been blessed or cursed.

From what I've seen so far, the expat community here in BBK is very different to those in Sing and KL.

A quick look inside the pubs/bars dotted along Sukhumwit crystalizes this assertion.

The crem de la crem is of course in Pattaya a must see for all new expats. A short taxi ride.

The social misfits are hidden up in villages and in the hills up north. These are the type of folk one needs to be very wary off.

This is very similar to what out HR guy said. He said there is a place up in the north called Chang My and there are islands in the south that should be avoided.

Reasons: expats doings -- drugs; smuggling; online porn businesses; online gambling businesses; prostitution; and (sometimes) worse.

There maybe some validity in what the OP is saying, lets face it Thailand has large numbers of foreign retiree's, hanger's on and wannbee's where as places like Singapore dont, the vast majority of expats in Singapore, HK etc are working there with reputable companies, therefore there would be a tendancy for there to be more undesirables in Thailand just based on numbers.

Based on my own observations of 10 years here and in comparision with other countries I have lived, worked in, Thailand does seem to have a lot more "damaged" , bitter, resentful, chip on their shoulder type expats floating around than I have seen on other places

You are obviously an expat who has experience of working in a number of regional locations. Your comments are well observed.

Many of my colleagues are based in HK, KL, Seoul, Tokyo, Sing, and Macao. The general consensus is that the man who has been transferred to BKK is the man who has drawn the short straw.

My contract is only for 6 months. After this, I'm back to Sing.

The OP is either blessed with accute powers of observation or cursed with a severe case of judgementall prejudice.

On the basis of the evidence pesented by expats in Thailand it is impossible to discern if the OP has been blessed or cursed.

From what I've seen so far, the expat community here in BBK is very different to those in Sing and KL.

A quick look inside the pubs/bars dotted along Sukhumwit crystalizes this assertion.

Hello everyone.

I recently transferred from Singapore to BKK.

I'm surprised at some of the things I've seen here.

I met a man in Sukhumwit Road who said that many expats here in Thailand are "the scum of the earth".

What do you think? I've certainly noticed more than a few "undesirables" here. The expat business community seems to be very small.