The manic

51 minutes ago, billybadcund said:

"I just stumbled across a thread titled "Leaving Thailand after 13 years" and it seems that Thailand may not be the paradise one would hope "

 

Is there a paradise where happiness is sustainable for 13 years ? Those guys will be telling their friends in another13 years that the UK or USA or wherever is horrible and they are looking to get out again. As mentioned many times already, wherever you go...there you are!

Ignore the naysayers on this forum. Just come here on an extended holiday.

4 minutes ago, khunpa said:

True, I work online and make much more...

Doing what?

56 minutes ago, seajae said:

I know when we did an island tour(emerald cave trip) all the passengers were required to wear life jackets at all times when the boat was under way but many simply refused to do so, not much the crew can do when they do when faced with it as they are usually females and being hard on people isnt what they do as it would give them a bad name, customer is always right except when they drown because they refused to put a vest on

The captain just stops the boat.

2 hours ago, Proboscis said:

Three points:

 

- just because you find your place in the USA boring does not mean that you will find Thailand interesting or comfortable. Think outside the box. Read what other people say about Thais and black people in Thailand. This is not to say that black people cannot get along there but you would have to work extra hard with the language in order to make it worketc. You would also have to get around the visa situation - in short, if you don't work legally with all the documentation, you cannot stay longer than a few months per year unless you are over 50 in which case you can retire. You might not want to be an English teacher because what you are qualified for is not open to foreigners in Thailand.

- I don't know what your profession/business is but all the folks who I have met over the years who make their living online, invariably there comes a time when that falls off the edge due to reasons outside their own control. Wherever you go in the world, a job puts you in touch with others. Otherwise all you end up meeting are the types that the tourists meet in bars etc and appart from the rip offs, you don't get to meet real people. I am not suggesting that you give up your current comfortable $100K a year but I am suggesting that you take a look at your qualifications and skill set and ask yourself if you are going to be somewhere else, would you be in demand as an economic unit if your current business went down? If the answer is no, then consider getting a qualification that would put you in demand. Many choose English teaching qualification but there are many other things you could do.

- If you have a business that will travel with you, why not travel anyway. You don't have to be stuck in one country. All you need is a good Internet connection - and most places have a good one. Even in African countries, I was able to get a good mobile data connection even though it cost me $150 per month. Depending on how adventurous you are, I would take a look at South Africa, Botswana and even Zimbabwe (I was in Zimbabwe before Mugabwe was deposed and while it was economically depressed, it was potentially a great country - with $100k a year, you could go a long way - now the country is on the way up). If you speak French, there is Senegal and the other French-speaking parts of Africa. But even in Asia, you can look at other countries. Cambodia might be more forgiving about the colour of your skin than Thailand although perhaps you should consider waiting until the election is long over as that could be a bumpy ride. I am not trying to tell you where to go but just to open your mind a little.

 

And don't forget to buy worldwide health insurance (not just travel insurance). You will find that if you cover youself for everywhere except USA and Canada, it will be much cheaper.

 

Good luck.

There is a non PC culture that could be construed as racism. People 'black up' here. But it's not a hate think. The Darlie toothpastes used to be called 'Darkie'

Check out these videos Both show blacked up Thais.

You might experience innocent casual rascism but not hate. There is lots of black modern music on TV

17 hours ago, totally thaied up said:

Ten years here now. Time has gone very fast and yes; this place has changed. A question you need to ask yourself is, 'have you changed or am I bored?'

 

When first arriving in Chiang Mai, it was a fun for me and a very vibrant place. The average 'Joe Thai' was making money, and it was just much happier faces all around. There was a care factor back then with the local farangs and for the Aussie, a strong dollar that made this place cheap and even more fun. Way back then, my MIL was selling 13 trays of desserts a day. She told me life was much better. She had sold so for over 20 years in the same market and made good money. Ten years on, she now sells 1/2 a Tray every three days. Fact is, few have money now she laments, and it has only happened over the last three years. 

 

Try to figure that out ...

