mikebike

Mr. Mikebike, I didn’t know you could type into a previous post like that so I missed it. Your posts have IMO been the most thoughtful replies, I abhor the simpleton one-liners, it’s the exchange of ideas I crave, hopefully I’m going to learn something from you and in an equaling of the weight and balance scale of life I can deliver some information from my perspective that hopefully you can benefit from reading as well. It’s ironic that this thread morphed into a discussion of racial prejudice in the US derived from one sentence in a five paragraph post I made regarding my dissatisfactions with living in Thailand but as they say “it is what it is”. [i think your first post on this thread falls into the 'stream of consciousness' style of writing which often results in superfluous tangents by the author. Sometimes these tangents are more worthy of discussion than the actual point of the material i.e.: subjective perception of racism vs objective discussion of the effects of systemic institutionalized, culturalized racism.]

Obviously in a country the size of the US there are going to be people that look down on others based on the color of their skin. Personally I don’t know anyone that places any importance on such a naive meaningless appraisal of an individual. In the US there are Asians, Africans, Latino’s, Indians, Caucasians, Native Americans and more that have achieved the apex of success and accomplishment, there are no barriers preventing individuals with the dedication and perseverance to acquire valuable skills and use those skills to achieve. [individual success is NOT a meter of racial equality. In a racism-free society you would expect to see all races represented equally in all endeavours - from gardener to CEO; the proportion of races employed in ALL sectors should reasonably reflect the proportion of races in the population as a whole. Though this is an ideal never to be achieved in the real world, there is little doubt that there is a great deal of room for improvement in equity in the USA.]

Financially I understand everyone is expendable in the Thai’s economy. I’m not kidding myself believing that the elimination of the distribution of my wealth into my community will create a hardship to more than the people I employ and the companies whose goods and services I consume. As far as my investment portfolio and financial footprint I am not “two different people” I don’t “spend a boatload of money” I invest, for two goals, capital gains and to acquire and manage quality streams of income. I employ people in the community in the acquisition and maintenance of these investments along with the goods and services I consume that produces my economic contribution. In reality my economic contribution far exceeds 20 times the average Thai’s. There are Thai’s and farang in Thailand that make my footprint seem insignificant and I understand in reality I am merely a minuscule player in the financial realm but a substantial player when compared to the average Thai citizen. I use my money for myself and I invest because I enjoy the game. But the game is very restricted for me as a farang in Thailand another reason I’m moving on I desire more investment freedom. [understood. I have found that, for me, living here but keeping my business and investments back in my home country to be an enjoyable, relatively stress-free, way to go.]

Ultimately after 8 years I will always have an economic contribution in Thailand I’m just reducing and redeploying. I plan to keep a home in Thailand and spend at least a few months a year there; ultimately there is a lot about Thailand I love, their language, their food but now that I know the reality of what it is to live here and I’m not satisfied. The business restrictions placed on farang, the corruption, the filthy environment, [Where DO you live that is so freakin' filthy - and why would you stay there even up to now?] however the real reason I'm moving on is the awareness that as a farang it has been made very clear to me, over and over again and I tried to resit believing it but I am no longer going to deceive myself, I’m really not wanted in Thailand, I'm just tolerated and I'm not willing to live in a place were I am not wanted. [because we are interlopers not immigrants - you will find that outside of North America and Australia which required immigration to become nations there is very little culture of accepting foreigners/immigrants with open arms... and even in NA & Aus those open arms closed quite some time ago.]

My thoughts in blue...

Abhor may have be a poor choice of words probably boring is more fitting. Brevity in communication can be an excellent method of collaborating ideas depending on what is said. IMO brevity exposes itself all too often as a replacement for deficiency in communication skills, lack of subject knowledge and laziness.

While I agree some of the most intellectually superior mentally engaging ideas are communicated in a brief manor, as some examples these brief phrases are IMO priceless communications, “actions speak louder than words” or “by his deeds you shall know him” and “the older I get the less I pay attention to what people say I watch what they do”.

Very fitting, “actions”, “deeds” and “attention to what is done, not said”. The more value an individual associates to an endeavor in communication the more time they will spend in its pursuit, it can then be extrapolated that the action of creating one-liners and three or four word responses most of the time IMO are an indication of an insignificant level of value an individual places on their reply. “By their deeds you shall know him”, they are not engaging in serious intellectual communication, it is the equivalent to playing a children’s game.

