Hornyskunk

With 10m baht, I could finally marry my girlfriend, who I love more than anything. I've been wondering for a long time how I'll be able to afford her dowry. She is from a really good family.

If I were deported back to the states, I would go right back into the marijuana business. My girlfriend is lucky that I care more about love than money or I would have never left.

Try playing video games. Alternatively, trade me lives and I'll play video games for you.

PC strategy games from Paradox (i.e. Europa Universalis IV), Firaxis (i.e. Civilization V) and Creative Assembly (i.e. Total War Rome II) can be very intellectually challenging, especially against human opponents, and do not require youthful reaction times. They are also mostly history-based, appealing to an older crowd. I play these games when I get tired of mass murdering children in other games (or when I lose to that one teenager in a thousand that is actually better than me).

This is the best news I've heard out of Thailand in a long time.

if they would really do, it would be in the scale of Pol Pot... and you can buy a few rai of land cheaply in downtown Bangkok or Chang Mai....

Where I work, a staff position is highly desirable, but most work is done by consultants. I would guess that the ratio between staff and consultants is about 1:1.

1) For a staff member in a senior technical position (such as a senior economist) with 10+ years of experience, salary is at least 300k/month. I highly doubt any make less than that, but would not be surprised to learn that some earn more than double. Most non-senior staff make around 200k/month and typically do not have 10+ years of experience. Pay for consultants is highly variable and depends on things like experience, field of expertise and demand. Many consultants are paid similarly to staff and have worked here for years. Unfortunately, a lot of guys in IT, logistics, operations, etc. are losing their contracts to Thais due to policy changes. Some staff and consultants are required to travel frequently, for which they are paid extra on travel days.

2) For both consultants and staff, health and life insurance are pretty basic. For staff, health also covers dental, vision and dependents. No housing allowance or insurance. No vehicle allowance or insurance.

3) Pensions for staff, but I'm 27 without dependents so I haven't paid any attention. Several of our staff are retiring soon, however, and based on our conversations, I imagine it is pretty good.

4) Regardless of where you work, you should expect your employer to shoulder all costs associated with moving to and working in Thailand.

I think that the OP wants us sexpats to be more honest about how we love Thai pussy more than we love Thai food.

I suggest we all wear badges saying "WILL F*** FOR FOOD".

Thailand is good at growing rice.

This is the best news I've heard out of Thailand in a long time.

Wait a second... what's with all the Thai hate here. Now I'm no fan of Thais or Thailand, but ain't it always the fault of the chump for being a chump?

Ok... I admit it... I came here to have sex. I would have never come to Thailand on my own for any reason except to have sex.

Does it make me a sexpat though if I was having sex with the girl before coming here? In other words, I followed the pussy here, I didn't get here first and then start looking for it.

There should be another word for that. I don't want to be lumped in the same category as my dad.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

If you were married to a Thai and really trusted your partner with a lot of money, couldn't you just wire all your money into her bank account and never have to worry about FBAR or FATCA or anything else? For all intents and purposes, wouldn't you be worthless bum living off your rich Thai wife, at least in the eyes of the IRS?

Overall best place to live in Bangkok for 15-20k a month? Chulalongkorn University.

Hey, sometimes governments do good things. I voted for the full legalization of marijuana in Colorado and it actually passed. I am still shocked.

It's funny how peoples views can differ. I totaly agree with you on the pot thing but totaly disagree with you on the marriage thing. I am a single hetrosexual man (have a gf). I have no issues at all with gay marriage. If two guys or girls want to marry why should it bother me. Giving tax breaks to parents is something I could agree with but not based on sexuality or ethnicity.

Tax breaks aren't going to stop gay people getting married.

The way some are so disgusted by gay people is quite funny. You would almost think they were scared they might catch "gay"

I don't want to stop gays from being together in legally-recognized unions, I just want the state to call it anything other than "marriage" and to do something to protect traditional marriages that produce children, which I believe are a cornerstone of any society. I think that other demographic groups, not just gays, should respect and contribute to traditional married couples with children in exchange for state recognition and protection of their rights. Just as we pay taxes to sustain armed forces for our national security, we should also pay taxes to sustain parents and their children for our nation's future.