 

Most of her friends went broke over the last three years. I see this day by day in my local area. Lots of cash stress and you all would be surprised at how many of my Thai friends are on antidepressants.  Over 1/2 of my wife's friends who had decent degrees are working out of China now as massage girls. They could not make a life on the degree that they had and some of these girls are very smart people. One, of her friends, is super educated, yet sells Moo Ping in the mornings before going to work so she has enough money to give her mother who needed that important monthly income. 

 

Sure, it is all not like this. One thing I have seen change, and that is the fact of our 'care factor' of people. Once people use to care, and at this moment in time, they don't give a flap about anyone. I suppose my care factor is zero as I just have seen some really stupid stuff done here by farangs. They may not have much money when they first come here and leave with a lot less. They get duped by willing sex (being undersexed in the first part by Western standards and suddenly 'sex on tap' for the first time in there lives) and a smart Thai and slowly lose everything they have and they think they are smart about it all. I think things like this make a lot of people bitter here.

 

I came to Thailand at 39 with a Pension. Now at 49 and looking back at the last ten or so years, my life has, in fact, only got a lot better, more interesting, so Thailand was not a bad move. Prices have gone up; farangs don't look at you so much in the eyes as much now and like I said, care factor has gone to zero. I can go home to Aussie at anytime; I am lucky in that fact but like another poster said, if I was capable of working again (I am medically unfit), just my fuel bill or train bill for me to go to work would start at $120 a week and just add parking to it, a tollway cost and the such and I am up to $220 a week. That would be a shock to do again!

 

Now I cannot live anywhere. I spent a lot of time in the Philippines, but that is just a paradise lost in a pile of shat so high, that after a year or so, it was just so hard worrying about basic things in your life like safety. I got bashed badly in the PI back in 1995 in a robbery gone wrong in a taxi and I am lucky to be alive. One thing about Thailand is that to me, it is a safe place to live. I never had a problem here; our doors are open all the time, and I don't have to put up with the cold. Our neighbors are friendly.  We have a good family life. My wife is educated, to a degree, and she complains about things here as well. It is all not just roses. Thais have large concerns as well and she has said living standards have dropped for many of her friends.  

 

I would most likely go home if my wife died. She is 20 years younger than me, so I hope that will not happen as I think I could not go through it all again gaining trust of family and things like that. I might head off over to the EU for a look if it came to that. Like others said here, gaining friends is very hard. Gaining friends in Australia is hard as well, but I don't live a social life either in Australia or Thailand, so friends are not really needed.  What I wrote about above are really silly things but they are part of living here. Crazy roads, pollution that is getting worse, sometimes dual pricing and yes, I have met bad people here as well but that is just part of living. 

 

I do think Thailand has changed,  but you may need to look at yourself and see if it is you that has changed or is it the same you that came here 13 years ago that is now just bored or maybe even depressed. We all change over time and the 'same-same' issue can kill things for some people. I have not changed I think over the last ten years but only just got a bit wiser in understanding we take our happiness wherever we go and being unhappy is a condition you can have anywhere in this big wide old world of ours. Thailand is not a cup of tea but in life, we can add or take away sugar from what drink. I gather you understand what I mean.

 

I hope that helps.

CM has definitely changes for the worst. And parts of Bankkok have robbed of their character.

On 6/20/2018 at 11:20 AM, petermik said:

Can you enlighten us decent Brits here as to where you get this info from.............?

http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Crime/Violent-crime/Murder-rate-per-million-people

He is wrong

They run on the Thames in London

5 minutes ago, Cheops said:

Are you from the Netherlands same as where I come from? If so, I hear ya.

Or the UK or Germany or France etc etc 

35 minutes ago, Shiver said:

Auspicious daze, no Meth, Yaba, Cocaine etc?

 

Respec my authoritar!

No. You'll need to Sydney or London or New York or any civilised city in the world for what you want.

2 hours ago, Kerryd said:

What, 18 posts in and 17 TV members haven't whined that this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back as far as the tourism industry is concerned ?

Or maybe they've all finally learned how to buy 2 bottles of Chang from the 7-11 the day before instead of the usual 1 ?

Two bottles of whisky I think you mean?