I tend to value brevity, clarity, and simplicity in communications. Writers who take the time to self-edit considering their topic and audience tend to be more effective communicators IMHO. People who can self-edit in verbal communications are a rare treat when I encounter them... Cookie cutter phrasing using worn-out cliches is not really acceptable, even in sports interviews!!

I like to turn the shower on full so when I get back after a full day out, the water is already warmed up.

I've also found leaving the fridge door wide open all day helps keep the kitchenette a little cooler.

Sandyyyyyyyyy...................Allo Allo............Earth to Sandman come in Sandman.

How about soiling the bed every night to get your money's worth out of the cleaners,

I had a customer who was a long-tern resident in one of our rooms... functional alcoholic with good job, 20-30 beers a day... used to pee his bed regularly... we just adjusted his room-rate to account for purchasing new mattresses!!

So how many mattresses did he buy himself??

Well none really, but over the course of 3ish years we replaced the mattress 5-6 times. Cleaners were taught to use animal urine cleaner/deodorizer/neutralizer once a week!

Anybody seen perfume-free fabric softener?

Uh yeah, borax...

I like to turn the shower on full so when I get back after a full day out, the water is already warmed up.

I've also found leaving the fridge door wide open all day helps keep the kitchenette a little cooler.

Sandyyyyyyyyy...................Allo Allo............Earth to Sandman come in Sandman.

How about soiling the bed every night to get your money's worth out of the cleaners,

I had a customer who was a long-tern resident in one of our rooms... functional alcoholic with good job, 20-30 beers a day... used to pee his bed regularly... we just adjusted his room-rate to account for purchasing new mattresses!!

Make your own...?

http://www.mommypotamus.com/homemade-natural-laundry-detergent-made-easy/

Now for my experience on this topic. I've been riding for 45 years. Bought my first bike in 1970, a GT500 Suzuki 2 stroke.

Good post rapom. Although all that experience my have blurred your memory a wee bit... The Suzuki GT series consisted of the 'ram air' GT380 and 550, and the liquid-cooled GT750 'water buffalo'. I remember this well because my first bike was a GT550 - NOT 500!!

I think you are both right, sort of, there was a Suzuki T500, made from 1963 until 1977.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_T_series

Well bugger my memory!! GT series was not introduced until '72... So rapom either had a 1970 T500 or a 1972 or onward GT550... Where are you rapom to answer this burning question!!

Did your bike look like this (T500) TWIN:

Or like this (GT550) TRIPLE:

Race issues are expressed differently in different countries.

Here is an interesting perspective from a very educated black American on his eye opening experiences as a temporary expat in Ukraine:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/01/02/a-cop-in-ukraine-said-he-was-detaining-me-because-i-was-black-i-appreciated-it/

Nice find JT!!

Hmmm, a much more levelled post lacking the vitriol of your first post, thanks!

[yeah really? try telling that to Michael Brown and those protesting the fallout of the court decision regarding Ferguson] I have no interest in the color of a person’s skin; I engage mentally with people and judge them on their intellectual prowess. I know no one in America that cares either; I’m sure there are people in America that care about such issues but I don’t know any. I believe racism in the US is promoted by the media and the government, a physiological operation, primarily hype, used for destabilization and misdirection. I can’t think of a single American that I know that has any interest in human skin pigmentation, the color of someone’s skin is meaningless. American police may be are out of control but I pay no attention to "Ferguson" or any mainstream media it is IMO a staged controlled fiction. What I’m referring to is the Thai racism not American, the people are fixated on the meaningless preoccupation of having white skin, IMO a complete and total waste of time.

[stereotype much? I'm guessing you live in one of the Farang Ghettos... Where I live most of the locals are hard working, industrious, and community minded.] Do I live in a ghetto? Hardly. [Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, Sukumvit area?? If yes, you live in a farang ghetto - it is an expression, not a condemnation.] However I agree there are some very decent respectable Thai people and to those people I have respect. [interesting change of tack from your original statement... "Thailand is filthy and reflects its people’s attitude; they are a lethargic group, most sleeping over a bowl of rice at there job with little pride in their surroundings."]