If the state will not promote traditional marriages by requiring gay "marriages" to contribute taxes to support them, I will not support gay marriage. I think that is a fair tradeoff.

If a minority group wants to benefit from state protection of their rights, they should pay taxes to support the majority. For example, immigrants should pay taxes to support citizens, abortees should pay taxes to support mothers, gun owners should pay taxes to support police, polluters should pay taxes to support environmentalists, etc.

In Colorado, weed is taxed to support schools. Colorado was previously one of the worst states in terms of public education. Based on my own experience, I believe that potheads in Colorado are overwhelmingly in favor of paying consumption taxes (in some jurisdictions up to 50%) to support education. I think that even the old farts on their farms in "Northern Colorado", who actually voted to secede from the state over the marijuana issue, would agree that weed has been a huge economic boon for the state and that the tax revenues are completely transforming schools. I see no reason why this political strategy cannot be applied to gays and other minority groups with similar successes for both sides of the issue.

DECIDES to be gay??? lol

Yes, gay people decide to be gay.

I don't like this BS about some kind of biological programming which forces someone to be gay. When I was 13, I felt my biology was forcing me to hump anything with a vagina, yet I chose not to. If an insanely horny 13-year-old can make the conscious decision to masturbate rather than have sex with the class slut, then anyone can, gay or straight. Anyone can choose abstinence. I don't recommend it, but please don't have sex with someone and then tell the world that you couldn't have avoided it just because you were born that way.

Tell the truth: I am a man/woman and I chose to have sex with a man/woman because that's what I like and that is my right!

I wish I could use the excuse that my biology forces me to smoke weed in order to be happy. Unfortunately, as humans, our brains give us near total control over our natural urges.

I know I'll get so much hate for this...

I believe in the half-your-age-plus-seven rule with regards to maximum age disparities in sexual relationships.

It should be made a law and replace the age of consent (effectively making the age of consent 14, permissible only between two 14-year-olds).

I don't like seeing old men with young women or old women with young men.

In my defense, I am a young man.

Hey, sometimes governments do good things. I voted for the full legalization of marijuana in Colorado and it actually passed. I am still shocked.

What ?? Colorado here we come.....

You didn't know that? We should start a new poll: Should Thailand legalize marijuana?

Ha... this is embarrassing.

My girlfriend and I are both recent grads so we both "cook" a lot of instant noodles. I'm not even sure why. We weren't even that poor in school. Something about those cheap green curry noodles...

good luck with that

Hey, sometimes governments do good things. I voted for the full legalization of marijuana in Colorado and it actually passed. I am still shocked.

Homosexuals should not be allowed to marry.

They should be allowed to be together in legally-recognized unions that are differentiated from heterosexual marriages by the state for the purposes of taxation and wealth redistribution.

I believe that divorcees, immigrants, singles and homosexuals should be taxed to benefit heterosexual marriages, especially those which produce children, in order to maintain a nationalistic demographic ideal. I think this is only fair, as something must be done to ensure that heterosexual marriages with children are encouraged for the sustainability of a nation and its culture.

This means that immigrant couples with children should not receive the same benefits unless at least one parent is a national. Homosexual couples with children should also not receive tax breaks.

Edit: BTW there are a lot more disgusting things in public than gay asscheeks. At least those guys look like they shower.

My sentiments exactly. One thing economists are good for...uh sorry I forget. Economics is not and never can be a science. It's a course in college. In the real world they serve little purpose. The above economist is consistently losing money every month changing USD to Baht. Why would you do that? To make a killing when the big turnaround comes? No one thinks that's about to happen except apparently the above economist.

Leave the speculation about where the exchange rate is going to the forex traders.