2 minutes ago, Small Joke said:

To those who would leave for 'home' or other pastures. 

Beware, you'll take yourself with you. Meaning look inside first for the discontent,  don't project onto things you have no control over, such as tenuous visas and rubbish government. Focus on the great things here. Which are many.

I lasted no more than 14 months abroad. I'm back and very very lucky to have slipped back into my exact old place and routine. 

Mexico, Cambodia, and the Phillipines can't even come close. They're slums by comparison.

My western home countries (I have multiple residency) all suck. 

Stay put unless you have a rock solid guarantee life will be better elsewhere. 

Well said. 

On 6/21/2018 at 5:13 PM, honu said:

I'm not really that familiar with different brands, or the gold and red versions sold by that main producer.  I just wanted to mention they sell loose leaf flavored tea and also tea powder, an instant mix.  I guess it would just depend which one you wanted to buy, or maybe both. 

 

I write a blog about tea but it's the other kinds of tea, about loose teas, not flavored ones.  You might consider picking up some Thai oolong too; some of it's ok, and it's inexpensive, and brewing loose tea isn't that difficult.

And do you cover Bael tea?

On 6/26/2018 at 6:56 AM, Oxx said:

Ain't no such thing as "Thai chilli oil".  It's a Chinese thing.  Not part of traditional Thai cuisine at all.
.

I first came across it Lisbon in the

80s sold in 'Tashkas' with simple roast chicken. Now I make my own. Just stuff a container full of dried chillies and cover in oil of choice.Then seal it and leave it.I use olive oil or rice bran husk oil or coconut oil. But there are many different approaches.

On 7/18/2018 at 12:30 PM, goegoe said:

And have you taught your wives to stop using a lot of these crap sauces and sodium $hit that all Thai use ? Or did you agree to die as quickly as most Thai who have no idea about healthy food and nutrition ?

 

 

Why assume the wife needs this knowledge unless she does all the cooking. And don't American and Australian people need the same advice?

I have trued find out where this happened. Which Temple? The given link not useful. So : does anybody know where this happened?

15 minutes ago, oldrunner said:

Seeing all those confiscated weapons does not give one a warm feeling when traversing the streets of Pattaya (which I don't). I have a difficult time envisioning someone strutting down Walking Street with one of those rifles tucked down his pant leg.

Pity The USA police dont have the right to confiscate guns in the same way!

2 hours ago, tropo said:

That's not my experience in Bangkok. Maybe you need to know the ropes, but as an infrequent visitor to BKK I've found it difficult to get taxis to use meters in the popular tourist areas.  

You just ask/tell the driver to put on the metre as you get in! Ih de doesn't then you get out.

6 hours ago, car720 said:

This is a wind up and people are falling into it left right and centre.

I have overstayed many times and have always just payed at the airport on the way out..  In Thailand money talks and bs walks.  Everyone knows this.

But did you go to the police first?

Its the was candle festival...ruined by sobriety

Just now, jak2002003 said:

You are describing America here right?

Nice one!

7 minutes ago, Maradona 10 said:

If you really believe you are going back to Oz as some returning mystical hero who 'conquered and survived' SE Asia then you are in for a big wake up call, as no-one will give a hoot at what you have been doing. Now put the violin away and depart quietly, and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

555. Survived? You are joking. Thrived and lead a life of adventure, hedonism and pleasure wwould be my boast.

Lazy Cheap Student food for the culinary uneducated full of sugar, salt, chemical leading to bad health

On 7/18/2018 at 10:49 AM, goegoe said:

 

 

The problem is that airbnb is not clear.

Booking.com is a lot better in my opinion.

 

 

I dont like aany of these booking agencies.  I hate paying in advance.  I think they increase prices and block book rooms in hotels giving the impression they are full when they are not. Always deal with a hotel direct.

13 minutes ago, Mac98 said:

Returning home is not a failure. You had a great adventure. Memories no one can take away. After a few years you may look elsewhere in the world. It's in the blood.

It depends in what frame of mind one returns home and to what and to whom.For most people it's the end of a dream. Its returning home to die