[Why, oh why, would the Thai government be spending its time and money protecting you - a non-citizen?] That is why I will be removing myself from Thailand I want a home, not a country were the government cares only about certain people but about all the people equally and treat all individuals equally under the law. I'm finished with the police shakedowns and being looked down on by their government.

[Ah, here it comes - "They're gonna miss me (my money) when I'm gone... You find the answer to that is, "Not so much"!!] I could care less about how my money effects the Thai economy I use it for my needs not theirs. In the "Land of Smiles" I'm an incredibly wealthy person [Compared to whom? Farmers or average businesspersons or the real Thai wealthy who buy and sell businesses like used cars and holiday in Monaco?] that has lived there for full time for 8 years and was planning to spend the next 25 years paying for goods and services in the Kingdom. I’m not foolish enough to believe that when I’m gone the loss of the disbursement of my wealth into the community will have no effect. [And yet, it will have no effect. Employees will find other jobs, suppliers will get by,and the community will trudge on without you. They may mourn the loss of their golden goose for a short while then poof you're ancient history.]

["I've spent a boatload of money - why doesn't anyone like or respect me."] I have not spent a boatload of money in Thailand I made investments and retain there value, I will unwind those investments and take that value along with myself to a place were I feel more comfortable living. [if you have just "made investments" which can be "unwound" and taken AND have not spent "a boatload of money in Thailand" how large can your "disbursement of wealth into the community be"? Your two statements are diametrically opposed to each other!] I could care less if someone respects me or not it’s meaningless. [Another interesting change in direction. From: "my economic footprint is easily 20 times that of a typical Thai yet I feel unwelcome and unsupported in Thailand." Almost like two different people!]

All I can say is groove-on Robert, I hope your bubble of self-importance doesn't burst!!

Self importance? Groove-on? Is that it? Not much happening with you upstairs currently is there, are you getting fatigued? Your last post at least had some thought behind the response.

Yeah, self-importance - like not actually reading the post you are commenting on!!! If you bothered to read it you would have seen I did make thoughtful responses again in-line... (Hint: read the newer bold parts!!)

Now for my experience on this topic. I've been riding for 45 years. Bought my first bike in 1970, a GT500 Suzuki 2 stroke.

Good post rapom. Although all that experience my have blurred your memory a wee bit... The Suzuki GT series consisted of the 'ram air' GT380 and 550, and the liquid-cooled GT750 'water buffalo'. I remember this well because my first bike was a GT550 - NOT 500!!

It's not the first time this has occurred. I've never had any problem landing in Singpore, parking or anything else; of course Singapore is smart enough to know where the real money comes from and it is NOT the average bus traveling Chinese.

Changi accommodates everyone!!! Or maybe you failed to notice to 100 or so cheap Chinese flights that land in Sing every day while you were on the private runway!!

Singaporean ...elites are not as stingy as those in Thailand.

That I have yet to see evidence of!!!!

I am about 30 minutes (25%) of the way through watching this 'comedy', I have not laughed once or even broken a smile.

Does this show anything about the British sense of humour?

Yes. It's superior.

Superior... HA!!! Different yes. Mrs. Brown's Boys Da Movie... need I say more?

Book a double and get 2 room keys. A very simple solution.

Unless the cleaner goes in there 10 minutes later and turns it off..

Book double. Get 2 keys. Request room to be cleaned while u have breakfast. Return from breakfast, place 2nd card in slot and go out for the day.... As I said earlier in the thread soooooo many ways to game the system - why not just account for ALL usage and be done with the policing where none is necessary?

It's not the first time this has occurred. I've never had any problem landing in Singpore, parking or anything else; of course Singapore is smart enough to know where the real money comes from and it is NOT the average bus traveling Chinese.

Changi accommodates everyone!!! Or maybe you failed to notice to 100 or so cheap Chinese flights that land in Sing every day while you were on the private runway!!

Crap. Private Jet inbound from South China just landed. Best you check your facts before posting. Not Thai gov official

Maybe your reading skills need an update - try RS2.0... the article says "sick VIPs and gov't officials"...

Well, they were failed immigrants, not failed expats. Sorry, could be wrong, but I think if you asked them directly in Russian, it would be like this.