I am converting my savings to THB because I don't need USD in Thailand and I need to pay a dowry eventually. Anyway, my salary is paid in USD to my US bank and my "savings" is actually recently sold stock, as I am expecting a Fed rate hike later this year that will force a market correction. I am not a forex trader, but neither am I ignorant of the indicators that forex traders monitor to update their algorithms. It is likely that the USD will gain on the THB in the short-term, especially when (or if) the Fed raises rates, but the dollar is already overvalued compared to other currencies. If you are not in a hurry to trade THB for USD, just wait; your purchasing power will increase.

Nobody forces you to respect or listen to economists just as nobody forces you to respect or listen to doctors. Doctors ensure your health, while economists ensure your wealth. Economics cannot be a natural science because human behaviors cannot be defined in unfalsifiable models.

ACH is an acronym of sorts for Automated Clearing House. To oversimplify, it's the financial settlement system for transferring money in the U.S. banking system. U.S. federal law limits the number of ACH transactions per month from a US savings account to six but - to my knowledge - there is no limit on amounts.

As you mentioned, you would have no difficulties wire transferring money from the proceeds of a property sale.

US domestic ACH transfers to Bangkok Bank are a cost-effective way to exchange USD for THB as the transfer is free (depending on your bank), BKKBK charges very little and the exchange rate is excellent. My two banks both limit ACH transfers to $5000 per day or per transfer. I can increase the limit upon request, of course, but that could raise suspicions within the bank or the IRS when the money is leaving the country, or so I've heard. For me, international wire transfers take too long, are expensive and will need to be reported to the IRS if over $10000. I am not a tax professional, so I don't know what the IRS is up to, but I'm sure they could come up with some reason to tax me.

Feel sorry for you and millions alike USA citizens who somehow think arming everyone promotes a safe society. You need to live a few years or decades in a west European country or Canada to appreciate how safe feeling it is that the population is not armed to the teeth. Most farang feel perfectly safe in Thailand without a gun including me. But I guess that's because I'm not American.

To each his own.

No, he's actually wrong.

Murder happens where crime is profitable.

No point being a drug dealer in Alaska ...... not enough potential customers.

No point being a mugger on the plains .... not enough potential victims.

That is a valid argument, but it is also conducive to the theory that population density encourages crime. You may be interested to know that Alaska is some kind of frozen hell where rates of drug use, homicide and gun ownership are all moderate to high. I'm guessing it has something to do with being so close to Russia.

I read the BBC during breakfast and found this story on the decline of US power:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33440287

It appears we should be less concerned about anarchy in the US and more concerned about anarchy in the world thanks to the ineptitude of Mubarak Hussein Osama in foreign affairs.

Sorry. It is currently a very bad time to exchange baht for USD.

If you live in the US, federal law dictates a maximum of 6 ach transfers from a savings account per billing cycle. This can limit your ability to exchange dollars for baht quickly if using ach transfers.

I might be late, but I have a job suggestion for the OP.

Have you considered working on a cruise ship? Several lines operate around Southeast Asia and stop at ports in Thailand.

I love going on cruises and I always take advantage of the top-notch gym and trainers. In my experience, fitness is not much of a priority for cruisegoers so I often get great one-on-one training. I don't know what they get paid or how they get the job, but it might be worth looking into.

I came from the US to Thailand 6 months ago and tried desperately to avoid teaching, as the salary is way too low for me. For 6 months, I was unemployed, living off savings, and I made a small income of around 15k baht per month writing research papers for college students.

Interestingly, if I had actually tried, this could have been a viable freelance job in the long-term, as I made around 15k baht per month writing 3-4 papers based on other people's research. All my customers were from two departments at one university. If I had devoted my time to it and sought customers at other universities, I'm sure I could have at least tripled my income.

To do this, however, you would need to be a good writer and to have already published some research papers on your own

Yes, now is a very good time to exchange USD for THB. I have exchanged the maximum I am allowed per month both this month and the last two months.

I am an economist. If you really want the whole technical explanation you can pm me, but you can also just look at FRED graphs and the dollar index over time. Hint: economic cycle theorists are often correct.