Did you intend to settled permanently in the USA? Yes

Did you settle there permanently? No

So did you succeed or fail in your attempt to permanently settle in the USA? Fail

And then what happened? We moved to Winnipeg and Sonya and I got excellent jobs, we sent Ivan and Sophia to the best schools and uni. Ivan's now a proctologist and Sophia is a personal injury lawyer.

Oh yeah? How are your relatives that stayed doing? Well Ilya never got a decent job and Evgina never learned english so she didn't work. Their kids? Well Boris skipped a lot of school and is working for his uncle in the Russian mob, Korinna has a nice boyfriend she calls her daddy and seems to always owe him money and has to do some sort of "tricks" to amuse him...

So, ultimately, did you succeed or fail in your attempt to permanently settle in the USA? The biggest success of our lives. Thank god we didn't stay there!!

Life decisions are not like an eating contest. I attempted to eat 50 hot dogs but I only got through 46, I failed. Success and failure of life decisions can only be judged with the perspective of time.

But of course you know this already...

I know two failed expats. One a guy from Pattaya who used to be a man about town but ran out of money or had health problems and was forced home. He still writes to everyone as though he is living in Pattaya (weird delusion).

Another older man started out as a normal poster asking dumb questions and then got dumped from an internet Thai affair and was instantly changed into an anti Thai women and nation authority writing about Thailand although he has never been to the country (weird delusion). He even gives people visa advice although he has never had a visa.

Second guy is just a loser... not an expat, he never lived here!

Thinking about this some more, I remember years ago a bunch of distant relatives of mine migrated from the Soviet Union to the USA. All of them were having a really hard time adjusting. The USA was anything but a dream for them. Some of them stayed, and some of them decided to leave (I'm not even sure if back to USSR or not). What we thought about the ones that left was not at all controversial or ambiguous -- their immigration attempt had FAILED.

Hmm - let's say a bunch of your distant relatives decided to go on a group vacay to Disneyland at Xmas time. It was a crappy trip to get there - weather sucked, airports jammed and delayed, obnoxious travellers... Upon arrival they got the "sewer room" to stay in, beets and potatoes for meals, and told they must work as sanitation crew while enjoying the park... Some of your relatives buckled down, accepted their lot, and tried to enjoy the vacay. One group of relatives said fry this shizzle, we've heard of this chill, half baked, community up in Napa let's bounce, and off they went. Another group said this is worse than being home at least I know when I'm being served a poo-poo plater there, let's bounce. Are there any failures here? Or just a group of peeps who decided to try something which wasn't everyones cuppa. If everyone's happy in the end who's the failure?

Hmmm, a much more levelled post lacking the vitriol of your first post, thanks!

[yeah really? try telling that to Michael Brown and those protesting the fallout of the court decision regarding Ferguson] I have no interest in the color of a person’s skin; I engage mentally with people and judge them on their intellectual prowess. I know no one in America that cares either; I’m sure there are people in America that care about such issues but I don’t know any. I believe racism in the US is promoted by the media and the government, a physiological operation, primarily hype, used for destabilization and misdirection. I can’t think of a single American that I know that has any interest in human skin pigmentation, the color of someone’s skin is meaningless. American police may be are out of control but I pay no attention to "Ferguson" or any mainstream media it is IMO a staged controlled fiction. What I’m referring to is the Thai racism not American, the people are fixated on the meaningless preoccupation of having white skin, IMO a complete and total waste of time.

[stereotype much? I'm guessing you live in one of the Farang Ghettos... Where I live most of the locals are hard working, industrious, and community minded.] Do I live in a ghetto? Hardly. [Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, Sukumvit area?? If yes, you live in a farang ghetto - it is an expression, not a condemnation.] However I agree there are some very decent respectable Thai people and to those people I have respect. [interesting change of tack from your original statement... "Thailand is filthy and reflects its people’s attitude; they are a lethargic group, most sleeping over a bowl of rice at there job with little pride in their surroundings."]

[Why, oh why, would the Thai government be spending its time and money protecting you - a non-citizen?] That is why I will be removing myself from Thailand I want a home, not a country were the government cares only about certain people but about all the people equally and treat all individuals equally under the law. I'm finished with the police shakedowns and being looked down on by their government.

[Ah, here it comes - "They're gonna miss me (my money) when I'm gone... You find the answer to that is, "Not so much"!!] I could care less about how my money effects the Thai economy I use it for my needs not theirs. In the "Land of Smiles" I'm an incredibly wealthy person [Compared to whom? Farmers or average businesspersons or the real Thai wealthy who buy and sell businesses like used cars and holiday in Monaco?] that has lived there for full time for 8 years and was planning to spend the next 25 years paying for goods and services in the Kingdom. I’m not foolish enough to believe that when I’m gone the loss of the disbursement of my wealth into the community will have no effect. [And yet, it will have no effect. Employees will find other jobs, suppliers will get by,and the community will trudge on without you. They may mourn the loss of their golden goose for a short while then poof you're ancient history.]

["I've spent a boatload of money - why doesn't anyone like or respect me."] I have not spent a boatload of money in Thailand I made investments and retain there value, I will unwind those investments and take that value along with myself to a place were I feel more comfortable living. [if you have just "made investments" which can be "unwound" and taken AND have not spent "a boatload of money in Thailand" how large can your "disbursement of wealth into the community be"? Your two statements are diametrically opposed to each other!] I could care less if someone respects me or not it’s meaningless. [Another interesting change in direction. From: "my economic footprint is easily 20 times that of a typical Thai yet I feel unwelcome and unsupported in Thailand." Almost like two different people!]

All I can say is groove-on Robert, I hope your bubble of self-importance doesn't burst!!

Soutpeel, you discribe your Two children as sprogs, I think this says it all about failed ex-patsSorry I am only replying in open forum because QUOTES has been blocked my end

Not me I don't have two children, have none in Thailand and my daughter and only child, from the 1st wife is in medical school in the UK

Or are you just another TV half wit, with a chip on their shoulder trying troll people ?

I think he may have been referring to TransAm... his cockney was showing!!!

I see an opportunity here... Who's got the dosh to build a private facility!!

I'd suppose the business would be cut short while you'd be competing againts AOT PLc.(read: the govt.) administering most of the air traffic in the Kingdom - the other option of course would be that you'd have REALLY deep pockets, like Bangkok Airways- deep (see: Samui airport)

Yep, properly deep pockets and the right Thai partner would be a good start... Avoiding the commercial carriers turf... Might be a tough slog but if done properly I believe it would be a success. AoT may actually welcome the unburdening if proposed as a win-win... (spread the wealth)!!!

Yes wife is Thai and has land. We live in Ameica. I told her I want to farm and live off land. It's what my recent ancestors did.

Good, that should help with the initial hurdles! It will be an adventure and I wish you the best of luck!!

My wife (farang) and I have gotten a great deal of enjoyment out of a little de-evolution... We grow many fruits and veg, do all our own baking, cook (mostly) all our own farang meals (for Thai its just too easy, cheap and tasty to go out for take-away!) and we have chickens, goose and goats... maybe cows next! 5000 baht diners for two at a good restaurant are now a real treat rather than another mundane meal, although some of our home-cooked experiments are better than the chefs seem to put out!

..wife and I plan to lively farm there. Not perfect, but don't want a boss anymore, including customers from private business. Some of us have run the world and been everywhere and seen it all. Time to live In peaceful place. Farm. Whether in Thailand or where ever.

Before I comment, may I ask if your wife is Thai?

So I see it as a comfort-level thing then. You are riding at a pace with-in your perceived safety zone. It is not a judgement of the engineering/mechanical abilities of the bike. I would be interested in know what, if any, motorbike experience you had back home?

I tend to prefer 'big-wheel' scooters over the small-wheel automatics (finos, scoopys, and to a lesser extent pcxs) because the larger-diameter front wheel IS more stable under extreme (read: just about to wipe-out) conditions.

@ Jacz:

Two thoughts...

1. A good English friend, who has resided in Thailand for a couple of decades, has been dealing with Brit govt regarding his disability benefit for a year now. Horrible business, demeaning and requiring multiple trips back to balmy old England...

2. How can British law govern your visa status in Thailand? Just come with tourist visa, convert to non-o then apply for extension based on age ... you only have to be 50.